The Glass Warrior (Demon Crown Book 1) by Vardeman Robert E

Author:Vardeman, Robert E. [Vardeman, Robert E.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Venture Press
Published: 2017-03-11T23:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER XI

Vered bellowed and whined and protested — except during battle. He fell into a deadly silence. His nerves calmed. His heart rate picked up and blood rushed through his body, heightening his senses, putting an edge to his reflexes. His keen eyes studied the charging giant for weaknesses. Through his mind flashed the chances of using the glass short sword, of pounding at the giant with his acid-blunted dagger, of a dozen different attacks.

When he moved, Vered didn’t even realize he had reached a decision. Three steps forward, a quick drop, and his legs entangled those of the lumbering Gargantua.

The monster man shrieked and threw out his arms to catch himself. Even as Vered had executed the perfect attack, so did Birtle Santon launch one of his own. He stepped to one side and let the giant topple past. He turned, batted away a huge hand with the glass shield, then used the same motion to power the up-and-down arc of his battle-axe. Santon aimed well. The axe drove directly into the base of the giant’s skull.

Such a horrendous blow should have severed any beast’s head from its torso. Santon staggered away as the shock of the blow vibrated all the way up his left arm and into his body. He stared stupidly at the cutting edge of his axe. It had skittered off the giant’s neck as if flesh had turned to steel.

“The edge,” Santon muttered. “The acid blood dulled my axe!”

Vered untangled his legs and scrambled to his feet. The giant kicked about and almost sent Vered flying. The man twisted and drew the tip of his glass sword across the giant’s hamstrings, trying to disable him. A screeching of metal on metal sounded.

Both glass sword and giant’s flesh remained untouched.

“I should have cut his leg in half with that slash,” protested Vered. He danced back and fell into en garde. As the giant rose to a sitting position, Vered lunged. The tip snaked in past a clumsy hand and struck the giant’s left cheek. Vered jerked upward and guided his blade directly for the creature’s eye.

Again he failed. The blade refused to thrust home into the giant’s brain.

“What manner of creature is this?” Vered cried. “I refuse to be thwarted. How dare you deny me your death!” Vered launched a flurry of thrusts, none intended to do harm. He distracted the slow-witted giant while Santon sneaked into position behind the sitting monster.

Santon put all his strength behind the blow. The muscles along his left arm rippled with the power of the stroke aimed at the giant’s spine. Again Santon staggered back, his killing blow turned away harmlessly.

The giant moaned and bent forward to rise to his feet. Vered kicked a supporting hand out from under the giant and sent him tumbling back to the ground, but again this diversion did not help Santon get in a killing stroke with his axe. When the monster stood, he towered over either man. Santon and Vered parted to keep the giant distracted, then attacked.

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