The Immortal Kobold

As time drew onwards the tap room began to fill up, Ottar stomped around like some overbearing city Lord, gruffly responding to the other patrons that filtered in from the oppressive orc ran fort beyond the tavern door. Every now and then some puffed up orc would try pushing his or her way in, Xing Lei was rather surprised by the bravery of the others after Ottar's thrown warhammer nearly took the head of the first one that dared, hell that orc was STILL laying in front of the door, struggling to lift the heavy, blunt object that had taken apparent root on his face.

As for the trio, they simply watched it all as patrons began talking about the literal kobolds in the room. Many were surprised the pair were sitting fine as could be at one of the tables, and some tried to ask the surly dwarf about it and mostly received that thick fist for this curiosity. It amazed Xing Lei that dwarves were apparently known for this rather anti-social nature, Al.u.s.triea was rather happy to unload what she knew about them, which was mostly from experiencing Ottar but she assured the pair that he was in fact rather typical of his kind.

"So is it normal to open greetings with thrown weaponry?" Xing Lei asked Al.u.s.triea as they both sipped at a rather heady wine, apparently dwarves made fantastic ales and beers but wine... was hit or miss. Mostly miss, as both of them could taste an almost chalk like under taste, yet neither had the idea to risk Ottar's ire by sending it back.

"Depends, for monstrous races dwarves do tend to attack first, second and third. If anything is left of their opponent after that they'll grudgingly play nice." The elf grimaced taking another very shallow sip of her wine, "Rest assured by not only taking his attacks easily but then flipping him over you have at minimum his respect, he'll still try and reclaim his glory over you at some point but it won't be with a blade to the head. Least I don't think he'll try that."

A gruff voice rumbled behind her, the aged voice almost sounded amused, "Oi lass ye given away me trade secrets to yer lizard pal? I see we gotta have us another spar some time."

Al.u.s.triea sat up straight, if she were a cat you'd think someone just grabbed her by the tail. The elven woman turned slowly, a twitchy smile on her narrow face, "Oh! Elf friend Ottar, I didn't see you there! Just making polite conversation..."

Stomping past her, Ottar walked to the open side and kicked back the stool, plopping down on the seat the thick wood g.r.o.a.n.e.d in protest as the dwarf looked between the trio, "She ain't wrong lizard. Ye bested me fair and clean, but ye planted me on me bottom in the light of me tavern so I be a bit sore about it. So since ye want to learn stuff, hows about me and you take a walk out back of me place, have us a wee spar and settle it all clean and fine eh?"

Xing Lei glanced at Ottar a slow smile crossing his face as Al.u.s.triea tried to discreetly wave at him to deny the challenge. Deny a challenge? Has a cultivator ever said no to such a thing? Still, Lei's eyes narrowed looking on Ottar, "We certainly could, kobold friend Ottar..." The dwarfs face practically imploded with his current grimace as the kobold used Al.u.s.triea's ways of addressing him, "How about we make things more interesting, a bet?"

Al.u.s.triea fell forward burying her face in her arms on the table, this was it, the beginning of the end. Betting against a dwarf in combat? Why not just toss him all your money. Glancing to Fleet Spear she sighed unhappily, "Can you talk him out of this stupidity?"

Fleet Spear grinned, her mug of ale was mostly gone and her eyes were barely open, a soft chuckle erupted out of her as she fell forward and started snoring on the table. The other three turned to watch the drunken kobold giggle in her sleep, Al.u.s.triea reached over to steady the huntress before she nearly tilted off her stool. The elf sighed in frustration, 'Help me deal with this insanity first! Then sleep!"

Chuckling Xing Lei shrugged helplessly, Fleet Spears low alcohol tolerance didnt surprise him, is why he stuck with the foul tasting wine. A stout ale and a small body that never had such before? Nope. Turning to Ottar he tilted his head, "So a bet to keep things interesting?"

Ottar leaned forward his dark little eyes sparkling with greed, "Well maybe we can talk, what're ye bettin' lizard?"

Xing Lei pulled a pouch of coins from inside his armor laying it on the table, "How about matching what I have here?"

Ottar pulled the pouch towards himself and peeked in, sitting back in thought he finally nodded pushing it back across the table, a wide smile flashing through that thick tangle of a beard, "A bet it is!" Hopping up the dwarf stomped off towards a door at the back growling out, "Well move yer arse, when I'm done with this I'll go get me hammer."

