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Constantine

Monster Kill Posts: 266 Joined: 27 Jul 2006 686 gold

Pudge's story (The perfect Monster)

Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 2:19 am

The perfect monster

Part 1: The Creator

Hunched over a massive wooden table, an elderly man carefully sewed scraps of dead flesh onto a framework of bones more than twice his size. So absorbed in his task, he was, that he failed to notice another living presence enter the decrepit laboratory.

“Doctor Alexi Romerov!” boomed a deep, commanding voice.

Startled, Alexi jerked his head up and looked around frantically. Seeing a man in the doorway, he squinted in the dim light, trying to make out his unannounced and unwelcome guest. Finally recognizing the figure, the doctor turned back to his work. “Oh, it’s just you,” grumbled the old man, applying another stitch to the body before him while waiting for the inevitable rebuke.

“Just me?” replied the other man tersely. “You would be wise not to take that tone with me. I *am* your superior, as much as you dislike acknowledging the fact.”

Doctor Alexi harrumphed loudly, then turned back and gave his visitor a mocking bow. “Well then, *Necromancer* Edvard Barov, please excuse my lapse of proper etiquette and subservience, but my work is time consuming and keeps me too busy for empty pleasantries.”

“Too time consuming, *Acolyte* Romerov,” snapped Barov. “You’ve had more than enough time to finish your abomination, and you still have a great deal of work to do!”

Alexi waved the retort away dismissively. “You cannot rush quality, Edvard. You may have hastily assembled your creature in order to earn a promotion, but I will not sacrifice my craftsmanship for petty material gains. My monster will be perfect, unlike your clumsy beast.”

Barov turned red with anger. “The abominations are hulking brutes of undead meat, not elven dancers! You may have forgotten, but this is an army! We have deadlines – ones we must meet! We are in the middle of a war, and mass-produced soldiers are the key to victory, not custom-made monsters!”

Alexi took off his glasses and cleaned them on his black robe. “You have no idea what you are talking about, Edvard,” he replied wearily. “Without innovation, the Scourge is doomed to failure. Great numbers can fall to superior strategy, and if we do not change and adapt our foes will learn all our tricks. You do not understand because you are not a scientist. You were a paper-pusher before the Plague, and you are a paper-pusher now. And I will never finish if you don’t let me get back to my work.”

The Necromancer sputtered with rage, unable to respond coherently. Finally controlling himself, he held up a finger angrily. “One month, Alexi! I’ll give you one month to finish making your abomination! If you are not done with it then, I will throw you to the tender mercy of our leaders!” With that, he turned and stormed out of the lab, leaving Alexi alone once again.

Alexi chuckled and went back to his work. “Poor Edvard,” he said quietly, “your temper will be the death of you one day.” He patted the stitched monstrosity on the table, feeling the cold, leathery texture of the creature’s skin. “You will be a masterpiece,” he whispered, “no matter what anyone else says.”

Part 2: Evaluation

Alexi Romerov bowed deeply, then stepped to the side of the doorway as quickly as his old bones would allow. “Welcome to my laboratory, Lord Ras.”

The Lich glided into the dank structure, cold mist flowing from its skeletal form as it calmly surveyed the room. Its focus soon turned to the creature on the immense operating table in the center of the room. “So,” it intoned emotionlessly, “this is the abomination that you have informed me of.”

Alexi bowed again, his face showing both anxiety and confidence. “Yes, Lord Frostwhisper. It is finally complete.”

Ras Frostwhisper moved slowly to the edge of the table. It examined the monster carefully, with the infinite patience of the dead, and several minutes passed before it spoke again. “I see no flaws with your creation. However, I see none of the modifications you said were present. Elaborate.”

The doctor beamed with the pride of a master craftsman, and began to speak with great enthusiasm. “Yes, my lord. It is true that my changes are not obvious, but what I have done is make it able to grow, and learn.” He hesitated, waiting for a sign of approval from his master.

The Lich remained silent, as if considering the implications of this. “Continue,” it said finally.

Encouraged, Alexi went on. “I enchanted it with some of the magic that drives the ghouls, my lord. Unlike other abominations, it is imbued with a great hunger…a desire to feed, and take from what it consumes.”

Frostwhisper turned its head to look at the doctor, its eyes burning with cold flame. Alexi willed himself not to blink. “Explain,” said the Lich .

“The necromantic magics that sustain the creature are not stagnant, my lord. Whatever it eats, the magic adds to the whole. The more it devours, the larger, stronger and tougher it becomes. Allow me to demonstrate, if I may.”

The Lich nodded slowly, and Alexi walked to the other side of the table. Grabbing a hunk of rotting meat from a nearby bucket, the doctor dropped the dead tissue into a gaping hole in the creature’s stomach. Almost as soon as the meat made contact, it began to change color, quickly matching the shade of the abomination’s flesh. Within minutes, the meat was completely absorbed, appearing as if it had always been there.

Frostwhisper watched the process impassively. “Impressive.”

