His opponent turned to face him and raised his sword to a guard position, but couldn't help glancing behind to search in vain for an escape route.

A sequence of muscle bulges erupted up the bare jade skin of Thogron's back and shoulders, as he raised his great axe high in the air. He feinted again and again, drawing out the excitement of this climax to the fight.

The Oberoid had backed up to the rear wall of the smoky wooden hall. Nowhere left to go, he cowered behind his sword.

Thogron fed on the cheers from the guests at the Final Victory Celebration, who stood in a ring around the sandy arena. Only when the noise subdued did he decide his final ritual taunt for the cameras.

"Tonight," he said, speaking quietly as a sign of his contempt for his opponent's feebleness, "I will sweeten my wine with brain juices spooned from your skull." He swung his axe straight through the sword and into the Oberoid's neck vertebrae.

"Yaaahhhhhh!" shouted Thogron, raking the air with his claws. "Victory is ours. By the Gods!"

Rapturous applause echoed around the Great Hall of the Melai People. Its normal use was dancing, wrestling or ritual torture, but today it had been transformed into a stylized re-enactment of the final battle with the Oberoids.

Thogron bowed deeply to the crowd. "Thank you. You're too kind. Really... much too kind." Alongside him, he sensed that his tag team companion, Mad Mockus, had grown disquiet.