Ch 26 Prayers Shall Save None...

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[Dragon's Lair, Terrevan Gold Mine]

Florence leapt at me once again with murderous intent.

*SWISHHH!!!

*CLINK....

Her beautiful silver sword swung once more but just as before, her attack was easily sent careening away with a swift parry from my curved blade, my heart pumped hard and my adrenaline rushed into my blood as we continued out deadly dance of blades.

*CLINK.... *CLINK.... *CLINK.... *CLINK.... *CLINK....

*CLINK.... *CLINK.... *CLINK....

*CLINK....

*CLINK.... *CLINK.... *CLINK....

Every strike between us saw her Holy Silver sword become marked with deep gashes into its shimmering edges as fiery sparks flew in all directions.

After enough time she jumped back out of range and looked at her now damaged Enchanted silver sword with wide eyes...The panic in her eyes upon realizing it was palpable.

In her moment of shock I leapt forward, she lifted her damaged blade up to defend.

*SWOOSH!!!!

*CRACK!!!!!

*BANG!!!!!.....

With my powerful blow her sword found itself blown in twain, a bright white light shone for nearly a few seconds as the Barthian runes were destroyed to their very core, the Holy energy blasting into the open air.

In her moment of shock, my fine leather boot finding its way to her bare head.

*BANG!!!!

*THUD....

Florence dropped unconscious onto the floor just as another figure flew in from behind me.

I turned and parried one dagger with my sword and the other which was aimed at my belly with my Mythril Vambrace.

*CHINK...

*CHINK...

I swung hard at her soft belly, only covered by leathers....

*SWISH!!!!!!

Jane jumped back deftly to evade my swinging blade as she had done with scores of other opponents.... but she was simply too slow.

*SLICEEE....

Jane's belly was split horizontally from one end to the other.

She looked at my blade for a moment after my strike, the bright red blood on its tip.

Then her eyes widened in realization of what had happened....

Her hands moved to her stomach but by then some of her intestines had dropped out and were hanging in the open air.

"It was a good attempt human girl....quite good." I spoke as Jane dropped to her knees and tried to pull her intestines back into her body.

From nearby I heard an anguished raging roar.

"!!!!!..I'LL KILL YOU..!!!!!!!" Callan, the White robed cleric roared out while fearlessly charging towards me with a raised mace and a frenzied look in his eyes.....Unluckily for him his magic was expended.

He charged furiously in and swung the mace with deadly intent.

*Swoosh!

*Swoosh!

*Swoosh!

But every time the Cleric only hit air as I easily dodged the slow clumsy strikes.

"Are you serious haha...." I spoke with laugh at watching the worthless manlet fail so pitifully.

"Alright you've had enough fun!" I shouted out before making a careful strike once both his wrists were in line.

*SWISH!!!

*SLICE....x2

With a swift slice of my blade both of Callan's soft pink hands dropped onto the cold ground below.

In his rage the Cleric didn't seem to notice however since he swung at me once more as if he were still holding the mace.

I saw him recoil in shock when he realized his mace was gone...his hands as well.

Callan looked onto the ground where his hands and flanged mace lay, fresh hot bloot poured out from both his wrists onto the cold Cavern's floor.

"Whoops, Looks like you dropped something." I spoke with a smile before taking a powerful swing at his jaw.

*BANG!!!

*CRACK!!!

*THUD.

He collapsed onto the floor, completely unconscious as his mouth leaked out blood and several teeth.

Nearby I could hear Jane groaning and as she writhed in pain on the floor while calling out Callan's name softly.

I walked beside the bleeding man and removed a length of strong twine from my storage, before long he had tourniquets on both his nubs, just as I finished I heard soft short footsteps from nearby.

"White Hair that was incredible....You're like Gunthar Bloodaxe!!!" I heard Hirni shout excitedly from nearby as she emerged from her hiding spot with her shining crossbow and stars in her eyes.

"Who is this Gunthar you're talking about?" I asked curiously.

"You really don't know anything do you White Hair hehe....Gunthar was the strongest Dwarf who ever lived, He could break a castle gate with ten strikes and rip a man apart with his bare hands!!! You are like the Aelven Gunthar!!!" She shouted so cutely that I had no choice but to pat her head softly.

