Steel and Fangs

by Sami Dougish

  Brazkin was still talking as he gloated about trapping me, “You took longer in there then I had expected, and I was worried the Thuum guards would leave, but thankfully, Adarossa got word to me that you were on the move. Adarossa, and Primus were waiting outside when you left Orizmad’s hideout. They agreed to track you while, I stayed with the patrols on the main roads, to try and cut you off. They finally caught up with you and that infernal spiteclaw of yours, an hour ago, and instead of risking an attack on you while you slept, Adarossa made her way to the main road, and found us easily enough. It pays well to have one with Adarossa knowledge of moving through forests quickly. It’s a shame your beast seems to have left you, it would have been satisfying to kill that hell spawn as well, but seeing you dead will be more than enough to satisfy me.”

  I gritted my teeth in anger. I had been a fool. I should have considered that someone might follow me, and for that mistake, I might just lose my life. I was out of ideas, and I figured I would just have to take my chance and make a run for it. Hopefully, I wouldn’t end up with an arrow in my back. I prepared myself to spring from the cover of the tree when my sensitive ears picked up sounds from behind me. I whipped my head around, and listened closely. A few seconds later the sounds grew louder, and to my dread, it was the sound of armor jingling as men marched through the forest.

  Brazkin cackled again, and called out, “I am no fool lizard, I saw what you did at the garrison. Despite the fact that you are a primitive creature, you have an incredible affinity for killing. You think I would only take twenty men to kill you? No, while Adarossa and Primus tracked you, several horsemen in the patrol I met, rode ahead to a border garrison not far from here, and requested reinforcements. You are surrounded lizard! There are over one hundred soldiers surrounding you. You have no chance of escape!

  As if to reinforce his words, the approaching soldiers grew louder and louder as they grew closer. Despite the fact that I was surrounded, and was most likely about to die, the panic, that had been growing in my chest immediately vanished. It was replaced swept aside by the boiling anger rising in my breast. The animal that fought for dominance in my soul was suppressing my rational mind, and I was close to losing myself to the madness.

  Raskorian growled, “If this is to be the end vessel, we will not die cowering behind this tree like prey. You are an arena champion who survived years of enslavement! You hold my soul, I who once made kingdoms fall before me, and forced emperors to soil themselves in fear! If we are to finally die, it will be covered in our enemies’ blood, and reveling in the madness of a slaughter that will be spoken of in horrified whispers for years to come!”

  His words were what finally pushed me over the edge. My vision turned red, and I stood up from behind the, preparing to throw myself into the line of archers, when a blood chilling roar seemed to shake the ground. My heart swelled at the sound; it was Scourge! I looked around the tree, and saw all of the archers, whip their heads around, looks of fear replacing the once confident expressions they had worn.

  Scourge had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, and was now steps away from smashing into the line of archers. Now was my chance! I reached back, and ripped the arrow out of my shoulder. The newly enforced scales, paired with the armor, kept the arrow from going too deep, and it came out relatively easily. I was too enraged to feel the pain from the wound anyways. In answer to Scourge’s roar, I darted out from behind the tree, and bellowed out my own animalistic roar, and hefted my naginata and charged at the group in front of me. I heard shouts from behind, and I knew that the other soldiers that had surrounded me would reach me soon enough, but I would kill as many of these bastards as I could first.

  Scourge smashed into the lightly armed archers, and immediately began lashing out with his claws, teeth and tail. Men screamed as their stomachs were ripped open, and their warm innards spilled out onto the forest floor. His tail lashed left and right, as Scourge spun around in a deadly whirlwind. The spikes on his tail flexed, and as the muscular tail whipped around, men screamed as the tail broke shin bones, and crushed thighs as it continued its deadly arc. Within seconds of Scourge tearing into the lightly armored archers, five were dead, and the rest were laying on the grounds mangled in a number of ways.

