Glass: A Collection of Rainimator Backstories

Hogsworth

Ever since I was a child, everybody around me expected more than what I could give. I was picked on by the other children in combat training as I was the weakest of them all, and rather cowardly. When I cowered, the children would whack and jab at me with their spears until captains of battalions pulled them off me.

"I don't even know why you bother showing up here. You'll never grow up to be like any of us. You're nearing adulthood and your tusks haven't even begun growing yet!" The officials would scold.

I didn't want to be there. I knew I wasn't enough for the pigman army or the Nether Horde, but I had nowhere else to go. You see, it is pigman tradition for newborn children to be separated from their parents a year after birth, to go to these... schools I suppose you call them. We called them crèches here, but for your sake, I'll use the word school. The schools were meant to unify the children and define their social stature. Parents, after leaving their children in the schools, usually don't take interest in their young as the pigmen's foremost loyalty is to the Horde. It was rare for parents to be there after that, and in fact against the law. The only family children had at that point was their battalion. I barely remember my parents and who they were, but they have never shown up around the school, and why should they? I would be an embarrassment to their family name.

While I don't have what it takes to be in the army, it's simply unheard of for any pigman to not serve the army. No one even knows what happens to those who fail in these schools. They simply disappear. I knew I was at the bottom, but I was too afraid to find out what happened when I give up, and what they do with those children, so I kept trying, only to be met with more critique and insults. I had been in this school for another five years before the assassination of King Glutton. It came as a shock to all the horde, no matter their position. The story went that a human had entered our territory and killed many with boiling blood. Along with those many, the king and Nether Princess, who too, was once human. Since it had been tradition for a pigman to rule the horde, a pigman was brought up as king. This king, however, was tyrannous.

The new pig king didn't hesitate to push all pigmen out of the schools and lead battalions, whether they were ready to or not. Any who opposed were killed on the spot. As I didn't want to follow the fate of the opposition and obey my King, I chose to obey the King's orders. Thus, I lead a battalion to a fortress in the Overworld. We were sent to investigate the fate of the Undead faction we once served years ago, by an agreement with King Glutton and the ruler of the Undead, Herobrine.

We had arrived at the fortress, which was emptied and rather deserted... or rather, deserted minus the corpses that littered it. Corpses of undead and wither skeletons alike. Further investigation led to locating the gruesome scene of where the Undead's leader, Herobrine, had been slain. His head sat in the middle of the fortress, with his glowing eyes staring out into space. I was shocked. I knew of Herobrine's power, and here was his head... the only memento that remained of his onslaught against the humans that contest this land.

"He's... dead," Hogsworth sighed, "The Pig King will want proof of his death... considering this is all we have to show for it, we'll have to take the head with us." I picked up the head of Herobrine and shuddered. Even though I knew he was dead, the skull still felt warm to the touch, as if he weren't dead at all. We departed the fortress and headed back to the portal that led us here. When we were heading back, I noticed another Nether Portal and leapt into an attack stance. The Nether was at war with itself, as the hasty uprising of this king angered some individuals into rioting. Since this portal wasn't ours... it could only mean trouble from oppositionists.

We surveyed the land, and there they were. The Wither Skeletons. They came with blades outstretched and ready to slay our battalion. I prepared my sword as I saw the robed figure of former general, Naeus approach. I fought Naeus. He swung down with what appeared to be the Nether Princess' weapon, so I blocked it with my shield, before taking a swing at him with my sword. Meanwhile, I heard the squeals and cries of my battalion behind me as they were decimated by the skeletal forces that followed Naeus. People I knew... people I grew up with... slain before me. They may have been unruly, but they were my family. My only family.

I fought as valiantly as I could to avenge them, only to be met with the spear at my face. A painful reminder that I am the weak link, and even though years had passed... I still am the weakest of the pigmen. Naeus stood there for a moment, and he suddenly let up. He didn't kill me like I expected him to. I took this moment and fled back to the Nether. I cowered... again... nothing really has changed, has it?

I requested the urgent presence of the Pig King to the royal guard, to explain what had happened, and with boiling blood from anger, the King grabbed ahold of my neck. "And you fled?! You will never be a true pigman! We don't flee when the fight gets tough... we FIGHT!" He then swung me hard into the brick ground below. "Send him to the dungeons. His disgrace will be... quickly erased from our sights." His words stung me as facts. I knew I'm not anything like the others. I am weaker, cowardly, and will not be the ideal pigman. Maybe... Maybe it's better this way. I thought to myself, my position in this place will never be glorified. I'll never be what the Horde needs.

I was left in the dungeon, chained to the brimstone walls, and before long I heard commotion from above. The wails of war were dancing on the ceiling above. Suddenly, Naeus came down the staircase, wearing the crown of the Pig King. "Ahhh, I thought I'd find you here," Naeus said.
"What?" I replied, "What are you doing with the King's crown on your head!?"
Naeus chuckled and answered, "There has been... a change in dynasty. The previous king was a tyrant, and I came to change that. He will no longer be an issue."
"YOU TRAITOR!" I yelled as I tried to swing at him, only to be met with the restraints against my wrists.
"My my, that isn't how you should treat your king if you want out of here," Naeus said.

"A skeleton has never led the horde before, you know that! It's unheard of!"

"Times are changing, young pigman," Naeus bellowed, "The Nether will be restored to its former glory under my rule."

"What do you even want anyways? Why come down here?" I asked.

"In search of you," Naeus responded.

"Search... of me?" I said bewilderingly.

"Indeed. I knew when I held the Princess' Ruby Thorn to your face that you experienced this before. Your eyes spoke the tales of cruelty. The tales of unnecessary abuse. Considering the fight that you put up in the Overworld shows promise in my eyes."

I hung my head down lowly, in reminiscence of my life up to this point.

"Now, now. You want to serve your gracious Nether Horde. I'm giving you this chance. One chance. Everything in the past is in the past if you can prove yourself now."

I gasped lightly at this offer extended to me.

"Ahhhh, that piqued your interest, didn't it? Show me your worth on the battlefield, and I will ensure you that you'll have use in this great war."

It was an offer I couldn't refuse. An offer that could remedy all my past mistakes. The years of torment, and cruel treatments, only to be greeted by a hand of a true leader. A general, and king, Naeus. I can't let this out of my grasp. Not now... not ever.