Free Days of High Adventure by Elliott Kay Page B

in praise. “Stop, ancient ones!” the man called out. “We seek only to serve the same —ngh!” The arrow that plunged into his throat silenced his plea, seeming to settle the issue of religious loyalties.
    “Guards!” Tronus yelled out over the din, “hold the slaves in! The serpents are just hungry! Let them eat of the slaves!”
    Fallon grabbed the arm of the guard nearest to her, planting a resounding punch across his face with her free hand. Then she jerked his sword from its sheath, leaving him to fall away from her clutching his broken jaw. “We leave now,” she growled.
    Eric caught her meaning. He tripped up another guard who came rushing by, then jumped on him to slam the man’s head down on the stone floor. Before Eric had snatched the guard’s sword, Fallon had her blade embedded in another guard’s belly. His partner came in with axe and shield, swinging his weapon down on Fallon, but she pivoted and spun to place her victim’s body between herself and danger. She shoved the dying body off her blade with a mighty push, leaving his partner to deal with the awkwardness of his sudden weight; the distraction lasted only a second, but it was enough time for Fallon to bring her sword around in an arc at the other guard’s face.
    Armed and ready now, Eric and Fallon stuck close as the wave of slaves rushed past. The mob clogged the entrance tunnel, tangling in a panicked crush that trampled some to death and threatened to suffocate others. More and more serpent men emerged from within the temple, bringing down anyone who couldn’t get away.
    “We’ll never get out through the tunnel,” Eric said.
    “One need not outrun the wolves. Just the slowest prey. That way. The ropes.”
    “We can’t do anything for the other slaves?” he blinked.

“Look at the forces at work, Eric. We cannot fight this. Some may follow our path, if they are lucky and smart. If you’ve a better idea than leading by example, be my guest!”
    She led the way, shoving through slaves fleeing from the serpent men. They ran parallel to the danger rather than directly away from it, which seemed counterintuitive to Eric until he realized there really was no place else to go.
    Something shoved Eric to the ground. He looked up to see Tronus looming over him with his sword at the ready. “Drop the weapon, slave!” he growled.
    Eric didn’t bother arguing. He spun away, swinging his blade out as he moved to catch the back of the overseer’s legs. No armor protected the back of his calves. Tronus cried out in pain and swung at Eric again, finding his blow parried as he fell to his knees.
    On his feet now, Eric stepped back from Tronus just in time to see a serpent man tackle the overseer to the floor. Tronus cried out as his attacker’s fangs sunk into his neck.
    Eric spun again, raising his guard fast enough to block the arcing lunge of another serpent man’s spear. Eric parried, sidestepped and caught the thing in the neck with a slash of his blade. Jerking his sword free, he saw his opponent clutch at its throat in desperation as blood spurted from the wound. The monster fell with a hiss.
    Another came on, leaping over dead bodies with hungry eyes. It bore a leather-covered shield and a sword of bone, with which it stabbed viciously at Eric. He spun away, trading swipes and parries until its shield went up too high. Eric caught it across its weird, barely-discernible knees with a low swipe, then slammed his shoulder against the thing’s shield as it stumbled. With the serpent falling onto its back, Eric had the opening he needed to stab down directly into its chest.
    He had no time to think. More enemies approached. “Eric!” Fallon shouted. She stood not far away, close to the ropes from one of the ventilation shafts. Dead serpent men and guards alike lay at her feet. She already had a guard’s sword and belt slung over her shoulder. “Come on!”
    “Go!” he shouted as he ran. “Get going!”
    Fallon cursed, but did