Chapter 28
The broad figure of the Chaos Dwarf clattered with metal with every movement. Heavy armor covered almost the entire body of the creature, except for its ugly and menacing face. In Andrzej Sapkowski's Witcher saga, one of the first descriptions of Leo Bonhart used the phrase: he would have been ridiculous if he hadn't been terrifying. This armored short-stack produced a similar impression. An absurd, barrel-shaped figure, a caricatured evil face with a massive hooked nose. A villain straight out of a children's fairy tale. However, I perfectly understood the monstrous power this being possessed and that he should not be underestimated.
The Chaos Dwarf held a double-bladed axe taller than himself in his right hand, while his left remained free for now. A heavy curved knife and a formidable-looking pistol with a wide muzzle hung from his belt.
As if by magic, the panicked Hobgoblins rushed back into battle with desperate fury. Considering their losses, there were fourteen of them left plus a dozen Wolves.
— Fight, you wretched vermin! — the Dwarf commanded in a voice like the resounding clang of metal under a blacksmith's hammer. — Suppress the resistance! Grind them into the dust!
I had to kill him as quickly as possible. The leader's death would completely break the Hobgoblins.
I rushed toward the Dwarf, ready to thrust at his exposed face. The enemy reacted instantly. An axe swing of monstrous speed flashed past my face. The Dwarf walked slowly, but he struck fast. In a fraction of a second, he gripped the axe with both hands and swung it twice, advancing on me.
The second blow struck the upper edge of my shield. My left arm involuntarily jerked, pierced by pain. It seemed even Orcs didn't hit that hard.
— Closer, weakling, — the Dwarf chuckled hoarsely, baring his curved tusks. — I'll cleave you along with your piece of wood.
He probably could, if I was too careless. I retreated, searching for Liandra with my eyes. She was already nearby, joining the fight against the Dwarf. One of the Huntsmen also came to our aid. However, the arrow he shot caused absolutely no harm to the armored enemy. The black-bearded Chaosite only sneered contemptuously.
Liandra tried to reach him with a long thrust to the face, but the enemy raised his arms, defending himself with his armor again. The Elf's blade only struck sparks from his armored forearm. The Dwarf immediately retaliated with a swing of his weapon, forcing the girl to keep her distance.
How was I supposed to approach him? There were no visible weak points in the enemy's defense.
The Elf stepped back a few paces, gesturing for me to do the same. Ah. I think I understood her plan. The Dwarf was currently standing with his back to the Sigmarite Temple. His rear was covered. If we lured him further out, we could try to flank him.
The Dwarf grinned crookedly and... did not follow us. As if it were beneath his dignity as a master to take a couple of extra steps for such trivial enemies. The Chaosite released the axe with both hands and raised his free left hand in a particular manner. Dark red sparks flashed around the Dwarf's metal gauntlet. Magic!
I remembered the village gates, shattered by an unknown force. So that was why the raiders had taken the fortifications so easily.
Now it was my turn to hurry. I rushed toward Liandra. Thank Sigmar, she knew about my ability to weaken sorcery and moved toward me as well. Just in time. A torrent of fire and ash enveloped us. The intolerably dry air scorched my throat. My eyes teared up from the incoming ash, but my protection worked. The incandescent stream did not turn me into a piece of charred meat, but only singed my cheeks.
When the flames dispersed, I noticed that the sneer had vanished from the Chaosite's face. It was replaced by an expression of extreme irritation and malice.
— I could not have erred… — the Dwarf growled. — You! What artifact do you possess? I will take it from your corpse!
The Chaos Dwarf assumed that some artifact was protecting me. Logical, but completely incorrect. And the Dwarf's voice boomed again, drowning out even the sounds of battle:
— Here, green mould! Bring me their heads! Obey, or lose your own!
The multitude of Hobgoblins who had previously been exchanging fire with the Huntsmen, trying to finish off the bear, or butchering the locals, immediately turned their vile red eyes on us. Bad. In literally a second, fire arrows would fly.
I took another step back, constantly turning my head in search of threats. The high-pitched jeers of Goblins and the growling of beasts were heard from all directions. The Wolf Riders did not attack us head-on but circled, trying to hit us from behind.
