Part one of my Steemmonster series.
Hoping to get it popular enough to see the characters I create mingle in the game with the alpha set.
You want good lore? Here you go.
Thunder crackled overhead. Dark clouds swirling with the anger of an elder god. The man brushed a raindrop off his face, he turned his head. Chains rattled beneath, it was feeding time and the monster knew it. Small footsteps skittered past him going down towards the cages.
He leaned forward calling downwards. "Watch the claws boy, this one swipes after you set the second bucket he gets gree-."
A loud whimper echoed as dove off the edge. He swung hard mid-air and landed through the iron bars and landed in the cage.
His hands swirled, as fire danced in his palms. A skeleton made out of the flame began chomping in the air at the beast. It reared back shielding its face claws dripping with blood. The man looked to the side. Against the bars laid a boy cowering a few feet from the Spineback Wolf.
The skeleton crawled across the ground away from his hands. Eyes locking with the beast who growled, shaking in fear.
As his conjurer rushed to the boy. His voice died in his throat like it fell off the edge of a cliff.
Two large gashes streaked across his son's face. His eye, thank the angels above, was spared. The wound reached across his eyebrow and wrapped around to his ear.
"Papa it hurts."
His father swallowed, as he watched the blood drip.
"It should."
He rose up. "Leave for my quarters I'll be there shortly."
The flame skeleton watched the boy leave, his eyes going from his master to the beast cowering from the brightness of the flames.
His voice was low as he spoke.
"You may rest easy, I will not slay you monster. However."
He began to walk out and waved his hand as the skeleton leapt at the beast.
"Your fur might not grow back."
The man set his empty glass down. The travelers all leaned forward. The entire tavern surrounded this man as he paused his story. Large facial scars almost glowing in the light of the torches
"Your father didn't kill the Spineback?" One Naga whispered her tail flickering with anxiety. It wrapped around his leg the scales pressing into his skin as it slid up. She slithered closer to him, his mind wandered to what that would be like for the night.
Nathaniel Flameheart crinked his neck. The bones popping like canon shots. The tavern was silent except for the collective baited breath of the audience.
A small voice cut through the tension.
"It wasn't his to kill. It was a gift for the Blood Priest."
A small nervous gasp left the bar patrons. The speaker, a goblin bartender slid another glass down the bar into his outstretched hand of the Flameheart.
"Flamehearts don't train the beasts they capture, they deliver them." He said non-chantly, as he reached his tiny hand into an orc sized flask.
The crowd looked to the bartender who gave a small gold tooth smile at them.
"He's a monster tracker. Fourth generation. All the way back since his great-granddaddy caught a Phoenix."
A deep guttural laughed echoed behind them, in the corner of the room. A pirate leapt to his feet. His crew mimicked his movements. They crept closer the smell of the sea following them. "No man has ever caught a Phoenix, I'd sooner pop a mermaid out of my-."
The entire room flinched at the imagery. Mermaids were wet, slimey and covered in scales.
The pirate reached for Nathaniel's glass. "That myth gave your lineage the title of. Flameheart. Bah. Can't even start a spark."
Nathaniel tilted his head and eyed the man as he sipped his brew. His eyes drifting up and down.
"I like the outfit." He leaned back as if to admire once more. "What was the name of the princess you stole it off of."
The mans earrings jingled as he shook. His rage built up as he smashed the glass down. "The canons must have impacted my hearing, did you say something boy?"
Nathaniel rose to his feet. He only came up the the giant pirate's collarbone and his gaze would make an ogre cringe. The pirate slowly reached for his sword.
Nathan smiled. Not a large one, anyone there would have been easily forgiven if they didn't notice. He gave the slightest of smirks.
"I didn't lie when I said I liked the outfit. So I truly am sorry for this."
He flicked his fingers. The pirate glanced down. Nate blinked and flicked again. Nothing happened.
He gave a quick grin as he tried to step back. "So about what I said.."
The haymaker crunched his nose as he toppled to the ground.
Small hands prodded his chest, going in-between the buttons of his shirt.
He grasped one of them tightly, until knuckles popped.
"Nathan you're not dead!"
The goblin quickly released the man's necklace. Nathan tucked his jewelry back in. His voice monotone and dripping with sarcasm. "So glad you were concerned for my health -and my possessions."
The bartender leapt back and jumped onto a barstool. "I'm a goblin Nate. Can't change us. Sooner see a goblin lose all ten fingers from being caught stealing ten times than a honest one."
Nate rose to his feet. "I'm well aware."
He grunted as he steadied himself.
Gary sighed. "Just like the last few times. You spin a yarn about your dear old dad. Get soaked in cheap brew and kiss someone's knuckles. It's your Tuesday special."
Nate slid a finger along his teeth. Still all there.
"You need to get out kid. Go see the world."
Nate scoffed. "And do what? Join the Aggroedicus Navy, the Aggroi Navi or for kicks the Aggroedite Special Forces?"
Gary gave a smile. These little hole in the wall city states did love to name themselves after the same deity.
"I figured you'd love the idea of fighting pirates with the Navy's monsters at your beck and call."
Nate chewed his lip at the words. Mumbling them to himself.
"Monsters at your beck and call.."
Gary squinted. "Don't you dare chew on that lip. Last time you did that half the city burned to the ground."
Nathaniel gave a small smile. "See ya Gary I'm going out."
The goblin gave a sigh. "Doing what?"
Nathaniel wiped blood off his face with the back of his hand his grin growing.
"Going back into the family business."
I know you guys enjoyed that, let me know if you want to see more.
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The man with the plan lacking a spray on tan, bigger nuclear arms than Iran. Posts hit like a frying pan. GIF Master, pastor of disaster, rhyme caster, bad dude blaster. No one does good lore faster. @battleaxe favorite just ask her.
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