Dragon Lords, page 18
part #1 of Swords and Skulls Series
A blade slipped off my trusty club. I whipped around and lashed out with my boot, whirled again and brought the heavy wood down on the soldier’s left shoulder. He cried out, clutching his arm. Regalis ducked under a thrust and cracked the second soldier in the thigh. Feberiax and Oren baited and badgered the third man, showing little mercy, darting to and fro in a rhythmic dance.
My opponent was starting to get spooked, unused to the ferocious and uncanny way I—a painted, masked devil—was handling that club. I parried his flashing blade and struck out at the padded leather around his ribs. He grunted and swore but let his guard down. Dracian—bless my brother’s soul—had trained us well.
“You’re taking the blow too high on the wood, little brother. Going to mash your fingers. Here, let me show you.” In my mind’s eye, Drace stepped behind me, grasped my club and hand in his, worked with me while Regalis, my sparring partner, came at me like the wind. My lanky, sinewy brother was faster.
Whoosh. A quick instep, pull back with body and momentum, and our combined blow grazed Regalis on the hip, knocking him aside. My brother’s leg lifted up to send him on his way to the turf.
It was a move I never forgot…
My opponent’s blade missed by a hair but his fist thwacked me hard across the chops, bringing my reverie to an end. I shook out the daze and twirled back like a dancer, swinging out with a glancing blow which sent him leaping back with a howl.
“Such theatrics, Ick. For the love of Hades, get it over with.” Marcellus crowded close, club on the rise. His lean-muscled frame arched in, and down his weapon crashed upon the soldier’s back.
The grog-breathed soldier took a sudden dive and went down, stilled.
Shaking my head, wiping my bloodied lip, I lifted myself from my senseless victim. I scrambled over to disentangle Denetio from the blanket. He was a sorry mess, staring wild-eyed and gibbering non-stop like a child. He thanked me with profusion and I grunted him to silence as we sped off into the night down the urine-scented alley, leaving three moaning soldiers crawling on the rain-damp paves. They’d think twice about doing the old upsey-downsey with any victims again.…
That’s the end of the excerpt. Read the rest of Icarus on kindle unlimited. innersky.ca/icarus
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Other books by Chris Turner,
writer of fantasy, adventure, and SF.
Visual artist, musician.
Dragon Sea Chronicles
Beastlayer : Rise of the Rgnadon
The Dragon of Skar
Starhustler
The Timelost
The Dim Zone
Denibus Ar
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Chris Turner, Dragon Lords
