DREADWOLF - Chapter 99

◈ Chapter 99:

They made their way through the camp until they came to what appeared to be for all the world an arena. That is, a wide circular sandy area with rising stands set out around it. Even as he watched more of the stands were being thrown together by those who hadn’t been part of the brawl. Planks were being grabbed and pulled from carts and quickly built up, a structure knocked together, Orc’s climbing and finding seats as soon as they were made whole. Soon a sea of green lay in every direction as what seemed like the entire camp descended on the arena, this time including the lower levelers, the novel entertainment drawing them in.

Rain placed a foot on the sand uncertainly, feeling the way the grains slid between his pads. A fight with Tamriel was one thing, but with every Orc in the clan watching from every side? A wall of Orcs with no real way out? The likelihood he could escape with Lyra and Opal felt like it was slipping away from him with every passing moment just as the grains of sand slipped between his claws.

He looked up and scowled seeing Rugnor drag Opal and Lyra into the stands.

The fat Orc reached out and grabbed a leg of spiced meat from a burning brazier some enterprising Orc had set out. A wash of grease rolled down his chin as he bit into it

“A fine pile of leveling like that just waitin’ to be taken and that idiot Hunter gets it,” he grumbled glaring at Rain.

“She’s going to die,” murmured Lyra.

Rugnor frowned and turned to look down at the awkwardly sat Lyra, arm outstretched and held firmly in his free hand.

“As much as I wish it weren’t so I ain’t seen or heard her come close to losing against any monster. This is already over, the fun is in the spectacle, not the risk, s’why all the weak ‘uns are here.”

Opal glared up at him. “She’s right, that leveler is dead and so are you. You have no idea what you’ve invited into your home.”

Rugnor took a great bite of leg. “You’re a talker for a Goblin. You know we proberly don’t need both of youse to keep that thing from tryin’ ter escape, and youse are a monster. I wonder how mad that thing will get if I killed you.”

Despite herself Opal felt an uneasy feeling creeping up her spine. She was uncomfortably aware that the Orc holding her arm could crush it into paste and only did not because he was carefully restraining himself. She wasn’t capable of stopping him from doing what he wanted if he felt like it.

Rugnor snorted. “‘Course that’d be a distraction fer it ‘killin Tam so I’ll be ‘holdin off fer now s’much as I’d enjoy the ehntertainment.”

Tamriel had ducked off to one side as Rain padded warily around the sandy arena, leaving him with the raucous yells and insults coming from the crowd. What looked like a thrown lamb bone landed by his feet, the Orc who had lobbed it spitting venom, bile filled words; “Monster scum” and “Sub-sapient filth” along with promises of a painful death.

He was almost taken aback by the sheer blind hatred some of the Orc’s displayed… but then, he had been a leveler in his past life, he knew for many that friends and family dying to monsters was a common reality, it wasn’t hard to see where the hate stemmed from.

He was on the verge of having the shadowy centipede crawling through the stands bite Rugnor’s ankle when Tamriel returned.

The Orc’s crimson tattoos were no longer visible, now covered up in a kind of toe to neck armour similar to that of Kel’s, a mix of leathers and scales marked with Orcish runes, albeit of far higher quality. She also wore an open faced helm in the same kind of coppery metal that capped her tusks.

She had replaced the longbow too, instead wielding what looked like a one handed repeater crossbow. A rectangular box sat atop the small frame rattling with fresh bolts. In her other hand she held a heavy set sword, a simple design, unadorned, a design made primarily for efficient and methodical killing. Rain realised this was most likely what she wore when dungeon diving.

“Like it monster? You shouldn’t. I’ve killed more of you than I can count wearing this.”

Rain shrugged lightly, black mist starting to roll from his mane.

“I don’t care.” or rather, he didn’t further than this fight went. He was painfully aware that the shadowy wolf teeth weren’t likely to pierce her enchanted leather on their own if the enchanted armour was as strong as Kel’s. It meant that only her face was vulnerable, at least until he could get up close and use his actual strength on her.

