A Terror Once More

[susitsu 871]

“Zhol…”

 

The whispers returned, and just where Zhol’Lur had waited for them. Filling the room almost, they were emitting from the fire he stood before. And just as he approached, another entered, all falling quiet. Eath’Lur entered, greeting his brother, Zhol’Lur. Questioning what he was doing, though out of simple curiosity, Zhol would tell him he was about to embark on a Spirit Journey. A normal thing for a Shaman, almost routine.

 

He asked to come along, but Zhol told him it was something he had to do alone. Eath said his goodbyes as well as one other thing.

 

 

How well-placed, such a warning.

 

With Eath’Lur’s leave, the whispers would return. Zhol quickly took his place before the fire, entering his meditative state as the Spirit he had communed with before reached out to him. Rolling, black smoke would exit the fire, almost like a fog as it creeped across the ground. Taking him away, Zhol would once more find himself in the endless, empty plane of shadow that he had entered before.

 

“Zhol,” the powerful voice calls out. Calm and commanding, almost like a father. In possibly excitement or misunderstanding, Zhol would call out “Zugruck--!” before cutting off, seeming too weak to continue for a moment. After a moment, he would calmly speak again, “Zugrucka?”

 

And there, in the endless shadow, would be the Orc he had longed to save. Standing, far off from him, would be Zogrocka. The voice would continue to speak to him, saying “Lat hab zworn to trade placez with latz brudduh...lat hold loyalty and brudduhood above all elze. Mi hab peeped generation afta generation ub Uruk agh lat am honorable az kan be.”

 

Zhol would answer quickly, but with a stutter, saying “Y-- yub.” As he stares upon his closest friend as a child, he would stumble a bit, almost unable to believe it. “Lat am heyr,” he would whisper, a hint of joy in him. However, in that moment, the distant space between them would close.

 

Zogrocka’s darkened form would be revealed; black eyes, purple nails, darkened skin, and black gums.

 

And with that, a condescending chuckle would sound out from the voice ruling the realm as it says “Agh dis quality am ash mi hab uzed to trick Uruk after Uruk for generationz…”

 

In surprise, Zhol’Lur would slowly tilt his head, unsure of how to respond beyond saying “Wub?” As the realm of endless shadow stirred a bit with the fog-like darkness that engulfed it, the booming voice would speak out once again, saying “Lat azked mi ub mi nayme…” In the distance, a massive eye would open, out of black in the shadows. Then, upon the ground he stands, another eye would open. All around him in this realm of shadow, eyes would open as a voice would whisper to him in a hiss, saying “Ixli.”

 

Zhol’Lur would fall back, his hands supporting him as he scurries back from the eye and Zogrocka. “Lat am naive. Foolish. Lat thought dey had lied about Zogrocka? Nub...he gave me hiz zanity.” The darkness set a heavy feeling upon Zhol’s shoulders as he said “Zug…” before not speaking any further. He had nothing more to offer but a sad expression towards Zogrocka and Ixli.

 

Slowly, the pair of Orcs would begin to slide towards each other in an unnatural fashion as the whispering voice would say to Zhol, “Lat hab agreed tu zwap placez wid him...agh now, latz deal iz being completed.”

 

Zhol would try to struggle, but as he meets with Zogrocka, he would pass through him, met with a sickening and disorientating feeling as any connection he once had to his body and the world he was born in was struck away from him. And in his place, the soul of Zogrocka would pass into his body.

 

In the moments that Zogrocka would be passing from the Spirit Realm to life once more, Ixli would say to him, “Awaken...Zogrcoka. In da world ub da mortals ash more.”

 

And as he rose from the cave within the roots of the tree, he would look to a nearby pond of water seeing his reflection. With a glare and a growl, he would quickly turn around and return to the fire. His form was not like it was in his life before and had to be made as close as possible.

[VampsWillDie 76]

(Please change the colour to something readable...black is stupid...sorry.))

[Huh 91]

Moved to the Great Library. It shall be sorted into appropriate category shortly.