*PINCH!!!!

"Ouch!!!" I shouted out as her little fingers pinched my side with surprising strength.

"Sorry..... come me help me tie them up." I spoke while passing her some rope but she didn't take it, instead she pulled out some beautifully engraved manacles out from her storage gem.

"I have these hehehe....Just don't tell King Hargrave is borrowed them Teehehe...."

Hirni spoke with a giggle before rushing over to Harry and clasping him in irons before taking out another set and doing the same to Florence, i noticed that when the manacles closed their runes glowed an ominous orange color.

"Now you're not going anywhere hehe" hirni giggled to herself after finishing then moved to Callan with the third set.

"Did you make those yourself?" I asked the little gnome as she clasped a set onto the Cleric's bloodied stumps, they glowed orange just like the others.

"No, these are Ancient goodies Teehehe.....Handcuffs of Mount Hardbier's Royal Guard.....They were made long... long ago." She spoke while handing over one of the engraved steel handcuffs.

"Can you make more?" I asked while inspecting them all over, they were surprisingly light for their dense build, I noticed the runes were of Dwarven design but different from what I'd seen so far.

"I can't and no-one else can either...I've tried copying the runes before but they just don't work, i suspect they were forged with some ritual but it's long lost now."

She spoke before rushing over To Alosia who lay asleep in the corner of the cave and shackling her up as well.

"Why did you chose This one instead of the blonde? Or the Black haired one?....Apart from her cow tits and wide hips i mean." She asked curiosly while clasping Alosia in shackles.

"Her scent..." I spoke while walking over to Alosia's sleeping body and getting a good look at her for the first time.

Her face was soft and delicate, she bore a rosy hue on her squishy cheeks, plump red lips which looked delicious....

Her tits were big and heavy, even bigger than Valia's from their outline, she had a thin waist which was further accentuated by her wide birthing hips and meaty thick thighs....Perfect.

Then I walked over to Jane, pale faced, her eyes were filled with anger as she looked at me approaching.

"..Hello there dear.....Tell Me.....do you know what I will do to your husband?" I asked while moving a hand onto her soft face and turning her face towards me.

Her body trembled from cold, her face was weak but her eyes were filled with hatred.

"F...Fu..ck....you...." She spoke with a quaking voice and trembling eyes.

"You know girl.....although you'll die soon....your precious Callan will see your corpse staring at him as i peel off his skin and feed it to him....So....Do you want to call me a Knife ear like you did earlier?" I asked while softly rubbing her face.

Tears began to fall from her pretty brown eyes, she knew every word of mine would be true.

"...p....pl...ease.....no...I...i'm s...so.....so sorry....." She spoke out, her voice barely at a whisper.

"Fine....I'll give you a small mercy, even I'm moved by a woman's tears after all." I spoke before pulling out my razor sharp dagger which glimmered in the dim illumination of the lightmoss, from the corner of my eyes I could see Hirni watching intently with a smirk.

Jane saw the blade and closed her weeping eyes....

*SWOOSH!!!

*SHUNK...

The Sharp blade sunk itself deep into her chest, hot blood oozed out from the wide gash as I put her out of her misery mercifully.

She twitched to a long moment before her body went completely limp....Then I heard a Harry's voice yelling out angrily.

"No!!!! NO!!!!! What have you done!!!" The Blonde adventurer bellowed out with a palpable rage and shock in his voice.

i turned to him, the bloodied dagger still in my hands.

I spotted Harry rising from the ground, his face contorted into a raging snarl, He knelt down and picked up his greatsword which lay nearby.

The blonde man charged forward but didn't take three steps towards me before the Dwarven Runes on the shackles glowed a vibrant orange.

"!!!!AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

"MAKE IT STOP...MAKE IT STOP!!!!"

"AGHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"

Harry howled in pain for half a minute, his teeth clenched so hard that a few of them cracked from the pressure, the veins on his face swelled and he turned bright Red.

"Hehehehehe!!! Dummy!....Do it again!!! hahahaha!!!!" Hirni giggled loudly from nearby

she was laying on the mound of gold atop a dry section.

