Page 117 of Of Spindles and Nightfall
“Aryana,” Zarathos murmured her name. Gods, he looked terrible. Crimson still covered his vulnerable chest. The only thing he’d managed to get on before being dragged out into the arena was a thin pair of trousers. His gaze met hers and he tossed his sword to her.
The chimera circled to the right, its three heads watching with hungry anticipation, like a predator savoring its kill before the final strike.
Aryana’s grip tightened around the wood of her spear and the hilt of the sword’s handle. The creature’s roar echoed through the stands as its massive body shifted in the dirt.
The crowd fell silent for a moment, caught in the tension, sensing that the real fight was about to begin.
For him.Aryana thought to herself, the words a vow. She would protect Zarathos. She would fight until her last breath.
The lion’s maw dripped with saliva, its fangs glinting in the light as it growled low and menacingly. The goat’s head bleated, its frenzied eyes darting between her and its prey. The serpent’s tongue flicked in and out, sensing the air, as if trying to taste her fear.
But Aryana didn’t fear it. Not anymore.
The creature lunged toward her, impossibly fast, and Aryana leapt aside, her feet digging into the sand as she rolled into a newfighting stance, narrowly avoiding its deadly teeth. Lashing out with her sword, she slashed it across its flank. The blade bit into the chimera’s thick hide, but the beast barely flinched.
Roaring in fury, the chimera backed up and then struck again. This time, the snake’s head lashed forward, its fangs flashing as it sought to impale her. Aryana sidestepped, but not fast enough. The serpent’s teeth scraped across Zarathos’s dragon scale armor. The sting of the blow made her stumble. Ignoring the pain, she refocused on the beast with a fierce determination.
The crowd screamed, urging the creature on, but Aryana’s world had narrowed to the chimera in front of her.
As the lion’s head swung around for another strike, Aryana dove beneath its body, sliding in the dirt. She shoved her sword upward into its underbelly, the blade sinking deep, but it wasn’t enough to end the fight. The lion roared in pain and jerked away, taking the embedded blade with it. Large drops of blood plopped down on the sand as it walked.
Her wet, crimson covered hands clasped the wooden spear. There was no time to savor the small victory. The creature wasn’t finished yet.
The serpent’s head was already whipping around for another strike. It lashed out and she had to use her weapon to keep it from making contact as it backed her against the rock tower.
Aryana was cornered.
The sound of flapping wings caused her to look up. Zarathos landed on the chimera’s back, gripping the goat’s horns andwrenching them so hard, he snapped its neck. Fury and fear shone in his eyes and a snarl wrenched out of him.
“Stay away from my wife.”
The snake head whipped up and Zarathos tried to avoid it, but he wasn’t fast enough. A roar of pain released from him as the serpent sank its teeth into his flesh between his neck and shoulder.
No.
The chimera sprang for her throat, its lion fangs poised to tear her apart. Aryana barely managed to duck, the massive jaws smashing together above her. She rolled out from under it and made it to her feet, frantic for an opening—any opening.
Zarathos wrestled with the snake on the chimera’s back, his hands shaking, his face a wet sheen from over exertion as the venom took its toll on his already weak body. A surge of energy pulsed through her, not from fear for her own life. It was a fire that burned away any hesitation. She couldn’t lose him. Not here. Not now.
With a wild cry, Aryana bridged the distance between herself and the chimera. The lion’s head moved toward her, but this time, she was ready. As it snapped its jaws, she leapt over its maw, plunging her spear into the creature’s side. The chimera howled in pain, but she wasn’t finished. She twisted her weapon and pulled it free, only to strike again. This time, her spear sank deep into the soft flesh at the base of the lion’s throat.
The beast’s head jerked in agony, blood pouring from the wound as it staggered. The chimera stumbled, its eyes clouding over with pain, and Aryana didn’t hesitate. She drove the spear into the chimera’s throat again, ripping itopen.
The snake still had its teeth in Zarathos. With a final snarl, he drove his claws in past its scales and out the other side. The chimera recoiled, whining in agony as its once-deadly tail fell limp.
Pools of crimson gathered in the sand as the chimera dropped and thrashed in the dirt, twitching until the last head finally stilled.
Zarathos tumbled off of its back, rolling into the dirt, unmoving. The arena became hushed.
Aryana stood panting. Blood dripped from her hands, but she didn’t feel it. Her gaze darted to where Zarathos lay.
She sank down beside him, fingers shaking as she reached for his throat. His pulse was faint, but it was there.
Hair covered his face, and she brushed it aside as his eyes fluttered open.
“Aryana…” he murmured, his voice hoarse, barely audible.
“I’m here,” she whispered fiercely, her hands cupping his cheeks. “I won’t let go.”