Xing Lei tossed the coin pouch to Al.u.s.triea and stood up following after Ottar with an easy stroll, the elf shook her head saying a soft prayer for the kobold. Dodging and taking Ottar off guard was one feat, but facing the dwarf straight on? Made her wish she could do healing spells, Xing Lei was gonna need them. Watching the pair walk off she took the opportunity to ditch her wine frowning to herself. Drinking dwarven wine needed healing spells too...

Out behind the tavern was a walled off courtyard, to Xing Lei it appeared to be Ottar's training area. The dwarf lead him to a weapon rack motioning to the implements on it, "Choose what ye like, made'em all personally so fret not they're a good set of weapons." The dwarf moved over to the rack pulling off a hammer much like the one used to pin the orc outside his front door, though to Xing Lei's gaze this one looked less ornate, perhaps a mass produced variation.

Pulling his own spear off his back, Ottar looked over and frowned, "Oh now yer just tryin' to insult me ain't ya? Get yer scaly arse over here and pick a real weapon ya damned gecko, won't be half a challenge with you waving around that puny stick."

Waving to the rack, Ottar looked over the weapons picking up a spear similar to Xing Lei's and tossed it to the kobold. "Tell ye what, on top of the coin, ya win I'll give this to ya. It's just sad seeing ya run around pokin' things with a damn stick."

Catching the weapon Xing Lei brought it close to inspect, his eyes glowing softly as he looked it over...

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Fine Steel Footmans Spear

Rank: Iron

Attack: 10 - 20

Specials: A fine steel tipped spear made by the weaponsmith Ottar Shalecove, designed to be extremely inflexible to be set against the ground to receive calvary charges.

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Xing Lei tested it with a careful thrust and shrugged, he tended to prefer flexible spears but it was an improvement which showed Ottar was indeed talented at forging. Looking to the dwarf who had stomped off a bit and turned, his hammer held high and to his left side in a two handed grip, "Ya ready ya star eyed gecko? If so then come at me! Let's see what ye can do..."

Unlike what the dwarf expected Xing Lei wasn't so foolish to charge in, the wicked gleam in Ottar's eyes practically shouted he was ready for such a straight forward move. Instead he side stepped, slowly taking an arching approach, sweeping closer from the same side the hammer was held forcing the dwarf to adjust. Each time Ottar shifted his stance, Xine Lei changed his own path.

Frowning, Ottar growled and stepped in tiring of this kobolds silly cautious attitude. The muscles in his arms flexed as the hammer came in deceptively quick, forcing Xing Lei to jump back. The soft whistle as the heavy weapon whiffed through the air spoke of the power behind it, even with the better spear in hand Lei doubted it would end well to take a solid hit from the hammer.

Growling now, the dwarf's swings were coming faster and from different angles as Ottar showed off his skill and strength. Much like axes, Xing Lei's old life really didn't have much techniques that relied on such a heavy weapon, dealing with how the dwarf was able to stop the weapon and force it back mid swing was a testimony to how well the dwarf used it and left few gaps to exploit. Every time Xing Lei tried to dart in behind the hammer he would find it coming back even closer as Ottar would do a short hop inwards.

"Ha! Not keepin' yer coins or me spear that way lizard. Now stand still fer yer thumpin'!" Ottar yelled as he surged forward, the latest swing bringing the barrel like dwarf around in a complete circuit, the weapon that originally was low came back overhead in a vicious chop.

Xing Lei narrowed his eyes, the dwarf seemed to be putting his all into the strike while he was still biding his time. To Xing Lei this seemed like a perfect chance to avoid and counter but something in the dwarf's stance made him pause. It was like Ottar was trying to lead him into making a specific action. Ignoring the supposed opening, Lei curled and dived to the side rolling over the dirt, glancing aside as Ottar's arms flexed and that dedicated over head smash suddenly swerved to the side chasing after the kobold's tail.

With another near miss Xing Lei quickly rolled to his feet, his spear jabbing back at Ottar who laughed as his hammer spun meeting each stab, the heavy weapon moved nimbly in Ottar's grip, moving as if it were a weapon of half its weight. The glimmer of battlel.u.s.t ignited in the older dwarf's dark eyes as Xing Lei started on the offense, standing his ground hammer versus spear. Despite his size and shape, it was proving to be a harder victory than Lei expected, with a hammer in hand the dwarf and weapon seemed almost connected.