  That was when I entered the fight. I raised the crossbow in one hand and pulled the trigger. I had no experience aiming the thing, but at this close range it was hard to miss. The bolt shot forward as the tense string propelled the bolt forward. It punched straight through the nearest soldier’s helmet, and he went down without a sound. I roared my approval, as Raskorian pulled the blood in a torrent towards me. I dropped the now useless crossbow, and swung the Naginata in a wide arc, and the blade made a satisfying hiss as it cut through the air. The blade sliced right through a man’s neck, and the blood fountained out of his arteries as his lifeless head fell to the forest floor. Where there had once stood a cohesive formation, now stood a jumble of confused and scared men, as they had a spiteclaw and a drayzraac tearing into them simultaneously.

  I turned and saw both Adarossa, and Primus bearing down on me, their perspective weapons in hand. Brazkin apparently was too close to us to risk using any magic for fear of hitting his allies thankfully. While Scourge dealt with the remain soldiers nearby, I faced the two humans, and licked a few drops of blood off of my front lip before bellowing at them and charging forth. Primus still wielded the short spear, while Adarossa held her shield and axe. The speed and ferocity of my charge seemed to have caught them both off balance, and Adarossa not having time to make an attack, instinctively raised her shield in preparation for an attack. She wasn’t disappointed. I hurled the Naginata directly at Primus who yelled in alarm and leapt back to avoid the projectile. His movement back gave me the space and time I needed to slam my shoulder straight into Adarossa’s shield. She hadn’t expected the full body charge I hit her with. No matter how well braced, her medium sized shield was no match for the force behind my charge. I felt a satisfying give, as her arm was crushed between her body and the shield, and she screamed as her arm holding the shield broke under the pressure. She was launched back and landed in a heap near Brazkin.

  I roared in exaltation at the attack but spun around immediately afterwards to deal with Primus. The man in question was looking at the crumpled form of Adarossa who was now moaning on the ground as she clutched at her ruined arm. I didn’t give him any time to think though, as I drew my hammer and mace, and charged the man. He hastily brought his spear up with the intention of keeping me at a distance, but he was too slow, I batted the spear aside with my mace, and swung the hammer in a swift arc, until the head collided with his breastplate.

  Unfortunately, the chest plate seemed to have been well made, as even though it dented and Primus fell back with a gasp, he was still alive. Furious that he wasn’t dead yet, I rushed in to finish the kill, when I heard a shout from my right, and I whipped around to meet whatever enemy was charging me. What I saw should have frightened me, but at this point I was too far gone, lost to my animal like blood lust. Charging at me was yet another group of Thuum soldiers, and they were almost right on top of me.

  I met their charge with my own, and swung madly at any living thing in reach, unfortunately, their numbers were telling, and soon enough, several well-timed jabs with spears and swords managed to get past my guard, and stab past my armor. I felt quick flashes of pain, as one spear punched straight into my side, just past my scales, and into soft flesh. I roared in pain and swung my hammer violently at the man holding the spear. I managed to crush his skull with the blow, but still the damage was done.

  The spear hadn’t pierced deep enough to be instantly fatal, but it would kill me if it kept bleeding. Angrily I ripped the weapon out, only to take yet another hit from another Thuum solider who brought a sword strike down, slicing into my shoulder. Thankfully, my armor and scales stopped most of the blow, but it still hurt. I lashed out but missed him, the man jumped back away from me, and I meant to chase after him, but
instead I felt a sharp pain as yet another arrow stabbed me in the back, I turned around and hissed, as I looked for the offending archer. When I spun around though, I realized I was now completely surrounded. Men on all sides, in tight formations leveling spears and swords at me. I was trapped. Of to my right, Scourge was still fighting, but he was taking numerous wounds too, and I saw blood flowing down his flanks.

  Angrily I hissed at the men around me and tried to move forward to push through to Scourge. I didn’t make it more than a few steps before I felt excruciating pain, as what I took to be a spear head was jabbed in the back of my leg. unfortunately, that was where my armor was light, as well as my scales. The spear point punched through the back of my leg, passing clean through to the front of my thigh.

