Knight and Ork

I can see the flames of torches illuminating the night sky. I saw a thousand more were lit as the orks rallied in with extreme ferocity as the green tide of death slowly approach the denizens of Isstvan. Worst still is the head knight, Charles Holland; challenge the ork warboss in a ceremonious duel to the death known formally as "The Blood Match".

In this ritualistic duel, which is supported by a magic amulet that Charles hold within is bloodied palms. It can create a small Circle of light without any incantations for it is an expensive one in the magic market.

The amulet was given to him from the previous duke before he was promoted to head knight. Eternally grateful that his lord gave him a gift to which whomever enemy he deems worthy for the blood match; he shall pay it for his life. Only the humans, orks, Alerrian beastmen and the Dwevron races were allowed to participate such a duel.

The only exception is the Elhein forest dwellers. The Blood Match cannot recognize an Elhein for they are a different entity all together. Hence why the Dwevrons despise their kind. They believe their race had no honor and the Elheins thought the Dwevrons to be another form of apes like the humans.

This is no joke and it is within the realm of the rare magicians that can enchant such a thing. Only the Dwevron race can enchant such valuable and destructive craftsman. For it is appropriate to them that a duel with a worthy adversary is much better than dying to a weak mutt.

More akin to their warrior like culture within the Dwevron society. Negotiations with them weren't always the swiftest but were more tolerable than the more arrogant Elhein hierarchy compared to their nemesis the Dwevron's.

Humanity used this Blood Match spell that is commonly meant for gladiators to battle in the highest bidder. Unlike the roman gladiators, that are only slaves; these ones are either death row prisoners or criminals of war that made heinous acts.

"Oooo! Yo'z wanna foight humie? Das wot I loik! com' er!" Skulznapper said as he cleaved the throat of Sterlin Winchester and jumps right inside the illuminating circle.

"Then a fight I shall give you, greenskin!" Charles said as he initiated the blood match and cuts the palms of his hands to ensure it is connected to him and the ork warboss.

"Ork, draw your blood within the circle so we may clash as tradition holds it." Charles said with the eyes of contempt as the shadow covers his upper face. Leaving only his mouth remain in the light.

"Hmm... Al'roight but not be'coz I don't wuna die. I jus' wan'ta see if yor really got da gutz to foight me." Skulznapper said as he sneer his sharky metal jaw at him.

"Like I said. I promise to give you a fight and a fight you shalt have, fiend." Charles remarked as he walks to the left.

The ork followed and walks to his left. Both glared at each other with execration and anticipation. After a few paces — they stopped and stood there for a minute. Charles was the one who made the first move as he was faster and more mobile than the gigantic ork. The greenskin followed suit and his giant battleaxe — the size of a full grown man — swung sideways.

Charles evaded and unsheathed his longsword and thrust it at the orks abdomen but to no avail — sparks flicked. The ork was also wearing fully plated armor that was underneath a thin robe.

The ork smirk in delight and draws his giant claws at the knight but Charles dodged and swung his blade at the claws. This time the ork redirects his battleaxe and swings it at the head knight. Charles evaded again - only avoiding the whatever strikes that ork could muster. He seems to be enjoying it.

Skulznapper then swung his battleaxe again at Charles and again he evades. Then he drops Charles longsword and turns his left metal claws into a fist - aiming directly at Charles abdomen. The latter however didn't respond in time to dodge.

As a result it punched him at the gut. Causing Charles to throw up blood again. He was now 9 feet away from the beast, narrowly touching the white light the Circle emitted by only 1 inch away (or 2.54 cm for the metric nerds).

He rolls away from it and crookedly gets up from the ground. He was trembling from the shock that came after Skulznapper sucker punched him. It still hurts even though he stands there, shaking eerily as the cold wind blew through his hair, making it flow like a beautiful Archangel that legends has said, were now extinct. Angel or knight he still follows the vow he set forth for his foster father.

Breathing heavily, the ork then toss his longsword back to the head knight. Confused at first but knew what it meant; he picks it up and draws it at the ork's head.

"I see you want to fight fair and square, greenskin." The head knight commented and made a guard stance.

"Eh, I wouldn't want ta finish da foight rite here. Not wile' yo'z still standing. cuz yu impress' me humie. How bout' dis, afta I kill ya I won't snap yer skul. waddaya say?" Skulznapper said as he sneer's at the head knight and draws his battleaxe again. Waiting for Charles to make his move.

"How charming of you, ork. I didn't know you took a liking of me." Charles said sarcastically followed by a small smirk on the face.