Alexi nodded. “Indeed, my lord. In truth, the stitches are more for show than purpose at this point. The frame will adjust to support the additional mass, and will grow taller as well. Before long, it will be substantially larger than the other abominations. Also,” he said with a sly grin, “this same magic allows the creature to learn and adapt – the standard magics keep our creations mindless because are unable to alter the structure of the brain. This one has no such…disadvantage.”

The Lich considered this in silence for several minutes. “What are the limits of its intelligence?”

Alexi gestured dismissively. “Little more than a child at best, my lord. Mindless creatures require too much control, but so do overly intelligent ones. It will learn from its mistakes and remember orders, but it is still stupid enough to be properly malleable.”

“Good. I am pleased that you understand the needs of the Scourge. However, the time it took to construct this creature concerns me. If it passes the trials, we will need many more. You are capable of reducing the production time, I assume.”

The doctor bowed. “Of course, my lord. Prototypes always take the longest to produce. Now that I understand the process, I can work on perfecting it.”

Nodding, the Lich almost smiled. “Good. The Scourge needs more innovators such as yourself, Necromancer Romerov.”

A promotion! Alexi was thrilled, but kept his face calm. “I am pleased to be of service, my lord. And if I may make a suggestion…”

“You may.”

“Necromancer Edvard Barov’s abomination would make for a fitting trial for my creation. He has attempted to discredit me and my work on a number of occasions, and I believe that such a challenge would settle matters once and for all.”

“Yes,” said the Lich , “I have heard him speak of you. His dislike for you leads him to act…unprofessionally at times.” Frostwhisper paused momentarily. “The challenge will be held tomorrow at dawn.”

Alexi bowed again. “We will be ready, my lord.”

Frostwhisper turned away and slowly glided out of the lab. Pausing in the doorway, it looked over its shoulder at Alexi. “We expect great things of you, Necromancer Romerov. Do not disappoint us.” Then it was gone.

Alexi stood at the table a few minutes longer, then collapsed into a nearby chair. “Whew! Never been so nervous in my life!” He grinned with fierce triumph, and rubbed his hands together. “Alright…time to put the finishing touches on you. Tomorrow’s a big day, my boy, and it wouldn’t do to be unprepared.”

Part 3: Arise!

Midwinter. Midnight. The Scourge facility of Scholomance was a beehive of activity, even at this hour, and especially on this day. Lich es prepared dark rituals to take advantage of the equinox and the magical energies available at the changing of the seasons. High-ranking necromancers aided their leaders in their preparations, gathering reagents and tomes of forbidden lore. Ghouls and abominations guarded the gates, ready for an Alliance attack if it came. Only the acolytes slept this evening, and many of them were too keyed up by the magic in the air to rest either. Doctor Alexi Romerov was not among the blissfully unconscious.

In the dark of the night, Alexi stood beside the table where his creation lay, chanting vile words of necromantic power. The lab was devoid of light, save for five candles that gave off a red glow and unholy-looking smoke. Though the magic that animated the monster was complete, it had not yet awoken, and the final spell that would bring the creature to life was nearly finished.

“– drak thal’an, gul kad alanatos! Fer’nas, grath vo zeradal! Rise, my creation! Know life once more, in the name of the Lich King!”

As he spoke the final words, Alexi thrust his arms into the air, and the black smoke flowed down into the gaping maw like a whirlpool. The force of the wind extinguished the candles, leaving Alexi in utter darkness.

The ritual complete, the doctor lowered his arms. Silently, he stood there in the dark while he caught his breath. Sighing, he rubbed his forehead to relieve the weariness that threatened to overcome him. “Guess my age is showing,” he said, chuckling. “This wouldn’t have drained me so much ten years ago. Got into this business too late, I suppose, but it won’t matter soon. Now, where did I put those candles…”

“Here, mas-ter.”

“Ah, good.” Striking a match, Alexi found the candle he was looking for and lit it. Light radiated from the flame, revealing a hideous face that peered at him curiously in the dim illumination. An ordinary man would have been scared out of his mind by the proximity of this horror in the darkness, but Alexi took in the sight calmly. He had, after all, seen that face every day for months.

“Good, you’re awake!” said the doctor with a broad grin. He moved around the room, lighting more candles so he could see more clearly. When he turned back, he saw his creation propped up on one massive elbow, looking around the brightening room with childish amazement.

“Yes, mas-ter,” it replied in a deep, resonant voice. It had the same echo-y quality that all of the Scourge possessed, as if the magics that reanimated them carried their words from the damned souls in the hells directly to their lips. A mystery Alexi hoped to solve, but one that would have to wait for now. “Where…this place?” asked the abomination, bringing Alexi out of his musing.

“I am Necromancer Alexi Romerov, and I am your master,” he replied with a commanding tone. “You are in my laboratory, in the Scourge training facility of Scholomance.”

“Sk…Skolo…manse?” The creature struggled with the name, just like a child would with a new and difficult word. Alex was thrilled, but kept his face calm.

“Yes, but that word is not important right now. Do you understand that you are one of the Scourge, and that the Lich King is your master?”

The monster paused briefly, then spoke. “Yes…we are…the Scourge. Lich King…mas-ter of Scourge.”

