Vrouch Van Gaar - Origin of Vrouch, part I

[nemusator]

 


     Vrouch's first memories are of the dark mines where he worked. He knew nothing but work, so work he did. There was no day and night, only darkness. Frequently the ground would tremble. Ceilings would collapse. Bodies were crushed like mashed potatoes. For Vrouch, meaning of life was simple. He worked devotedly, giving his best, every minute, every hour, every day... Gods were cruel. They wore black clothes and masks, spiked with silver fangs and had sharp whips which tore skin and various tools for their own amusement. Vrouch did his best to please the Gods... He didn't have a pinch of aggression in him, and he didn't understand their cruelty. In time, his complete skin was covered in scars... And new frowned scars blossomed over old ones... All of his teeth got pulled out, including his tongue and nails. His limbs were twisted and smashed numerous times... Yet, he thought to himself... He must have deserved that... He must have done something wrong... He will try harder... Every time he did... Yet the punishments persisted, coated in stench of sweat, cold laughter, and hate in eyes giving the punishment...

He was grateful to be alive still. He often thought how lucky he is to be alive... To be able to feel... He made a firm friendship with an old man who had a hand tattooed over his chest. Vrouch would often do the work of this man, when he would collapse, he would share his food with him, and rats and cockroaches caught, which tasted much better than regular meals...
The old man used every opportunity to teach Vrouch what he knew. It took years to convince Vrouch that there is a bigger world, full of wonders, pleasant smells and colors. Even more years to convince Vrouch that there is a merciful and good deity called Torm...

In time, Vrouch grew stronger... Older... Old... He buried his friend in accordance to amenities of Tormites, or at least tried to do so in given circumstances...

He still had doubts... Maybe his friend found comfort in his imagination... Maybe that kept him partially sane... He has seen lots of mind lost... Empty fixated looks, nothing inside... That always scared him...

He did continue to pray to Torm... He always remembered the old's man words... "Pray to Torm... Ask for strength... And he will give...."

And so it was that another group of workers was brought in one day... Nothing uncommon. they would just appear and started to work, as any other group would do. Vrouch could never really depict from where do they come from... He had his theories... And theories of others...

With this new group, an interesting creature was brought... It smelled nice... Like... Something he lost so long time ago, but couldn't remember what... It was wrapped up in a blanket... The female holding on it wasn't going to give it up to the Gods... She fell on floor, whipped, screaming and bleeding, and it was perfectly clear her life meant nothing to her compared to the life of this being... The Gods were amused... The creature was crying too... It was a tiny voice... Yet it seemed everything trembled from it... Vrouch was amazed how much strength this little creature has... If he was that small, he couldn't cry that long with such intensity... The woman lifted her one eyed gaze.... And it met Vrouch's...

He felt goosebumps in his skin like never before... Woman fixated him with her look... And never stopped looking... Even when the light from her eyes sunk somewhere deep, where he couldn't follow it... Even when her eyes were knocked out of her skull...

For the first time in his life... Vrouch placed his mattock down. Without a sound. Without a sound he started to approach the Gods. Cry of the creature became a panicked scream, as mash of teh body which ones was it's protector was kicked aside...

One of the Gods lifted up the tiny creature... It's face was turning from red to purple, it had no more tears to cry...

The God grinned... Holding it with one hand, he reached for his knife...

His head made a full circle... Grin turned into sad confusion, then fear... As his head was ripped of from his spine together with neck bones... All other Gods froze on spot... Faces pale, trembling bodies... Vrouch turned the still living God's head towards him... Frowned at it... And with other hand hugged tiny creature to his chest.... "Hu... Ahe noh... Goh!" He said in a whisper... Yet everyone heard it... The head was dripping greasy liquids, like a plant pulled out of vase would drip water... He smashed it onto the floor, then stomped it, spraying brain, pieces of skull and various maters on other Gods... He twisted his leg in what was left, like putting out a cigarette ... Then screamed... All of his pain, all of his horror... He screamed, and other Gods were flying, bouncing of ceiling, floor, of each other...

He became aware that he was running... After a while... He was running towards a small shiny dot... Which was getting bigger and bigger... Small creature was clinging with all of its strength onto him... It must be stronger than him, he will remember thinking later...
The creature wasn't crying anymore... It's face was of normal color... It looked... Peaceful...

So it was that Vrouch was running towards the light... Not knowing what it was... Yet he felt, like he never felt before... With all his being.... That Torm was inside him... That... This is his destiny...

