Corrupted blood dripped off the many, metal poles jutting out of Shay's mangled body. Just standing was a defiance of death.
Thomas swallowed his saliva. His gut had been screaming at him throughout the entire fight, but only in the end did he hear its words: Shay was dying to fight
'Shay has gone mad,' Thomas thought. 'This doesn't make any sense! I won, didn't I? I dropped a bridge on his head for the goddess's sake! He should be running, not fighting.' He took a step away from the homicidal maniac, then another. Before he knew it, his trembling back hit a solid wall. He cursed.
"You can't dodge this time!" Shay barked as he lunged at the noble with a sudden torrent of strength. Thomas tensed. The claws grated off his spear shaft but the heavy impact shot through his entire body. His spear flew out of his grip as his left arm went limp.