Alexi chuckled. “Excellent. Do you have a name?” It was always wise to ask, he reflected, since occasionally the Lich King stepped in during the reanimation process and gave the newly awakened undead a name. Once given, the undead would cling to the name with the only shred of personal identity they had left, and could never be convinced to accept another name.

The abomination looked sad, and shook its head. “No, mas-ter. Had name once, but…forgot.”

Fierce pride surged through Alexi. So intelligent already, and newly risen! This monster would be his – no other would command it! “Then, my creation, you shall be called…” He glanced at the creature’s plump gut and grinned. “Pudge. Rise, Pudge , and stand before me!”

Pudge nodded vigorously. “Yes, mas-ter. Pudge …good name.” Sitting up, it slowly slid off the table and tentatively placed its oversized feet on the floor. Its balance was a bit shaky, Alexi noted, but that problem would work itself out soon enough. Pudge simply needed to get used to its – his, Alexi decided – his new body.

“Excellent. Now, walk around the outer edge of the room while I tell you what you need to know. You have many things to learn, my creation.”

Pudge nodded again and began stomping around the room, his great bulk causing test tubes to rattle and loose items to shake with every step. “That sound good, mas-ter. Pudge know so little.”

Alexi cackled with glee. “Yes, yes, I know. Now, listen to me very carefully. In a few hours, we will leave this place. You will follow me to another place. Is this clear?”

“Yes, mas-ter.”

“Good. When we get to the other place, you will wait until things are ready. When I say to, you will fight another abomination, like yourself. You do know how to fight, yes?”

Pudge’s circuit around the room slowly briefly as he thought, then nodded and curled a meaty hand into a fist. “Yes, mas-ter, can fight. Need sword.”

Alexi laughed dryly. “Unfortunately, we do not have swords big enough for one your size. You will have to learn a new weapon, I’m afraid. Pull down that hook from the ceiling.”

Pudge stopped walking and looked up. Seeing the massive Butcher ’s hook, he stomped over and pulled it loose. The large length of chain that was attached to the hook came down as well, a portion of it smacking Pudge on the head as it fell. “Ow,” grumbled Pudge petulantly, rubbing his head.

Chuckling, Alexi moved towards the door. “I’m going to get some sleep. I will be back in a few hours, so practice with that thing while I’m gone. Don’t leave this room for any reason…and don’t break anything!”

“Yes, mas-ter,” called Pudge distractedly, already busy testing the weight and balance of his new weapon. As Alexi closed the door, he heard the sound of shattering glass and a muffled “Oops.” Alexi clucked with annoyance, but he was pleased nonetheless. His Pudge would show them all…tomorrow!

Part 4: Trials

Pudge stomped noisily down the halls of Scholomance, following his master Alexi Romerov and dragging his new hook behind him. The abomination made sure not to follow the little man too closely – he had already stepped on the doctor’s foot once, and his master still walked funny. He knew his master was angry with him because he had stopped talking for the first time since Pudge woke up. Still, the doctor was talking to him again, so Pudge guessed that meant he wasn’t mad anymore. The master was talking awfully fast, too, and Pudge struggled to keep up with the constant flow of words. He knew it was important, but it was hard to focus on walking and listening at the same time.

“– and remember, Pudge ,” said Alexi as he strode quickly down the hallway, “when you see a Lich , stand aside and bow to them. And call them Lord, preferably with their name if you know it – they like that, as much as an emotionless being of untold power can like anything. You do remember how to bow, right?”

“Yes, mas-ter. Pudge practiced many times.” Pudge remembered what Lich es looked like. They were tall, but not as tall as himself, very thin and bony, and they floated off the ground. Pudge wondered how they did that. There was something else…oh, and they made things cold. Pudge was sure he would know a Lich when he saw one now.

Alexi stopped in front of a massive set of double doors taller than Pudge , and the monster stopped himself before he ran into his master. He was still getting used to walking, though he didn’t remember it being so hard…before. Before when? The thought always made his head hurt.

“Now then,” said Alexi, turning to face his creation, “do you remember what you’re going to do out here?”

Pudge paused for a moment to think, then nodded vigorously. “Yes, mas-ter. Pudge wait for signal, then fight other thing like me. Win fight, make everyone happy.” He grinned toothily, feeling very pleased with himself.

Alexi chuckled dryly. “Well, certainly not everyone, but,” he waved dismissively when Pudge looked confused, “that’s an explanation for another time.”

Pudge nodded again, still feeling like he was missing something. “Yes, mas-ter.”

The doctor turned back to the doors and pushed them open slowly. As the doors yawned open, Pudge saw the outside world for the first time…but it wasn’t the first time. He had seen this Before, whenever that was. Stepping outside, Pudge blinked in the bright light of early morning. The sunlight all but blinded him, and from the way his master was squinting, the light was no more pleasant or welcome for the small man.

Slowly, the light faded until finally Pudge could see again. Dry, cracked black dirt crunched beneath his bare feet as he looked around with childish amazement. A vast encampment covered the area, full of people and buildings of all shapes and sizes. A large forest of black and browning trees lay to his right, and he knew that at one time animals of all kinds had lived there. He could hear no sign of them now…which was just as well, considering how much noise the people were making. “Why they all so busy, mas-ter?”

