Free Brave Men Die: Part 2 by Dan Adams Page B

turned quickly and smashed Rigel down on his back. Barely managing to get his blade up, he pressed it against its throat, holding the back of the blade up with his wounded arm to keep its snapping jaws from his jugular. Saliva dripped down on his face and he blinked furiously to get it out of his eyes.
    Rigel tucked his legs up underneath the beast and kicked it over him, rolling quickly and stepping back to avoid the slashing claws that took chunks out of his armour. His blade twirled through the air and came crashing down through its face, taking an eye and some teeth. It howled in pain and retreated a couple of steps. Rigel approached quickly, wanting to end it before he bled out, and had his blade raised to take off its head when it moved suddenly, charging in low and sunk its fangs into his flesh. He swallowed the scream that wanted to come out of his chest.
    He hacked into the creature’s head, raised his arm and smashed it down repeatedly, drenching the steel and his body in the creature’s blood. When it wouldn’t let go he reversed his grip, twisted his body so he could grab the hilt with both hands and slam the tip of the blade down between the creature’s shoulder blades. He stabbed it over and over again, until its body finally slumped.
    Rigel released his blade and put his hands between its jaws, still clamped around his leg, straining under the vice-like grip. Moments passed before he snapped the bottom jaw bone, carefully removing the fangs from his muscles. He grimaced as he steadied his footing to wrench his blade out, before taking off the thing’s head with three heavy blows. Wiping the blood off with the thick mane of fur, he sheathed his blade and picked up the mangled head, then slowly headed back toward the mercenary compound dragging his prize with him.
    Finn and the two mercenaries at the gate stood aside as he hobbled through. They hadn’t moved the entire time, they’d just stood there as he limped back bleeding. They stared open-mouthed at the creature’s head, its broken jaw and gaping eye. A trail of gore smeared along the ground behind him.
    ‘Told you I could handle it,’ he managed to get out between rasping breaths.
    Finn only nodded and accepted the head when Rigel lifted it in offer. Its remaining red eye stared vacantly back at him.
    ‘We can deal with that in the morning. Maybe Carina can tell us exactly what it was.’
    ‘You don't even know?’
    ‘My job is just to kill things like that, not to worry about what they are. Now, I’m going to bed to try and stop the bleeding.’
    ‘You want us to patch you up first?’
    ‘Nah, I’ll let Carina do it, she just loves it when I bleed on the sheets,’ Rigel said with a grin as he limped back.

CHAPTER SIX
    The sun hovered listlessly as Cronos stared into the Fatelli Pass. He watched as the yellow globe dropped inch by inch into the western sky, knowing that every moment that passed was another that his forces were waiting twiddling their thumbs. The Kyzantines had time to grow stronger. He scratched his cheek and gave up his vigilant post, stalking along the wall back and forth.
    Cronos had sent out a scout but it seemed like ages ago, when the sun was higher in the sky after they had first managed to retake Black Claw. Hell, he just wanted to make the most of the day.
    ‘Shields up,’ he snapped at two soldiers on the wall. ‘They could attack at any moment. Do you want an arrow in the chest boy?’
    ‘No sir’, the lad stammered, raising his shield.
    Cronos stormed off and looked over the rampart. The sides of the pass were dark in the shadows and a wind funnelled through sending a chill down his spine. He strained his eyes, ever looking for his man. A hand touched him on the shoulder, his head turned slightly to see the master of arms.
    ‘Does this remind you of old times?’ Cronos asked.
    ‘What exactly are you referring to? Us standing on the walls of a barricade somewhere across the Kingdom, or Black Claw