Glass: A Collection of Rainimator Backstories

Hogsworth

We travelled on horseback shortly after the soldier informed us of the rogue pyromancer, down the old nether brick trails to the city of Sangrozit. While riding the wither skeleton horse, I couldn't help but to wonder what we'll find in Sangrozit. A pyromancer isn't rare to find in the Nether. Many of the horde's civilians had some form of pyromancy, but why? Why is this one attacking their own people? My thoughts were interrupted by the memories of the fallen, slaughtered mentors and tribunes back at the arena. I fought my own people. The Nether horde fought its own people during the civil war. Perhaps this is no different. Another person wanting to prove themselves or their ideology. I guess that's just how it works in this universe. We took a quick right and were greeted with the bluish spores that floated around us.

Sangrozit resided within a Warped Forest in the Nether. It was an interesting sight to anyone, as the Nether is mainly red with fire and brimstone... but these forests were a mysterious blue green. A truly mesmerizing sight in the Nether. Finally, we made it to the city, and the chaos was evident. Houses were ablaze and shattered. Scorched civilians littered the streets. Even though most Netherkin were fire resistant, the sheer explosive force, as anticipated by the houses' collateral damage, must've dealt the fatal blow. The culprit suddenly exploded through a house and spotted us.

"Stand down!" King Naeus boomed, "Or face the wrath of the Nether Horde!" The culprit, which was a flaming skeleton of sorts, snarled angrily and rained hellfire upon us. We rode our horses away from the blast zone and leapt off them. Naeus unsheathed the Ruby Thorn from his back and stabbed it into the ground beneath him, propelling him upwards. "Hogsworth, aid the soldiers in locating Netherkin that haven't evacuated! I will deal with this matter." I agreed to follow King Naeus' orders and ran through the burning city of Sangrozit.

I located a few of the commanding soldiers, escorting groups of civilians out of the city. Some had minor injuries, but others were worse, and some of the civilians carried the severely injured over their shoulders. Suddenly, a tall building above them exploded as Naeus and the pyromancer bursted through in an all-out battle. Debris began to fall towards the civilians, who were distressed at the explosion. "Get out of there, now!" I found myself commanding them, as I ran full sprint and leapt onto a wall of a nearby building before vaulting over the civilians. I swung my shield hard against the falling debris and felt a crushing pain against my arm from the impact, but the debris had been diverted into the building, instead of into the injured civilians.

I landed amongst them and grasped my shielded arm tightly. "You saved us," a civilian said, "Thank you." I couldn't help the stabbing pain in my shoulder, and a soldier questioned if I was alright after that impact. "I'll be fine, get these civilians to safety immediately. King Naeus has begun battling the pyromancer. It's not safe here."

"Alright sir," the soldier said briefly.

"Please, it's Hogsworth," I replied as they ran towards safety. I continued my search further north and heard some commotion behind some fallen debris. I investigated and found a trapped rescue squad beneath it. "Are you alright?" I asked.

"We're fine, but we're trapped!" The soldier exclaimed.

"I can see that." I looked around and surveyed the area for any potential escape for these civilians. I noticed that one of the walls of the debris that encased them were cracked and deteriorating. I began to stab into the wall with my sword and the wall began to crumble. As the wall began to fall appart, a soldier shouted, "Stop! You'll send this roof crashing in!" He was right. I noticed the integrity of the debris pile failing, as the pieces atop the pile began to shake and tumble.

It was a hasty decision, but I replied, "All of you get back into the most structurally sound corner! Trust me on this!" I heard the civilians behind the debris shuffle about, and a few crying for their freedom. I lifted my shield arm up and felt that stabbing pain from before. Despite it, I pushed through the pain and swung into the top of the crumbling wall. I used my shield to support the roof of debris as I destroyed the wall with my sword. The pain was unbearable, but the civilians finally saw light. "Hurry on now!" I exclaimed, "I don't know how much longer I can hold this!" The civilians began to shift around me and escape through the hole I produced in the structure and thanked me as they fled the scene.

Once they escaped, I dropped my arm from the sight, and let the entire structure cave in. I gasped in pain and peeled the shield from my arm and saw a couple of lacerations along my shoulder. I've experienced cuts before, but this felt more painful than just some slice through flesh. Suddenly, Naeus had landed within metres of me, with the pyromancer under his feet and his spear outstretched to their face. "THEY MADE A MOCKERY OF ME!" The pyromancer growled, "THEY PUNISHED ME! ABANDONED ME! ALL FOR NOTHING!" The pyromancer charged fireballs in his hands and Naeus replied, "You want revenge on those who wronged you, I understand. We were not the ones that did this to you." The pyromancer unleashed his fire at Naeus and Naeus held out his hand, which absorbed the firepower, before he struck lightning down on him. I was bewildered. King Naeus never had lightning abilities before. How does he possess electrokinesis?

"Look," Naeus explained, "You want revenge on the Coven. On that blasted witch, if I recall, for trapping you here. Think this as not a trap, but an opportunity! An opportunity to join our ranks and fight for the same cause! Don't you see? Your goals can be accomplished within ours. Join us, and reap the prosperity of the winning side, or don't... and expect your story to end here, with your goals unfinished. I will not hesitate to smite you here and now." The pyromancer fell unconscious due to the shock, and Naeus sighed. "Accept this offer, and you won't regret it," Naeus added before turning to me, "Hogsworth you have done well today. I must request you to apprehend this foe. We will take him to the dungeon until he wakes up and makes the decision to join us."

"Isn't that risky my Lord?" I asked, "What if he wakes up and sets the kingdom ablaze?"

"Then... his decision was made," King Naeus replied.

"U-Understood," I replied as I got over to gather up the pyromancer.

"We'll get that arm of yours fixed up shortly," Naeus added. After restraining the pyromancer in some chains, we mounted our horses and returned to the kingdom. As we journeyed back, I couldn't help but to question. How did Naeus conjure lightning? Who is this pyromancer, and what is his affiliation with the Coven? What are the goals he wishes to achieve? So many questions but not enough answers to go around. Hopefully one day... all these questions would be answered.