12-28-2015, 08:46 PM
With a flash, Solomon Grundy stumbled out of the portal. One huge hand clutched his head as the giant moaned, the rushing and swirling sensation disorienting him as he toppled forward on unsteady feet. "URGGHH.....GRUNDY FEEL SICK." He managed to wander over to one of the large stone pillars surrounding the gate and lean against it until the dizziness passed. It was an unpleasant feeling, one that Grundy had not felt before in such a capacity. Like getting smashed in the head over and over and over but without any of the pain. Just the nasty lurching pull in his lower torso and a sense of unsteadiness. Resting for a few moments, the unliving man opened his yellow, luminous eyes and almost immediately closed them again. The shining sun was brighter, brighter even than the whiteness of the void.
Once his eyes had adjusted to the light, Grundy looked across the rolling green fields and hills. Fertile, lush grass as far as he could see, carpeting idyllic pastures and fields . A beaten dirt path lead away from the portal, flanked by a river a few hundred feet away. It was as far away from Slaughter Swamp as you could possibly get, and Grundy wasn't sure how he felt about that. It was pretty and bright, but the chalk white zombie had grown used to the bubbling dankness and wet, muddy bog that had been his home and birthplace for so many years. With a shrug he began walking along the path, occasionally stopping to watch the grass blow in the light wind, a rabbit poke its head above the tall grass, or on one instance, a bee buzz around a cluster of wildflowers.
He bent down to watch."HELLO LITTLE STRIPEFLY. WILL YOU BE GRUNDY'S FRIEND?" Unsurprisingly threatened by the massive white face leaning in towards it, the bee ceased its pollinating efforts and landed on Grundy's wide nose. Stinging him in an attempt to drive the massive monster away, Grundy took no notice and apparently no pain, waiting for the bee to fly off of his face. He waved as it buzzed away indignantly and continued walking along the path towards whatever lay ahead of him.
-Some time later-
The scenery around the pathway had begun to change in the past twenty minutes as the dirt road got wider. The rolling hills and fields gave way to acres of farmland, dotted with thickets of wheat, corn, and even what looked like an orchard. It was all fenced off though, and Grundy figured he should probably just enjoy the view. Besides, although it was pretty, it was most likely just as boring inside the fence as it was back in his dirt fort in the Nexus. Then the undead hulk spotted a cluster of buildings just a way further down the path, and decided to investigate. Maybe he would find friends in the buildings! They certainly looked like people would live in them. Grundy veered off the path and headed towards the biggest building, situated slightly away from the others. It was painted red and had white trim around the doors and the siding. He stopped in front of the main door to find that it was barred with a long plank of wood across the two slats holding it together. As he tried to lift the bar, however, his thick fingers crushed most of the stopper and handle to splinters and the door swung open. Grundy shrugged and stepped inside the barn, calling out. "HELLO? GRUNDY COMING IN. NEW FRIENDS?"
The zombie stopped, blinking. He'd expected to find people or at the very least, living beings, but what he hadn't expected was what lay before him. This really was heaven! Large shanks of cured meat hung from the rafters, the dark red flesh marbled with thick chunks of fat and what looked like pepper dried into the skin. Barrels were stacked against the walls, their tops open and fresh crisp apples spilling over the wood. Huge yellow rounds of cheese, covered in wax, were stacked on shelves next to glass jars that had a rainbow of spiced fruits inside them. Near the back of the storehouse was an old bathtub hooked up to an odd contraption made of glass, copper, and twisty tubes. It smelled vaguely chemical but the delicious scent of the food held Grundy's attention much more raptly.
Grundy didn't actually need to eat, but he could still taste, and actually consuming food made him feel satisfied. Besides, this was Heaven! Maybe instead of having it appear in front of you, which would be boring after a while, you had to go and find the things you wanted. Like an adventure; that way it would never be boring! The zombie failed to grasp the irony of this thought as he pulled down one of the shanks of meat and tore into it with a ripping sound, a glazed and contented expression on his face as he chewed and swallowed. He reached over towards the shelves and grabbed one of the cheese rounds, eagerly devouring that as well. To finish he ate one of the jars of spiced fruit, glass and all. It was at this point, mouth full of peaches and glass shards, that he turned around to see a person staring at him from the doorway, frozen in fear.
The man was clutching a pitchfork and wearing simple clothing, a wide brimmed straw hat on his head to keep away the sun. A look of complete surprise, shock, and trepidation was on his features, and no wonder. A nine foot tall giant with chalk white skin and burning yellow eyes was happily devouring his family's food stores!
Grundy swallowed awkwardly and turned to face the farmer, who gripped his pitchfork tighter with a yelp.