“Give me a fight filth, don’t turn out like one of those worthless farmed monsters who’ve never had a scrap in their lives. Do something! Live to die! Die to live!!”

“I-

The crossbow whipped up as the first syllable of a reply left Rain’s mouth and with a snap-snap-snap a trio of bolts ripped through the air. Rain didn’t even have time to think the motion had been so fast, his paw raising bare inches before with a thud-thud-thud the bolts embedded themselves in his chest, only stopped from going deeper because they happened to hit bone.

He roared in pain as he stumbled back, the sand rippling around him in waves under the sound, creating small sandy waves that broke against the stands.

With a snarl of pained rage he flung out his paw and shadow sprayed from his fur, wolf fangs rushing into the air, eager to hunt. He was already moving, the sand fountaining up behind him as he tore forward, the dark teeth his vanguard.

Tamriel cackled and her crossbow flickered side to side, a stream of bolts spewing forth, each aimed frighteningly accurately.

Puffs of black mist filled the air as one by one a bolt struck each set of wolf teeth and broke them apart, impacting with such strength the powerful bolts tore through the material near instantaneously.

Rain adjusted, twisting his upper body so that his right paw was obscured both by his own torso and the fresh clouds of mist rolling toward him trying to rejoin his fur. He reached range and twisted, his right paw whipping around.

He knew that Tamriel was well aware of the shadowy wolf teeth, but he had intentionally only shown her that one ability. What leveler’s considered the occasional ‘monster magic’ was one thing, something as flexible as the dark terror he controlled was entirely another.

He torqued and a set of three-foot long scythe like claws twinned above his own claws came hurtling from the dark mist straight on target for Tamriel.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a real surprise attack if he didn’t double down.

He triggered his basic Chop Wood Skill and the claws massively accelerated in force, flashy streaks of red light left in their wake as they meteored forward like they would scar the world.

Tamriel’s expression went from a lazy yet accurate parry of an expected normal regular paw strike to a desperate panicked guard, grabbing hold of the grip with both hands, crossbow dropped, shock clear in her face as she set her feet.

The scythes struck the blade like a bomb. The sword shattered in a flash of blue light, hidden strengthening runes catastrophically failing. The blastwave ripped Tamriel off her feet, the tips of the long scythes shredding the surface of her armour as she was blown backwards, cartwheeling through the air like a rag doll. She smashed into the crowd hard, three Orc’s dying on the spot as they were crushed to death under the impact. Then a solid sheet of sand followed, lifted into the air by the spherical shock wave and slapped against the crowd.

An audience of sand covered and frozen in surprise Orc’s looked down at the wolf like monster in their arena.

That lasted all of one moment as fists rose into the air in a roar of outrage and glee (As well as a smaller voice that cried Woop wolfy!). Now this was excitement and spectacle, danger and thrill in the Orcish way. The Orc’s blood only rose higher and more frenetic as Tamriel clambered to her feet, a look of pure white hot fury on her face.

The furious hunter grabbed at the hip of one of the Orc’s she had crushed to death and ripped free a fresh sword. She then stormed down the stepped seats of the arena, boots thudding on wood as Orc’s frantically shuffled out of her way.

Rain watched her carefully. He had intended to kill her in that attack, taking advantage of her underestimation of his ability to end her. The only reason she had escaped was due to her sword, he had assumed it was just a plain steel sword as it clearly appeared. Apparently not.

He doubted the one she had just picked up would be similar, but then how would he know for certain? Enchanted swords weren’t common from what he knew… but then maybe they were amongst Orcs? How a clan of Orcs did things was far outside his experience in his past life.

His gaze fell to her chest. Four huge gashes were lain out across her cuirass, her clothing and the occasional slim flash of green skin below. He narrowed his eyes hoping to see her flesh start to disintegrate… But nothing changed, he’d just brushed her, not even nicking her skin.

