Oathchain vs Sightblade

"Aer?" Marybeth asked as she stood and grabbed the prison bars. "How? What? Are you okay? I heard them torturing you."

"They did," Aer said, his sharp-toothed smile still beaming. "But I have had far worse than that. It's gonna take a lot more than a few cuts and bruises to put the Chainbreaker down."

Marybeth shook her head in bewilderment. Aer was something else.

"How did you get out of your cell?" Marybeth asked.

"My Law of course. These idiots think they got me figured out. Well, they don't and that will be their downfall." A distant clamoring of metal resounded outside the prison cell door. Aer listened for a moment then walked back to his cell. He closed his cell door, sat on the ground with his back to the cage, and called out. "Marybeth they are coming. I need you to hide in the shadows. Don't draw attention to yourself."

Marybeth did as she was told and crawled to the far corner of her cell where the torchlight never touched. She wrapped her arms around her legs and lowered her head. The prisoner door opened with a loud creak and in stepped the two trolls.

"I'm telling ya you need to twist then break. Marrow with come pouring out real quick." One of the trolls said.

"I know how to do it. There just ain't enough in its bones. We should have been given some of that hind leg." The troll licked its lips. "It smelled so good."

"Don't complain. We'll get something good real soon. Maybe we'll get this one's legs. Hey, wake up!" The trolls came to stand in front of Marybeth's cell. "It's time to go little one. The Lord is hungry and ready to feast."

The troll placed a key in the cell door lock and twisted it.

"Hey wart face," Aer called out. "Leave the girl alone."

The trolls laughed and rubbed the snot from their long noses.

"The worm's got a spine." Said the first troll with the long line of piercings up the bridge of its nose.

"Should we break it and then break his spirit?" The second troll with the green patchy eye followed. "I agree. Krik has something special planned for that one so we can't rough him up too much."

The two trolls laughed together and relocked Marybeth's cage. They walked over to Are's cage and placed the key in the lock.

"It's already unlocked." One troll said.

"Whatcha mean?"

"The cell's not locked. Idiots must not have locked it."

"Good thing this worm ain't smart enough to try it." They both laughed. "Let's have ourselves a little fun."

The first troll swung the cell door open and stepped in. He got only a single step in before the cell door slammed shut on him knocking him back into the second one. Aer was up on his feet in the blink of an eye. He reached around his wrists and pulled his restraints off. He twisted them in his hands and locked the two troll's arms together.

"What's this?" The first troll said.

"We've been tricked."

"Yes, you have," Aer said with his confident smile. "You can't keep me locked up. I'm the chain breaker." Aer placed his left hand against the metal bars of his cage. The metal creaked loudly and then fell away from the wall with a burst of stone and rubble. Aer then proceeded to twist and turn the makeshift staff in his hands like a twirling baton. Marybeth could see the thrill and excitement in Are's eyes as he put on this display of heroism. He stopped the metal staff and planted it firm by his side.

Both the trolls looked at him with awe and fear. They knew what was coming next. Aer, in a flash of pizazz and skill, slammed the end of the bar into both of the troll's heads knocking them out.

"Aer… How did you?" Marybeth had jumped to her feet during Are's display and stood at her cell door now.

"I told you. My Law. It's called Oathchain. Though it refers to a chain in its title. It allows me to manipulate any object that is used to bind someone's freedom. As long as I stick to my oath, then no one can be a captive. Now let's get your sister and get out of here."

Aer placed his palm against the lock of Marybeth's door and with a twist of his fingers it came unlocked. He disassembled her cuffs and they went to free Sophie.

"You bastard!" Krik's voice called from the open prison door. "If you think you are going to beat me this time then you are wrong."

Krik flung his blade at Aer. In a quick motion, Aer knocked it back but not before Krik had run and jumped forward, called the blade back into his hand, and cut at one of Are's hands. Aer tried to move his hand out of the way but ended up catching the end of the blade against his forearm. It left a deep gash in his green scales. At the time Krik pulled the blade back he had summoned it into his other hand and cut at Are's inner thigh. The blade connected and was dripping with green blood.

How did Krik manage that? The last time they fought Aer had been so quick and attentive but he looked sluggish compared to before. Marybeth thought as she stepped back. She then realized, despite all Are's showmanship and heroic poses, that he was in pain and struggling from his injuries from being tortured. His breathing was harder than before and his moves were slower as well.

Krik spun on his feet and slipped out of Aer's reach. "What's the matter worm? Can't keep up with me now? I have no reservations against killing you. Lord Malis wants the girls only. He has left you to me."

Aer gritted his teeth, spun the metal staff in his hands, and posed for battle.

Krik sprinted forward again, blade out to the side. Aer stepped forward and spun his staff at Krik's head. Krik dodged it and struck with his blade towards Are's head. Aer was quicker this time, moving the bottom of the staff upward to block the blade. Marybeth almost didn't see what happened next. Krik had called his blade from his right hand to his left and back again, allowing his attack to move swiftly past Aer's defense. The blade cut the lizard-man's jaw.

The two figures fell back, steadied themselves, and then attacked again. This time Aer was on the offensive. He spun the staff back and forth using it as a shield until he swung it in a triple attack. Krik's blade was fast but it was a poor item for defense. Aer's staff hit the hobgoblin's shoulder knocking him back and against a grey stone wall.

"Agh… You worm!" Krik yelled.

Aer didn't say anything back. He adjusted his stance and pointed the staff towards Krik and waited. Krik became more cautious. Instead of rushing forward, he began a side-step dance with Aer. The two of them were breathing hard and hurting. Marybeth knew though that Aer was struggling harder. She needed to find a way to help. She looked around the room for anything she could use. She spotted a sword attached to the hip of one of the trolls. She drew the sword and waited for her chance.

Krik caught her action out of the corner of his eye. It was a brief moment but enough time to allow Aer to strike. Instead of running forward and hitting Krik with the metal staff, he threw it instead. The staff propelled forward with incredible speed. Krik turned and ducked out of the way in time as the metal bar slammed into the stone wall and sunk a foot deep. Aer then rushed forward, jumped, and slammed Krik in the chest with his knee sending him spiraling backward into an open cell.

Aer grabbed the cell door and shut it. "Marybeth throw me the keys." Aer pointed at the trolls.

Marybeth looked down and saw the brass ring on the knocked-out trolls. She grabbed it and tossed it to Aer. Krik let out a yell and scrambled towards the cell door. He slashed at Aer with his blade as the lizard-man locked the door.

"You bastard!" Krik yelled. The hobgoblin threw his blade at Aer, who dodged out of the way. Krik summoned it back into his and threw it again out of spite. Aer moved out of the way again and looked to Marybeth.

"Let's get out of here. I don't need to waste any more time." Aer said entering Sophie's cell. Marybeth fell in behind him.

"Sophie. Sophie are you okay?" Aer asked as he reached down and lifted her. Sophie stirred a moment but didn't open her eyes.

"Is she okay?" Marybeth asked.

"I believe so. Better to get her back to Freebrook and a healer just to be safe." Aer stepped out of the cell with Sophie in his arms and walked out of the prison. Marybeth was right behind him, but as she shut the door she looked back at Krik. The hobgoblin was in a furious rage. Constantly screaming in his language and slashing at the cell bars.

She couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He looked like a trapped animal. A helpless creature that was desperate for freedom. Krik looked at her and threw his blade. She shut the door and heard the blade impact the wood.