-last edited on Apr 18, 2017 23:32:20 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Apr 18, 2017 23:29:56 GMT
Chapter 60
Go, Syldar, Leidiriv, and Baj led the others into the tunnel as quickly as possible. Time was of the essence if they wanted to get everyone out before any guards looked beneath the Arena. Since some of the fighters were among the rebels, and the weapons had come from the blacksmith, it was only a matter of time. Unfortunately, that time was now. To their left, a section of the wall rotated out, and Garfell stood in their path, along with several guards, “Apparently, you’re not the only ones who know about the secret tunnels under this city. Edmond sends his regards.”
With that, he charged forward, axe above his head. Down the axe came, and it would have struck Baj if Burgs had not shoved him out of the way. The half-giant fell under the blow, but it was the last one that axe ever made, because Re’zar was there, and he made sure Garfell was smashed. “Go on!” he shouted, “I’ll hold off these guards!” So he did, whirling through them like a mighty storm, ambivalent to the wounds that soon began to accumulate on his body. At last, the final one fell, and, with him, so did Re’zar. He closed his eyes and embraced the darkness. He had fought all his life, and now he was at peace.
While Re’zar had battled against the guards, the others had a fight of their own. Baj could not bear to be parted from Burgs, the man who had save his life twice, while he had done nothing in return. Eventually, Elisa dragged him away, and the group, now two members smaller, soon emerged from the tunnel. They all sat down, for they deserved a good rest after all that had happened. They may have been free, but it had come at a terrible cost. Baj was still shaking in Elisa’s arms, and the others were silent. Some had tears on their faces, some did not, but all had been affected.
-last edited on Apr 19, 2017 2:19:04 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Apr 19, 2017 2:17:38 GMT
Chapter 61
The sounds of the battle above spurred Edmond forward, and Ishal, close behind him, struggled to keep up. You think you’re the only ones who know about secret tunnels? thought Crux, Well, then you’re wrong. He had pieced together what was going on, for the most part, thanks to Ishal’s information. Now, the two were making their escape through a tunnel Edmond had located beneath the palace. Gormund, of course, had been left behind. Edmond had never liked his brother that much anyway. Unfortunately, the sound of feet above them was quite bothersome, and dust kept falling into Edmond’s eyes and throat. “Hurry up! We need to get out of here before they discover where we’ve gone!” he shouted to Ishal, who was still lagging behind. Ishal was about to reply when the two of them heard a loud crack, followed by a shower of dust, “What was that?” asked Edmond. He did not have to wait long for his question to be answered. The ceiling of the tunnel collapsed, burying servant and master in two tons of rubble and dirt, an inescapable earthen prison.
Ishappa and Shadowwrath soon cleared the palace of guards, but there were no signs of Edmond. It was as if he had vanished from the face of the earth. After several hours of searching, the tow gave up. If Edmond was not to be found, then so be it. Ishappa never did find out exactly what happened to her father, but one day, several years later, as workers were excavating the tunnels, they discovered something very interesting in a collapsed section. Buried in the rubble were two human skeletons. One wore a suit of armor and the other was adorned with several expensive pieces of jewelry not unlike those owned by the Crux brothers.
The escaped slaves had been resting for a few minutes when, suddenly, Person slumped to the ground, unconscious. He was injured. “One of the guards must have hit him when we were leaving. The fool didn’t tell us. He probably thought we didn’t need to be bothered,” said Go.
“No!” shouted Baj, “We can’t lose anyone else!”
Syldar shook his head, “We won’t.” The half-elf placed his hands on the injury and cast a quick spell and the it was gone.
Soon, Person got back to his feet, “Thank you, elf man. Person-.”
Before he could say anything more, he was interrupted by the sound of flapping wings as Zargan landed nearby. Skrag hopped off his back, along with Arik and Luke. Rennar had chosen to remain in the City and help rebuild. The slaves were surprised at first, but the others calmed them down, reassuring them that the massive dragon meant no harm. Skrag smiled, “So, where will you all go now that this is over?”
Luke smiled back, “I’m going back to report my findings to the Iron Wolves. I’m sure they’ll be pleased to know my mission was a success.”
