of argentum suffused with a crimson glow were inlaid in their blades.
The victor of hundreds of knife fights over the course of his long life, Gorgonius approached Elerian with a fluid, confident stride, his pointed teeth bared in anticipation. Just out of knife range, he turned smoothly sideways, standing lightly balanced on the balls of his feet with his right foot forward. Right arm extended, he menaced Elerian with the long knife he held point up in his right hand. His left hand was hidden behind his back. Elerian’s eyes narrowed when he saw the black, viscous material coating the edge of the Uruc’s blade.
“His knives are poisoned,” thought Elerian to himself. “One scratch will slow me down enough for this creature to slay me, however slowly he wishes to do it.”
With blinding speed and snakelike grace, Gorgonius suddenly sprang ferociously at Elerian, striking first with the blade in his right hand and then with his hidden blade. The ring of steel on steel filled the night air and then suddenly ceased as Elerian and Gorgonius locked both their knives together at the hilts. For a moment, the four blades grated harshly together as Elerian and the Goblin strained powerfully against the other. The Uruc’s eyes suddenly shone with a crimson light as the knife in Elerian’s left hand flew into the air, loosened from his grip by a powerful, clever wrench of Gorgonius’s right hand and wrist.
“He is stronger than any Goblin I have ever faced before,” thought Elerian to himself without panic as he deftly grasped Gorgonius’s right wrist with his left hand. With a sudden surge of the sinewy muscles in his hand and arm he tried to break it, but the steely muscles beneath the Uruc’s pale skin resisted his every effort. Eyes burning like coals and the tendons in his neck standing out like cables, Gorgonius struggled mightily to free his right hand from Elerian's iron grip on his wrist. Well versed in the ways of Goblin infighting, Elerian kept his eyes on the Uruc’s face. When Gorgonius suddenly thrust his head forward, intending to bury his sharp teeth in Elerian's throat, Elerian cracked his forehead against the Goblin's, momentarily stunning the Uruc. Dropping suddenly backwards, Elerian pulled Gorgonius with him, tugging mightily on the Goblin’s right wrist with his left hand.
When his back struck the ground, Elerian planted both his feet in the surprised Uruc’s stomach. Releasing the Goblin’s wrist, he thrust powerfully with both legs. As Gorgonius flew through the air over him, Elerian heard the brief grate of steel as the knives they still held locked together came apart. Gorgonius twisted like a cat in midair, intending to land on his feet, but Elerian had cleverly directed him toward a chestnut tree whose thick trunk rose up like a woody wall before him. Before he could land on his feet, The Uruc’s face and chest struck the tree’s rough bark, stunning him and driving the breath from his lungs. As the Goblin slowly turned around on unsteady legs, both knives still gripped in his long hands, Elerian leaped lithely to his feet and hurled Rasor through the air with his right hand. The knife’s slender, leaf shaped blade buried itself to the hilt in the left side of Gorgonius’s chest, piercing his heart.
For an instant, the Uruc stared in disbelief at the knife hilt protruding from his chest, unable to comprehend that his wicked days had finally come to an end. Then, a look of insane rage in his crimson eyes, he cast both his knives at Elerian. With an inhuman quickness, Elerian twisted his body to his left. One Goblin knife fanned his face with the wind of its passage. The second blade scored the leather tunic covering his chest, leaving behind a smear of viscous poison.
With cold gray eyes, Elerian watched as the scarlet fire slowly died in Gorgonius's eyes. When he was sure the Goblin had breathed his last, he pulled Rasor from the Uruc’s chest with his right hand, the magical
The victor of hundreds of knife fights over the course of his long life, Gorgonius approached Elerian with a fluid, confident stride, his pointed teeth bared in anticipation. Just out of knife range, he turned smoothly sideways, standing lightly balanced on the balls of his feet with his right foot forward. Right arm extended, he menaced Elerian with the long knife he held point up in his right hand. His left hand was hidden behind his back. Elerian’s eyes narrowed when he saw the black, viscous material coating the edge of the Uruc’s blade.
“His knives are poisoned,” thought Elerian to himself. “One scratch will slow me down enough for this creature to slay me, however slowly he wishes to do it.”
With blinding speed and snakelike grace, Gorgonius suddenly sprang ferociously at Elerian, striking first with the blade in his right hand and then with his hidden blade. The ring of steel on steel filled the night air and then suddenly ceased as Elerian and Gorgonius locked both their knives together at the hilts. For a moment, the four blades grated harshly together as Elerian and the Goblin strained powerfully against the other. The Uruc’s eyes suddenly shone with a crimson light as the knife in Elerian’s left hand flew into the air, loosened from his grip by a powerful, clever wrench of Gorgonius’s right hand and wrist.
“He is stronger than any Goblin I have ever faced before,” thought Elerian to himself without panic as he deftly grasped Gorgonius’s right wrist with his left hand. With a sudden surge of the sinewy muscles in his hand and arm he tried to break it, but the steely muscles beneath the Uruc’s pale skin resisted his every effort. Eyes burning like coals and the tendons in his neck standing out like cables, Gorgonius struggled mightily to free his right hand from Elerian's iron grip on his wrist. Well versed in the ways of Goblin infighting, Elerian kept his eyes on the Uruc’s face. When Gorgonius suddenly thrust his head forward, intending to bury his sharp teeth in Elerian's throat, Elerian cracked his forehead against the Goblin's, momentarily stunning the Uruc. Dropping suddenly backwards, Elerian pulled Gorgonius with him, tugging mightily on the Goblin’s right wrist with his left hand.
When his back struck the ground, Elerian planted both his feet in the surprised Uruc’s stomach. Releasing the Goblin’s wrist, he thrust powerfully with both legs. As Gorgonius flew through the air over him, Elerian heard the brief grate of steel as the knives they still held locked together came apart. Gorgonius twisted like a cat in midair, intending to land on his feet, but Elerian had cleverly directed him toward a chestnut tree whose thick trunk rose up like a woody wall before him. Before he could land on his feet, The Uruc’s face and chest struck the tree’s rough bark, stunning him and driving the breath from his lungs. As the Goblin slowly turned around on unsteady legs, both knives still gripped in his long hands, Elerian leaped lithely to his feet and hurled Rasor through the air with his right hand. The knife’s slender, leaf shaped blade buried itself to the hilt in the left side of Gorgonius’s chest, piercing his heart.
For an instant, the Uruc stared in disbelief at the knife hilt protruding from his chest, unable to comprehend that his wicked days had finally come to an end. Then, a look of insane rage in his crimson eyes, he cast both his knives at Elerian. With an inhuman quickness, Elerian twisted his body to his left. One Goblin knife fanned his face with the wind of its passage. The second blade scored the leather tunic covering his chest, leaving behind a smear of viscous poison.
With cold gray eyes, Elerian watched as the scarlet fire slowly died in Gorgonius's eyes. When he was sure the Goblin had breathed his last, he pulled Rasor from the Uruc’s chest with his right hand, the magical
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