A Bloody Road by Scott Straughan

Author:Scott Straughan [Straughan, Scott]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fantasy, Fiction
Published: 2018-08-21T21:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Blacknail rose up from atop the corpse of the enemy scout whose throat he had just slit. The salty scent of blood flooded the air as the crimson liquid seeped into the ground. Without a word, he launched himself toward his next victim. There were still three of Werrick’s minions scattered around the area. All of them needed to die.

A cracking noise revealed someone moving behind a tree up ahead. As Blacknail dashed across the ground, he drew his sword. It came loose with an eager hiss, as if anticipating the spilling of blood.

A bearded human peeked out from behind the tree. He was an older man with untidy brown hair and a tense look on his face. Instantly, Blacknail leapt forward and slashed at the human. The man’s eyes went wide, and he disappeared back behind cover.

A predatory growl escaped Blacknail’s lips, but he didn’t give chase. Instead, he threw himself the other way. He dashed around the opposite side of the tree trunk, toward the man’s back. His claws sank into earth and tree roots as he moved.

“Bloody hells!” the bearded man yelled as he turned and realized what had happened.

His back was exposed. He had drawn his blade, but it was useless since he was facing the wrong direction. His eyes widened in terrified helplessness as the lightning-quick hobgoblin closed the distance and stabbed him in the side. The blade sank deep into flesh before grinding against bone and coming to a halt.

Two humans left. Blacknail laughed as he tugged his sword free, and his voice echoed eerily through the trees. Behind him, the bearded man fell like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

“What in all the hells is going on here? What is this?” a panicked voice shouted from off to one side.

“It’s him, the monster!” someone exclaimed. “The reaper of Daggerpoint!”

Their terrified tones sent an excited shiver down Blacknail’s spine. He sensed weakness to be exploited. The hobgoblin licked his lips eagerly. He could practically taste their terror, and it was sweet and satisfying. It quenched a need.

The last two humans were on the other side of the path and hiding behind a fallen log. There was no benefit in giving his prey time to think and collect themselves, so Blacknail darted toward them.

Just as he reached the center of the path, a hooded figure rose and aimed a short bow at him. Sunlight reflected off the steel tip of the nocked arrow. It was aimed directly at Blacknail’s face, but the hobgoblin ignored it. Unflinchingly, he stared directly into the archer’s eyes and kept running straight.

Time flowed slowly as Blacknail moved. His muscles were as taut as a coiled snake’s, and his eyes glowed with hunger and hate as they focused completely on the enemy. The archer was a tough-looking woman with short brown hair and a crooked nose. Her eyes shimmered with fear, but they also held steely determination. One well-placed arrow would turn the tide of the fight.

The woman’s gaze relaxed, and the tension left her face for a moment as practiced calm took over.

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