Summary 244: Amatum's Tale (2020-05-03)

Giraine Summaries


I was Amatum, a big strong Uztagor, or sea troll as hoomanz call us, or Hydrostyganthropus mutans as my master told me the smart hoomanz call us. My master was Affric Blufont, he was a Talar of his family. I didn't mind being the Blufont family butler, as those hoomanz knew the great power of Gloomshark and they could use it well; better than most Uztagor could. They saw I was a special Uztagor and gave me good clothes, a big Lo-Metal (aluminium) trident to poke food with, and taught me lots of magics and secrets. I liked living in their manor and prancing on the hilltop and up and down to the seas. But then bad hoomanz came and they wrecked it all.

I, Amatum, was watching the manor, hearing that there was new trouble in Hard Bay with visitors asking many questions and scaring poor boy of Illian Moisan and then killing the weird Vadeli guys that kept coming to town and talking with the families. Then my master said it was time to speak with Gloomshark and I thought hey, that's not until tomorrow night's High Holy feast, but I am hungry like always and he promised me meat. We went to the stones on Maritime Hill to call forth one of our great god's demons to punish the interlopers. It would be a feast before the feast when Girisun awoke and slaughtered the enemy hoomanz!

So we were calling and dancing in the shadows, when we hears some ruckuss from down the hill and some see two hoomanz running up, then one tackles the other, then that one chokes his friend and friend goes still (hoomanz do such crazy things). Moisan family was coming to stop them, was enough trouble already, so 4 of their guards came with bodyguard Thando and Ellagana Moisan to bottom of hill, to catch the two hoomanz for big bloody meaty sacrifice to Gloomshark! And town guards were mustered too, led by Tahir guard captain, bringing 5 men to stop the two other pesky guys who came from the docks. They tried to ambush them at the crossroads.

But we underestimated these four hoomanz. I saw that too late; the flames brought me truth. More about that later. Moisan family surrounded the two guys on the hillside and fought them, kept getting knocked down by skilful fighter with snake-head, and they had grabbed that guy for a while but then he threw them off and started killing them. He'd called a salamander, wicked fire-spirit, and it cooked one Moisan man alive! Snake-man was in bad shape bleeding from lucky hit from one Moisan's sabre; haha! Meanwhile the really bad sea-man Ahappi came with his also-bad fire-conjurer friend and called darkness on the town guards (silly hoomanz still not know how to darksense!). Guards ran about while they got cut down, one by one; even Tahir fell. Three other guards waiting with javelins to chuck at those hoomanz lost heart and ran away-cowards! So sea-man and fire-man came running to the rescue, real fast like.

That was bad for Hard Bay. I saw that too late, too. Ellagana Moisan knocked one of her own men down with her punishing-whip and she didn't care but that guy spent much time trying to heal self, while others scrabbled with the snake-head guy. Soon all were on ground and some dying, and then sea-man came and killed Ellagana real quick. She died screaming back to Gloomshark's hell and Moisan family is broken. No spirit-guide may survive to bring their souls to rest, or feed them to Gloomshark, so they will wander hell like me. More about that later. Real quick then, snake-man and fire-man and sea-man all cut down the Moisans and patched up snake-man's wound. Little crazy man with bow still lay there doing nothing, sleepy time for him.

Sea-man came challenging us on top of hill and Affric was real mad! He called out to Gloomshark, to Krarsht and Krjalk and others, to vomit forth killer demon Girisun from the void and bring vengeance on these bad hoomanz who were making a big mess of Gloomshark cult's plans in Hard Bay! And the hill shook and we got to see Girisun a night early-all big and toady and hefting his huge axe, I was always impressed to see such a krjalk, even fiercer than I, Amatum! We stood proudly in the green magics of the standing stones' Warding and welcomed hoomanz to come get eaten. They looked scared, but then they started making magics and running in to fight, so we were excited to get our feast!

Fire-man sent some little curses that hurt young Clarne Blufont but Affric healed him later. Clarne threw a spear at sea-man but missed and had to switch to his long-spear; poor Clarne never had time to learn to fight good like I, Amatum. Sea-man tried throwing some spells at us too but no good. Alisonda, wife of Affic and acolyte of Gloomshark, she tried some drown and befuddle spells but no good either. Affric though, he was always the smart one and he threw a scaring-curse on snake-man that kept him away, worried about facing I, Amatum, probably! Sea-man was bravest and came up outside stone-ring challenging Girisun, who just stood there and chuckled, but ready to pounce on sea-man if he tried another spell. Those hoomanz were so naughty they sent their fire-spirit against I, Amatum, but it got a good smack from my trident and it became just a harmless puff of ash-haha!

Yet fire-man had a real bad trick for us and we did not know it. He stepped up the hill behind sea-man and opened his jaws real wide, like Gloomshark, but inside was not the black void, no. Inside was horrible scathing fire that seared Chaos! It burned forth with the roar of the Night Dragon, covering I, Amatum, and my three masters from the Blufont family. We all screamed real loud, hurting, and burning fast, and I lived long enough to see Blufonts turn to ash and my little weak soul leaving my body for hell as it faltered. I died. Before I descended into the Underworld I saw a final sad sight, that Girisun hit sea-man and hurt him on the arm but didn't cut it off like his axe should have, then sea-man threw his harpoon and hurt Girisun bad in the belly, sticking him so he stumbled around bellowing in pain. Little crazy-man was even so brave now that he grabbed his bow and prepared to shoot Girisun, but it didn't matter. Together sea-man and fire-man jumped on Girisun and hit him three times in the head, with last time being a really bad one that pierced Girisun's eye and made him deflate back into the raw ichor of Gloomshark's void-our summoned avenger was defeated! Bad night for Gloomshark, and the end for the Blufonts.

I, Amatum, as I descend into my torment in hell where no cool waters await me, just burning flames of the Night Dragon, now understand. We were folly to face these heroes sent by Magasta. One cannot stop the sea. We tried and were shattered like all others who have tried.


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