The Ruins of Steropolis

[Pictors Studio]

"They only have one eye, how well can they see anyway," said Askar as he and Hagron leaned against the giant stone head and Hagron peered around it.



"They're coming," said Hagron.

"Pretty well I guess, then," said Askar.

The two cyclopes bellowed their anger at having intruders in their realm.



Hagron called over to the other group of his fighters, "Take the one on the left, I'll take the one on the right."


"Askar," Hagron said, "go check that pile there, grab any gems, as the sun sets the gem will start to glow, then we will know we have the right one."

Askar took off, swiftly moving through the ruins.  He reached the pile as Hagron ran past him brandishing his sword at the approaching cyclops.



The cyclops was unimpressed and with the wood creaking underneath his bulk strode up the stairs that carried him over the ruined wall between them.



While awaiting the giants charge Hagron hears Durgar scream as he charges towards the other giant. 


He hears the anger and frustration in the changed tone of the dwarf as the giant picks him up.  As the giant smashes his forehead into the dwarf all the noise coming from Durgar stops.  The giant tosses him to the ground casually before dropping a boulder on him cutting his thread.



As his cyclops approaches Hagron lashes out, he swings his flail wildly allowing its motion to carry him past his opponent and slashes with his sword leaving a deep cut down the giants leg.  Rolling into a recovered position he thrusts forward with the sword spearing the monster's calf.  He leaps up and as the giant staggers from his injuries lands on his thigh. 

Switching his grip on his sword he drives the weapon into the giant's shoulder.  It sticks 3 inches in before catching the bone and being rent out of Hagron's hands. 



The giant grabs the gladiator by the foot and swings him into the wall behind him.  Bones break on impact and the pain is so ubiquitous Hagron is unable to tell which ones they were.  The giant then slams him onto a pile of rubble and that time Hagron can identify his left lung collapsing.  It is the last thing the gladiator leader thinks as the giants next move is to pulp Hagron's head with a club.

Seeing his leader fall Askar runs with the gems he pulled out of the pile of treasure.  The cyclops pursues him. 

As he darts around the giant stone head he sees Akrias charge the other cyclops.  The huge man's massive axe tears into the unwounded monster.  Blood sprays as the giant's thigh is laid open to the bone.  It was a good hit, a hit worthy of being Akrias' last. 



The cyclops brings the club down on Akrias and with a sickening crunch the man falls to the ground and does not move.

As the giant brings his club back up, still streaming blood from his leg, he bellows in pain again.  Hrolg has smashed into the giant's right side with his massive mace.  The spikes tore the flesh even as the blow breaks the ribs.



The cyclops is staggered.  A second blow lands slicing open the giant's buttocks and Hrolg lands a third blow on the reeling cyclops smashing it in the gut as it turns around lashing out with a kick that knocks the beastman back into the wall.  The force of the blow shatters Hrolgs left horn and much of his armour was damaged in the impact, some of it falling off of the hairy muscled body.

Still running Askar darts towards the two combatants before running under a set of stairs with the other cyclops changing course to move after him.  Even wounded the beast is gaining on him with its massive strides.

Another bone rattling crunch reaches Askar's ears and he knows that Hrolg will never stand beside him in the arena again.  He wonders if these gems are worth it. Lactros never gave them much choice.  If the gems weren't back in the tyrant's hands tomorrow all of the members of the Throttled Spine would find themselves split from crotch to sternum and hanging upside down. 

They had chosen to strike at the last possible time, right before dark.  If they could get their hands on the gem, they would only have to survive long enough to run, the Cyclops would not pursue, the gorgons came out after dark. 



Ahead of him the disk of the sun was more than half below the horizon and Askar could see the rest of the Throttled Spine moving towards him.  "Salvation," he thought, "or at least a reprieve."

As he moved towards them the cyclops still gained on him.  Liu Bei moved to attack the other cyclops and tore a ragged wound in the creatures back with his ax before the monster turned at the interruption and smashed down with his club.  The ill-made gladiator armour was not a match for the savage attack and the veteran pit fighter went down under the assault. 



Mason attacks the creature as it deals Liu Bei his death blow.  The other pit fighter's aim is good and he slices through a tendon in the giant's knee.  Blood  pouring out of wounds all over its body the giant lashes out at Mason but due to the fighter's skill and the giant not being able to get much purchase on the ground with its ruined leg it only scores a glancing hit on the fighter.

Dyonance moves up and positions himself between that cyclops and Askar while Clovis moves to Askar's side to face the Cyclops together. 



The shadows on the battlefield are long but then the sun dips below the horizon and the lesser wounded of the two giants runs.  The other grabs a hand full of rocks and earth and hurls them back at the gladiators and it uses its club to help in escaping back to its cave. 

The remaining fighters do not need to hear the soft hissing to know that it is time to go.  Askar spares the time to take one more look at where Hagron's body lay broken in the gloom before fleeing with the glowing gem.