“Mission?” asked Skrag.
“My mission to investigate the City. You didn’t think I was here for fun, did you?” Luke smiled again.
Syldar spoke up next, “I plan on continuing my studies of magic.” Leidiriv said that he too wished to do so.
Arik, of course, wanted to go home, though he did not have quite enough money to do so. Skrag brought him over to the area where everyone’s bags had been stored the night before in preparation. Reaching into his own, he pulled out all of the money he had earned from his time in the Arena, and handed it to Arik, “Take it. You need it more than I.”
“Are you sure?” asked Arik, “You don’t need to do this.”
“I am. You deserve this.” Skrag replied to his friend.
-last edited on Apr 19, 2017 20:59:13 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Apr 19, 2017 20:57:00 GMT
Chapter 63
“Do you mind if I join you on your journey?” asked a voice behind them. It was Go, “I’m tired of fighting. I need to take up a peaceful occupation, and I think the best place to do that would be far away from here.”
Arik nodded, “Of course.”
Baj wandered over to the group, Elisa by his side, “We’ll be going now. We’re going to head north, to find a home.”
Skrag nodded, “Good luck, little giant.” As the two went on their way, he noticed they were holding hands, and smiling to each other.
Person said he was going to return to his home, from whence he had been taken as a young child. Mozz, who had gravitated towards him since Re’zar’s smashing, would be coming too.
Raja and Andrasa each left in turn, without so much as a word, but Conria approached the fighters, “I-I want to thank you for everything you’ve done. Before I was taken to the Arena, I was already on my second chance. I didn’t think I’d have a third, but now I do. I think it’s time to seize that chance. Good luck to all of you.” They wished the same to him as he set off.
Before long, only Skrag and Zargan were left outside the City. By this time, the shouting from inside had subsided and the only sound was the chirping of birds. The day was still beautiful and, for the first time in a while, Skrag felt at peace. Neither half-breed nor dragon spoke. They simply sat, and thought, and enjoyed the day. The Arena was finished and so was their work, at least for now. Eventually, Skrag got to his feet, “I think it’s time to go, my friend.”
“Where shall we go now?”
“I don’t know. Maybe we’ll head across the river, or maybe not. That’s the thing. We’re free. We can go anywhere we like.”
-last edited on Apr 20, 2017 1:14:12 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Apr 20, 2017 1:11:15 GMT
The City by the River (Author's Note)
Several centuries ago, three mighty human kingdoms were at war. The Lion Kingdom received aid from the elves, the Falcon Kingdom was aided by its dwarven neighbors, and the orks and goblins fought alongside the Dragon Kingdom. Then, a group gathered from all sides of the war refused to fight any longer, and marched to an unclaimed area of land by the great river. There, they built a mighty walled city, one they hoped would be free of corruption and injustice. At first, all their ideas were lived up to. Everyone was equal and people passed in and out of the gates as they wished. The city became so busy that tunnels were constructed underneath it so people could get around more easily. Then, a man named Bortus Crux became the ruler. He created divides between the people, shut the gate, and sealed up the tunnels. Outraged, a large contingent of people left and headed east, intending to sail away. However, they befriended the Mermians and together they created their own city, one that was everything Crux’s could no longer be. After that, the City by the River was subject to a long series of increasingly greedy and cruel rulers. Fortunately, a new hope was born in the form of Edgar Crux, who vowed to reform the city. However, he was smashed, shortly after taking his position, by an unknown attacker. Some say it was an armored man paid by his youngest brother, Edmond. After Edgar’s smashing, his brother, Gormund, took control. Gormund was just as bad as, if not worse than, his ancestors. He even created a fighting arena for his amusement and began buying slaves. Edmond had the idea of paying gladiators to fight, and the first to join them was a mysterious man named Zelfern. Gormund Crux never married, but Edmond married the daughter of his most trusted official. They had one child, Isabel, but Edmond’s wife did not survive. Edmond ignored his daughter for the most part, but, when she disappeared, he had a large group of men search for her. When nothing was found after several weeks, he gave up and went back to his normal lifestyle.
