throbbing body and the pounding heat of the suns. Is there only death in victory?
“You cannot kill us,” said Fogle.
Some of the brigands parted.
Brak got a full view of Jubilee and the wizard. He expected Fogle to have some mighty orb of power surrounding him. Or some lightning clutched between his fingers. Instead, he got a haphazard-looking man chewing on his fingers.
“Gag his lips,” the orc ordered.
“I know your ways,” Fogle interjected. “Your leader is dead. Vanquished in a fair fight. That man on the ground, he’s your leader now.”
The orc licked his sweaty lips and turned up his broad piggish nose and squealed a laugh. “Fool. Stoneskin was not our leader.” He shrugged. “Though his smarts exceeded those of a typical ogre, we didn’t take all of our orders from him.”
Blocking the hot wind in his eyes, Fogle said, “You’re bluffing.”
“Am I?” The orc pulled out his sword. It was a heavy blade with a pair of teeth on the end called and orcen fang. “I’m all for order among our brood’s ranks, and I’ll follow it to the death. But I assure you.” He kicked Gondoon. “This was not our leader, not since a while ago.”
Brak managed to make it to his knees. The spear tips were still dangerously close to his neck. He was eyeing Fogle.
The wizard’s hands were still behind his back.
No one was guarding him.
“Come now. Quit playing games,” Fogle said. “You only delay. That man, Brak, is your new commander.”
In the near distance the sound of a horse neighing caught Brak’s ear. Slowly, still breathing heavy, he stood up. A rider came from a small grove of tents. Hair billowed like a banner behind the rider’s back. Closing the short distance, hooves thundering through the sands, every brigand dropped to a knee and bowed.
“Get down, you fool!” said an ugly pie-faced brigand.
Holding his cramping side, Brak stood tall.
Fogle and Jubilee crept over to him now that the brigands who had been holding them were flat on their bellies.
The rider and horse were black silhouettes in front of the suns.
Finally, Brak got a good look.
Hard-faced, deeply tanned, and beautiful, the rider sat tall in the saddle. Her hair was long and jet black. The deep-blue-eyed woman surveyed the bloody scene. Men were dead. Some still dying from mortal wounds. She scowled at Brak. “Did you kill my best ogre?”
Voice cracking, Brak replied, “Yes.”
“Great.” She drew a longsword that hung from a scabbard on her dapple grey horse. “Now I get to kill you.”
CHAPTER 25
Elypsa took off at a full sprint toward the outer mouth of the cave.
Cursing, Sidebor floated up off his feet and glided after her. Glancing over his back, he saw that the Vicious, moving like hungry lions, were closing in on all fours.
It was instantly clear that he wouldn’t be able to outrun them. Elypsa wouldn’t be able to either. Once they hit the open land, it would only be a few more seconds before the Vicious tore them to pieces.
Sidebor summoned his power and cast a spell.
The cave mouth’s bright light was closed off. A black portal took its place.
Elypsa skidded to a stop and turned. “What are you doing?”
“Go through it!”
“I’m no fool!” She stood with her swords ready. “You go first.”
Casting the spell had slowed Sidebor’s gliding. He renewed his effort. Focused. Concentrated. Before he lost his eye, he’d have been more confident about dealing with such things. More effective. Deadly efficient. Now it was different.
Go Sidebor! Faster!
He sped up.
The Vicious, silent killers, snarled and redoubled their efforts. Claws scraped over the hard stone and they surged ever closer.
“Get inside that hole! I’ll need time to close it!”
Jaw set and in a battle stance, she said, “After you!”
Have it your way, fool!
Unleashing more of his power, he locked his mind with the portal. As soon as he passed fully through, it would close. “Don’t be a
“You cannot kill us,” said Fogle.
Some of the brigands parted.
Brak got a full view of Jubilee and the wizard. He expected Fogle to have some mighty orb of power surrounding him. Or some lightning clutched between his fingers. Instead, he got a haphazard-looking man chewing on his fingers.
“Gag his lips,” the orc ordered.
“I know your ways,” Fogle interjected. “Your leader is dead. Vanquished in a fair fight. That man on the ground, he’s your leader now.”
The orc licked his sweaty lips and turned up his broad piggish nose and squealed a laugh. “Fool. Stoneskin was not our leader.” He shrugged. “Though his smarts exceeded those of a typical ogre, we didn’t take all of our orders from him.”
Blocking the hot wind in his eyes, Fogle said, “You’re bluffing.”
“Am I?” The orc pulled out his sword. It was a heavy blade with a pair of teeth on the end called and orcen fang. “I’m all for order among our brood’s ranks, and I’ll follow it to the death. But I assure you.” He kicked Gondoon. “This was not our leader, not since a while ago.”
Brak managed to make it to his knees. The spear tips were still dangerously close to his neck. He was eyeing Fogle.
The wizard’s hands were still behind his back.
No one was guarding him.
“Come now. Quit playing games,” Fogle said. “You only delay. That man, Brak, is your new commander.”
In the near distance the sound of a horse neighing caught Brak’s ear. Slowly, still breathing heavy, he stood up. A rider came from a small grove of tents. Hair billowed like a banner behind the rider’s back. Closing the short distance, hooves thundering through the sands, every brigand dropped to a knee and bowed.
“Get down, you fool!” said an ugly pie-faced brigand.
Holding his cramping side, Brak stood tall.
Fogle and Jubilee crept over to him now that the brigands who had been holding them were flat on their bellies.
The rider and horse were black silhouettes in front of the suns.
Finally, Brak got a good look.
Hard-faced, deeply tanned, and beautiful, the rider sat tall in the saddle. Her hair was long and jet black. The deep-blue-eyed woman surveyed the bloody scene. Men were dead. Some still dying from mortal wounds. She scowled at Brak. “Did you kill my best ogre?”
Voice cracking, Brak replied, “Yes.”
“Great.” She drew a longsword that hung from a scabbard on her dapple grey horse. “Now I get to kill you.”
CHAPTER 25
Elypsa took off at a full sprint toward the outer mouth of the cave.
Cursing, Sidebor floated up off his feet and glided after her. Glancing over his back, he saw that the Vicious, moving like hungry lions, were closing in on all fours.
It was instantly clear that he wouldn’t be able to outrun them. Elypsa wouldn’t be able to either. Once they hit the open land, it would only be a few more seconds before the Vicious tore them to pieces.
Sidebor summoned his power and cast a spell.
The cave mouth’s bright light was closed off. A black portal took its place.
Elypsa skidded to a stop and turned. “What are you doing?”
“Go through it!”
“I’m no fool!” She stood with her swords ready. “You go first.”
Casting the spell had slowed Sidebor’s gliding. He renewed his effort. Focused. Concentrated. Before he lost his eye, he’d have been more confident about dealing with such things. More effective. Deadly efficient. Now it was different.
Go Sidebor! Faster!
He sped up.
The Vicious, silent killers, snarled and redoubled their efforts. Claws scraped over the hard stone and they surged ever closer.
“Get inside that hole! I’ll need time to close it!”
Jaw set and in a battle stance, she said, “After you!”
Have it your way, fool!
Unleashing more of his power, he locked his mind with the portal. As soon as he passed fully through, it would close. “Don’t be a
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