The Beginnings Omnibus: Beginnings 1, 2, 3 & Legend of Ashenclaw novella (Realm of Ashenclaw Beginnings Saga) (64 page)

Using the heavy blade as an anchor, she managed to avoid both of the orcs’ weapons as their strikes hit the flat of her blade instead. She released her grip on her weapon and vaulted her body behind the orc with the broadsword. She landed expertly and with great balance, kicking out hard with her right boot. The force of that kick blasted him into the other orc, knocking them both down.

In one swift motion she yanked the great blade from its standing point and swung it in a wide arc that was meant to cleave through the both of them. Instead, it skewered only one, scoring a devastating hit and causing that one to lurch backward as it clutched its stomach. It looked down in disbelief as its innards spewed forth and out the fresh hole in its belly.

Only one orc remained.

Rose and Elec continued to battle as the orcs came at them. The two of them had cuts all over their arms and chests, but all superficial. They had waded through the bulk of the goblinoids and only a few remained.

Suddenly, there came a low and deadly growl from behind Rose. She turned to see Elec staring into the face of not one, but two dire wolves!

“Move!” Elec cried and shoved Rose out of the way, sensing the worgs were ready to spring. Rose fell forward and then simultaneously dove into a shadow. Elec was left alone unexpectedly with the two worgs.

The elf rolled backward and stabbed up as one worg passed over him, adjusting his roll to his right. He used the tip of
Daegnar Giruth
to guide the worg, forcing the huge beast down and to his left where
Wyrm’s Fang
waited. The sharp blade penetrated the worg’s left flank and stained the cavern floor with its blood.

Then he felt a sharp sting as the second worg’s teeth bit into his left calf and pulled him down in the process. The wounded worg jumped and landed directly on top of Elec and he had to maneuver hastily in order to avoid his adversary’s sharp teeth.

Down and again it snapped its fierce jaws at him as he fought both worgs off repeatedly until one of them finally managed a solid bite again, this time on his left forearm, causing him to drop
Wyrm’s Fang
in the process. He grimaced as the pain shot through him. Luckily, one of his potions was taking effect and clotting his wound in response, but it did nothing for the pain or numbness radiating up his arm.

He quickly jabbed up with the hilt of
Daegnar Giruth
and smacked the worg in the jaw as hard as he could, knocking a few of its teeth loose and causing the worg to recoil enough for him to roll backward. The other worg had started to charge him. Elec noticed they were getting close to the rear wall of the cavern, just ten paces away. He quickly reached into his belt and removed a special elixir, one in a very tiny, spherical package.

The worg was now in midair as Elec steadied himself and tossed the mixture. As expected, the worg opened its giant maw. Elec’s shot was accurate and the flask landed in its mouth. As the beast hurtled through the air to land on him, Elec timed his roll to catch the beast with both of his legs, somersaulting backward as he did. He continued his momentum into a heave that sent the beast flying through the air many paces away. He managed to curl up, awaiting the ensuing result.

The beast literally exploded upon impact with the wall as worg remnants flew everywhere.

The other wounded worg was upon him again, teeth dripping with saliva and its gleaming red eyes delivering an evil gaze.

Rose has abandoned me!?
Elec speculated.

He was hurt and weaponless, he realized, as he’d dropped
Daegnar Giruth
somewhere along the course of his tumble. He flinched in anticipation of the inevitable sting of the worg’s bite once again.

Rose walked through the shadows away from where she and Elec had been fighting. She immediately realized it to be a bad decision, leaving Elec there by himself, as she suddenly found herself face to face with a tall and savage looking orc.

Lovely
, she thought sarcastically, cursing her luck.

 It was a dark skinned orc, rumored to be the strongest and toughest of the creatures. She ran past it and dove right into a shadow before it even realized what happened. She stepped out of a shadow on its right flank and scored a quick thrust into its unguarded back just below the ribs and the creature howled in pain. The orc reflexively swung his shield out in an attempt to hit his assailant, but Rose was already gone.

