Events of the 5th of Malachite.Captain Ironblood stood in the arena by himself. He was heavily armoured, wearing the best armour he had ever worn in his considerably violent life.
He looked up at the warriors standing above him. Only Adalore had shown up so far, with Vanon and Scorpios at his side. Adalore sat quietly, while the other two looked on in interest.
"Let us begin," said the Captain, his voice projecting an echo around the arena, "with the much maligned goblin thieves we have in captivity. Please note the weak points I target as I neutralize them."
"Bring out the first one!" he shouted.
At this a commotion began.
"IT'S FREE! LOOK OUT!" were the cries.
Adalore was standing and moving towards the entrance in a moment, Scorpios and Vanon at his side.
They opened the door to find Ral Paddlepainted fleeing down the hallway, and Toralnil the Hammerer smashing a goblin into a bloody pulp.
"More." said the Hammerer, simply, and entered the goblin holding pen.
Screams erupted as the Hammerer set to work, punishing the goblins for their misbehaviours.
Ironblood started moving towards the pens, slowed by the requirement that somebody let him out of the arena.
What greeted his eyes were three goblin corpses at the entrance.
He entered a room of carnage. All but two goblins were dead, their bodies shattered by the powerful hammer of Toralnil. The remaining goblins screeched in blind terror.
The Hammerer herself stood there, a crazed look in her eyes.
"Ironblood" she said, her voice gravelly all of a sudden.
Blood dripped off of her hammer, an image of dwarves speaking with other dwarves was highlighted by the blood.
"Toralnil." replied the Captain. "Explain yourself."
"I need explain nothing Ironblood. I have put down these cowardly dogs who would rather serve your purposes than die free, as goblins should."
"What the hell are you talking about, Hammerer?" spat the Captain, angrily.
"Talk!? NO MORE WORDS, IRONBLOOD!" she screamed, hurling herself at him.
Ironblood dodged quickly, slicing at the Hammerer's arm, cutting it badly.
The Hammerer barreled into him, knocking him back against the wall behind him.
Ironblood couldn't help but notice the Hammerer's torn flesh healing before his very eyes.
"By the gods!" he whispered to himself, as he tried to dodge the next blow.
Too late! He was struck in his right shoulder, and he could feel the bones breaking, even behind this excellent armour.
With a cry of pain, numbness shot down his arm, and he dropped his axe.
It wasn't his only weapon however, and he pulled an item from his back.
It was Kal Berim, the artifact gabbro cabinet he had carried with him for all these years.
The first bash with this fabled object broke the Hammerer's left upper arm, and sent her sprawling onto her face.
Ironblood brought it down again, smashing Toralnil in the back as she lay there.
"Lets see you heal from this!" he shouted.
The Hammerer did indeed gasp in pain as the cabinet smashed into her.
And yet, even after this, she stood up.
"STAY DOWN!" shouted the Captain, stepping forward and bringing down Kal Berim onto the Hammerer's left arm again, and knocking her to the ground once more.
As if to emphasize his point, he brought it down to crush her left leg.
Toralnil screamed out in fury and pain, and brought up her hammer to strike his head.
Ironblood thanked his lucky stars that he was wearing a helmet that day, as the clang threatened to deafen him, but otherwise did little. For a split second he made a note to thank its forger personally.
It seemed that the Captain was besting this creature he had once regarded as a fellow citizen. Although he could see the scrapes and cuts the Hammerer was suffering were healing quickly, the sickening crunches from inside the Hammerer suggested that the bludgeoning damage being inflicted was not so easily healed.
Suddenly Toralnil made a violent sweep with her hammer, forcing Ironblood to leap back, lest he be struck in a serious fashion.
The maneuvere was costly to Toralnil, however, leaving a wide opening that Ironblood quickly utilized.
He stepped forward, bringing down Kal Berim upon Toralnil's right knee, shattering it.
Striking again, while the Hammerer was disoriented by the pain, which was all too momentary an effect, he broke her right elbow, forcing her to drop the long-feared hammer.
And yet, Toralnil was persistent to the point of madness, which, it seemed to the Captain, was a suitable observation.
With her fist, she swung at him, once more, trying to slay this hated dwarf.
Ironblood kicked aside her arm, and brought up Kal Berim, smashing her bowels into ruin, and sending her flying across the room.
She was still barely alive, though not for long.
Ironblood walked over to her.
"Why?" he demanded.
"Ironblood..." she wheezed back, ignoring his question, "so... strong."
They were the last words she would utter in life.
As the adrenaline wore off, the Captain felt his wound more keenly, and clutched his shoulder.
"I need some answers." he said to himself, "I think I need to have a chat with the Baron."
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Topic: Nist Akath - The Complete Story (Read 603395 times)