Grim Ruination, Birth of a Soul (On Hiatus)

The Glutton

Darris parried a blow from the scared gnoll before swinging his scimitar only for the gnoll to meet the blade with his own. He swung the scimitar in his off-hand but the gnoll leaned to the side and unlocked their blades, the attack only grazing the side of his face. The small cut sent a light stream of crimson down the rough fur of the scarred gnoll.

The gnoll took a few steps back and laughed. "You hit me? You hit me." he cackled, feeling the blood on the side of his face. "You're a fun person to fight, despite being held together by bone and dead skin." He taunted, then his face suddenly became serious. "So tell me, what's the name of a warrior like yourself?"

Darris took a step back once their blades unlocked, taking in deep breaths as fatigue continued to settle. "What's yours?" He asked through panted breath.

The gnoll scowled. "I asked you first." He paused a moment at Darris's single eye and chuckled. "Dax, the Glutton. Now, what's yours?" He asked again.

Darris glanced around him. The blood from the corpses around him had blackened and dried, all devoid of their souls. Then he glanced back at the grinning gnoll in front of him. "Darris." He said.
Dax's smile widened as he began walking forward. "Well then Darris. I admit, you are an outstanding fighter." Then his face turned into a scowl. A faint glimmer of yellow flames flickered behind his eyes. "How much longer do you think this town will last?" The grip on Darris's blades tightened and his jaw clenched.

Dax cackled again. "Oh come on, you didn't think this was all we had, did you?" He held his arms out in gesture to the many gnoll corpses around them. "There's at least three times this many of us throughout this town. Not to mention our gifts. We had to do as much from that truce being broken." He explained, a strange glint shining in his eyes again.

Darris stepped forward, golden mist beginning to exude from his blades. "What gifts?" He asked.
Dax's eyes brightened at the question. "The gifts of Yeenoghu of course. He has gifted us two great beasts to rip this town in two." He glanced at Darris with glowing eyes as if explaining an upcoming party. "A beast of the hells along with one of our own that has gained the apex of Yeenoghu's favor. With them this town-" He was cut off when Darris dashed toward him, shrouded in gold mist.

Dax raised his sword as Darris swung across with both of his blades. Sparks flew as the blades collided. Dax was sent flying backwards from the force of the blow. He tumbled to the ground only to have to roll and hop to his feet when Darris dashed forward and slammed down with his two soul-empowered blades. The force of the blow cracked the stone underneath them, turning it to rubble.

"Goodness. So angry after mentioning a bit of destruction. So sensitive." Dax joke, taking a step back. He glanced at the strength of the blow, then up to Darris's face which was contorted in anger. Golden mist flowed from his body erratically, coiling around him like a protective dome.
The gnoll then began to chuckle. "Oh, well no wonder you're so skilled." He smiled as yellow flames began to flicker from under his fur. The embers of the flames began to coil around  his arms, flowing along his blade and lighting it aflame. "You must be a reaper too then." He said with a wicked smile.

Darris shot forward again, swinging across with his blades again. "You will not destroy this town." He spoke faintly.

Dax ducked and knocked the blades aside, a burst of yellow flames bursting from his blade as he did. "I'm afraid that's not up to you." He grinned before ramming his leg into Darri's ribs. A ghostly explosion of fire burst from Dax's foot at the impact, sending Darris crashing into and through the stone wall of a building.

Darris rose to his feet, his ribs burned at every breath. He looked down as the mist dispersed from where he'd been hit to flow evenly around his body once again. If the souls hadn't taken the brunt of the blow his body would've simply been blown in half.