The Binding Stone (The Dragon Below, Book 1) Read Online Free
Author: Don Bassingthwaite
ground and growling, its eyes darting between Geth and the cornered woman as it tried to grasp the turn of events. Its wide green eyes shrank to slits and its tentacles swayed dangerously. "Get back!" it yowled. "Get back and live! My prey! Mine!"
Geth's teeth clenched. They do talk, he thought. Damn. He bent his knees, sinking into a defensive posture, and stretched out his arms, axes ready for an attack.
And an attack came--but not against him.
The determination that the dark-haired woman had worn like a shield seemed to condense abruptly into outrage. "Prey?" she cried. "Prey? I am no one's prey, you hideous dahr!"
She took a step forward ... and her sandaled feet rose off the ground. As if lifted up by her anger, she floated a foot or more above the forest floor, her eyes and face shining with fury. Her hand stabbed at the beast. Abruptly, a sound like a chorus of voices seemed to fill Geth's ears and a stream of white flames lancedfrom the woman's hand toward the beast.
The monster screeched and twisted--and where Geth would have thought that the flames would lap against its flank, instead they hissed through empty air. The woman's aim had been fooled by the beast's glamer. It lunged at her, tentacles flailing. The move seemed to catch her by surprise. She managed to slip under one tentacle, her feet sliding across the air, but the other whirled around and caught her with a hard slap across the chest. Her spear flew out of her hand and she slammed backward into the rocks with an audible thud. Her still body slid back down to the ground.
The displacer beast whirled back toward Geth. "Die you now! Yes! Die!" A tentacle lashed at him. Geth raised an arm, blocking. The barbed pad at the tentacle's end ripped away the fabric of his sleeve and gouged at his flesh. Anyone else would have had their skin flayed by the attack. Geth's shifting-toughened hide was left with nothing worse than deep scratches.
"Die now?" he snarled in mocking imitation of the beast's screeching voice. "Yes!"
He leaped in close, hacking and chopping with his axes. The beast dodged back, countering with tentacles and--if Geth got too close--a vicious swipe from one of its six clawed feet. His shifting heritage protected him from the worst damage of its attacks, though, just as the beast's magic kept most of his blows away from it.
It still managed to hit him more often than he hit it, though. In moments, he was bleeding from a half a dozen deep gouges, and the displacer beast was grinning with mad blood lust. Geth stumbled back, breathing hard. A tentacle grabbed his leg, yanked, and he was on the ground, staring up at the beast.
"More prey!" the creature screamed. "More!" Its head darted down, jaws wide.
Geth dropped one axe and snapped the other up crossways against his body, clutching it with both hands. The stout wood of the shaft jammed across the beast's open jaws like a horse's bridle. The beast tried to shake it out, but Geth pushed back, pressing the axe up. The creature's tentacles wrapped around his arms andtried to pull them aside. Geth's arms were stronger--at least for the moment. "Ado!" he roared.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the druid. The smaller displacer beast had managed to rip its way free of the twining forest plants. Adolan held it at bay with his spear, shifting and thrusting to ward off the creature's lunging attacks. His eyes darted to Geth, though, then up to the sky. He feinted, then jumped away as the creature reacted to the false attack. In the clear for a moment, he drew a deep breath, folded his lower lip under his front teeth, and let out two clear, piercing whistles.
The sky seemed to fall on the displacer beast that had Geth pinned as Breek came plummeting down like a feathered lightning bolt. With an accuracy that no human eye could have matched, the eagle struck the displacer beast square in the back. Wicked talons tore at the creature's blue-black hide and the beast let out a
Geth's teeth clenched. They do talk, he thought. Damn. He bent his knees, sinking into a defensive posture, and stretched out his arms, axes ready for an attack.
And an attack came--but not against him.
The determination that the dark-haired woman had worn like a shield seemed to condense abruptly into outrage. "Prey?" she cried. "Prey? I am no one's prey, you hideous dahr!"
She took a step forward ... and her sandaled feet rose off the ground. As if lifted up by her anger, she floated a foot or more above the forest floor, her eyes and face shining with fury. Her hand stabbed at the beast. Abruptly, a sound like a chorus of voices seemed to fill Geth's ears and a stream of white flames lancedfrom the woman's hand toward the beast.
The monster screeched and twisted--and where Geth would have thought that the flames would lap against its flank, instead they hissed through empty air. The woman's aim had been fooled by the beast's glamer. It lunged at her, tentacles flailing. The move seemed to catch her by surprise. She managed to slip under one tentacle, her feet sliding across the air, but the other whirled around and caught her with a hard slap across the chest. Her spear flew out of her hand and she slammed backward into the rocks with an audible thud. Her still body slid back down to the ground.
The displacer beast whirled back toward Geth. "Die you now! Yes! Die!" A tentacle lashed at him. Geth raised an arm, blocking. The barbed pad at the tentacle's end ripped away the fabric of his sleeve and gouged at his flesh. Anyone else would have had their skin flayed by the attack. Geth's shifting-toughened hide was left with nothing worse than deep scratches.
"Die now?" he snarled in mocking imitation of the beast's screeching voice. "Yes!"
He leaped in close, hacking and chopping with his axes. The beast dodged back, countering with tentacles and--if Geth got too close--a vicious swipe from one of its six clawed feet. His shifting heritage protected him from the worst damage of its attacks, though, just as the beast's magic kept most of his blows away from it.
It still managed to hit him more often than he hit it, though. In moments, he was bleeding from a half a dozen deep gouges, and the displacer beast was grinning with mad blood lust. Geth stumbled back, breathing hard. A tentacle grabbed his leg, yanked, and he was on the ground, staring up at the beast.
"More prey!" the creature screamed. "More!" Its head darted down, jaws wide.
Geth dropped one axe and snapped the other up crossways against his body, clutching it with both hands. The stout wood of the shaft jammed across the beast's open jaws like a horse's bridle. The beast tried to shake it out, but Geth pushed back, pressing the axe up. The creature's tentacles wrapped around his arms andtried to pull them aside. Geth's arms were stronger--at least for the moment. "Ado!" he roared.
Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the druid. The smaller displacer beast had managed to rip its way free of the twining forest plants. Adolan held it at bay with his spear, shifting and thrusting to ward off the creature's lunging attacks. His eyes darted to Geth, though, then up to the sky. He feinted, then jumped away as the creature reacted to the false attack. In the clear for a moment, he drew a deep breath, folded his lower lip under his front teeth, and let out two clear, piercing whistles.
The sky seemed to fall on the displacer beast that had Geth pinned as Breek came plummeting down like a feathered lightning bolt. With an accuracy that no human eye could have matched, the eagle struck the displacer beast square in the back. Wicked talons tore at the creature's blue-black hide and the beast let out a
Readers choose
Marita A. Hansen
Clara Benson
Antonio Muñoz Molina
Tucker Max, Maddox
Meryl Sawyer
Kate White
Melinda Leigh
Sally Clements
Gary Taylor
Kaye Gibbons