-last edited on Apr 20, 2017 11:45:44 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Apr 20, 2017 11:41:09 GMT
Part One Summary Skrag, a young half-goblin, is taken in by a goblin tribe, but shunned and friendless. When the chief who brought him in passes, the new chief takes this opportunity to exile him. Before he leaves, though, his power-hungry adopted father smashes the chief and frames Skrag, forcing him to flee.
Part Two Summary Far to the north, a dragon named Marrzak begins hearing a voice in his head, which convinces him to smash another dragon. He flies away, along with his brother, Zargan. Skrag sees the two and follows them to a house, where Marrzak smashes a man and continues flying away. Zargan is pursued by a group led by the man’s son, but Skrag saves him and the two become friends. The boy, Hithrol Jiwovz, finds a dragon egg in the mountains.
Part Three Summary Skrag joins an arena, fighting as a gladiator, but discovers he’s trapped in the city. Meanwhile, a young giant named Baj is captured as a slave and sent to the arena. Skrag finds a secret passage out of the city and begins planning to free the slaves and the city from the cruel leader, Gormund Crux, who is really just a puppet for his brother Edmond. Zelfern, one of the strongest gladiators in the arena, is put up against Skrag, who removes his hand. At the same time, many of the gladiators question their motives for fighting. Skrag and his allies, including Edmond’s daughter, Isabel, who calls herself Ishappa, approach Baj, asking for his help in freeing the slaves. He agrees, and convinces everyone except Garfell, an incredibly strong and skilled fighter. The slaves leave, while some of the gladiators lead a rebellion against the Cruxes. Garfell makes his return, sent by Edmond, but Burgs and Re’zar sacrifice themselves for the others. Almost everyone leaves, including Skrag, while Isabel takes control of the city. Zelfern swears to get his revenge on Skrag.
Characters Skrag- The Half-Breed, best friend of Zargan and adopted brother of Skirj, our protagonist Skorj- Warlord of Skrag’s former clan, father of Skirj and adopted father of Skrag, smashed Gorle and framed Skrag Gorle- Chief of Skrag’s former clan, smashed by Skorj Trok- Gorle’s deputy Skirj- Son of Skorj, adopted brother of Skrag, currently a leading warrior in Skrag’s former clan Kalkuzar the Golden- King of dragons, father of Darkaraz Darkaraz- Son of Kalkuzar, father of Zargan, Marrzak, and Lyzara Marrzak- Son of Darkaraz, brother of Zargan and Lyzara, smashed Kurukin and Dernis Jiwovz Zargan- Son of Darkaraz, brother of Marrzak and Lyzara, best friend of Skrag Lyzara- Daughter of Darkaraz, sister of Marrzak and Zargan Kurukin- Member of Kalkuzar’s tribe, smashed by Marrzak Hithrol Jiwovz- Son of Dernis Jiwovz, brother of Alis Jiwovz, wields the sword Scalblas Alis Jiwovz- Daughter of Dernis Jiwovz, sister of Hithrol Jiwovz Dernis Jiwovz- Father of Hithrol and Alis Jiwovz, smashed by Marrzak Gormund Crux- Former leader of the City by the River, brother of Edmond Crux, smashed by Skrag Edmond Crux- Father of Isabel Crux, brother of Gormund Crux, the true power in the City by the River, smashed in a tunnel cave-in Arik- Former gladiator in the Arena, friend of Skrag, aided in the revolt Go- Samurai, former gladiator, friend of Skrag Syldar- Healer, former gladiator, friend of Skrag Rennar- Former gladiator, friend of Skrag Luke Tunstall- Member of the Iron Wolves, former gladiator, friend of Skrag Dwalin- Former gladiator Ishal- Former gladiator, spy for Edmond Crux, smashed in a tunnel cave-in Leidiriv- Former gladiator, competent in magic, friend of Skrag Brian- Former gladiator, quick to fight, smashed by Shadowwrath Zelfern- Former gladiator, lost his hand to Skrag, vowed revenge on Skrag Shadowwrath- Former gladiator, always wears his armor, friend of Skrag Ishappa- Former gladiator, the Executioner, Isabel Crux, daughter of Edmond Crux, current leader of the City by the River Garfell- Former slave gladiator, leader of one faction Re’zar- Former slave gladiator, leader of one faction, smashed by Garfell Baj- Very short giant, former slave gladiator, friend of Skrag Elisa- Former