  I howled in pain and collapsed to one knee. The pain was terrible, and the man holding the spear gave the weapon a vicious twist before pulling the weapon back out. Despite my mind and Raskorian, screaming for me to rip the mans throat out, my muscles wouldn’t respond, and I collapsed to one knee as my leg gave out on me gasping for air as the pain made me want to throw up.

  I roared in a mix of pain and anger, as I warded soldiers back with my two weapons, desperately trying to keep them back. I heard a keen of pain, and I looked around to see Scourge backing up, trying to swipe at his attackers, as I saw several spears sticking out of his flank.

  Suddenly all the soldiers pulled back from me, forming a large circle around me. I hissed at them as they did, but I was unable to do anything about it. The wound in my leg was still bleeding painfully, and my vision was starting to blur from the pain and blood loss. With a grunt, I let the hammer and mace fall out of my hands, as I tried to stand. My leg wobbled painfully though, and I collapsed back to the floor with a howl of pain. Just then, the men surrounding me split apart, and my eyes focused on the figure striding towards me though. Brazkin smugly walked through the group of soldiers, and stood in front of me. He was agonizingly out of reach, and I had to settle for glaring hatefully at the wizard.

  “And know filth,” Brazkin snarled as he looked down at me, “You die!” He raised his hands, and his hands began to glow.

  Almost at the exact same time, I heard Raskorian roaring in my mind, “Filthy, unclean, primitive dwarves! Your kind have forgotten your fear of a dragons wrath, you dare to kill me! I will not pass into the void alone!” His voice was filled with a dripping hate, I hadn’t heard or felt from the dragon before, and suddenly, I felt a welling of pressure in my body. It felt like I was going to explode. I had no idea what was happening, but the pressure inside my body was excruciating, and I roared as the pressure increased. The pain from my leg wound completely forgotten!

  Then without warning, and arrow zipped over my head, and took Brazkin in the shoulder. Having only worn his mage cloak, the arrow had no problem lodging deep into his shoulder. He cried out in pain, and fell back. For a moment no one reacted. The pressure suddenly abated, and I gasped in relief. Whatever Raskorian had been about to do abruptly stopped, as he seemed as surprised as I was at the arrow sticking out of Brazkin’s shoulder.

  Then I heard a thunderous chorus of war cry’s behind me, and suddenly the entire forest was filled with the sounds of steel on steel, and painfilled screams as men died. The men who had just a moment ago been formed in a circle around me, were now rushing behind me meeting some unknown enemy. I had no idea what was going on, but whatever it was didn’t concern me. I was too weak to do anything to help. I was still losing blood fast, and my vision already blurry grew even hazier as I began to fall forward.

  My last conscious sight as my head hit the ground was that of Brazkin clutching at the arrow in his shoulder, as he writhed in agony. The sight gave me more satisfaction than I could possibly imagine, and as I lay there bleeding out on the forest floor, I began to maniacally laugh. I didn’t care what happened to me next, whatever happened, at least I was sure the mage would be suffering as well.

  Epilogue

  I was jolted awake, as I felt hands pressing something into my wounds. With a roar of pain, I struck out, trying to throw whoever it was off of me, but I felt sluggish and weak. I had lost too much blood. Still, I wasn’t going to lay here as whoever these bastards were tried to kill me. I tried to lash out again, but my arm was caught and pinned to the ground. I hissed furiously at the offender, but then a voice I hadn’t expected to hear shocked me into inaction.

  “Damn it you big mad scaly bastard! We are trying to save you, now hold still before you lose even more blood!”

  “Orizmad?!” I groaned out, “What the fuck are you doing here!”

  Orizmad who was one of the men holding my arms down, rolled his eyes, and said, “Saving you, what did ya think?”

  At the moment I was in too much pain to care, and decided the best I could do was just lay back, and hope they were able to heal me. The process took longer than I expected, and by the time Marin had finished, she was covered in sweat and looked haggard. despite no longer having any major wounds I still felt weak. Still, I tried to rise, but was stopped by a hand on my chest. It was Orizmad’s, and I looked at the dwarf, who shook his head, and said, “Lay still, you will be safe in my care. You have lost too much blood, and will need time before you are well enough to set off again, we will take you back to my home, where you can rest safely.”

