Chapter 17: 16: Wereworm

The wyrm stopped its attack and backed toward the hole from which it had sprung. It snapped at the first of the scavens, almost biting off the anxious warrior's head. Luckily for him, quick reflexes sent the scaven scrambling just out of reach.

More than a dozen scavens materialized to confront the giant beast. It snapped again at one thinly cladded attacker, tearing the spear from his hand spear that he was about to jab at its long neck. The weapon broke easily and, after being tasted, was spit out.

In fury, the wyrm emerged from the hole in the ground. Its full size was exposed. The entire body was cylindrical, with its body ending in a short, pointed tail perhaps three feet in length.

Seeing the full mass of the wyrm, Lindley knew their lives were in mortal danger. There was no way any of them was escaping this deadly creature.

As if the Scavens agreed with him, another Scaven threw his spear. The sharp point of the weapon went into the side of the burrower's neck. It gave another croaking roar and shook the point free. Dark blood dribbled from the wound.

While six more Scavens joined those already attacking the wyrm, the massive reptile chose flight over food. It twisted its body around and began digging furiously at the soil with its well shaped mouth. Between strength and the sharp point, the reptile dug down almost as quickly as if it were diving into water. But as swift as the immense creature was, the Scavens were even quicker. They thrust huge spears into its side. The reptile roared in pain as it drew back up to confront its foes.

Three Scavens with smaller spears moved in close. The heads of the spears were smaller and hooked at the end, making them difficult to remove from any target. On the other end of the spears had been attached long strands of rope made from a specialized plant known by others for its durability.

The first of the trio threw his spear. The small missile glanced off the upper edge of the beast's great neck and fell away. He scrambled after the spear as the second tossed his own.

The next two spears sank deep enough to catch in the scaled hide. Both the spear throwers and another nearby Scaven immediately grabbed hold of the flexible rope and tugged. But as they did, the wyrm's head darted down. Before the pair could pull it away, it caught the head and arm of the scaven chasing after the fallen spear.

Although compared to the kobold's body, the Scaven's body was thicker and difficult to bite through, the wyrm's teeth were up to the task. The bloody bits that remained of the Scaven twitched madly before thunking to the ground. The wyrm wasted no time in swallowing the Scaven's head and arm, its digestive system more than able to handle the bones.

Before long, a number of Scaven had died. But the time the wyrm took to make a meal of the Scaven proved costly. It gave the remaining Scavens the time needed for them to gather nearer and bring forward more warriors with short but deadly spears. Two hurled their weapons from the opposite side. Both spears struck home.

A pair of warriors grabbed each attached rope and pulled. Another warrior threw a spear, followed by two more. With five hooked spears sticking into the body of the monster, the Scavens were able to drag its head closer to the ground.

From his corner, Lindley stared at the battle between the mortals and the beast. The scenes before him was enpugh to convince him that the fight was way above his level of comprehension. Apart from knowing that he would just be the wyrm's food if he tried to get involved, the scavens would certainly kill him for getting in their. Hence, he continued to watch as the burrower croaked its fury, and its paws scratched as wildly at the ground.

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Suddenly, its body whipped back and forth in a frenzy. The rapid movements caught some Scavens by surprise. Those clutching two of the ropes lost their grip, and a third rope was held desperately by only one Scaven. One of the two Scavens was scooped up by the wyrm.

The leader of the group, a giant of a Scaven, approaching the wyrm with a massive bronze spear was whacked by the beast's tail. And despite it being only a few feet long, its thickness and the speed with which it struck was enough to shatter the leader's rib cage.

With their numbers depleted, they knew they could no longer keep the wyrm down. So, they resolved to give up their grips on the ropes holding the injured wyrm.

Understanding the disaster that would come with the wyrm being free, Lindley rushed out from his hiding corner. Determinedly, he took the position of the fallen Scaven. Despite his average human stature compared to the Scavens', he pulled the rope with all his might.

His life depended on it.

The other Scaven, the one holding the same rope as Lindley, glanced at him curiously before giving a sharp nod.

With six ropes embedded, the Scavens managed to keep the reptile mostly at bay. They pulled its head closer and closer to the ground, though its snapping jaws prevented anyone getting near. The wyrm continued to writhe in an attempt to free itself.

The wounded leader of the group had now regained himself. He moved in with his long bronze spear. Wherever he found an open spot on the sinewy body, he thrust hard. The monster's roars became gasps. Its body grew sluggish. A moment later, the scaven leader brought out a massive axe and began hacking at the wyrm's head.

It didn't take too long before the burrower's head rolled off its body.

"D'or ga!" Roared the Scaven, brandishing his bloodied axe in the air.

The victory bellow was echoed by other Scavens who also, in celebration, shouted. "D'or gai!"

Then, the scaven leader turned to Lindley and roared. "Graaauuu."

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