Corey provides a bit of melee mayhem in his forth installment of Axiomatic Anarchy. Chaos ensues as the whirling fury (a.k.a. Gritgut) charges to the rescue!
Enjoy, but mind the flying anchor!
Gritgut watched the spectacle with wonder -- he had never seen a monstrosity like the lumbering being of ooze. Blow after blow, his smile grew larger as he mimed his counterattack, snarled his frustration at missing a stance, and hooted when he would've connected. Those around him had wisely moved out of arms reach after he accidentally crushed a hobgoblin's jaw. He was invigorated with a growing bloodlust, and tales of his clan returned to him with each swing.
"By all the captured Powers, that is a fiend I have not kenned in my ageless life!" The shock and disdain in Shiny's voice was unmistakable. The vehemence ran contrary to the oltreggan's own racial traditions that venerated the ancient High Priests. That his invisible master felt that way stunned Gritgut more than what Shiny asked him to do.
"Gritgut you must grab the mage and run! Do not fight - grab the man and go!"
"Mee can face it! You keep tellun me no kill, no smush, ne nuffin! Izz getz yer wizard after me keel da goop guy!"
"Don't..."
The oltreggan leapt over the railing, the wind blasted his lord's reprimand into nothingness. Each stride poured more blood into his veins, bred more strength in his muscles. This would be a fight! Gritgut barreled onward, heedless of the outcries of the audience and the sharp warnings from Penance.
The desiccated husk of the cleric appeared to grin at the onrushing brute, curiosity brimming when it saw the anchor in the savage's hands. The ancient figure allowed the brute to close, confident the caustic ooze would destroy the ludicrous makeshift weapon long before it reached his fragile hide. His fiery glare widened as the anchor scored a large gash deep in the gritty film near his right shoulder. The cleric roared in outrage, which converted into a cone of sludge. The liquid blast threw Gritgut backward, closer to the fallen mage. While Gritgut's bullrush shattered the monstrosity's concentration, it stoked the undead priest's rage.
"Thou fell brute! Did not thy cur parents teach thee to respect us better?!"
Gritgut shrugged and settled into his favored stance -- legs wide and anchor ready. "Mes see whos better!" Releasing a feral roar, the barbarian plunged eagerly into the bloodlust. His world became a storm of crimson, with only the viscous monstrosity registering in the haze.
The undead priest cackled as the oltreggan surged forward - Ravenis did not fear Gritgut's mindless fury. These orc-like beasts had been lured to Crown ages ago to serve the High Clerics, and this brute would serve him. He rejoiced, Feed, my love - feed on his strength! The ooze reacted, it lashed out with its two arms and the ichor wrapped around the brute's limbs. Gashes and holes formed where the anchor bit into the slime, but to no avail - the murk slowly entombed Gritgut, sapping his strength. The barbarian roared and stove to rid himself of the eddying fluid, diving backward to break contact.
"Yuz cheat! YUZ CHEAT!!!" Gritgut's rage churned into a black ire, his muscles swelled further. He whirled around and threw the anchor straight into the monstrosity's chest. The cleric howled in outrage as the blow shattered its armor and sent it reeling. However in a flash of cruel cunning, the monster embraced the anchor, and the right arm of the ooze slithered over the barnacled chain, seeking to absorb and destroy the threat. Gritgut tugged at the links and threw his head back in a primeval roar. The two struggled for long moments before a commanding voice split the air.
"Your presence compromises the arena's law! This case is invalidated, and the prosecuted must await further trial."
The kolyarut's platform hovered over the two locked in melee. He could not believe the mongrel had intruded. This is what I should expect from such an anarchic beast. His clockwork joints ticking, Penance pointed at the undead monstrosity and made a series of arcane gestures. An axiomatic formula appeared in the air, drawing the cleric's unhallowed glare upward. "Back to your hold, Ravenis." The priest reluctantly released the anchor and melded into the stone ground. Half his reprimand complete, the inevitable's cold eyes fell on Gritgut. "Thou shalt pay for thy insolence as well, dog!"
