I personally think this is one of my best yet. I've never posted in short fic, though, so bear with me. I hope you like this story as much as I did when I wrote it. Enjoy!

Murder of a Murderer

“They’re coming!” warned one of the elders of the village.

I grabbed a spear and made for the hills on my Worm, Slik. He had always been a reliable partner whether it came to hunting, racing, or just traveling great distances. It was like we were flying through the foliage up the hill to the watchtower. The town was in danger, and I had to help.

I was beaten with various twigs and branches as Slik and I bolted up the hill. My cheeks began to swell up and the pain became unbearable. But I had to go on; I had to protect my village.

Slik scampered up a wooden bridge made by our people. His huge brown body could trample anything, and his tusks would tear all of our enemies to shreds. Soon enough, we reached the end of the village. I gripped my spear tighter as I dismounted Slik. He let out a loud peep to warn me, and I saw it. There was fresh blood trickling down the side of the old brick wall. I saw the limp body of a Hopper stretched across the top of the wall, like dirty laundry was stretched across the silk lining from tree to tree.

I caught a quick glance of the leaves concealing a slight movement in the brush.

“Something’s out there…” I whispered.

I looked back to the watchtower to see an elder watching closely at the same patch of vegetation that I had inspected. I put my palms to the old wood of the tower, and began my climb. I reached the top, looking down to see Slik on the alert; he too felt the ominous vibrations in the atmosphere.

“What is it?” I addressed the elder.

“Whatever it is, it isn’t human,” he said, then when silent, “Shhhhh…”

The birds flew from the canopy and various rodents and small monsters flew over the top of the brick ramparts. Then, all was silent, but only for a moment.

Just then, the wall exploded into a cloud of dust. I couldn’t see a thing, and my eyes were stinging madly. I looked down as the smoke cleared. A hoarse scream was heard, and then a scythe emerged form the top of the dust. With one powerful thrust of his weapon, the monster cleared the dust. A green cape with brown arms, armor, and a face appeared. The Odium (Joker/Bajarl) let out a vicious war cry; then charged for Slik.

“Get out of the way, you dumb Worm!!!” I yelled frantically as the Odium rushed for Slik. The Worm wouldn’t budge; it only cowered in fright. I picked up the spear, and propelled it into soft earth near the mass of brown bulk.

Slik jumped as the metal sank into the mud, and pivoted left just in time to send the scythe careening in the wrong direction. However, I had other things to worry about. The metal blade bit into the base of the tower, and instantly sent it into the air. I braced the wooden railing, and the elder and I flew into the canopy. The Odium ignored Slik, and glided onto the path to our village.

“No!” I yelled, “He’s headed for the village. He’s too strong. They’ll all be massacred. I’ve gotta stop him. Slik!!!”

The worm came crawling down the side of the cliff and to the halved tower. I hopped on to my faithful monster, and we bolted down the side of the cliff. Now the pain of the twigs and leaves didn’t bother me. Even when the various rivers of blood began carving their paths into my epidermis, I kept running. My village was in grave danger, and I had to protect them.

“There!!” I yelled and pointed to a dark green mass soaring into the clearing overlooking the village. The Odium’s scythe was pointed at both myself and Slik, and temporarily blinded us. Slik let out a yell, and I covered my eyes. Slik did the best he could to keep his huge green eyes off of the terrifying monster.

The Odium turned to observe us, stopped momentarily, and then picked up momentum to start his killing spree through our town. Then, I saw his target.

“Someone save my little boy!” a mother called out across the fields. A young lad was playing with his carved Pixie toy, unaware of the real monster that was to see to his death. Slik careened down the meadow faster than any other worm. The movement off his body length began to hurt my thighs, but I couldn’t stop now, no. That boy needed my help.

The Odium was too close; I’d never make it in time. The boy turned, and dropped the wooden Pixie onto the ground. The head snapped off as it hit the ground, and rolled a few inches away through the thick blades of grass.

“NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!”

I didn’t make it. The Odium sent his blade through the boy’s neck, and now his severed head joined the wooden Pixie’s in the grass now stained with blood. The mother fell to her knees, sobbing. The salt water tip-toed down her red cheeks, and fell to the earth, tiny oceans of sadness embedded into the rocks and clay in the earth.

“Ahhhhhh!!!” I let out a war cry as Slik went straight into the Odium’s abdomen. The tusks caught on the fine woven threads of the Odium’s body, and sections were torn off. I noticed the green cloth hanging on for dear life to Slik. I noticed the black mist now emanating from the Odium, and he began to fall.

