| Astra smashed the axe down into another orc's skull, dropping him like
a rock. Orc swords clanged in fury against her dwarven shield. She spun
around, using the shield to knock down the monsters on her right flank.
Her backside now exposed to attack, an orc rushed forward but a vicious
kick sent it flying backwards, bowling over his snarling companions. Still
sprawled on the ground, one of the orcs suddenly jabbed out at her with
its sword. But Astra jumped into the air, just missing the deadly thrust,
and came crashing down on the beast's face. Her axe shot forward, parrying
two more frontal attacks, while her shield was swung backwards, stopping
short yet another enemy rush.
Blood flowed down her body from the cuts and scratches that she hadn't
been able to avoid. She was a master swordsman and her body was agile and
quick. But the battle axe was heavy and not her weapon of choice. And although
she had the advantage of height, the orcs had a greater reach. Their short
bodies were thick and muscled, their hairy hides like leather armor, and
their long arms reaching out at her from every direction. At least fifteen
of them lay dead near her feet, but it did not stop them from pressing
their attack. Sooner or later Astra knew that one of their thrusts would
strike home.
And to make matters worse, her torch was almost out. The orcs and the
dwarves might not need light to see in the blackness of underground caves,
but Astra would end up dead that much the sooner when the torchflame faded.
Her axe swung out again, nearly decapitating the orc in front of her. It
shuddered and crashed to the floor and a rage-filled howl exploded in her
ears. Her shield arm tensed and she cocked her axe, ready to fend off the
next blow. But it did not come. The orcs that surrounded her backed off.
Her eyes darted from side to side. What were the orcs doing?
And then a dark shape pushed itself to the front of the circling orcs.
It smiled and licked its horny tusks. It stood almost five and a half feet
tall, the biggest orc Astra had seen yet. It wore a shirt of bloody chainmail
and a spiked metal cap. It was an orc chief, or at least that's what Astra
assumed. The beast certainly was better equipped than the others. And then
there was the symbol. Painted upon that iron cap was an image of a two
pronged knife. Painted in red of course. Was it their clan symbol? Or perhaps
a mark of authority? Astra didn't know and she didn't care. She just wanted
to kill the thing.
The orc raised one of its arms and pointed at Astra. In a growling,
inhuman voice the thing spoke. "You..." it said and then pointed at itself,
"me..." And then it raised its thick, sharp sword.
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 Mortal Combat
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