Battle brought with it a certain hyperawareness. It brought with it a certain calm. The world around him bent and twisted into chaos as a wave of darkspawn crashed against them but from somewhere distant and cold within himself the Karashok watched and waited. Eyes sucked up every movement, analyzing. Darkspawn might be new but the field of war was one he walked often. Battle was his domain. He would not lose himself to fear or uncertainty, to rage. Not today.
His slow march forward never ceased and in moments the first of the vile creatures stood before him. It was frustratingly small. Below his normal reach. Kadan was lowered, meeting the barbed curve of the creature’s axe. Arms twisting and rising he hooked the heel of the axe around Kadan’s crossguard and stood still, weight pressing down on the beast before him. Genlock and qunari stared at one another for a moment. Then the connection broke. The darkspawn tumbled through the air and landed with a wet thud. Foot lowering the Karashok continued forward.
Kadan sung. She rose and fell through the air in sweeps, lashing out and driving back the darkspawn which had come to replace their fallen kin. Hunching over, as he was, to meet these darkspawn provided an additional and unwanted strain but it was nothing he could not bear for a skirmish. Still the position was unfamiliar and his movements lacked their natural ease. The bite of steel on his thigh only drove this home as one of the wretched creatures ducked even lower, beneath his already stretched guard and drove its dagger deep into his leg. Chest rumbling the qunari stepped away, arms pulling back, and let Kadan fly. The blade met the edge of edge of a rotting spaulder and continued downward across the wretch’s chest.
A roar had the second genlock snarling even as it drew back to reveal a new darkspawn. It stood on a rise, overlooking the fighting, and rallied its brethren. Eyes narrowing the Karashok straightened. Finally one that came above his waist. As it turned to face him he charged forward, legs pumping furiously to close the distance. Swords collided with a crash and a squeal as the Karashok pressed down.
The beast’s rancid breath buffeted his face as it growled furiously and reared forward, the points of the helm’s horns coming dangerously close to the qunari’s exposed throat. Pulling back he struck again, crumpling armor and knocking the creature back. It let out a dull roar, calling the genlock back to its side. The smaller darkspawn rushed forward, teeth drawn back in a terrible oozing grin, as its leader pulled itself back to its feet. Kicking out once more he pushed the genlock back to the shadows for a moment and turned his attention to the Hurlock.
He had been taught that if one wanted to kill a snake the best method was to cut off the head, for then the body would die. As Kadan cut a path across the beast’s neck he decided that this was much the same. The gurgling hiss from behind had the qunari whirling around, bending to smash the pommel of his blade down into the lurking genlock’s face. As the fighting died down around him the Karashok stared at the cooling corpse before him. In one step it was behind him and he was on his way back to his companions.
His face remained locked in a mask of stone as he drew close, sword drawn and ready. It was a pity that this snake’s head chose to lurk underground but for now, until it was before him, he would make do with this. Cutting its body to shreds, piece by piece. He welcomed it. This battle was near completion but things were only getting started.