《Exalted Warlock》Chapter 6: Barbarian Rage
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With quick reflects, honed by endless hours of training and a high dexterity stat, Magnus jumped back as Bulut's ax slashed down on where he previously stood.
He immediately held his sword out in a guard position, and cried out to Bulut, "What the fuck is wrong with you, man?" he was unbelieving at what just happened.
Bulut ignored him like he has been doing all this time, and charged him with a savage snarl.
Magnus ducked and weaved under the ferocious assault of Bulut as his axes came at him from all sides. He was still trying to process what was going on, trying to reconcile with the fact that his instructor was trying to kill him.
It was impossible, unbelievable, and fucking insane!
Still Magnus keep up with his elegant dance of bobbing and weaving under Bulut's relentless attacks, he knew it was impossible to block the man's attacks. The large man's highest stat was strength, while he, on the other hand, had that stat as one of his weakest.
He could already imagine getting pummeled into the ground if he dared to block even one strike.
In addition to that, he knew that he couldn't let these twin magical axes touch him. He would have preferred if they weren't swinging his way, but you can't have it all. Anyways, if those murderous axes came into contact with his skin then he could kiss his ass goodbye.
The only small blessing in this fucked up mess was that Bulut was weakened.
The man had a literal creature's head clamped down on his arm. That might have been a small blessing in disguise considering that it did prevent him from suffering severe blood loss since it held wounds closed shut, but still, he had to be going through a great deal of pain.
Furthermore, if the panting breaths and the rivulet of sweat pouring out of his body was any indication, he was dead tired. Magnus had no idea how long he has been fighting today, but even with the stats of a Golden Olympics Champion, it was obvious he couldn't go on any further.
It was only thanks to those two small breaks that Magnus wasn't a pile of sliced up meat on the racket. He might be a good fighter now thanks to all the training he got, but Bulut was leagues apart from him.
His instructor could take him down any day of the week; with one hand tied behind his back, hopping mad on one foot, plus him even being blindfolded… Wait that did actually happen, and he did it effortlessly with him not even breaking a sweat.
Shit, thank Pandora for small blessings.
Even so, with all that bleak hopelessness and impossibility piled on top of him, he still had to be careful with his attack and always hold back a bit.
Even if Bulut totally lost it and was trying to kill him, he couldn't return the favor.
Thought at this rate, it was becoming more and more impossible.
Bulut swung down his ax diagonally to while he did a backflip to evade it, then the man followed it up with another one diagonal slash with his second ax, and in answer Magnus once more backflipped away.
Not relenting, Bulut leaped over and chop down at him, Magnus spun away like a ballerina then sliced at his now exposed flank. He made sure the cut was only a few millimeters deep, basically nothing more than a paper cut.
Bulut tried to backhand him way using the same hand he chopped down with but Magnus ducked under the blow causing the ax and forearm to whizzing by and hit nothing. Magnus followed it with a sideways roll, landing back up in a kneeling position.
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That gave him wide access to Bulut's open back, taking advantage of it he made two cuts to the man's back thigh then jumped up to his feet and took a few steps back.
That move was a smart decision on his part as Bulut spun around with his axes held high then slammed them down. Seeing that he hit nothing, Bulut tried to pull his axes out of the ground but they were wedged in tight.
Magnus grinned at the sight of Bulut muscles bulged and his veins wormed around his neck and arms, struggling to get his axes unstuck. Happily taking advantage of the large man's misfortune Magnus slashed at his biceps making small wounds.
Still, even with all the damage he was making, the man still refused to go down. Magnus was trying to be considerate here as he only made shallow wounds with his attacks. His goal, after all, was not to hurt him too badly and only try to wear him out.
However, the big man kept on coming like an enraged bull, not relenting for a single moment. That plan of his was going up in flames rather quickly as he was one that was getting tired now.
Giving up on his axes, Bulut charged at him unarmed and opened up his salvos with a right hook.
'Now, why would you go and give up on your advantage, that was plain idiocy,' Magnus thought to himself with a shake of his head. Magnus falter there when that musing passed through his mind, 'why would he do that?' he asked himself again.
The answer was simple, although Bulut was in some sort of crazed state he wasn't thinking rationally. If he was, he obviously wouldn't be making those elementary mistakes of letting him get to his flank, his back, and so forth.
Magnus grinned, he could use that against him but before that he needs to survive this on coming endless barrage.
As Bulut's right hook comes towards him, Magnus weaved to the side, dodging the blow. Not finishing there, Bulut followed it up with an uppercut to which Magnus bent backward as the fist swept forwards only inches away from his face.