slave gladiator, friend of Skrag Raja- Former slave gladiator, young child, joined Garfell’s faction Ormuk- Former slave gladiator, Garfell’s right-hand man, smashed by Person Andrasa- Former slave gladiator, joined Garfell’s faction Malik- Former slave gladiator, had a way with animals, joined Garfell’s faction out of fear Burgs- Former slave gladiator, joined Garfell’s faction, half-giant, befriended Baj, smashed by Garfell Person- Former slave gladiator, joined Re’zar’s faction, friend of Mozz Mozz- Former slave gladiator, joined Re’zar’s faction, befriended by Person, supposedly insane Pine- Former slave gladiator, joined Re’zar’s faction, owned a dog, smashed by Raja Conria- Former slave gladiator, joined Re’zar’s faction
-last edited on Apr 21, 2017 11:31:21 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Apr 21, 2017 11:30:25 GMT
Chapter 64
The house was in the middle of nowhere. In fact, Skrag and Zargan could have sworn it simply appeared out of thin air, but they brushed it off. That was impossible. The house was small, but it had two stories, and, while the lower half was made of stone, the top was built of wood, painted randomly in garish colors- red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, and everything in between. The building was lopsided and leaned to one side as if it might fall over at any minute. An old man leaded against the house, holding a gnarled staff and wearing a brown cloak. He whistled a merry tune as he sipped a pale blue liquid from a clay mug. As the two approached, he waved, splashing his drink on the ground. Where it landed, flowers with periwinkle petals sprang up. “What are you doing all the way out here?” he asked, raising a single eyebrow.
“One might ask the same of you,” replied Skrag.
“I suppose you’re right,” the man stroked his long, gray beard, “Oh! Pardon my manners! Please come in, I’m just making lunch right now.”
Zargan leaned in, “How do we know we can trust you? Besides, I’m too big to fit inside.”
The old man smiled, seemingly unperturbed, “That you are. You can stick your head in through the window. It might be a little tight, but it could work.” He blatantly ignored the dragon’s question.
Skrag ran a hand through his dark, messy hair, “I think I’ll take you up on your offer.” Turning to Zargan, he added, “I think he seems trustworthy enough. If not, we can handle him.”
Zargan nodded, moving around to the side window as his friend followed the man through the door.
-last edited on Apr 21, 2017 23:16:58 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Apr 21, 2017 23:15:59 GMT
Chapter 65
The inside of the house was just as messy as the outside. Papers and household objects peeked out of overstuffed drawers, piled up on tables, and lay on the floor. However, Skrag could see no sign of the meal. There was a fireplace, but it was unlit, and there was no food in sight, “I thought you said you were making lunch.”
The old man laughed, “So I did!” He waved his hand and one of the tables was covered in bread, fruits, and vegetables. He waved again and a full turkey appeared on the table next to Zargan’s head.
Skrag, without missing a beat, thanked the man and began to eat. Zargan did likewise. The old man, oddly enough, ate nothing, but instead walked over to Skrag’s weapons, which the half-breed had left by the door, not wanting to be rude. Skrag had barely touched them in four years, not since the Arena. The man picked them up and said a long string of words in a strange language, running his hand over each weapon. When he set them down, the cutlasses glowed with an inner fire and the spear crackled with electricity.
Skrag, by this time, had finished eating, “I don’t understand. What did you-?”
The old man handed the weapons to their owner, “You’ll need them in the days to come. Also, you might want to take a look at the Dragon Riders. I hear they’re searching for people like you.” As he said the final word, the old man vanished, along with his house.
“Wait!” Skrag shouted, “Who are you?”
“My name is Beziov,” came a disembodied reply.
Their minds filled with thoughts, Skrag and Zargan continued walking. Perhaps they should locate the Dragon Riders, whoever they were….
