Free Dimwater's Demons by Sam Ferguson

her oversized belly. This garunda was pregnant. Ravenel thanked the gods for his fortunate timing, for he knew that if the beast had succeeded in giving birth, it would have spelled almost certain disaster for the townsfolk.
    “He quickly drew out his mini crossbow, loaded a poisonous bolt, and then let fly for the beast. She tried to dodge the bolt, but she was too wounded to escape. The shaft bit deep into her side, spilling its poison into her blood. Within moments her steps were shaky and her growl was almost inaudible. She roared once, albeit weakly, and then fell onto the stone with her head facing Ravenel. Ravenel then loaded another bolt. He took aim at the beast’s head and let loose. The bolt hit home and sent the beast to the fires of Hammenfein. Never one to take a chance against nature, especially the darker forces of nature, Ravenel retrieved one of the sconces from the outside of the temple and set it to the body and let the flames consume the evil beast along with her unborn demons.
    “A whoosh of air erupted from the temple then as the large, stone door was flung open with ease. Ravenel spun around to see a tall, pale-faced figure standing in the doorway before him. She wore gray and red robes, with her silver hair in a single plaited braid that sat lazily over her shoulder. A pair of wicked scimitars hung at the figure’s sides.
    ‘“You killed them,’ the shade sneered as it stepped out from the doorway.
    ‘“I did,’ Ravenel replied as he closely studied the new threat. It was almost hard to discern, but he decided that this particular shade was, or had been at one time, a female elf. Her facial features seemed even more prominent now with her faded and gray skin pulled so tightly against her cheek bones. Her teeth seemed almost serpentine-like as she hissed at Ravenel. Her eyes were bereft of all color, leaving only white orbs to look at. Ravenel knew that those white eyes had led to the demise of many people, for the first few to come against this strange and powerful foe had mistakenly thought that the eyes were sightless. This, as Ravenel knew, was not the case. In fact they could see quite well, better than most of the fairer races of the realm even.
    ‘“It was the people of Kilistyrin who disturbed my slumber,’ she hissed as she gently floated down over the stone steps to the floor of the chamber, her gray and red cloak flowing out behind her. ‘I have slept here longer than those pathetic worms have walked in the sunlight, and now you think you can desecrate my temple without recompense?’
    “Ravenel felt his legs go weak. His very energy was being drained from him magically by the shade. His large, muscular frame soon felt weak all around. His mind went cloudy. He reached up to put his hand to his head, but as he moved he brushed against the handle of his dwarf-forged hand-axe. Suddenly he felt a new surge of energy rush through him. He grasped his axe and loosened it from the harness on his belt. He hoisted it in front of him and was amazed to see the old runes come alive, almost burning with a blue glow about them. He knew instantly that the dwarven magic had somehow stopped the assault on his energy.”
    “Dwarven weapons are the best,” Leatherback said with a satisfied hiss.
    Kyra smiled and continued. “The shade shrieked as she realized that she could no longer suck Ravenel’s life force from him. ‘Your magic won’t save you,’ she snarled. The shade rushed forward through the air in a blur, eager to devour Ravenel’s energy. Down she descended, hard, as she raked a clawed hand out for Ravenel’s face. The hero deftly moved his head back, just out of reach, and swiped forward with his hand-axe. The blade connected solidly, swiping off a few of her fingers as it passed.
    “The creature howled with a head-splitting pitch that all but shattered Ravenel’s eardrums as she leapt into a backwards somersault away from him. To his horror, she grew new fingers almost in