Eric Bloodaxe had made many enemies not by leaving them alive but by building a legend around himself. It hadn't been intentional, but he didn't discourage it because it made many enemies hesitate that those split seconds that were essential for victory. The major problem with it was many groups looked to slay him to take his legend for them.
Five orcs stepped onto the road with a familiarity that spoke to them knowing who they were dealing with. Two of them bore the ritual scarring of the orc god of berserkers, Yagras. Another two of them were obviously whelps on their first hunt, and the final one was an alchemist with a belt full of danger around his waist.
The trick would be to take out at least one of the veterans before the rage took them. Powerful muscles launched Eric into a charge sending him forward before the orcs had prepared themselves. The charge's momentum carried the great axe of the barbarian through the veteran's meager defense separating his head from his shoulders and it continued its deadly path to disembowel one of the whelps.
Red filled the eyes of the remaining veteran as rage filled his body controlling his actions. He shoved aside the dying whelp to inflict a flurry of attacks against the enemy. The other whelp roared and circled the barbarian to flank him as the panicked alchemist grabbed a grenade and threw it into the air.
Eric no longer felt the nicks and cuts the orcs inflicted on him as his body fell under the sway of the rage of the wolverine. The veteran leaned into take a bite out of his opponent only to be head butted crushing his teeth and sending him staggering backwards. Eric whipped around to bury his axe in the remaining whelp and tore the orc's sword from his hand and threw into the chest of the veteran who swung one final blow which the barbarian easily dodged, but the alchemist's grenade burst releasing its contents.
The world began to fade even as Eric's rage fought to keep him awake. The alchemist laughed and danced with glee at his victory, but it was short lived as a hand axe from Eric claimed his life. It would be easy to submit to the sway of the drug thought Eric as the world darkened.