Then trying to make some distance between them, Magnus rotated away, though Bulut followed close behind with two jabs. Seeing that he won't have time to recover Magnus sent out two throwing knives that buried themselves in Bulut's shoulders.
That gave Magnus chance he needed to jump back a few feet as Bulut recoiled in pain as the knives sink into his flesh. Which made him unable to complete his jabs, though Magnus now literally had his back against a wall or more accurately yet, the bar hindered him from going anywhere else.
Giving Magnus a hateful and furious look that told of so much pain and suffering, Bulut pulled the knives out from his shoulders with ease and let them clatter on to the floor.
Magnus smiled broadly at the crazed man as he made lewd and vulgar gestures at him, he knew that would enrage him even more, but that is what he was wishing for.
Bulut's rage which was already palpable took on a physical manifestation as roared out his fury and lunged for him head first.
Magnus chuckled to himself as the maddened man fell right into his trap.
Holding his ground until the very last second, Magnus made a sideways roll on Bulut's bent back, landing right behind him. Then for the heck of it, he kicked him in the ass causing him to run headlong faster into the bar.
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Magnus then gazed at his handy work, he did not know what it was, but he just loved having people run headlong into their own doom of their own volition. He coughed awkwardly into his fist as that sentiment crossed his mind, he figured that proved he was a diabolical and dastardly bastard.
Sheathing his sword away Magnus strolled over to where Bulut had his head stuck in the counter. The man was unmoving and as still as a wooden log, he hoped that he was only out cold and not dead.
Still that was a small worry, he knew Bulut was tough, his high Durability said it all. Plus he was considerate, why was it that he lead him into the wooden bar and not the stone wall? He didn't want him to crack his head wide open against the wall, but still he did need some way to knock him out.
Grabbing him by the legs Magnus tried to pull him out, but he was stuck in real tight. Giving up on that course of action, Magnus walked around to the opposite side of the bar and say that his instructor's head poking out of the counter.
With little to none options left, he took out his sword and got to the task of sawing away the area around the large man's head.
Once he was done, he dragged Bulut out of the cavity with some of the bar frame coming along with him around his neck. Seeing that it was impossible to carry him, Magnus dragged him away by his right hand.
On his way he took out the man's axes from the floor, he was extra careful not to lay a hand on the sharp gleaming, blades' edge. He had an idea of what these things could do and did not want it to inflict curses on to him.
As the young practitioner towed along the large man along, he started to show signs that he was stirring up. Magnus feared that he might wake up in his crazed state once more, though at the same time he did have something that would knock him out again.
From his cloak, he took out a small glass bottle that contained an amber colored liquid and a silken handkerchief. This was something that Shui cooked up, basically a knock out a drug which they use to silently take out guards and so forth.
With great difficulty and a lot of help from the survivors, Magnus was able to bring Bulut up to the second floor. He set the large man down on the floor then brought the drug at the ready with five survivors on hand ready to tie him down once he administers the drug.
Finally, Bulut came through, a bit groggily, though more importantly sound of mind and compose, however, he wasn't in the most pleasant of states.
"Argh!" he said as he grabbed his head. "What the hell happened?" he asked as his eyes landed on Magnus.
Magnus shrugged his shoulders as he put away the handkerchief and bottle, then he told him everything he needed to know, with an emphasis on all the moments his life was in danger, thanks to him.
"It seems like you had a taste of my ability," Bulut remarked once Magnus finished his tale.
"A what now?" Magnus utterly confused with what Bulut said.
"An ability is a natural power that solely belongs to each and every individual," Bulut answered, as he rubbed at his temple. "Mine's is barbarian rage and as you can guess from its name, I rage."
Magnus looked at him suspiciously and asked, "How come I never heard about this?"
Bulut shrugged his shoulders and even that simple gesture racked pain all across his body. "Abilities are hard to unlock, they only manifest when you are under a lot of pressure. Therefore many simply go on with their lives without awakening one."
'FUCK THAT!' Magnus though. Was he not constantly under pressure? Then where was his super duper ultra mega ability? Did he literally have to die a second time to get this ability that Bulut is talking about?
"Where is Soykan?" Bulut asked as he interrupted Magnus's brooding.
"I was about to ask you that," Magnus replied.
Bulut halted, once he heard Magnus's reply, "You can't be serious," he whispered under his breath.
"Can't be serious about what?" Magnus asked. Though all he had to do was follow Bulut's gaze all the way to the large gaping hole in the common room, and then he understood.
All he had to give in answer was "Ohh!"
At this point, the overwhelming feeling that he was holding back started to unravel, it was actually starting to look like Soykan might be dead.
