Kulthar

The bitter cold nipped at the small amounts of skin that was uncovered. The snowfall gently descends upon the trees, gleaming like crystals in the moonlight. The rich taste of blood between my lips lingered and marinated alongside the sorry ache of my broken tooth and swollen cheek. The heavy battleax drag from the tight grip of my right hand, carving through the snowy dirt while my arm tugged upon it like a chain. My arms, legs, and back were rendered sore from the recent m******e of ruthless killers and other foes that once dared to swing a blade in my direction. My back ached from carrying the heavy steel armor that laid upon my brittle skeleton. The armor was heavy but essential to keeping myself safe from the unholy conditions of the bitter winter and whatever lurked beneath its skies. But as beautiful as the icy winter skies were, dark blue with millions of twinkling stars, there was an opposing type of light I was hunting for. In the skies, I watch for smoke. And through the towering trees, I look for eye warming light, the kind that will melt away all of the stinging frosts that cling onto my skin. And beneath the layers of whistling winds, I listen for voices, voices of those who are kept warm with a blazing fire. And finally, through the fragrances of frigid pine, there it was; the smokey, savory scent of a campfire. A smokey campfire that belonged to some hunters, hunters with fresh meat. The aroma of the cooking meat made my stomach rock in excitement. The thin smoke of the campfire began to peek over the top of the hill and burn through the frosty skies. It was very close, it exposed its orange glow against the blue all around. My aching body could use some rest to soothe its rock-hard muscles, and some food to put an end to the chilling emptiness of starvation. As I drew about the summit of the hill, I could hear some casual chatter. A small but bright, blazing fire and a tent sat in between the foot of a small cliff and the top of a slightly steeper one. There sat a small gathering of people. They were coated in heavy fur coats and leather. They didn’t seem too wealthy but they may have trading material of some kind. Maybe even offer some spareable food. I stood atop the peak in their sight with gold in hand ready to exchange for anything I needed. And I could possibly even rest alongside them. One of them glared at me for a few seconds, stood up, and threw his hand in my direction. Floosh! A red beam of light shot at my chest and knocked me back. I lay on the ground staring at the sky in utter shock as my muscles burn in stinging agony. They start yelling aggressively in an unknown language and start rushing towards me, drawing their weapons. With only a fraction of my strength, I broke the stinging bind on my body. I begin to rise but suddenly collapse onto the ground as a foe leaps at me. My chest then receives a stinging pain. Snap! His dagger snapped in half as the blade remains wedged in my chest plate. Another bandit pins me down by the neck. I begin to break their hold on me as they both shank at me with their daggers until they shatter like glass. I jerk upward, breaking the anchor on my neck. The thief in front of me stood back up on his feet, clueless about what to do. I swung my right fist into his face, and it burst like a tomato as his body twirled onto its back. I turn around to reveal the other cowering killer and snatch at both of his wrists. Each wrist squeezed together, I swing and twist my entire body around with all my sway. My hands unhinge from his wrists as he began to fly down the slope. He screamed in terror as he plunged and descended into the steep rocky grade below. I bend down and grasp my battleax almost buried in the snow, and swing with every muscle in my body. A man collapses with only the bloody red bottom half of his head. I swing again, as the scared, hopeless, mage tried to nervously conjure another spell not knowing what he was doing. His torso split in two, spilling all of his blood upon the blue snow. He let out a wheezing dying scream as his spine and ribcage c***k into pieces like an eggshell. I turn my head toward the remaining two and swing my ax upward through the skull of the closest one. As the skull splits like a knife through an apple, both the corpse and the last survivor drop their weapons onto the red snow. The last one turned away and cried for mercy as he fled through the trees. I turn away from the cowering bandit and make my way toward the fire. I begin to comfortably nest down beside the fire until a small wooden box caught my eye. The icy metal hinges squeak in distress as its contents were revealed to me. The only thing the bandits had on them were some daggers, iron coins, a few arrows, and a broken bow. A nearly skinned carcass of a moose lay next to the fire spit along with a cloth sack of poor quality vegetables. Skewered in the spit was the chunk of meat that had been cooking for some time, the meat that I could smell for what seemed like miles away. My chest continues pulsating chaotically as my heart still rapidly pumps in adrenaline. My muscles of steel had been rendered sore and needed some rest. Inside the tent was a floor of fur and cloth but in the middle under the roof-hole, was a torch post. The tent was small but could probably fit the small gathering of bandits. There was a leather stitched sack over toward the North end of the tent. I crawled in and pried off my helmet. I spread the top of the sack open and dumped its contents upon the floor. There was a silver dagger, some silver and gold coins, a couple of rings, and a couple of bottles with unknown contents. As the slightly useful items look up at me from the floor, I begin to strip off my steel armor. The sweaty, bloody, bruised skin was exposed and hit with the comforting, cooling breeze. As I lay against the furry floor, my muscles ease into comfort. The tension began to unwind and the pain began to crackle from my joints. My limbs extended to their maximum length, blessing me with the near orgasmic relief of a hard-earned stretch. The pain of emptiness in my stomach was made inferior to the comfort I felt as my eyes draw themselves shut, and all of my consciousness drifts away.