"Those shackles really are useful." I spoke in amazement of the contraption.

"Damn right they are!!! That's why decided to stea....Borrow them."

Hirni spoke sheepishly with a guilty look before Taking a canvas bag filled with dried apples and munching on them greedily.

"Harry Harry Harry...whatever shall I do with you?" I asked while wiping my blade off on Jane's black shirt then walking over to the collapsed man slowly.

As I walked over he rose from his knees but didn't dare pick up his sword.

He stared at me defiantly as I approached, his eyes steeled with fiery resolve.

When I reached him His blade flew off into the distance from a hard kick of mine.

"Kneel." I spoke softly, as he stared at me with rage.

"Fuck You." He spoke with venom in his voice before Hirni's High pitched voice was heard.

"Do what he says or I'll give you the scourge again....I'll give you two seconds." Hirni spole and touched a distinct steel bracelet on her wrist, Harry's manacles glowed orange once more.

I saw the panic in Harry's eyes and soon enough he dropped to his knees willingly.

"Now Harry wait here patiently." I spoke before walking over to Florence and dragging her by her silky golden hair.

As I dragged her over, Harry looked at me with a new burning fury as he watched the blonde woman getting dragged across the hard stone floor.

Soon enough I set her down near Harry and slapped her face softly a few times to wake her up.

"I can give the blonde bimbo a little Zap if you want." Hirni spoke out from nearby though a mouthful of food.

"Do it." I spoke, Florence's shackles glowed faintly before her eyes shot open.

Ger face grimaced in pain for a long moment, her mind still hazy...

"Good morning sleepyhead." I spoke softly while turning her head towards me.

Her eyes widened in realization.

Florence's face snarled for a split second before her palms faced me.

Her voice roared out a spell of barthian holy magic.

"!!!~SANCTUS~IGNIS~!!!!"

Instead of the white stream of flames she was expecting there was nothing.....not even a bit of mana moved.

Then i heard Hirni giggle again loudly.

"Heheehehe!!!! Dumb Bimbo!" She laughed aloud before tapping her bracelet.

*THRUM.... 

The shackles glowed and Instantly Florence collapsed onto the ground with her teeth clenched.

She writhed on the ground with a reddened face but she only groaned in pain instead of howling like a whipped dog as Harry had done.

"Hirni did you use less power on this one?" I asked the little gnome who munched on her fruits greedily.

She stopped eating and swallowed cutely before responding.

"no, she's feeling every bit of the Scourge...but her monastic training gives her more willpower than that blue eyed idiot." She spoke before reaching into her bag of dried apples once again...

Hirni froze for a moment before looking into the bag after realizing they were all gone...

I saw tears well up in her hazel eyes for a moment.

I was about to throw her some of my own food when another bag appeared in her hands, she wiped her teary eyes before reaching in and taking out what looked like candied pecans.

As soon as the food touched her lips, the tears which threatened to fall dissipated into nothing before speaking to Florence.

"Oh, listen closely bimbo....make sure to do what he says or I'll make what you just felt feel like a foot massage." She spoke before continuing to snack.

"Get on your knees across from Harry here while i go grab our last friend." I spoke and walked over to Callan who lay there with his severed hands nearby.

I grabbed his shaggy brown hair before dragging him over to where Harry and Florence were waiting.

after leaving him I walked over to Jane's Corpse and dragged her over.

Harry looked at me strangely for dragging a corpse, his eyes widened in realization when I pulled my sword.

*SWOOSH!!!!

*SLICEEE.....

Her pretty little head came clean off and now I could begin my masterful artwork.

After a bit of positioning Jane's corpse lay sitting against a nearby boulder with a pile guts on her lap, her pretty head resting atop of the still warm intestines with her eys opened....Looking directly to where Callan was.

I saw Harry trembling in fear, Florence while gazed at me with contempt.

"Wake our friend please." I spoke and almost instantly Callan's eyes shot open.

He let out a pained cry before his eyes caught sight of my 'artwork.'

His face turned completely pale before tears started dripping profusely from his eyes.

"Do you like my art? I told her she'd be looking at you while we had our fun." I spoke with a grin as the man began wailing like a widow.