“Everyone has work to do,” replied Alexi, “and the Scourge has no place for slackers. We are at war, as I have told you before.”

Pudge looked down at his master curiously. “Is Scourge winning?”

Alexi hmphed with annoyance. “We made excellent progress initially, but I understand that we are at something of a stalemate with the allied forces. We no longer have the advantage of surprise, and they are learning our tricks. Too few of our leaders understand the need for change…but you will change that. You will help us win this war, Pudge .”

Pudge scratched his head, not knowing what his master meant. “How, mas-ter?”

The doctor gave him a wry grin, then began to move forward again. “You’ll see,” he said, chuckling quietly.

Pudge shrugged and continued to follow his master. After a few minutes of walking, they reached a large clearing. A great number of robed people stood around, apparently waiting for something. Waiting for him? Pudge thought this was very strange; his master told him there would only be the other and its master, and maybe some Lich es. Did these people think he was important? He didn’t think he was important.

Alexi strode confidently into the clearing, and several people stepped aside to let him pass. On the other side of the area they were doing the same, making room for an angry-looking man and a tall, bulky creature. Was this the thing that was like him? Pudge looked down at himself, then back at the monster. Yup, very much like him. Smaller, though, and carrying a huge cleaver instead of a hook. Pudge wondered if it could fight well, and found himself looking forward to the battle.

The other man stormed across the clearing and pointed angrily at Alexi. “You!” he shouted, then lowered his voice. “I don’t know how you arranged this, Alexi,” the man whispered fiercely, “but this…this *farce* won’t help you!”

“I beg to differ, Edvard,” replied Alexi smoothly, a condescending smirk on his face. “And I didn’t have to arrange anything. I simply mentioned the idea to Lord Frostwhisper, and he thought it had merit.”

“Then it *was* your idea! I knew you had a hand in this, you, you–” Barov closed his eyes briefly, obviously trying to calm himself. “I know what you’re up to,” he said with a vicious smile, opening his eyes again, “but it won’t work. You only finished him last night, so you can’t possibly have had any time to train him yet. Stitches and I have had the past month to train – it’s easy to see who the victor will be.”

“You can tell yourself that all you want, Edvard,” said Alexi calmly, “but very shortly we’ll see who wasted their time…and odds are, it won’t be me.”

Edvard glared at Alexi for several seconds, then turned around and walked back to his abomination. “We’ll see who laughs last, Romerov!”

“Yes,” said the doctor quietly, “we shall see.”

Pudge looked down at his master curiously. “Who that, mas-ter?”

Alexi sighed and rubbed his forehead wearily. “My rival. My enemy. Whatever other nasty word I can call to mind.” He gave Pudge a serious look. “Whatever happens, Pudge , do not harm him. Defeat his creation, his…Stitches, but not him. He would love to use that against me.”

Pudge nodded. He didn’t know what his master was talking about, but it sounded important. “Yes, mas-ter.”

Suddenly the chatter died down, leaving the clearing in silence. The crowd parted again, making way for three Lich es. Pudge noticed his master was very surprised, but didn’t know why. “Three,” Alexi whispered with awe, “three of them! I never expected so many! Lord Ras Frostwhisper in front, of course,” Alexi pointed the Lich out to Pudge , “and flanked by Araj the Summoner and Naze the Eternal! Truly amazing! They’re usually too busy to bother with such things…a point for our side, to be sure!”

The three Lich es, having arrived, stopped and took a moment to survey the challengers. Frostwhisper glided forward a short ways and stared at each of the necromancers in turn. “You are ready?” it said coolly.

Alexi bowed as deeply as his age would allow, and Pudge mimicked him clumsily a moment later. Edvard and Stitches did the same, though more smoothly. “We are, Lord Ras.” He bowed again to the other Lich es. “Lord Araj, Lord Naze.”

The two Lich es regarded him emotionlessly, then nodded their acknowledgement. Ras held up a hand, then dropped it quickly. “Begin.”

Bellowing a war cry, Stitches charged across the clearing. Taken by surprise by the suddenness of the attack, Pudge stumbled back a step and clumsily raised his hook and chain. His hasty defense blocked his foe’s chop at the last second, and Pudge felt the impact reverberate through his meaty arms. His opponent was strong! Keeping the chain up, he blocked a second strike, then ducked under a vicious swing that only barely missed. Knowing he had to get off the defensive, Pudge attempted to hit the other abomination with his hook, but Stitches easily dodged the inept attack. The miss threw him off balance and sent him stumbling forward, knocking his foe back a few steps.

Pudge swung wildly, trying to force Stitches back further, but the abomination would have none of it. His enemy grinned as he casually blocked another strike, then countered with a brutal backhand. The blow made Pudge reel in pain, pain he had not felt since Before. Distracted, he only noticed his opponent’s next attack at the last second, when it was too late to avoid it. The cleaver bit into Pudge ’s shoulder and he roared with pain, his green blood flowing out of the wound. A reflexive strike knocked the abomination’s arm aside and dislodged the cleaver, and a quick attack with the hook struck Stitches in the face as Pudge retreated. Stitches shook his head clear and spit out a grimy tooth, then growled and stomped forward to continue the fight, no longer amused.

