Warchildren Scene 2

Ugadda reeled from the punch to her rock hard jaw. Blood seeped from a fresh cut on her large fleshy lip. She stood up straight and towered over her smaller opponents. All three of them. They came at her one at a time but from different directions. They were foolish but not completely stupid. The one to the left, the large brawny man, came at her with a wild punch,  hoping to catch her while she was still reeling from the previous blow to her jaw. She was a little dazed but not that much. She shifted her weight to her left foot and spun into the attack. She grabbed his right wrist with first her left hand and then her right while throwing her shoulder underneath his arm. She yanked down with every ounce of her considerable strength and broke the large man's arm completely at the elbow. He screamed in rage and pain. She quickly elbowed him in the ribs with her left arm and was rewarded by an grunt that cut the screaming short before she spun hard on the balls of her right foot and brought the hammer of her right fist down on the back of the big man's head, knocking him out.

        The man to her right came at her hard on the heels of the big man's swing. She stepped into that punch, deflecting his attack with her left arm. She brought the palm of her right hand up in a blinding flash beneath the weak chin of her pockmarked faced attacker. His head snapped back and his limp body fell to the ground. She began to smell the fetid stench of urine and feces as the two unconscious and drunken men released their bowls, staining their clothes and the floor. 

        The last man glanced at his fellows drunken and reeking remains on the floor of the tavern and charged her, roaring in a drunken rage. He hoped to close on her and actually land a blow but she stepped forward and snapped a kick out with her powerful right leg. The ball of her foot caught him square in his snarling face. His feet kept coming forward but his head snapped sharply back and he landed with a hard thud on the wooden floor of the tavern's fighting ring.

        She wasn't even breathing heavy. She gave each man a swift kick in the ribs as she sauntered past and was rewarded by a muffled grunt from each. They all lived. They would all wake up with powerful headaches though and a few broken bones they didn't start the day with, but they would live.

        As she stepped out of the ring in the center of the tavern, the audience did not cheer her victory. They never did. They just turned back to their drink and ignored her. She preferred it that way. She walked slowly over to the bar, glowering at any who dared tried to meet her gaze.  People had been staring at her in this town all her life. It took her a long time to learn how to stare back and eventually stare them down.

        She was the only one of her kind in the town of Tumble Falls. She was a child of the last war. A war orphan. A war child. The Dread had fought all over the valley and burned many of the towns and killed everyone they could. The Dread were a force of nature. They took no prisoners. They stole everything they could. They burned what they couldn't steal or kill. They also raped every woman they found. They bred with every race, but never by the victim's choice. The progeny of these unions were large, strong, fierce and black as the deepest cave. Their eyes were a golden red, a fire that never went out. Their canine teeth were larger than normal and giving the impression of fangs. The Dread are hairless but their progeny usually have the hair of the other parent race.

        Ugadda was the result of one such union of the dread and the people of Tumble Falls. She had coal black skin and long straight raven black hair worked into a ponytail and bound with colorful ribbons. The ribbons were the only female affection she showed. They made her feel pretty. Ugadda Warchild, daughter of the Dread horde, breaker of bones and beater of faces, really liked to feel pretty.

             The barkeep set a mug of cheap ale on the bar in front of her. “Ya didna have ta rough 'em up so. Tis' bad for bidness iffen ya snappin' dey bones.” He stared at the three unconscious men in the ring and shook his head, “Ifn dey can no work after, dey can no drink after. Ifn dey no drink, you'll no get paid.” He laid two silver griffons on the bar top.

        Ugadda looked at the two coins and then at the barkeep.  “There are supposed to be three coins. I know you can count dumb ass. So where is the third?” She leaned over the bar top slowly getting closer to him as she spoke. Her voice sounded like gravel sliding down a cliff. She was still keyed up from the short fight and violence was still pumping through her veins.

        The unshaven and filthy barkeep gulped hard and tried to back away from Ugadda. “Dinnae be callin' me dat.” He managed to mumble out.

        “Three coins and a drink is our standing agreement dumb ass. I've had my drink and I see two coins.” She snarled across the bar.

        Patrons in the tavern began to turn towards the argument and shift slightly to bring swifter access to a weapon.

        “Ya breaks 'is arm and ya no gets dey coin. I told ya a'fore dinnae be breakin' dey bones, Warchild. Ya breaks dey bones and no coin. Dat's da deal,” he managed to blurt out without his voice breaking.

        Ugadda leaned in close and bared her long canines slightly as she slid the coin into her purse. “Make it four of them next time then.” She then turned and walked toward the door of the Bloody Fist. The eyes of the tavern patrons followed her as she went. She was used to having eyes on her, but not in the way women are used to. Her pugnacious features would never be called beautiful. Her body was fit and muscles hard as stone beneath her dark black skin. The loose knee length pants and cotton jerkin she wore were simple and unadorned. A small granite stone hung from a leather thong around her neck.

        She opened the door and stepped out into the cool night air. She looked around carefully for any would be thieves using her unnatural night vision to probe the shadows. When she was satisfied there would be no more fun tonight roughing up would-be thieves she headed back up the street to the Temple of the Dragon Ascendant. To home.