sorcerer. The ogre covered over half the distance between them by the time he released his spell.
For a split second, the ear-splitting thunderclap of Azerick’s lightning bolt drowned out the roaring of the spectators. The magical attack caught the rushing ogre completely by surprise. He made no attempt to dodge the electrical bolt as it caught him full in the chest, blackening a large scorch mark on his shiny, steal breastplate.
What surprised Azerick even more than Gragnoc’s speed was the fact that his lightning bolt did nothing more than elicit a roar of pain and anger from the monster. The ogre did not even falter in his charge. He barreled toward Azerick and raised his club, hurling it at the spell caster before the sorcerer could launch another powerful magic attack. Azerick dodged quickly to the side, interrupting his hasty attempt to blast Gragnoc again.
Azerick tumbled to his left and rolled several times hoping to put a little space between him and his opponent. He rolled to his feet prepared to cast another spell but the ogre decided to forego his club and kill the puny human with his massive, bare hands. Azerick tried unsuccessfully to back away when Gragnoc wrapped one hand around his thigh and the other around his throat, lifting him several feet above the ground.
The crowd screamed its approval as the ogre tried to choke the life out of the sorcerer. Azerick gasped out the words to a short incantation and grabbed the thick wrist of the hand that was quickly cutting off his air and the supply of blood to his brain. A powerful jolt of electricity shot through his hands and into Gragnoc’s arm. The sudden shock stunned the ogre this time, forcing him to release his opponent. Azerick kicked against the metal breastplate of the ogre at the same time he felt its grip slacken, and launched himself several feet away from the stumbling monster.
Azerick jumped to his feet and waved his hands through another complex casting. Gragnoc spun around and retrieved his fallen club. The ogre turned back to face his opponent and charged, intent on bashing the life from this puny human that dared to cause him so much pain. Azerick completed his spell as Gragnoc began his short charge, and half a dozen duplicates suddenly appeared around him. His phantom images were identical in appearance and movement to himself and opponent had no way of identifying which images were real and which were illusion.
Gragnoc decided it did not matter; he would crush them all as he swung his massive club into the nearest image. His weapon passed harmlessly through the sorcerer causing the image to disappear. The club swung again in a powerful backhand blow that destroyed a second one of the illusions. The four remaining images extended their hands forward and another powerful lightning bolt leapt from the group of identical sorcerers. However, only one bolt was real and that bolt struck the ogre in his broad chest again, throwing him hard onto his back.
Azerick was not about to allow the deadly ogre to regain the offensive. He sent a trio of magical strikes to slam into Gragnoc as he tried to regain his feet. The bolts knocked the ogre back several steps but did not put him back on the ground. Gragnoc stumbled towards the sorcerer, his arms stretched, roaring in fury. Azerick sprinted away and picked his spear back up off the ground where he had dropped it.
The damage he had inflicted on the ogre was taking its toll. Gragnoc’s moves were clumsy and sluggish now, his muscles protesting the abuse the sorcerer inflicted. Azerick thrust his spear as the ogre turned and charged him. The steel point pierced the charred and weakened breastplate and stabbed deep into the monster’s chest. Gragnoc’s momentum carried him forward, falling on Azerick with all of his considerable weight. Azerick felt the air forced from his lungs and heard several ribs crack as the ogre fell heavily on top of him. He pushed against the dead weight with all his
For a split second, the ear-splitting thunderclap of Azerick’s lightning bolt drowned out the roaring of the spectators. The magical attack caught the rushing ogre completely by surprise. He made no attempt to dodge the electrical bolt as it caught him full in the chest, blackening a large scorch mark on his shiny, steal breastplate.
What surprised Azerick even more than Gragnoc’s speed was the fact that his lightning bolt did nothing more than elicit a roar of pain and anger from the monster. The ogre did not even falter in his charge. He barreled toward Azerick and raised his club, hurling it at the spell caster before the sorcerer could launch another powerful magic attack. Azerick dodged quickly to the side, interrupting his hasty attempt to blast Gragnoc again.
Azerick tumbled to his left and rolled several times hoping to put a little space between him and his opponent. He rolled to his feet prepared to cast another spell but the ogre decided to forego his club and kill the puny human with his massive, bare hands. Azerick tried unsuccessfully to back away when Gragnoc wrapped one hand around his thigh and the other around his throat, lifting him several feet above the ground.
The crowd screamed its approval as the ogre tried to choke the life out of the sorcerer. Azerick gasped out the words to a short incantation and grabbed the thick wrist of the hand that was quickly cutting off his air and the supply of blood to his brain. A powerful jolt of electricity shot through his hands and into Gragnoc’s arm. The sudden shock stunned the ogre this time, forcing him to release his opponent. Azerick kicked against the metal breastplate of the ogre at the same time he felt its grip slacken, and launched himself several feet away from the stumbling monster.
Azerick jumped to his feet and waved his hands through another complex casting. Gragnoc spun around and retrieved his fallen club. The ogre turned back to face his opponent and charged, intent on bashing the life from this puny human that dared to cause him so much pain. Azerick completed his spell as Gragnoc began his short charge, and half a dozen duplicates suddenly appeared around him. His phantom images were identical in appearance and movement to himself and opponent had no way of identifying which images were real and which were illusion.
Gragnoc decided it did not matter; he would crush them all as he swung his massive club into the nearest image. His weapon passed harmlessly through the sorcerer causing the image to disappear. The club swung again in a powerful backhand blow that destroyed a second one of the illusions. The four remaining images extended their hands forward and another powerful lightning bolt leapt from the group of identical sorcerers. However, only one bolt was real and that bolt struck the ogre in his broad chest again, throwing him hard onto his back.
Azerick was not about to allow the deadly ogre to regain the offensive. He sent a trio of magical strikes to slam into Gragnoc as he tried to regain his feet. The bolts knocked the ogre back several steps but did not put him back on the ground. Gragnoc stumbled towards the sorcerer, his arms stretched, roaring in fury. Azerick sprinted away and picked his spear back up off the ground where he had dropped it.
The damage he had inflicted on the ogre was taking its toll. Gragnoc’s moves were clumsy and sluggish now, his muscles protesting the abuse the sorcerer inflicted. Azerick thrust his spear as the ogre turned and charged him. The steel point pierced the charred and weakened breastplate and stabbed deep into the monster’s chest. Gragnoc’s momentum carried him forward, falling on Azerick with all of his considerable weight. Azerick felt the air forced from his lungs and heard several ribs crack as the ogre fell heavily on top of him. He pushed against the dead weight with all his
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