Abased - The Exiled Warrior

Chapter 13.1 - Lady of the Dargu

"Damn," Alam spat. He tried holding his axe in his injured right hand. Pain lanced through his arm from the arrow wounds.

"Damn," he repeated quietly and transferred the axe back to his left hand.

The two grags were steadily stalking towards him.

"I have eight more arrows," Tajar reported.

"We'll take the one on the right first, it seems the most injured," Alam said as he sidestepped to the right.

"Clarisai, stay behind Tajar," he instructed.

"For the hundredth time, you do not have to protect me," she replied.

The waving tentacles on the top of the grags' eyeless heads must have sensed Alam, for they both turned towards him as he sidestepped away from Clarisai and Tajar..

Thirty five paces away.

"Alam, wait," Clarisai said. She ran up behind him, reached up, and placed her hand on the skin of the back of his neck.

With prickly, itchy heat his wounds healed in a second. The pain in his arm and shoulder was suddenly gone

"Doesn't everything comes at a price?" Alam reminded her of her own words.

"I will repay it later."

Alam nodded, though he had no idea what she meant, and turned back towards the advancing grags. He stepped to the right again as he sucked in deep breaths, willing the fury to build within him.

"Anytime now, Tajar," Alam urged.

"I only have eight!" Tajar reminded Alam. "Get one to open its mouth."

"I don't think that is going to be a problem."

Alam continued to drag in deep breaths as he walked towards the grags.

"I'm not afraid of you," he lied outloud. "I'm not afraid of you!"

One of the grags broke into a run, charging Alam.

"Come on!" he shouted at it.

It's six feet thudded heavily on the black stone.

An arrow from Tajar whistled past his ear and dug deep into the head of the grag.

If it felt it, it gave no sign.

Alam roared and charged. He held his axe above his head, ready to strike.

The grag shrieked at him. Tajar seized the moment and fired an arrow into its open mouth. Its feet faltered yet continued to bear down upon Alam.

Alam leapt to the side and brought down his axe with the full force of his strength.

"Die!"

Splat.

The axe blade was completely buried in its head.

As it collapsed to the ground Alam's axe was wrenched out of his hand. He was pulled off balance, fell clumsily, and found himself on one knee.

"Alam!" Clarisai screamed from behind.

"Move!" Tajar shouted.

He looked up to see the second grag bowling over the body of its dead companion. It opened its jaw of jagged teeth and launched itself at Alam.

Alam raised his shield and braced himself.

Thump!

The grag smashed into him, throwing him onto his back. One of its legs stomped on Alam's thigh. Alam grunted in pain. The creature's teeth snapped out. Alam covered his face with his shield. Its face smashed into the shield. The power behind the beasts strike forced the shield onto alam's face. He could not see anything other than the back of the shield.