"UHHH....HELLO. ME ARE SOLOMON GRUNDY."
They stood there for a few seconds. Once the farmer saw that Grundy was not going to reach out and bite his head off, his fear turned to anger and indignation. "What exactly do you think you're doing?! You can't just come in here and eat my family's food!! Get the heck out before I make you leave, you overgrown monster!"
Grundy was confused. He thought that the food was for everyone, like a treasure chest. Now, this man was saying it was his family's. As monstrous as he appeared, Grundy did have a few morals. He felt bad. Mumbled ashamedly, he tried to sidle out of the storehouse and apologize. "GRUNDY SORRY, FOOD MAN.....HE HUNGRY AND NOT KNOW."
The farmer crossed his arms and glared at the zombie as he stomped out of the storehouse. "You're damn lucky I don't report you to the Guard....ignorant Primes...think they own everything..."
Grundy stopped just as he got out of the building and thought for a minute. Maybe there was a way to make this right. He dug around in his pockets, searching for the large shiny ball God had given him. He didn't find it at first, but after a few moments of searching he discovered a marble sized lump of the material in his palm. Handing it to the farmer, who dropped his pitchfork and stared at the Omnilium, Grundy stomped away and continued on the path towards the capital.
- Two Hours Later -
Grundy had passed a lot more buildings on his trek to the Capital, although he hadn't made the mistake of interacting with anyone else, or breaking into any more buildings. Even so, travelers on the road gave him a wide berth, fearful glances, and nasty glares. One pair of armored guards had almost stopped him along the road, the younger of the two even aiming a crossbow at him, before being told to stand down by the elder. Grundy had shrugged and walked by. No one here was very friendly to him, and he felt that maybe he had gone the wrong direction from the Nexus. Over the crest of the next hill though, any and all dark musings on his journey were swept away by the sheer sight of Minas Tirith, the White City, Jewel of Camelot and Last Bastion of Good Thinking Folk.
"IT LOOK LIKE A CAKE." Grundy said aloud.
Turning away from the city in the distance, Grundy noticed a much more interesting sight. Another cake looking building, and this one was much closer, not to mentioned surrounded by all manner of colorful tents and booths. And more than a few people that also looked out of place, just like him! Maybe here was where he would find new friends. Grundy began trudging down the hill towards the Colosseum, and the fairgrounds surrounding it.
Before long, he arrived at the edge of the carnival. Marveling at the noise and sounds and colors, Grundy took a few minutes to stare at the people, listen to the barkers calls, and smell the aroma of food in the air, although that meat he'd poached earlier was still keeping him sated. Carefully, so as not to knock any people, tents, or fixtures over, he entered the carnival grounds and began wandering among the attractions....
Once his eyes had adjusted to the light, Grundy looked across the rolling green fields and hills. Fertile, lush grass as far as he could see, carpeting idyllic pastures and fields . A beaten dirt path lead away from the portal, flanked by a river a few hundred feet away. It was as far away from Slaughter Swamp as you could possibly get, and Grundy wasn't sure how he felt about that. It was pretty and bright, but the chalk white zombie had grown used to the bubbling dankness and wet, muddy bog that had been his home and birthplace for so many years. With a shrug he began walking along the path, occasionally stopping to watch the grass blow in the light wind, a rabbit poke its head above the tall grass, or on one instance, a bee buzz around a cluster of wildflowers.
He bent down to watch."HELLO LITTLE STRIPEFLY. WILL YOU BE GRUNDY'S FRIEND?" Unsurprisingly threatened by the massive white face leaning in towards it, the bee ceased its pollinating efforts and landed on Grundy's wide nose. Stinging him in an attempt to drive the massive monster away, Grundy took no notice and apparently no pain, waiting for the bee to fly off of his face. He waved as it buzzed away indignantly and continued walking along the path towards whatever lay ahead of him.
-Some time later-
The scenery around the pathway had begun to change in the past twenty minutes as the dirt road got wider. The rolling hills and fields gave way to acres of farmland, dotted with thickets of wheat, corn, and even what looked like an orchard. It was all fenced off though, and Grundy figured he should probably just enjoy the view. Besides, although it was pretty, it was most likely just as boring inside the fence as it was back in his dirt fort in the Nexus. Then the undead hulk spotted a cluster of buildings just a way further down the path, and decided to investigate. Maybe he would find friends in the buildings! They certainly looked like people would live in them. Grundy veered off the path and headed towards the biggest building, situated slightly away from the others. It was painted red and had white trim around the doors and the siding. He stopped in front of the main door to find that it was barred with a long plank of wood across the two slats holding it together. As he tried to lift the bar, however, his thick fingers crushed most of the stopper and handle to splinters and the door swung open. Grundy shrugged and stepped inside the barn, calling out. "HELLO? GRUNDY COMING IN. NEW FRIENDS?"
