204 - “Who to Fight?” - Korr - A Tale of Heroes

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Korr rushed forward at the dragon in front of him. He launched himself up high and landed on the back of its hip. The dark green hide was thick and, though it folded into bumps and scales, it was also slick and shiny, making it difficult to grip. The more the dragon moved and shifted, the harder this was. He lashed out at the dragon with a fury of punches, but they only made the dragon flinch. Korr felt the impacts in a line of pain running through his arm.

This hide is so thick. I’ve shattered stones with my fists in practice, but this is not working.  The dragon lashed to one side and knocked Korr momentarily off his balance. There’s no time to waste! No, I will use the Ocean!

He braced his feet against the hip and reached up to the dragon’s side. He tried to set his focus. He drew back with his right hand, shifted his hips, then his shoulders. He imagined his entire body as a rushing wave of the ocean’s energy. He twisted and crashed that energy deep into the rocks of the dragon’s body.

The beast roared with pain and rolled away, making Korr slide down its side. The dragon drew its hind leg claws up and kicked Korr away like a dog scratching off a flea. Korr hit the ground hard and rolled to a kneeling stop, breathing hard from his effort. At least I got his attention. 

His eyes widened with surprise as the dragon’s thick tail swung toward him. With only a moment to react, Korr jumped high, landed his hands on the swinging tail, and vaulted over it, landing on his feet on the other side of the beast.

As he spun around and reset his stance, he saw the guard in black at the far end of the bridge. The man was steady and stoic, watching the fight, but not moving to engage. I wonder if he’s controlling the dragons.

Korr only took a moment to decide. He ran toward the guard just as the tail lashed back, smashing into the bridge railing. A tall column cracked, fell, and shattered to the stones, forcing Korr to jump aside before renewing his charge.

As Korr approached, the man turned slightly and lowered his spear in a defensive stance. Korr shouted, “Call off the attack!” but the man gave no response. He kept his cloak hood up and drawn low over his face. He began to trace small circles in the air with the tip of his spear, keeping it focused on Korr.

The man thrust his spear at Korr, who easily deflected it aside with his forearm. Korr stepped into the fight and thrust a strike at his opponent’s chest. The man blocked upward with the shaft of the spear, and spun around, swapping their positions on the bridge. Korr turned to face him and set a firm square stance.

“Once again, I must demand that you end the attack!” Korr looked in surprise to see the man’s hood had fallen away from one side of his face. His skin was dark and leathery, and covered in folds of scales. His eye had no whites, and only slits for pupils, like a snake’s. Or a dragon’s!

Those eyes narrowed, and the man hissed through his teeth. He snapped his foot forward and lunged with the spear. This time, Korr swept it aside, then brought his hand around to grip the shaft. He pulled hard, yanking the man forward, off his balance, and into an oncoming punch. The man grunted, and Korr took the spear in both hands, dropped it low, and swept the end of it under the man’s legs. He toppled over and landed hard on the stone bridge.

Korr gritted his teeth as he spun the spear around his back and stopped the point just shy of the man’s throat. “You are defeated! End this fight!”

The man responded by flicking his wrist. Instantly, Korr felt pain in his gut. He glanced down and saw a thin dagger sticking out of his reddening shirt. The man squirmed on the ground and Korr quickly plunged the spear into his throat. The man clutched it, gurgling and gasping, then went still.

Korr dropped the spear and staggered back, gripping the dagger’s hilt. He felt an odd burning sensation inside his guts, around the blade. Poison? His head felt light.

The bridge twisted beneath him and he fell.

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This continues the story of the heroes in Wynne, in Twynne Rivers, in the world of The Hero's Tale, Family Friendly RPGs. Here's more info on The Hero's Tale, and family friendly RPGing. If you like this story, support us at our Patreon!
Thank you: Chet Cox, Genevieve Springer!

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