The Eekers' Lament
Part II, A First Tattoo
Casketoon - a biololog newly invented by the surgeons in Sinster. It is formed in the shape of a carrying device or piece of luggage, most often a backpack. Its main function is to regulate the temperature of its internal compartment by its ability to absorb heat or cold. Originally developed to transport the organs taken from monsters for surgical purposes, it is becoming more common for preserving cruor for later puncting.
After fighting off the ambuscade in Brandenbrass, the party exited the city and proceeded down the Athy Way toward the hills of the Brandenfells and the town of Spelter Innings. At the fading light, they reached the well appointed wayhouse of The Guiding Star.
Lord Danny's seemingly bottomless wallet procured for them a seemingly bottomless dinner. Throgmorton, who was used to twenty years of eating partially dulcified fish aboard ship, was astounded by the amount of fresh meat and vegetables. All save Roman, who insisted upon sleeping in the wayhouse stable, enjoyed a restful sleep in well-appointed rooms.
The next day, they arrived in Spelter Innings, a a well guarded but pretty little town. They proceeded to the magistrate's hall to register their claim to the singular contract for the Swarty Hobnag. When shown the commitment that Mordhowe had procured for the contract back in Brandenbrass, the officious clerk had merely sniffed. However, once he recognized the famous teratologists Lord Danube and Lady Brandywine, he grew more enthusiastic, admitting that the contract was in need of fulfillment. The creature, the corpse-eating Swarty Hobnag, had been troubling the region for some time. He duly listed Roman as the premier signant on the contract but noted that proof of the creature's demise was required before payment would be made. The party retired to another excellent inn, the Lame Sparrow.
In the morning, they set off again, the staff at the Lame Sparrow having provided an ample breakfast and picnic basket for their travels. As they ate their repast, Roman surreptitiously slipped the scraps into his casketoon. The casketoon heaved frequently in seeming satisfaction and on occasions ejected a well gnawed bone onto the road behind them. After some time on the road, Roman looked to the rear of the coach and noticed that something very quick and very large was snatching the discard bones and disappearing into the roadside brush before he could determine exactly what it was.
The sense of threwd increased and the rest of the party began to notice movement now parallel to the coach. They drew to a halt at a necropolis just a few miles beyond the town. While Lord Danny approached from one side, Roman approached the entrance of the necropolis, Sister Brandywine and Throgmorton standing back a bit and Flossie climbing to the top of the carriage to watch for possible ambush. Roman let the waste from his casketoon flow onto the ground as he walked hoping to attract whatever the source of threwd might be.
Suddenly, a great hulking creature leapt from the woods and in two bounds rushed at the party.
Throgmorton, whose first battle against monsters this was, seemed to be the particular target of the monster's attack. He hastily pulled a vile of loomblaze.
The novice scourge threw wide, however, and his cast merely set fire to some heather.
Roman charged forward, the electricity surging through his metal stave. Although he struck the creature who cried in pain, the monster raked the fulgar with its great claws, cutting through his thick proofing. Bloodied, Roman fell to the ground.
With Roman now lying prone, the rest of the party were clear and well positioned to fire upon the monster. One after another, bullets from Sister Brandywine's salinumbus, then from Lord Danny's long rifle, struck home. Then arrow from Flossie's warbow struck the creature in the neck.
Finally, Throgmorton threw another cast. He again missed and the burst nearly caught Lord Danny.
As the creature reeled from these terrible blows, Roman sprang to his feet. The Hobnag raised it hands more in supplication than in threat, its eyes full of pain and pleading. Roman smashed his stave across the creatures fingers, breaking them. He then thrust the metal stave at the creature's head, which smoldered and then burst into flames as the monster screamed and collapsed.
Thus it was over, the fearsome Swarty Hobnag lay dead. Throgmorton shouted, "We did it! Good work everyone!"
