Cajole, Amiss, Bulwark

Cajole - to persuade with flattery or gentle urging especially in the face of reluctance
Amiss - If you say that something is amiss, you mean there is something wrong
Bulwark - a solid wall-like structure raised for defense


It was dark. Val was walking fast along the last meters of the North Bulwark. Half-destroyed, no longer in use, this section of the Bulwark was towering over a hundred of so houses leaning to its broad, two-mile side. Fifteen miles to the West, Val could discern two green lights on the edge of the next remaining section of the Bulwark – lights meant another town and green, everything was fine. If Val turned to the East, he probably would make out the shape of yet another section of the Bulwark. There were no lights. This settlement was gulped two years ago and no one dared to go there and see what remained.

It was chilly outside, though the bulk of the Bulwark protected the town from the nasty winds that raged beyond. Partially because of being cold and partially because Val wanted to get it over with as soon as possible he quickened his pace. Despite of a growling stomach and anticipation of a decent dinner tonight, Val began to feel that after all it was a bad idea to go. His brother cajoled him into this by promising to split the food even before feeding children: it meant that in the first time this year Val would eat enough. That was great, but talking to the worms was his brother's job, not Val's, brother's. It didn't matter that he broke a leg and could only wobble a little on the good leg – it was still his responsibility. 

Val reached the end of the wall and he found himself standing in front of the hole. Doing everything quickly before he would panic and ran, Val bent and began to crawl into a dark, narrow tunnel. He kept crawling in darkness – worms didn't like either sunlight or electric light and nobody dared to do anything that might upset a worm. He tried to keep his head as low as possible in fear of smashing it into some sharp edge of the tunnel. 

"Fifty meters," his brother told him, "fifty meters you need to crawl and there will be a cavern and it will be lit." In spite of his alertness, the disappearance of the floor of the tunnel was too sudden and Val fell out of the opening onto the stone floor of the cavern. It was dimly lit by the milky-white light streaming from the walls and ceiling: some sort of fluorescent plants perhaps. There was another way out of the cavern; a much larger opening filled with darkness was cutting through the opposite wall. It was separated from the chamber by a stone barrier that aroused half the height of the opening. The top of the barrier was flat and seemed to be polished by innumerous touches of hands or other limbs. 

Surprised by his own courage, Val took off his rucksack and slowly, trying not to make any extra noise, approached the barrier. When he put the rucksack down onto the flat stone, something clanged inside it; then Val backed away to the farthest wall of the cavern. He sat down, pulled his legs closer, rested his chin on his knees, and prepared to wait. 

They called them worms, but actually no one knew who or what they were. They looked like worms with long white slimy bodies creeping in their tunnels under destroyed cities. However, they had multiple legs or hands that looked more like that of an insect. They might be something else, though nobody could care less. It was impossible to grow food on the surface of the planet after the Blow and the only way to replenish supplies was to trade with worms: the last pieces of technology that men possessed for food. Worms probably managed to grow something under the ground.  No one actually knew what it was, for they saw food only after it was preparedl; the appointed man would go to the worms and bring back food that was to be cooked by chiefs of the community and distributed among its members.  

A low rustle caught Val's attention and he fixed his gaze upon the entrance of the second tunnel. A worm was coming. His brother told him that this kind of sound announces an approaching of a worm. Soon the light fell upon a ghostly-white skin of the worm and its six bulging eyes peered with inhuman intensity into the cavern. The vision of the white pulsing body and thick liquid slowly trickling down from it onto the floor was so revolting that immediately a feeling of nausea sprang up from Val's stomach and he hardly suppressed an urge to vomit. The worm, ignoring human’s presence, produced one articulated limb, picked up the bag and passed it somewhere behind and down the tunnel not even revising its content. 

With horror and an extreme feeling that something was very amiss Val watched as the worm, after dealing with the rucksack, started to squeeze its fat tail through the opening into the cavern. The part of the worm that was in the chamber was about three meters long when it stopped moving and Val was able to tear his gaze off it and look upon the face of the worm. He saw a pair of limbs with long and apparently sharp blades in them. They were gleaming in the semidarkness. A swift movement – the tail separated from the body and with a wet flop fell over the barrier. When startled Val stopped staring at the convulsing tail and looked into the tunnel, he saw nothing. The worm was gone; it left the food.

Morbid, Wasp, Scapegoat

Morbid - characterized by an abnormal and unhealthy interest in disturbing and unpleasant subjects
Wasp - an insect with wings and yellow and black stripes across its body. Wasps have a painful sting like a bee but do not produce honey
Scapegoat - to blame them publicly for something bad that has happened

Nestor, the old man, he had lived on the very edge of the village, his lopsided house seemed leaning to the ground seeking rest after a long working life. Even the owner, old Nestor, with years passing bore some resemblance to his dwelling. He was harmless – could not hurt a fly, was slouching all the time about his pitiful house. Though some villagers looked strange at him and scared their children with old man. He was a man of few words, true, but it didn't make him vicious or anything. I always greeted him passing by and though he never greeted me back, he always gave me some honey of his. Yes, he was a committed bee-keeper, had several hundreds of comb hives on his land. That was how he managed to live – by selling honey. And I would be lying if I say it wasn't superb quality. He treated me even though we weren't acquainted, and I guess he would benignly treat anyone who dared come closer. By and large, people were frightened by him; don't know why, but they really looked at his obsession about bees as if it was some morbid interest. No wonder they scapegoated him after several men and women in the village died from wasp stings. Those who died probably had an allergy on wasp poison or something, but anyhow villagers soon put the blame on the old chap. Poor bastards! They couldn't even distinguish a bee from a wasp, and old Nestor wouldn't speak for himself. Eight of them came at night with torches and lynched the old man, they hanged him right in front of his own house, and, as I heard, he didn't say a word. The next day when I saw a cheerful crowd and asked what was going on, I was told that the old dwarf was killed tonight and wouldn't make any trouble anymore. Immediately I went to sheriff and arranged buying the old man's apiary: Nestor was kind to me and I wanted to save his life's work from being demolished. I was too late though, the same night those blind earth worms burned the apiary as well as the house. I was out of luck. What has happened during the next months you can call bloody irony or, perhaps, justice, but these eight ignorant farmers, who wouldn't say which of their arms are left, all died from bee stings.

