Bron snored loudly on the ground and Guluss was face down into the bar. The door to the bar swung open, and all chattering from the remaining patrons ceased.

Rhun turned, gazing on a man covered in dried blood and dirt, with clothes torn in many places. But beneath it all, she saw the similarities to his brother. She didn’t know him, but was happy to see him alive. “Hello brother of Hugh.” Seeing the crazed look in his eye, she stood to her feet.

“What do you know of my brother, orc filth? How is one of your kind still within our walls after dark? Did the people in this town take leave of their senses?”

“The mayor said it was okay for one night.” The bartender spoke. “The orc and her friend helped us during the battle.”

”Did you see her fight? Did you see her cast her magics?”

“Well the she-orc did tell us about some of their battles. She told the mayor that she was a mage.”

Kyvril scowled. “No. Nothing but an orc witch. Casting the same vile magics that let the headless monsters in to kill our people.”

Rhunal stepped towards him. ”I don’t have that level of destructive magic. By Inferno! If you look at it, you’ll see I helped repair it.” She pointed earnestly in the rough direction of the wall.

”A lie, the same lie four orcs told us when visiting this town. But I caught one. I cut him deep until he revealed his role. A master warlock brought a horde of the blemmyae and created a breach in our wall for them to enter. And now you show up, here to finish the job.”

Rhun looked around, seeing the once jovial faces of the patrons now glaring at her. People who had cheered her contest with Bron suddenly stared at her with violence in their expressions. One or two raised fists above their heads in anger. The Guildmaster’s words were about to incite a mob.

She shoved Bron with her foot, praying that he would wake up, but he only groaned and muttered. The she-orc was about to be alone against a mob of humans and knew action was necessary. Words would not get her out of the situation, but they might be a start.

Rhun stepped towards the ranting Guildmaster and pointed at him, “Your words are lies. You’ve never met me, and I’ve never done you any harm.”

She raised her fists in challenge, “If you want me out of here, then take care of it yourself. Unless you are too much a coward, human.”

“Do you know how to fight, girl?”

Rhun looked to the voice, Guluss was awake and saw what was happening. But his eyes were still unfocused.

She shook her head, “No. But I do know how to take a hit.”

Guluss gritted his teeth. “That might not be enough, he is a master at brawling.”

“Will you say something to stop him?” Rhun asked the blacksmith.

Rhun’s show of defiance had stopped Kyvr’s accusations. He stepped forward confidently, his hands clenched and ready in a relaxed stance.

“I don’t think the gods themselves could stop him. And I’m too drunk to stand.” Guluss leaned upward and looked to the approaching Guildmaster. “This she-orc has done right by me, will you leave her be?”

“I will not!” he answered.

“At least keep it a clean fight.” Guluss asked.

Kyvr spat on the ground. “As if I’d need any tricks to beat a midget orc.”

The accusations were bad enough, but the cheap dig at her height set her off. She dashed in low, clenching her fist for a heavy punch to Kyvril’s midsection.

He threw out a quick left jab. The weak punch didn’t hurt much, but it pushed her aside, directing her charge towards a table.

She shoved off against the table, away from Kyvril’s follow up blow. Realizing that the fight would be a messy one, nearby patrons stood up, pulling their tables away from the two fighters. He circled, still feeling her out. Guluss was right, he was a skilled one. The punch that forced her into a table was no accident.

“You took the reward from your last quest and cut my brother out!” He said spitefully, “you broke the Adventurer’s Oath!”

She bared her teeth. “I did not. You idiot, an orc doesn’t care for wealth. I’m wearing the same ragged leather skirt I fought in at the crypt. I don’t even own a change of trousers. Shut up and fight.”

Learning from her first attempt, instead of charging straight at him, she circled into range with a quick diagonal step forward. His fist flashed forward again, striking her, but it was an imperfect hit that glanced off her tough skull. She threw her own punch, but it was too wide and too aggressive. He slipped to the side, easily evading it, and shoved her away with his opposite hand.

Rhun knew she was still drunk, impairing her ability to throw coordinated punches. She took his shove and used it to generate more momentum. She stepped in from the opposite side, trying to get around his accurate jabs. He pivoted quickly and slammed a left hook across her head.

Rhun reeled from the first powerful hit she’d received. Tough as she was, stars floated in her vision. He cocked his right hand to follow up, but she whipped her head back to evade it, then ducked in again with a heavy right. His arm came up, parrying her blow away, but it was the first time she’d made contact with him. She grinned, feeling the energy of the fight at last. Stepping forward and weaving, she hurled out quick punches, aimed more to distract than hit anything in particular. The Guildmaster seemed to like to counter his opponent, so Rhun aimed to confuse him.

It wasn’t very effective. He didn’t need a big opening to land a blow. Rhun fell back from glancing hits to her head and a heavy blow to her stomach. Her patience was wearing thin, and with it her caution. She stepped in again, weaving wildly, guarding her head with both hands. A pair of heavy blows to each side of her abdomen doubled her over. He slammed a heavy hand across the arm guarding her face. Only a human, and her arm felt numb. She shoved into him, gaining distance again.

He seemed intent to end it. He stepped into her range, raining quick jabs at her and forcing her back. Rhun evaded as best she could, but those glancing punches built up. He was wise enough to avoid her protruding tusk by striking higher on her face. She threw back punches as much as possible, but his face was always just a little out of the way.

His blows were building up, and her vision was swimming. Rhun tried to keep moving side to side, but damage and fatigue slowed her down. A hard right hand slammed her square in the jaw. Her world exploded into bright light. She ducked down, raising her hands.

Blows landed around her guard, striking her through and around. She couldn’t even look up to defend herself. Too much more and the fight would end. She tried to move, seeing nothing but the floor and his feet stepping around on it.

‘His feet, if I can see his feet I know where he is.’ The she-orc rushed forward while covering her face with her right hand clenched to throw. She expected to get hit and weaved to make it more difficult. A heavy left hook smashed her to the side, but she expected that blow because of the position of her hand. She slammed down with her opposite foot to cancel the momentum of the hit. ‘Right hook next and when he throws it. He’ll expose his head, leaving him open.’

She slammed down with her right foot as the inevitable follow-up hook to the opposite side of her head landed. Her world swam drunkenly as the explosion of force shook her brain, but Kyvril’s feet were directly in front of her. She swung her right hand hard and quick. Expecting him to duck back, she swung it further than usual. A blind punch, but he was so close he couldn’t get out of the way.

Something hard impacted her fist with a crunch. She tried to take a step to right herself, but the floor was not under it. She fell for longer than seemed possible, and finally felt the hard resistance of the floor itself striking back at her. But before she passed out, something heavy landed hard into a table, and it wasn’t her.