Ending H

The Dungeon's Murder

Never before had the sounds of bare feet on stone flooring terrified you so. What was it?! It couldn't be real, could it? It... was a mask! It had to be! Even in the dim dungeon light you could see the reflection of its beady eyes, see the fresh blood of your comrades glistening on the crude weapon that was affixed to the stump of its left arm... You wanted to disappear into the stoneworks. Meld into the dungeon structure so that no thing- not that thing- could harm you again. But you couldn't and you couldn't hide from that terrifying presence any longer and there was nowhere else to run. You were trapped between a wall and... that.

"D-Don't... Don't come any c-closer...!" Your voice wavered and cracked under the presence that stood before you. It said nothing, mouth slightly agape and dead, glassy eyes reflecting the trembling light of your torch.

"I-I'll- I'll...!" You'll what? You watched that thing slaughter your comrades one by one. As a group you stood no chance. Alone... there's no doubt. You're going to die.

Step-

Its gait was neither awkward nor encumbered in spite of the heavy, spiked club that was jammed into its arm stump. There was an undeniable grace to it that you couldn't place, though it was eerily familiar and it made you sick to witness it so close.

"CRAW!" A sort of bellowing gurgle rose in the back of its throat, a sort of mockery of a crow, as it sounded like neither man nor beast but rather something else entirely. Something in the dungeon answered its call.

...aw.

...caw.

-CAW CAW CAW CAW CAW-!

You can only blink in surprise, unsure if this was truly happening. Birds? Here? Your back hits the wall behind you as your mind races, terrified and unable to formulate a plan of escape. There was no escape, was there...? You couldn't fathom what was happening and you couldn't guess what would happen to you. You expected birds- crows- some things that would likely try to maim you in some way, but you were unprepared and unable to defend yourself from the Crow Mauler's murder as they descended upon you in a furried frenzy.

It was as though a living black cloud suddenly exploded from the darkness behind the imposing monster that stood before you. A deafening symphony of croaks and calls preceded the wild pecking of your face and neck. Raising both the torch and your sword in defense did nothing to dissuade the horde and only seemed to infuriate them further. Your cheek was sliced, your ears nicked, chin and jawline peppered with deep cuts and slivers of torn flesh that hung from your face. You instinctually close your eyes and attempt to shield your face from the onslaught of crows but it was no use.

A peck to your eyebrow.

Your nose all but torn off.

Blood is blinding you.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHH-!!!"

You scream in agony as a long, razor sharp beak pierces the tender organ of your eye. Instantly you arch your back and fall to the floor, wailing as your hand goes to your eye. The crow doesn't merely peck at you, rather, it digs its beak deeper into your orbital cavity and scrapes against something that has you voiding your bladder and vomiting as you seize in shock.

The swarm abated but you couldn't even consider this. Your eye-! Your fucking eye!!! You writhed in pain, groaning and whimpering as you struggled to not choke on your own vomit. You can't see- You can't SEE!!! You're blind in both eyes and you can't bear to check to see if your eyeballs are even still in your skull. What if they are hanging out by a thread? What if they are just mush in your head? What if there's only an empty void left...? You can't hear the sound of bare feet padding across the blood and urine soaked floor.

"OoOoGgGgHhHh- H-HuUuUu- MmMmMm-" Disturbing noises were leaving your mouth.

"G-GOOO-ooo H-HUUU-M-M-MMM- N-Nnnn...." You wailed.

You want to go home.

It didn't matter why you decided to come to this accursed place. Whatever it was that you were seeking you wouldn't have founded it here. You were the same as the rest: weak, fertile ground for the dungeon to twist into something unimaginable that could not be allowed to walk free of this place. None leave yet more always follow. More always follows, time and time again, and just like the rest, they are bent and broken by the dungeon of Fear & Hunger and it's only a matter of time before you and your company would do the same, just as his men had, the men he thought to be virtuous and true in their mission to uphold the law and way of the Crown.

All the depravity, the rape, sodomization, torture-

It disgusts him.

The Crow Mauler brings down his clubbed arm upon your pelvis. Your bones shatter and you can't breath from how much agony you were in. It's all messed up. It's crushed. You can't move- You can't- Stop. Stop-! Stop moving-! STOP MOVING IT HURTS! IT HURTS! IT HURTS!! IT HURTS!!! YOU'RE GOING TO DIE-!!!

THWACK!

SMACK!

CRUNCH!

RIIIIP!

It all happened so fast. One blow became four, one after another, until your pelvis was deformed from the trauma and bone was pulverised into a softened mush of blood that pooled underneath you and outstretched towards the former captain's feet. With a single motion, he ripped your trousers off with his only hand and, without pause or warning, began to ram the blunt end of his mauler into your body cavity.

You could do nothing to stop the monster. You were utterly helpless... Blinded and crippled, you wanted to flee- you tried to flee- but one of your legs was grabbed and you all but held upside down as you gurgled and moaned in pain. Your destroyed body shifted and something too big, too thick, too brutal was forced inside of you.

"NUUUU-!!! P-PUH-LESE N-NUUUU-! AAAAAAHHHHH-!!!" Your body reacts violently as your guts are shoved further into your chest.

SQUELCH!

SQUISH!

CRUNCH!

Spasms wrack your body as the Crow Mauler twists his clubbed arm deeper inside of you. He drops your leg and your body slides down the mauler slowly, catching at every barb and spike that covers the weapon. With a shake, your lifeless corpse falls to the floor with a wet THUD! There is so much blood and other bodily fluids on the floor that it flooded out of the room and into the outside hallway. Bits of flesh and organs cling to his mauler but the Crow Mauler pays it no mind. His crows swarm back into the room and set themselves upon you once more, ripping and tearing into whatever remained, until only a flat, ghastly grimace remained on what used to be your face.

" CAW!"

Craw! Caw! Caw! CAW!

CRAW! CAW CAW CAW!!!

They mock you with their laughter, gloating above your corpse as they set back into the dungeon to look for further intruders.

Ending H- The Dungeon's Murder