Date: TC1853.10.07 (Continued)
Location: Imperial City — Fourth Ring Grand Arena, Championship Stage
Volkov's war hammer caught Taron in the ribs.
Not a glancing strike. Not a deflected blow softened by armor. A full-force, CC Level 5 war hammer strike that connected with the left side of Taron's chest plate and caved it in.
Taron heard his ribs break before he felt them — two sharp cracks that punched through the sound of the crowd like snapping branches. The impact launched him sideways. He hit the arena sand, rolled, and came up spitting blood that was bright red and tasted like copper and failure.
Stormheart screamed in his grip. Not the resonance hum of amplified output — an actual scream, the weapon spirit's rage at its wielder's pain transmitting through the bond as a sound that only Taron could hear.
Get up, Stormheart demanded. GET UP.
