Chapter 99

They made their way through the camp until they came to what appeared to be for all the world an arena. That is, a wide circular sandy area with rising stands set out around it. Even as he watched more of the stands were being thrown together by those who hadn’t been part of the brawl. Planks were being grabbed and pulled from carts and quickly built up, a structure knocked together, Orc’s climbing and finding seats as soon as they were made whole. Soon a sea of green lay in every direction as what seemed like the entire camp descended on the arena, this time including the lower levelers, the novel entertainment drawing them in.

Rain placed a foot on the sand uncertainly, feeling the way the grains slid between his pads. A fight with Tamriel was one thing, but with every Orc in the clan watching from every side? A wall of Orcs with no real way out? The likelihood he could escape with Lyra and Opal felt like it was slipping away from him with every passing moment just as the grains of sand slipped between his claws.

He looked up and scowled seeing Rugnor drag Opal and Lyra into the stands.

The fat Orc reached out and grabbed a leg of spiced meat from a burning brazier some enterprising Orc had set out. A wash of grease rolled down his chin as he bit into it

“A fine pile of leveling like that just waitin’ to be taken and that idiot Hunter gets it,” he grumbled glaring at Rain.

“She’s going to die,” murmured Lyra.

Rugnor frowned and turned to look down at the awkwardly sat Lyra, arm outstretched and held firmly in his free hand.

“As much as I wish it weren’t so I ain’t seen or heard her come close to losing against any monster. This is already over, the fun is in the spectacle, not the risk, s’why all the weak ‘uns are here.”

Opal glared up at him. “She’s right, that leveler is dead and so are you. You have no idea what you’ve invited into your home.”

Rugnor took a great bite of leg. “You’re a talker for a Goblin. You know we proberly don’t need both of youse to keep that thing from tryin’ ter escape, and youse are a monster. I wonder how mad that thing will get if I killed you.”

Despite herself Opal felt an uneasy feeling creeping up her spine. She was uncomfortably aware that the Orc holding her arm could crush it into paste and only did not because he was carefully restraining himself. She wasn’t capable of stopping him from doing what he wanted if he felt like it.

Rugnor snorted. “‘Course that’d be a distraction fer it ‘killin Tam so I’ll be ‘holdin off fer now s’much as I’d enjoy the ehntertainment.”

Tamriel had ducked off to one side as Rain padded warily around the sandy arena, leaving him with the raucous yells and insults coming from the crowd. What looked like a thrown lamb bone landed by his feet, the Orc who had lobbed it spitting venom, bile filled words; “Monster scum” and “Sub-sapient filth” along with promises of a painful death.

He was almost taken aback by the sheer blind hatred some of the Orc’s displayed ... but then, he had been a leveler in his past life, he knew for many that friends and family dying to monsters was a common reality, it wasn’t hard to see where the hate stemmed from.

He was on the verge of having the shadowy centipede crawling through the stands bite Rugnor’s ankle when Tamriel returned.

The Orc’s crimson tattoos were no longer visible, now covered up in a kind of toe to neck armour similar to that of Kel’s, a mix of leathers and scales marked with Orcish runes, albeit of far higher quality. She also wore an open faced helm in the same kind of coppery metal that capped her tusks.

She had replaced the longbow too, instead wielding what looked like a one handed repeater crossbow. A rectangular box sat atop the small frame rattling with fresh bolts. In her other hand she held a heavy set sword, a simple design, unadorned, a design made primarily for efficient and methodical killing. Rain realised this was most likely what she wore when dungeon diving.

“Like it monster? You shouldn’t. I’ve killed more of you than I can count wearing this.”

Rain shrugged lightly, black mist starting to roll from his mane.

“I don’t care.” or rather, he didn’t further than this fight went. He was painfully aware that the shadowy wolf teeth weren’t likely to pierce her enchanted leather on their own if the enchanted armour was as strong as Kel’s. It meant that only her face was vulnerable, at least until he could get up close and use his actual strength on her.

