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[Jon Potter]

Noxin turned to face them, straining to see in the almost total dark. There was something weird about the nearer dwarf; it seemed to be covered in shadows and it held up a hand that was even more hazy and indistinct than the rest of it. Before the half-giant could note more, it reached out and its hand seemed to flow outward - entering his mouth and nose as he took a breath - filling his chest with burning.

He could taste woodsmoke and could do nothing to suppress the choking cough that wracked his body. He was gagging, the smoke taking the place of air in his lungs. His chest was on fire!

He reached out a hand, seizing the dwarf by the head and drawing it into his arms as easily as he would a child. "What did you do?" he tried to scream, but found he could do nothing save make choking sounds and expel smoke.

Well, that's not entirely true. He could also squeeze. And he did that, flexing his muscles around the dwarf and listening with grim satisfaction as it squeaked in pain.

He was totally blind now, unable to see even the creature he held locked in his thick arms. Not that it mattered at the moment; if he was going to die in this place in the dark, he was damned sure not going without company.

Noxin felt something tumble passed him through the open door and into the hall. He couldn't see it of course, but it didn't smell good, and past experience told him that anything that "tumbled" passed you wasn't something you wanted on your flank. He was proved right a moment later as he felt the cold steel of a blade slide against the inside of his thigh from behind. He managed to twist away with his sack only grazed, but the little bastard was clearly going for something vital.

He gagged in pain (and more than a little fear) and squeezed mightily, crushing the dwarf in his arms almost into paste. As he relaxed his arms and let the body fall to the ground, he felt a glimmer of hope as he expelled what felt like the last of the acrid smoke. He could taste cool air. It was tainted by the stench coming off the dwarf still attacking him but it was still sweet to him after the gagging smoke.

He heard the swish of steel passing within inches of his flesh and reckoned where the "invisible" dwarf was. He lashed out with his hands trying to blindly grab his attacker, but clutched only empty air.

A moment later he cried out in alarm as he felt several inches of sharp metal bury itself in his left butt cheek. As his attacker drew the blade out Noxin whirled and clutched blindly again. His right hand closed briefly on a bit of fabric, but it slipped through his fingers. His left, however, latched onto a limb (it felt like a leg) and squeezed. The dwarf turned into a writhing ball of fury in his hands, but he lifted it up off the ground and got a firm grip on it with his other hand.

"WHERE ARE MY THINGS?!!" he bellowed into what he hoped was the thing's face.

In response, the dwarf giggled and stabbed him in the armpit. The pain was intense, and blood began to flow down his torso at once.