Talen reached out and caught the blade, the edge biting into the flesh of his palm, but not penetrating. He caught Torvus' wrist with the other hand and with a scream of effort. swung him around, knocking fighters down like pins. He kept up the spin, and threw him straight up into the air. Sailing dozens of yards into the air, Torvus screamed all the way down to crash into the roof of the castle somewhere in the darkness.
Joven and Balen stood back as Talen devastated his own allies. Leona had picked herself up, but was staying out away from him as he fought more obvious targets. "Mother?"
"We are in trouble." Leona replied. "He's not going to go down without a fight."
"What if we stop fighting?" Joven asked.
"We're in sight." she replied. "And breathing. That's enough. He has no control."
"Okay, then we come at him from three sides." Balen said. "Split his attention."
"Great." Joven replied. "Then while he's splattering one of us the other two can get him. Best odds I've seen so far."
"Or," Leona said. "We can jump in now while Davik and Korvos are still alive."
Joven looked. The two were the only ones left standing, and they were barely keeping Talen from smashing them with the body of the other guard. He'd swing, they’d leap back, but couldn't close in fast enough before Talen recovered to swing again.
"Oh." Balen said. "That's a much better plan. Circle out."
They split, Leona circling around behind her berserking son. Joven moved to come in a third of the way out from there, and Balen the other third, making as close to a circle as possible. Joven and Balen readied their swords, and Leona picked up a mace dropped by one of Korvos' sisters.
Talen swung again, this time letting go of the body. Two hundred fifty pounds of armor plated body slammed into the two Rathes and knocked them down. The body sprawling across them.
"Now!" Balen cried. The three lunged in and swung.
With unnatural speed, Talen lashed out with his hands, knocking Joven and Balen’s weapons away. But he wasn't fast enough to turn and stop Leona from bringing the mace down on the back of his head hard. There was a sickening crack as metal met flesh and bone, and Talen staggered. His eyes rolled back in his head, but somehow he kept his footing as he struggled to remain standing.
Leona, terrified, wound up and swung again. The mace struck again, blood spraying from his scalp as he finally tumbled forward. He sank to his knees, the screams of rage drifting off as his muscles twitched, still trying to fight. She wound up a third time, and with a scream that resounded with terror as well as remorse, swung a third time. That time, Talen dropped to the ground.
The rage that could be felt pouring off him dissipated, but not instantly. Joven could feel it curl around him, almost as if it were a living thing, trying to find a way inside. He felt it probing at his will for just a split second, but then it was gone.
"The Furie," Balen muttered. "I could feel it."
Leona dropped to her knees, the mace clattering from numb fingers. She tentatively reached out and touched her fallen son. Tears glimmered in her eyes as she grieved.
Talen's body twitched. He groaned, but remained down.
"By the gods." Leona murmured. "He's still alive?"
"You must have held back." Balen replied. "There's no gods in that."
Leona shook her head, wiping the tears from her eyes. "No, I swung as hard as I could. The first blow should have painlessly killed him." she whispered.
"It's impossible for him to have survived three hits." Balen declared. "It's-"
Leona's eyes widened as she looked up at him. "Balen!" She shouted. "Watch out!"
Balen turned, sidestepping, but Davik had managed to line up the shot well enough that he hit even with the warning. The longsword punched through the leather armor of his lower back and pierced out the front, impaling Balen in the gut.
Joven leapt to the side on a knee-jerk reaction, and as he hit the ground and rolled, he saw he had
Joven and Balen stood back as Talen devastated his own allies. Leona had picked herself up, but was staying out away from him as he fought more obvious targets. "Mother?"
"We are in trouble." Leona replied. "He's not going to go down without a fight."
"What if we stop fighting?" Joven asked.
"We're in sight." she replied. "And breathing. That's enough. He has no control."
"Okay, then we come at him from three sides." Balen said. "Split his attention."
"Great." Joven replied. "Then while he's splattering one of us the other two can get him. Best odds I've seen so far."
"Or," Leona said. "We can jump in now while Davik and Korvos are still alive."
Joven looked. The two were the only ones left standing, and they were barely keeping Talen from smashing them with the body of the other guard. He'd swing, they’d leap back, but couldn't close in fast enough before Talen recovered to swing again.
"Oh." Balen said. "That's a much better plan. Circle out."
They split, Leona circling around behind her berserking son. Joven moved to come in a third of the way out from there, and Balen the other third, making as close to a circle as possible. Joven and Balen readied their swords, and Leona picked up a mace dropped by one of Korvos' sisters.
Talen swung again, this time letting go of the body. Two hundred fifty pounds of armor plated body slammed into the two Rathes and knocked them down. The body sprawling across them.
"Now!" Balen cried. The three lunged in and swung.
With unnatural speed, Talen lashed out with his hands, knocking Joven and Balen’s weapons away. But he wasn't fast enough to turn and stop Leona from bringing the mace down on the back of his head hard. There was a sickening crack as metal met flesh and bone, and Talen staggered. His eyes rolled back in his head, but somehow he kept his footing as he struggled to remain standing.
Leona, terrified, wound up and swung again. The mace struck again, blood spraying from his scalp as he finally tumbled forward. He sank to his knees, the screams of rage drifting off as his muscles twitched, still trying to fight. She wound up a third time, and with a scream that resounded with terror as well as remorse, swung a third time. That time, Talen dropped to the ground.
The rage that could be felt pouring off him dissipated, but not instantly. Joven could feel it curl around him, almost as if it were a living thing, trying to find a way inside. He felt it probing at his will for just a split second, but then it was gone.
"The Furie," Balen muttered. "I could feel it."
Leona dropped to her knees, the mace clattering from numb fingers. She tentatively reached out and touched her fallen son. Tears glimmered in her eyes as she grieved.
Talen's body twitched. He groaned, but remained down.
"By the gods." Leona murmured. "He's still alive?"
"You must have held back." Balen replied. "There's no gods in that."
Leona shook her head, wiping the tears from her eyes. "No, I swung as hard as I could. The first blow should have painlessly killed him." she whispered.
"It's impossible for him to have survived three hits." Balen declared. "It's-"
Leona's eyes widened as she looked up at him. "Balen!" She shouted. "Watch out!"
Balen turned, sidestepping, but Davik had managed to line up the shot well enough that he hit even with the warning. The longsword punched through the leather armor of his lower back and pierced out the front, impaling Balen in the gut.
Joven leapt to the side on a knee-jerk reaction, and as he hit the ground and rolled, he saw he had
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