Stone and steel

[Fallenkezef]

Kazdrak sniffed the air like a dog and grimaced at the musky, fungal scent of Grobi. You needed a good nose to be an Ironbreaker, to fight in the deeps was to fight in darkness, eyes where of little use in the stygian tunnels of the Karaz Ankor. Ears where equaly useless as helms muffled and distorted sounds that echoed and resonated of the stone walls. A dawi's nose, traine and honed by decades in the brotherhood of Ironbreakers, became his main sense. Kazdrak could smell his brothers, the oil used to clean their weapons, the grease that enabled the cleverly forged and arranged plates of gromril armour to smoothly slide against each other and enable the Ironbreakers to move as freely as if they wore woolen tunics. Each Dawi had his own scent, his own signature from Morgrimm's taste in pipeweed imported from moot to Nadri's breath, rank with the stink of Zhufbar special reserve goat's cheese.
A dozen Dawi, armoured head to foot in gromril, locked shields as the Goblin scent filled the tunnel. Like a single machine, constructed of twelve individual slabs of unyielding metal, the Ironbreakers formed an immovable barrier that sealed off the tunnel, two ranks of six Dawi, waiting patiently. This was the way of Dwarfs, a patient, implacable people. The Ironbreakers could stand there for weeks if need be, nibbling on stone bread and sipping from flasks of ale to sustain them. Today, however, the would not have to wait for long.

The gibbering and yelling of the Grobi came to them, sometimes sounding as if the greenskinned filth where right in front of the line, then as if they where a mile away. The stone walls of the ancient tunnel played tricks with sound and many an unwary beardling had paid a blood price for trusting his ears too much. Silently, like the statues of the ancients, the Ironbreakers waited.
The noisome rabble materialised out of the darkness, mere yards away and hit the line of Dawi like a wave of filth and detritus. The first to die probably thought they had actualy hit a wall of statues until axes and hammers, swung overhand above the shieldwall, came down and crushed the first rank of goblins. Before the goblins could respond, in unison, the Dwarfs took one step forward and the rune-etched weapons came down once more, then another step. Soon four score of stinking, gibbering Goblins packed the tunnel but could only bring a fraction of their number to bear against the Dwarfs who, step by inexorable step cut them down.

Ragged spear shafts broke against the shield wall, the few blades that made it past the bulwark glanced off or shattered against the gromril plate. What passed for armour amongst the Goblins was no match for the master-crafted axes and hammers of Grungni's children. Soon the hobnailed boots of the Dawi where bathed to the ankles in blood and viscera but that slow, inevitable march did not slow or falter. Only when the tunnel opened up into a massive cavern did the Ironbreakers halt, to go forward would be to expose their flanks, to allow the greenskinned filth to swarm and swamp them and then not even gromril would protect the Dawi as sheer numbers would eventualy bring them down.

As one the Dwarfs voiced their hatred and intent, dozen voices harsh and gruff.

"Khazuk!"

One word, it meant war and it heralded doom for the greenskinned host that packed the cavern. However long it took, the Ironbreakers would stand and kill till the Goblins inevitably broke and run, then the tunnel would be marked and sealed. Kazdrak growled and muttered, every victory became a defeat as tunnel after tunnel was surrendered. There was just not enough Ironbreakers and too many ways for the greenskins to break out to murder and rampage. Only the main thoroughfares where safe enough to be used now and only those leading to major holds, patroled and guarded by the clan throngs.

The squealing, gibbering noise that passed for Grobi language snapped Kazdrak from his wool gathering, they where mustering for another charge. Over a hundred greenskins to face a dozen Dawi, it would be a long day.

[Sophia]

nice story mate.

[tionblack]

i just can not wait for the next story,can you please tell me what inspires you to this great heights of artful insight?

[Fallenkezef]

i just can not wait for the next story,can you please tell me what inspires you to this great heights of artful insight?

Tea

[Glorian]

Very good.
I liked the Old World referings in the begining.

[Kragg]

Got my Dwarf blood pumping!

[tionblack]

i just can not wait for the next story,can you please tell me what inspires you to this great heights of artful insight?

Tea

also i recommend water

[Sophia]

still waiting for next episode.

[Fallenkezef]

still waiting for next episode.

I also write free verse poetry, can post some in off topic if you like

[Sophia]

still waiting for next episode.

I also write free verse poetry, can post some in off topic if you like

sure mate, i'd love to read.