"Ah atta boy!" Skulznapper raised his massive battleaxe, along with his serrated claws.

The two battle-harden warriors clash again in the most dreadful of moves. One swung his longsword to the throat while the other lash his axe sideways — creating that momentum where he draws his enemy back and pummels him with his claws.

Charles always dodges his attacks while Skulznapper takes in the head knight's blows. An almost even fight where the ork has the upper hand but is soon either evaded or countered by stunning skills of this 23 year old knight who exceeded most of his peers.

A truly talented man no doubt but can this talent be put to use? Only the fight between the ork warboss can dictate how strong the gallant Charles.

As the ginormous battleaxe was lashing at his head furiously. Charles didn't hesitate to counter the ferocity of the mighty blows that the ork warboss has been repeatedly flaying towards his head.

He in turn thrusted his longsword at the orks face but this time it didn't deflect his attack for it was a successful blow. Forcing the gigantic greenskin to hurl backwards and scream in agonizing pain. He finally made a heavy blow; he won't let it sly - not even for a short breather. Charles was ready to slew his opponents cerebral cortex.

But as misfortune would bring, the ork grappled his longsword and crushed it like a twig. This surprised the head knight - dumbfounded to know his fine crafted sword was smash to nothing but a twirled metallic stick.

The head knight grimace to this reality and has let go of his only weapon to fight his foe. The only solution he could think of was to use what he first learned as a child when fighting adversaries with no tools to fight.

He'll have to use his fist to pummel the ork into submission. So he may end this fight, but it won't be easy as crushing the warboss would be nigh improbable.

'Let's see if your skull is as thick as your stubbornness.' Charles thought as he punched the orks abdomen when he let go of his well refined longsword. The ork on the other hand knew what his intentions were and has let go of his battleaxe in favor of fighting with his own fist too.

Punch after punch, the head knight and the ork warboss have repeatedly been pouncing at each other. Charles for the most part has been dodging like a boxer - jumping and hustling around like a professional boxer but unsurprisingly the ork didn't dodge.

It has only been dealing the heavy toll of damage. For every blow Charles strike, he creates more pain and thrill to the ork than himself but as if his luck was draining like tap water. Skulznapper opened the palm of his metal claws and thrashed at the head knight. This time Charles didn't dodge for he was now too exhausted to react in time.

He again was thrown in the air like a sack of potatoes. His chest plated armor now scratched, only leaving a crevice of giant scars leftover that befallen upon the head knight. It was didn't break apart entirely but left a tear in Charles chest. While he was flung over in the air — the armor spit shrapnel flown everywhere. Even his pauldron went over the white line.

THUD! CLING! CLANG!

Charles rolled in the ground sideways — left hand at the back, right in the front. He was bleeding immensely as if he had enough fighting for once but he wasn't done just yet. He, as a knight swear an oath to never back down a fight that dictates the life and death of the city and their lord.

Him losing now would mean the death of thousands in the hands of this vile ork. Gritted teeth slam shut, blood overflows in his mouth and his heart beats furiously as he gets up. Although struggling to lift his body over as he wobbles like a starving beggar.

He still nevertheless got himself back up on his feet again. The ork grins in amusement — for he thought the fight was over but to his surprise and glee. The head knight stood up and still had some fight left in him.

"I see yoz got some foight left in ya. Kal me impress." Skulznapper praise Charles as if he has earned this brutes respect.

"I... *cough* can still stand ork... Whilst I stand... I still fight... Whilst I fight.... I still breathe... For my services belong to the Cromwells and the people.*cough*" Charles spat the ork as he sways and jiggles in tiredness.

"Hmm... Das it, keep on foighting till I finish ya!" Skulznapper remarks.

__________________________________________________

While Charles was still handling the Gargantuan ork warboss. The Astrapans were cleaning up the mess outside the walls. They manage to sneak out as my of the men guided them to a secret passage that would be lead in the outer walls of Isstvan. During that time, many orks were slaughtered as they brazenly fight off the ongoing and surprising counter-attack by the human side.

This sort of elated the orks because they wouldn't have to go through the trouble to climb the massive wall. As the Astrapan warrior's deal with the problem outside, Richard still has an issue on the inside. He hasn't figured anything yet to get his head knight out of there, because losing him would be a huge blow to the gut in Isstvans knightage.

Even though he can still be replaced by someone else; he's talent and young age was something more valuable than any other knight in his age. For he is the youngest one that reached the highest rank among all the knights.

He contemplated for more than 2 minutes but couldnt find an answer. Charles on the other hand; is at his limit. Richard has no time left to think of any stratagem. Getting him out of there would be the obvious alternative but with the Blood Match still active, it makes it more difficult to rescue Charles without any interference.

