경악의 악마

우리는 아무것도 볼 수 없는 어둠 속에서 놈들의 비명을 들었습니다. 예전에 남작령에 있는 숙부의 농장에서 일했을 적에 한 송아지가 협곡에서 떨어져 다리가 부러진 일이 있었습니다. 도움을 요청했어야 했지만, 그때의 저는 혼자서 송아지를 안전하게 끌어 올릴 수 있을 거라고 생각했습니다. 하지만 제게는 그럴 만큼의 힘이 없었고, 끌어올리려고 할 때마다 그 다리는... 그때의 송아지의 울음소리는 지금도 잊을 수 없습니다. 그때 제가 들었던 소리가 바로 그곳에서 들었던 소리입니다. 마치 그 송아지가 제 다리를 똑같이, 천천히 고통스럽게 잡아 뜯기 위해 다가오는 듯한 그런 느낌이었습니다.

하지만 그거 아십니까? 우리는 모두 각자 다른 소리를 들었습니다. 한 병사가 말하길, 그가 들은 소리는 오스타가에서 마주쳤던 "비명 괴물"이라는 어둠의 피조물이 내는 소리였다고 했습니다. 또 다른 병사는 그의 가족을 태워 죽인 짐승이 냈던 용의 포효라고 했습니다. 그때야 깨달았습니다. 저 바깥에 있는 것이 악마라는 것을. 악마는 단순히 우리에게 겁을 주려는 게 아니었습니다. 놈은 우리가 공포에 질려 횡설수설하기를, 살기 위해 필사적으로 도망치기를 원했습니다.

그렇게 우리는 도망쳤습니다. 놈이 어떻게 생겼는지는 정확히 말씀드릴 수 없습니다. 그림자 속에 무언가 있는 것을 보고 각오를 다졌지만, 놈이 포효를 내지르는 동시에 우리는 이미 자기도 모르게 뒤돌아 달리고 있었습니다. 저는 창자가 녹아내릴 만큼 공포를 느꼈고 손에서 검을 떨어트린 채 정신없이 달아났습니다. 그리고 나중에야 제가 다른 사람들과 떨어졌다는 것과 더 많은 악마가 저 밖에서 제 공포 가득한 눈물을 탐하고 있음을 깨달았습니다.

—용의 시대 9:15년, 페렐던 군의 병사인 하렌이 제공한 보고서에서

 

We heard their screams from miles away, out in the darkness where we couldn't see anything. Once, back when I worked on my uncle's farmhold in the Bannorn, there was a calf that fell into a gulch and broke its leg. I should have run for help, but I thought I could drag it back to safety on my own. I wasn't strong enough, however, and each time I tried to pull, its leg... that calf's screaming haunts me to this day, and that's what I heard out there. Like that calf was coming for me, come to rip off my leg ever so slowly so I knew what it felt like.

 

But we all heard something different, you see? One of the others said he'd run into darkspawn at Ostagar, and the scream he heard was from something called a "shriek." Another said it was a dragon roar, just like the beast that burned his family. That's when I knew what was out there was a demon. Something that wasn't just looking to make us afraid—It wanted us gibbering in terror. It wanted us running for our lives.

 

And we did. I couldn't rightly tell you what it even looked like. There was something in the shadows, and even though we were ready when it let out that howl, I turned and ran. I couldn't even control myself. My bowels turned to water, I dropped my sword, and I took off. It was only later when I realized I was separated from the others, and that there were more of those demons out there, hungry for more of my panicked tears.

 

—From a report given by Haren, soldier of the Fereldan army, 9:15 Dragon