Strife In The Sky (Book 7) by Craig Halloran

Author:Craig Halloran
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: Two-Ten Book Press
Published: 2014-05-27T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 23

There won’t be any dwarven justice, but there will be more dwarven deaths.

Trapped and flatfooted, Pilpin glared at the laughing satyr and readied himself for the draykis advance. The hulking creatures were almost three times the size of the dwarves, and their sharp claws clutched in and out like razors.

Devliik raised his battle axe up high over his head and shouted a battle cry.

“For Morgdon!”

The dwarves formed a battle wedge behind Devliik and shouted in return.

“For Morgdon!”

“Charge!” Devliik roared in Dwarven.

The dwarven force careened into the nearest draykis with ram-like force, toppled him over, and kept on going. Pilpin stepped on its ugly face and slipped through its grasping claws. It was the fastest he’d ever run before. He cast a glance over his shoulder. The draykis stood flatfooted, and their huge fanged jaws were gawping.

“Get after them!” Finlin screamed, sawing at the rope that held him. “Get them! Kill them all, you grey-skinned fiends!”

The dwarves scurried up a rocky hilltop, darted under hanging branches, and ran straight into the mouth of a large cave.

Pilpin could hear the satyr Finlin’s rage-filled scream.

“They’re getting away!”

Into the darkness the dwarves plunged, with the draykis fast on their tails. One by one, they each burrowed into a smaller cave barely big enough for a dwarf to fit through. Pilpin squeezed inside the gap and his brethren pulled him in.

“Ulp!”

A draykis grabbed his ankle and pulled him back out. He dangled in its mighty arm like a stubby, bearded child.

“Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!” Finlin laughed, entering the cave. “Another prisoner.” He beat his chest like a drum. “I suggest the rest of you come out if you don’t want to see another dwarf die.”

Pilpin eyed the approaching satyr.

“My,” Finlin said, “you are a small one, aren’t you. And you almost have more beard than body.” He shook his horns. “That’s gross. Now, call out your brethren so we can get this over with.”

“It’s over with already,” Pilpin said with a gleam in his eyes.

“It’s good to know that you’ve come to terms with your circumstances,” Finlin said. He cupped his hands over his mouth. “Come out, come out, you little husky men. Or else I’ll feed this bearded morsel to my draykis.”

“They won’t come,” Pilpin said, folding his little arms over his chest.

Finlin stood eye to eye with him and said, “Is it because you’d rather die than see them surrender?”

Pilpin shook his head.

“No, not at all.”

“Then why is it then?”

Pilpin scanned the cave. All the draykis had converged around him and Finlin.

“Well,” Pilpin said in a hushed voice, eyes darting from one draykis to the other, “it’s because the dark skies are falling.”

“What?” Finlin said, craning his neck.

“Dark skies are falling,” Pilpin said with a wink.

“I don’t catch your meaning,” Finlin said while his ears wiggled all around and bent.

Tink. Tink. Tink … Tink. Tink. Tink.

Pilpin made an odd dwarven giggle and reached into his pocket. He held a large nut shell in his hand.

“Is that your last meal?” Finlin said, eyeing the cave.

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