2: Servants of the Crossed Arrows Read Online Free

he began to notice others close to the road. Most crouched in the underbrush, their rust-colored coats fading into the dull branches and leaf litter.
    “There,” John whispered. He pointed to the nearest man. “You see, I wasn’t lying. They—”
    The rest of his words were knocked out of him as Pivan gave a sudden gesture and the entire force of riders charged ahead.
    Alidas’ body shifted in front of John as he reached to the side of his saddle, and in one swift practiced motion, brought up his rifle and fired. One of the shadowy men ahead of them jerked and fell to the ground. A thunder of shots cracked out from all sides.
    The Fai’daum scurried behind trees. Some fell. A few turned with their own guns and fired return shots. None of the rashan’im fell. They fanned out, crashing through the underbrush and trampling the men on the ground.  
    Alidas reined his mount after three men who had broken from the cover of two fallen trees. Fine branches slapped at John’s face as they charged through the dense woods. The smell of black powder filled the air. Alidas fired again, the crack of the gun deafening. A red burst of blood erupted from the back of one of the running men’s heads and he crumpled to the ground. Alidas fired again but then John only heard a metallic snap of an empty rifle.
    Alidas cursed and urged his mount forward faster. Two men still ran ahead of them. The tahldi sprang ahead, raking its horns across the nearest man’s back. The man gave out a cry of pain and jumped to the side. As he did, Alidas slammed the butt of his rifle into the man’s face. Hot blood spattered up across John’s cheek.
    The man fell and the tahldi sprang with its full weight onto his chest. John heard the man’s bones snap beneath them. A horrified nausea washed through John as he glanced back and saw the bloody mass   of the man’s body. He looked like the spattered remains of a crushed insect, arms and legs twisting out from a mulchy red ruin.
    Alidas took no notice. He urged his mount forward after the last man. John stared at the Fai’daum man’s back. He didn’t know if it was right or wrong but he couldn’t keep himself from wishing that this one would escape. As the man wove between bushes and branches, he gave a soft cry and John recognized his youthful voice.
    Saimura.
    They bounded over a charred stump, landing only a hand’s length from Saimura. John could see his young, terrified face clearly. The mount swung its horns but Saimura lunged aside and sprinted towards a thick crop of trees.
    “Jid!” Alidas cursed and reined his mount after Saimura.
    Just let him go, John thought.
    But he knew it wouldn’t happen. All around him, he caught glimpses of the same brutality. Half hidden by tree branches and distance, other riders impaled men, shot them, trampled their fallen bodies. The smell of gunpowder and the sound of screams filled the woods.
    Alidas loaded his rifle and took aim at Saimura’s back. John considered bumping Alidas. But he was pretty sure that Alidas would kill him for that offense. John wanted to close his eyes but found he couldn’t. He stared at the young man, knowing that this slaughter was, in part, his doing.
    Just as Alidas fired, Saimura’s ankle caught in some knot of hidden roots and he went down. The bullet missed him. He struggled to his feet, but his leg wouldn’t hold him. He fell again.
    “This time you stay down,” Alidas whispered. He lifted his rifle and took aim again.
    John saw a motion from the left, very close to them, something bright and moving fast. Then the tahldi shrieked and reared. Alidas’ rifle fired up into the branches of the trees. John rocked back. His fingers slipped from the straps and he hit the ground with a sickening snap.
    The air smacked out of John’s lungs and a hard pain exploded up his back. Only the rush of panicked energy gave him the strength to roll up to his feet and away from the flailing hooves of the rearing animal.