He wrinkled his nose in frustration. He was now put in an awkward position. He had gained little knowledge of her capabilities outside of her exceptional accuracy while she knew more of his. Worse, he still had no easy way through her armour, the gashes were too fine.

“That,” breathed Tamriel, “Hurt… You fuck.”

She lifted a hand and the crossbow that had been buried by sands wiggled free and then leapt into her palm of its own volition.

“You asked.” gravelled Rain.

“I suppose I did ask you to put up a little fight, so… good, you did that.” She spun her fresh blade and raised the crossbow. “Doesn’t mean I’m going to enjoy making you suffer for that sneaky little trick any less.”

Rain almost pointed out that she had attacked without warning first but the air was already filled with the snap-snap-snap sound of the repeater crossbow. He darted to the side, throwing his arm up, this time ready for her speed. Fortunate as a bolt that was destined for his neck instead embedded itself in the large shadow paw floating above his own, a billow of mist appearing around where it struck. Three more bolts thud-thudded into his real forearm below however and he snarled in pain as the tips scraped bone.

Wolf teeth had been forming in his wake with his every movement and they sped away as soon as they had the ability, this time spreading out wide, circling around Tamriel in an arc as another dozen bolts peppered his body, only managing to keep his vitals safe from the deadly hail. Dozens more bolts came on, thirty, then forty, his fur bristled with the things and the sand behind became wet with bright red in his wake.

The Orc’s accuracy was such that it felt like she was picking and choosing the most painful areas to hit. It only stopped when she was forced to turn and fire on the teeth creeping up on her. Rain instantly took the opportunity, he dove down, his left paw forming a mirror to his right, two huge clawed paws that sunk into the ground and were then shovelled up, pounds of sand flung into the air, a broad plume of dusty sand sent flying toward the Orc.

He darted around it, using the loss of line of sight to charge forward not needing to defend. A cry made him raise his paw, his ears turning to locate the Orc as the dust billowed.

There.

He struck at a blurry form in the dust storm, one quick swipe and-

A sword lanced out of the dust high up and to the side, a sliver of silvery steel stabbing for his neck, his death a moment away.

Teeth surged from his mane and thrust themselves into the blade’s path, one, two, three, each successive puff off dark mist slowing the blade fractionally, just enough time to twist and raise his shoulder at the last possible second. The blade shivved straight through his deltoid and hit bone with a jarring impact that rattled his entire body, the sheer power behind the blade beginning to cut through his incredibly strong bone, hairline fractures running down his humerus like lightning, the bone about to shatter-

*Snap!*

The sword broke in two, unable to withstand the ridiculous forces it was being put under. This time the sword broke like a plain sword and the sheared bottom half slid by Rain’s pecs as he slipped out of the way.

A figure came tumbling from the sand cloud, a sand coloured figure. They rolled across the ground but before they could come to a stop a large paw foot booted them in the gut. The figure was sent rolling and bouncing across the ground until they slammed into the bottom of the stands near Lyra and Opal.

As the last of the dust cloud dissipated and cleared the figure climbed to their feet, wobbly but standing. It was Tamriel, although her body had some kind of sandy coating hiding her green skin, already falling away. Camouflage. That and the way she had repositioned herself in the dust cloud at that impossible angle, striking like a scorpion with the sword, impossibly fast and deadly, all of it, he realised, had been her Skills, her trump card.

She’d been waiting for him to use the sand, goading him into it by pinning him down with the crossbow. It had been a trap.

He snorted and swept a paw over his body ripping out dozens of bolts. A shower of red speckled the ground.

“Clever. You knew what I had in mind.”

“Any Orc who brawls knows to use sand to their advantage monster, it’s the first fucking thing you go for in a dirty fight. Figures a particularly… aware, monster like you would too.”

She spat blood to the side. Clearly the gut kick had had an effect.

