The Rat in the Pit I
<em></em>St. Cristabel plunged down with terrible speed.
<em>SCLPTCH!</em>
Her bearing sword drove deep into the titans only eye, splitting its pupil and bursting the orb beneath. A bloodcurdling scream shook the mountain, potent enough to grind crystal to dust. Warriors near the cyclops shrieked and fell to their knees, sping their ears. The cavern trembled with the giants agony. Yet the saint remained steadfast: a Solidde that did not shudder against tribtion.
<em>Hsssss!</em>
<em></em>The Tears of Amitiyah zed around her armoured form, eating deep through the cyclops eyeball. With a roar, she tore her de free, releasing a fountain of crimson.
<em>GROAAAAAAR!</em>
The anguished bellow that followed rocked the cavern as the titan stumbled, his footfalls hammering the ground and kicking up clouds of sand.
Its club flew from shocked hands as it careened about, grasping for its wounded eye.
<em></em>Oooooh hells! Merrick screamed. Down!
<em>Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!</em>
The oak tree whirled toward them.
Wurhi chittered and dived among the seats.
<em>BOOOOOOM! CRUNCH!</em>
The cyclops club smote the stone, sting out a hail of wood and rock.
<em> Whish! Whish! Whish! Whish!</em>
<em></em>Shrapnel shot over the Zabyan and exploded the surrounding seats to dust. Stone shards rained down upon her trembling form; she was d she had reached cover in time. Were she a bit slower
She shuddered. Another bellow drew her gaze back toward the battle. The one-eyed giant reached to grab Cristabel and pull her from his face, but the knight swung her bearing sword at its offending hand.
<em>cchnk!</em>
Another anguished roar split the arena.
Three enormous fingers parted from spurting stumps; each wound hissed as Amitiyahs Tears ate into flesh. Be still, wretched beast! St. Cristabel drew her sword up.
<em>SCHNK!</em>
<em></em>She plunged the de through its eyelid - splitting it like ss and puncturing its eye once more. This time, she twisted the de with one gauntleted hand while drawing up the other high over her head.
Her fingers curled into a fist.
<em>Bang!</em>
<em></em>She struck a mighty blow into the pommel of her weapon.
<em>Bang!</em>
She drew her fist back.
<em>Bang!</em>
<em></em>She drew her fist back.
<em>Bang!</em>
<em></em>Again and again she hammered her de into the titans skull, each blow driving the point deeper until it burst into the creatures brain. The monster stiffened and the knight seized the hilt in both hands. I <em>spurn</em> you, beast: let burning wrath drive you back to the dark from whence you <em>crawled!</em>
The Tears of Amitiyah red along the de.
<em>Fwooosh!</em>
<em></em>Caustic vitriol flooded the monsters skull. Grey matter dissolved into slurry that poured from its nostrils and ears. A shudder waved through its body, limbs convulsing in death throes. Like a siege tower consumed by me, the creature swayed on its hooves and began to copse.
<em>Whoosh!</em>
Its colossal body gathered speed, sending folk fleeing from its growing shadow. Cristabel ripped free her sword and grabbed hold of the cyclops horn, riding it down toward the earth.
<em>BOOOM!</em>
<em> CRACK!</em>
<em></em>The ground bucked at the tremendous impact. It quaked and <em>flexed</em>.
<em>CRRRRRRRK!</em>
<em></em>Stone cracked beneath the sand, threatening to give way but - slowly - the tremors settled. When the final shudder ceased, the only sounds that remained were hundreds of shaking breaths, the increasing roar of the river beneath the arena, and the sound of metal nking triumphantly.
With a jauntyugh, St. Cristabel leapt from the fallen body of the titan, with sword and shield in hand. Her eyes danced within her visor and the zing nimbus about her seemed to <em>roar</em>. <em>Yes!</em><em>That</em> was glorious! I failed to find the dragon in Riyen, I failed to battle the mighty ogress in Garumna, but in this giant, I have atst found a worthy foe to sing of to my god! She pointed her de toward Lycundars horde. You there! I havee for mypanion, Wurhi of Zabya! Have you seen her? Bring her out, and I shall show some mercy-
Cristabel! Kyembe called from above, rising from the stone where he had cast himself during the quake. I have found her! She is there! He cried excitedly. She is <em>there!</em>
The knight whirled toward the Zabyan, her eyes lighting up. Wurhi, you live!
The thief pulled herself up from behind the back of a wrecked seat. Her heart sang in her chest. They were here! They were both here! Had she been in human form and not <em>utterly exhausted, </em>she might have leapt from sheer joy. In her state, the best she could manage was a feeble wave with her sword.
