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^^ Index
Events of the 11th of Hematite.
Ironblood leaned against the western gateway, just ahead of the trapped section which at this point in time was covered in bones.
His weapons leaned against the wall next to him as he indulged in a flask of wine and one of Xotes' delicious crumpets.
"That hits the spot..." he mumbled to himself.
In the silence of contentment, his ears heard a scream coming from the distance.
He looked at the half of the crumpet remaining and sighed.
Stuffing it into his knapsack he picked up his axe and shield and went to investigate beyond the boundaries of the fortress.
Ostri usually came with guards. He had come with guards this time, but they had been irreversibly murdered by the goblins now pursuing him.
He had been screaming for help as he neared the fortress that now loomed before him, and although his aged body would normally have collapsed after all this running, he supposed that now he was running on fear.
Undoubtedly as soon as he stopped he would die, one way or the other.
It was not with small relief that he noticed a single dwarf running towards him. The tattered clothes, the mud, blood and vomit encrusted form.
It could only be Ironblood.
It was probably the only time that Ostri had ever been glad the dwarf possessed these features.
"HELP ME!" screamed Ostri as Ironblood came closer.
"I'VE ONLY HAD HALF MY CRUMPET!" screamed Ironblood in return.
Ostri wasn't sure if this comment was meant as a reply or just a statement in general.
The dwarf very nearly flew into the nearest goblin, and although Ostri wasn't sure exactly what happened, he was sure that immediately afterwards Ironblood was dealing with the others in a very trance-like fashion, and goblin body parts were everywhere.
Ironblood buried his axe in a nearby goblin and began twisting it sickeningly as the goblin screamed in agony.
Another goblin ran to assist but Ironblood batted aside its shield with his own, and shattered its exposed leg with a single strike while simultaneously extricating his axe.
The axe, now freed, struck the head from the goblin whose leg he had just broken, and swung back around to cleave the axe-violated goblin in half.
He literally crushed the second-last goblin with the flat of his axe as the final goblin charged him in desperate fury, only to find itself short a right arm and a left hand.
The remaining parts of the left arm soon followed, along with the legs.
Ironblood was clearly feeling mean today.
The limbless Ngokang Actfly hadn't started today thinking he'd be dismembered in the worst possible way. His limbs now lay, in pieces, nearby. His weapons still held by his hands.
The blow that separated his head from his body came as something of a relief.
Ostri had been standing there, watching all this, and wandered up to Ironblood.
Ironblood saw him approach and held up a quietening finger as he pulled something out of his knapsack.
It was half a crumpet, and he ate it hungrily.
Once he had finished, he turned to Ostri and said "Now. I believe we have a meeting to get on with."