Born a Monster

491 Trial By Oops

Kornath circled to my right, away from my shield. “You’ll not win by backing up like that.”

“Haven’t lost yet.” I said. “Shouldn’t you have won already if you’re the legendary axe hero?”

He shrugged. “The combat portion of this is going to be boring.” He swept his axe between us, whether for his own benefit, or to intimidate me, I would never know.

I blinked. “That sounds different than a normal axe cutting the air.” I said.

“Indeed. But watch this.” The axe shifted in his hands. Not the way the genuine article shifted in Rakkal’s, but it was close.

I squinted. “I’ve seen...”

He came in low, and swung upward. It wasn’t Flash Step, but it was close enough. I was able to get my shield in the way, but the force knocked me back a step.

[Your shield has absorbed 16 points, and taken 10 points of damage. 20/30 Condition remain.]

He spun around, to bring the axe in on my weapon side. The problem with spins is that your opponent can still move while you’re not looking.

.....

Low and right, and the blow that could have severed my arm at the shoulder passed overhead. I tried a cut at his leg, but he danced away. Well, technically, he used [Valor/Melee Defense/Footwork/Dodge]. I just wasn’t used to other people having better skill levels than normal.

He looped the axe high, bringing it down to cleave the ground. Okay, almost me, but I rolled forward and to my left. I should have come up behind him, but...

He was good. As in better skills and abilities than I had level of good.

Yeah, yeah. Militant/Warrior classes, good in combat, who knew?

But instead of looking frustrated or worried, he instead smiled. “Or, perhaps this will be interesting.” he said. “I’ve got your measure, child.”

He pulled the axe to his mouth and whispered to it. “Unlock skill cap.”

Wait... unlock?

He came in fast, like a spearman would have, using a series of swift blows. They seemed to come in from every direction at once. It wasn’t; I couldn’t have blocked and parried otherwise.

When I tried to take Shield Stance, he’d do a [Power Attack] or [Overhead Swing]. I would sometimes get a swing in at him, but:

[You have scored a RED... ORANGE... YELLOW... crit. You have struck your enemy for eight points of damage, minus his armor rating.] It was like he used three champion points, all at once.

Champion points, of which I had two (not many), and needed to hold onto for defense.

“Quit toying with him!” shouted Spy. “It’s too hot for such games!”

Kornath took a step back, then two. “Some Arminger has trained this boy.” he said. “It will take time, but eventually I’ll land a blow.”

“Eventually.” Conman laughed at his fellows.

“Whirling Sawblade!” Kornath cast, whirling his axe in a circle. At the outer edge of that circle, the air became a whirling disc, its edge sharp as it sailed toward me.

[You have taken an ORANGE... YELLOW crit for double damage. Sixteen damage received; after armor twelve points of damage have been taken. 82/120 health remain.]

[You have 1/5 Champion points.]

Crap! I mean, sure he had a few nicks on himself as well, but I had no reason to suspect his total health was any less than mine was. He was hitting more often, critting more often, and did not seem to be tiring.

And then, he lost.

He just... stepped directly onto the line of chalk providing power to the design that should have been suppressing my System. As I mentioned, there wasn’t enough power to activate those runes fully.

“Ghyaaaaa!” he screamed, as micro lightnings jumped around between his teeth. Between his fingers, which lost their hold on the Axe.

An Axe that also struck the power line.

I threw myself clear, rolling, and lost a precious two seconds lying there with my eyes covered by my arms, and nothing covering my nose from the scent of roasting meat.

When I rose, so had he, but he wobbled. “Awl right then,” he said, his words slurring as though he’d just gotten a concussion. Let’s see how you like this. This. This. This.”

He jerked where he’d placed his hand too near the Power Line to grab his axe.

I took the opportunity to swap out my knife for a wooden mallet. I struck at the back of his knee, but his reflexes were too strong; I had to lean backwards to avoid catching his axe blade in my face.

“GET OFF OF THAT, YOU FOOL!” Alderman said.

