A Rattling Monster

Chapter 123: Commandant Bori

The dwarf doesn't seem to notice me; he isn't even raising his head. Maybe that cough was too weak? Let me try again.

COUGH COUGH

Ah, finally, he is awake. Good morning Nemo, you have entered the reality. Where ghost ratman and normal wraiths are floating behind you. But, instead of turning his head toward me, he just looks at the door, expecting someone. I mean, I just coughed, not knocked. Or, is it my voice, is it really my voice?

(No, I mean, yes, it doesn't look like a real cough from a dwarf, but I think it is not that close from a knock. But, your ethereal voice changed from before, I don't think you noticed it when you were talking with Aria. But, you have still your stuttering, which makes no sense. You are a ghost, why you have a problem with your tongue inside your mouth? I get the sleek sleek part because it is now a habit, but the stuttering?)

So, you are saying that I can speak normally? That's cool, finally, I won't have any problem or need number to talk instead of me. Well, I will still let number one talk because his voice is very good for dark circumstances. Or a threat about murdering a race, destroying a city and slaughtering all the innocents. As for the commandant in front of me, he left his chair and is approaching the door. After that he opens it, and seeing no one behind it or around, closes it. And at this moment, he finally turns and sees me and my army.

He is totally petrified, looking at me with his eyes wide open. We stay like this for a few seconds, and I find it a little bit boring. I mean, he should be shouting or screaming, calling the guard to help him, no? Or is it my condition as a ghost and the four wraiths behind me that is shocking him? Seeing no reaction whatsoever, I wave at him, while smiling. I shouldn't have done that. The dwarf instantly passed out after seeing my smile, I should have just waved at him. Is my smile that terrible?

(Well, if you are looking to terrify small children to death, your smile is quite good. But, I mean, the ratmen are already ugly, with their deformed head, their pointy teeth, and their red eyes. Now, you add the fact that you are floating above the ground, that he can partially see behind you, and that your mouth does a horrible grimace. That grimace is what you call a smile, but for anyone else, it is a promise that you will eat them alive. Or at least, enjoy seeing them suffer thousands of tortures. Just wave next time.)

I knew that my appearance was terrible but to that extent? Seriously, I have no choice, I mean, I think I have no choice. Can I change my form? I try to influence my body, but no matter what I do, I keep seeing my claws at the end of my arms. Not a beautiful skin like the elves, yes, I was thinking about that perfect skin. Not the pointy ears part, however, facing the dwarves, I don't want to have the appearance of their potential enemies.

(Yes, because, having the appearance of a ratman is better. Never mind, just wake him up, and peacefully, without anything threatening his life. He will be the link between you and the king of the dwarves. Don't kill him.)

I never planned to do that, but, how am I supposed to wake him up? I have no water; the only liquid I can produce is my acid. No, don't worry Oslo, I won't use it. I don't want to see his face melt in seconds. My curse will make him sleep, even more, I can't touch him. Ah, number one, give him a huge slap.

SLAP CRACK

What do you mean, crack? What is a crack?

(I think that number one just broke his neck. Why do you have to order him to do a huge slap? Why couldn't you just say a small slap first?)

-AAHHHHHH

(Oh, no, he survived. I guess that was just a normal sound produced by his neck. You are lucky this time.)

Yes, but the sound that he made was pretty huge. Well, it is not a screaming like help I am getting attacked. More like a scream, I have made a bad dream and I just woke up. But it is still a scream, and I am expecting someone to look out for the commandant. So, I just put my face right in front of him. I can see the despair in his eyes, I guess that he truly wanted his previous visions to be just a nightmare.

-Listen dwarf, in the few seconds, you will hear someone knocking on the door, sleek sleek. You just have to say that you made a nightmare, it is not so far from the truth. After that, we will talk, sleek sleek.

I try to see if I provoke any reaction, but I see nothing. He is still giving me his blank stare like I am not something real. Maybe I should already begin to float away? Because he is not really in the condition of executing my demand.

Knock Knock

-Commandant, we heard you screaming? Is something wrong?

Following this, I finally see the dwarf recover and look at me in an intelligent way. Not like a dumb vegetable. I see him get up, and approach the door. I and my wraiths are all hiding in the blind spot created by the door. Right before opening it, he looked at me one last time. I wave at him, signaling him to do it. I can see him shuddering after the gesture of my hand, I am not that horrible?

-No that's fine, sergeant, I just fell asleep on my desk. And I dreamed, something terrible. A ratman, more specifically, a horrible looking ratman haunting me. He was just floating in front of me, with his horrible face, and I could see in his eyes his desire to kill me and my entire family.

-Don't worry commandant, if a ratman approaches, he will be buried under countless stones. And even if he survived that, we are all ready to send them to the hell that created them. We all have a hard time sleeping, and I heard many of my man complaining about nightmares. For Makan!

-For Makan!

After this short discussion, the commandant closes his door, and look at me with some perplexed eyes. I still think that he hopes that I was a nightmare. But, seeing me and my ghosts floating around him, he realizes the truth. Sighting, he grabs the chair where he was previously, and sit down in front of me. Now we can finally have a true discussion.

-I am the commandant of this fortress, Bori Longbeard. You are currently at the frontier between the Gold Summit and the Heart of the Mountain. Since you have visibly no evil intention toward me, and I don't feel that you cast a spell either, may I inquire what is the purpose of your presence here? And more specifically, what is your allegiance?

The important questions first. At least, he has the head on his shoulders. But that's a strange name Longbeard, does that means there is someone called Smallbeard? And what is the Gold Summit and the Heart of the Mountain?

(I guess the name of two mountains inside the kingdom of the dwarves. The kingdom is called the Grey Mountain Kingdom, that's all I know. As for whether each mountain has a name, no idea. Ask him.)

-Greetings, master dwarf. I am an elemental, sleek sleek. There are some that call me Sleek.

-Greetings Sleek?

-As for my intention with your kingdom, I have no reason to destroy it. You are a race that doesn't actively seek war, and you haven't done anything to anger us. That is not the case for the ratmen. Those insects have dared to attack me and tried to assassinate my undead. But I only had a small army with me, and I had to flee the battlefield. It was near a human city; I think it was called Ronta?

-You know Ronta, what is the situation here?

-For the human, a disaster, the city has been taken by the ratmen, sleek sleek. And I saw the power of those ratmen, their powerful weapons, and their sheer numbers. And it is in that way that, to repay the affront they have made, I seek shelter in your kingdom, sleek sleek. If you could provide me with just an empty location where I can create my undead, I will gladly help you defend your precious mountains and kill off those vermin, sleek sleek. I don't need anything else, no blood, no corpse, just time.

I can see a conflict in the eyes of Bori, because what I say is still very important. What I asked was the entrance to his kingdom, and he needs to trust me. And, in my condition, no one will find me trustworthy. But I offered you hope too. First, I told him that I escaped the ratmen and came from Ronta, which is quite far. Then, I told him that I will help them, reducing the casualties of war. But like I supposed, it is not him that should agree or not.

-Elemental Sleek, I will have to report it to the king of the mountain. I can't allow you to move in the meantime. So, if you would have the patience to stay here, to not scare the rest of my men. I will write my report right away, and in less than a day, someone will come here to either confirm or deny your entrance to the Heart of the Mountain. I hope you will not find the wait too long.

-That's fine, but, can I keep creating undead in the meantime?

The look that the dwarf threw me made me unsure of his answer.