Edvard laughed heartily, his voice carrying across the clearing. “Your Pudge is putting on quite a show, Alexi! As you can see, a little training goes a long way, though I think your creation will go far as well – to the trash heap!”

Alexi smiled slightly in response. “This fight is far from over, Edvard. First blood means nothing.” Edvard’s taunts were irritating, but Alexi was more concerned about Pudge . He knew the creature would learn quickly…but he wished Pudge would speed it up!

The battle continued to rage between the two monstrous enemies. Pudge managed to get in a few more weak hits, but was unable to slow the other abomination’s assault. Several more minor wounds leaked blood, though Pudge was not yet seriously injured. Stitches battered Pudge ’s hook aside with a flurry of attacks, then leaned down and swung at an exposed leg. Pudge moved the appendage clear, but a sudden push sent him careening off balance. Toppling like a falling tree, he fell to the ground with a deafening crash. Struggling to right himself, Pudge barely noticed his opponent bringing his cleaver down hard. Raising an arm to defend himself, the blade cut into him and caused immeasurable agony.

Fighting through the pain, Pudge ’s anger rose. He knew how to fight! The hook was slowing him down because he didn’t know how to use it, but it could not keep him from winning! Snarling with rage, Pudge caught his foe’s head in the hook and pulled him down, headbutting him ferociously. Stitches reeled back from the blow, giving Pudge the time he needed to get to his feet. The other abomination growled and swung again, but Pudge neatly caught the blade on the inner curve of the hook. Spiraling his arm around, he twisted his enemy’s arm around until he lost his grip, sending the cleaver flying across the clearing. Disarmed, Stitches tried to get back and retrieve his weapon, but Pudge grabbed him by the throat and jammed his hook into his opponent’s stomach, ripping the poorly stitched flesh open.

Howling with pain and rage, Stitches struggled to break free of Pudge ’s grip. Suddenly he paused, and Pudge could faintly hear the mental command Barov was giving his creation.

Forget the abomination! Kill Alexi now! We are lost – this is our only chance!

Distracted, Pudge was unable to dodge the lightning fast blow to his head, and he released his grip. Stitches pushed past him and lurched towards Alexi with grim resolve. Pudge ’s eyes widened with surprise. They were trying to hurt the master! They would not do that on his watch, thought Pudge , his gaze narrowing. Whipping the hook around like a sling, Pudge hurled it at the other abomination. Catching Stitches around the throat, he jerked the chain viciously and pulled his enemy down to the ground. Stitches struggled to rise, but Pudge lumbered forward and wrapped the chain around the abomination’s neck and yanked him up.

“You…made me hungry,” Pudge growled quietly. With that, he bit into his foe’s neck, consuming the undead tissue with sharp teeth and a ravenous appetite. Stitches screamed and fought to get free, but he was too weak. Soon he slumped over lifelessly, the necromantic magic that reanimated him no longer able to sustain him.

Edvard fell to his knees, broken and defeated. As Pudge sated his terrible hunger, Alexi walked over to Barov, accompanied by Lord Frostwhisper. Pale-faced, Edvard rose quickly, but swayed on his feet. Lord Ras gazed at him unnervingly for several minutes before finally breaking the silence.

“Pudge has defeated Stitches. Necromancer Romerov takes your position by right of challenge. Necromancer Barov, you will now oversee the acolytes’ ghoul training and creation. Is this clear?”

“Very…my lord,” replied Edvard quietly, bowing shakily.

The Lich waved dismissively. “Dismissed.” Edvard glared at Alexi wrathfully, then turned and departed.

Pudge lumbered over, having finished his meal. He carried both the hook and the cleaver, and his toothy grin was covered in green ichor. Alexi noted with great pleasure that not only had all of Pudge ’s wounds healed already, but also that he was at least an inch taller. He would have to measure his creation back at the lab to discover exactly how much he had grown as a result of his feast. Turning to face the Lich , he bowed low. “What did my lord think of the trials?”

Frostwhisper looked over the abomination thoughtfully. “Brutal. Effective. He exceeded my expectations.” It glanced back at Alexi. “As I said before, I expect great things of you and this…Pudge, High Necromancer Romerov.”

Alexi’s smile broadened, and he bowed again. “We live only to serve, Lord Ras.”

Part 5: First Sortie

Alexi trudged wearily through the twisting passages of Scholomance, the silk of his new robes brushing against the floor quietly and picking up stray dirt. He never noticed how dirty the place was when he wore his Acolyte’s robe, but in his fine High Necromancer’s garb the dust and dirt disgusted him. He did not need to look to know that the hem of his robe had a thick coating of grime by now and would need washing…again. Perhaps he could ‘persuade’ a few of his less obedient students to sweep the floors clean. Menial labor always served as an effective punishment, especially for the unruly and arrogant.