What in all of Amitiyahs wisdom!? Cristabel drew back as though scalded. These devils change not only into wolves but <em>rats</em> as well? Beast, why do you sully Wurhis de? Tell us what you have done with her!
Wurhi froze. By all demons and gods she realized. I never told her I was a shapeshifter! Nono-
No! No Cristabel! Kyembe gesticted wildly. That is Wurhi! The rat is Wurhi!
A pause. The knight squinted.
It <em>is</em> you! Glory of Amitiyah upon us-<em>Why are you a rat?</em>! Cristabel suddenly screamed. What have these evil ckguards done to you!? You are <em>cursed </em>by<em></em>these vile wretches!
The rat-woman squeaked and iled her hands in protest. No! No! Youre wrong! she screamed in her mind.
I will <em>destroy </em>them for this! The Solidde Knight whirled once again on the horde. No daylight wille to you, ckguards! Embrace the light of the moon while you can, for the next light you shall witness will be the <em>ze of my wrath!</em>
The little thief paused. She slowly dropped her arms and adopted a pose of greatest dejection, nodding along with Cristabels conclusion. Yes! Yes! They cursed me! she thought. So you should kill them quickly! No wait, slowly-
<em>Enough!</em> Someone stomped the sand.
Silence fell.
<em>Thm. Thm. Thm.</em>
Footsteps pounded through the cluster of ck robed cultists.
Milos of Crotonia stalked from their ranks, his teeth grinding. Primal hate burned in his eyes as hoarse breathing hissed through lips trembling in rage. I am <em>beyond</em> finished with all of <em>this!</em> His voice cracked. The <em>rat</em> is not cursed! It is <em>she</em> that carries curses! She spreads them like her <em>filthy vermin kin spread gue!</em>
He cast his arms over the arena. <em>Look at what you have wrought!</em> Our brothers dead! Ourir scarred! My pets ruined and destroyed! the Sacred Alpha shook, drawing his gaze up toward the statue of Lycundar. Rising over the arena from its new perch, it watched them all silently with a sinister presence that was more than stone.
And all wrought beneath the gaze of our <em>god!</em> Never! Never in some hundred years of walking under Lycundars fearsome guidance have I endured such <em>humiliation! </em>But<em> no more! No more</em> will I-
<em>Vroooosh!</em>
Kyembe fired at him mid-speech.
Milos leapt back with an expletive.
<em>Thoom!</em>
The hellfire beam ploughed into the arena floor, melting sand and stone into the river below. Steam belched up, and the cult leader recoiled with a cry.
<em>Crk.</em>
The floor cracked further.
The river grew louder.
<em>Kill him, you fools!</em> Milos roared.
The cult sprang toward the Sengezian. Wurhi gasped.
Kyembe! St. Cristabel cried as the cursing Spirit Killer disappeared in a tide of ck robes and fur.
Do not concern yourself with him, armoured one, for your own troubles will be greater, the Sacred Alpha drew a breath. You dare bring another gods name into Lycundars sanctumyou dare desecrate the pack? Step away from us, children of Lycundar.
He drew to his full height. She is <em>mine.</em>
Wurhi recoiled. Her primal fear upon first seeing him returned in full force. Animal instincts screamed at theing of a predator - one both unnatural and at the apex of all around it.
She tried to scream a warning, but only a rats chitter emerged.
The change fell over Milos of Crotonia with the ease of rain. Human flesh washed away unmasking a tide of beastly thew and iron hide. Limbs lengthened effortlessly, and ws the length of daggers sprang from swelling fingers. His face extended into a lupine muzzle and lips parted to reveal row upon row of fangs.
The Zabyan gaped: she had thought Berard to be thergest of the wolf-men.
She had been wrong.
The Sacred Alpha loomed the size of an ogre: rising <em>twice</em> Cristabels height, and the saint was tall even for a <em>man.</em> Silver-grey fur coated his body and golden eyes radiated a cold savagery so ancient, that it reached from a time before humanity had awoken to higher thought. His skin rippled. Something swam just beneath the surface.
<em>Schrrrp!</em>
<em></em>Amitiyahs Tears! Cristabel cried.
<em></em>His hide tore open, splitting into a dozen human-like maws that erupted like pox across his skin. As he drew a breath through his muzzle, the many mouths hissed and swelled with their own unnatural inhtions.
They howled in unison.
Their voices blended, twisting into something <em>more: </em>something<em></em>that stabbed Wurhis breast with unfathomed dread. Escapees cried out and fled from him, while acolytes copsed in awe so profound that it rent their senses. Even his tiger, filled with hatred as it was, could only cringe beneath its own terror.