Their elation turned to horror as Roman produced a large surgeons' blade from his coat and began to carve into the dead monster's body. He ripped several organs from it and stuffed them into his casketoon. Sister Brandywine was especially appalled. She asked Roman what reason he had for doing this. "To provide proof of our kill!" was his only response. He also drew doses of the monster's blood for each to receive a cruorpunxis, the monster blood tattoo.
They returned to Spelter Innings and received their commission for the slaying of the Swarty Hobnag. Roman had been aloof to their investigation of what had happened to the eekers' colony near Luthian Glee. Now that they had assisted him in slaying the Swarty Hobnag, he seemed inclined to go along with them.
Two days later they arrived at the remote, well fortified town well in the midst of the Piltdown hills.
Just outside the walls, there was a Pilt encampment. The Pilts, decendants of the tribes that originally inhabited these hill and who had been conquered by the Burgundans and Tutins that dominated the Empire, likely were itinerant farm laborers. They showed interest in the lentum as it passed their camp but also they showed resentment.
The warders at the town gates wore the mottle of Fayelillian, in whose territory the town lay. Lord Danny being a favored son of that city, the party received a warm welcome. They proceeded to yet another excellent inn, the fame Alabaster Brow. The proprietor of the establishment informed Lord Danny that the senior suite was available. Lord Danny cried with excitement, "I'll take it for a month!" He explained his older sister often holds long term reserves on the best rooms in the inns in Fayelillian territory, on the off chance she might travel but mostly to vex others. "That will fix that haridan!" Lord Danny exclaimed with satisfaction.
Yet another feast awaited the party. Throgmorton finding that if this was what teratologising was like, he wondered why he hadn't taken it up sooner.
Roman retreated to the inn stable, as was his want. He took some of the cruor and began working at punkting himself
Meanwhile, Sister Brandywine approached Lord Danny. She expressed concern that Roman might be engaged in the black trades, selling monster organs for dark experimentations. Their discussion was interrupted by the sound of a dispute going on in the stables between Throgmorton and Roman
The former vinagaroon had attempted to retrieve some of the cruor to find an artist to give him the tattoo. Roman, who in addition to being a fulgar, had some talent as a cruorpunctists, was offended. Danny and Brandywine intervened and all agreed to allow the fulgar to mark them. Throgmorton was well pleased with this, his first monster blood tattoo. Danny and Flossie were likewise was satisfied with this marking. Roman's hand faltered upon Sister Brandywine, either due to her apparent suspicion of him or perhaps his lack of comfort at being so near a beautiful woman, and the mark on her arm proved to be unsightly. She promised herself to get it corrected by a proper cruorpunctist as soon as possible.
After this, Throgmorton who wished to celebrate the first success of his new career, went to the gaming rooms of the Alabaster Brow. The rather small room had only a few dice and card games but there was also an intriguing sign for something called "Go Fish." The rest of the party had followed more to ensure that Throgmorton stayed out of trouble than any desire for a game of chance.
When Throgmorton inquired as to the game, the bartender produced a small fishing pole and indicated a large bucket filled with sea water. "Catch the fish that's in there in half a minute and you double your wager."
Incredulous at the seeming ease of the challenge, Throgmorton pointed at the barrel of dark water, asking, "Catch a fish from this small thing?"
Suddenly, a very large creature leapt from the bucket and latched onto Throgmorton's arm with its razor sharp teeth.
"It don't count if the fish catches you!" the bartender said as he pried the creature off Throgmorton's arm with a large set of prongs ad tossed it back in the water.
Throgmorton fumed as blood dripped from his arm. He tossed the fishing pole aside and thrust his arm into the bucket. He plucked the creature out instantly, the sharp teeth chafing at his fingers.
"I suppose that's a winner," said the none-too-impressed bartender.
"So ye are good at the catching of sea monsters?" came a voice from the corner of the room.
There was a group of Pilts at one of the tables who had taken interest in Throgmorton's enterprise.
A middle-aged man among them said, "Your skills may be need here."
Throgmorton asked, "A sea monster? We're in the hills, far from the sea. How could one get here?"
"It walked."
To be continued...
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