-last edited on Apr 22, 2017 1:27:02 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Apr 22, 2017 1:24:23 GMT
Chapter 66
“I think that’s it,” yelled Skrag, the wind nearly drowning out his voice. He was pointing downward towards a small collection of buildings. Visible among the buildings were several large, colorful shapes- dragons. Zargan nodded, beginning his descent. It had taken several weeks to locate the Dragon Riders. Hopefully, it would be worth it. The only things known about them were that they were a reclusive group, formed recently, and were made up of people and their dragon companions. Even that small bit of information had been hard to find.
When Skrag and Zargan got down, there were several people waiting for them. Apparently, they had been noticed. Standing in front was a young man who couldn’t be any older than Skrag himself. Short blonde hair framed a friendly face with pale blue eyes. He wore a leather vest and a chainmail tunic over a white shirt and black pants. Something about him was oddly familiar to Skrag, but he couldn’t place quite what it was. By his side was a midsized, black and red dragon with a spiked knob at the end of his tail. Though he was clearly much younger than Zargan, he was nearly two thirds of his size- which meant he was quite large indeed, as Zargan himself was larger than average. “Welcome to the Dragon Riders,” said the young man, “I am Hithrol Jiwovz and this is my dragon, Olifin.”
Olifin nodded, “Who might you be?”
Zargan’s face distorted with surprise, “Hithrol... I heard that name once, long ago. I swear I had no intention of harming anyone. My monster of a brother was behind it all. I was a mere observer. Please, forgive me.” He knelt down, bowing his head.
Confused, Skrag suddenly realized where he had seen this person before. If he just imagined the hair a little longer, the face a little younger... Skrag knelt alongside his friend, “I am Skrag, the half-breed, and with me is Zargan. You met me in the mountains many years ago. I spared your life. May I ask how you became friends with a dragon? When we met, you didn’t seem to feel much love for them.”
-last edited on Apr 22, 2017 13:54:08 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Apr 22, 2017 13:53:07 GMT
Chapter 67
Hithrol was taken aback. He didn’t know how to respond. Eventually, he said, “I forgive you, Zargan. As for your question, Skrag, I honestly don’t know. I found his egg in an abandoned nest. His mother was smashed and when I saw the egg I knew I had to protect it. Soon, Olifin hatched, and we’ve been friends ever since. One day, on a sudden impulse, I had the idea of creating an order of dragon riders, so I did. Now, rise, and I’ll introduce you to the others.”
Skrag and Zargan got back to their respective feet, following Hithrol and Olifin. First among the Dragon Riders was the dwarven smith, Korin, and his young, orange dragon, Cloventail. As her name suggested, Cloventail’s tail split into two parts at the end. Next was an elf, named Jon Blockman. He shook Skrag’s hand and smiled in a friendly manner, introducing his green dragon, Potestas.
After him, Skrag and Zargan came to a familiar man in a silver breastplate and a red shirt. His eyes lit up when he saw the two, “Skrag! I haven’t seen you in years. How have you been? As you can see, I found my third chance, like I said I would.”
Alongside him stood a young dragon with gold, red, orange, and purple scales. Before Skrag could greet Conria, he said, “I’m Knoxin, grandson of Kalkuzar the Golden, mightiest dragon in all known lands.” He was clearly proud of that fact.
Zargan looked at him, “Well, then, we are cousins. I am Zargan, son of Darkaraz, and this is Skrag. We met your rider when he fought in the Arena as a slave.”
“Wow,” said Knoxin, “You’re Zargan? You and your brother inspired me to set off on my own adventure.”
Zargan shook his head, “Don’t speak of my brother. He’s a monster, a smasher, a destroyer. Nothing good can come of associating with him. I learned that the hard way. Hopefully, I’ll never see him again. If I do, well, I don’t know. Maybe I’ll fight him, maybe I’ll run.”
-last edited on Apr 23, 2017 14:00:45 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Apr 23, 2017 14:00:12 GMT
Chapter 68
Knoxin took a step back, “Um… sorry, I guess. I won’t speak of him again.”
Meanwhile, Skrag and Conria were catching up. Since he had left the Arena, the former Lion Knight had been looking for his third chance. He had found it in Knoxin, who had gotten lost, and they had become fast friends almost immediately. Conria’s experience and knowledge complemented Knoxin’s immaturity and naivety.
