A Warrior's Redemption (The Warrior Kind)

I was a fighter, who had made many Zoarinians wealthy from the bets placed on my head, but I doubted that I would acquire many backers today against this opponent. Sensing my approach the wild man turned to face me.

"So we meet again for the last time! In an hour's time from now I will feast upon your still beating heart!"

Throwing his head back the same inhuman laugh echoed out as I had heard from years before and it had lost nothing in its intensity of bone chilling fascination. He was completely insane and loved being so. It didn't' matter, I was going to win the fight, because I had to.

"This is going to be the way of it little storm man. The girl, she is precious to you or so I have been told. If you want to save her you have to defend her from me. I promise I'll make her suffering last and leave you alive just long enough so you can watch her scream as she dies painfully."

He threw his head back once again as a maniacal laugh of sheer darkness issued forth. The crowd gathered in the bleachers to watch the spectacle chanted praises to their champion. It was a sick acknowledgement of the loss of their morality and the intrinsic value of love from their souls.

Suddenly the wild man grabbed a javelin stuck in the sand before him and threw it straight at Zarsha. Zarsha only had enough time to gasp as she saw her death fast approaching.

The javelin thudded heavily into the small round shield I was equipped with. It twisted my arm painfully to the side on impact, but at least it had not found its intended target. The shield had shattered from the impact of the javelin and was now useless. I threw it to the side retaining the javelin for myself. Breathing heavy from the exertion of moving to intercept the javelin, I faced the wild man.

"Not bad little storm man, but what about this?"

With a crazed roar he charged waving a large sword overhead. I threw the javelin hard and unbelievably he picked it out of mid air and threw it right back at me.

I barely batted the javelin to the side with my sword before he was upon me. Steel rang out loudly against steel in a furious series of clangs. I was driven backward by his bullish advance of raw power.

It took every ounce of skill to evade his wild powerful sword swings. When our swords clanged loudly together it was all I could do to withstand the crushing force behind his blade. The strength behind his blows threatened to jar my sword right out of my hands. The empty glaring eyes and slavering open jaws of my opponent befitted a crazed beast more than they did the visage of a man.