CRY OF THE BOLD by Morgan Rice

Author:Morgan Rice [Rice, Morgan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2024-01-05T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Aldus knew in the first moments of his fight against Tak that he would have been killed almost instantly if Polk hadn't been there.

The barbarian chief was strong and fast, but it was more than that. There was a skill and ruthlessness to him that Aldus wasn't sure that he could have matched even when he was in his prime.

Now, as the graying hairs of age tugged at his strength, it was Polk who kept them both alive. The former watchman struck at any gap Tak left in his defenses, stopping him from mounting a true attack against Aldus for more than a second or two.

Tak swung his curved blade at Aldus' head, forcing the king to parry hurriedly. Tak started a second swing, but Polk's long sword interposed itself, interrupting the attack. Aldus swung back with his great sword, the fury of battle dulling the pain of his injuries as he fought.

Aldus could see the focused calculation in Tak's eyes, his every movement anticipated and met with brute force or cunning evasion. His muscular form, bronzed from years under the savage sun of the Janden plains, seemed to ripple with a feral energy that echoed in his flaring nostrils and bared teeth.

"Janden scum!" Aldus growled, each word punctuated by another clash of his great sword against Tak's own. He spun on his heel, feinting to the left before striking out toward the barbarian's right flank. Tak parried easily, his own curved blade slicing through the air with a deadly hiss. Polk was there again, thrusting at Tak, forcing him to abort the attack before it could land.

Aldus took the opportunity to swing at Tak again. Tak deflected it easily, his eyes glinting with savage delight. It was obvious that he would do whatever it took to see Aldus dead. But Aldus was a king, and he had more than his own life to consider. This was about more than him; it was about all his people who would suffer if the barbarians won.

Tak swung again, and Polk moved to intercept the blow. A sudden, sharp burst of pain in his chest jolted Aldus from his thoughts, and he looked down to see a shallow cut slicing across his armor. Evidently, he had underestimated the strength of Tak’s swing despite the interruption by Polk. The barbarian met his eyes, grinning savagely. It wasn’t a mortal wound, but it was enough to remind Aldus that Tak was not a foe to be taken lightly.

“You fight like an old woman!” Tak roared.

Around them, the battle continued to rage, with the soldiers and commoners of Destarra pitting themselves against the fury of the Janden. For a moment, the battle separated Aldus and Tak. He saw the barbarian chief cut down a man at arms, then kick Polk hard enough to send him sprawling.

Aldus cursed, cutting down one of the Janden who got in the way and throwing himself forward, aiming a cut at Tak that distracted him just enough for Polk to regain his footing.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.