scum!' Max was bellowing. 'You tried to kill my master, you hairy brutes! Now see how you like it.'
Arrows thudded into the buffalope's padded flanks but he paid them no heed. He just kept galloping onwards, an unstoppable force.
Cornelius was laughing delightedly. 'What did I tell you?' he yelled. 'It worked in Keladon and it's working here.' He waited until the war chariot had gone past and then lifted his sword and signalled to those behind him. 'Come on!' he cried. 'Let's finish them.'
As if to punctuate his cry, there was a sudden brilliant flash of lightning; and in that instant the heavens opened and the rain came down. Sebastian hesitated for a second, shocked by the ferocity of the downpour. It was a deluge – he could feel the rods of rain bouncing off his head and shoulders, and thought how disastrous it would have been if it had come down like this a few moments earlier; but he could not allow himself to be distracted. He put his head down and ran after Cornelius.
Everybody surged forward and went to work on the Gograth who were left, but by now they were demoralized: many were simply looking for a way out through the flames.
Max came round the circle a second time, smashing down any Gograth who dared to oppose him.
'Behold the power of Max the Mighty!' Sebastian heard him bellow; followed by a rather less majestic, 'Ouch! Who left that there?' But then the war chariot thundered by, its wheels flinging up two fountains of water in its wake.
Sebastian ran forward to deal with those few warriors who were still left standing. He squared up to one mighty creature, ducked beneath a savage sword blow and was offered an open shot at the Gograth's head.
But something stopped him from making the killing blow – he could see blind terror in the Gograth's eyes. As he stood back, the once-proud warrior dropped his weapons and turned to run towards the flames, which were now dying down beneath the falling rain. Grey smoke billowed across the clearing and in a moment the fleeing creature was lost to sight.
Sebastian stayed where he was and lowered his shield. He suddenly felt very weary. He lifted the headdress off and tilted back his head to let the chill rain wash the blood and sweat from his face. Max came thundering round for a third time, but already there were fewer targets for him to chase and he was having to weave from side to side in order to make contact with them.
Then Sebastian saw a figure cut off from the rest, a huge, imposing warrior dressed in more sophisticated armour than his companions. He was standing on a heap of fallen bodies and fighting with all his might. His shoulder pads carried the insignia of a leader and his helmet sported a purple plume. This, Sebastian knew, had to be General Darvon.
He was surrounded by Jilith warriors, each of them eager to be the one to claim his life, but none of them reckless enough to attack him face to face. The huge two-handed sword he brandished lashed left and right, keeping them at a
distance. The general was staring through the pouring rain, wide-eyed with shock, unable to believe that his mighty army had been so thoroughly vanquished in what seemed like a matter of moments. As he stood there, the last of his warriors threw down their weapons and ran; he was alone. He glanced towards the ring of fire, now little more than a circle of smoke.
Then Sebastian saw Cornelius running towards the general, slipping and sliding on earth that was rapidly turning into a quagmire, clambering across the ranks of the fallen in his haste to reach his enemy. Sebastian dropped his shield and sword and ran after him, his long legs covering the distance faster than Cornelius ever could. He caught up with the little warrior a short distance from his quarry, grabbed him around the shoulders and wrestled him to the ground.
'What are you doing?' bellowed the Golmiran. 'Let me go, you fool, he'll escape!'
'Cornelius, it's
Arrows thudded into the buffalope's padded flanks but he paid them no heed. He just kept galloping onwards, an unstoppable force.
Cornelius was laughing delightedly. 'What did I tell you?' he yelled. 'It worked in Keladon and it's working here.' He waited until the war chariot had gone past and then lifted his sword and signalled to those behind him. 'Come on!' he cried. 'Let's finish them.'
As if to punctuate his cry, there was a sudden brilliant flash of lightning; and in that instant the heavens opened and the rain came down. Sebastian hesitated for a second, shocked by the ferocity of the downpour. It was a deluge – he could feel the rods of rain bouncing off his head and shoulders, and thought how disastrous it would have been if it had come down like this a few moments earlier; but he could not allow himself to be distracted. He put his head down and ran after Cornelius.
Everybody surged forward and went to work on the Gograth who were left, but by now they were demoralized: many were simply looking for a way out through the flames.
Max came round the circle a second time, smashing down any Gograth who dared to oppose him.
'Behold the power of Max the Mighty!' Sebastian heard him bellow; followed by a rather less majestic, 'Ouch! Who left that there?' But then the war chariot thundered by, its wheels flinging up two fountains of water in its wake.
Sebastian ran forward to deal with those few warriors who were still left standing. He squared up to one mighty creature, ducked beneath a savage sword blow and was offered an open shot at the Gograth's head.
But something stopped him from making the killing blow – he could see blind terror in the Gograth's eyes. As he stood back, the once-proud warrior dropped his weapons and turned to run towards the flames, which were now dying down beneath the falling rain. Grey smoke billowed across the clearing and in a moment the fleeing creature was lost to sight.
Sebastian stayed where he was and lowered his shield. He suddenly felt very weary. He lifted the headdress off and tilted back his head to let the chill rain wash the blood and sweat from his face. Max came thundering round for a third time, but already there were fewer targets for him to chase and he was having to weave from side to side in order to make contact with them.
Then Sebastian saw a figure cut off from the rest, a huge, imposing warrior dressed in more sophisticated armour than his companions. He was standing on a heap of fallen bodies and fighting with all his might. His shoulder pads carried the insignia of a leader and his helmet sported a purple plume. This, Sebastian knew, had to be General Darvon.
He was surrounded by Jilith warriors, each of them eager to be the one to claim his life, but none of them reckless enough to attack him face to face. The huge two-handed sword he brandished lashed left and right, keeping them at a
distance. The general was staring through the pouring rain, wide-eyed with shock, unable to believe that his mighty army had been so thoroughly vanquished in what seemed like a matter of moments. As he stood there, the last of his warriors threw down their weapons and ran; he was alone. He glanced towards the ring of fire, now little more than a circle of smoke.
Then Sebastian saw Cornelius running towards the general, slipping and sliding on earth that was rapidly turning into a quagmire, clambering across the ranks of the fallen in his haste to reach his enemy. Sebastian dropped his shield and sword and ran after him, his long legs covering the distance faster than Cornelius ever could. He caught up with the little warrior a short distance from his quarry, grabbed him around the shoulders and wrestled him to the ground.
'What are you doing?' bellowed the Golmiran. 'Let me go, you fool, he'll escape!'
'Cornelius, it's
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