Abomination! St. Cristabel levelled her de toward her foe. What <em>are</em> you?
<em>He who is cursed. He who is blessed,</em> hissed a dozen voices in chorus from the human-like lips. Milos muzzle growled in an undertone to his words. <em>I am flesh. And I am water.</em>
His right arm rippled and flexed.
<em>rrrp!</em>
<em></em>Red-drenched bone erupted from the skin and joined together into armoured tes. The flesh drew back from his digits while ws fused and lengthened. In heartbeats, his armoured forearm terminated in an immense, curving de of aberrantly hardened bone.
His blood dripped from the edge.
<em>Come, interloper.</em> He ran a finger across the cleaver. A bead of red rose on his thumb, before being sucked back into the closing wound. <em>I will send you to your god.</em>
<em>Bang!</em>
<em></em>The knight struck pommel to shield. I have already met him, abomination, and the time I see him again shall be by <em>his</em> edict, not <em>yours. Now, have at you!</em>
The saint and the beast let loose twin roars of challenge.
They charged across the sand: a wave of metal racing toward a wave of unnatural flesh.
<em>Crash!</em>
<em></em>Bone-de struck sapphire shield, sliding off the golden mammoth head. Cristabel drove her sword at Milos, sweeping to spit his belly open. The massive werewolf took one nce at her vitriol-coated de and leapt back.
<em>Whoosh!</em>
<em></em>It swept the air just before his torso.He gave ground and she followed; his bone-de shed at the closing knight with the speed of a whip.
<em>Crack! Crack! </em>Crack!
<em>Hsssssss!</em>
<em></em>He struck the knights shield again and again, but only slowed the smaller juggernaut. Amitiyahs Tears clung to the edge of his cleaver, eating into the bone. <em>You bear a mighty blessing!</em> Milos snarled. <em>I see that your god doles out favours like amon trollop!</em>
<em></em>Vile hypocrisy for one who bears his gods corrupt favour so thoroughly!
<em>Whoosh!</em>
Her de swept out but he slipped from its reach with supernatural celerity.
<em>Crnch</em>!
By act of will, he mmed part of his bone-sword to the sand, taking the vitriol with it. The de shuddered as it regenerated itself, bing whole in mere moments. Cristabels eyes narrowed.
Milos snorted. <em>I speak no hypocrisy: there is no true blessing under Lycundar. Only a curse made to bow to ones strength of will!</em>
<em> Swiiiiish!</em>
The cleaver dipped low, sweeping up sand to spray into the saints eyes. As she raised her shield to block it, he shot forth.
His bone-brand slipped through her guard.
Wurhi screamed.
The point drove into the sapphire-hued chain covering her armpit.
<em>Bang! Chnk!</em>
<em></em>Lupine eyes went wide.
It had struck with enough force to fell a horse. Yet, while it made Cristabel stumble, the Valkyrie-forged armour held with a strength far beyond that of steel.
<em>Whoosh!</em>
<em></em>Her vermillion de swept up.
<em>Chok!</em>
Thirteen mouths howled in unison.
Cristabels bearing sword split the bone cleaver in twain, sending half ttering to the sand. It hissed as Amitiyahs Tears ate it away. Even from a distance, Wurhi could smell the stink of vitriol. Milos drew back, willing the rest of his weapon to shed the remains of caustic ether.
Such low tactics cannot fell me. The saint stalked after him. And such paltry strength cannot break my armour. Yield. You are swift, beast, but I <em>shall</em> catch you and cast your broken body to the sand.
Milos voices grunted. <em>In my youth, I faced a lion whose hide resisted every de and spear. It too thought itself invincible. </em>His limbs swelled, rippling, as bone grew upon itself inyers. His arms expanded into hulking, armoured cudgels asrge as battering rams. <em>Until we beat it to death.</em>
With a snarl, he rushed her.
<em>Whoooooosh!</em>
<em>BANG!</em>
A bone club struck the saints shield with force so terrific that she stumbled back.
<em>Bang! </em>
Another blow struck.
<em>Bang!</em>
And another.
Each bludgeoning sted through her armour, jarring and shuddering her body to the bone. While his blows could not fell her, they shook her footing, and the devilishly swift werewolf struck so that she could not regain it. Suddenly, the invincible knight was on the defensive, retreating from his fury.
Wurhis heart froze. Oh shit, she thought. Shit! Shit!
Dammit, behind you! Merrick cried.
<em>Whoooosh!</em>
Wurhi ducked Berards maul as it swept the air where her head had been. She rolled and sprang to her feet, snarling at the towering lycanthrope. Merrick rushed to join her.
Once again, the two thieves faced the ck-coated beast.