Then she lifted her hand and the crossbow once more appeared in it, the rectangular box on top clacking with the sound of many more bolts and far from empty. It seemed it was enchanted like her first sword, Rain doubted she would run short of bolts any time soon.

His eyes moved to the side. A furious Opal was currently trying to stab the Orc with a rapier and only Lyra was holding her back, one hand on her mouth stopping her from crying out and drawing Tamriel’s attention.

He hadn’t wanted to kick the Orc so close to the girls but he hadn’t had a choice. It was the spot where the shadowy centipede was hidden. Even as he watched it crawled out from below the stands and latched onto Tamriel’s leg, swiftly crawling, its many feet rippling up and up..

“I tend to avoid using things like this. Causes me big problems later. But for one like you? Eh. Why not?” She gave him a fierce grin and lifted her free hand to the box on the crossbow. After a moment a red light started to spill from the wood. A feverish concentration in her eyes as she engaged some kind of Skill.

She was completely oblivious to the large black centipede now on her back and crawling up into her long braided hair.

There was no place for the centipede to go however, a leather gorget covering her neck and reaching up under the coppery helm, too small a gap. The centipede had no place to bite and going around the front to attack her face would only cause it to be destroyed by the Orc’s lighting quick reactions before it could do anything.

The centipede was useless.

So Rain triggered his fire starting Skill.

A lot.

The Orc’s concentration was interrupted by a gasp from the audience, and then a rancid burning hair smell. She blinked in surprise, her concentration wavering. No, the Skill needed to be completed. She doubled down, ignoring the distractions while keeping one wary eye on the wolf monster. It seemed content to wait and watch. Goo-

The feeling of her scalp roasting hit her and Tamriel shrieked, the red glow of the crossbow Skill dissipating as she ripped her helm from her head, her hair now fully ablaze, an Orcish torch burning bright.

As Rain well knew, fire hurt, fire hurt a fucking unbelievable amount. Even the strongest and bravest of levelers would lose all composure when set on fire. Tamriel screamed as the skin of her scalp sizzled, beating wildly at the flames she stumbled across the sand in a panic, then at last realising what she needed to do she threw herself down, sweeping sand over her head again and again until the flames were extinguished.

She slumped in relief.

Then a massive paw wrapped around her forearm and she found herself being lifted clean into the air, a huge wolf head made level with hers, her feet dangling above the ground despite her Orcish height, something she had never experienced before.

Two yellow eyes bored into her own, two eyes that, now she was looking, held a hunger she could not comprehend, a deep bottomless hunger that knew no limit.

Rain dangled the Orc in the air and turned to look at the audience, turning, taking in them all, each and every stunned Orcish face. A strange feeling over took him.

“This is what you thought could kill me? This is what you consider a strong Orc?”

He shook her.

“F-fuck you you cheating shit!” gasped out Tamriel.

Rain didn’t even glance at her, instead he moved his thumb digit which was placed on her wrist, moved it by pressing it down. The Orc’s forearm snapped like a twig. She screamed. The top half of her forearm flopped from the top of his fist.

“None of you can take me because you aren’t Orc’s, you are prey, baby bunnies, fluffy little weak things that have no idea that you are prey.”

The crowd was going insane by this point, eye popping rage causing spittle flecked screams, shaken fists, and thrown food.

Rain grinned wolfishly.

Then he opened his mouth wide and placed it around the screaming Tamriel’s head.

The crowd’s rage stalled out as they looked on in utter dismay. Tamriel’s cries became muffled as her entire head disappeared inside the monster’s mouth and then the mouth closed, the screams still just heard as the things teeth bit through her neck, opened, snapped closed again, lifted up, her head disappearing down its throat in a series of gulps, still screaming, her vitality as a high leveler keeping her head somehow momentarily alive.

Rain dropped the uncorked corpse of the Orc to the sand and spread his arms wide at the crowd, blood dribbling from his teeth, dripping.

An overweight Orc shot to his feet.

“BOOOYYYY!! FETCH ME MY HAMMER!”

Stratothrax

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