Done talking, Skrag and Zargan moved onto the final dragon and rider. To Skrag’s surprise, it was a Mermian. Mermians were rarely seen away from the coast, even though they could function on land was well as they could in the water. She wore green, which matched her emerald eyes and long green hair, and complemented her scaly, blue skin. She had webbed fingers and toes as well as gills, like all Mermians. With her was a large water dragon who shone with many shades of blue. The Mermian smiled as Skrag and Zargan approached, “I’m Terra. This is Raini. We’re master thieves and escape artists. Before we came here, we were bandits, and we were good at it too.”
Skrag nodded slowly, “I’m Skrag. This is Zargan.” Smiling slightly, he adds, “I used to be a gladiator, and I was good at it too.”
“Well played. What race are you, if I may ask?”
“My mother was a human, and my father was a goblin. As you might have guesses, it didn’t turn out well for either of them,” There was a brief pause, “Well, um… I suppose I’ll see you later, then.”
“I suppose you will.”
Now that Skrag was done with introductions, he followed Hithrol to his new home. Each rider had a simple house with plenty of space for his or her dragon to sleep next to it. Inside the house was a chest for Skrag to store his stuff, along with a simple bed.
“I hope you don’t mind spiders,” said Hithrol.
“Of course not,” said Skrag, “It actually reminds me of my old home, just with less people trying to get me smashed, and less holes.”
-last edited on Apr 23, 2017 15:05:14 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Apr 23, 2017 15:04:51 GMT
Chapter 69
Skrag and Zargan spent the night at their new home. It was calm and comfortable, and they were relieved to have a nice place to rest after their journeys. In the morning, Hithrol and Olifin invited them to breakfast. The half-breed and his dragon ate ravenously, having eaten nothing but what they could gather or catch in several weeks. When they had finished, Skrag asked, “So, how did you come to form this group? You’re awfully young to be leading all of us.”
Hithrol shrugged, “I don’t know. I guess I just sort of wanted to know if there was anyone else like us. Then, we met Korin and Cloventail. We discovered that all four of us wanted to make a difference in the world, and we thought this might be the best way. Soon, we’ll reveal our presence to the rest of the world.”
His audience nodded, “What about the others?” asked Zargan, “How did they find this place?”
Olifin took the opportunity to speak, “You already know we met Korin and Cloventail. The dwarf had found the egg a month or two prior and he decided to care for his new friend. He’s a master blacksmith and craftsman, a valuable asset to us.”
“Jon’s and Potestas’s story is a little more tragic, though not, I would say, as tragic as mine,” Hithrol smiled, “They were prosecuted for, well, being themselves, and they fled, eventually ending up here.”
“Terra, as you know, was a bandit along with Raini,” Olifin spoke again, “We heard of their exploits and approached them. They joined us soon after.”
Hithrol pushed a strand of hair out of his eyes, “You seem to already know Conria and Knoxin. They came across us by chance- fate or perhaps just a coincidence brought them here. Now, how did the two of you get here? Where did you come from?”
-last edited on Apr 23, 2017 15:50:42 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Apr 23, 2017 15:50:19 GMT
Chapter 70
Skrag sighed, “It’s a long story….” With the help of Zargan, he told Hithrol and Olifin everything, from his childhood in the tribe, to his year alone in the mountains, to his time in the Arena, and eve his encounter with the mysterious old man. When he finished, Zargan told rider and dragon his own story.
After they finished, Hithrol nodded, “Interesting. I suppose that’s all, then. You may go.”
“Where?” asked Skrag, “What do we do here? You never really explained.”
“As I said before, we will soon reveal our presence,” explained Hithrol, “Until then, you can do whatever you like, so long as you don’t go too far. If you did choose to fly away somewhere, though, I wouldn’t stop you. Korin, I think, is working on making some sort of armor, and the others are practicing.”
“We should join them,” said Zargan. Skrag agreed, so they set off to find the others.