For you see; whomever interrupts the Blood Match is equivalent to death — more specifically you'll get a heart-attack if you dare to disrupt the match. Kind of a huge headache if you ask me.

While Richard was trying to come up with something that could save Charles life and maybe not get either of us dead in the midst of a siege. He thinks having the ork dead would be great in all but this is a "Last Man Standing" tradition and he doesn't know why thats a thing but who cares its this world's culture.

"Aaarrgh! This is giving me a headache!" Richard said, scratching his silver white hair.

Then an elhein ranger came to the scene right in front of him; showing some concern in her face. She wore a veil of green camouflage which strikingly resembles her race's traditional wearing as keepers of their realm. She then looks at Charles; frowning with the hood on.

"I know how to help your head knight." She exclaimed without changing her expression.

"Really?! Can you tell me?" Richard replied - Curious to how should she help him.

She grabs a bulb like bottle that similarly looks like a typical fantasy potion. It beamed like a glow-stick but had a strange color of tinted green. A normal doctor would question what the substance it was made out of it but he has no time for that.

The only thing he knows from this pointy eared elf is that it can strengthen their endurance and stamina whilst also being a strength potion that can double your power in the body. It was worth a shot.

"I have to throw this at him." She said, pointing directly at Charles. Who was still boxing the ork relentlessly. I nodded in approval.

"What is it exactly?" Richard confusingly said to her. She in return facepalmed at this.

"Nevermind, lets give this to him." She grips the bottle tight then made a dash to the head knight as she flings the bulb like flask.

"CHARLES CATCH!" The elhein ranger yelled.

Charles heard her and upper-cuts skulznappper's jaw. Pushing him back by a few inches — enough space to dodge the orks counter-attack. Charles seize the bottle then opens the cork. he jugs the potion immediately on a whim — as a green aura starts to surround him like a swirling tornado from the effects of the green liquid.

He was now full of vigor and his hopes restored anew. The potion worked for it brought his already weaken body a new sinew of power. Seeing this the ork sneer and glared at Charles who was now back in tip-top shape as he was before.

"Oi, isn't dat cheatin'?" Skulznapper said as he walks eerily to the head knight.

"*Chuckling* I guess you can say that but let it be known that I can finally give you a good beating, beast." Said Charles as he smirks. Walking towards the gargantuan beast (JoJo style).

Skulznapper's saber claws snip like scissors. Ready to cut the strands of fiber in Charles body while he himself squeezes his palms and clenches his buttcheeks.

The two mighty warriors then exchange blows at one another as Charles made the first punched right at the abdomen, then the ork slam his fist at the knight but this time Charles didn't dodge. He took the blow, causing him to withstand the impact, but the ork wasn't done.

Skulznapper immediately grappled the head knights throat, not choking him though but Charles could barely breathe his lungs. The ork retract its sharp metal claws from its left arm where the claws were.

'Sh*t, the potion wasn't enough. This is it... I was a fool to think I can defeat a monster like this...' Charles thought and closes his eyes.

In that moment a halberd was thrown like a javelin — hitting directly at the open spaces between the gaps of Skullznapper's claws was showing. Charles opened his eyes and spotted where that halberd came from and it was none other than Calvin Winchester above the walls.

"You fool!" Charles said as he was gurgling his words within the orks grip.

"Avenge us, Holland... Avenge us... Head knight of Isstvan..."Calvin said falling from the wall head first. Died from a heart attack for interfering the death match.

Seeing an opportunity, the head knight hoisted himself like a swinging rope vine and kicks the artificial iron jaw it has. Causing the ork to fall backwards — as a result it drop Charles. Then he grips the shaft of the long halberd and twisted like a lever. Breaking the giant claw as the ork warboss' side arms are torn apart.

The ork tried to counter this by grabbing Charles again but to no avail for he saw what the ork was thinking. As he pulled the halberd and thrust it at the orks right arm. Blood spurs out from its body — causing the greenskin to wail in pain but the head knight wasn't done yet.

He lets go of the halberd and picks the already dismembered claw from the ork with both of its arms. Then gives it back to the ork via throat; snapping the gargantuan warboss head — ending it's pathetic life.

The orks body falls backwards — Charles raises the orks large claw and picks the decapitated head as he topples over the beheaded body of the warboss Skulznapper. As such the iridescent light shines in the horizon, slowly covering the head knights torso. He takes a deep breath and cried out a phrase in triumph.

"THE BEAST IS DEAD!"