Had this done... For some time... I'm seriously a lazy person [th_015_orz-v2.gif]

Anyway there will be Life and death part 3 some day. But I really doubt I will make it any time soon (most likely again a month later...), because on the june 2 I need to present my graduation thesis which is still only half way done... [th_085_.gif]

Oh.. I'm so tired of writing this story... I mean I got it figured out pretty far ahead ( like another 30 or 40 chapters), but writing... Ughh... It took me like 8 hours to write just this one chapter [th_093.gif]

Chapter 35. Life and death. Part 2.

“…d…”

“…d…”

“Ughh…” ‘ Wha??’ I groan as my consciousness slowly returned bit by bit from the land of dreams.

But for some reason it’s very hard to get a grip on reality, because my mind tries to slip back into the darkness every moment it gets.

“…id…up.” Once more I hear that strong, commanding voice in a distance.

This time I don’t give in to the tiredness, but instead I fight it.

Finally I force my eyelids to slowly rise up.

The first thing I notice is my own body covered in dust and blood.

“Kid! Stop dreaming and get up!” Shouts that voice.

Being still half asleep I don’t understand what’s going on, but I automatically lift my head up and direct my attention towards the source of my disturbance.

What I see is quite a tall man standing about 10 meters away from me. Because of the helmet he’s wearing and a long, thick beard, which is reaching his chest with a couple of braids weaved in it, I can’t clearly see his face. But judging by the grey and white color dominating on his hair, I would say that he already saw his share of life.

Apart of that spiked, iron helmet he is also wearing a long, sleeveless tunic made from a leather with fur showing here and there. And on top of that warmly looking tunic lies a neatly crafted chainmail protecting his upper body. On each of his arm is a gauntlet, made from a some kind of white metal, with a brown fur sticking out from under them.

And finally his legs is mostly covered by the long boots, which reach almost to his knees.

In his left hand he is holding a square shield, which is quite heavily damaged, from what I see, and in his other hand he is tightly gripping a big ass axe, which I would most likely require both of my arms just to simply swing.

“Get up and run!” Suddenly shouts the man.

Still not fully awake I start to frown not understanding what he wants from me and am preparing to give him a piece of my mind for disturbing my rest. But at that moment I notice that a chainmail on his side is slightly damaged and his clothes in that place are strangely wet and darker in color.

‘Blood?’ This single thought makes my eyes go wide open and finally remember what has happened to me.

Only now I now notice that the person in front of me is standing in a defensive position with his shield raised up. And only just now I notice that quite a number of trees in the surrounding is either broken or have a huge scratches on them.

Slowly looking around I finally find cause of the problem, which caused all of this.

Some distance away stands Onorilu, that god damned gorilla from hell.

It’s once white fur now is mostly painted in red and there is a number of flesh wounds all around it’s body. One of it’s horns is covered in blood, while the other ends in a stump. And there is saliva mixed with blood dripping out of it’s mouth, but it’s hard to say who’s it is.

‘I must have missed quite a show.’ I think looking at the tattered beast.

*Ggrrr*

*Ggrrr*

The bastard releases a few growls as it moves slightly sideways.

‘Looks like it’s hesitating.’ I think looking at it’s behavior.

*Ggraawwwlll*

And just as that though crosses my mind, it roars loudly and starts charging towards the man.

While pointing it’s last remaining horn, the beast rushes at an amazing speed directly at him.

Just before the shield and the sharp horn makes contact, that person slightly turns sideways and by the breath of a hair manages to avoid the beats attack. At this moment the red mist seeps out of his body and he swings his axe in an counter attack, striking at the gorillas hind leg.

*Raaarrrww* The beast releases a loud roar, as the axe digs into the flesh,

As I hear it’s roar, joy fills my heart, but it doesn’t last long because I notice that the axe didn’t even reach the bone before stopping.

‘Clearly that bastard has a huge defense…’ A though that worries me greatly forms in my mind.

And as I was thinking this, that nightmarish gorilla finally stopped it’s charge, turned around and immediately jumped back, towards the warrior, with it’s jaws wide open.

At this moment I personally would have tried to avoid this attack at all cost, but strangely he just stands there as if rooted to the ground.

Suddenly that tattered shield, he is holding in his left hand, begins to suck the red mist covering his whole body, until it becomes bright red in color, almost like it was just taken out of the furnace.

As that eyeless creature is about to sink in it’s shark like teeth into his neck, he immediately swings his red shield and smashes it directly at the beasts head.

The moment he hits the beast a loud bang, which reminds me the sound of an explosion, can be heard and as the creature is knocked away from him, a ring of red particles scatters into the air, from the place of contact, as the shield returns to it’s normal color.

“Wow…” I’m somewhat amazed.

‘To be able to knock back that giant gorilla even just for a few meters, that shield bash must pack quite a punch…’ I think this to myself.

For a second or two onorilu looked lost, before he finally rushed away for about ten meters, almost to the same spot he was before the attack.

“Why are you still here?” A strong voice asks me, while slightly startling me.

Before I can say anything he turns his head towards me and continues: “You should run… I don’t have enough strength to win this fight… At best I can hold out a few more of it’s charges… ”

Not knowing what to say for a moment I simply look at him, at that tattered shield, at the scratches on his clothes and the damaged parts of his chainmail, at the blood trickling from his wound, which is painting his clothes in a darker color, at the grey beard, which is now mostly covered in red, at his haggard breathing and at that broad back of his, which is now slightly hunched forward…

What I see makes an in impression to me that a single stronger gust of wind would be able to topple him… But that is until I notice that glint in his eyes, through the slits of his helmet.