Thinking about his new students made the doctor grumble under his breath with irritation. Some of them had a good balance of intelligence, discipline, subservience, and ambition, but they were far too few. Only a few suffered from lack of intellect, thankfully – they always required the most supervision, and had the highest odds of doing serious, accidental harm. Already one student had killed himself during a fairly simple exercise; the man’s spell had backfired, draining his life energies into the Twisting Nether instead of infusing a skeleton with necromantic magic from the dread realm. Alexi was glad to have him gone – fools like that had no place in the Scourge.

No, the students that frustrated him and made him feel like an old man were the overly ambitious and arrogant ones. They had enough intelligence to succeed, but too little discipline, subservience and wisdom to know their place. For most, learning magic is empowering, but wise mages quickly learn that for every secret they discover, they will find themselves with two more unanswered questions. The arrogant students reveled in their parlor tricks and lorded their magical ‘prowess’ over their lessers, with no understanding of how little they actually knew. Truly, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.

Sighing, Alexi made his way down the stairs to Ras Frostwhisper’s private laboratory. Passing a pair of elite skeletal guards, the doctor halted his step just inside the spacious room that held all of the Lich ’s personal experiments. Seeing that Frostwhisper was in the middle of a delicate procedure, and knowing full well that it would not pay to interrupt his master now, Alexi stood in the doorway and waited for the Lich to acknowledge his presence.

Twenty minutes later, Frostwhisper set down his test tubes and cast a simple spell to slow the passage of time for the contents to a crawl – Alexi had used it many times before to preserve time sensitive projects when other matters called him away. Without looking, the Lich gestured to a nearby desk and chair. “Sit.”

Gratefully, Alexi walked over to the chair and sat down, resting his tired body. A few minutes later, Frostwhisper floated around to the other side of the desk, seating itself in a large, high-backed chair. “You wished to speak to me, my lord?” asked Alexi.

“Yes. I wished to know if Pudge was successful on his first day in the field.”

Alexi shook his head. “I don’t know, Lord Ras. The assault unit hasn’t returned yet.”

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Pudge squinted in the bright light as he trudged through the forest, following a small group of necromancers, ghouls and abominations down a narrow trail. The dense woods kept out most of the light, but every so often a sharp beam of blinding sunlight would make its way through the tree cover onto the ground and creatures below. For an entity born and raised in darkness and shadow, the light was pure torture, and Pudge did his best to keep the harsh rays from his eyes. Despite his efforts, the sun assaulted him with unerring accuracy and irritating frequency, and Pudge grumbled with annoyance as he marched.

His fleshy stomach grumbled as well, reminding him that his only meal today had been a rotting deer carcass slain by the Plague. His master fed him well, but Pudge ’s curiosity was as insatiable as his appetite, and the abomination was growing tired of the same putrid fare, day after day. He needed something different…something fresh. Some fresh meat, he decided – after the incident with the tree bark, he wanted nothing to do with plant life ever again. Just thinking about it brought the taste to his mouth, and he spit noisily to get rid of it. One of the necromancers leading the group glared at him, but Pudge just grinned toothily. They didn’t control him, like they did the others. Only his master could do that.

Catching a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye, Pudge glanced curiously at the nearby trees. Another blast of sunlight hit him square in the face, however, driving the thought from his under-developed mind. The monster walked on, oblivious to the dangers of the silent forest.

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“Oh, I do hope Pudge is alright,” said Alexi nervously, rubbing his hands together in the cold office. “Any number of things could go wrong out there.”

Ras gestured dismissively. “He is capable, and you trained him well. He will be fine.”

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A pillar of fire erupted from the ground beneath the necromancers, slaying several instantly and leaving the others to burn alive. The other ghouls and abominations stopped mid-step, deprived of the controlling influence of the necromancers, and simply stood in place looking dazed and confused. Pudge looked around frantically, seeing an ambush party melt out of the woods around him. Bows, long ears…these were the Blood Elves his master told him about!

A tall elf in a large cloak and Plate Mail stepped forward, three balls of pale green energy circling his head. “You monsters have caused enough evil in our lands for one lifetime,” he stated calmly. “May you find peace in the afterlife, minions of the Scourge.” Raising a hand, he pointed at the hapless creatures. “Kill them all, my brethren! FOR QUEL’THALAS!”

Shouting vicious elven war cries, the elves charged the defenseless monsters. Realizing he had to do something, and quick, Pudge turned to his allies. “Fight!” he roared, “Fight, and leave none uneaten! REND AND TEAR!” Miraculously, the undead heard his command and hurled themselves at their rapidly approaching foes with a mindless frenzy. For better or worse, Pudge was their leader in this desperate battle.

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Alexi sighed, letting the tension drain out of him. “Yes, I suppose you’re right, Lord Ras. We old men tend to fear the worst, and my imagination is getting the better of my reason. After all, how badly could a routine patrol go?”

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“Ow! Stop shooting Pudge !” Pudge winced as another arrow wedged itself into his back, but the pain did nothing to slow his rampage of death. A quick backhand strike with his cleaver beheaded a charging swordsman, and a powerful blow from the hook crushed the skull of a second warrior. Pudge watched the dying elf twitch on the ground for a second, then grinned with satisfaction and turned back to the battle. Nearly half of his companions had fallen, too badly damaged to rise again, but their berserker fury and Pudge ’s might had killed enough elves to make the fight almost even. Their enemies had clearly not expected the undead to fight back so effectively after losing their controllers, and that surprise had turned the tides in the Scourge’s favor.

