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Windwalking low over the grassy mound where Gozân's command tent was pitched, Sack observed the general standing in the midst of a crowd of lizard officers, directing the battle. Two large Kin warriors, armed and armoured, stood nearby, bodyguards perhaps. To left and right of the mound were two huge siege engines. Behind were the infirmary tents of Gozân's army, already occupied by wounded soldiers receiving the attention of the battle healers. In front, about a hundred yards away, was the rearmost unit of the Kin's reserves, five hundred infantry, sitting in their ranks awaiting orders. Sack alighted in front of Gozân, as near as he could get, and transformed back from the misty state to his natural form, before dispelling the invisiblity provided by the Mislead spell. Simultaneously, he snaked his head forward, and butted the Kin warlord in the face. Staggered, Gozân stumbled backwards, throwing a weak punch in riposte that further seperated the two. Blood pouring from his nose, the Kin reached over his shoulder for his doublesword as his underlings goggled, and Sack readied his own weapons. In the frozen split second before they engaged, Sack's eyes picked out a startling observation. All Kin were half-dragons, children of a transformed Varkar and a hapless female of some other species, but this Gozân was special, was something Sack had never thought to encounter. The signs were very subtle, and only the perception born of bitter hate could have spotted it. Gozân Vráspan was half-dragon, half-elf... Time caught up in a rush, and the cohorts surrounding the battling pair drew their various weapons with an assortment of cries and oaths. The two larger Kin bodyguards, nearest to the fight, bore down on the Half-orc; the one on his right, nearly half his height again, wielding two short, square flenching blades, and the one on the left, armored in plate armour, a katana of enormous size. On the edge of the knoll, Hildraft the dwarf popped out of Wind Walk, and unleashed a Sword Stream, lacerating three of the lizard officers on the far left of the battle. Turning from where Gozân and Sack were fighting, they advanced on the dwarf, who reflected that, while he'd succeeded in distracting some of the threat from his friend, they'd better get out of there quickly or they'd be overwhelmed. Meanwhile, Sack was piling into Gozân, giving him no chance to catch his balance as he brought the huge doublesword round to the ready. The half-orc's blades licked at the general's green skin, freeing rivulets of black blood. Then he saw an opening, and with all his force drove Bloodfang deep into the Kin's right eye. With a groan, the greatest general on the face of Alair crumpled backwards and fell dead to the grass. A scream of fury went up from his followers. One of the officers had run to the edge of the knoll and was bawling orders at the reserve unit, who were coming to their feet and turning to descry the disaster. The others flew at Sack with such aggression that he was left in no doubt as to the loyalty the former general had inspired. Engaging the huge Kin with the two blades, Sack commenced the process of returning to the misty status of Wind Walk, as did Hildraft on the far edge of the battle, now giving a good account of himself against the two lizard men who had managed to overcome his Repulsion spell and get at him. The big Kin put up a stiff fight, managing to wound the half-orc quite badly before being slain. Turning his attention to the other Kin, Sack, now surrounded and attacked from all sides, wounded him quite badly and almost nailed him before the transformation was complete, and he and Hildraft drifted swiftly into the sky once more. |