Fiction The Extermination

Chapter 6

Scout ChanHai ran ahead of everyone. He was a chameleon. He could be nearly invisible. He would pop out in a tree occasionally and scare the dwarfs. It wasn't his intention to startle them. He was just happily reporting back his findings. The dwarfs couldn't understand his chittering of course. He didn't let that bother him. The Kroxigor plodded happily along the trail, trying it follow the movements of ChanHai until he disappeared. The dwarfs were having a bit of trouble keeping up, but the river was close now and they could rest up when they got there. The saurus were also having trouble keeping up, but this didn’t bother them too much. As long as they could see the Kroxigor and keep an eye on the slow short fellows they were doing their job. They reached the river and followed the river for a few more kilometers. ChanHai ran back excitedly trying to tell them about the Orruk ahead. The saurus readied their weapons. The dwarfs seeing this drew theirs. A lone figure stood in the distance. The skinks waited for the rest to catch up. ChanHai laughed. He didn't think it would be a problem.
The dwarfs finally spotted it.
A green skin? On this side? It must be an ambush.
“Hello! You is in my territory. “Called Gorgum.
"Any of you wanna join my new warband?"

The saurus warriors marched up to the figure while the others stayed behind.
ChanHai appeared in front of the Orruk starting him a little.

"You guys look like tough guys. You can work for me." Gorgum added.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Shouted a dwarf.

"New warband. You join."

"Where is the rest of the green skins hiding?" Shouted another dwarf.

"Just me right now. You join. You owe me. You took my arm." He said holding up his spear arm.

"Should have the blade pointed out! Would be more effective." Shouted yet another helpfully.

"Don't help the green skin." Another scolded.

"You gonna join or do I have to bash your heads?"

"Tell you what, you help us search for gold and we won't shoot you." Shouted the first dwarf.

"You bring somethin' to drink?”

"River is right there." Called the helpful dwarf.

"Somethin' with a kick."

"Yeah, it's for after the work is done."

"Alright we team. What do I do?"
Gorgum smiled to himself. Close enough, he thought, and at least them stunties knew how to make a good drink.

The skinks and Kroxigor dove into the river. Swimming came easy to them.

“Well jump in and help them” Said a dwarf.

“I’m wearing armour, I’ll sink to the bottom, why don’t you jump in.” Replied another.

“Don’t be stupid, I can’t swim. I haven’t even had a bath in… when did I get married?”

“So you’re going to let these guys show us up? We should be the ones finding the gold.”

“Well let them look under the water, I will follow my nose and start digging for gold. We’ll see who gets more.”

The Dwarfs grabbed their picks and shovels and began digging. The skinks would dive under and find spots that they thought would be good. They would come back up and lead the Kroxigor to the spots and the Kroxigor would dig. When they hit something hard they would bring the clumps of rock or mud full of gold to the shore. The saurus and Gorgum would bring the gold over to an area near where the dwarfs were digging. The dwarfs looked at the gold, then each other, then the gold again.

“Lucky guess, if we had time to get a proper mine going this would be pocket change compared to what we found.”

“But this’ll do.”

“Yeah this’ll do. Grab some sacks and start picking through and bagging the good stuff.”

They worked until well after sunset. The sacks full, they started up a fire and brought out the field rations and the ale. They lit up their pipes and offered the tobacco to the lizards. They had no use for it. Gorgum took a pipe from the helpful dwarf.
"You guys are the best warband." He patted ChanHai on the head.
Boom! A shot rang out. Gorgum slumped over dead.
"What did you do that for?"

“He seemed like he was having a rough day up until now. I wanted him to go out on a high note." Replied the helpful dwarf.

"Fair enough."

ChanHai stayed out of sight of these dwarfs.
They went back about their business of eating, drinking and smoking.

 

Spoiler: Author Notes

Originally I had 7 distinct personalities for the dwarfs, but it just got out of hand. You want that noise go watch that movie! Also, I felt like writing orcs. And the best way to write yourself out of a corner is with a bullet to the face. Maybe that's not good writing advice. Then again it could be brilliant. Think about it.