Another arrow bounced off Pudge ’s thick skull, forcefully reminding him that the archers did not, in fact, intend to leave him alone. Since they were not in the middle of the chaotic woodland conflict, they had recovered the quickest and focused their fire on Pudge , the most obvious threat. Snarling, Pudge speared a preoccupied elven warrior on his hook and threw him at the archers, knocking several to the ground and causing the rest to scatter. That gave him all the time he needed to barrel into their midst and shatter their line, killing most of the elven bowmen and sending the rest running.

A strange tingling sensation under his skin made Pudge turn around, just in time to see a large circle of magic rune appear on the ground under the battling elves and undead. The elven leader gestured imperiously and uttered words of arcane power, preparing to unleash another torrent of flame on the area. “Oh, no you don’t!” cried Pudge angrily, hurling his hook across the battlefield at the mage. The hook looped around the elf’s torso, and a vigorous jerk of the chain pulled him off his feet, disrupting the spell.

Pudge stomped over to the fallen leader, dragging the elf towards him as he paced forward. The mage struggled to free himself, but Pudge grabbed him by the neck before he could get away. Hauling the leader into the air, the abomination savored the stark terror of his captive. “What kind of a monster are you?” whispered the elf.

“Hungry,” replied Pudge with a grin. With that, he opened his toothy maw and bit the mage’s head off. Crunching noisily on his hard-won treat, Pudge watched the remaining elves turn and flee. Only a few managed to escape; the Scourge warriors fell upon the rest and began to feed, ignoring the screams of the still living as they feasted. Slinging the dead elven leader over his shoulder, Pudge gestured back at Scholomance. “Come! Time to go back!” he called across the clearing. Rounding up the remainder of the unit, Pudge stomped back to the Scourge base, followed by the wounded and battered survivors.

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A young acolyte scurried in Frostwhisper’s laboratory, stopping just past the guards. “Lord Ras, High Necromancer Romerov,” said the mage-in-training breathlessly, bowing to each in turn, “the scouting party has returned – they were attacked in the woods.”

Alexi leapt to his feet, shocked. “What about Pudge ?!”

The acolyte took a moment to catch his breath before continuing. “Not too badly wounded…the other students are pulling the arrows out of him now.” The messenger took another deep breath. “I ran all the way here…I knew my lords would want to know as soon as possible.”

“A wise decision,” replied Frostwhisper. “Go to your creation, Romerov.”

“Yes, Lord Ras,” said Alexi gratefully. The old man bowed quickly, then hurried out of the lab. As he passed the acolyte, he patted the young man on the shoulder. “Keep up the good work, lad, and you’ll go far with the Scourge.”

Alexi barely heard the youth’s “Yes sir!” as he raced down the corridors of Scholomance, abandoning all pretenses of decorum in his haste to get to Pudge . Bursting through the main entrance, he rushed down the hill to the lower camp, which bustled with activity. Acolytes tended to the wounds of the surviving warriors, making them ready for combat as quickly as humanly possible. As he approached, Alexi saw Pudge sitting apart from the others, carefully pulling armor away from a severed leg. “Pudge! What happened?” he exclaimed.

Looking up, Pudge grinned at his master. “We was attacked by elves in forest, mas-ter. They killed little mages, then tried to kill us all. But,” stated Pudge proudly, “Pudge told others what to do. Killed leader, chased elves away, came home.” Pudge gestured at the half-eaten body of the elven mage, then grimaced. “Only arrows really hurt Pudge . Hurt to pull out, too.”

Shaking his head, Alexi chuckled. “I imagine they did,” he replied, still worn out from his sprint.

Pudge’s expression brightened, and he reached for something Alexi could not see. “Pudge brought mas-ter a present!” Pulling out a red, bloodstained cloak, he held it up for his master to see.

Alexi examined the cloak carefully, then laughed. “A Blood Mage’s cloak, eh? It will need cleaning, of course, but this is an excellent present. You did well, Pudge ,” he said as he took the cloak from the abomination’s massive hands, “and I’m glad you’re back safe and sound.”

Pudge beamed at his creator, then took a bite of the elf’s leg. “Pudge is glad to be back, too,” he replied happily, talking around a mouthful of the oh-so-yummy fresh elf meat.

Part 6: Beyond the Grave

“Mas-ter, Pudge ’s tummy feels funny…”

Alexi, watching a bubbling and smoking beaker intently, held up a long, bony finger. “One moment, Pudge ! This concoction is almost finished, and I can’t take my eyes off it for than a second at this stage.”

Knowing that his master would be mad if he ruined another delicate experiment, Pudge tried to find something to take his mind off the distinctly unpleasant feeling of building pressure in his stomach. Glancing down at his substantial gut, he noticed that the gaping hole in his abdomen wasn’t hanging open as much as it had yesterday. In fact, the edges of the gash appeared to have come together, sealing the opening almost completely shut. Pudge , having grown used to the hole, thought it looked weird.

