[Mithadan]

Gravlox reviewed his choices quietly as he stood by a fork in the labyrinthine halls of Moreghoul. The path to the right led to a stairway ascending higher into the tower. There were tacky cloth coverings and worse art adorning the walls and the floors were clean and free of dust from frequent use. The path to the left descended into the bowels of the fortress. Its walls were bare and grey and a layer of dust covered the cheap linoleum flooring.

Harkening to some remaining aspect of his inner Orcish nature, he took the way to the left. Pleasant clouds of dust billowed from the floor as he walked and cobwebs covered the corners -- very homey. He had descended several levels when he heard a sound coming from below. Drawing his blade, Gravlox proceeded grimly down the stairs. Reaching what appeared to be the lowest level, he found a long hall with closed doors wrought of heavy wood and steel on either side. The sound became clearer. Someone was...singing?


Oh, I yam Ornery the eighth I yam,
Ornery the eighth I yam, I yam.
I got married to the widder next door,
she's been married seven times before.
And every one was an Ornery,
The first and the middle and the last.
I'm the eighth old man, I'm the eighth I yam,
Ornery the eighth I yam.
Six million, seven hundred thousand twenty-fourth verse,
Same as the first..."

Gravlox's blood ran cold, even more so than usual. He knew the voice and the name. He ran down the hall until he discovered the door which hid the singer. It was locked. Gravlox searched the area until he found a key ring hanging from a peg. The Uruk fumbled among the keys until he discovered one which worked. The door swung open revealing a dank, dirty, foul, disgusting, slimey and poorly decorated cell. A figure lay crumpled on the floor, still chanting the uncanny tune.

Gravlox stepped into the cell. The figure coughed weakly and stopped singing. It rolled over to look at its visitor with bleary, sunken eyes. It was dressed in rags and its arms and legs were chained to the wall. On the floor, nearby but clearly just out of reach of the prisoner were bowls of rotten food and fouled water.

Gravlox took another step into the cell. "Dad?" he asked in astonishment.

The prisoner sat up as best he could. "Gravlox? Ah, boy, come in. Nice of you to visit your old Father. Its only been, what, twenty-five years? And not even a phone call? Not that I'm complaining, I'm sure you've been very busy."

Gravlox rushed over and cradled the frail figure in his arms. "Phones haven't been invented yet," he replied. "And we all thought you were dead. Killed as a traitor for not causing mayhem."

Ornery coughed again. "No. Not dead. Just old, malnourished and tortured. Not that I'm complaining. At least they gave me the room rent free. How's your Mother, boy?"

Tears ran from Gravlox's eyes. "She ran off with that evil wizard when I was five. Hemlock the Peach, I think it was."

The weary Orc looked up at his son. "That's no excuse for not staying in touch. You could at least have sent a card on Mother's Day. Come to think of it you could have sent me a card too. Would've been nice. Not that I'm complaining."

"We thought you were dead," repeated Gravlox.

"And how's that nice girl you married? What was her name? Razor?" continued the failing Uruk.

"Hazel," answered Gravlox. "We got a DivOrc. She was fooling around with Sourone."

"Never liked her anyway," said Ornery. "Beady little eyes set too close together if you ask me." He coughed again and closed his eyes. "Nice of you to visit son."

"I didn't know!" cried Gravlox. "I would have come for you. Helped you in your quest to be redeemed."

"Redeemed?" laughed Ornery, opening his eyes again. "Look what it got me. We can't be redeemed, not completely. Not in this life. Not when we begin so evil and do so many foul deeds. Too much to make up for. Too many debts to pay."

"But you tried," cried Gravlox. "At least you tried. I'm trying too."

"Son," said Ornery with a smile. "We're born foul and ugly and we die that way. You can't make an Elf out of an Orc. That's beyond our power to do. But we can try. That's all we can do. And maybe someday we'll be rewarded."

And with that, his head fell back and Ornery Uruk III's spirit fled this world. Gravlox cried long and hard. Eventually he stood and dashed the tears from his face. "You have not died for nothing!" he cried.

Then Gravlox, with a heavy heart, turned and made his way back up the steps...

[ April 01, 2003: Message edited by: Mithadan ]