The Lord of Rot

What Konrad saw in front of him first looked to be the size of deer. They had protrusions on their heads which looked to be horns. Their hind legs were thicker than their front, which made them seem small and feeble. 

However, as he continued walking forward, half by his hunger, as the nature of man is to quench that hunger with whatever he sees in front of him. And half by curiosity, wondering if these walking things would be any different. 

The night was not cold. It was rather pleasant compared to the scorching day. However, it was still difficult to see further, even if the clarity had gotten better. 

In the distance he saw a few mounds, even further away he saw what looked to be mountains. Just ahead of them, there stood two beasts which looked to be no smaller than elephants. 

They had a thick outside, layers upon layers of fur. One of the beasts had two thick horns, first protruding outwards, then upwards. The ends of the horns did not seem sharp, but the blunt force of them seemed terrifying in itself.

Konrad would walk closer, although sneaking. He had not thought of the beasts, but he would guess they were more terrified of him, like most prey animals, and run away if they heard him.

The other one of the creatures stood a bit behind, and of its horns was gone. It hung from the root of the skull. 

Pelts lay upon the ground, and even if it was difficult to make out, Konrad could see the parts of fur missing on the beasts. 

It was as though the beasts before him were rotting. Some parts of them were falling out, even the most sturdy parts. Stranger even yet, the bone of the horns were falling apart as well.

'What kind of rot does that?' 

Konrad believed these creatures the be somewhat alike to the bisons. He had heard they made great meat, and wished to eat of them. 

But how would he do that?

He did not have any weaponry on him. The behemoths were twenty times his frail size. And even if he were to get close without them running away, he had no way to kill them. 

He had to retreat. 

Then one of the bisons would let out a strained weep. It sounded like any call of the wild, but the rotting vocals of the bison must have strained it, making it sound contorted. 

The sound was straight out a nightmare. Konrad would respond quickly to the noise, feeling that something was about to attack him. 

In instinct he would jump away, making a loud thud when he landed. 

The bisons would hear him. The one with both horns would begin to run away. Most likely fearing the night and what it could contain.

However, the one who was missing a horn? 

That one would charge right at him... 

*** 

First he would hear the growl of the rotting bison charging towards him. The beast leaning slightly to the side of the hanging horn, running slightly more towards that direction. 

What the bison had lost in losing its horn it made up with ferocity. The growl would become loud, it would become deafening. It was the shriek of an animal who had nothing to lose, who had been backed into the corner. 

However, this animal was not being hunted, it was not the prey. To Konrad, when he heard the wail, the doctrine of the Church Lords made far more sense. These beasts were no longer animals. They were accursed. 

In terror he ran. But what could a mere man do against a bison? Man who had weapons could do many things, tens and hundreds of men could do damage. But a single, lone man? 

He knew running was futile against beasts like that. He heard the thuds slowly approaching behind him. The growl slowly getting louder. 

He drew the knife from his pouch, hoping with all his might that the knife could do damage do the bison. That there was simply something unlucky with the previous encounter. 

Before he could even reach the bison had reached him. Knocking into him making him fall to the ground in pain. 

His body had already twisted to meet the impact, but there was nothing he could do against the beast. All he could hope for was for the beast to grow bored. 

Would such a ferocious creature grow bored of him? The growls continued. Konrad was not a threat, he could not have been. But why did the creature wail as though it was afraid. This could not make sense. 

Then Konrad would turn around on the ground, facing the beast. 

Its size was even more threatening now. Being on the ground made the skull of the rotting bison seem far larger. 

It walked closer, eventually he could feel the hanging horn touch his leg. It made him jolt. 

He would try to push himself backwards, but slowly the beast would walk closer and closer... 

The breath of the bison would collect in the growl, attempting to assert some dominance. The terrified Konrad would shake in fear. 

What was he supposed to do? 

He can't run. He can't fight. He can't stab it. He can't do anything. 

He felt utterly helpless. His mind wasn't to any help. It was the stress of the moment which made him unable to think a single thought...

The bison wailed again, and this time it charged towards him with its horn towards the ground.

The skull of the bison went by him, its body only a few feet above him. 

Out of instinct his left hand would jolt awake, trying to push the beast from him. 

His left hand would shatter from the impact, pushing inside the rotting bison with vehement force. 

Konrad would cover his face, praying to some deity to spare him. 

Then the beast above him, the rotting bison would stop in its place. It would begin to wail in an even worse and contorted tone. Moments later it would stop its wail, it would begin to deform. Above him it would feel like a mass of living flesh moving around the insides of the being.

Konrad would stop covering himself. Seeing the insides of the bison moving around inside it. He would see his arm dripping with blood, his hand entirely covered within the beast. 

He would feel the intense throbbing of his hand, the same intense and heavy feeling from before. Then the pain in his neck would continue, this time it would not stop. 

It was the worst imaginable pain, something he had not experienced before. Not even close. 

He would be pushed back by some force. The rotting bison would explode right from hand...