Across the room, Alexi quietly counted down from ten, then added a small quantity of yellow powder to the beaker just as the gray smoke rising out of it turned a sickly purple color. Stirring the mixture swiftly, Alexi sighed in relief when the smoke dissipated and revealed a sea-green liquid in the glass container. “That makes six,” the necromancer said wearily, wiping the sweat from his forehead. “If I had any other way to get a decent night’s rest anymore, I wouldn’t bother making the blasted things.” Turning away from his alchemy equipment, Alexi looked over to see Pudge standing in the doorway. The abomination was poking his gut repeatedly, a painful grimace on his face. “Pudge, what in the Lich King’s name are you doing?”

Pudge looked up at his master, and started to form a response when a large quantity of gas noisily forced itself out of the hole in his stomach. Alexi wrinkled his nose in disgust and turned back to his equipment, missing Pudge ’s muffled cry of pain in the noise. “That’s repulsive, Pudge . Try to learn a little decorum, and step out of the room the next time you feel one of those coming.” The elderly man leaned on the table in front of him, then suddenly jerked his head up as a thought struck him. “Wait…the dead don’t—”

The gash in Pudge ’s abdomen, no longer able to withstand the pressure, finally burst open, spewing massive amounts of yellow-brown gas into the room with a loud hissing sound. Other tears in the abomination’s flesh appeared all around his waist, expelling more of the gas in all directions. Pudge bellowed in agony as a searing pain swept over his entire body, his skin starting to bubble and pop where the acidic gas touched it.

Alexi, recognizing the danger in an instant, dashed across the room and hurled himself into a specially designed closet that – at least in theory – should protect him from all harm. Peering out of the crack in the doors, the old man saw the gas sweep over his laboratory, melting and dissolving anything in its path. Frantically, he racked his brains as to how to make it stop. Suddenly, an idea came to him. “Pudge,” he shouted, “try to turn off the gas!”

“Pudge can’t, mas-ter! It huuuuuuurts!” The monster was staggering around the lab, desperately trying to escape the noxious vapors that were causing him so much pain.

“YES YOU CAN!” yelled Alexi. “Concentrate! Your body is making it, so only you can stop it! Stop flailing around and think HARD about the nasty gas going away!” Seeing the sleeves of his robe start to come apart, the necromancer pushed himself into the back of the closet and sealed the doors.

A few minutes later, the hissing noises died out, and Pudge timidly knocked on the doors of the closet. “The gas is gone, mas-ter.”

Cautiously opening the doors, Alexi scanned the room. The toxic haze had vanished…apparently, the gas dissipated quickly. The damage to the lab, however, would not disappear so quickly. The vapors had dissolved every piece of glass, the tables and chairs had melted into misshapen forms, and only twisted fragments remained of anything metal. The sleeping potions he had worked so hard to brew, he noted with a mournful sigh, were now a puddle of sea-green liquid on the floor. Turning his attention to Pudge , he saw that the gas had completely burned off one layer of skin, if not two. “Are you alright, Pudge ?”

The abomination smiled weakly. “Yes, mas-ter. Pudge hurts,” he said, wincing in pain as he shifted his weight, “but Pudge will get better. Some meat would be good.”

“Funny you should say that, Pudge ,” Alexi grimly replied. “If I’m not mistaken, it was meat that caused this to happen.”

Pudge scratched his head in confusion. “But mas-ter, Pudge thought meat was good.”

“Oh, it is,” said Alexi as he calmly noted that his black High Necromancer robes were slowly but surely disintegrating. “Eating meat will give the magics that sustain you raw material to work with, allowing them to repair any damage you’ve suffered. Now then, perhaps you could remind me exactly what it was you ate last.”

“Elf meat,” stated the monster with a toothy grin. “Was yummy.”

“Yes, of course,” the necromancer replied as he carefully avoided a shard of jagged metal on the floor. “Elves are inherently magical, after all, and the two kinds of magic mixing together must have caused you to gain that new ability. And what a spell!” He gestured at the mangled lab, damaged beyond repair. “Just look at what it did in a few minutes! Imagine if you could control that gas, Pudge !”

“Pudge doesn’t want to control it,” the abomination stated grumpily. “It hurts.”

Alexi patted Pudge ’s arm gently. “Just think of it as a new weapon, one that you have to learn to use properly. It will take some practice, but I’m certain it will come in handy the next time you’re outnumbered.” The elderly man grimaced as he surveyed the devastation. “Just…don’t practice in my lab. Go get some food and a little rest while I get this mess cleaned up.”

“Yes, mas-ter,” Pudge replied as he lumbered out of the room, passing a small crowd of students who had come to see what was going on.

Alexi scowled at his apprentices. “Don’t just stand there, you simpletons! Start cleaning up this mess! Oh, and fetch me a new robe, before this one falls right off me.”

hehehehe like it? anyway this is one of my hardest work because im not a pudge fan and i dont know much about him anyway i hope you like the story. Smile

Comments?

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Pudge's story (The perfect Monster)

Pudge's story (The perfect Monster)

T_T