Brak the Barbarian vs the Sorceress by John Jakes

Author:John Jakes
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-04-07T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter VII

PRISONERS IN THE PIT

Elinor the shepherd girl had recognized the creature into whose lair the Magian had unwittingly thrust them. Her fingers constricted on the barbarian’s thick forearm.

She pressed close against him. Her face was a terror-mask in the weak light drifting down from the opening of the Manworm’s cave at the earth’s surface, far overhead.

The shepherd girl began to whimper.

“Be silent, girl! Perhaps if we make no outcry, the creature will never see us.”

But Elinor had seen far too much herself. Before Brak could prevent her, she screamed.

Her whole body trembled violently. As she lunged against Brak for protection, she kicked several small stones on the ledge. The stones showered off the rim into the chasm.

Too late, Brak clapped his free hand over Elinor’s mouth to stifle her shrieks. The girl struggled against the grip of his heavy palm. She twisted, moaned, bit his hand.

Brak’s temper blazed up. He shook the girl roughly, his voice low but savage:

“I say keep silent! You’ve already roused the beast with your racket.”

Elinor’s eyes flew wide open. She understood at last what he was saying. She gave another low moan, nodded weakly. Brak relaxed his grip a little.

Suddenly the walls of the chasm seemed to give off a rumbling sound. The ledge rocked as the Manworm lashed out with its great tail.

The creature’s putrefying stink floated everywhere. Elinor’s sobbing died. Brak released her, thrust her back against the wall of the narrow ledge.

Then he took careful hold of the haft of his broadsword. He leaned forward to peer over the ledge.

The Manworm’s head on its long, scaled neck, seemed to be rising like a hideous cloud. The skull of the thing looked to be three times as long as Brak himself was tall. Within the skull oval black-pupiled eyes shone, a deep and luminous scarlet.

The yellow-haired barbarian couldn’t be sure what kind of body the Manworm possessed. Most of the creature was hidden by the darkness below. Probably it was long and serpent-like. He glimpsed two supple forepaws, each armored with a dozen claws as big as scythes. The creature used these claws to grasp the chasm wall and lift itself.

The Manworm rose, the scaled head turned and the red eyes searched the gloom.

Now the Manworm’s head was almost level with the ledge. The creature let out another of its shattering bellows, so loud Brak’s ears ached.

The mammoth tail came lashing up from the darkness. It whipped back and forth in rage, striking the pit walls and sending tremors through the entire cavern. Brak felt the ledge shiver beneath his feet. A narrow fissure perhaps as long as his arm opened in its surface.

The Manworm’s head was directly opposite the shelf. Brak pressed back against Elinor, his face turned outward toward the monster. Cold perspiration bathed him as he held the broadsword ready. Like a statue he crouched there, barely breathing.

The Manworm’s head darted forward.

Its huge jaws opened to reveal teeth sharp and long as spears. A gust of rotted air clouded out of its mouth, making Brak’s belly turn over.

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