A moonlit night in Pangaea part 1

[Conrad Hawkwood]

and  another view from the  person playing Count Lutowski


    Re: On a moonlit night in Pangaea....

Postby Pz. Ferdinand on 26 Nov 2009 21:04
If I could be so bold, I would like to put forward the Major`s perspective of the final act of this stange tale.......

The Major`s story is taken up quite near the end........just after Kein-Namen was left with the good sergeant-major.

Lutowski was disturbed, this being something of an understatement but he was, for a Preussian officer, a fairly understated fellow. The mission entrusted to him by General Krankenschwester of the General Staff was to establish contact with the Countess and use his best offices to have her accompany him back to Headquarters.Why? It was never clearly stated.The questions that had plagued him such as 'why me to command this expedition?' and ' why was there no dragoon officer commanding the escort- only an NCO?' had been answered in part by the nasty litle Dalriadan Leutnant and that book he had been reading. He had felt bad ,for about 30 seconds, for letting the Corporal use his favourite methods of persuasion on an officer, but then he was only Freikorps, and a foreigner at that.
It was clear that this town was at war with itself and believed that it was threatened by vampires- of the Lutowski variety and that he was considered a part of that threat by the townspeople. At least this explained why he hadn`t been able to get decent conversation out of anyone apart from the sergeant- major since leaving the Wolf`s Head Tavern.
Lutowski wasn`t yet convinced about the whole vampire thing although barriers of disbelief weren`t quite what they used to be after the incident with the keep and those nasty spiders in the forest.
And why was Kein-Namen here? It seemed his intentions towards the Countess were quite different to his own- the damnable fellow had almost provoked an uprising with his brutish behaviour.
Anyway, something seemed about to happen but the Major did not know what it was going to be- very frustrating for a rigid staff officer who always liked things neat......orderly..........and PREDICTABLE!
When something did happen, it happened fast- almost too fast to make sense out of it.
One second Lutowski was on the terrace of the Mayor`s fortress-like house and wondering what Kein-namen`s men were doing in the square instead of being under lock and key, and the next he was confronted with a big angry looking wolf bounding up the staircase at him. Lutowski hadn`t been 3 times fencing champion of the Cartography Section of the General Staff for nothing but barely had time to whip out his sword before the beast was upon him. The wolf chewed on the Major`s left arm, rolled in his cloak but then howled as the tip of the sword penetrated his throat. The creature rolled off and a thrust through the heart finished him.
Lutowski looked out from the terrace and saw a scene of indescribable horror and chaos. All about the town his men were being assailed by wolves, some on all fours and horrors- some standing on two legs and looking human-like. Keinnamen and his men were formed up in the square, a skirmish line of dragoons were up at the bridge facing off against some unseen threat across the river, and the sergeant major was standing on a roof exhorting the men.
There was no time to take in more- Lutowski whirled just as a big bipedal wolf lunged at him from around the corner. It was wearing shreds of the dark red coat worn by Max, the mayor`s annoying manservant.........
With that realisation, the situation clicked into focus for Lutowski. Yes, these were werewolves, the town was cursed and perhaps even the Countess really was his 250 year old great grandmother (several generations removed) with a more sinister explanation for her longevity than just good genes and a miracle moisturiser.
These thoughts flashed through his mind as he battled Max, the nasty bipedal werewolf who was even more annoying as a wolf than he had been as a person.Their fight raged through what seemed an eternity but was probably no more than moments. Max was tough and the Major was hurting from his chewed upon left arm.Max lunged and sank his teeth in just as the deadly tip of Lutowski`s sword found its mark. The wolf started a howl that turned to a gurgle and then, he was no more but a bundle of old flea bitten fur.
However, Max had done his devil`s work! The Major felt himself weakening as his life blood poured out upon the dry-brushed grey cobble stones of the terrace.
He looked about for salvation- but was disappointed. Looking about he could see that about half of his dragoons were down and the terrified remnant were making a stand with Keinnamen`s men against something coming across the river- the vampires! There were wolves between him and the ragged line of soldiers in the square and he knew that he would never make that distance. Approaching him on the terrace was one of those civilians who, it would appear, were after all, vampire hunters. They`d already demonstrated they were no friends of his!
Lutowski could only see one way out of this- but it meant turning his back on everything he had always held dear- duty, his country, the maps of the Cartographical section of the General Staff, and that little barmaid at the White Horse Inn.
A surge of anger flowed through his body at the injustice of the situation- a mission that he could never have completed- a general staff that undermined him by imposing the weird Keinnamen on him- at least watching Archie being belted was fun.

Lutowski edged his way through an open doorway and shut it firmly behind him. He dragged himself through the house and then up the staircase of the tower, step by agonising step. He struggled with the trapdoor but finally pushed it open with his last failing strength.

Through the gloom he could see the Countess, her daughter and an army of retainers coming towards the bridge. There was some hold-up. One of the big cossacky fellows took a hit and this seemed to shake the others.

He raised one arm and weakly called out, " Countess.........Countess.........I am Lutowski......your kin.......please come to me........"

He then noticed the dour sergeant major still on the roof of his out house and directing fire against what Lutowski now regarded as his family- not good! "Sergeant- Major, in case you haven`t worked it out for yourself- you`re on your own!"

A reply boomed back to the effect of, "I don`t like Keinnamen and I`m not very happy with you, either!"

With that, a shadow passed between Lutowski and the night sky, blocking out the moons light. He had a sense of wings, a pale face with a cold smile. A voice that sounded both young and old said' " Welcome home Major........"

THE END