Page 8 of The Last of the Dark Lords

A rock gory was on me then. Its hot, wet breath warmed my face as I struggled to hold it at arm's length. It was straining to get at my throat, and we were locked in opposition. I needed leverage to push it back and attack with my dagger, but I couldn’t get it.

The jaws of the rock gory inched closer and closer to my neck as my arms grew weaker. Driven to rage by its thirst, it growled low and lunged.

I closed my eyes, wanting my final sight to be something other than the feral face of the beast. Its sharp teeth grazed my neck.

“Need a little help?” It was a man’s voice, deep and smooth. I didn’t recognize it, but in my desperation I didn’t question it.

“Yes!” I grunted out.

There was a sick sound, like a butcher knife slicing through wet meat, and a whimper. The weight of the animal came down heavy as it collapsed on top of me.

“Shit.” I rolled the gory off me and struggled to catch my breath. When I’d recovered, my savior was already moving away. Hewas tall and toned, dressed in black leathers, swinging a sword in fluid arcs as he took out the rock gories that mobbed him. His face was pale, sporting a few days worth of stubble, and his eyes were green and piercing. Atop his head sat a circlet of onyx.

I pushed myself to my feet and looked in the direction the man was headed. There it was. The zakar. A tall, thick cat with rippling muscles, it was covered in orange and white fur. It was huge, but the swordsman didn’t slow his approach.

What was he doing? There was no way to fight this thing on foot.

An arrow whistled as it passed by me, embedding itself in the zakar’s side with a thud. I turned my head and Jelenna stood there, surrounded by mounds of dead rock gories.

I grabbed for my own arrows, and my hand only found one remaining in my quiver. Damn.

Jelenna sent another arrow toward the creature, but it went wide as the cat moved to avoid the swordsman’s jabs. I made eye contact with Jelenna and she shook her head. She was out of arrows.

The swordsman danced around the zakar, his movements graceful and deadly. He was getting hits in, but they weren’t deep enough. The cat was agile. Eventually the man would tire, and the zakar would overwhelm him.

I couldn’t help fight the thing with only a dagger. I knocked my last arrow. This was my one chance. If I didn’t hit my target, I’d be left totally useless.

The swordsman’s eyes flitted to me and then back to the hulking feline. I could only hope he understood what I was trying to do. He sliced the cat across its shoulder, a superficial injury at most,but it had the desired effect. The cat turned its head in response, and I could see the slits of its eyes.

I squinted, took a breath, and let my arrow fly.

It found its mark, piercing the zakar’s left eyeball. With a yowl of pain and frustration, the cat rolled onto its side, the end of the arrow sticking out and agitating even more as the animal hit the ground.

With the finesse of a dancer, the swordsman moved to slice the cat’s throat. With a roll, the big cat barely avoided the attack, and then it was off. Its muscles flexed and pulled as it ran away at top speed.

“Ah well. Nice shot,” he said after watching the cat run for a minute. He walked toward his horse, a large white mare. I hadn’t noticed her in the chaos of the fight.

“Wait,” I yelled after him. “Who are you?”

“You’ll find out.” He hopped up on his steed and winked at me. Hewinkedat me. What the hell was happening here? I was uncharacteristically flustered all of a sudden. Who was this strange man? He had incredible sword fighting skills, and was dressed in expensive leathers.

As he rode off, Jelenna made eye contact with me. “He’s very handsome,” she said, smirking.

“Are you serious?” We had a swordsman in the vicinity of Greatfalls, an elite fighter of unknown origin. We had no idea what his motives and plans were, and she was commenting on howhandsomehe was? What did it matter that he was good-looking?

“I just noticed.” She shrugged, then her eyes widened as she noticed all of the blood and viscera down the front of me. “Are you hurt?”

I made a quick inventory of myself. I was covered in scratches and bites, but my armor had managed to turn the worst of it. None of the blood was mine.

“I’m fine.” My eyes went to the swordsman, who was galloping away at a clip. “We need to go after him. We have to find out who he is. ”

She nodded and we both started for our mounts. I sprang up on Blaze’s back and turned him to follow the enigmatic fighter. Jelenna rode up beside me and I spurred us onwards.

“Commander Adfeld!” A voice rang from behind us. I pulled Blaze up short and we turned. Doren, one of the more promising of the younger Archers, was heading toward us on horseback. “Commander, stop!”

“What brings you out here?” I asked as he approached. “We have to go—”

“No, please stop! I was sent to find you.” The slight young man paused, taking several labored breaths. He must have been riding hard.

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