Sippai, the snake and alien like giant, stared at puny humans before him.
"Go. Go look. Hurry up. I'll think of what you get for the information."
Joab nodded and waved for his small group to go look.
Sippai chuckled, and looked at Worm.
"You'll get a good meal, Worm."
Triad hurried forward.
"Sippai, you fool. Who are those men?!"
"Outlaws. With information. Good information," Sippai waved away Triad. "I will feed them to Worm, then ride Worm to tell Lahmi. I'll be the hero."
"Where are they going?!"
"To the throne. Let them see how great we were," Sippai responded.
Triad shook his head and followed them.
Joab and his men, breathing heavily, came into the throne.
There, in a mockery of their kingdom, amongst the view of all views and the beautiful night sky and the moving drapes, was the armor.
Kai looked around, seeing the room that was nightmares for young children, and warnings in fables.
It was as bad and majestic as they said.
Joab had a lump in his throat as he stared at the armor.
"Down. Now!" Joab yelled.
His small militia went to work, cutting the large ropes and trying to pull the armor down gracefully.
"Stop!"
Joab spun.
Triad and his men were there, swords and spears and arrows drawn.
"Come, you bastards!" Joab growled, waving them forward. "All hail the kingdom."
Triad and his men ran forward.
Joab and Kai ran at them, as the other men were still getting the armor down.
As soon as they did, they took off after their leader.
Joab swung his sword angrily, beheading Triad's man next to him, as Kai engaged in a brutal melee with Triad himself.
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Swords clashed back and forth.
Sippai heard the commotion and frowned.
But then smiled, and went over towards Worm's cage.
"You'll be good, right?"
Worm watched the giant come forward and stopped purring.
The rest of Joab's men were in the battle.
Joab stabbed and cut madly across the attackers.
An archer shot an arrow at one of Joab's men, hitting him in the throat.
The archer then fired one right at Joab.
It struck him in the shoulder, but Joab was already halfway to him at that point, and once it made impact, Joab's sword was through the archer.
Joab screamed and pulled the arrow through his shoulder, with a chunk of flesh and blood following it.
He turned.
Kai was kicked by Triad.
"No!" Joab yelled.
Triad jumped in the air brought his sword down into Kai's stomach.
Joab yelled and ran across the throne room.
His other men falling dead with the other enemies left and right of him.
As Joab made it to Triad, all were dead except them.
Sippai opened the cage and smiled.
Worm did nothing at first.
"What I need you to do is - "
Worm jumped out of the cage and took Sippai's face in its mouth and began to devour and claw and thrash at him.
Sippai's screaming body then landed on the other cages, and the other beasts started to devour him through the bars.
Worm turned towards the throne room and slowly crept that way, the giant beast feline stalking quietly through the screams.
"Die!" Joab yelled.
Triad blocked his sword. The two went back and forth. Swords hitting and blocking. Swinging and stabbing. Every move blocked and countered.
The two were perfectly matched.
They both fell to each others knees in exhaustion, taking a breath.
Joab then looked over to Kai.
Kai nodded to him, dying.
"It was...an honor..."
"I will avenge you, boy. I will not forget you," Joab said, nodding again to the young man dying bravely and in extreme pain.
Triad stood to fight again.
Joab stood, and raised his sword like he did at Swordfall, in honor of his enemy.
Triad did not follow the custom.
"Fine," Joab spit.
He ran at Triad.
Triad swung first.
Joab jumped, and brought his sword down in a brutal stab.
It went through the top of Triad's head, into his throat and spine, and then Joab pulled it out, in one brutal pull.
Triad split and fell.
Joab fell on the ground and didn't move.
I'll just die here. It's okay.
He heard the growl and slowly turned.
Worm was there.