 

Chapter 7

The mining carts came to a sudden halt. A few of the saurus lost the battle with balance and toppled over the other passengers. The handlers dismounted and carefully crept forward. They scouted ahead a bit and then motioned for the rest to follow. The egg clutches were up ahead. Several full grown Magmadroth were on high alert. Half the skinks had their full crest on display. They were pumping up and getting ready, while the other half stayed low. The skinks with their puffed crests began making noise and running toward the protective Magmadroth. Working in teams of two, they would swipe their goad-spears at the beast and run away. Drawing the Magmadroth further from the egg clutches. The Skinks laying low would creep towards the eggs, constantly keeping an eye on their surroundings and on the decoy skinks. They crept closer and the decoys would give them a signal based on the nostrils of the beasts. If they were flaring but not sniffing then they would give the good signal. If the Magmadroth was still sniffing for other predators they would give the wait signal. As soon as all the decoys gave the good signal they went to work. Scurrying in as quickly as they could without drawing attention to themselves. They would get up to a clutch of eggs and listened to, and felt the eggs for movement. They picked the ones closest to hatching. One or two from each clutch, if they were ready. Fourteen eggs in total. The carts were loaded up the, dwarfs taking care to ensure their cargo wouldn't be damaged on the ride home. The Saurus then caught the attention of the Magmadroth. Slowly walking toward the eggs. The Magmadroth came charging. The saurus then sprinted away as fast as they could. The decoy skinks ran as fast as they could while the monsters were distracted. The magmadroth spewed out their flaming bile at the interlopers. The slowest of the saurus caught a bit of it on their tails. It was quite painful, but the saurus kind of enjoyed the sensation. Not that they really wanted to feel pain. They just enjoyed all of the sensations that came with being corporeal. Scents and sights and tastes. The feel of their tail dragging along the hot rock where the Magmadroth roamed. Even pain was a sensation. A feeling. The death of this body would be disappointing, almost a failure, but there would be another. But they never knew when they would be called back to the battle.
They all made it back to the carts. The Dwarven drivers snapped their mules into a run. Most of the saurus gave up on standing. Mission accomplished. Anything that needed killing could be done when the carts stopped.

 

It's all about merchandising, isn't it, Bowser? Now all the young lizards will want to buy a magmadroth for a conversion.

I'm going to keep an eye out for places your orc could have helped the rest of the story. I'll make you regret that bullet to the face.

 

Spoiler: Author Notes

There was originally a bit more to this with a "rooster" Magmadroth who comes in from the back, it just didn’t seem go flow right so I axed it. Much like the dwarves did to the rooster.

 

It's always about the merchandise! And conversions! More conversions
And sometimes Chekov's gun just doesn't have the ammunition.

 

You are meant to Chek first make sure it is loaded before it goes ov.

 

How do you think STAR WARS made all its money?

I am very curious to see where this goes, is it going to end up in a disaster for the Lizardmen handlers or can we expect a battle of epic proportions in the future?

Also I am curious about what the orcs are planning to do next, but also exactly what the skaven are aiming to do. So many potential disasters waiting to happen...!

 

I just hope no one suddenly needs Chekov's spear during the final battle.

 

You never know, I may have rewritten the final Chapter to keep certain proofreadrers surprised!

 

Chapter 8

Warlord Cutthroat was in a foul mood. The two clans he had wanted to add to his clan became one big clan. Some new clan boss called Nosqueak was now rivaling him with size of clan. Who was this rat? How did a no name come into power so quickly? He needed to investigate this so called warlord. Find his weaknesses. Get him close, build him up and take it all away.

Rumours were spreading quickly through the local clans. Slaves murmured to one another of the boss that makes slaves into clanrats. Clanrats whispered about the easy way to becoming Stormvermin. Warlords and chieftains trying to quell the rumours.

Warlord Poxskar of Clan Skritch was pacing. His slaves and clanrats were restless. Talk of better things. That of course was normal. The Stormvermin would beat that out of them. But he had made a small error. In his quest to impress some members of the masterclan to gain some favors, he had miscalculated.
"Stupid, stupid. Need protection."
He muttered to himself.
The fact that he made it away from those greyseers alive was a miracle, now to keep living until he could find someone dumb enough to do something worse. Now who could he find that could pull that off? What could be worse than the "gooey kablooey hamster" incident?
Poxskar shrieked as he was sure he saw a shadow move. He started stabbing at the floor. Ghost Shadowstab stood behind him. The dagger pierced Poxskar's flesh. This brand if poison was quite quick, but painful. Poxskar was paralyzed, his throat swelled up. He couldn't scream. His veins and arteries began to harden as his blood turned to a gel. His stomach trying to vomit was pushing solidified bile through a swollen throat. He was suffocating painfully. The next day the corpse of warlord Poxskar was on the doorstep of a masterclan meeting house. Hamster like rodents eating their way out of the corpse. The mark of Ghost Shadowstab on his back.
Clan Nosqueak had absorbed clan Skritch.

