Call of the Beast

"Strange." thought Fred. "Pity... why do I feel pity? Aargh! Enough. I am here on a mission."

He turned to the Dragon, who stared at him arrogantly. "I've faced your kind before." the Dragon said. "Each time the results were messy... and entirely unappetizing. None of my cookbooks contain even one remotely edible Shoggoth recipe. Truly, your kind would have a hundred times more value to the Universe if not for this."

"Fool." Fred said. "Shut your crooked yap. I shall kill you slowly and painfully, extracting torment unimaginable from every nerve in your body. The list of complaints against you is long, Dragon - not that it matters. Suffice it to say that the world wants you dead - and I shall be the instrument of your destruction."

"Then let's begin." the Dragon sneered - insofar as it could sneer, curving it's upper lip to reveal row upon row of glistening razor sharp teeth. With a sound like a steam engine hissing he opened his maw and spat a globe of molten lava toward Fred.

"Not bad." said Fred, stepping aside in time, watching the lava burn a hole in the floor of the cavern. "You're one of the Greater Dragons of Flame, aren't you? Then let's see it!"

The Dragon answered with a mighty jet of flame that strafed across the cavern in every direction, combusting precious gold and jewels that lay strewn about. Fred laughed, levitating into the air above the inferno. The dragon spewed flame directly at him, and again Fred dodged in mid-air, soaring sideways and drawing his sword. The flames were reflected in it's gleaming blade, which quivered with anticipation. The King had armed Fred well - for this was Dragonslayer itself, forged in the infernal pits of Helgedad by the inmates of an insane asylum. That look of fear again crossed the Dragon's eyes, and Fred lunged in the kill, sheathing the length of the Dragonslayer in the Dragon's scaly neck.

The dragon let loose a sonic burst of a roar of pain, which shook the expanse of the cavern and made rocks tumble down. It thrashed like a wounded marmoset, so much that Fred lost his grip on the Dragonslayer and was flung violently through the air against a cavewall.

"You will pay for that!" the Dragon shrieked, and released a gout of flame against that wall, in which Fred was temporarily embedded. Fred barely had time to construct an ice barrier, but it held firmly and Fred smirked.

"Really, is that the best you can do?" he screamed and teleported behind the Dragon's back. "I haven't showed you even a fraction of my power yet!"

He chanted the ancient words of the Shoggoth Energy Blast, and a roaring ionic beam arched through the air, striking the Dragon in the back of the head. The Dragon's massive eyes went blank, and it slowly, agonizingly toppled to the ground.

"Hmmph." said Fred, landing next to the Dragon's vacant facial expression. "That was too easy. Get up and fight! Show me your true power!"

Dark blood spewed from the Dragon's neck, where the Dragonslayer had stuck. Fred sighed. Another day, another dead Dragon.

A wind gibbering maniacal heresies marked the arrival of the One Shoggoth. "Splendid." it said, it's pores still leaking and oozing. "You have done well indeed, Shoggoth. Now, a dark age begins that shall eclipse the world in an eternity of terror and suffering!"

"What do you mean?" Fred asked, confused. "Aren't we going to destroy the pathetic humans at once to prepare the way for a Shoggoth utopia?"

"Destroy the humans? Preposterous!" said the One Shoggoth. "They will make splendid slaves, slaves to fuel the might of my Empire. Now, countless dimensions shall bow to my power, and even the Gods themselves tremble before my presence!"

"Your Empire? Your power?" Fred said. "I think not, my pink pal. We still haven't heard the Fifth Shoggoth's line on this."

"The Fifth Shoggoth? He is no longer neccesary. And..." the One Shoggoth added menacingly, neither will you be if you don't fall into line."

1. Fred and the One Shoggoth get into a doctrinal brawl. More blood and gore ensues.
2. Fred shuts up - at least for now...

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