The Exodus Sagas: Book I - Of Spiders And Falcons by Jason R Jones Page B

directly toward his chest on every swing, Kendari cut at her hair, taunting her to move in closer, Shinayne double blocked the longsword with both her weapons crossed. Simultaneously cutting out and forward after pushing her opponent back, she made contact with his elbow, cutting through the chain armor and drawing blood. Kendari’s smile widened, he moved faster on the back steps, parrying her increasing attacks, and giving him space.
    “I see you are serious here, my love.” taunting her with his smirks and green eyes staring into those amazingly bright aquamarine eyes so determined and full of hate. The Nadderi crossed his blade over to his left, drawing his second longsword with the right, then flipped them across in dazzling fashion, holding one pointed down in a strange reverse grip, the other blade up and forward as normal. “Now we are a match.” Kendari dove at her with two longswords, his grin wicked and beaming.
    Saberrak pulled his axe out of the troll’s ribcage, holding the body down with his heavy foot and chopped down once again with both mighty hands on the handle, severing the backbone and ending the screeching he despised. The ogre were down to four standing he noticed and seven of the trolls still fighting. He glanced at the foolish knight crawling to his feet using his sword as a crutch, and to the satyr out of arrows and fighting off a troll with his longsword, moving and dodging more than fighting. Another quick glance at the elves, blades moving in and out, sparking the air, Saberrak assumed the woman had control by the constant retreating steps of the pale one. A troll crossed his path heading east toward the human, who was in no shape to defend himself. The gray warrior heard the shouts of the ogre to one another in their tongue, seeing them back toward the city walls, swarmed with screeching fangs and green demons.
    Saberrak lowered his horns, axe in hand, beginning his charge of the troll he planned to crush from the side before it got to the helpless man. Over a crawling ogre, bleeding to death from the bites in his neck, and past another twitching with a decapitated troll arm buried claws deep in its chest, the minotaur crashed horns first into the troll seconds before it grabbed its meal. Tumbling end over end with the hissing beast in his grip, Saberrak held it close, horns buried in its side. Clawing at his face, blocking with the flat of his axe, the gladiator stood up with the troll bent over his horns. It flailed in pain as Saberrak lowered his axe into position. With a heave from his massive quadriceps, he lunged up, and then dropped quickly, releasing the screeching beast into the air and solid onto the upturned axe blade that cut it in two. Feeling his muscles ache, burning from days of exertion and battle, the minotaur surveyed again with his dark tattooed eyes, spotting ogre reinforcements traversing the steps from a high ruin wall some two hundred yards away. Good help for the troll problem thought Saberrak, but after that there would be a harder fight on their hands. “Shinayne, it is time to leave!” He bellowed with resolution, moving to pick up the injured man.
    Bedesh heard the order loud and clear, still being chased by a one armed troll and out of arrows. His eyes blinking feverishly, sword swinging wild, without the elven precision or knightly training of the rest the satyr felt helplessly outmatched. Hearing some direction from the powerful and capable minotaur gave him some confidence and relief. He still ran to put more distance between him and the quickly healing troll, closer to Shinayne, seeing her too far north with the other elf. Bedesh ran to assist and get his stubborn friend to head south away from the mass of ogre swarming to her end of the ruins.
    His longsword heavy even with two hands on the grip, the satyr turned to swing at the troll he knew was close behind. His security and bravery doubled being near the minotaur and closer to Shinayne so he turned