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Dark Rune Chronicles: Rise of the Gnomes
016 - The Rage of Scarblack

016 - The Rage of Scarblack

A clinking of chains rang out in the vast cavernous hall. Snorri wiped a mixture of sweat and blood from his face and readied himself. The goblin commander was clutching the long shaft of a flail. The large spiked head of the weapon smashed into the cavernous room's smooth floor, and the goblin narrated its eyes on Snorri through the slits of his helmet. Snorri breathed in a deep breath, and the screaming goblin came at him. The goblin swung his chain weapon at Snorri, sending its spiked head roaring through the air. Snorri swung the arracop up to parry the heavy chunk of metal. “FOOL!” hissed the spider in his head.

The Flail smashed the sword clean from the gnomes hands. The spike metal head ripped shallow cuts into Snorri’s flesh as it crashed into his ribs, sending the gnome into the air with a dull crack. Snorri thudded into one of the few remaining tables in the room with a shower of wooden splinters. He barely had time to open his eyes before the flail was swinging towards him again. This time, instead of attempting to parry the weapon, Snorri rolled violently to one side. The flails and heavy metal head pulverised the remains of the table as Snarblack roared, sending spit spraying through the grate of his helmet.

Snorri dived towards Snarblack, trying to take advantage of the time it would take the goblin to pull free his hammer, but it was in vein as Snorri sent a well-aimed slash towards the goblin’s abdomen. Snarblack parried the blow with the long haft of his flail. Spark illumanated the small warring creature in the caverns inky darkness. Arracop’s blade was thrown, tumbling from Snorri’s hands. He yelled in shock as the goblin followed through with a vicious kick to the gnome’s chest, sending Snorri tumbling to his back.

Snorri rolled defensively, snatching Arcop’s blade back into his grip as he came to his feet in time to see the goblin begin to spin the large flail over his head. The goblin let out a triumphant, evil cackle from within its helmet. The heavy weapon produced a dark, high-pitched whistle as it sung through the air. “be ready..” Hissed arracop in Snorri’s mind. The goblin’s laughs turned into a wild scream as the helmeted creature threw itself into the momentum of its weapon. Blindly spinning across the distance between itself and where snore stood, Arracop clutched tightly in his sturdy defensive grip. Snorri heard the flail and attached goblin spin once, twice...

“NOW!” Scream Attacop. Snorri threw himself into the air. The Flail weapon sailed through the space where his legs had just been as Snarblack barreled past Snorri in a wave of momentary force. Snorri landed cat-like on all fours. Snarblack’s flail crashed into the smooth stone wall of the great hall, sending cracks spidering out from the point of impact of both the weapon and the goblin’s helmet. The goblin heaved with all his might, but the flail would not unstick itself from the wall. With a huff of frustration, the goblin seemingly gave up on the heavy weapon. choosing instead to draw a long, nastily curved sword from a scabbard, Snorri was only justnoticing.

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Snorri charged towards the goblin with a shout of gnomish fury. The goblin met him. Snorri swung for the creature in a blind rage. The beast parried the blow, but with less power than before. Snorri was able to recover quickly and press the attack. The swords danced in a song of slashes and snicks. each seeking an opening the other was not prepared to give. blow after blow was parried until finally Snarblack was able to slip throw Snorri’s defnces and open a large but shallow slash across the gnome’s cheek.

Snorri Dropped back, hissing in pain. trying to put some space between himself and his opponent. Snarblack granted him no quarter. The goblin pressed hard into the little gnome. Forcing Snorri to parry blow after blow. Finally, the goblin hestitated for a second, giving Snorri enough time to roll away once again. This time Snorri was able to dive behind the remains of a broken table and slip out of the goblin’s helmet with limited vision. Snarblac Snarled. He spun his helmeted head and sword around violently as he scrambled for the gnome.

Snorri braced himself from his hiding place. He had one final idea, one last weak spot to try. Snorri got to his feet slily, careful to slip behind the goblin's head and move himself into position. Snorri cleared his throat. The goblin spun wildly towards the sound. Snarblack narrowed his eyes through the slits of his helmet’s visor. He focused on the gnome, preparing the path of his next charge in his head.

Snorri watched the goblin face him. He could almost feel the creature's instincts as it regarded its prayer. Snorri through Arracop through the air. The sword whistled as it sung towards the goblin's head. Snarblack reacted a split second to late, with a sound of squeeling metal and a shower of sparks. Arracops blade burst, throwing the slit and peirce directly through Snarblack’s eyeball. The goblins sword clattered to the floor as the creature began to shake uncontrollably before collapsing backwards.

Snorri walked over to the now convulsing goblin and clasped the sword hilt. With some difficulty, he wrenched it free. There was no time to waste. Snorri knew he had to keep moving. Leaving the goblin to bleed out amongst the bodies of his fallen comrades He crossed the great hall to the rearmost wall from the entrance. The rear wall was carved with ancient carvings of the academy's wizened-looking founders. According to the map, the carving of an ancient-looking dwarf with particularly large ears and contained footholds leads to the hatch at the service tunnel's entrance. Snorri quickly found the statue and climbed up the carving.

Above the figure’s head hidden by the stone carving ears snorri found a stone entrance hatch. A dust cloud burst into the air as the hatch let out a scream in protest and slowly creaked open. Snorri hauled himself inside and pulled the hatch closed behind him. He looked up at the long service shaft extending into the darkness above him. a single, ancient-looking ladder, seemingly the only way to ascend. Snorri heard a dull chime echoing around him. Clearly, the goblin had finally bled out of the chamber he had just left.

LEVEL UP! Strength Level Three Achieved!

NEW SKILL: Weapon Spin

YOU ARE NOW LEVEL SEVEN.