Keep moving! The warrior kept backing away, rolling to the side at the last possible second. The onslaught was coming hard and heavy now. The mob was silent, as most were half covering their eyes, watching the warrior backpedal for his life. The beast’s clubs were beating the ground furiously as they crushed the sand where the warrior stood a fraction of a second ago, only to keep repeating as Morcel continued to roll and dodge.
This was as assassination, not a tournament! The warrior was in a completely defensive mode, but not without purpose. As his mind floated, he could feel the attacks more than see them; he knew where they were coming from. He could feel a pattern forming. The stupid beast was lunging right at him every time and making no adjustments to his movement at all. He was beginning to slow as well.
Morcel’s conditioning was superb, but he couldn’t keep this up forever. He had to take a chance sooner or later. He came up from a side roll as he held his axe firmly in front of him. The gorbel dropped his club down hard, but not as hard as earlier. It was definitely slowing. Morcel braced and then parried the vicious blow, reeling as the hard vibration pulsed down his arms. However, he countered hard even though his arms felt numb from the impact, slashing at the beast’s arm. It howled as it backed away a few steps, but its scream was nowhere near the thunderous roar that erupted from the mob.
Now I am the hunter! The warrior pressed his attack hard as the roar from the crowd exploded through the arena. Morcel began savagely swinging his axe in wide, looping circles, more to get in on his foe that to actually cause any damage. Time moved in slow motion as he pumped his axe over and over. The lumbering beast blocked the incoming barrage more out of instinct than skill, simply flinching by reflex, bringing his large weapons up defensively as the heavy blows came raining in repeatedly.
Morcel struck hard, not even looking for openings, throwing all his weight behind each blow, right at the creature’s desperate shield made of crossed clubs. “I am no slave!” he screamed as he chopped away at the clubs, splintered pieces of wood being chipped away with every blow. “I am as free as the day I was born!” Blows came down harder and harder as the gorbel fell to one knee, using all its dwindling strength to hold its splintering shield of clubs in place. No one remained seated as the mob screamed as loud as they could, jumping up and down in a crazed frenzy.
As the gorbel fell to its back, it still held the nearly useless weapons desperately in front of its face as the vicious shots continued to fall relentlessly, like an avalanche of steel. Morcel dropped blows with every word he shouted. “You-will-not-take-this-from-me!” he screamed as if he were crazed. The final blow drove right through what was left of the clubs, sinking deep into the beast’s face. Mocel pulled the axe from the beast with a crackling sound and held it high into the air. He faintly remembered the roar of the crowd. Far off in the distance it sounded as the mighty warrior collapsed from total exhaustion. It made no difference. He would awaken a free man!
Chapter 13
The evening meal was a welcome sight for all that night. The day had been a trying ordeal for everyone. Between the unnerving images they had been forced to endure at the hands of Berkeni to the legendary battle at Moxis that would probably be spoken of for years, everyone was simply exhausted. Ilirra and Azek sat at their usual table, away from everyone else. They appeared to be arguing, as they did so often. Ilirra’s two giant red bodyguards stood nearby as always, appearing virtually lifeless but ready to unleash a massacre without a moment’s pause.
The trio of friends sat by themselves as well. Jade had not uttered a single word since they left the arena. It was understandable, given the events of the evening. Jacob and Eric continued to try and force uncomfortable small talk, complaining of anything they could think of, from how hot it had been throughout the day, down to the stuffed pheasant, which seemed a touch too cold. It was all just a way of distracting themselves from the reality of tomorrow.
“You two scared?” Jacob asked in a rush as his eyes bounced back and forth between the two. He was simply asking the burning question on everyone’s mind.