The rat-man's attack stroke home as it landed squarely on the back of Rolf's head.
Rolf's face planted to the frozen ground. He first felt his mind was turning into mush and then a wave of excruciating pain seized him and robbed his lungs of airs.
Rolf pushed himself up as he struggled to breathe, then he was caught by a fit of a violent cough which made him collapsed to the ground again. The Stakor walked to the blade he had thrown away, picked it up and slowly walked back to Rolf. The battle was already finished and Axtlutl was not in a hurry.
The rat-man's eye glinted as he raised the curved blade over his head. Already, some Stakors had gathered around Rolf, eager to steal a bite or two off of the human boy when their leader was done with him.
Suddenly, Rolf heard a whistle in the air, and then a painful cry from his executioner.
Axtlutl dropped the blade and covered his face, a black steel bolt lodged securely in to one of his socket. Blood welled in between the rat-man's fingers, dripping to the frozen ground. Unfortunately the bolt landed on the side which the eye that had already been gouged out, otherwise the Stakor would be blinded.
Rolf managed to pick himself up and looked back. He saw the dogwood bush where had been hiding moved a little with a faint rustling.
Another bolt whistled across the air and landed squarely on Axtlutl's hand that he used to cover his wound, pinning it to his broken face. The Stakor doubled down on his agonizing shirk and flailed the other arm wildly in the air.
While the rat man was incapacitated by pain, Rolf seized the opportunity and bolted to the girl laying half unconscious on the ground. He hauled her up to his shoulder with some degree of difficulties and then he started running.
Axtlutl managed to gather himself before the third bolt came, and he quickly ducked behind a cover. He drew a couple gulps of air and mustered enough courage to pull both bolts out of his face and then the second one out from his hand. To his relief, these bolts were not barbed. He swallowed down the pain and shouted an order at his subordinates to capture Rolf.
Still grappling with pain while he carried the girl, Rolf didn't make it too far before a few dozen ratmen caught up with him and blocked his path. One of the Stakor hissed at him, spilling foul spittles all over his face. Rolf swung the hammer in front of him, trying to deter the encroaching Stakors, but the hideous beast-men were unflinching.
A spear came mere inch away from Rolf, forcing him to retreat. But almost simultaneously, a black bolt whizzed over Rolf's head and buried itself deeply in between the spearwielder's eyes. The Stakor collapsed to the ground soundlessly, but another spear wielding Stakor quickly filled up the rank. The death of their kind didn't upset these Stakor soldiers, instead, their spirit was heightened, as if a sweet prize for victory had just been revealed.
To the Stakors, no prize was sweeter than flesh. Rolf thought of Upi the unfortunate challenger and the thought gave him the jitters. Nothing would stop these hungry rat men, he needs to get out of here quickly before the rats turn him into their meal.
Then Rolf heard a shout.
"Boy! Hang in there!"
Rolf looked back and he saw Benmar drove his wagon out of the bush. The powerful mud-mare neighed as the dwarf brought it to a gallop. At the back of the wagon was Orisha, aiming down the sight of the crossbow and then fired.
At first, Rolf thought the bolt was coming at him, but it flew over Rolf and struck a Rat-man that had sneaked up on Rolf from behind.
"RUN! This way!" Orisha shouted and then she started to reload.
Rolf turned on his heel and bolted toward the incoming wagon. That was his last hope. He didn't remember the Stakors had brought with them any horses, so once they hit the King's Road, they would be safe.
Fifty paces...
Thirty...
Fifteen...
Almost there...
Rolf's legs were getting heavier by the second; he still hasn't fully recovered from the previous blow yet and therefore his head was dizzy and keeping balance was a more difficult task than usual.
Suddenly, Axtlutl appeared right next to Rolf as if out of nowhere, he had put his armor on. He threw his large frame at Rolf and tackled him and the girl to the ground.
"Fuck!" Rolf cursed loudly. He was so close to the wagon. Why didn't he see the seven-foot tall Rat-man hiding behind the wall?
Arms and legs entangled with each other, Axtlutl and Rolf tussled on the ground. It wasn't long before the Rat-man overpowered Rolf and straddled on top of the boy. One his knee pressed against Rolf's chest while wrapped his massive fingers around the boy's neck. Rolf felt life was draining away from him, and then he heard a loud clank.
A black steel bolt hit squarely at the back of the Stakor's head but it was deflected by the spiked helmet. Despite the crude appearance, his helmet was effective thanks to its thickness.
Axtlutl grunted, and the knock on the back of his head made him loosened his grip just slightly; he quickly gathered himself and doubled down on the choking.
"Keep going, Sir Benmar. I will be back!" Orisha announced.
"Be careful! I will distract those rats for you."
As Benmar drove the wagon past Rolf, Orisha hopped off the back off the cart deftly. Benmar cracked the whip and urged the mud mare to charge at the Stakors in front of him.
"Come here, you bastards!" Benmar shouted under his red beard. As the cart approached the crowd of Stakors, he let go of the rein and pulled out his bastard sword.
Meanwhile, Orisha had sneaked her way to the rat man unnoticed. Rolf's face was turning red and his feet kicked the ground helplessly, slipping on layers of black ice. The Adamantine dagger appeared in Orisha's hand as if out of nowhere. Only with the slightest hesitation, Orisha threw herself at Axtlutl with the tip of the dagger aiming at the nape of the Ratman's hairy neck.
Axtlutl's pointy ear pricked up as he heard Orisha came out of her hiding. He let go of Rolf and countered the attack with a backhand sweep before Orisha could deliver the killing blow.
The dagger gleamed under the sunlight before it sliced through the rat man's arm like cutting through butter, severing it off while Orisha barely felt any pressure against the edge of the blade. The dagger continued its course and found the rat man's neck. With only minimal effort, Orisha severed the Stakor's head clean off his shoulder.