JollyDoc
Explorer
Standing in the center of the arena, surrounded by stands full of howling demons and undead, Tower Cleaver practically glowed with the power of the defensive and offensive wards draped layer upon layer on him by Mandi and Daelric. Circling around his head where twenty-two silvery globes. All Mandi had told him was that would stop his opponents from throwing their own spells at him, which suited the minotaur just fine. He preferred a stand-up fight. At the other side of the arena floor stood the two giants, whose names had been announced as Lestra and Orbenent, and the horrible crawling head, who had a name as well, Lertyck Trumbel. Cleaver thought it odd that a severed head should have a name. He would have just called it ‘meat.’ Mentally, he shrugged. It didn’t matter. He was here for one reason and one reason only. If the strange creatures he would soon be sinking his axe into wanted to have names, let them. At least they’d have something to write on their tombstones.
Above the spectators was Orcus’s private box, and there the demon lord sat, with the Legionnaires seated at his feet.
“This should prove an interesting contest, don’t you think?” Orcus rumbled.
“Very,” Sepoto agreed. “Would you care to put a small wager on the outcome…my Lord?”
The ram-like head looked down at him, eyes narrowing shrewdly.
“Oh, we already have a wager,” he replied, grinning broadly. “A very valuable one at that.”
Sepoto swallowed hard.
“Let mortal combat begin!” Orcus’s voice thundered from above, and immediately the giants were in motion. Cleaver felt two blasts of power wash over him as two of the circling orbs winked out of existence. Mandi must have been right. Not wasting time, the minotaur took to the air, and closed the distance between him and his foes. As he approached, he saw that each of the giants had what appeared to be clouds of circling, wailing ghosts around them. Cleaver supposed they were meant to frighten him. He would show them that he was not so easily intimidated. He swooped over the giants’ heads, easily parrying the blows they aimed at him with their massive axes. Another sphere vanished as Lertyck Trumbel released some unknown magic at him. Then, Cleaver’s own axe came down, slicing into all three foes at once with the force of his mighty swing. This was going to be easy, he thought, though he had hoped for a better challenge. At that moment, however, he saw that the crawling head’s wounds were vanishing, leaving nary a scare behind. In the next instant, Trumbel lunged forward, locking his jaws around the haft of Cleaver’s glowing axe, and wrenching it from his hands.
“Oooohhh!” Orcus crowed. “Did you see that?” He elbowed Sepoto sharply. “Doesn’t look good for your man!”
“Don’t count Cleaver out yet…my Lord,” the crusader replied, rubbing his sore shoulder. “He’s not as dumb as he looks.”
As Lertyck Trumbel began shambling away with his axe, Tower Cleaver snorted in rage. Reaching over his shoulder, he drew a second axe that was slung there. Though nowhere near as powerful as his Sun Blade, the flaming weapon was still trustworthy and could cut deep. He swung it wide, catching Trumbel just before he moved out of reach, and slamming the back of the weapon into Lestra on the backswing. At that moment, however, a greasy black cloud settled over Cleaver, burning like acid as Orbenet encased him in a blight of unholy power. Strangely, Mandi’s hovering spheres had not blocked the spell, but then another vanished as the retreating Lertyck Trumbel hurled another dweomer Cleaver’s way. The barbarian brushed aside the pain, cutting loose again with his blade, hammering repeatedly at the pair of death giants.
“I told you so,” Sepoto smiled, looking up at Orcus.
“It’s only a matter of time and attrition,” the demon lord grumbled. “Behold!”
When Sepoto looked back, he saw that one of the giants appeared to be healing its own wounds, while the crawling head continued to pick off Mandi’s protective spheres. Suddenly, however, a gasp went through the crowd as Tower Cleaver buried his axe between Lestra’s eyes and the death giantess collapsed.
“I hate to say it…” Sepoto began.
“I haven’t heard any fat lady yet,” Orcus replied.
Cleaver turned from his fallen foe, axe raised towards the second giantess. When he saw the evil smile appear on Orbenet’s face, however, he quickly whirled around. Lestra’s body began to writhe and convulse violently as she lurched back to her feet. Her skin quickly began to shrivel into an emaciated husk, and her abdominal cavity popped open, emitting a noxious cloud. Inside, there appeared to be a shrunken version of the giantess, clinging to the ribcage as if it were the bars of a prison. Giggling maniacally, the horrible symbiote began circling away from Cleaver, heading towards Lertyck Trumbel. As it went, more spheres vanished from around the minotaur as this new abomination added its own powers to those of the crawling head. Cleaver turned back to Orbenet, who was still smiling.
“What so funny?” he hissed, and then swung his blade low, nearly cleaving the giantess in two as he sank the axe head deep into her torso. Mouth open, eyes wide, Orbenet sank silently to the ground.
“Who laughing now?” Cleaver said, and spat on her corpse as he passed by.
“Is that fair?” Sepoto asked. “I thought he only had to defeat your three champions, not their reanimated corpses as well.”
“You thought wrong,” Orcus smiled. “If he were a better tactician, instead of a mindless brute, he would have gone after Trumbel first. Now he is paying for his lack of foresight.”
