“I still don’t understand why we didn’t fight those crazy humans,” Kang Razorfrost complained from within the wagon. “And you, Wise Old Man,” he continued turning to Orecius, “why didn’t you burn the village when the Brave Knight told you to?”
Orecius sighed. “Those poor souls had an affliction. Something similar had happened to Lord Andrion here, and yet he recovered. I believe in redemption and would not kill an entire village just like that.”
“Bah! Back in my village,” Kang retorted, “we kill sick animals.”
The companions were making their way towards Tower Omniscient; Orecius Loreweaver’s domain. As they moved through the crater-laden landscape, it was fast becoming apparent that whatever unearthly and unholy corruption the meteor shards held, it was spreading. It was as if the shards had sprout tendrils much like the roots of a tree and were worming themselves deeper into the soil. The soil itself was a disgusting sight; it had turned a grey color and its shape was made to resemble wrinkled skin. Even more disturbing was the strange slimy goo—which Vass couldn’t help but note that it looked like pus—that covered many parts of the ground, particularly near the small craters. The Warp was taking root in Havnor and everyone knew how serious this was, though none dared to say it out loud.
“Draracle, lookout!” Rasvahn suddenly warned.
Ahead of the wagon, Andrion, Orecius, and Vass rode in formation. Rasvahn’s warning had not come in time as the three riders’ horses tripped on a rope that was strung as a trap. The horses toppled, and so did their riders.
Then, from the bushes and trees that covered the sides of the old road, seven short, cloaked, hooded, and stocky humanoids emerged. They wore strange bladed bracers. These odd contraptions came with both a wrist-blade and a second, longer blade protruding from the elbow. In addition, a small crossbow was attached on the top of each bracer, which the odd looking enemies immediately used.
Kang Razorfrost roared as he jumped off the wagon, just as Rasvahn was stopping it (and just in time, an inch closer and the horses that pulled it would trample the fallen riders). Arrows whizzed by his ear but the jiax drew his fullblade from his back and fearlessly took the offensive. His swing missed as the creature—a odd looking dwarf as he came to realize—swiftly evaded with what Kang would describe as superhuman reflexes.
There’s something you should know about the jiax mercenary called Kang Razorfrost. He gets angry. Yes, there are warriors who can enter a berserker state to fight even more fiercely, but the term ‘berserker’ would be too tame to describe Kang’s bouts of fury. Kang was a barbarian in tune with the primal spirits. When he gets angry, it’s not just him who becomes enraged. An inhuman spirit—every bit as furious as the jiax—quite literally possesses him, giving him supernatural powers ordinary warriors could only hope to match. The jiax was still, nominally in control. Which is to say he could barely contain himself.
And that’s exactly what Kang did the moment his enemy dodged his attack. He got angry. A panther’s roar was sounded though none could discern its origin. Kang’s eyes flashed red, his veins bulged, and the dwarf before him could swear his saw a spectral panther appear out of nowhere and leap within Kang. It was also the last thing he saw; Kang’s next swing—more a blur than a swing—cleaved him in half in a fountain of blood.
Orecius was on the ground, but unharmed. Noticing two hooded dwarves coming for him, the wizard rolled away and hastily got up. Just as the dwarves were ready to strike, Orecius slammed his staff on the ground while yelling strange words. A red shroud emerged from the mage’s staff and enveloped the dwarves. Their clothing burst into flames and the stocky men screamed in terror and pain.
Rasvahn drew his own blade, a wave-edge shaped greatsword, and quickly took a step back, stepping within Bangor’s shadow. The revenenant literally fell into the shadow and disappeared, only to emerge from Orecius’ shadow, much to the latter’s surprise. With a quick trust, Rasvahn struck one of the two dwarves that threatened Orecius. Just as Rasvahn’s flammard blade drew blood, Orecius’ own shadow, as well as Rasvahn and the other dwarf’s shadows rose and struck with clawed hands as the hapless dwarf. Needless to say, the dwarf died without knowing what hit him.