A flash to the right.
I barely managed to dodge a fire arrow that whizzed past. A second one from the other side should have 100% hit me, but Liandra deflected it with the flat of her sword. A third immediately followed, which the Elf had to dodge. The arrows, falling to the ground, continued to burn. Black, suffocating smoke obscured my vision. Through it, I saw the pleased face of the Chaos Dwarf, revealing his sharp teeth. The malevolent countenance of the Dawi-Zharr resembled a demon or dark deity carved from stone.
— Kill them! — he incited his minions. — Break their bones, tear their flesh, gouge out their eyes!
Arrows flew from all sides. Liandra barely managed to parry them, and I spun like a top, trying to dodge or cover myself with the shield.
However, by focusing on me, the Hobgoblins freed the hands of our allies. And while the locals mostly fled, the four surviving Huntsmen shot at the Wolf Riders. The wounded bear, despite dozens of arrows sticking out of its hide, was still fighting. A paw strike with massive claws knocked a nearby Hobgoblin from the back of his Wolf, sending the Dawi-Zharr minion flying about ten feet.
The Chaos Dwarf noticed this. He realized that the Hobgoblins' usual tactics weren't working and commanded:
— Draw your blades, you cowardly wretches! Take your spears! Kill the pointy-ear and the boy with the shield! I will destroy the rest myself!
Flames erupted around the Dawi-Zharr's left hand again. The Dwarf created five incandescent projectiles which, flying past me, headed toward where the surviving Huntsmen were entrenched. Something crashed and flashed, but I could no longer help those men.
A green wave of violence swept over Liandra and me. The Wolf Riders, who had previously preferred ranged combat, all drew their sabres and raised their jagged spears at once. They tried to attack from all directions. Everywhere I looked were the fanged muzzles of Wolves and their riders.
Four opponents tried to kill me simultaneously, including the Hobgoblin leader. Liandra held back the others.
A spear aimed at my shoulder, another at my face, a third trying to bypass the shield and strike my torso, and from the side, a growling Wolf maw and the Hobgoblin leader swinging his sabre. There was no chance for a counterattack. I dropped to my left knee to maximally cover myself with the shield against the spears, while simultaneously trying to block the sabre with my sword.
Clash, roar, and pain.
The sabre strike, getting past my block, grazed my back, and one of the spears tore clothing and skin from my right shoulder with its jagged edge. But I managed to avoid fatal damage. I fell onto my back, and the Hobgoblins assumed I was finished. The Wolves rushed at me, eager to tear apart the fallen prey. Yet, I could still resist. I presented the blade of my sword to the bite of the very first Wolf maw and slashed the predator across its mouth. If the grey beast survived this melee, in a couple of months it could ask other animals that profound question: "You know how I got these scars?"
I thought of dropping my shield and drawing my dagger with my left hand, but one of the Wolves lunged onto me from above. Its weight pressed the shield against my body. Its hot, moist breath was right in my face. Its teeth snapped, but I managed to lift my head, presenting the metal of my helmet to the bite. The huge Wolf pinned me to the ground, but it also exposed itself. My right hand was still relatively free. I pressed the point of my sword into its belly, plunging the blade as deep as possible into the animal's flesh. Then I pulled the weapon toward myself. The Wolf made a gurgling, yelping sound as its entrails spilled from its ripped-open abdomen.
The grey predator slumped onto its side, and simultaneously, a severed Hobgoblin head fell onto me from above. That was Liandra's doing.
Three out of four divisions of my frenzy were now filled. Hobgoblins and their Wolves yielded noticeably more than ordinary Greenies. My wounds hurt, but I couldn't afford to absorb the frenzy yet. I wouldn't survive this carnage without it.
I rolled onto my side and got up, leaning on my shield. A spear lunged for my face, but Liandra's sword deflected it. Just in time. I sprang to my feet, immediately crossing blades with the Goblin leader. I placed my sword flat against his sabre. I tried to catch the enemy blade closer to my hilt. That was the only way to establish a solid block.