Just then, he shot back up, and pieces of the cloth from Slik’s tusks went back to their master. The cloth healed itself instantly again and again, until only one piece remained. However, something was wrong. The piece held fast to Slik, and when it ran for the Odium, it brought Slik along for the ride. I was tossed violently from my Worm, and the moment before was to be the last time I ever rode my companion.

The Odium raised his blood stained scythe as Slik rushed forward. It let out an ear splitting yelp as the Odium sent its tool of death straight into Slik’s lower half.

“NOOOO!!!!”

Slik fell limp to the ground, and a pool of blood formed at the bottom of his body. I rushed for my Worm, and joined it in its last breathe. I began to sob, and the tears began to stream down my past as fast as the tallest waterfall. My best friend was mortally wounded, and would soon die.

The large green pupils darkened, and Slik let out a hoarse groan, then his head met the dirt. I stood up, spear in hand, and stared at the Odium. The murderer still had that twisted look of happiness engraved upon his face, and it sickened me. I wiped the tears from my cheeks, and stepped forth.

My rage and hostility grasped the wood of my weapon, and soon it cracked, and I could feel a splinter dive into my palm. A trickle of blood ran down the shaft, and I held the pear with two hands, ushering a challenge. The monster took up his weapon, and flew at me.

He sent blade for my neck, and I ducked. I threw my spear at his chest and he made for the sky, then, came plummeting back to the earth with his scythe facing down. I nimbly dodged left but he immediately pulled up, and aimed his blade at my throat, but I was too slow. Although the wound wasn’t fatal, I felt a sharp pain in my left side. I reached into my shirt, and when I lifted it out, my hand was stained red. There was a huge gash in my left shoulder.

I looked up at the Odium, and he thought it was over. However, the pain didn’t faze me. My life was now fueled by emotion alone, emotions of rage and hatred. I pointed the spear at the Odium, and he made for me as if I were a helpless goose in the fox’s den. I parried his blow, and I felt my muscles bulge. I lifted the spear, and sent it through the middle of the monster’s scythe. It cracked in two, and dissipated into the air.

The Odium was stunned began to retreat.

“This is for the little boy!”

I sent the blunt edge of the blade into the brown mask, and a mix of saliva and purple blood exploded from the opening for the mouth.

“This is for my best friend!”

I sent the blunt edge into the neck area of the Odium, and a disgusting snap was heard. The mask fell limp to the left shoulder.

“And this is for all the innocent lives you’ve ended throughout your miserable life!!!”

I flipped the spear in my hands and sent the blade of the spear into the red nose of the mask. For a millisecond, it was as if time and space had frozen. The blade rested in the red cushion and I saw it all as if I tapped into the Odium’s mind. A woman with a slit throat crouched in the corner of her home, a man’s cadaver missing both arms and streams of blood stained into his sides, and a young girl, not even nine, with her head resting in her lap.

“I can’t take it anymore!!!” I screamed and pushed on the wooded end of the spear. Time came forth, and allowed me to shatter the brown mask and I watched the cloak disappear into thin air. It was over, I had won.

I noticed the agonizing pain in my left shoulder, and I staggered over to Slik’s body. I laid my face into hard skin of my best friend, and sent rivers of tears down the hard brown flesh…

Hope you liked it! -Icelord13

You like Princess Mononoke, huh? Since nearly your entire opening sequence was from the beginning of that movie (with a Monster Rancher twist)

Aside from the similar introductory action, I will say that you have DEFINITELY improved your writing capability.

*My rage and hostility grasped the wood of my weapon, and soon it cracked, and I could feel a splinter dive into my palm.*

This line, to me, stands out. Using considerably better word usage than I have read in your other posts, this is but one example of your betterment.

I HIGHLY look forward to what you will develop in later chapters.

Uh...This was a short story. I don't think there will be any more chapters. But thanks for the complitments.

Aw, oh well, still look forward to your future development, if anything, as a good writer.

Nice. Is there a Joker/Bajarl mix? I thought it was just pure and rare...not bad, not bad at all. Better than what I could do.

In MR2, Odium is Joker/Bajarl.

Epics in Progress. You see, completed epics are those that have already done their time in the epics in progress section and require no further posts. So yes, put the in the epics in progress section.

Yes. I would like to say it is torey, but it may be another mod for all I know. Can't keep track of who reads and who doesn't.