User:FJH/fjh frtrss/str nishsigunkokeb/150sandstone

Sandstone in the Age of Heroes, 150

2 Sandstone
We started on the foothills of the Ûbomδk mountains today but halfway up a trail we found Aquaætaoti called out from above - she keeps taking point - and said there was a strange structure on the southeastern side of the valley behind us. It's a constructed pit - the entrance to a mountainhome! My people! Honest to heartiness Dwaves! Despite having gotten this far, I managed to convince the others we should double back and rest up before attacking these mountains. We don't really need to - I have enough water and decapitation-safe meat in my backpack to last for a while longer - so I think I just miss seeing seeing other people at eye level.

Aquaætaoti regretted mentioning it and it took her a while to coax her back down from the original lookout point. I suppose she really wants to fight a dragon. Or go mountain climbing.

4 Sandstone
I don't know what to say right now.

We were somewhere in the valley when the ground began rumbling in a way that made my companions have to secure their footing, giving way to a herd of giant grey animals, with two horns protruding from their face aside big ears and a long tubular nose. Giant mice? Related to Goblins? Ueme calls them elephants or some such

Oerieth told us to hold our ground but keep weapons poised. There were way too many of them to fight - seven or eight - unless they were pushovers. Fortunately most of the beasts practically charged up to and paused all around us, confused, then started running back the way they can with the sound of off-tune trumpets. It might have been melancholy, it might have been surprise; I took a few steps forward in case it was intimidation. I was trying to avoid the dizziness but I failed to keep track of all of them.

One monster didn't scatter with the others and charged instead. It charged towards Aquaætaoti then reared up high. The Dyansauri hammerer smashed into its back legs in fear but before any of the rest of us could react the front hooves(?) of the thing came down upon her. She couldn't dodge in time and was struck down under its terrible weight. Dead in an instant ...

Oerieth just stood there in a daze for the moments following the scream but Ueme and I were already at the beast's side, my axe tearing it across the legs and her sword into its side. The beast collided with Ueme, throwing her to the ground, and then tried to crash into me but I managed to dodge. And then it started running away the other direction on its wounded legs. When I got my wits about me, I started chasing after it up a hill and Oerieth was reacting by now; I don't know if she was chasing after it or me. When the thing turned to face me again, I severed that long nose of it in one slice but it also threw its body against mine and knocked me back, winded but not hurt. I had lost Nato in the toss and Oerieth stopped by my side. The creature started back down the side of the hill, hobbling slower than before.

I shook off Oerieth's help in standing and chased after the beast again in a fury. I caught up with it at the base of the hill and drove myself right into its leg while it was off-balance. The ground shook when it fell down but I just lunged at it again with just my fists and shield. It's horrible wails filled the area as I broke its legs then just proceeded to rail on it endlessly. It's rough hide was bruising under my fists, ribs giving way and organs shaking. This was not the dizziness. This was not just rage.

This was a madness.

I pummeled the beast tirelessly until it passed out and wailed no more, and kept going even after that. At some point, I must have gone off back up the hill to retrieve my axe because I don't remember doing that but did have Nato in my hands once again. With my shield I bashed and my axe I cut into its side for whole minutes on end until, shredded and silent, it bleed to death in between my strokes. I kept hitting it for a bit after I was sure it was dead, not even stopping for that. Oereith and Ueme had wisely kept their distance, the latter over the corpse of Aquaætaoti nearby but very clearly staring at me, and watched that the others wouldn't return; that was where I found them when I regained my normal senses.

"You don't set out to slay an animal in retribution. It's a pointless gesture."

Aquaætaoti ...


The pyre's gone out in Oereith's eyes. I collected her bones and her sword, to be returned to Lyevaziyci.