floor.
Kai shook his head and looked up at Hadock, who was already halfway across the room and closing fast. The Ranger sprang to his feet and looked around Hadock to see Stefan scrambling up the stairs to the bedrooms. Kai brought his focus back to the giant bouncer. He hooked his foot around a nearby chair leg and flipped the chair at Hadock. The bouncer swatted the chair away without even flinching.
“Time to put you down,” Kai yelled.
“What you gonna do, worm?” Hadock threatened.
Kai sprang forward and jabbed Hadock in the throat. The bouncer grimaced and wound up for a massive punch, but Kai dodged the strike and viciously kicked Hadock’s knee. A sickening crack echoed through the dining hall as the knee broke out to the side. The massive man buckled and hit the ground moaning and clutching at his leg.
“One hundred gold to whoever brings me that man’s head!” the barkeep yelled.
Several burly men pulled knives and started for Kai.
“C’mon Redbeard, let’s get into it,” Pinhead squealed.
Kai saw the pair of dwarves stand from their table. The black-bearded dwarf looked at Kai briefly before glancing at the advancing foes.
“Alright, Pinhead,” the black-bearded dwarf relented. “Let’s even the odds, but no weapons,” he said. The dwarves exploded forward. Kai whirled around on his heels, but soon realized they were not coming for him. They barreled into the crowd, punching, jabbing, and tackling nearly every man in the room. The black-bearded dwarf head-butted a large knife-wielding man as the brown-bearded dwarf swept the man’s legs out from under him.
“Dagnabbit!” the black-bearded dwarf swore. “Broke my nose again!”
“Ha!” the other dwarf laughed out as he busted another man’s arm with his club. “You never learn, yet you call me Pinhead.”
“I said no weapons!” the first dwarf bellowed.
The second threw his club whirling through the air to smash into another rogue’s jaw, shattering the bone and dropping the man to the ground. “Fine,” the second dwarf relented with an apathetic shrug.
Kai didn’t know what to make of the scene, but he didn’t have much time to contemplate his new allies. A pair of attackers tried to come at him from behind, one with a broken bottle and the other with a dagger. Kai drew his sword and sliced through them both with one deft strike. Then he darted for Mandhar.
“Thanks for the help, fellas, I owe you!” Kai yelled to the dwarves as he ran by.
“Anything for a good brawl!” the bloody-faced, black-bearded dwarf shouted as he put another trio of brutes down on the floor.
Patrons not wishing to get caught up in the violence rushed the exit as Kai walked back to the bar and tied Mandhar’s hands behind his back with a leather strap and then slapped his cheeks.
“You won’t find her,” Mandhar said.
Kai shook the man threateningly. “What do you mean?”
“You best forget about her, Ranger. You won’t ever see her again.”
“Keep an eye on this man,” Kai told the barkeep. “If he escapes from you, I will take your head for it.” Kai then slammed his knee into Mandhar’s face, knocking the back of his head into the bar. A quick punch followed the strike and then it was lights out for Mandhar.
“Who are you looking for?” the barkeep asked.
“My sister,” Kai growled.
The barkeep nodded and grabbed a wooden club from under the back of the bar. “I will not let this man get away.”
Kai sprinted up the stairs, hoping that Stefan had not gotten away yet, though he knew that he probably had. The rooms located on the second story of the inn all had windows through which Stefan could have exited the building, but the Ranger searched each room anyway. He kicked open each door he came to and tore through the rooms. He overturned beds as though they were made of paper, in his furious hunt, but he found no one. He had all but lost hope when he came to the last door. He slammed his foot into the door and it
Kai shook his head and looked up at Hadock, who was already halfway across the room and closing fast. The Ranger sprang to his feet and looked around Hadock to see Stefan scrambling up the stairs to the bedrooms. Kai brought his focus back to the giant bouncer. He hooked his foot around a nearby chair leg and flipped the chair at Hadock. The bouncer swatted the chair away without even flinching.
“Time to put you down,” Kai yelled.
“What you gonna do, worm?” Hadock threatened.
Kai sprang forward and jabbed Hadock in the throat. The bouncer grimaced and wound up for a massive punch, but Kai dodged the strike and viciously kicked Hadock’s knee. A sickening crack echoed through the dining hall as the knee broke out to the side. The massive man buckled and hit the ground moaning and clutching at his leg.
“One hundred gold to whoever brings me that man’s head!” the barkeep yelled.
Several burly men pulled knives and started for Kai.
“C’mon Redbeard, let’s get into it,” Pinhead squealed.
Kai saw the pair of dwarves stand from their table. The black-bearded dwarf looked at Kai briefly before glancing at the advancing foes.
“Alright, Pinhead,” the black-bearded dwarf relented. “Let’s even the odds, but no weapons,” he said. The dwarves exploded forward. Kai whirled around on his heels, but soon realized they were not coming for him. They barreled into the crowd, punching, jabbing, and tackling nearly every man in the room. The black-bearded dwarf head-butted a large knife-wielding man as the brown-bearded dwarf swept the man’s legs out from under him.
“Dagnabbit!” the black-bearded dwarf swore. “Broke my nose again!”
“Ha!” the other dwarf laughed out as he busted another man’s arm with his club. “You never learn, yet you call me Pinhead.”
“I said no weapons!” the first dwarf bellowed.
The second threw his club whirling through the air to smash into another rogue’s jaw, shattering the bone and dropping the man to the ground. “Fine,” the second dwarf relented with an apathetic shrug.
Kai didn’t know what to make of the scene, but he didn’t have much time to contemplate his new allies. A pair of attackers tried to come at him from behind, one with a broken bottle and the other with a dagger. Kai drew his sword and sliced through them both with one deft strike. Then he darted for Mandhar.
“Thanks for the help, fellas, I owe you!” Kai yelled to the dwarves as he ran by.
“Anything for a good brawl!” the bloody-faced, black-bearded dwarf shouted as he put another trio of brutes down on the floor.
Patrons not wishing to get caught up in the violence rushed the exit as Kai walked back to the bar and tied Mandhar’s hands behind his back with a leather strap and then slapped his cheeks.
“You won’t find her,” Mandhar said.
Kai shook the man threateningly. “What do you mean?”
“You best forget about her, Ranger. You won’t ever see her again.”
“Keep an eye on this man,” Kai told the barkeep. “If he escapes from you, I will take your head for it.” Kai then slammed his knee into Mandhar’s face, knocking the back of his head into the bar. A quick punch followed the strike and then it was lights out for Mandhar.
“Who are you looking for?” the barkeep asked.
“My sister,” Kai growled.
The barkeep nodded and grabbed a wooden club from under the back of the bar. “I will not let this man get away.”
Kai sprinted up the stairs, hoping that Stefan had not gotten away yet, though he knew that he probably had. The rooms located on the second story of the inn all had windows through which Stefan could have exited the building, but the Ranger searched each room anyway. He kicked open each door he came to and tore through the rooms. He overturned beds as though they were made of paper, in his furious hunt, but he found no one. He had all but lost hope when he came to the last door. He slammed his foot into the door and it
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