Free The Undying God by Nathan Wilson Page B

He parried an obscenely large blade
and darted back to avoid the other enemy attack. He reveled in the
chaos of battle, the rush of avoiding death by a split second.
Perhaps even more invigorating was the act of taking a
life.
    Unfortunately for him, the igliuhs felt
precisely the same way. Hrioshango’s blade swerved back and forth
like a retractable fang, retreating into a parry and lunging out
with surgical precision. He defeated an enemy attack with a
conniving swing and jabbed the igliuh twice in the
abdomen.
    The creature howled in fury and chopped
at the darkling. Hrioshango swiftly stepped aside and stabbed the
monster’s arm. The second igliuh was not far away, bearing down on
Hrioshango from another angle. A flurry of blades ensued, three
humanoids trying desperately to emerge alive from the fray.
Hrioshango’s blade could be seen slapping at the larger, black
swords, his weapon all but flimsy compared to the
opposition.
    His sword worked furiously to defend
against the igliuhs, almost losing his arm in the process. He cried
out enthusiastically and plunged his blade into an igliuh’s chest.
Unfortunately, he couldn’t pull it out.
    The igliuh screamed in rage and swung
its sword. The second monster died as the blade crushed its skull.
Hrioshango watched helplessly as the enraged creature picked up the
warrior’s sword, now wielding two large blades while a third
remained jutting from its chest.
    It turned furiously on the
darkling.
    “Wonderful,” Hrioshango sarcastically
said.
     
    * * *
     
    The grotesque warlord circled around
the bonfire, closing in on Arxu. Its eyes gleamed dangerously in
the firelight, black holes reminiscent of the darkest new
moon.
    Its left hand remained clutching an
ebony blade, a deadly instrument easily twice the length of Arxu’s
arm. With a spasm, its right claw outstretched, its protruding
nails poised for assault. The igliuh preferred to soften its prey
before devouring it. By the looks of the man, he would prove a
succulent meal.
    Its sword lashed out, hooking around
Arxu’s left toward his head. He narrowly brought his staff across
in a double-handed grip. He fiercely kicked the hominid in its
abdomen. The igliuh reacted by nearly tearing off Arxu’s head. He
evaded the sword just in time and retreated gracefully. Nothing
short of a blade would damage the hulking mass of
muscle.
    Arxu worked his hands as fast as
possible, parrying a blow, inverting his staff into a jab,
thrusting into its belly, and kicking it in the side. The human
seemed to amuse the volatile igliuh. It seized Arxu by the arm
before he could evade and lifted its sword to amputate the limb. A
blade sheared through the igliuh, nearly impaling Arxu in the
process.
    Hrioshango was slightly disappointed.
He had intended to impale Arxu, too. The warlord roared in anger
and kicked Arxu, sending him sprawling. It spun on the darkling and
snapped its blade across in violent hysteria. Hrioshango agilely
skittered aside with a devious smile.
    An opponent worthy of his skills was
rare indeed. He would savor this battle of egos. He tagged the
igliuh with his blade, cutting across its leg. Back and forth the
chaos magician mocked the brute, taunting its rage.
    Hrioshango immediately realized he had
underestimated his opponent. He could not possibly block its
strikes; the force alone would break his arms and possibly shatter
his blade.
    Arxu sprang back to his feet and joined
the fray. He raised his staff over his head and—something closed
around his throat. The igliuh seized Arxu’s neck with a single hand
and cast him at the fire. He landed on his back, stray embers
flickering near his blue hair, devouring it. He cried out in pain
as the igliuh’s form plunged on top of his, its knee digging into
his abdomen. It straddled Arxu, pinning him beneath three hundred
pounds of muscle.
    The warlord lifted its arms and swung
its blade at the prone man. Arxu swept his staff across, robbing
the igliuh of two fingers.