 

Spoiler: Author Notes

I am not sure how familiar the readers are with Calvin and Hobbes, but there was quite a few unexplained running gags, the noodle incident, Calvinball, and Hamster Huey and the Gooey Kablooey. I always enjoyed the fact that these were never explained so you could let your imagination run wild and make it what ever you wanted it to be. Never had to be the same way twice. Which is why I am having a ball with the AOS fluff. It's not as well documented and designed as the old fluff, so I can make what I want, and then simply change it for the next story. The short story contest have further blurred the lines for the fluff, and were a great inspiration to much of this story.

Spoiler: P.S.

One sentence is longer. It's now four words.

 

The Calvin and Hobbes references are not lost on me. Best (non single frame) comic eva.

 

Chapter 9

The king kept staring at the Lizardman sitting across from him. A myth. A fairy tale. Yet here it was. He was trying to remember the old tales from when he was a lad when the wagons came to a stop.
“We haven't arrived yet, what's the hold up?" He shouted to the driver.

"They came to meet us sir."

"Ah Grungni smash It." he cursed.

The king and retinue, including legendary seraphon, exited the cab of the wagon. Blocking the road before them was about 60 dwarf women. All of them with their weapons at the ready.

"Well if it isn't the king of the empty mountain. Charmed." The women all did a mocking curtsy.

"Go back home and raise your children you sassy lassie." The king replied.

"Far better to raze your derelict hold. Besides the children are raised. They're right behind you."

The king looked behind him. A legion of young bruisers stood behind the wagons about 100 meters away.

"My brother always did have good taste in women. We came to bargain."

"With what? Your brother's Magmadroth is much bigger than the puny thing you got." She said pointing at the saurus beside him.

The king turned a deep shade of red.
"Listen, I would love to exchange banter with you all day, but we both know your tongue is sharper than your axe, and I if I have come in person its urgent business. Where is he?"

"Right here." Called Runefather Corgrim Steelbeard, jumping down from one of the wagons.
"Been driving for you most of the night. Your driver is sleeping it off with my boys over there."

The boys produced a large lumpy sack. And laughed to themselves.

"Enough playing around. You see these creatures with me? They're seraphon. We were attacked by rats. A lot of them. I want to hire you lot to help fight them the next time they attack." The king barked.

"I thought seraphon were just made up to scare the young. Learn something new all the time. What trash have you brought for trade this time?"

"I have Ur gold with me this time. And more of it. We might also have a new business of breeding magmadroth so your boys don't have to walk everywhere. Assuming my boys don't die trying to get the damned things."

"Very enterprising of you. Starting to think like me are you?"

"I couldn't possibly be that stupid or that selfish. Do we have a deal?"

"Let's see the gold."

The king presented the rings of gold to his brother. The Runefather was amazed by the Ur gold.

"Well Grimnir punch a salamander. You say you're getting more? Well you just bought yourself the best ally in the land. Your fairy tale friends sticking around for the next fight too?"

"I don't know." Replied the king.

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Sacks filled with gold were piled up in a vault. Kroxigor and skink handlers worked away at making a large pen and breeding stable into the side of the mountain for the dwarfs. Heat feeding into it from the forge within. The eggs would hatch any day now. The handlers were arguing amongst themselves about the best way to train these beasts.

Lord Orkin looked around. His calculations had of course been correct. The gold, the eggs, the mercenaries. All going according to plan. Now was a matter of his prey. Normally they should have waged another attack by now. Normally they were so predictable. He pondered this for a moment and looked around at the army he had brought with him. His memories of great warriors. Each specially selected for the extermination of the rat beasts. A skink priest stood nearby, native snakes and other reptiles seemed to gather around him. His memory of this little fellow holding high a still beating skaven heart was a fond one.
That short saurus there, he moved fast and could sniff out the vermin with ease. He remembered the warrior killing the same fleshy rat abomination twice.
He looked fondly over his expert pest control team.
Now to figure out how to close off their ways in. Get them stuck in their own chaotic realm and destroy it.
The dwarfs were busy. Dwarfs from the lodge were trading armour and weapon smithing techniques with the dwarfs from the hold. Calibrating and recalibrating the war machines and personal guns. Axes were being sharpened.
"Excuse me King Frog man." Said Runefather Corgrim
Lord Orkin rather liked that title. It was no champion tosser, but it was a nice title nonetheless.
"When will the rats show up?"
The Slann made no answer. It troubled him that he didn't have an answer for this.

