Salamandastron
The white fox neatly dodged the charging badger, leaping in front of the wall. He watched as the badger turned towards him, even more furious.
"Eeeeeeeuuuuuulaaaaaaaliiiiiiiiaaaaaa!" Brawblade once again charged, as wild and messy as the first. Silvertung once again slid to the left, then ran around and stood in front of the other wall, just next to a dim. Had he waited any longer, he would have seen Brawblade grin as the badger stopped just before he bowled into the wall. This was all part of the plan.
The vermin ring was over, they were afraid one of the fighters would charge into them, so they just blocked the fighters from going down into the tunnels of Salamandastron.
Brawblade turned to face the white fox, sword ready. He then charged once more, even more wild then the first two. "Eeeeeeeeeeeeuuuuuuuulaaaaaaaaaaliiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaa!
Smirking, Silvertung leapt to the side by jumping in the air, not expecting what would come next. Masterfully, Brawblade stood on his toes and turned ever so slightly and grace fully, his paw going back and catching the leaping fox mid-air. The small fox gave a gasp as the wind was knocked from him by the badger's huge paw, and the sabre went flying through the air, clattering on the rock ground, as did the great sword of Lord Brocktree. Skillfully, Brawblade turned back and pressured the fox against the wall, crushing him.
The vermin gave a gasp of fear as they saw their great leader dying. Was this the fall of Silvertung?
oooooooooooooo
"Lemme go! I'm Thorkrig Axehound, leader o' the Rogue Crew! Lemme go! Lemme go! Hooolaaaaawheeeey! Gerroff me!"
The hares were struggling to keep the big otter down. He struggled against his captors in a desperate attempt to break them and return to the fight. Writhing on the rock ground, the sea otter fought against three hares desperately. Aar Krullen slowly walked behind them, a few meters back.
Amamo... Brockhammer would take over control of the Long Patrol, there was no chance Brawblade could survive such great vermin hordes, even if he did manage to kill the white fox. The Traveling Tradebeast Trio was going to an end. What would he do? Amamo and Brockhammer were his greatest friends, but now Amamo... and Brockhammer would become a military beast. What was he to do?
Maybe he'd go to Redwall Abbey. Anera had told them all about it, she seemed very prideful of the place. Still, wouldn't be the same as roaming. Maybe he could join Findelo and go about the country, visiting places. Of course, if they somehow managed to win this, he could go back with his family, though that brought him back to Redwall. Good land, good beasts, the rest of his tribe would be ecstatic there, but Aar didn't know. He was too used to fighting.
He shook his head. "No. It's not good, fighting's brought all this misfortune."
"Where do we go?"
"'Ow should I know? I was jus' followin' the badger!"
The voices echoed down the tunnels, and Alfar's keen ears perked up. "I hear them! Let's go!"
The three hares and hedgehog ran as fast as they could through the tunnels, still dragging a screaming otter.
Brockhammer's face was tired, and the badger looked confused. The young and old hares were all looking to the badger, expecting him to do something. The five survivor's came into the area, parting the crowd with the struggling otter.
Brockhammer sighed, and looked down at them, his eyes sad. He mouthed, My brother? Amamo?
Aar Krullen, who was not struggling to control Thorkrig hung his head. He pulled out a piece of bark and charcoal and hurriedly scribbled his message on it.
Brockhammer sighed. His voice slightly cracking, he quietly said to the hares, "Lord Brawblade is giving his life. He hopes to slay the cruel beast that started this, that blasted fox, Silvertung.
Their was an immediate cry of outrage. An old hare shouted, "Not Brawblade!"
"No!"
"He better kill that fox, an bring down a few other vermin!"
Brigadier Bristlefur jumped to Brockhammer's side. "Listen here, chaps! I know Brawblade, he knows wot he's doin'! No doubt he's standin' just above us, that fox dead in his paws!"
ooooooooooooo
Not quite. Emperor Silvertung was dying, but he wasn't dead yet. Brawblade's striped face was in front of his, eye's red as the blood leaking from the rabbit on the ground's back. Brawblade was quietly whispering to the fox, "You will pay for the lives of my hares. You will pay for the lives of my hares. You will pay..."
The fox's free arms were scrambling at his chest pockets, trying to find something, anything, that would help. A few twigs, a chess bishop, a red handkerchief, and a small glass vial. They fell to the floor as the fox dropped, them, but just before he dropped the vial, he realized something.
The dark liquid was the foul thing that he had obtained to trick the toads into thinking that he was a Bulgum, that could set water on fire.
Instinctively he uncorked it and threw it at the badger's face, the liquid splashing. Some got in his eye, but the badger simply growled, in his rage he hardly noticed.
Then the fox noticed the heat on his face. He turned his head as much as he could to see a torch just above it and to the left. Not believing his luck, he grabbed it with his left paw and threw it at the badger.
Brawblade gave a roar of pain and dropped the fox to the floor. The front of his face erupted in flames that were rapidly spreading across his fur, releasing a foul odor. The vermin let out a cheer for their leader.
Brawblade roared again, the flames nearly engulfing him. Silvertung looked in fear, seeing that the badger was not dead yet. Covered nearly entirely in flames, his eyes burnt out, his nose and mouth engulfed, and ears turning to ash, the only sense he had remaining was feeling immense pain, but the keen mind was racing, and he knew where Silvertung must have fallen.
Giving a yelp, he scrambled across the floor to where his sabre lie. Just before he picked it up though, his eyes gazed to the sword of Lord Brocktree, which was nearly as big as the fox himself.
Following instinct, he grabbed the hilt of the sword and stood, then began attempting to lift it.
Brawblade had stepped on the sabre, then turned his head and began walking toward where Silvertung was, his paws on the hilt.
The fox grunted as he heaved with all his might, trying as best he could to lift the sword. Just as the flaming badger lord roared and charged at Silvertung, adrenaline and fear kicked in.
The sword clumsily was lifted into the air and suddenly began pulling the fox forward and down just as the badger lord hit. The massive sword pierced him right through the stomach, blood gushing out and dousing the flames.
Brawblade roar-cried in pain, but still he was not finished. With a sword going through his stomach and coming out the back, ruined senses, and engulfed in flames, Brawblade was dying, but was determined to take Emperor Silvertung with him to the Dark Forest.
Eyes wide with fear, Silvertung leaped over and picked up his sabre, then back in front of his vermin ranks. Brawblade, guessing what he would do, turned to them, flaming paws out stretched. With a mighty charge, he shouted, "Euuuuuuulaaaaaaaaaaaliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaaaa!"
"Part! Part now!" cried Silvertung, leaping to the side. Nearly all vermin followed as he did, except for an unfortunate rat.
Brawblade blasted through, one of his great paws grabbing the screaming rat. Laughing aloud, "Aha, Silvertung! I've-" he stopped as he felt the dying rats large ears. "This is not you! I will-"
They would never know what Brawblade was going to do, because, as he was unable to stop his fierce charge, he blasted right into the rock wall.
If it wasn't the sharp, strong points of the uncut rock that pierced the badger lord right through, or the sudden, great impact, or the fire finally getting to him that killed Brawblade, it was that Lord Brocktree's sword was pushed right through him, the hilt going all the way through and stabbing out his back. Brawblade stayed there, held up by the rock points, fire and blood mixing, the sword hanging loosely by the hilt stuck in the tough skin.
The fox gave a sigh of relief. He had won!
ooooooooooooo
The blood-red sun setting, the white fox was pushing the charred carcass into the sea, laughing. He watched as the waves caught onto it, and shouted. "I told you, badger, but you didn't listen! For is not your charred carcass being pushed out to sea?"