If Cleaver were actually paying, the cost was relatively inexpensive. The thing that had been Lestra went down a second time beneath a withering flurry of swings from his axe. His blade struck Lertyck Trumbel as well, but each time it did, the crawling head made an odd gulping sound, and its wounds healed as quickly as Cleaver inflicted them. Then, to Tower Cleaver’s immense irritation, Orbenet’s body rose from the ground, looking exactly like what Lestra had become. Immediately, the second walking corpse began loosing magic at him, and Lertyck Trumbel joined in as well, causing sphere after sphere to disappear. This cycle continued for a time, with Cleaver hammering at the crawling head, only to have the creature heal itself immediately, all the while whittling away at Mandi’s protective spheres. Soon, only a handful remained, and Cleaver knew that it was time for a new strategy. Turning away from Trumbel, he charged back across the arena floor towards Orbenet, and slammed his blade into the newly created undead. Then, a cheer from the crowd caused him to whip his head around, just as Lertyck Trumbel’s bulk heaved itself towards him, stripping his axe from his hands again. The crawling head now held both of Cleaver’s weapons in its sickly tendrils.
“Now that’s what I call tactics!” Orcus whooped. “Do you see the genius in Trumbel’s plan?”
“Umm…not really,” Sepoto said. “What I see is one of the giants down…twice…and one a shambling corpse, and Cleaver’s barely got a scratch on him.”
“Wait….just wait,” Orcus giggled. “It won’t be long now…”
And in that, the Prince of Undeath couldn’t have been more correct. Tower Cleaver’s eyes blazed with red fire as the rage overcame him. Snorting and bellowing, he leaped at Lertyck Trumbel, seizing the haft of his Sun Blade and wrenching it violently from the crawling head’s tentacles. Then, with a roar that rivaled the roar of the crowd, Cleaver raised the weapon high, where it glowed with the light of the sun itself, and drove it down repeatedly, again and again, into Lertyck Trumbel’s bloated face. Within seconds, the crawling head was a corpse once more. Almost as an afterthought, Cleaver turned and neatly decapitated Orbenet.
Orcus remained silent for several long seconds, and Sepoto and his companions held their breath, waiting. Finally, the demon lord chortled to himself.
“Your strength is great,” he said. “You might have a chance. My armies will march against Gaping Maw, legions upon legions, sweeping the pretender’s armies before them. I promise that. I hope that you do not find Demogorgon before I and my generals do. I will tear him in half and animate his divided corpse so that his two heads can grovel at the foot of my throne until they crumble to dust! You have slaughtered some of my favorite minions, but I forgive you. However, my armies will require weeks to mobilize and travel to Gaping Maw. Gather your other allies. If your plan fails, know that my followers will find your bones and bring them to me. If this is treachery, you will not survive it. Leave my kingdom now, before I change my mind. When you make your move against Demogorgon, I will be there to win your battle for you!”
Above the spectators was Orcus’s private box, and there the demon lord sat, with the Legionnaires seated at his feet.
“This should prove an interesting contest, don’t you think?” Orcus rumbled.
“Very,” Sepoto agreed. “Would you care to put a small wager on the outcome…my Lord?”
The ram-like head looked down at him, eyes narrowing shrewdly.
“Oh, we already have a wager,” he replied, grinning broadly. “A very valuable one at that.”
Sepoto swallowed hard.
“Let mortal combat begin!” Orcus’s voice thundered from above, and immediately the giants were in motion. Cleaver felt two blasts of power wash over him as two of the circling orbs winked out of existence. Mandi must have been right. Not wasting time, the minotaur took to the air, and closed the distance between him and his foes. As he approached, he saw that each of the giants had what appeared to be clouds of circling, wailing ghosts around them. Cleaver supposed they were meant to frighten him. He would show them that he was not so easily intimidated. He swooped over the giants’ heads, easily parrying the blows they aimed at him with their massive axes. Another sphere vanished as Lertyck Trumbel released some unknown magic at him. Then, Cleaver’s own axe came down, slicing into all three foes at once with the force of his mighty swing. This was going to be easy, he thought, though he had hoped for a better challenge. At that moment, however, he saw that the crawling head’s wounds were vanishing, leaving nary a scare behind. In the next instant, Trumbel lunged forward, locking his jaws around the haft of Cleaver’s glowing axe, and wrenching it from his hands.
“Oooohhh!” Orcus crowed. “Did you see that?” He elbowed Sepoto sharply. “Doesn’t look good for your man!”
“Don’t count Cleaver out yet…my Lord,” the crusader replied, rubbing his sore shoulder. “He’s not as dumb as he looks.”
As Lertyck Trumbel began shambling away with his axe, Tower Cleaver snorted in rage. Reaching over his shoulder, he drew a second axe that was slung there. Though nowhere near as powerful as his Sun Blade, the flaming weapon was still trustworthy and could cut deep. He swung it wide, catching Trumbel just before he moved out of reach, and slamming the back of the weapon into Lestra on the backswing. At that moment, however, a greasy black cloud settled over Cleaver, burning like acid as Orbenet encased him in a blight of unholy power. Strangely, Mandi’s hovering spheres had not blocked the spell, but then another vanished as the retreating Lertyck Trumbel hurled another dweomer Cleaver’s way. The barbarian brushed aside the pain, cutting loose again with his blade, hammering repeatedly at the pair of death giants.