  Despite his words, and offer, I bared fangs, “You said I would be safe last time, and now your mage, and agents, worked with the Thuum, to kill me! I will take my chances with the forest!”

  I made to rise again, but a wave of dizziness washed over me again, and I fell back weakly. I growled in frustration, but once again, Orizmad held me down.

  He looked at me squarely, and said, “You are right. I did not think that Brazkin would act against me in such a way. He has dishonored me, his oldest friend, and my reputation. He will be dealt with you have my word. But I cannot in good conscious allow you to be on your way you are too weak, and these forests are dangerous. I will post guards at your door and give you an escort if I have too, you will be safe with me!”

  I made to argue again, but was stopped by Raskorian rumbling in my head, “Despite my dislike of having to rely on these lesser ones yet again, you should take his offer, now that we are no long staring death in the face, I would prefer not to die just yet vessel, take his offer, and let us recover our strength!”

  I growled unhappily, but decided that Raskorian was right, despite my misgivings of trusting the dwarf. I nodded, at Orizmad, and laid back on the soft earth, enjoying the cool feeling of the grass. Still, I had questions, and I closed my eyes and asked, “How did you know I would need help?”

  I heard Orizmad sigh, and in a sad voice mixed with anger said, “Oktai, brought to my attention Brazkin’s unusual disappearance. We are usually inseparable you see, and Oktai felt Brazkin would do something foolish regarding you. But when you departed without any troubles, we felt you would be safe. Unfortunately, that was when we both noticed both Adarossa, and Primus were missing as well. I hadn’t assigned them tasks, so they had no reason to be missing. We came to the conclusion that it was strange that the three people most upset about your presence were missing around the same time. I didn’t want to believe that Brazkin would betray me in such a matter, but my oath and the debt owed to you compelled me to follow with a force to protect you. Unfortunately, you had a good lead on us, and moved through the forests far faster than us on your mount. Thankfully Oktai picked up your trail in time, and we managed to arrive in the nick of time it seems.”

  I only half listened as Orizmad explained how he had found me. I honestly didn’t care, and was just upset I hadn’t been able to tear the mages throat out with my fangs. My eyes shot open at the thought of fangs, Scourge?!

  “Where is Scourge?!” I hastily asked Orizmad.

  I made to stand again, but Orizmad forcefully held me down this time, and said, “Calm down you big bastard, The spiteclaw was injured, but it was well enough to bound off after some of the fl
eeing Thuum soldiers once they broke. We don’t know where he is, but I am sure he will find you again when the time is right. You have bonded with that infernal creature, and he will be back, mark my words. Now rest, we will talk more once we get you back to the safety of my outpost. Rest we will carry you back.”

  Frustrated by my lack of control in my current situation, I just closed my eyes again. I decided I wanted a release from the world around me. Curious to see if it would work, I closed my eyes, and tried to retreat into my mindscape. The process wasn’t easy, the dizziness and exhaustion that came from the fight and the subsequent healing kept distracting me, but eventually, I felt the familiar falling feeling, and the next moment, I was in the black space of my mindscape. Raskorian was there to greet me.

  “Well, it seems that you have managed to keep us alive again vessel. Perhaps the dwarf will be useful after all.”

  I took a few moments before I responded as I got my bearings. The pain was mostly gone thankfully. It was still there, but it felt more like a memory of pain, then the real thing. I spent a few minutes getting my breathing under control, and slowing down my hammering heart. The fight had been intense and bloody, but falling unconscious seemed to have snapped me out of the blood frenzy I had fallen prey to. I was now back in control of my body, and I was grateful to that. Though the sheer savagery and freedom that came from me allowing my animalistic side control me, it was also dangerous, and I was prone to get myself severely injured in the process. Once I felt close to my normal disposition, I sat down in front of the dragon, and eyed him suspiciously.