I tried to knock the enemy sabre aside and counterattack. I aimed for the enemy's face, where the wound from Liandra's dagger gaped. A Wolf prevented me. The fanged steed saved its rider, attempting to bite my lower leg.
I covered my legs with the shield, backing away. The Hobgoblin chieftain was right in front of me. Baring his teeth, he struck my face with the spiked pommel of his sabre. The frenzy extinguished the pain. I plunged the blade upward from below, into the armpit of his left hand. The armor did not protect the enemy there. The point of the blade went deep before I ripped it out. An expression of extreme surprise froze on the Hobgoblin's face. My attack combined the enhancement from the accumulated frenzy and the skills learned from Max.
I was about to finish off the Hobgoblin, but he threw his sabre into my face and, with a barely noticeable movement of his body, commanded his Wolf to leap back. A second later, the Greenie chieftain was gone. The fear of immediate death at my hands outweighed the fear of punishment from the Dawi-Zharr. The Hobgoblin leader fled.
I hoped the others would follow his example, but the punishing hand of the Chaos Dwarfs worked quickly and effectively.
The Dawi-Zharr tore a curved dagger from his belt. Sorcerous runes flashed orange-fire on it. A smoky-ash whip extended from the blade. It grew to a respectable length in an instant. The Dawi-Zharr swung the blade. The whip shot after the fleeing Hobgoblin. Bending in the air, the magical cord snatched the coward from his Wolf and dragged him back toward us.
The Dawi-Zharr tried to fling the Hobgoblin at me. I had to brace myself and cover up with the shield. The impact almost knocked me off my feet. The other Hobgoblins were returning to the fight. Their faces contorted with a mixture of fear and malice. They would gladly have run far away, but the Dawi-Zharr would not allow them.
I finished off the stunned chieftain with a downward strike to his exposed neck. More frenzy, and the battle continued to rage.
While I batted away the spear of another Wolf Rider, trying to slash his bare arm in return, the Dwarf sorcerer summoned the ash whip again. He was throwing something at me again. This time, the projectile was the corpse of a local resident. The sorcerer tried to strike me in the back with the bloody body. However, seeing him fling the ash whip somewhere, I anticipated the attack. A step to the side, and the corpse fell past. Another Wolf Rider fell nearby.
Liandra fought several opponents at once, constantly reducing their number. The trophy hand-and-a-half sword darted in her hands. Heads and fragments of Hobgoblin bodies flew everywhere. The Wolves whimpered, sensing a superior opponent. The five surviving Hobgoblins seemed to have gone pale. Their eyes darted from Liandra to the Dwarf sorcerer. They tried to decide whom they feared more.
The Dawi-Zharr seemed infuriated by the uselessness of his minions. He decided he would have to do everything himself and drew his last trump card—a gruesome-looking pistol with a wide, demon-mouth muzzle. The Chaos Dwarf tried to aim the weapon at Liandra. Despite continuing to fight the Goblins, she moved constantly, shifting out of the line of fire. The Dwarf furrowed his thick brow and...
With a sharp movement, he swung the pistol toward me. I flinched, trying to dodge, but I was too late. A veritable column of flame erupted from the muzzle. I expected horrible pain and hoped to save my life by absorbing the frenzy, but in the last moment, Liandra shielded me.
Along with the roar of the shot, there was the sound of steel shattering. The Elf tried to protect herself with the flat of her sword, but the metal gave way. The bullet split the blade at the base. Liandra was also wounded. She staggered back. A bloody stain spread across the grey shirt she was wearing. The Dawi-Zharr burst into laughter.
However, despite the wound, the swordswoman had no intention of surrendering. She threw the hilt of the broken sword into the face of the nearest Hobgoblin. I immediately took advantage of the moment and, stepping forward, slashed the Wolf Rider across the neck.
Liandra drew a one-handed sword from her sheath. She stood with a face full of pain and cold fury, clutching the wound on her stomach with her left hand. Our position was precarious, but then the bear, which the enemies hadn't finished off, came to our aid. The beast was riddled with wounds. There was practically no uninjured spot left on its hide, but the bear continued to fight against all odds. With its paws, it scooped up the Wolf of the Hobgoblin I had killed and bit through the grey predator's head.