“I told you so,” Sepoto smiled, looking up at Orcus.
“It’s only a matter of time and attrition,” the demon lord grumbled. “Behold!”
When Sepoto looked back, he saw that one of the giants appeared to be healing its own wounds, while the crawling head continued to pick off Mandi’s protective spheres. Suddenly, however, a gasp went through the crowd as Tower Cleaver buried his axe between Lestra’s eyes and the death giantess collapsed.
“I hate to say it…” Sepoto began.
“I haven’t heard any fat lady yet,” Orcus replied.
Cleaver turned from his fallen foe, axe raised towards the second giantess. When he saw the evil smile appear on Orbenet’s face, however, he quickly whirled around. Lestra’s body began to writhe and convulse violently as she lurched back to her feet. Her skin quickly began to shrivel into an emaciated husk, and her abdominal cavity popped open, emitting a noxious cloud. Inside, there appeared to be a shrunken version of the giantess, clinging to the ribcage as if it were the bars of a prison. Giggling maniacally, the horrible symbiote began circling away from Cleaver, heading towards Lertyck Trumbel. As it went, more spheres vanished from around the minotaur as this new abomination added its own powers to those of the crawling head. Cleaver turned back to Orbenet, who was still smiling.
“What so funny?” he hissed, and then swung his blade low, nearly cleaving the giantess in two as he sank the axe head deep into her torso. Mouth open, eyes wide, Orbenet sank silently to the ground.
“Who laughing now?” Cleaver said, and spat on her corpse as he passed by.
“Is that fair?” Sepoto asked. “I thought he only had to defeat your three champions, not their reanimated corpses as well.”
“You thought wrong,” Orcus smiled. “If he were a better tactician, instead of a mindless brute, he would have gone after Trumbel first. Now he is paying for his lack of foresight.”
If Cleaver were actually paying, the cost was relatively inexpensive. The thing that had been Lestra went down a second time beneath a withering flurry of swings from his axe. His blade struck Lertyck Trumbel as well, but each time it did, the crawling head made an odd gulping sound, and its wounds healed as quickly as Cleaver inflicted them. Then, to Tower Cleaver’s immense irritation, Orbenet’s body rose from the ground, looking exactly like what Lestra had become. Immediately, the second walking corpse began loosing magic at him, and Lertyck Trumbel joined in as well, causing sphere after sphere to disappear. This cycle continued for a time, with Cleaver hammering at the crawling head, only to have the creature heal itself immediately, all the while whittling away at Mandi’s protective spheres. Soon, only a handful remained, and Cleaver knew that it was time for a new strategy. Turning away from Trumbel, he charged back across the arena floor towards Orbenet, and slammed his blade into the newly created undead. Then, a cheer from the crowd caused him to whip his head around, just as Lertyck Trumbel’s bulk heaved itself towards him, stripping his axe from his hands again. The crawling head now held both of Cleaver’s weapons in its sickly tendrils.
“Now that’s what I call tactics!” Orcus whooped. “Do you see the genius in Trumbel’s plan?”
“Umm…not really,” Sepoto said. “What I see is one of the giants down…twice…and one a shambling corpse, and Cleaver’s barely got a scratch on him.”
“Wait….just wait,” Orcus giggled. “It won’t be long now…”
And in that, the Prince of Undeath couldn’t have been more correct. Tower Cleaver’s eyes blazed with red fire as the rage overcame him. Snorting and bellowing, he leaped at Lertyck Trumbel, seizing the haft of his Sun Blade and wrenching it violently from the crawling head’s tentacles. Then, with a roar that rivaled the roar of the crowd, Cleaver raised the weapon high, where it glowed with the light of the sun itself, and drove it down repeatedly, again and again, into Lertyck Trumbel’s bloated face. Within seconds, the crawling head was a corpse once more. Almost as an afterthought, Cleaver turned and neatly decapitated Orbenet.
Orcus remained silent for several long seconds, and Sepoto and his companions held their breath, waiting. Finally, the demon lord chortled to himself.
“Your strength is great,” he said. “You might have a chance. My armies will march against Gaping Maw, legions upon legions, sweeping the pretender’s armies before them. I promise that. I hope that you do not find Demogorgon before I and my generals do. I will tear him in half and animate his divided corpse so that his two heads can grovel at the foot of my throne until they crumble to dust! You have slaughtered some of my favorite minions, but I forgive you. However, my armies will require weeks to mobilize and travel to Gaping Maw. Gather your other allies. If your plan fails, know that my followers will find your bones and bring them to me. If this is treachery, you will not survive it. Leave my kingdom now, before I change my mind. When you make your move against Demogorgon, I will be there to win your battle for you!”
, and also, i was hoping i would receive some personal info, but alas not yet..
![:]](http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png "Devious :]")
