SDIV Chapter 11 Pt1

Ruined City
Zone II

Grishak batted aside a sword, gripping the arm which held it and tearing the offending limb from the soldier’s body. The blood from the wound spurted out, impacting on his face and he gulped in the offering to his disgusting God. He continued on, smashing the trooper’s chest with one cloven hoof and then driving his axe down on the head in front of him, pulverizing the fearful features in one mighty strike.

Before him at last, was the Inspector, who screamed his orders to his men and looked wildly for some form of escape. He felt the laser round bounce off his horns and grinned; more of them. With a deep belly laugh he powered forward, the path to his new foes directly through the pitiful Churchman.

*
Burton saw death approaching and pointed his laser pistol at the beast, his hand wavering in fear. He managed one shot before it was upon him, his ineffectual attempts swatted aside with ease. A crushing blow to the side of his head left him groggy and he felt himself held as the creature readied itself for the final blow.

*
Cornelius was angry; everyone wanted a piece of him and Grishak presented him with an ideal opportunity to vent. Combat knife in each hand, he ignored Harms’ frustrated swearing as he ran towards the beast, Clari screaming her challenge in his ear.

Using a large piece of rubble, he vaulted forwards, slamming his knives into the creature’s back. With a twist they were free and he attacked again, Clari now airborne and arrowing towards her Master’s foe.

*
The iron blades punched into the Tauran Elite’s back, lifting Grishak off the Inspector as he arched away from the strike. Burning liquid seared his neck and face and he launched himself away, crashing down upon the Inspector and so sealing his death, as the point of his axe stabbed down. It was an unholy communion; demon-spawn and Churchman locked in a bloody embrace.

Burton reacted instinctively, his sword stabbing upwards in response, returning the favour of wounding. Blade and axe clove them together and Cornelius’ anger drove him on. The knives were insufficient and he wrenched the broken haft of a halberd free from a dead Tauran, using his body weight to drive it through Grishak’s unresisting flesh, piercing both enemy and dying Inspector.

Struggling to his feet, the uncomfortable weight of the dying Inspector’s body still pinned to him by the broken shaft, Grishak watched as Cornelius readied his knives once more. It was difficult to see as Burton’s lolling head restricted his vision. He reached up and cleanly snapped the man’s neck, twisting and turning it until it the dead man’s head hung slackly on his chest.

There was no time to rid himself of the encumbrance now, he needed to fight. His pistol was beyond reach and he searched for his axe, seeing it resting against the rubble nearby. Quickly he took up the weapon, planting his feet squarely and prepared himself for Butt’s onslaught.