The battle reignited with renewed vigor. However, these were the final convulsions of a terrifying clash. Most of the fighters on both sides were killed or severely wounded. Only the cursed Dawi-Zharr stood as an unwavering monolith of metal. With an arrogant expression on his tusked face, he watched as we finished off the Goblins. The loss of his minions did not frighten him in the least.
With three strikes, I finished off a thoroughly terrified Hobgoblin who was resisting very weakly. His steed bolted. He turned out to be the last Wolf Rider.
The Chaos Dwarf fixed us with a searing gaze.
— Pieces of useless meat! — he declared, hanging the pistol on his belt and taking the axe with both hands. — You cannot win, little human. My flesh is stone! My muscles are steel!
Clanging his armor, he walked toward me. Liandra, paler than usual, backed away and whispered:
— Go, go, go...
— We can handle it! — I objected and rushed at the Dawi-Zharr.
I threw my shield away. I was sure the Chaos Dwarf would cut it in half with the very first blow. My only hope was speed and reaction. After all, my blood frenzy chalice was already full to the brim.
— Haaarrr! — the armored Chaosite roared, trying to reach me with a long swing of his axe.
I easily dodged. The Dwarf's attacks no longer seemed so lightning-fast. The Dawi-Zharr took a couple more steps forward. Each step seemed like a condescension on his part. Irritation was reflected on the Dawi-Zharr's face. It enraged him that he had to chase after a lesser being.
The Dwarf decided to use a trick. He swung with both hands, and then released his grip with his right. In this way, the Dawi-Zharr tried to unexpectedly increase his attack distance. Max had already shown me such tricks with the hand-and-a-half sword. I only smirked.
I'll try to anger him first. Perhaps I can lead him away from Liandra so she can get behind the enemy.
The Chaos Dwarf continued tirelessly swinging his enormous axe. The terrifying weapon sliced through the air with a whistle. Right, left, high, low. Suddenly, a bold idea came to mind. Risky, but it might work.
I extended my blade forward, tracking the enemy's every movement and retreating.
Right, left, high, low...
Now!
Waiting for the moment when the Dawi-Zharr tried to chop off my legs, I didn't jump back, but forward. The axe whistled right beneath me. I, in turn, struck the enemy in the face with a powerful thrust. Victory?!
The flash of joy was replaced by deep despair when I saw...
What the hell?! The Chaos Dwarf had literally clamped down on my blade with his teeth. The monster's eyes burned with rage. Tongues of flame erupted from his mouth through his clenched tusks. The enemy held my sword locked in his jaws. I couldn't pull it back out or finish him off. I had to jump back, if I could make it. The Dawi-Zharr was already beginning a new axe attack when...
A carcass, riddled with arrows, fell upon him, taking the axe blow. The bear couldn't knock the Chaos Dwarf down but literally covered him, constraining the movements of the terrible warrior.
I had to take advantage of this. Releasing the sword, I grabbed the dagger from my belt. The very blade given to me by the inconsolable father whose son was devoured by Goblins.
Rushing toward the enemy, I plunged the dagger into the Dwarf's left eye. The right eye glared at me with fierce malice. The Dwarf clenched his jaws, biting through my sword. Molten metal dripped down his chin. Flame erupted from his tusked maw.
I felt my right arm being squeezed as if by a vice. The Dwarf had seized it with his left hand. Even with the frenzy chalice full, the pain was agonizing. This monster was breaking the bones of my wrist. I then switched the dagger's grip to my left hand and twisted the blade inside.
Once, twice, again and again. I rotated the dagger in the enemy's skull.
I was carving away the brain of the cursed Dwarf along with his dreadful schemes and boundless ambitions. His grip on my hand slackened. Fire no longer erupted from his mouth. The monster was finally dead.
Simultaneously, the bear's carcass, which had fought so bravely on our side, began to lose form and disintegrate. Clumps of fur flew off it, turning into dry leaves. The cloud of fluttering commotion dissipated. In the spot where the bear's carcass had just lain, there now remained a woman wrapped in furs.
It seemed we had found the Amber Wizard Shaman. Or rather, she had found us.