Born a Monster

497 The Axe Falls, Part I

Well, the rest is well recorded in history, at least in the Tidelands. The city did fall, though not quickly nor as bloodlessly as the Forge Fathers had hoped. They lost about four hundred soldiers, twice as many citizens, and about a third of those were killed outright, or so wounded that they would never serve again.

But they did find that Uma was not in the city (nor was her brother), had not been since before their siege. Combined with the casualties, the war wasn’t extremely popular just then with the soldiers fighting it.

So, they needed something entertaining. Something different. Something to remind the restless army that people, meaning them, had been especially blessed by Loki.

“Honestly, they should have held my duel with Kornath in one of the larger theaters; there would have been more seating and more visibility.” I told the golem, as it escorted me to the main city square just outside the ruler’s residence. My bulk was hidden beneath a robe fashioned from riding lizard skin. But the reasons for that will shortly enter the story.

“That is something to have been discussed two days ago.” it said. “How does it feel? To know your death approaches?”

“How does it feel to know that you’re technically dead?” I asked.

The golem shrugged. “I can live with it.” he decided.

I know, I know, but not all truths need to be spoken. Instead, I said, “This would last longer with a weapon.” I said.

“Heh.” it replied. “Your weapon will be waiting at the dueling ground.”

.....

“And a shield as well?” I asked.

He smiled. “Where would the fun in that be? The theocrats have already seen what you can do with a shield.”

Well, crap.

I sighed. “That is unfortunate. I will need to compensate.”

He poked at me with the pain stick; I retreated forward.

“When you were Tigrin, would you have expected me to have the skills I demonstrated in my first battle with Kornath?”

“I didn’t expect you to survive that.” it said. “But this time, you are doomed.”

“How so?” I asked. “Are they having him chug down potions before the battle? Decking him out in runestone wards?”

“None of that is needed.” the golem said. “He shall win for two reasons. First, he is a hobgoblin, which you are not.”

“I admit the obvious. I am no breed of hobgoblin.” I said.

“And the second is that Kornath is the Axe Hero. He has used no other weapon in the past months.”

I blinked. “How is he even a match for Rakkal, who has been Axe Hero for five years or so?”

“He has been faking it with his class levels and naturally high minotaur statistics.” it said. “Ours is actually the Axe Hero.”

“I’m not debating that with you or Malkin.” I said. “Even a new hero of legend should be able to slaughter a mere first level warrior.”

“How can you say such truths and still say you have any chance of winning?”

“Well, first off, I’m not just a Pankratios.” I said, “And for another... crap, is that an axe?”

The thing was sunk into the flagstones of the courtyard, its haft longer than I was tall.

“Not just any axe.” the golem said. “It’s a duplicate of a heavy double bladed monstrosity crafted out of sky iron. Not easily breakable, but less easily held properly. I advise you to fall down onto your face and beg for a merciful, quick death.”

I walked up to the axe, obviously enchanted. Squinting at it, I said, “Is this enchanted to make it heavier?”

“How would I know?” it said.

Conman was the first to speak up. “Let the defendant draw the weapon from the flagstones, if he is able. A contest of strength against Kornath, who struck the blow lodging it there.”

I scratched the right side of my jaw, reaching out with my left hand. “Split stone.” I cast, taking hold of it and hefting it to my left shoulder.

Now, all axes are heavy, and the balance is toward the head. But as someone who had used axes, I immediately became aware of the defects in balance and construction of mine.

Kornath smiled at me genially. “Do you, sir, have armor? I’d hate for the gods to judge you guilty merely because you are poor.”

I brought the axe down the front of my mail, splitting the robe to shuck it off. I’m not certain I’d have been able to do so as quickly with my own claws. Whatever hidden disadvantages the clergy thought they’d given me, the axe was sharp enough to have done that.

The crowd gasped; some cursed. Some spat, or hurled nearby objects. And why should they not?

I stood there, in the open, amid the enemies of my nation. My bare feet upon the cobblestones of the central courtyard, right outside the mayor’s house.

Yes, I mean MY feet. And my legs, my taloned hands, and in spite of my misgivings, my spade-shaped snake head and face.

I threw my arms akimbo, turning so that everyone could finally see me. I’d had a speech ready, all about behold the form of one you fear. It was wasted time.

The crowd pushed forward against the guards. Against the temple guards.

Oh, they hated me. If even one of those fourteen guards had been less professional, I’d probably have just died then and there.

“You dare!” Kornath raged. “It is my honor to kill you, vile trickster! How dare you pretend the unholy one has a sense of martial honor! JUST DIE!”

The cheer of the crowd drowned out the horn that sounded after his charge. Yes, the horn that technically started our ‘holy’ duel, blessed or cursed by the gods.

I noticed that no god struck Kornath down for acting before the horn blow. I’m not sure I would have, either. He swept his axe back outside his ankles, bringing it up and forward, timed so that the blow angled downward exactly as I came into range. It was the sort of blow that deserved a red critical, not a curse from on high.

A flick of my feet, and I was simply not there when the axe descended. There were sparks, and the snapping of wood; I had left my axe there.

“Oh no!” I said, loudly. “I am disarmed!”

“What manner of idiot are you?” Kornath asked, bringing the axe to sweep horizontally. I dodged the first stroke, and then went forward and low on his backswing.

The guards, you see, had backed up to where our arena was shrinking. Not a bad thing, if you were wielding an axe.

Or, as I was, relying on unarmed attacks.

Not that Karateka, in spite of the name, provided a great number of these. But do you recall me speaking of combination attacks? Things like a parry combined with a grapple? A trip combined with a hip throw?

Possibly not; it’s not something that many classes get before level two. Being strictly level one at the time, and looking forward to that being the case for at least a couple of years, I tended not to think of such things.

Except...

Consider what you could do in battle if it wasn’t an exchange of blows.

What could you accomplish if during each ‘play’, each exchange, if you gained an extra action?

I did dodge, as I said. My other leg also shot forward, toward his advancing ankle.

A word of advice? Don’t do a barefoot kick against the legs of a person wearing metal greaves. The sound isn’t worth the pain. That, and they absorb all but the lightest of bruises for the defender.

“Why do you strive so hard?” he asked. “This is already over. I have you now!”

He yanked on his axe, propelling the bottom of the blade toward my back.

[You have taken sixteen points of lacerating damage.] my System informed me. [After armor, nine points have been received. You have 71/80 health remaining.]

Yes, I actually did miss my second tier skin and scales. Thank you for asking.

This flung me towards him; rather than resist, I moved forward. My claws caught briefly in the mail on the back of his elbow, but I could not get the [Elbow Lock] I’d desired.

He struck me free with a shoulder slam, but I stumbled into the back of one of the guards. So propped, I stayed standing until his next blow.

I had to roll to my right, forfeiting my attack. The guard, struck in the back, coughed blood even as Kornath pulled his axe free.

“You fool! Dance all you want, I need only one blow to end you.” he said.

Our arena shrank, making that one blow more likely. Just beyond that, the crowd bayed and howled and tried to get in.

Taking half a second to get into a proper axeman’s stance, he advanced to attack again.

And then, with a sway, he... shifted.

“Eel stance.” he said. “Your locks and holds will not bother me during your execution.”

Which, I suspect, was the whole point of building such an axe, balanced to turn to the counterclockwise when swung.

A week! Given a single week of forage without the need to defend myself, and I’d have been able to toy with Kornath, instead of fighting for my life.