 

Spoiler: Author Notes

So there is my research. These dwarfs like this god and grudges these dwarfs like this god and gold. I may have oversimplified it, but I think it works and builds enough tension. I do like this split for the dwarfs. Actually gives dwarf players a chance to build a more aggressive army instead of the same old army that they played in eighth and before.

 

Chapter 10

Greyseer Antler pointed his staff at Warlord Cutthroat. His prosthetic horns were quite oversized and looked ludicrous. A fact no one dared to mention to him.
"I have special job. You second biggest clan in my district. Biggest clan don't talk squeak much. We going to go kill the beardthings soon. You going to work with Nosqueak. Need lots of clans. Need to kill all the beardthings"

"Our clans will be like one, I assure you." Replied the warlord.

"If the ghost doesn't get you first." The Greyseer chuckled.

Warlord Cutthroat took his leave. Nosqueak had to die. He had no intention of sharing glory, nor being second to some squeakerless nobody.

“1138. We have work to do. Going to cost a lot of tokens. So if you see any big spenders, you go take the burden of too many tokens."

The creature bared its teeth. It was almost like a smile. A menacing, unfriendly, threatening smile.

--------------------------------------------------
Twitch Nosqueak offered some food to Ghost Shadowstab. The assassin accepted the food.
" You do good work. You big boss now. Antler have big job for you."

Twitch twitched his whiskers.

"Watch for Clan Hanta. Boss rumbling about you. Cutthroat is dangerous."

Twitch twitched.

“I be back. Make Cutthroat your next target. Take his clan over. I watch and help."

Twitch went to get more food. The assassin was gone.

Twitch handled the present Ghost had dropped off. A nice broad collar with ringerless bell. He examined it. Hopefully it worked. He walked out and found his chieftain. Chieftain Jynx Ouchcurse was good. He could read what Twitch wrote and did so quite well. He was also quite good with the whip. Clan Nosqueak was almost completely silent. It was uncanny to every other rat in the district. They treated the buildings controlled by Nosqueak like they were haunted. The occasional outburst of noise from the occasional party would send local skaven running scared.

Twitch presented the collar to his chieftain. Chieftain Jynx Ouchcurse proudly put the trinket on. He flicked the bell. Silent, of course. It went against his very nature. So much silence. He was a chatty fellow. He was allowed to be a little chatty because he was the official reader. Though that was speaking someone else's mind, not his own. He had big plans. Skaven always did.

 

Spoiler: Author Notes

I had cut out a lot of Chieftan Jynx trying to be chatty around Twitch. It was at that point I realized how hard it was to write a completely silent character. I may go back and throw some of it in to really get across how chatty he is, but you know, that's far more work than copying and pasting.

 

I don't miss Jynx's chattiness. Saying he was chatty but toning it back because of his ambition is good. Having someone who knew him previously making a comment and him responding with a smile and a throat slitting gesture would be cool.

 

Wow, that is much better.
If anybody asks that was totally my original all along! All kidding aside I think I will keep it as is, as reading Twitch twitched or didn’t repetitively will be a pain for the reader!

 

Chapter 11

The magmadroth eggs had hatched. The handlers were teaching the dwarfs techniques for handling. Showing them to use the goad spears, and how to craft their own. The dwarfs of course felt they could improve on the design. The handlers were careful not to let the mortals get too close until they were trained. Lord Orkin had already had to summoned three handlers and a curious Kroxigor back to this realm. A week or so more and they would be ready to ride. Runefather Corgrim had brought his magmadroth and let the soon to be ranchers practice riding, for a price of course.
King Dargrim shook his head every time his brother tried getting more. He hated working with his brother. He hated his brother. The longer he was around the more the king realized he could not forgive him. But protecting his people was more important than the old grudge right now. Once the rat plague was over they could go their separate ways. Or he could settle the grudge.
He will settle the grudge he thought. To be paid in blood, his brother's and his brother's first born son's blood. For years he thought he could just let it be, let his brother roam free without paying the grudge. The book of grudges must be updated. There could be no other way.