View source

'''Title: The Blood Lurker'''

'''Author: Krythan'''
------------------------------------

The walls of the 
dungeon echoed with 
the screams of yet 
another adventurer 
foolish enough to 
challenge its dwellers. 

The creature stomped 
the mangled corpse of  
Below the pit of 
bodies, in the deepest 
depths of the dungeon, 
an ancient temple 
stood; the ground 
around it was littered 
with the bones of 
brave souls who had 
the courage and skill to 
arrive there, but not 
to survive the horrors 
that it spawned. A 
pillar extended from 
the base of the temple 
through the roof, and 
connected to the 
cave ceiling. Inch deep 
grooves, resembling 
the ones in the pit 
above the temple, 
extended outward 
from the the pillar 
forming a web   
across the entire 
cavern ceiling. 

A slight rumble shook 
the cavern, and 
momentarily, the 
roof of the cavern 
began to darken in  
color. Fresh blood 
began to ooze out of the 
ceiling pores, trickling 
into the ruts and 
slowly making its 
way towards the 
pillar.  The area where 
the pillar and the 
ceiling met  was rich 
in blood from the 
bodies that lay above 
it, and  as the blood 
met at the pillar, it 
began to trickle down 
in a crimson spiral.

The blood dripped into 
a basin made of solid 
gold  at the base of the 
pillar and began to 
collect in an odd 
shaped puddle. As 
more blood streamed 
down from above the 
puddle began to grow 
upward. The floors of 
the upper cave  
rumbled again as more 
blood was being 
squeezed from them. 

The puddle quickly 
formed into a torso, 
then arms, shoulders, 
and with the last drop 
of blood, the head of 
the darkness, slicing 
through only air. The 
other party members 
jumped into battle 
stances, and the mages
began chanting spells. 

All went silent for a 
moment, and the group 
began to relax a little 
since the danger 
seemed to have passed. 

While rummaging 
through his pack, a 
mage near the end of 
the party never 
noticed the blood 
dripping down from 
the ceiling onto his 
cape. He heard the 
same sloshing as 
earlier, and looked up 
in time to  see the 
mass  of blood fall 
from above. The 
blood creature 
engulfed the man in 
an instant, absorbing 
his blood and flesh 
and dissolving his 
clothing, leaving 
nothing left but a 
complete skeleton. 

Arrows whizzed 
through the air, and  
bolts of fire and 
lighting rained 
down onto the Blood 
Lurker. It exploded 
with splashing sound, 
drenching the remaining
adventurers with 
rancid blood. Cheers 
rang up from the 
party as they enjoyed 
their victory, 
accompanied by moans 
for the loss of their 
companion. The cheers 
soon turned to screams 
of horror as the blood 
dripping off their 
bodies began to boil, 
reducing them, one by 
one, to flesh-less 
skeletons. 

The Blood 
Lurker leisurely 
regained his form, but 
this time  larger than 
before from the 
fresh human blood. It 
seemed pleased as it 
surveyed it's work, 
and oozed back 
towards its temple to 
await the next victim.

[[Category:Tales and Legends]]