"Oh don't be such a baby, the fun has just begun!" I spoke excitedly whilst pulling out my dagger.

"Hirni give him the Scourge to prep him for a little fun." I spoke, his manacles glowed and a shrill screech emerged from his lips.

"!!!AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" Callan cried out loud for a few long moments while writhing on the floor helplessly.

I knelt hard on his stomach to keep him steady then grabbed a hold of his shaggy brown hair tightly.

Then i looked over to Harry and Florence.

"My little heroes, won't you save this man in need?" I asked facetiously with a grin.

Both grimaced at my words, Harry trembled in rage.

"Don't be so upset with me Harry....this is all your doing after all.....I gave you two options and this was your choice." I spoke with a giddy smile before moving my dagger swiftly slicing off Callan's lower lip.

*SLICEEE...

*SPURT.

Blood began to pour out of the wound as he let out a horrid screech

I set the flesh aside before moving forward onto his upper lip as well.

He tried in vain to pull away but before long both if his severed lips were set beside him as he screamed for mercy....but none would be had here.

*SLICE

*SLICE

*SPURT

"AHHHHHH!!!"

"MERCY!!!!"

"MERCY!!!!!"

Callan howled out as his body squirmed and twitched but my blade continued until he fainted, I was surprised he made it long enough to where nearly all of the skin was peeled off his face.

I turned to Harry and saw tears falling down from his brilliant blue eyes, his teeth clenched hard while watching the torture of his best friend....

"Oh Don't cry Harry.....I haven't even touched you yet." I spoke with a smirk, he leapt forward from his kneeling position but didn't make it one foot before the shackles glowed orange.

He collapsed onto the floor and writhed while screaming loudly.

"!!!AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" 

"!!!AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" 

"!!!AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" 

Eventually the Scourge came to a stop, Harry lay on the ground panting and heaving with copious amounts of sweat pouring from his handsome face.

Then i heard Hirni speak.

"Try something again and I'll make the scourge target your balls hehehe...."

Hirni spoke flatly before popping another candied pecan into her mouth and munching greedily.

*NOM

*Crunch *Crunch *Crunch...

Harry seemed to get the message and weakly moved himself over to where he was previously kneeling.

"Good boy....keep behaving and I might be merciful." I spoke with a friendly smile just as Callan woke up again screaming.

I tore open his white robes to reveal his bare chest before moving my blade to skin his sternum bare.

*RIIIIP!!!!

*SLICE!!!

*SQUELCH!!!!

"!!!AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" 

"!!!AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" 

*SLICE!!!

*SLICE!!!

*SLICE!!!

"!!!AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" 

Once his sternum was fully skinned I sliced up the skin into smaller pieces before setting it on the nearby pile.....I'd decided to be merciful.

I grabbed his hair and moved his head so he was looking into my eyes.

"Callan do you want me to be merciful?" I asked the man who's face was nearly entirely peeled off.

"YES!!!! MEEERCY!!!!!" He yelled out, his missing lips made the pronunciation a bit off though.

"Good...I want to be merciful as well you know...." I spoke and saw a spark of hope in his eyes.

"Now, do as I say and eat all your flesh, eat it well...." I spoke and rose from the ground, my knee being taken off his stomach.

Callan rolled over and instantly took a mouthful off his own peeled skin before munching and swallowing it greedily like a ravenously hungry beast.

I looked down at the broken man, who so eagerly ate his own raw flesh and it brought a wide smile to my face for some reason....It was just too funny.

Harry who waited on his knees spoke.

"Y... You're a M...Monster...." He spoke out with a quivering voice.

"That's just hurtful Harry, And here i thought we were just starting to become friends...." I spoke with feigned sadness and couldn't help but laugh at the angered look upon his face.

"Do you know what humans do to Aelves Harry.....Do you think humans ever give Aelves an option to go free when they are caught?....I was more than cordial with you and your comrades....It was you who attacked me first remember." I spoke while kneeling down and getting to eye level with him.

"What is happening here is on your shoulders Harry....your failures as a leader led to this point you know." I spoke with a sympathetic tone before patting his shoulder softly.