Then before Magnus could give in to his grief and despair, a large thunderous ROAR filled with pain and agony reverberated through the air.
Magnus noted that it was the same exact roar that he heard outside which drew him inside the tavern. He turned to face Bulut and asked, "Who is making those noises?"
Bulut shook his head, slowly, from side to side, and even the effort of that seemed to hurt him greatly. However, he still replied with, "Not whom, but what."
Before Bulut could go on further explaining himself, the ROAR coming from whatever was deep within those tunnels once more split the air.
Suddenly from within the large gaping hole out popped Soykan, the sight of him jumping out of the hole was so shocking nobody reacted at first, not even the creatures nearby.
Soykan glanced around the place which was in total shambles, then his eyes landed on Bulut and Magnus. His gaze did stay upon Magnus for a bit longer, and Magnus could have sworn that his eyes hardened a bit.
However, before being able to put any thought into it, Soykan ran up to them and Magnus worldlessly threw him down one of the handmade ropes. Soykan easily climbed on board, then without even catching his breath, he turned to face everyone and then instructed them, "All of you, get out of here, right now."
"What's going on?" Magnus asked, confused like everyone else.
Soykan held out his hand to cease all actions and stated, "I do not have time to explain myself. Simply exit this building in an orderly fashion without making any fuss."
Despite Soykan's insistence that he did not want to explain and go into detail, he did not have to. For, what came out of the pit explained it all.
Magnus couldn't deny that he was curious about what was making all those tumults, now he finally got his wish and he was started to regret it. No wonder there is a saying; be careful what you wish for. Maybe it was retold for fools like him, who did not have a clue what he or she were wishing for.
The thing that clawed its way out of the hole was a thing of nightmare just like those faceless creatures. But unlike them, it had power oozing out of it.
Standing at 2 meters and a half was a monstrous humanoid creature, its skin was pinkish white, had no hair on its body, and had a fleshy shark-like fin on its backs. Large serrated teeth jutted out from its octopus-like mouth, numerous white eyes nestled on its head, and giant hands with razor-sharp, black nails reached all the way to its bent knees.
The bipedal creature growled out something which got the faceless creatures into a frenzy, then it beat its chest and roared. That seemed to have meant something since without even giving it a moment of thought, the endless horde charged with the fleshy creature at their heel.
Magnus turned to face survivors near the barrels, and commanded, "Send them away at my command!" Then rounding on the rest, he added, "You heard the man, Go! There are stairs that lead down and out the back entrance."
Turning his back on them, Magnus got back to observing the oncoming collision. The faceless creatures were trying to make their way up to the second floor as they kept on leaping up and trying to climb the cold stone beams. However, that proved to be impossible with the distance of a few meters between everyone and their inability to claw their way up.
Another answering ROAR greeted the air, and the faceless creatures started to mount up on to each other, using each other as a stool.
"Hold your ground!" Magnus shouted to the remaining survivors as they started to get nervous. The mass of faceless creatures were literally making a wall of mass as they got higher and higher while this tactic played out all along the railing side.
It was a smart move on the Alpha creature's part, that's what he is calling him now, and quite the surprise. Who knew that it was able to think and perceive?
However, it was a tactic that he was already expected as well as took into consideration, and it was one he desired the most, as well, because he could do this.
"Hurl those barrels, NOW!" Magnus ordered. His command was quickly followed through as cask struck the roiling mass and cracked open on top of them, spilling all of the liquor inside on to them.
Grabbing one of the few remaining Molotov cocktails, Magnus lit the white, pristine sheet and lobbed it at the mass of faceless creatures.
This time instead of ones and two getting set aflame, the whole lot of them burned. Once the fiery bottle of death touched down, it exploded in a blazing inferno as its flame spread as quick as galloping horses. Everywhere, where there was flammable components it spread, and then some, as the flames latched on to everything in sight.
Sounds of shrieking babies, howls beasts, and moaning old man took over the sense of hearing. While the pungent scent of rotting flesh burning took over the faculty of smell and all the eye could see was flames licking the surface of everything.
"Alright, folks, our job here is done," Magnus declared as he turned his gaze away from the infernal sight, his very own handy work.
"Let's get out of here, and let these things burn in the fiery pits of hell."
A cheer when up at Magnus's declaration, and everyone started to file out towards the stairs.
Magnus picked up his bow he dropped, plus Bulut's axes which he threw to one side, and made his way over to where both men were situated.
Bulut sat on the floor still reeling from the concussive blow but now more focused on the issue of the creature's head latched on to his arm.
Soykan, on the other hand, was gazing down at the fireworks down below with intense ferocity.
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