[nemusator]

     As the dot of light increased in scope, he felt more and more inspired. A dream was coming true.
The creature would wiggle occasionally, making munching sounds.
Angry shouts, whips cutting air, and feet grinding sand behind him...
He made haste... As he reached the opening... He had to shut his eyes... For the first time, sharp fresh air was stinging his lungs... Warm sun warming his skin... He was overwhelmed by all the scents and his senses tingled, giving him a pleasant moment. And just a moment it was...
For he had to keep on running... He could but squint for a while, until his eyes got accustomed to bright natural light... So many... Colors... The creature wiggled again, tucking in deeper into his chest... It was warm and grateful. In front of him he saw a big watery surface... It looked intimidating, hinting possibilities. Above him blue sky, white fluffy beings floating through it... He was worried they might drop on his head and crush him.
Ahead, few black figures were guarding something alike big half of a walnut shell. Walnut shell was floating on water surface... He took a deep breath and charged... Black figures took out their blades and got ready, firming their grips, and digging their feet into beach. Reflection of the sun on their curved edges was sinister. He will not remember how he bested them. Yet, bested them he did, like they were flies and he was a hurricane. He got scared when he jumped into the boat, which started to rock, he was sure it would tip over.... "Harrr... Harrr" He mumbled, calming down, and so did the boat... He grabbed paddles and started to row instinctively. It took him some time to get it right, so they stopped spinning in circles and started to move in a straight line away, away from the island with a smoking mountain in its middle...

They were just far enough from vengeful persecutors and their whistling arrows... One bolt did pass dangerously close to him... He laid on the boat's bottom, covering the creature with his body... Just as he did, the wind and the current got stronger, merged into one, and carried the boat away from the steamy isle, angry curses and missiles...

     As the boat was rocking, and the sea whispering... He fell asleep...
When he woke up, opening eyes battling against sleep, the sun was sinking into sea coloring the sky and the sea into beautiful shades of molted gold... It seemed as if somehow it merged the sea and the sky into one.... He was wishing so passionately it would come out of the sea again... The isle couldn't be seen...
Whatever it was that gave him so much strength, and made him so powerful, seemed gone...
He looked at his shaky hands, and as he recalled the events... He couldn't do anything else... But fall on his knees and cry, gratefully, looking to the melting sun, letting go of as much of his pain as he could...
Another tiny cry made him snap out of it... He crawled to the creature which was tucked into a blanket, and crying with a crumpled grimace... "Uh, Uh...." He scratched his head and looked around, thinking what to do... He had few cockroaches in his pocket, and he tried feeding it to the little one... Little one shook it's head, making sure a bug never goes into its mouth...
"Uh.... Uhhhhh...." Vrouch muttered again, feeling panic rising... He looked around the boat, though he knew the boat was empty... Instinctively he took the little one into his arms, and started to rock it... It was grabbing and scratching him, waving it's little strong arms, crying for food... He tried to sing... "Hhheeeehghh.... Feeeeeehggghhh heeeee!...." It made it cry even louder, to his surprise...
Eventually it did fall asleep, exhausted...
Vrouch returned it to it's spot and started to turn around watching the endless sea...
He tried not to let panic overwhelm him completely... So he started doing some rational things... He tried drinking water around him... At least they will not die of thirst... As soon as he sipped some, he started coughing and spit out what was left... The water.. Was salty!
He felt desperation... Yet he slapped himself few times, and regain composure...
He took of his dirty shirt, and started to wash it... As he left it floating tied up to the boat... When he returned to pick it up... He noticed some fishes shadows swimming under it, thinking it a cover... He needn't do anything else, but sink his shirt a bit, and pull out fishes... He bit one hard in its throat area and it stopped twitching... He poured some blood on baby's mouth... And it licked it's lips... Momentarily crying for more... He smiled... He gave it more, and with great care chewed meat, removing the bones, and giving the mash to baby...
After it fell asleep again, he ate like a beast... He didn't believe how hungry he was until he was stuffed...

He burped, pulled out a small ball of fabric from his bellybutton, sniffed it and threw it into the sea...
He laid down, resting his head on crossed fingers of his hands... Looking at the livid sky...
He wondered... Where will the sky and the sea take them... After a while, he curled next to his companion, warming it with his body heat... And got rocked to deep sleep... Just like a baby...