Free River of Spears (Kingdom's Forge Book 0) by Kade Derricks Page B

partner-in-chains, Kern, a greasy scarecrow of a man, laughed along.
    “No! Save us, save us great Rider,” Kern wailed in mock dismay, clutching at his chest.
    Dain knew these two—every prisoner did. They’d been trouble from the beginning. The first day after their capture Ox kicked another man’s ankle and shattered it. Unable to keep up, the unlucky man and his partner had fallen back and been speared.
    Since then, Dain took care to avoid the pair. But this morning he had been too tired and too lost in thoughts of escape to notice their approach. A mistake, he knew now, and one he needed to correct before Ox killed Nico outright and Dain ended up with a spear in the guts.
    “Not so tough without your spells, now are you?” Ox said. He leaned on Nico’s arm.
    Nico’s eyes opened. There was pain and anger in them, and he clenched his jaw to remain silent. The guards might allow some talking today, but a scream wouldn’t be tolerated.
    Dain shoved the big merc back. He pulled Nico to his feet and placed himself between the Pyre Rider and Ox. With the clamps covering his hands, the little man would be useless in a fight. He stared up at the larger Ox and readied himself.
    “Coward,” he said.
    “What’d you call me, little man?” Ox asked, sounding almost casual.
    Kern stopped laughing. His eyes took on a devilish light.
    Only compared to Ox could Dain be considered little. The bigger man outweighed Dain’s two hundred and twenty pounds by another forty or so, and he stood three inches taller than Dain’s six-foot-two.
    “You heard me you deaf piece of dung. I said you’re a Light-damned coward.”
    Ox clenched a fist of iron and swung.
    Dain sidestepped the punch and slugged the bigger man’s ribs. His fist felt like it met a shield, but Ox staggered. Dain retreated a step and hoped Nico was wise enough to stay behind.
    He was ready for another punch when the little man surprised him. Instead of falling back, Nico darted forward and kicked Kern’s knee from the side. Dain heard an ugly pop and the greasy man’s leg bent sideways at a painful-looking angle.
    Kern yelled, and a nearby guard speared him in the throat. The merc’s screams fell away to a bloody gurgle. In vain he clutched at the wound, but couldn’t control the bleeding.
    Ox moved quickly then, no doubt realizing the dire situation he was now in, and reached out to grab at the chain that connected Dain and Nico. He caught it and yanked the pair closer.
    Dain didn’t bother trying to pull away. Ox was too strong, and pulling away would just move Nico closer to him and his iron fists. All he had to do was injure one of them and they would fall behind the group and die.
    Dain threw a loop in the chain and caught it around Ox’s forearm. He rushed the bigger merc, slipping behind him and jerking the chain—along with the trapped arm—against his chest.
    Nico must have understood his intent. The Pyre Rider raced behind Ox in the opposite direction. He crossed his end of chain over Dain’s.
    Instead of a trapped arm, Ox’s neck was now inside the loop, drawn tight. The frantic merc thrashed, arm and leg and bucked back, trying to break free. But Dain and Nico each held fast.
    At last, Ox’s face went purple. The veins at his neck swelled and bulged. He fell to his knees. Nico stepped in front of him to face the mercenary.
    “Not so close,” Dain tried to warn him.
    Ox moved then, reaching for the Pyre Rider one last time. He strained forward and grabbed Nico’s shirt. Nico tore at the merc’s hands, but couldn’t free himself. Ox finally wrenched at the shirt, trying to draw Nico closer. He managed only to tear the shirt off instead.
    His face an angry purple mask, the mercenary gasped a last breath and fell with a jarring thud to the dirt.
    Dain jerked on the chain one final time, crushing Ox’s windpipe to be sure. Wiping sweat from his eyes, he looked at Nico. If the Pyre Rider was injured, if Ox had managed to crush his ankle or