“Give me a fight filth, don’t turn out like one of those worthless farmed monsters who’ve never had a scrap in their lives. Do something! Live to die! Die to live!!”

“I-

The crossbow whipped up as the first syllable of a reply left Rain’s mouth and with a snap-snap-snap a trio of bolts ripped through the air. Rain didn’t even have time to think the motion had been so fast, his paw raising bare inches before with a thud-thud-thud the bolts embedded themselves in his chest, only stopped from going deeper because they happened to hit bone.

He roared in pain as he stumbled back, the sand rippling around him in waves under the sound, creating small sandy waves that broke against the stands.

With a snarl of pained rage he flung out his paw and shadow sprayed from his fur, wolf fangs rushing into the air, eager to hunt. He was already moving, the sand fountaining up behind him as he tore forward, the dark teeth his vanguard.

Tamriel cackled and her crossbow flickered side to side, a stream of bolts spewing forth, each aimed frighteningly accurately.

Puffs of black mist filled the air as one by one a bolt struck each set of wolf teeth and broke them apart, impacting with such strength the powerful bolts tore through the material near instantaneously.

Rain adjusted, twisting his upper body so that his right paw was obscured both by his own torso and the fresh clouds of mist rolling toward him trying to rejoin his fur. He reached range and twisted, his right paw whipping around.

He knew that Tamriel was well aware of the shadowy wolf teeth, but he had intentionally only shown her that one ability. What leveler’s considered the occasional ‘monster magic’ was one thing, something as flexible as the dark terror he controlled was entirely another.

He torqued and a set of three-foot long scythe like claws twinned above his own claws came hurtling from the dark mist straight on target for Tamriel.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a real surprise attack if he didn’t double down.

He triggered his basic Chop Wood Skill and the claws massively accelerated in force, flashy streaks of red light left in their wake as they meteored forward like they would scar the world.

Tamriel’s expression went from a lazy yet accurate parry of an expected normal regular paw strike to a desperate panicked guard, grabbing hold of the grip with both hands, crossbow dropped, shock clear in her face as she set her feet.

The scythes struck the blade like a bomb. The sword shattered in a flash of blue light, hidden strengthening runes catastrophically failing. The blastwave ripped Tamriel off her feet, the tips of the long scythes shredding the surface of her armour as she was blown backwards, cartwheeling through the air like a rag doll. She smashed into the crowd hard, three Orc’s dying on the spot as they were crushed to death under the impact. Then a solid sheet of sand followed, lifted into the air by the spherical shock wave and slapped against the crowd.

An audience of sand covered and frozen in surprise Orc’s looked down at the wolf like monster in their arena.

That lasted all of one moment as fists rose into the air in a roar of outrage and glee (As well as a smaller voice that cried Woop wolfy!). Now this was excitement and spectacle, danger and thrill in the Orcish way. The Orc’s blood only rose higher and more frenetic as Tamriel clambered to her feet, a look of pure white hot fury on her face.

The furious hunter grabbed at the hip of one of the Orc’s she had crushed to death and ripped free a fresh sword. She then stormed down the stepped seats of the arena, boots thudding on wood as Orc’s frantically shuffled out of her way.

Rain watched her carefully. He had intended to kill her in that attack, taking advantage of her underestimation of his ability to end her. The only reason she had escaped was due to her sword, he had assumed it was just a plain steel sword as it clearly appeared. Apparently not.

He doubted the one she had just picked up would be similar, but then how would he know for certain? Enchanted swords weren’t common from what he knew ... but then maybe they were amongst Orcs? How a clan of Orcs did things was far outside his experience in his past life.

His gaze fell to her chest. Four huge gashes were lain out across her cuirass, her clothing and the occasional slim flash of green skin below. He narrowed his eyes hoping to see her flesh start to disintegrate ... But nothing changed, he’d just brushed her, not even nicking her skin.

He wrinkled his nose in frustration. He was now put in an awkward position. He had gained little knowledge of her capabilities outside of her exceptional accuracy while she knew more of his. Worse, he still had no easy way through her armour, the gashes were too fine.