A ghostly wolf appeared out of nowhere next to the surviving assailant that was on fire. This was the spirit companion of Bangor Winterhowl. Through his shamanistic link, Bangor made the wolf bite at the dwarf’s throat. The dwarf fell dead with a half his neck torn.
Meanwhile two dwarves had flanked the fallen Draracle and were desperately trying to kill him. The paladin had managed to pull his shield. His skill with it and his heavy plate armor protected him from most of their attacks but he was injured—injuries which he healed using the power of his prayers.
Next to him, Andrion got up as soon as he could. The dwarves would strike him, were they not covered in a nimbus of holy light, the result of Vass’ own magic. The moment the dwarves tried to deal with Andrion, the light that had covered their bodies seared their flesh while an unearthly feeling urged them to strike the paladin to the exclusion of anyone else.
Andrion knew his comrade was using the cornerstone of a paladin’s magical training, the so-called Divine Challenge, to keep the attention of their enemies on him and away from his comrades. He did not let that go to waste. Getting up, he raised his gigantic hammer and extended an arm to the paladin. A mystical rune appeared before Vass, and his remaining injuries disappeared. Then with a mighty swing, Andrion crushed one of the assailants’ skull.
The remaining dwarf retreated and Vass got the opportunity to get up. And then a feeling of unease overwhelmed the hooded enemy. Up until that moment, the paladin had not even unsheathed his blade. Until that moment. Vass raised his ancestral sword to the sky. “Karnas Radamar!” he yelled and in recognition to the old command, the blade burst into light, a light the dwarf knew would be his doom. “Tir!” Vass prayed. “My blood for your might!”
The paladin’s body was covered by a red aura that caused him pain. The aura almost immediately left him and covered his radiant sword. Vass then rushed towards the dwarf and struck a blow at the dwarf’s shoulder. The slash was so ferocious that the dwarf almost exploded to pieces as the Sword of Volaran struck the ground, cracking the old stone-paved road.
There were only two dwarves left, and both were cornered by Kang. As the raging barbarian did a short work on one of them, the other saw an opening. Turning into what looked like a flaming shadow, the dwarf ran through Kang, Vass, Andrion, and almost Orecius as well, who only at the last moment ducked away along with Isabella who had joined him by that point.
The dwarf then ran with a speed the companions had never seen a dwarf run before.
“Where are you going, you coward?!” Kang roared and went after him—his own speed matching that of a racing horse.
Vass ran towards the fleeing horses, while Rasvahn got back up the wagon and started to turn it around in order to pursue the fleeing assailant.
Andrion and Orecius hopped on the wagon, while Isabella was left behind now that it was safe.
The wagon sped after Kang who was way ahead by that point.
The chase went on for a few seconds but the barbarian (and the cart behind him) was quickly gaining ground. Finally, the mercenary leaped ahead of the dwarf and swung his blade at him, striking him at his left shoulder. The dwarf hissed and backed off, simultaneously throwing a vial at the incoming wagon.
As the vial hit the cart, noxious fumes were released.
“Rasvahn stop the wagon, everyone get off!” Vass yelled as he just approached the area on his own horse. Something in the commanding tone in the paladin’s voice had a profoundly motivational effect on everyone who promptly did as he said.
The knight sped off towards the dwarf who had changed course and was running towards the wood in an attempt to evade his pursuers—with Kang on his tail.
Vass got to the fleeing dwarf first and thrust his blade at him. The blade did not draw blood, but a strange sort of force held the dwarf in place.
“I want him alive!” Vass said at the incoming Kang who struck at the dwarf with such ferocity that suggested he did not heed the knight’s request.
The dwarf’s feet did not listen, but his arms did. He flayed his wrist-blade wildly trying to hit Vass and Kang. The latter simply dodged while Vass casually used his shield to protect not him, but his horse. Ultimately, the dwarf’s panicked rampage was ended by Andrion’s mordenkrad. The runepriest carefully struck the enemy at the chest, knocking him out cold.
“There,” Andrion said. “He’s alive.”
Vass surveyed his comrades. “Good job, everyone. Now let’s see what this one knows…”
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