"You leave me with no choice, friend." The great man's figure postured slightly with a shaking of his head side to side, sending his roughly cut ebon hair swaying while he spoke in grave tone.

Eyes threatening with fearsome resolve, even while fixated upon the man who drew nearer now with blade unsheathed, there was a moment of calm before true combat was met; a single ringing blow sounded out as a hit was scored upon the dragon's scales and the scent of spilt blood ran stronger than that of before - crimson spattering to the dusty, thirsty earth. The air to Branor tasted of iron and there was no doubt that the point of no return was entirely behind them all.

The guard lunged, stabbing forward with cold steel, but the profile of his foe suddenly narrowed before him; the exile rotating his body out of the way, the guard carried on the attack then only to be struck by a vibrant bolt of purple energy at chest height. Staggering slightly, his attack completely thrown by the defender's motion and the unexpected shot, he was unprepared for the avenging blow the prisoner returned.

[hider=Rolls]
Guard 3 misses with attack 9 versus Armor Class 12.
[/hider]
Stepping in and striking at the same time with familiar ease, the far larger of the two lashed out with the blunt of the mattock where it was affixed to the wooden shaft at its head; the broad blow aimed directly at the guard's chest, it was set to send him sprawling to the rocky floor if it connected strongly or at least create some room to fight in. Following with unnatural speed, the weapon and its wielder shifted its momentum immediately after the shunt, drawing back in and hammering down with the biting end of the heavy tool coming from above. If it landed, it was a crushing strike with the fiercest portion of the tool turned weapon and one that would even tear through sturdy plate with ease.

[hider=Rolls]
Rolled a [url=roleplayerguild.com/rolls/236]10[/url] for Strength (Athletics) to knock prone.

Rolled a [url=roleplayerguild.com/rolls/237]20[/url] for attack with the mattock.

Rolled a [url=roleplayerguild.com/rolls/238]9[/url] for damage with the mattock.
[/hider]
All that the "savage" could think of clearly was the scent and how it drove him to unleash a terrible blow upon the other man before him. Narrowed eyes shifting only for a moment in instinctual response to the movement, he shot the frail man and his rallying escapees a vicious glare, then returned to his grim business, drawing back from his attack and setting to ready at arms.

[@darkandstar][@EruditeAssassin][@Hekazu][@VKAllen]