his mighty axe piling up bodies around his warhorse. He roared in defiance as he cut his way toward a giant black warrior riding a chestnut warhorse. He had spotted the muscle bound warrior and knew that this man was Arg’on, Lord Moredin’s war commander, a legendary warrior who was known for his strength and ferocity.
Graggis swung his magical axe down on top of the head of a nearby horseman, creasing his helm so badly that it drove the edges of the metal into the man’s broken skull. The path to Arg’on was now open and Graggis urged his horse forward.
Arg’on carried a massive two-handed sword that he swung easily with one hand. The black tribesman yanked his sword from the breast of a knight and pivoted his horse towards the new threat.
“Well met, Arg’on,” Graggis said evenly as his horse pranced eagerly in front of the huge black warrior. All the men fighting around them seemed to sense the contest and consciously moved away to give them room.
“Are you someone I should know?” asked the tribal warrior in the common tongue. He spoke it well and his accent was barely noticeable.
“You should always know the name of the man who is going to kill you so you can buy him a drink in the afterworld,” replied Graggis, smiling broadly.
“Then stop talking and tell me your name so that I may pray for your soul after I kill you and cut out your heart,” Arg’on responded calmly.
“I am Graggis,” and without further hesitation he spurred his horse forward, swinging his mighty axe in a powerful downward stroke.
Arg’on brought his sword up to block the blow but at the last second Graggis redirected his strike expertly to hit the tribesman’s horse. It was Graggis’s immense strength that enabled him to change the momentum of the stroke so quickly.
The magical blade easily sank through the steed’s armor, slicing through the animals shoulder muscle. The horse reared up, stumbling backwards before it pitched side long to the ground.
Arg’on jumped off the horse and landed hard on his side, but he was a tough warrior who had survived many battles. Few men could match his strength. He rolled backwards and came up quickly to face the horseman with the axe.
Graggis quickly dismounted from his horse and stood in front of the tribesman. He couldn’t help but think what a great specimen of a man this tribesman was. He was tall and heavy, with iron hard muscle. The warrior wore a metal-laced skirt that was cinched tightly around his narrow waist. His legs and arms were so corded with muscles that he almost looked deformed. He held his huge blade easily with one hand, his face a picture of confidence.
“I wouldn’t want anyone to think that I had an unfair advantage in killing you,” Graggis said as he attacked the tribesman with fury.
The fight was intense. Both warriors were skilled and strong. They traded blow for blow for several minutes, the power of each strike echoing across the battlefield. They had similar styles, both used to crushing their opponents with strength and speed, but after several minutes of hard fighting, Graggis noted a difference.
The tribesman was undisciplined in his fighting, accustomed to using his strength and power to destroy anyone who stood against him. Graggis, however, had been trained as a Finarthian Knight, trained by Master Borum, the greatest weapons master around, and they had learned not only discipline, but tactics that were beyond most common warriors.
Graggis noticed that Arg’on held his sword with his right hand only, making him a bit slow in defending his left flank. Graggis swung his axe left and right and looked for an opening. But the man was fast and strong as an ox. When their weapons met the earth around them shook. Graggis had never met a man whose strength equaled his own, until now. But Graggis now knew the tribesman’s weakness and he worked to exploit it. Arg’on swung his huge sword down, Graggis brought his axe up to block the attack. Just as the warrior retracted his blade, Graggis tossed his axe to his left hand and attacked the tribesman’s left flank with lightning speed.
Arg’on recovered quickly, and frantically deflected the axe blade. But Graggis’s attack had been a ruse. As he attacked the tribesman’s left flank with his axe, he swung his gauntlet covered right hand into the side of the powerful warrior. His fist struck the tribesman solidly in the kidney.