An insufferable headache was slowly throbbing in my head.

Having made itself known for the past month

A headache that started with the existence of a god

My long dead god, who apparently

Was not actually dead.

And the headache got worse and worse as I made promise after promise.

Both to God and elders alike

Trying to influence and convince.

Telling my fellow elders that, yes, a long dead race is not actually dead.

And that, yes, we used to worship them.

And yes, we might all be killed if we don't do it again.

So making it simple.

It has been a gruelling month.

Anyway, how did I survive?

Good question

I barely know myself.

That insufferable handsome faun has at least helped me.

When the girl and dragon fled, I was left alone.

Left alone to meet the elders

Who, luckily, instead of killing me, they put me on trial.

Which took several days, but eventually

They came to the conclusion that I had acted, not out of self interest, but to save us.

All of us

After that, they released me.

Some quite unwillingly

As we had just fought days before.

But, both age and power made them unwilling to let go of such wisdom.

And power.

And once again, the insufferable handsome faun helped me.

Managing to convince the rest of the elders that the dragon can and will

Kill us if we don't play nice

Which probably was one of the factors for my release.

And well

I also think it helped that the insufferable handsome faun was a crying, shivering, sweating ball of a wreck.

“We should bring him a gift of a thousand goats!”

One of the elders screamed out.

“NO! Dragons would only spite us for such a measly reward, we must give him all the treasures we have”

A second one screamed back

A third one joins in.

“Then we will be robbed blind! How will we feed us? Our children?”

The second turns to the third, yelling with a hoarse voice.

“Do you want to die? I’d rather have nothing but live th-“

And on and on

And on…

The screaming continued through the wreckage that was once called the great chamber.

Groups had formed

But no distinct leader had taken their place

I sat awkwardly in the middle of it all.

Having been chosen for the role of high judge, a role that used to belong to a very big Faun

Who had been incinerated by the same Dragon that we are debating.

My headache was making all thoughts hard to form.

My role, being the keeper of peace

Of authority

Keeping the discussion civil and on track

Was all but a farce.

The discussions had derailed the second they started

Making me more of a silent observer than an active participant.

The other elders may have spared my life, but they sure as hell won't let me decide anything.

Even those that are supposed to be loyal to me have started to waver.

But I don't hold grudges.

As I know that having to choose between one god and another

Is not an easy decision to make.

As we entered the fourth hour of the meeting

A messenger made his appearance, one of the few still loyal to me.

Swiftly running up to me, with an unsteady breath and wild eyes.

I quickly waved him over, collecting myself for the inevitable news

He tip-toed his way towards me, awkwardly moving around the debris that still had not been cleared.

I leaned towards him.

“A message from the human? About the dragon?”

I asked

Trying to keep the fear from my voice.

The messenger saluted me as he neared, shaking his head in a negative

I slumped back in my chair, both relieved

And scared.

“No, ehm... This. Is something else”

The messenger said, uncertain

Piquing my interest again.

Clearing his throat, the messenger continued, looking forward in a military stare.

“Sightings of a huge mass off blackness has been spotted”

I looked at him with questioning eyes.

“Blackness?”

“Yes, Venerable one”

“Explain”

I ordered

“It’s.. It’s, just that venerable one. A large moving mass of blackness, no taller than us but going from one end of the horizon to the other”

He quickly spoke, a noticeable nervousness in his voice.

I stared at him with narrowed eyes.

“Could you see what the blackness consisted off?”

“No, venerable one. But the scouts say that it consumes all the living it moves past, and...”

Stopping as he got uncertain

“Continue.”

I urged him, looking as nonchalant as I could

But feeling nothing near it.

“It is moving towards our city. And it seems to be growing”

A dread overcame me.

What the flying fuck.

First the Dragon

Now this?

But as I was thinking

A new messenger came, a recruit, bursting into the ruined chamber.

Fresh of his mother's milk

Unfortunately

Many have sprung up after the recent disaster.

Something we’ve never had to do before

Having prided ourselves in peace

Well, I guess no more.

The messenger made the hall go quiet, as the elders investigated.

Then the messenger yelled

“An army has been sighted to the south!”

The surrounding elders all rose up

Many yelling in dismay, in disarray.

And in complete disbelief

“What do you mean?”

One of the elders spoke up, the surrounding elders hushing those nearby

The messenger locked his eyes with the speaking elder

Still breathing heavy.

“It’s an army! An army of lizardmen. To our south!”

He yelled, breathing in between words

A chorus of voice came out from the elders.

Looking to one another, questions asked and answered

But quickly after the elder spoke up again.

“Where are they headed?”

Which made the messenger shrug back a bit

Looking up as he started to think

Letting seconds pass.

And the hall got eerily quiet.