She disappeared and reappeared on the same flank as before, attacking twice more in the same area and kicking out to place the side of her foot into the back of its knee, causing the orc to fall. She stepped into a shadow once more. The orc looked all about the torch-lit area, weapon and shield at the ready, but he had no inkling as to where she’d gone until it was too late.

Rose dropped from directly above him, tumbling out of a shadow and falling right behind him with
Avorna
grasped tightly in both hands. She very accurately drove the magical blade deeply through its skull. She landed hard on top of the orc’s carcass and tumbled awkwardly, twisting her right ankle badly as she landed.

She heard a loud blast behind her and saw something explode in her peripheral vision. Then she saw Elec, who was cornered by a worg. She rushed off to aid him, ignoring the sharp pain in her right ankle.

Orngoth waded through the goblinoids slowly and methodically, keeping his eyes on the commander all the while. Orcs and goblins clung and hacked, tore and ripped with weapons, claws, teeth and anything else they could bring to bear, but the half-ogre kept advancing, relentlessly and with purpose.

He watched the commander return his unblinking stare, then move forward and clear of the stalagmites to gaze upon him as he made his approach. Grubb did not seem troubled at all by the approaching brute that seemed intent on his death.

Orngoth used his club and his fist, smashing bone and flesh and simply snuffing the life from the goblinoids barring his way with his forceful swings. He hit them with such tremendous force that most of them died under the initial impact.

His prey was close now and a grin begin to creep across the commander’s face. Only one orc stood between Orngoth and Grubb now as he gripped his club with both hands. He then brought the full weight of the massive club down upon the creature, shattering bones and receiving a parting slash on his left thigh as he did.

Oblivious to the pain, he kept moving.

In a show of either great bravery or great stupidity, the orc managed to stand again. Orngoth battered him absently over and over again until he ceased his twitching, lying in a heap, motionless. He roared and stood on top of the dead orc’s helm and snarled at the commander.

A dented and misshapen shield appeared in the orc’s left arm. In his right hand, he held up the gem that Orngoth desperately sought a teasing manner, wagging a finger at him.

“Not a step closer,
ogre
, or I will destroy the gem,” Grubb cautioned evenly.

Orngoth roared, waving his weapon menacingly in front of him. Grubb tossed the gem aside, causing the half-ogre’s gaze to follow. He drew his wicked blade quickly in one motion, the blade flashing immediately with a blue radiance that engulfed its span, and leapt at the half-ogre. He came to rest upon a flat rock formation, giving himself a higher vantage from which to fight the larger Orngoth.

He slashed a deep cut on the half-ogre’s right arm immediately and blood spilled out, running along his arm, covering over a series of tattoos. Orngoth roared in pain.

The throbbing of the wound, however, seemed to only fuel the barbarian’s legendary bloodlust, as he delivered a massive blow to Grubb’s shield, knocking him back a step. But the stubborn orc regained his footing quickly, holding the shield up defiantly against the substantial club.

Orngoth pummeled the smaller orc with blow after blow and yet Grubb still stood his ground, his shield looking more mangled with each potent blow of the half-ogre’s club. However, his arm was beginning to lower, clearly growing numb under the constant and ferocious assault of the much larger half-ogre.

The orc thrust out with a few more strikes of his blue-tinted blade, making the half-ogre go on the defensive, just enough for him to allow the numbness to fade from his shield arm. He kicked out and knocked Orngoth back, doubling him over. As his foot came back down, he slammed the hilt of his blade into his brow, knocking Orngoth’s helmet clean off in the process. The half-ogre fell onto the lower portion of rock just below the orc commander.

Orngoth was temporarily stunned by the orc’s weighty blow. Grubb took advantage of that.

Grubb leapt high into the air and landed with tremendous force upon Orngoth’s lower left leg. There was an audible snap that echoed throughout the cavern and Orngoth shrieked in pain and reflexively clutched at what was clearly a broken left shin.

Grubb laughed a maniacal laugh and found the discarded gem, scooping it back up once more, wanting to tease the creature a bit more before killing him.