Odreck Iron-skull was the best ever head-butter of the Garuul plains.
Harking back to the barbaric days fighting for power and food, head-butting as a practice has become somewhat diminished within the conscionable thinkers of a politely modern world, but, as with all games of skill, the sport has proven itself to be somewhat enjoyable when gambling is involved.
The game is simple:
Two living creatures, that contain both brain and sapience, shall take turns in ramming thine forehead into the opponent’s until one such creature falls-down.
If a creature should baulk itself backwards in effort to avoid a strike, they shall be reminded to be less jumpy, and the turn will then be allowed to thus reoccur.
Later rules came into practice to require the competition to contain at least one ‘humanoid creature’ after the fallout of the inanimate bolder bash of 1832, but in totality, the game has remained mostly unchanged since its inception.
There have been many great head-butters that have stepped into the fray and swung their head in competition: Benson Big-brow, a much beleaguered champion of heads and hearts across Windlydale; Mat the turtle, a neckless coal miner who would forgo a pick axe for a chance at practice when he was mining, these heroes were amongst a long line of head-butters that have all been cheered, jeered, and barracked for by an encapsulated crowd who would watch on in revelry.
Bust one man stood alone as champion.
Odreck Iron-skull came from humble beginnings, and after the childhood of hard labour in the 40-degree days that the Garuul plains gifts to all of its children, Odreck was ready to share his thoughts on most matters via blunt application.
A dense man in many regards, Odreck had the wit of a sad-iron and more than once had chosen to carry his wagon across the desert in lieu of buying a camel.
These early years were not without direction for Odreck, his perpetual march forward had led him to Garuul army and by chance to the tent of legendary promoter Salamander Dulon.
Salamander had become an avid head-butting enthusiast in his youth, and saw a great potential in this daunting man who had just barged into the general’s tent and asked where the toilets were.
The first fight was quick, exactly half a round took place and it appeared to be over before Odreck was able to take his first turn in the sport.
Having to kneel so he was the same height as his opponent, the newly crowned Iron-skull of Garuul, patiently watched as the small man in front of him, arched his neck back and then promptly knocked himself unconscious on Odreck’s nose.
His mind vacant and his cranium honed, the fresh face of Odreck erupted onto the professional Head-butting circuit as he stood victorious against all challengers, refusing to take a backward step against any flat surface.
He had legendary battles with Frypan-Eddie, he tussled dozens of times against Weight-of-the-world-Glen, he would become the youngest champion of Stein-hallow creek and managed to hold on to this title until his retirement.
Only once in his decorated career did he drop to one knee, and the folklore around this event is still hotly debated. Some say that he had almost fallen, others claim that was trying to protect a ladybug that had ventured into the circle. The truth may never be known.
All stories must have an ending and it sad that Odreck’s must end so quietly.
It was not through a final stand against the tide of his past competitors, nor was it through the bittersweet loss that so many veterans will fall victim of; Odreck left the sport of Headbutting undefeated and is possibly still competing to this very day.
It was a warm morning in the newly risen sun of spring that a promoter, named Rayley Hearthollow, had challenged Iron-skull to a match for the ages. A new fighter of unknown power had agreed to the bout and signed his name as The Warrior Mountain from Shale.
An intentional mistranslation by Rayley, as it later became apparent, this challenge was part to be of an elaborate hoax created by the promoter, in which Odreck was to compete against a shale mountain located within the country of Warrior; the obscurity of this country meant attendance would be low and the impossibility of the Iron-skull managing to out-head-butt a mountain would mean the match would probably end in a loss.
But tenacity of a champion is not to be out done, and from the first crash of his skull Odreck had finally found a worthy opponent.
It is estimated that by now Odreck has managed to headbutt his way several hundred meters into the mountainside and many tell of a day where he shall emerge from the other side victorious, having undermined the entire landmass and causing a land slip that will decimate the ecosystem around it.
Wherever he may be and whatever earthquakes are wrought by his tireless work, the people still talk of Odreck in moments of nostalgia,
‘He had a good head on his shoulders.’
J.McCray
2021
Sunday Short Stories 