The messenger visibly starting to sweat

“Aaah, uuh.. I think... They will be passing our city a few miles to the south.”

“You think?”

The elder spoke

Making the messenger sweat even more

“Y-yes”

He simply said

Making the surrounding elders scream out in frustration, waving at him to leave.

Which he happily complied with.

The surrounding elders continued their discussion.

Having gladly moved the subject from Dragon to this unknown lizard army

Speculating, questioning.

Forming plans in case the army would veer towards our city

Something they could actively plan against

A threat that had a tangible goal.

Something that they could not do with the Dragon.

But I stayed clear from the discussions.

Having been caught up in my own swirl of thoughts

Barely registering the army to the south.

A large blackness is moving towards us?

It kills all life that it moves past...

And is larger than the horizon is wide?

I pondered.

Trying to remember past experiences that was long forgotten.

And I felt time move slowly.

As thoughts slowly formed.

Forming a word

A single word

A simple word

Rats

And my face went pale

Oh no.

It is not a massive blackness

It is the bodies of rats.

It is not killing life

It is devouring it

And it is not just large

It is enormous.

Gaining numbers by the day

Probably around millions upon millions of rats by this point

Fueled by dark magic

Fueled by life

A god long forgotten, probably woken.

Laughing in his dark chambers as his creations wreck chaos on this world.

Quickly, I stood up

Up to my feet as I startled the surrounding elders

Some even reaching for bows, clearly not trusting me yet.

“We must flee”

I simply stated

Looking out over the gathered elders

Who looked at me in confusion.

I continued.

“There has been a sighting, a sighting of a swarm. And it is heading for us as we speak”

Upon hearing the words of “swarm,” many of the gathered elders went pale.

But many were still to young

Inexperienced to the forces of this world.

“The swarm?”

One of them asked

Another answered

“The swarm is an inevitability, a force of nature that will only stop when it fulfills it’s designed purpose. It’s a form of.. off ritual made by rat-men to fulfill a certain purpose.”

Another elder yelled out

“What purpose?”

And I answered.

“It can be anything, but one thing for certain. If it is headed this way, this city is doomed”

A dreadful silence devoured the room.

Making most look down, deep in their own thoughts

But then, one stood up

And it was none other than the handsome faun.

Who had seen betters days, as his magical make-up had faltered, leaving him deathly pale and skin sagging low, making him look like a punching bag

Which I wish he were.

“No, we can not leave this city. It’s our haven, been with us since the age of.. off”

He drifted off, as the last part of his speech held a gravity

“Of Dragons”

I finished for him

Making him go even more pale

But he quickly collected himself.

“Yes, and we can not abandon this place. If we do, who knows what... he-“

Going quiet again

Mouth forming words, but no sound coming out

Eyes going wide, as his body started to shake.

I see now

I see that fear has gripped you, made you weak.

And others took note, looking up to the clearly more stable elder.

“All who vote for us to leave, say, aye.”

I shouted, giving all those gathered a thorough look

One spoke up

“We need to speak more of this-“

“NO!”

I screamed, letting a bit of my anger seep through

“The time of talk is over! We must let our actions speak louder”

I paused

But only for a second, scanning the elders with a piercing gaze

Making many look away.

“The swarm is inevitable, you all know this. The only thing we can do is flee from it. If the Dragon knows of our plans, he can at least be bargained with. Seen to either help us or let us leave”

I spoke.

Spoken confidently.

The gathered elders looking around

Both uncertain and scared

Having to decide on something this quickly has never happened before

Nor has a Dragon been sighted before

Or a swarm

Making many nervous.

But I felt that I was close

So close to convincing them

So I continued speaking.

“Elders, when the time comes, I will take responsibility. Leave the Dragon to me”

This seemed to convince some, making them look up

And those that used to call themselves loyal to me, raised their voices

Shouting

“Aye!”

Loudly.

The others joining in.

And more.

Eventually, the room was a loud chorus of ayes as fauns gained confidence in number.

I let a small smile spread on my lips

A smile that did not reach my eyes.

Holding my hands out to silence the elders.

“Then it is settled. We shall depart this city as soon as possible. I now declare this meeting. Over!”

A loud bang as I hit the hammer on the table

Giving way for loud talking.

And elders moving out, giving task to soldiers and civilians alike

Giving them a task that would make few happy.

But a task that would be necessary.

Necessary for our survival

I just hope

Hope that the Dragon won't mind.

I found myself sitting down.

Truly exhausted

Mostly mentally.

And I found my thoughts drift away

Drift far away

To happier times

Simpler times.

And then I found my heart drift to a human

A certain human girl

A little human girl

A tiny little girl

A girl so innocent and pure

Beaming with so much life.

Yes

Such a bright soul.

But

Who would have thought

That such a person

Would be the catalyst for so much disaster

Yes

Who would have.