| Korgoth's grave eyes did not match the cruel smile on his face as Inferno snarled out his challenge. How long has it taken for it to come to this? he wondered. Every day he went on knowing that this...creature before him had survived was another day that smacked of bitter failure.
"You know, I had the chance to kill you back then, but I spared you because I wanted to experiment on you," Korgoth began, his forced smile fading into an impassive mask. "I was intending to take pleasure in watching you spiral into self-hatred, but you've been very disappointing, monster. You've lived on, driven by hatred for me...isn't it strange?" he wondered, drawing his sword.
The pommel of the sword was decorated by strips of leather upon which dragon teeth dangled, prizes of his greatest victories against the wicked wurmkind. He bore many more scars than he had then, and his black hair was thinning from age and the withering heat of malice in his heart.
"Strange that you, vowing to destroy me, have come to thrive on hatred as I have? I long gave up taking any pleasure in the mere idea of killing you. I will only know peace when I have slain you and taken your hatred for myself. Now, bleed your rage!" he shouted, dashing straight at the hybrid, sword in hand.
He swung in low, and as expected, Inferno deflected the strike with a swipe of his claws, sending the tip of the sword glancing across the ground. Korgoth let out a surprised shout as he feigned a trip, falling into the failed swing. No sooner did his shoulder hit the ground, however, than he caught one of the small pebbles cast aloft by his blade's movement, throwing it directly into the hybrid's eye. He grimaced at the pained growl that gave him his cue, and thrust his sword straight up at Inferno's stomach.
The flesh that stopped the blade, however, was not his target. The blade had found its mark in Inferno's palm, the dragon-fiend's left hand twitching as blood ran from its new opening.
"And here I was looking to have you die from the same wounds your mate did," he said. The words had not filled his head the moment he struck, but they served their purpose as they struck a chord with Inferno, causing him to lose focus for just a moment.
"Let go of my sword, animal!" the Slayer Lord barked, thrusting a heavily armored boot up from the ground at Inferno, smashing the steel plate into his gut, sending him stumbling backwards, his hand relinquishing the bloodied blade as he wobbled. Korgoth rose quickly and studied his foe with narrow eyes.
"Is this all? Five years have passed but the gap between a creature like yourself and a slayer hasn't shrunk in the least? Come now, wretch. Feed my hatred," he mocked. |