Pear-shaped

Pear-shaped - If a situation goes pear-shaped, bad things start happening

This is captain Wrang *radio noise* leaving, we are taking off this planet right now. Everything has gone pear-shaped here: buggers broke the perimeter *radio noise* now airborne. We don't have any anti-aircraft artillery stationed here and the buggers just flew over and attacked the research center. *radio noise* knew where to attack. Some of the survived eggheads are talking about some deliberate mutations *radio noise* all dead now. Estimated losses – 75% of the base personnel, 55% of the troops. *radio noise* evacuating men, leaving equipment behind *sound of a blast* Bastards!!! *sounds of shots, screams, radio noise, then silence*

Flinch, Nausea, Tormentor

Flinch - a small sudden movement, especially when something surprises you or hurts you
Nausea - a condition of feeling sick and the feeling that you are going to vomit
Tormentor - a person who deliberately causes them physical or mental pain

From the surrounding blur, fog, and rain a rough stone wall jumped out. Gurin flinched away avoiding crashing into a suddenly appeared obstacle: the sudden movement made live coals of pain in his head exploded into a firework of blinding lights. The feeling of nausea was unbearable and Gurin bent double supporting himself on the wall that so startled him. He threw up. Damp air drenched with the poignant smell of half-digested food and gastric juice made the man throw up again. He stood there heavily leaning onto the cold, wet stones; his body convulsively shaking, erupting fountains of stenchful greenish liquid; his eyes watering.

Nasty sounds ceased. Not having more strength to cling to the wall, Gurin slipped down into the pool of vomit and rainwater. 

He must go now, whatever the price, he must go. Or it will never end, the endless chase locked up in this forgotten city, a city so forgotten that even sunlight can't find its way there. 

Gurin lifted his head and looked down the alley, or what he thought was the alley. His vision restored now, the man saw with an icy touch of doom to his heart as an unmistakable figure come into sight out of darkness, blurred by streams of rain though with each step becoming clearer and clearer, his eternal tormentor – a man with a pyramid head.

Eeraden - a golden god

Eeraden, a golden god, was born and fell on the ground. The earth split and cracks started to wider. Crying and bleeding, Eeraden clumsily began to gather his legs and feet and stood for the first time in his life. He made his first step and fell flat on his face. Eeraden started to crawl. Then he raised himself on his hands and knees, and finally the god pushed the ground away and stood upright. He walked; and with each step his strength grew, a flow of energy entered his gleaming body, and desire to create blazed in his eyes. He ran. And each step was bigger than previous and each breath was deeper than previous. His bare feet met the ground with more and more force, and the earth shattered behind the running god. And the wind was screaming in his ears.

He ran fast, very fast, but not fast enough in comparison with everything around him. And Eeraden ran faster. 

Many years passed and Eeraden ran so fast that he outran light itself and vanished from the sight. But he still ran, and with every moment he ran even faster. Suddenly, the world around convulsed, shook, jerked and breaking its unimaginable stillness started to move, trying to balance as well an unimaginable speed of the golden god. Many more years have passed since then until the world acquired its present speed and Eeraden cease quickening his pace. But he still runs even now, invisible for all. He never stumbles and he had never felt, save for the first time when born. When Eeraden, the golden god, does it again – everything will end.

Robust, Palpitate, Mentor

Robust - Someone or something that is robust is very strong or healthy
Palpitate - If someone's heart palpitates, it beats very fast in an irregular way
Mentor - someone who gives them help and advice over a period of time

"You have great potential, but you cannot control your anger well enough, you cannot subjugate it," the mentor's voice was icy calm and almost reluctant. 

"I. Can." said a boy through clenched teeth slowly getting up from the dusty ground; tried to wipe out blood dripping from the corner of his mouth but managed only spreading red across his face; lifted eyes and looked his robust mentor in the eyes and repeated firmly – "I can."

"You can control your actions and won't let your anger take over you, but it is still inside you, burning like hell. I see it through your eyes. Your heart palpitates not because of anxiety of the fight, but because you are angry you aren't as strong and fast as you want to be; your hands are shaking because you want to tear my eyes off, for I'm stronger than you. Today and now you can control it, but it is part of you and someday it will kill you." and with final words the mentor hit the boy sending him yet to the ground again.

Genie

Genie - a spirit which appears and disappears by magic and obeys the person who controls it

The countdown reached a "zero" mark and everyone's breath froze in their lungs. Like a genie from a bottle a slender tongue of flame appeared from the stern nozzle of Conqueror. In a matter of seconds and with a roar of pure energy it grew into a full-sized fiery fury. Kept in place only be supporting towers in its launching bed, Conqueror started to tremble showing anxiety to escape. Supporting structures released their grip on the rocket; Conqueror, now supported only by its tail of flame, start creeping upward; faster and faster it went dragging a second, dirty-gray tail of smoke; with a fanatical howl of a freed from millennial imprisonment genie, Conqueror began its journey to the stars.