As I look at those unyielding eyes, of a true warrior, I begin to feel pretty pathetic…

Seeing that I’m just sitting there he sights and says: “Haaa… You are still young, this should not be the place where your journey ends…” Then after a short pause he adds: “I can give you only a few minutes…” And turns his head forward to face the beast again.

*Ggrrr*

It starts to growl again.

Suddenly the person in front of me lifts his shield up and strikes it a few time with his axe, creating two loud bangs and shouting towards the beast: “Come here you fucker, if you are not afraid!”

As I keep looking at his back in front of me, a strange fire is unexpectedly lit up deep in my heart and a strong emotion takes over me.

I lift my right hand and start unbinding straps that hold the axe on my back.

Finally I grab it’s handle and use it to push myself of the ground.

I will not lie the pain is insufferable, to the point that I almost give up and fall back again. But strangely I grit my teeth and just keep on getting up while looking at that broad back in front of me at the same time.

Tears are running down my checks and my knees are shaking , but I keep pushing myself up.

This new found power is not an anger or an unyielding will to survive, no… It’s just a stupid wish of a foolish person. A wish that makes me ignore the pain and push my body to the limit. Yes… A simple wish, a simple desire to at least once stand alongside this great person and say that I’m not afraid while looking straight into the eyes of death. A truly foolish wish…

“Aarrgggh…” A shout escapes through my gritted teeth as I finally straighten myself up.

‘Well… I’m up… Now what?...’ I think breathing hoarsely, while finally standing up and scouting my surroundings.

Then suddenly the man speaks: “Ha, ha, ha… You see that wasn’t so hard… Now all you need to do is just run towards the road…”

‘Run… Huh?’ I frown a bit as I think this.

*Ggraawwwlll*

The beast roars once more.

“He will soon charge at us…” he warns me, while getting into a defensive stance again.

‘Run…’ A single word resounds in my mind.

I focus my attention on that monster in the distance.

‘Run…’

My hoarse breathing starts to slow until it completely calms down.

‘Yeah… I should try running…’ As I think this, a sly grin appears on my face.

Suddenly the familiar sound of electrical crackling fills the air and a sensation of strength returns to my worn out body, while strangely somewhat numbing the pain at the same time.

“What’s going on here?… Kid are you alright?” My companion asks in a quite worried voice.

“Yeah…” I just give a simple answer.

Even though I had enough power to activate my skill, but I’m seriously afraid that in the current state of my body I won’t be able to use it properly and most likely will fall down before I will even get close to that bastard.

‘I need to forget the pain and tiredness, so I could push this beat up body to it’s limits… I need to become angry… I… I need to be in a STATE OF RAAAAGGGGEEE!’ I start screaming in my mind trying to get angrier.

I put more force into my right hand and grip the handle of my axe so tightly that the knuckles on my hand turn white, while I keep screaming in my mind: ‘Charge… Kill that bastard… Kill… Kill… Killlllll…’

It takes just a moment before every muscle, in my body that is still functioning, tenses up and a powerful war cry leaves my mouth: “Fuckkk YOOUUUU!!!!!”

As this war cry from the depths of my soul rushes out of my lungs, I dart forward with all the strength I can muster at the moment.

Instantly my vision blurs out, but I can still make out a single dot, that eyeless head.

It take less than a blink of an eye for me to cover more than 10 meters and be already in front of the beast swinging my axe.

But even with this amazing speed it still somehow manages to react to my attack and shift his body sideways just enough for it’s head to leave my attack zone.

Even thought I still manage to I notice this, but sadly my body is incapable of following it, so I decide on the next best thing. And with everything I have, I hit it’s frontal leg.

But as my blade makes contact with it’s skin, it feels like I have just hit the steel wall. Instantly a wave of pain rushes through my arm, as if it is being ripped off, and my grip on the axe immediately loosens up.

What’s more I lose my balance and fall down on the ground.

After rolling and sliding for about six meters I finally stop.

‘Mmm… That god damned gorillas skin… Mmm… Must be made of a metal…’ I think feeling the burning sensation all over my body.

*Skreeeee…*

Suddenly an ear piecing shriek attacks me.

“Ohh… For crying out loud… Ughh…” I say feeling my head splitting in half. I want to cover my ears but none of my arms want to work properly.

It takes a moment before I slowly lift my head up to look at what’s going on. And immediately my lips curve up as I notice that bastard screaming from pain and trashing on the ground still with my axe stuck deep in it’s leg.

“Ha, ha, ha *cough*, *cough*, ha, ha… It’s ‘HELLO’ bitch!” I shout feeling overjoyed from finally seeing that bastard suffering.

“Arrgghh…” Suddenly I hear a loud shout from the side.

As I follow the sound, I notice my mysterious friend rushing forward with a huge force.

The moment he gets closer to that gorilla, he immediately swings his axe down and straight toward it’s throat.

Blood splatters everywhere, as the blade digs into the flesh, but he doesn’t stop and swing his axe again and again, until he chops it’s head away.

With a huge pool of blood under his feet, he straightens up and looks at me.

He takes a few deeper breathes and with a smile on his face says: “Ha, ha, ha… That was seriously amazing kid… Ha, ha, ha… By the way my name is Skegg… Skegg Dansson…”

== End of chapter 36 ==

Little spoiler: At the end of chapter 38 the MC will finally leave the town and begin his journey. [th_084_.gif]

Finally I'm getting to this point and it took me just what? 1,5 years? Ummm... Yeah... Awesome [th_0gotas.gif]