The Colossal Shade
We are gathered here tonight.
With a flickering torch held before him to ward off the yawning darkness - a jagged sword at the ready - the bedraggled warrior descended into the eldritch catacombs of an ancient civilization.
Plodding along through ominous gloom, a guttering torch barely kept oppressive shadows at bay: A weary traveler reflected on the tragic events that brought him here.
His name was Velsparr, and he was the Pirate King of Venkata. He thought his wife and son would be safe while he was off plundering the skies, but he had underestimated the savage cunning of the Alliance. They found the hidden island chain where he and his crew and their families resided. Nearly all were slaughtered. A few of the prettier wives and consorts - including his own beloved - were taken hostage to be sold into captivity
Velsparr and his men pursued the Alliance airships with furious vengeance. The battle was ferocious, illuminating the night skies with incessant volleys of cannon fire. Velsparr sent many men from the Alliance to their demise, yet his own small fleet was overcome in the end. His flagship was sent plummeting to the surface: a world which was abandoned when raging oceans split the landmasses centuries ago. The survivors of humanity were forced to adapt to life on the newly formed sky islands.
Velsparr alone survived the destruction of his once mighty Warheart. He supposed he should consider himself lucky his ailing vessel crashed upon a craggy expanse of earth rather than being consumed by roiling waters that surged not far away. However, it was hard to feel anything other than indignant sorrow: He had lost everything, but he himself was not yet allowed to die.
When Alliance ships descended in a hunt for survivors, Velsparr fled into a nearby cavern that was carved into a seemingly unremarkable hillside. It was there he discovered the entrance to the catacombs he now traversed. With nowhere else to go, he struck a conveniently placed torch and pressed forward.
Some unseen creature skittered in the darkness ahead of him - just beyond the reach of his torchlight. Behind, stern voices echoed off dank stone walls that pressed in all around him. Velsparr cursed: The Alliance had tracked him into the cave. He could hear their heavy footfalls rapidly approaching.
The Pirate King unclasped his tattered cape from over his shoulder and used it to smother the flames of his torch. Taking shallow breaths - holding his naked blade close to his chest - he gripped the pouch that was lashed to his belt containing the ashes of his son.
“I’ll see you again soon, my boy,” Velsparr whispered in the darkness, his voice thick with emotion. “I wish I could free your mother, but you shall have some small measure of payback.”
He drew another, shorter sword sheathed next to his son’s remains: He waited with deadly, resolute calm. The telltale orange glow of firelight illuminated the dark spaces around Velsparr as he crouched in the shadows. Alliance mariners scurried past, oblivious to his presence. His swords flashed among the dancing flames, and he materialized in the midst of his pursuers.
Blood splattered when he sliced through limbs; plunging his keen blades into easily yielding flesh. Stunned yelps of agony and despair filled his ears: Velsparr continued his implacable, unrelenting slaughter. There was a clash of steel on steel when the Alliance soldiers recovered from their initial shock and fought back. He was middle aged, and his body should have been wracked with fatigue, yet Velsparr instead felt renewed strength and vigor coursing through his muscles. He easily dodged and parried the blows of his enemies.
Misshapen tentacles slithered into the light, wrapping around the dead and dying, and dragged them into darkness. The grotesque sound of crunching bones and gluttonous devouring emanated from the gloom ahead. The remaining Alliance men fled in terror, but Velsparr was transfixed. After a moment a gravelly and malevolent voice spoke from the shadows.
“Thank you for this savory feast. Verily, I do not know how many ages have passed since I ate so well. I have heard your mournful words, and seen your tragic memories. Would you like to live…vengefully?”
“Who…what…are you?” Velsparr struggled to keep his tone even.
There was an amused chuckle. “I can grant you the power to avenge your family: You need not know more.”
“H-how?”
“I already bestowed upon you some manner of strength to defeat these foes. You have felt this, yes? I can give you more…so much more.”
“Wh-what do you want from me…in return?”
“You must merely provide me with an abundant supply of such delectable morsels. If you can satiate my ravenous hunger I will ask no more of you once your vengeance is fulfilled.”
Velsparr thought of the charred body of his son amongst the fiery ruins of Venkata. He imagined his beloved wife, terrified and surrounded by violent men eager to have their way with her. He thrust his bloodstained sword into the damp earth and knelt before it.
“Done!”
Baleful laughter reverberated all throughout the underground labyrinth, and a dreadful chill wormed its way up the Pirate King’s spine.
Author’s Note: This story is based on
Prompt Quest #1, with additional inspiration from the song Colossal Shade by Katatonia - one of my favorite metal bands.If you enjoyed reading my Thoughts™, consider showing your appreciation by helping to make my dream of quitting my day job a reality.
One hell of a villain origin story (no pun intended).
Fantastic! I could feel a chill up my spine when those tentacles emerged from the darkness. And I love how the character carries his son's ashes in a pouch on his belt--not even Batman does that, lol.
As a side note, it's always great when a metal song inspires a story :)