A Dragon Scorned (WIP 2nd edition)

Chapter 1

The Third Era

Year 976

"Fight! Fight! Fight!" The drunken dwarves cheered.

Urim Agadad eyed his opponent – a large, shirtless dwarf, stood on the other side of the swarmed fighting pit. He desperately tried to remember what possessed him to pick a fight with Burkin. But he could barely hear his own thoughts over the ruckus. Urim shook his head and clenched his calloused dwarven fingers into a fist.

He glanced at the black silhouette of a dragon slaying a serpent tattooed over the other dwarf's heart. Just like the one Urim and all the other Brotherhood members carried on their chests. Burkin, the walking pile of muscles, stretched his suspenders and grinned as the material slapped loudly against his bare skin. "Come on, officer!"

Urim said nothing. Instead he smirked, stepped to the left, then to the right, warming up for the challenge. He was Burkin's superior after all, how hard could this fight be?

"Stop prancing around." Burkin slammed his right fist into the open palm of his other hand. "We don't have all day."

"There's plenty o' time." Another step. Their ranks didn't matter in the fighting pit. "You in a hurry to get your ass kicked?"

The crowd erupted with laughter, but the support was evenly split. He heard both his and Burkin's name chanted as the other members of the Brotherhood Without Glory egged them both on.

"There's still time to give up." Burkin smirked and slammed his fist again. "Since we all know how much you love your mercenary friends."

Right. That's what it started with. Urim tried to shake his thoughts sober and his long plait whipped back and forth through the air. The loser had to take the other man's shift on the upper deck. Urim clenched his teeth. He had one friend worth standing up for amongst the mercenaries, but that didn't mean he wanted to freeze his ass of babysitting the rest of the mongrels.

"Say that again and I'll knock your teeth out!" Urim barked and sprinted head first at his opponent.

His arms grasped at the larger dwarfs torso, but all he caught was air.

"Nice try." Burkin's fist landed in Urim's side.

"Ugh." He jumped to the side ignoring the pain to avoid a second blow.

But Burkin anticipated that too – with a swipe of his leg across the floorboards he tripped Urim.

Me and my big mouth, Urim thought his body slamming against the floor, his hopes for an even fight crushed. He might outrank his opponent, but unlike Burkin he didn't rise to his position through brawls and fighting prowess.

Burkin's fist flew right at his face.

Urim rolled away at the last moment and scrambled to his feet. The angry look in Burkin's eyes told him one thing – this was never about the mercenaries or the stupid watch shift. Even though they were both from the same elite fraction of the Brotherhood – the Sealed Lineage did not just take in anyone – Burkin was jealous of Urim's position! The snarky comments and minor offences suddenly came together in Urim's mind. Burkin blamed him for being overlooked for promotion. For being stuck as a grunt, even though he carried the title of an officer.

Urim sidestepped to evade an uppercut and tried to land a blow of his own. Another miss, but with some swift footwork he stayed out of Burkin's reach. If only he could find a soft spot.

The tough skull would take way harder punches than he could throw. He could try and break Burkin's nose, but he was unlikely to land a frontal attack. Something low, something towards the back. Urim aimed for the kidneys, and with a swift punch he sent a ripple through Burkin's skin.

No effect.

"And you call yourself superior?" Burkin laughed, turned round and jabbed right between Urim's eyes.