"It's okay though, i promise to show Callan mercy." I spoke genuinely and tears fell from Harry's brilliant blue eyes.

I turned to the peeled man and saw that he'd finished munching on all the flesh, his exposed teeth bloody with bits of flesh visible.

"Hirni can he cast magic without his hands?" I asked Hirni.

"Yes. Cut out his tongue..... i doubt he's a silent caster, from what I saw he's likely only an senior adept at best." Hirni spoke before going back to her food.

"Very well, Callan my dear friend...stick out your tongue.... we're almost done." I spoke in a friendly tone.

I was amused when he instantly stuck out his tongue, seemingly eager to have it cut off.

I took some twine from his white tunic before making a constricting knot around the base of his tongue tightly.

Then I pulled it hard and sliced it off easily.

*SLICEEE!!!

*SQUELCH!!! 

"AHHHHHH!!!!!!"

He let out a horrid screech but didn't pull away...He was grasping onto any hope which might remain.

"Alright buddy, just two more slices and you'll be free." I spoke and saw panic in his eyes.

"Dont worry, its just little two tendons." I spoke before flipping him over and grabing his ankle.

My blade found the Achilles tendon and sliced it swiftly.

*SLICEE!!!

*SNAP!!!

As soon as the tendon was sliced it made a loud popping noise as it contracted up away from its anchor point.

Then i repeated the same with the other and before long i was done.

"Hirni how do you take these off?" I asked the little gnome now that Callan had paid the price for his sins.

Little Hirni touched the thick steel bracelet and fumbled with it for a moment before Callan's Shackles glowed orange and unclasped from his bloody stumps.

"Youre free to leave Callan, i hope we meet again, Perhaps we'll get an ale." I spoke with a friendly smile.

Callan trembled at my words then looked over to Florence and Harry for a long moment before clumsily crawling toward the entrance, his stumps and tendonless legs struggling to take him forward.

"Look at him go, He's faster than I thought...." I spoke aloud once Callan figured out how to move best, Hirni wasn't too impressed though.

"Hehehe....He looks like a retarded worm." Hirni spoke with a giggle while watching Callan make his great escape.

When the man was far enough out of sight i turned to Harry, his body trembled uncontrollably under my piercing gaze.

"Harry~" i spoke in a simg song voice while slowly making my way towards him.

The stench of piss filled my nose as I neared then i spotted yellow liquid seeping out of his lower armor.

"Are you ready to play Harry~" i asked again in a sing song voice as he quaked in fear, then i heard him muttering something.

"God save me, Jesus save me, God save me, Jesus Save me....." He muttered to himself and I subtly stopped in my tracks.

'was this someone from earth?' I thought to myself while looking at the handsome blue eyed man.

"Hirni.....who's this Jesus this idiot is muttering about? Is that some kind of Human Saint?" I asked the little gnome who closed her eyes and hummed as she thought for a long moment.

"I've never heard of anyone named Jesus, might be a name from The Gutuk Jungle folk, or from the Harithians, sand dweller nomads..." She spoke after searching her vast mental database.

I stopped in my tracks and turned toward Harry who trembled at my sight.

"Harry....Who is Boris Yeltsin?" I asked the suspiciously.

His eyebrows furrowed in confusion but something told me to ask more.

"Harry what is Kalashnikov....." I asked the trembling man.

His eyes widened in shock.

"T...T...The Ak....y...you.... you're fro..." He was about to speak but my hand quickly found itself pressed against his mouth.

"Quiet....Or I'll make what I did to Callan look tepid." I spoke, he nodded quickly, still trembling in fear.

"Stand up Harry, we're going to have a conversation just the two of us." I spoke and lifted him off the floor by his blonde hair.

When he stood up we walked out of the Dragon's chamber.

"Hirni I'll be right back....Give a shout if you need anything." I spoke and walked out of the cavern with Harry who stunk of fresh piss.

We walked seventy meters away until i was certain not a single word would be heard then turned toward Harry, my dagger still pointed at him threateningly.

"Name, Date of Birth, Place of Origin. Spit it out." I spoke and he nodded quickly before speaking....

"W....Well..." Harry started speaking. . .

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