Fate

Seven souls were lost that day. Well, lost to this world. No one really knows where they go once released from this mortal existence. Heaven? Hell? Somewhere else or nowhere? Who knows? I do not and I am not sure I care. Bottom line, I would like my soul to remain here, in this body and in this mortal realm for just as long as it can. Its not that I am afraid of where I would go, it's more a matter of a known evil being better than an unknown one. I know how to navigate this realm. I know what I am good at, took me years to find out and I would hate to have wasted all that time. There were years where I did nothing, just an infant with no ability and no desire except hunger and comfort. I would imagine that a change to some new existence would start much the same way, having to figure out how to do things, how to speak, how to be self-sufficient. I really don't want to have to go through all that again. Once was more than enough. I know I will have to some day, no one lives forever. At least not that I am aware of.
And that brings me to the loss of seven lives two days ago. We were on a fools errand anyway, but to do that with fools in charge was definitely a very bad idea. Eight of us entered the cavern complex, seasoned veterans all of us, even the idiot commander leading us. How he'd ever survived to lead a group of guild hired adventurers I will never know. We fought well together and the kobold guards at the entrance fell easily to our initial assault. Deeper into the complex we pushed, fire newts and more kobolds fell to our swords and arrows and our cleric did his duty in healing us. We barely needed that to this point, but better to advance healthy and hale then worry or die. We pressed on to our goal, the recovery of an ancient artifact rumored to be here, some sort of life altering, world changing God artifact uncovered by someone who just didn't know when to stop digging.
We came to the big cavern several hours after entering the complex and that's where our idiot commander made her biggest mistake. A big open cavern, with multiple openings to who knows what, no cover, not place to make a stand. But in we charged. I and others called for caution, told Grissela that we should stick to the walls, scout ahead, etc.. but the weakness of the adversaries we'd met and overcame so far emboldened Grissela and her dumber than rock lieutenant. They hadn't seemed that stupid when we started out, but it turns out they were.

The giant, cave dwelling worm blended in so well with the rocky floor that we had no idea it was there until we were upon it. Then the very floor rose up and attacked us! That would have been a fight likely resulting in most of us dying just by itself, but it soon became clear it was there as a guardian and was controlled by the ogres and yet another tribe of kobolds. I would say we fought well, but you would never know that as we went down one after another. I'm not ashamed to say it, but I ran after I watched the third member of our party crushed and then swallowed by the giant worm.
Down a random dark tunnel I ran, my goal to return to the surface and leave this place far behind. The reward for the artifact was significant, but as I said before, I like living and have no desire to become dead before I absolutely have to. Besides, no life, no reward regardless of how much it might be. I ran trying to always head up towards the surface, but had to avoid random kobolds and newts, parties of which appeared to be roaming the tunnels, perhaps looking for me, perhaps not, but I didn't stop to ask.

Eventually I came upon a chamber carved from the rock, lit by several floating magic orbs. In the middle of the room was a rough rock pedestal with a small golden statue on it. The statue was of some multi-armed creature with a square face and too many legs. It sat cross legged on what appeared to be a pillow with tassles at the corners, the whole thing appearing to be made of gold. Definitely something of worth. My attention was taken by the idol and I lost track of time for just a moment, or maybe more. I started out of my trance and glanced around the room, realizing I had moved right next to the pedestal and my hand was on the idol. It felt warm and soft under my hand. I picked it up and turned it so I could look it in the face.

"You have survived the barrier and touched that which is sacred. Your desire is clear to me and I will grant it to you so you may live to serve." The voice came from everywhere and nowhere all at once. Deep and sonorous as if it came from hundreds of voices at once. I watched fascinated as the golden idol seemed to melt and spread across my hand, up my arm and continued to spread until my body was coated in a thin layer of warm gold. My eyes began to see beyond this room, indeed beyond this very plane and into other planes. The golden skin melted into me and I was suddenly back in the little room with only one way in and out. I turned to see a group of kobolds pouring through the entry way, spears brandished, stabbing toward me. I gestured and they all turned to ash, exploding like clouds of spores from puff mushrooms kicked on a summer's day. The motes gathered and rush toward me and I felt myself suck them in, and they became a part of me. I felt the need to absorb more. Like a hunger forgotten until one smells cooking food.
My days now are filled with the seeking out of groups of thinking beings, drawing them to me and annihilating them so I can absorb what they once were. Memories from all of them fill my mind, they live on it me in a sort of pseudo-life, existing only because I do. Each time I feed, for what else could it be called, I grow stronger. More and more people come to seek my end, but I have no end now. I am forever. I am sealed in my fate and I will live until the end of time.