fool, Elypsa. It will close soon.”
“So be it!”
Shaking his head, Sidebor soared through the blackness of the portal into the bright light of the day. He turned. The portal quickly collapsed.
That’s that, then.
Elypsa popped through. Her limbs were entwined with a Vicious. The pair tumbled over wrestling in the rugged landscape of the hot outlands.
Nimble as a cat, Elypsa squirted away from the monster’s clutches and sprang to her feet, swords ready.
Ears pinned back, the hulking brute lowered its head and stared her down with the cold eyes of a killer.
This should prove interesting .
Sidebor floated down onto a small bed of sand to watch. The hot sand felt good on his sandaled feet for some reason.
Very interesting.
The fighters circled.
Elypsa’s graceful feet familiarized themselves with the terrain. She squinted in the bright light of the suns, looking uncomfortable and a bit annoyed.
The Vicious was at home wherever it could kill. The cunning monsters were nearly impossible to beat in a fight. After all, Sidebor himself had created them to be his own bodyguards, ages ago.
Now it seemed that his son, Sinway, had mastered the creation as well. A mad mix of magic, underling, and other things. The Vicious were the ultimate warriors of the Underland.
Lithe of frame but firm, the brooding hulk seemed to tower over the much smaller woman. It was a mismatch of great proportions. The monster darted in and jumped back.
Elypsa’s razor-sharp sword edge clipped the tip of its nose.
The cunning fighter feinted in again, only to jump away quick as a wink.
The swords were extensions of the graceful woman’s arms. Quick and accurate, they cut at the monster with precision and speed.
Back and forth the woman and thing danced.
Elypsa’s blades kept the brute at bay until, boots shuffling over the dirt, she slipped.
The Vicious pounced.
She twirled around its lunging hide and struck with ferocity.
Slice!
The creature unleashed a savage snarl and whirled around to face her. Its right hand dangled between bone and wrist. It tore it off, threw it at her, and charged.
Elypsa’s blades flashed like black lightning and carved into the oncoming beast. The first sword cut its throat.
Slit!
She buried the second sword hilt deep in its chest. Her third strike buried into its heart.
Stab!
The Vicious cut loose a final swat with its claws.
She slipped beneath it, turned her blade deeper in its chest, and ripped it free.
The creature’s face planted in the sand.
She shook the blood off her blades, wiped them on the hide of the dead monster, and sheathed them. Crossing through the dust without a drop of sweat or gore on her, she stopped in front of Sidebor. “Where are we?”
“We are where you wanted to go, the outlands. Miles from the Underland. Leagues from civilization.” Sidebor craned his neck to look at the Vicious. It was still as the stone and quickly being covered up by the stirring sand and wind. “Your skills are extraordinary.”
“That’s an understatement.” She spied the horizon. Her violet eyes were filled with curiosity.
“Well, on behalf of the Vicious, the creature was without a weapon.” He glanced at the blades on her hips. “It was at a disadvantage.”
“I’ll remember that the next time we see one. Then you can fight it.” She raised her chin at him.
“Oh there wouldn’t be a fight.” He looked over at the fallen Vicious and back at Elypsa. “Just a word.” He waited for that to sink into her mind.
She looked at him with anger in her eyes.
He gave her his cruelest smile. Yes, I could have stopped it with my magic, but I allowed it to test you. Out loud, he just said, “So, now that we are Underland fugitives, what is your grand plan?”
“I want to learn more about the outlands, and I want you to show me.”
“There really isn’t that much to them, as you can see.”
“Then why are we always trying to overtake it? There must be something more to
“So be it!”
Shaking his head, Sidebor soared through the blackness of the portal into the bright light of the day. He turned. The portal quickly collapsed.
That’s that, then.
Elypsa popped through. Her limbs were entwined with a Vicious. The pair tumbled over wrestling in the rugged landscape of the hot outlands.
Nimble as a cat, Elypsa squirted away from the monster’s clutches and sprang to her feet, swords ready.
Ears pinned back, the hulking brute lowered its head and stared her down with the cold eyes of a killer.
This should prove interesting .
Sidebor floated down onto a small bed of sand to watch. The hot sand felt good on his sandaled feet for some reason.
Very interesting.
The fighters circled.
Elypsa’s graceful feet familiarized themselves with the terrain. She squinted in the bright light of the suns, looking uncomfortable and a bit annoyed.
The Vicious was at home wherever it could kill. The cunning monsters were nearly impossible to beat in a fight. After all, Sidebor himself had created them to be his own bodyguards, ages ago.
Now it seemed that his son, Sinway, had mastered the creation as well. A mad mix of magic, underling, and other things. The Vicious were the ultimate warriors of the Underland.
Lithe of frame but firm, the brooding hulk seemed to tower over the much smaller woman. It was a mismatch of great proportions. The monster darted in and jumped back.
Elypsa’s razor-sharp sword edge clipped the tip of its nose.
The cunning fighter feinted in again, only to jump away quick as a wink.
The swords were extensions of the graceful woman’s arms. Quick and accurate, they cut at the monster with precision and speed.
Back and forth the woman and thing danced.
Elypsa’s blades kept the brute at bay until, boots shuffling over the dirt, she slipped.
The Vicious pounced.
She twirled around its lunging hide and struck with ferocity.
Slice!
The creature unleashed a savage snarl and whirled around to face her. Its right hand dangled between bone and wrist. It tore it off, threw it at her, and charged.
Elypsa’s blades flashed like black lightning and carved into the oncoming beast. The first sword cut its throat.
Slit!
She buried the second sword hilt deep in its chest. Her third strike buried into its heart.
Stab!
The Vicious cut loose a final swat with its claws.
She slipped beneath it, turned her blade deeper in its chest, and ripped it free.
The creature’s face planted in the sand.
She shook the blood off her blades, wiped them on the hide of the dead monster, and sheathed them. Crossing through the dust without a drop of sweat or gore on her, she stopped in front of Sidebor. “Where are we?”
“We are where you wanted to go, the outlands. Miles from the Underland. Leagues from civilization.” Sidebor craned his neck to look at the Vicious. It was still as the stone and quickly being covered up by the stirring sand and wind. “Your skills are extraordinary.”
“That’s an understatement.” She spied the horizon. Her violet eyes were filled with curiosity.
“Well, on behalf of the Vicious, the creature was without a weapon.” He glanced at the blades on her hips. “It was at a disadvantage.”
“I’ll remember that the next time we see one. Then you can fight it.” She raised her chin at him.
“Oh there wouldn’t be a fight.” He looked over at the fallen Vicious and back at Elypsa. “Just a word.” He waited for that to sink into her mind.
She looked at him with anger in her eyes.
He gave her his cruelest smile. Yes, I could have stopped it with my magic, but I allowed it to test you. Out loud, he just said, “So, now that we are Underland fugitives, what is your grand plan?”
“I want to learn more about the outlands, and I want you to show me.”
“There really isn’t that much to them, as you can see.”
“Then why are we always trying to overtake it? There must be something more to
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