Solomon stepped through the ruined hole in the wall and crushed a fallen roof tile beneath his boot. He stared at the dented steel breastplate rising from the moonlit courtyard tiles.
He cracked his silver-coated knuckles and let a wide grin stretch across his face.
"What is your name?" Solomon took a casual step forward and rolled his shoulders. "Did Chenric think a bulky suit of armor would save you? You move like a crippled tortoise."
"I am Gong Fang." He spat a wad of blood onto the tiles and hoisted the iron mace over his helmet.
He lunged across the courtyard and brought the spiked weapon down in a crushing overhead chop. Solomon sidestepped the descending iron.
The mace struck the cobblestones and sent a spray of rock shrapnel into the night sky.
