The wall of flame roared down the canyon path and right toward him, toward the gate, toward the drawbridge – it was quick. Quicker than a wolf pack dashing for a fawn and several times louder than a whole pack of wolves howling their evil lungs out.
Just the echo from the chasm was bad.
The smell hit Roo even harder. It smelled like roasted pine, chalk, like memories he didn’t want to remember, but also of filth, like the uglier darkspawn, and that he could handle easily.
Even if the filthy smell came from the three towering crimson cyclops in loincloths were running behind it. Their booms shaking the ground. Even the ground Roo stood firm on. Each had a fiery eyeball shooting more and more flame into the oncoming wave.
A wave that could easily smash through the palisade. Utterly destroy it.
No time to hide his abilities from Fleur.
Roo triggered his power burst ability. Like stretching a bow string and releasing.
He punched down. Smashing the drawbridge.
Boom.
It flew up.
He grabbed it. Flung it up higher.
Kicked it. Full power. A fraction of his first father’s power but it flew at the flames.
Smashing through the canyon. Shrieking against the canyon rock.
Death cries. Wet smacks.
And an explosion. The drawbridge was destroyed.
Along with the three cyclops.
“Oh my Unholy …” Fleur said, “I really want to fight you again. For real, no? I do mean to–”
“Backstab me?” Roo said, “I know. Why do you think you’re still chained up and bare in the sexy scale?”
She giggled. “Oh, I realized zat much, but I shall escape another way. No hard feelings – (except in your trousers – he-he)”
Exactly. Most girls would be more … offended by being striped nude and chained up. That she didn’t even try to pretend to be offended … suspicious in the extreme.
A loud groan erupted behind the remains of the three cyclops.
Thrice as high as the cyclops, a dire ogre lumber forward. In plate armor that clanked against the rocky canyon. It was big enough to simply step over the chasm.
Even if it fell in the chasm, it was big enough to wedge itself and climb back up.
“Ooo,” Fleur said, “Let’s see how you deal veeth–”
“No time for chit chat,” he said, and grabbed the nearest palisade log.
Ripped it out of the ground.
And flung it like a javelin. At the dire ogre.
“Ooo,” Fleur said, “I like you. We must have a rematch, no?”
“No,” Roo said, “Not until you give me that date you promised.”
The dire ogre caught the javelined log.
Smashed it in two.
Then it pried its chest plate open. Like twin doors.
A horde of minotaurs charged out. Each nearly as big as the flame-eye cyclops. All in thick plated armor and wielding crimson steel blades. Their horns were covered with crimson steel as well.
All deadly toward anything not darkspawn.
“Now vat vill you do, my Lovely Roo?” Fleur said.
“Watch and learn, Fleur,” he said, and using another power burst, he ripped out another palisade log.
Flung it spinning quick.
It smashed into the first wave. Crushing them.
But more were coming.
Another log did fewer in. The others were ready for it.
But not the log that skipped the ground like a spinning skipping over a pond. A trick he tried to teach Peaches but she could never get without some cheatful help from magic.
It crushed even more minotaurs.
The dead all burned away in self-contained infernos. Leaving behind horns and empty valuable armor that no doubt his knightly companions would pick up for him.
But the dire ogre and its minotaurs were getting closer and closer. Only the narrowness of the canyon path slowed them down a good bit.
Roo needed a better approach.
And quick.