Cruran rolled, and retreated, but the strokes of his opponent grew in ferocity while Cruran's movements slowed. The gash had cracked the cage keeping his fatigue at bay. He began panting as his sweat and blood soaked hair clung to his face. He dodged, but his efforts were becoming fainter with each movement of his body.<br/><br/>The bandit king was giving chase and he knew he had the barbarian cornered. A solid knee struck Cruran's side as he rolled away from another death stroke from the man's blade. The barbarian fell, clutching his side and pushing away from the bandit across the blood soaked stone.<br/><br/>The snake closed for the kill, his shadow looming over Cruran as he kneeled, bloody and tired before him. The bandit looked around, but Cruran made no effort to see what, then with a burst of anger, the bandit yelled, but Cruran didn't hear. The bandit raised his blade with both hands, over his head - he meant to cleave Cruran in two then.<br/><br/><span style="color: Red">Fool.</span>Cruran uttered beneath his breathe.<br/><br/>As the bandit's stroke began to fall Cruran surged forward and up, and in that moment he was inside the bandit's stroke. As his arms fell, too close to Cruran for the blade to contact, the barbarian grabbed the bandit's right wrist with his left hand, and with his right, he jammed his elbow up while yanking his wrist down. His arm snapped and twisted in unnatural ways as the joint was ripped apart, extending in a way it was never meant to. The bandit's sword fell to the stone earth with a clatter.<br/><br/>Cruran's fatigued stare was gone as he stared at Argin while he mauled the man's arm. Cruran's eyes were cold and pitiless, and the bandits sudden screams of agony fell on def ears. All around him other bandits shouted and ran, some looking upon their leader as he fell to his knees before Cruran, crippled. With remorseless will, Cruran reached down and gripped the bandit king's head and with a growl he yanked it violently left, then right, jerking neck apart, hearing the bones snap and contort. The bandit's arms fell to his side limply. Cruran placed his foot on the bandit bac, pushing him against the blood stained stone, and slowly dug his fingers under the corpses chin. Cruran drew his breathe in and with one, long, thundering cry that echoed across the stone path, sounding wildly between the walls of stone and wood about him, he pulled with every fiber of strength he had left and felt the flesh strain and snap, the tendons ripping from their mounts, and the muscle tearing as Cruran ripped the snakes head off.<br/><br/>Holding Argin's head by its hair, Cruran stood and breathed heavily. The bandits ran past him, and he made no effort to stop them. The barbarian stood over his slain enemy and reveled in the kill. He closed his eyes and drew one long breath, then exhaled slowly, feeling the life in his lungs and heart drown out the pain and weakness.<br/><br/>Cruran walked through the retreating throngs of bandits, ignoring them. Argin's head dangled from the hair Cruran clutched in his bloody fist. The bandits broke upon the barbarian like water upon stone, and they were nothing more to Cruran. Ahead Cruran saw the villagers, all drunk with their misled victory. The barbarian smirked to himself at their cries of victory and vengeance. Cruran smirked at how foolishly lucky they were.<br/><br/>The barbarian's appearance from the retreating flood of bandits stopped a number of the villagers in their tracks, ending their chase. Cruran was calm as he approached them, like wading through corpses was perfectly normal. The Chasind man, carrying the dangling head of the bandit king at his side, with no other weapon with him, looked to have caught the villagers off guard. What were shouts of fury became stares of confusion and uncertainty.<br/><br/>Cruran's gaze pierced the crowd and he saw a woman dressed in steel. She was their leader, he knew immediately. He walked toward her, ignoring the villagers who stopped to examine him. He dropped Argin's head at her feet and walked past her into the village square.<br/><br/><span style="color: Red">Stop celebrating.</span>He said loudly over them. There was a well in the square set before a large stone building that looked to hold some significance. Cruran pulled the wooden cover off the well and drew a full bucket of water from it, which he then, unceremoniously poured over himself. The water ran red as it poured off him.<br/><br/>He looked the woman in steel in the face, his wild brow eyes probing hers. Then he looked at the stone steps of the great hall. He had seen these before - they were places for the steel people's gods. Cruran sat down on the steps and leaned back against of the stone pillars supporting the veranda. The blood and muck that covered him stained the chantry's stone.<br/><br/><span style="color: Red">You will give me a horse, a new set of blades, and four of your strongest looking men.</span>He ordered loudly.<div class="messageTextEndMarker"> </div>