“Enough!” Spy shouted as Kornath stumbled to a knee. “This is no longer a pure fight. Kornath has been injured by magic. Cheating upon the defendant!”

“It’s YOUR magic that did this to him!” I shouted.

“And?” Spy shouted back.

“Clearly an accident,” Alderman said, “One that is obviously nobody’s fault.”

“Unless my brother proposes that all of us who made this place are to blame.” Conman said.

Spy looked shocked, but recovered his composure quickly. “Guards! Restrain this monster until it heals fully, and there shall be a rematch at that time... on a less hazardous battleground.”

I looked over at Kornath, supposedly the Axe Hero. “He might need more time to heal than I do.” I said.

Dang it! I wouldn’t heal as quickly if they didn’t feed me properly.

And there, by my foot, I saw it. Up close, it clearly wasn’t the Legendary Axe. For one...

“Don’t even think about grabbing that axe.” said one of the guards. There were two of them, and they had the strength to get the manacles on my wrists, at either end of a spreader bar that was clearly made for someone much larger than I.

“Kill you!” yelled Kornath, jumping for me with grasping hands.

If you’re in manacles, remember the spreader bar is not a weapon. Sure, you can parry with it, but it transfers the physical shock to your wrists through the manacles. A charging adult is very, very heavy to stop with only your wrists.

A [Broken Wrist – Left] and [Fractured Ulna and Radius – Right] later, and he was unconscious. Don’t bang your forehead against metal bars, it just isn’t healthy.

“I... is that really your version of the Axe Hero?” I asked.

The guard snorted, and kicked me in the buttocks to move me the direction he wanted me to go. “It always starts small.” he said. “Unlike your fake, ours will grow in power.”

Some truths are harder not to speak than others. For example, “He’d better grow fast; if I can do this to him, Rakkal will take him apart.”

This is not a truth to say if you value your kidneys.

“I thought the prison was to our right.” I said, as we cleared the design.

“That’s prison for people.” second guard said. “You get to go to the menagerie, the prison for animals and beasts.”

I blinked. “That’s... unexpected.” I said.

And they did this, with obvious results. The doors are secured with a pin, in turn secured with a second pin. Neither was secured with anything resembling a lock. Any animal or beast with hands and a brain...

Look, I was free at nightfall.

What can I say? Ankle chains don’t work so well on those of us who are flexible enough to dislocate the ankle and slide the foot through.

My ankle surged with pain. Every. Single. Step.

I wasn’t running anywhere in my condition, so I wasn’t outrunning any guards. I wasn’t returning my cage, but...

Ah, ah! The itching of armor sweated into for a full day! I stopped by the river, partly to wash, and partly to drink.

[You have made your save against a second tier Yellow Fever infection.]

Wait, second tier? The infections I started with Lifeshaper powers could evolve on their own?

And, that is where I nearly got caught. Twice. By soldiers who were just being soldiers, and bathing when they could.

“Where’s your clothing, human?” asked one.

“I’d like to know that myself.” I said. And, when the laughing and mocking parts were done, I sneaked back into the menagerie, and stole my clothing and (much torn) armor back. It gave me an idea, and while I was trying to sneak around to do that is when the net fell on top of me.

“See?” Not-Tigrin said, “I told you he thinks he’s stealthier than he is.” It was creepy, the dim light that radiated from behind his eyes.

“So I see.” Malkin said. “Well, he’ll be easier to carry if you tie him up. And gag him, if you want.”

“You actually don’t have...” but the rest was muffled, because Not-Tigrin liked some parts of his new job.

Out of the frying pan, into the fire, as the saying goes. And yes, before my scribe asks, I was getting tired of this manner of shuffling around.

Yes, I know now that’s exactly what happened. A combination of three abilities, each of which took a single grade off the level of a critical, minimum of GREEN, or normal success damage.

I’m obviously not going blow-by-blow. He out-skilled me and I was losing.

Yes, NOW that seems obvious, as many things do in retrospect.