-1
Armin, Haldis and Wil started down the tunnel once more at a trot, weapons at the ready.
"Yerselfs be ready." Armin said. "Gnolls ain't th' brightest, but what they be missin' in smarts, they make up fer in numbers. Hit em hard an' fast."
The other two nodded their understanding and tightened their grips on their weapons. They continued down the hallway, and burst into a room. Standing on the other side of the room, blocking their way, were two lanky humans, both wearing robes. The shorter of the two had a young woman, an elf held tightly, the blade of a knife against her neck. The other tapped his staff on the ground twice as the three dwarves skidded to a halt.
"What are'ye 'bout then?" Armin asked, readying his axe as Haldis and Wil moved to the sides.
"Simple, my dear dwarf," replied the staff wielding human. "We are going to kill you."
Armin snorted and started forward, but stopped almost as quickly as the smaller mage moved to stand before the other one, placing himself and the elven female in the way.
"Come any closer, and her blood is on your hands." The shorter mage spoke with obviously false bravado, his voice near to cracking at each word, yet he stood his ground, the blade held tight against the neck of the woman.
Armin scoffed. "Bah...she jus' be an elf. Dinna make no matter t'me if she lives er dies."
The young elf's eyes widened as she tried to struggle against her captor. Haldis muttered a few words and motioned towards the mage holding the girl. His eyes blinked once then twice, then closed, his body falling to the floor, sound asleep. The elven girl shrieked and wriggled free from him as the taller mage quickly began casting and motioning. Three bolts of energy burst from his hand and flew towards Armin, striking him in the chest. He looked down at the scorch marks on his breastplate.
"Umm...ow?" He snickered and started towards the mage.
The mage's face went white as a ghost and turned to flee, but only managed a step before Wil's hammer came flying across the room, impacting his head and caving it in. He slumped to the floor, dead. The elf cowered in the corner of the room as Armin walked up to her.
"Yerself ain't got nuthin' ta fear from us, lass," He tried to assure her, but his gruff voice and bloodied appearance did nothing to sooth the girl.
Haldis walked over to Armin and the elf girl and smiled. "He's all heart lass...we saved yerself, yes?"
The girl nodded, blinking away tears.
"See? dinna let him worry ye none," she offered a hand to the girl and helped her to her feet. "Now ye run yerself down th' way we come, and out the way they brung ye in and ye'll be free."
The girl looked to the three, then fled down the tunnel. Armin shook his head.
"Elfs...bah!" He then looked to Haldis. "Didn't figger ye fer a spell thrower, lass. Nice work." He walked over to the sleeping mage and proceeded to tie him up.
Haldis grinned. "Cleric. I ain't big on th' healin' spells, but I got a few others what come in handy."
Wil clapped her on the shoulder with a grin. "Well done!" She then looked at Armin. "We git a gnoll huntin now?"
Armin nodded, and the three left the room and continued down the tunnel.
Strom readied his axes, the arm with the bolt hanging a bit lower than the other, blood seeping from the wound. "Ye ready?" He asked Toren.
The bald dwarf nodded his head once as he lifted up his maul and started it spinning over his head. "Aye…ready an able. Ye take the left, I gots th' right"
Strom grunted in response, and limped to his left, the giant's right head following the braided dwarf's movement. Toren moved right, occupying the ettin's second head.
"Brunk smash bald dwarf good." the left head grumbled. He lifted his arm raising his massive club to swing. At the same time Grack, the second head, grinned at Strom and raised his club. As they moved, the two dwarves darted away from each other. The ettin's great clubs crashed down, impacting the ground, smashing nothing but dirt, but raising a great cloud of dust. Each side of the giant tried to pursue their respective dwarf, and went nowhere.
"Grack lead. Smash dwarf!"
"No! Brunk smash dwarf first!"
"NO! Grack first"
As the two heads argued, Toren and Strom circled around behind, grinning at each other. With a nod, Toren began to spin his maul around his head once more, building up momentum, before sending off a mighty blow aimed at the giant's back. At the same time, Strom ducked forward underneath the spinning maul aiming his axes at the Achilles' tendon. Both heads screamed in pain as the giant stumbled forward, his left leg buckling under the weight of the creature.
"OW! You hurt us." Brunk growled.
"That's the general idea…." Strom started, but was cut off as the ettin spun from his kneeling position swinging the clubs. Strom ducked the first one, but was unable to avoid the second, lower club. It hit him squarely in the chest, sending him hurtling backwards into the wall. He hit hard, and slid to the ground in a heap. The giant, using the momentum from the swinging clubs, turned and used the first club as a support to help him to his feet. Both heads swiveled around, looking for the other dwarf.
"Where dwarf? Grack asked.
"Brunk not know." The other responded.
The ettin turned, and managed about half of a step before a white hot pain shot up its groin as Toren swung his maul straight up from between the giant's legs. Both clubs dropped to the ground as the hands went to cover over the wounded area, the ettin bending over in pain. Toren stepped out from underneath and turned, swinging his maul once more, crushing Grack's skull. Spinning, Toren kept the maul moving and smacked it against the side of Brunk's head. One head crushed to a pulp, and the other senseless, the giant's body collapsed to the ground. The bald dwarf walked up onto the ettin's chest and finished the remaining head with a hard smash straight down, scattering what passed for brains all over himself and the room. He then went to the crumpled Strom and knelt beside his unmoving form.
"Strom? Yer livin'?" Toren prodded Strom with a finger.
"L…longer than yerself….if ye keep poking me" Strom managed, spitting out a bit of blood, along with a few teeth.
Toren chuckled. "Shoulda know'd yerself wasn't gonna let a single ettin git the best o ye." He extended a hand and helped the other up. He then looked around the room. "We'd best be gittin' goin.' We ain't done yet. Yer up to it?" He asked, looking back at Strom.
"Aye….I be ok. Jus' got th' wind knocked outta me. I be a'right." He leaned against the wall and shook his head, clearing the cobwebs, before nodding to Toren. "'K…lets go."
The two dwarves readied their weapons and started down the hallway the giant had used.