Still Xing Lei swung the spear around feeling his hands aching everytime he swept aside the thick hammerhead or blocked the shaft with the length of his own weapon. The power of Ottar's strikes seemed to just rise with every attack denying the possibility that using such a heavy weapon was tiring, the stout barkeep just kept laughing and swinging.

Backing off Xing Lei caught his breath as Ottar grinned at him, "Oh? My turn again is it lizard? Suits meself just fine, come on meet me hammer!" Laughing Ottar launched himself at Lei, his short legs pushing him right at the kobold. Xing Lei might have a longer reach and decent skills but it was proving to be a decent challenge against Ottars almost relentless advance.

As the dwarf barrelled in, Xing Lei charged back, much to the surprise of Ottar who figured the scrawny little lizard would return to the original game of dodge and wait. Against normal strength fighters such a plan would have worked but to Ottar it was laughable, he could swing his hammer day and night for a handful of days before even starting to feel tired, he was a weapon smith after all, he wasn't unused to the action, he'd just forge this c.o.c.ky lizard into a nice bruised lump and be done with it.

Still the kobold was gonna meet him so he was happy to bring the fight to a close, wasn't one of the more memorable ones but least the lizard held out a bit. Ottar had the fight already won in his mind when his dark eyes opened wide. Xing Lei had released his spear! Instead of meeting weapon to weapon, the dwarf felt the scaled grip of the kobold on his wrists, not blocking but helping to redirect the dwarf's momentum, "Oh rust and tarnation..." Ottar muttered as he felt the grip tighten and the fight weapon versus weapon turned into a grappling fight.

Xing Lei pulled much the same move as he had in the bar, intercepting Ottars strike mid swing, redirecting the energy of the momentum and turning the dwarf's forward motion into a flip. With a shout the dwarf found himself airborne again for the second time this day, though unlike the first time that sat him on his arse, this time Xing Lei's throw cleared some distance, tossing up a cloud of dust as Ottar fell heavily to the ground with a grunt.

Trying to rise he found this sneaky little shit right next to him, those pointed fingers jabbing at his body, Ottar growled at Xing Lei for wasting time by poking him but then a sudden tap saw the dwarf's thick fingers jerk, the handle of the hammer slipping between his numb fingers. "What the...?"

Xing Lei's eyes narrowed as he was forced to resort to hand to hand, his initial pokes were testing the waters of the dwarf's body finding the right points where he could interrupt Ottar's ability to move. Much like his earlier experience, the old dwarf's body was again laid out slightly different than a humans. The points were better protected by that stout body and Lei had to use a bit more force to get them to interrupt.

Catching his breath he looked to Ottar who was cursing and trying to get back up, those thick hands jerked a bit, spasming as his body resisted his efforts to continue, which seemed to piss off Ottar even more and lead to louder and more vehement curses. Collecting his spear, Xing Lei walked over to where Ottar was still jerking, twitching and cursing. Leaning over he looked down at the dwarf, "Shall we call this one mine? Or does good kobold friend Ottar need me to whack him a bit with my 'stick'?"

Glaring up at the kobold, the dwarf grunted, "Fine! Ye sneaky sorcerous bastard son of a gully dwarf. It's yer win! Jus' release me from this stupid spell of yers!"

Xing Lei shook his head and reached down, his fingers jabbing the key points which numbed the dwarf's limbs, "Not magic, just a technique." All the energy in his body seemed to escape that moment and once more leaned on the solid spear. The technique was vastly useful but having not made any further improvements it was still s.u.c.k.i.n.g the energy out of his unready body at an o.b.s.c.e.n.e rate.

Glaring at the kobold warily, Ottar climbed to his feet and snorted. Spitting to the side he stomped back over to the rack and pulled out a box from a hidden compartment, hefting it in thought he turned and threw the pouch to Xing Lei who gasped as it struck him in the c.h.e.s.t. "Yer winnings kobold, now git out of me sight before I thinks better of this stupid fight."

Grumbling the dwarf grabbed an axe from the rack and moved towards a different door, hauling out a wood mannequin that seemed to have seen better days. Setting the target up the dwarf ignored Xing Lei and roared slamming his axe into it over and over working out his frustrations and the still numb feelings in his arms.

Chuckling as the dwarf vented on the poor mannequin, Xing Lei opened the exit and headed back to the tavern, ducking as the dwarf's axe lodged in the doors face. "Laugh at me loss? I'll skin ya yet lizard!"