The zombie stopped, blinking. He'd expected to find people or at the very least, living beings, but what he hadn't expected was what lay before him. This really was heaven! Large shanks of cured meat hung from the rafters, the dark red flesh marbled with thick chunks of fat and what looked like pepper dried into the skin. Barrels were stacked against the walls, their tops open and fresh crisp apples spilling over the wood. Huge yellow rounds of cheese, covered in wax, were stacked on shelves next to glass jars that had a rainbow of spiced fruits inside them. Near the back of the storehouse was an old bathtub hooked up to an odd contraption made of glass, copper, and twisty tubes. It smelled vaguely chemical but the delicious scent of the food held Grundy's attention much more raptly.
Grundy didn't actually need to eat, but he could still taste, and actually consuming food made him feel satisfied. Besides, this was Heaven! Maybe instead of having it appear in front of you, which would be boring after a while, you had to go and find the things you wanted. Like an adventure; that way it would never be boring! The zombie failed to grasp the irony of this thought as he pulled down one of the shanks of meat and tore into it with a ripping sound, a glazed and contented expression on his face as he chewed and swallowed. He reached over towards the shelves and grabbed one of the cheese rounds, eagerly devouring that as well. To finish he ate one of the jars of spiced fruit, glass and all. It was at this point, mouth full of peaches and glass shards, that he turned around to see a person staring at him from the doorway, frozen in fear.
The man was clutching a pitchfork and wearing simple clothing, a wide brimmed straw hat on his head to keep away the sun. A look of complete surprise, shock, and trepidation was on his features, and no wonder. A nine foot tall giant with chalk white skin and burning yellow eyes was happily devouring his family's food stores!
Grundy swallowed awkwardly and turned to face the farmer, who gripped his pitchfork tighter with a yelp.
"UHHH....HELLO. ME ARE SOLOMON GRUNDY."
They stood there for a few seconds. Once the farmer saw that Grundy was not going to reach out and bite his head off, his fear turned to anger and indignation. "What exactly do you think you're doing?! You can't just come in here and eat my family's food!! Get the heck out before I make you leave, you overgrown monster!"
Grundy was confused. He thought that the food was for everyone, like a treasure chest. Now, this man was saying it was his family's. As monstrous as he appeared, Grundy did have a few morals. He felt bad. Mumbled ashamedly, he tried to sidle out of the storehouse and apologize. "GRUNDY SORRY, FOOD MAN.....HE HUNGRY AND NOT KNOW."
The farmer crossed his arms and glared at the zombie as he stomped out of the storehouse. "You're damn lucky I don't report you to the Guard....ignorant Primes...think they own everything..."
Grundy stopped just as he got out of the building and thought for a minute. Maybe there was a way to make this right. He dug around in his pockets, searching for the large shiny ball God had given him. He didn't find it at first, but after a few moments of searching he discovered a marble sized lump of the material in his palm. Handing it to the farmer, who dropped his pitchfork and stared at the Omnilium, Grundy stomped away and continued on the path towards the capital.
- Two Hours Later -
Grundy had passed a lot more buildings on his trek to the Capital, although he hadn't made the mistake of interacting with anyone else, or breaking into any more buildings. Even so, travelers on the road gave him a wide berth, fearful glances, and nasty glares. One pair of armored guards had almost stopped him along the road, the younger of the two even aiming a crossbow at him, before being told to stand down by the elder. Grundy had shrugged and walked by. No one here was very friendly to him, and he felt that maybe he had gone the wrong direction from the Nexus. Over the crest of the next hill though, any and all dark musings on his journey were swept away by the sheer sight of Minas Tirith, the White City, Jewel of Camelot and Last Bastion of Good Thinking Folk.
"IT LOOK LIKE A CAKE." Grundy said aloud.
Turning away from the city in the distance, Grundy noticed a much more interesting sight. Another cake looking building, and this one was much closer, not to mentioned surrounded by all manner of colorful tents and booths. And more than a few people that also looked out of place, just like him! Maybe here was where he would find new friends. Grundy began trudging down the hill towards the Colosseum, and the fairgrounds surrounding it.
Before long, he arrived at the edge of the carnival. Marveling at the noise and sounds and colors, Grundy took a few minutes to stare at the people, listen to the barkers calls, and smell the aroma of food in the air, although that meat he'd poached earlier was still keeping him sated. Carefully, so as not to knock any people, tents, or fixtures over, he entered the carnival grounds and began wandering among the attractions....
“I don’t wanna be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me.”