Grut'nek knew this day would come, he knew it the day Blig'stek took charge.

Gripping the small shadow-rat skull at his neck he shifted silently closer to the mouth of the tunnel.

Karsa shouldered his great axe Foe-Cleaver and cleared the filthy blood from his face. Around him were the scattered remains of the Goblin band that he had tracked back to the cave.

Grut'nek peered out of the cave and before its entrance stood the nameless doom bringer. Grut'nek was no fool, he knew there was nothing but enmity towards the clan now and had seen their fits of rage.

The Goliath had come and his rage would burn them all.

Karsa picked up the movement at the edge of his vision, his sense only sharpened by the battle and the motion by the tableau of post battle.

Slowly dropping to one knee as if to inspect a corpse Karsa took up a goblin sword. In his grip it looked no more than an oversized knife. With a whip of his arm flung the improvised throwing knife end over end.

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

Grut'nek watched as the end bringer stooped to examine something on the ground. In an instant the Goliath had his arm aimed at him. Grut'nek dived instinctively as the sword clanged off the cave wall just wide of his location. Laying on the cave floor looking up at the ceiling Grut'nek soiled himself.

Karsa made a dismissive gesture at the cave and got back to his feet.

"The sun dances with the moon and still you play, '' he whispers under his breath, remembering his fathers annoyance at him during training.

Turning and stalking towards the cave he began with a booming voice "Takers of younglings, night creepers, foul creatures of the dark!" He finished on the threshold of the entrance and stood over the body of Grut'nek.

Grut'nek looked up at the looming figure as it all but blocked out the light. But the eyes, two points of burning rage, looked down at him and as if torn from thunder itself came the last words he ever heard: "I am Karsa son of Torsa. Bane of shadows and I have come for you!"