It wasn’t long before the two of them came across the vast field where most of the dragons and riders were practicing their skills. Potestas, Knoxin, and Raini soared through the air; perfecting complex aerial maneuvers that Skrag was sure would send him tumbling to the ground if Zargan tried them. Below the dragons, Jon and Conria exchanged blows, but Terra seemed to be without anything to do. The Mermian struck the air with her trident, but she seemed bored. As Zargan landed beside her, Skrag hopped off and the dragon took to the skies again, flying up to join the others.
“Need a sparring partner?” asked Skrag, drawing his cutlasses.
“Yes, please,” smiled Terra, “I was getting a bit bored.” She held her trident in a defensive position, narrowing her green eyes slightly.
-last edited on Apr 23, 2017 16:42:40 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Apr 23, 2017 16:42:20 GMT
Chapter 71
Skrag made the first move. He jabbed inward with one cutlass and brought the other in a downward strike at Terra’s head. She knocked aside the first blade with the lower end of her weapon and caught the other in its prongs, nearly twisting it out of Skrag’s hand. The half-breed drew back, but launched another attack almost immediately. It was met with the same results- Terra blocked it easily. The pattern repeated twice more. On Skrag’s fourth attack, one of his cutlasses was ripped out of his hand and he had to retreat quickly to avoid Terra’s counterattack. He grabbed his spear, sheathing the other cutlass, and launched a volley of jabs. Try as he might, however, Skrag could not pierce the Mermian’s defenses. Fortunately, he thought, she didn’t launch an attack of her own even once. In one last desperate maneuver, the half-goblin backed up a few steps, launched his spear at his opponent, and leapt in with his remaining cutlass. This time, he managed to bring the blade up to Terra’s neck. She dropped her weapon and held up her arms, “Good job. Again?” Skrag nodded, and they each retrieved their weapons.
As he grabbed his cutlass, Skrag realized the grass around it was scorched. He remembered the fiery glow that had emanated from the weapon after the old man, Beziov, had fiddled with it, What did he do? The half-breed shrugged, snatching up the weapon and returning to Terra.
They were just about to start when Jon and Conria approached them, “How about a two-on-two match?” asked the elf.
Skrag and Terra looked at each other and nodded. “You’re on,” the Mermian grinned.
The four opponents faced off, each producing his or her respective weapons. Jon and Conria had their swords, Terra her trident, and Skrag had gone with his spear for this round.
-last edited on Apr 23, 2017 17:21:22 GMT by RuleJJ
Post by RuleJJ on Apr 23, 2017 17:20:33 GMT
Chapter 72
As Jon lunged at Terra, Skrag launched an attack against Conria. The former Lion Knight, like the Mermian, relied a lot on defense. Skrag kept his opponent at bay with long jabs, though none of them actually hit Conria. When he was ready, the half-breed leapt forward and knocked his opponent off balance with a low sweep. He hit Conria’s chest with his shoulder and the knight fell to the ground. He tried to get up, only of find the tip of the spear hovering above his chest. Skrag grabbed his hand, pulling him to his feet, and ran off to help Terra. Jon was a masterful swordsman, and Skrag doubted he could have beaten him alone. Terra was doing her best to stop each of his attacks, but they were lightning fast and she was quickly tiring. Skrag thrust his spear at the elf and to his surprise a bolt of lightning shot out from it and sent Jon flying across the field. The three riders quickly ran up to him. Jon appeared fine, though a little bruised, but for the briefest fraction of a second, Skrag thought he saw a flicker of rage flash across his face. He dismissed it- a trick of the light- and helped Jon to his feet, “Sorry. I had no idea it could even do that.”
“I’m fine,” smiled Jon, “Just be more careful next time. Unless it’s an actual fight, that is. Such a weapon could prove quite useful in battle. Anyway, it looks like the two of you have won. Congratulations. Who wants to grab the dragons and get some lunch?”
Skrag looked up at the sun- it was about halfway across the sky- and nodded, “I’m ready. How are we going to call the dragons-?” he didn’t manage to finish his question as the four dragons landed around them, “How did you-?”
Terra answered, “Some of us who have been with our dragons since they hatched or we were born have a special connection. It can manifest as magical ability, slight physical changes, or the ability to communicate mentally between ourselves.”
