Berserker Part 18

Karnar and Aniston were hard pressed to stay alive too. They had been forced back by a group of six large gnolls. Millienya was unable to help them because the bough upon which she stood was blocking her field of vision and to take a blind shot would risk hitting a friend. So far they were able to keep their attackers at bay by the superior reach of Aniston’s longsword and Karnar’s whirling pick, who created a tightening circle of steel around his targets. But just as one was about to make a killing stroke, another Gnoll would catch their attention and the men would have to backpedal in order to avoid the next furry flurry.

Aniston spared a glance to his left, seeing the smoldering bodies of the cannon dogs he was struck by a flash of inspiration.

“Can you hold them back?”, he asked. “When I shout, get as far back from them as possible”.

Not bothering to wait for a nod or grunt of approval he ran, clattering and clanking to the one remaining cannon, trying to get a feel for operating the foreign thing. When he got a close look he realized what a wonder it was that they hurt anything except the user. The metal was rusted and pitted with age, looking brittle as glass. But since he saw no alternative, he got behind the thing and sighted along the barrel. He saw that Karnar had simply barreled into the group with his shield held in front of him like a battering ram, now that he was examining it, he saw that there was a hole in the center from where a retractable spike was now protruding and considerably gaining the attention of the Gnoll he hit.

He desperately looked around the cannon for the firing mechanism. Spotting a soot blackened hole near the back, he yelled for Karnar to get clear. Praying to any gods listening, snatched a burning twig from the explosion and put it to the hole.