BaronEngel
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Lurker
🕑 Added 2020-04-12 20:17:23 +0000 UTCPrincess Luna stared intently at Creeper in my Equestria dreamscape. She was suspicious of these two beings she'd encountered in Prophecy's dream fabric, but they were the first individuals she'd met that seemed to possess some of the answers about this young mare's past. Creeper and Viper
"So what can you tell me about this being you call Lurker. If what you're say is true this individual is responsible for the death of 3 subjects of the realm I co-rule. Why are they doing these wicked deeds?"
Creeper appeared to be lost in thought as they drank from their apparently bottomless teacup. Viper spoke up. "Princess Luna I can assure that more than the 3 subjects have fallen to Lurker are only the ones that were visible enough to raise suspicions of others."
The collection of metallic bands that floated in the air in the form of a giant serpent swirled and twisted slowly as it spoke. "In fact its been Creeper and I's suspicion that Lurker deliberately made those slayings visible in a desperate attempt to force us to share our charge with it."
The being hissed. "A foolish, desperate strategy on its part since it was not part of the formal contract between our charge's creators and us. It was only due to tiny discrepancy in the contract that it was able escape from the Realm of Howling Darkness and enter this realm at all."
Luna flew up so she could stare more carefully at what passed as the face of Viper. "Besides their desire to escape what you call the Realm of Howling Darkness what else can you tell me of this individual you call Lurker?"
Creeper spoke up. "Lurker was once like a roaring fire that had to keep consuming more and more lest it succumb to its nature and be extinguished."
Viper was a bit to the point. "The being we refer to as Lurker is a traitor in our place of origin. They once had been greedy, selfish creature that served one of the great lords long ago. Lurker craved the power that their lord wielded and desired to claim it for himself."
"Their greed was the fire that forced them to dance closer and closer to their own destruction. Their greed was a beautiful lover that they could not resist their wishes and demands" Creeper then returned to their tea drinking.
Viper nodded his head. "Legends says that for some time Lurker was able to hide their greed and slowly they climbed the ranks of the great lord's court. Eventually becoming a courier of their lord, but this position was what sealed their fate."
The serpent stared off into bluish haze surrounding them. "As is common in the Realm of Howling Darkness this great lord one day found themselves facing war. A huge army this great lord assembled to crush their enemy. They gave the honor of leading this terrible host to their heir."
"However soon after their army had departed this great lord received news that their army would be facing a far greater foe than they had planned for. Several enemies had formed an alliance to crush this army. The great lord knew this battle would be terrible affair and they feared for the safety of their heir. To guarantee their safety the great lord did something truly legendary. They used all of their vast powers and and sacrificed many precious treasures to create an elixir of unquenchable vigor for their heir. This potent potion granted the consumer the power and the curse of immortality. No matter how terrible their wounds the drinker of this elixir would be able to survive them. The relentless teeth of time that can grind down the mightiest mountains would be unable to consume them."
Luna nodded her head. "Yes. That is terrifying gift to give. A powerful and seductive gift, but one that comes with such a horrible price."
Viper looked back at the Princess of the Night. "Yes it was, but this great lord would do anything to assure the safety of their heir. Legend says they intended to march with their own great force to aid their heir and deliver the elixir themselves, but then they learned that another foe of their's was marching from a different direction with another army to wreak destruction upon their lands. Unable to directly come to their heir's aid the great lord instructed the courier Lurker to deliver an important gift to the heir. The great lord did not say what the gift was but Lurker sense incredible magic emanating from flask, and it was at the moment that Lurker's greed committed its greatest betrayal, and condemned Lurker to his fate."
"Lurker left their lord's stronghold and fled into the wilderness. Once the traitor thought they were safely away from prying eyes they drank the elixir. Their greed and hunger demanding immediate sating. The moment the elixir touched their lips the power that the great lord had bestowed into it flowed through Lurker's body. However at the same time the great lord sensed Lurker's betrayal. They screamed in rage that their will and destiny should be so subverted. However they had to lead their army in the defense of their realm if it was to survive. The war was terrible, bloody affair, and many fell during the course of it. One of those's being the great lord's heir."
Luna growled. "Did the great lord survive, and if so did he find Lurker?"
The metallic serpent chuckled. "Oh they survived. Although their heir fell on the field battle defending the great lord's realm. The great lord's rage and grief knew no bounds they crushed their foes; then the great lord turned all of their resources and hunted down Lurker. The lord's surviving forced scoured the lands and capture the traitor. They brought them back to the great lord who inflicted the most hideous of punishments. The elixir allows one to survive any injury, but one could still be injured after consuming it. They just wouldn't succumb to their wounds."
Creeper swirled the contents of their teacup. "The traitor's punishment defy's words. They say that tiny saplings grew into mighty tree and then withered and perished after centuries of existence but still Lurker's screams could be heard coming from the great lord's stronghold."
Viper looked at Luna. "Finally one day the great gates of the stronghold were thrown open and the tortured mass of a broken being was tossed out on the ground. The great lord's judgement had been served. Lurker was cast out of the lord's realm. Left to crawl and slither forever through the wilds. Their twisted, crushed, ruined form was left to desperately seek out any creature it could find. No longer did Lurker seek to hoard. Now it lived to only share the one thing that Lurker had left."
"And what is that?" Asked Luna.
Creeper took another sip of their tea and then looked up at the misty sky. "Pain. That is all they have to share."
To be continued.
Comments
McClaw
Lurker, the Giver of Pain. I dub him "Troll".
Baron Engel
Yes and the Deception and the Lord of Shadows did not come from the Lower Dark Realms. They were the product for Paynes Grey's imagination and magic. They sprang from the pages of the book he'd wrote. Given life an existence in his desperate attempts to stop Nightmare Moon's plans. https://www.deviantart.com/baron-engel/art/The-Lord-of-Shadows-315814205
ColdSilverD
Hmm... interesting. There are still aspects of Deception in this story, but I'm not so certain anymore. Deception's greed is one of the things that got him caught.
Octavia Melody
That is quite freaky looking
