Chapter 513: Xyloth, The Dragonbane
The warriors of the Cairn tribe had seen countless battles through the last decade. From open field skirmishes in the grasslands of Dusk Valley to raids on Hollow Shade garrisons. They had fought all manners of enemies, guardsmen, mercenaries, battle mages, beastkin. Yet they had never seen anyone like Maximus.
He stood a head taller than any centaur, with muscles that rippled underneath his skin. His arms were wider than a woman’s waist and his reach was twice as long as any man’s. He wore heavy armor, though it did nothing to slow him down as he waded through the Cairn’s warriors.
Maximus slashed his ax across their shields, tearing them in half through brute force. With his free hand, he snatched a warrior’s throat and snapped it like a twig. A vampire dashed behind him and stabbed him with a spear in the leg. Maximus grunted and kicked him with his hind legs. The vampire’s chest caved in with a crack and he went flying across the street.
A battle mage channeled Orange and doused the centaur in flames. Maximus grimaced from the heat as the flames licked parts of his exposed grey coat. He bowed his head, his helmet shielding his face from the worst of the heat, and charged the mage. She summoned for more chromatic energies and widened the plume of fire, slowing the centaur, but Maximus pushed on, one step at a time. Her eyes went round in horror as he loomed over her.
She turned to run, but Maximus grabbed her by the back of the head and slammed her into the ground. She cried out in pain before he silenced her with a hoof to the skull.
The centaur panted heavily. He unhooked and ripped off his armor. Several plates were already melting together from the heat. He patted the spots of his coat still on fire, then jumped back and dodged a sword strike.
A battle mage and over a dozen warriors remained between him and Loh and Marek. Maximus took a deep breath and stood up straight, though it sent a sharp pain up his back. The battle with the dragonbane atop the wall had left him worse than he had let on, but it didn’t matter. He needed to buy Loh time to deal with the dire human.
Hefting his ax, Maximus snarled and charged the warriors.
Orange flames lit up the night street of the Villa District as two high master mages dueled in the rain. Marek called upon his vast reserves of mana to fuel his flame spells while increasing their power through Yellow wind magic. His opponent was skilled that was certain, but Loh was exhausted that much was clear. Countless small cuts and scrapes decorated her pale grey skin and the swelling over her left eye was becoming obvious. Most obvious of all, was the way she favored her right leg.