The Binding Stone (The Dragon Below, Book 1) Read Online Free Page A
Author: Don Bassingthwaite
deafening screech of pain and alarm. It twisted around on itself, desperately trying to strike at this new attacker. As it reared back and its tentacles released his arms, Geth threw himself away from it.
His hand closed on the shaft of the unconscious woman's fallen spear, and he rolled to his feet with the weapon in his grip. The weapon was lighter than he expected, its shaft carved from some light, almost-wood, and its head forged of a metal with a delicate, almost crystalline sparkle. It looked needle-sharp, though, and that was what mattered. "Ado, I'm clear!" he shouted.
The second beast had turned its attention back to the druid, its tentacles lashing like serpents. This time, though, it looked like it was trying to seize the spear and tear it away. Adolan let out another whistle.
With a harsh screech and a mighty flurry of wings, Breek launched himself from the back of the larger displacer beast straight toward the smaller. The creature wheeled to meet the bird's attack, but at the last moment, Breek's wings spread wide and he swooped up and out of reach. The beast twisted around again--only to be met with the point of Adolan's spear as the druid charged. Sharp metal buried itself deep in the creature's chest. Its tentacles lashed frantically at the air, then fell still asit slumped to the ground. The larger beast screamed in anger. "Chosen! Mate!" Its head snapped around to glare at Geth and it surged toward him.
Geth shifted his weight as the beast's tentacles swept at him again, swaying back, but not giving ground. The tentacles came close enough for him to hear the hiss as they lashed the air. Guided by sound rather than sight, Geth jabbed out sharply with the woman's spear--piercing the wide pad of the beast's tentacle and pinning it to the earth of the valley floor. The beast roared and tried to wrench the pinned tentacle free, simultaneously raking at Geth with the other. The shifter roared just as loudly with the scourging pain of the blows that hammered at his back, but he reached down and wrapped his hand around the tentacle. As the beast roared out again, he pulled hard on it, hauling himself forward. The displacer's beast's eyes went wide in sudden panic. Following the taut, struggling tentacle, Geth swung his axe in a powerful overhand blow.
The blade hacked straight into the beast's narrow skull.
A shudder passed through its body, then it collapsed to the ground and lay still.
Geth let go of the axe and staggered back. "They're both dead?" he wheezed as Adolan came trotting over.
Adolan glanced at Breek as the bird flapped down from above, settled onto a tentacle, and began to tear at the limp flesh with his hooked beak. "Breek says yes," he said.
"Good." Geth sagged to his knees and released his hold on his shifting-granted endurance. As it drained away, the wounds he had suffered seemed ten times as painful. He clenched his teeth as the shifting tugged on the worst of the injuries, but it was still too much. He gasped out loud and almost fell over.
"Easy," murmured Adolan. Geth felt the druid touch his bloodied back, then heard him murmur a prayer.
Nature's power swirled around them like a summer breeze. A sweet ache throbbed across Geth's back as his wounds closed. He groaned with relief and opened his eyes. "Twice tak," he said.
Adolan smiled briefly, then slapped Geth's newly healed shoulder. "A pair of displacer beasts between two men and a bird," saidthe druid. "We're lucky the beasts were still young!"
"Young?" Geth forced himself to his feet. "They would have gotten bigger?"
"Not necessarily. But they would have gotten smarter." Adolan knelt down beside the fallen woman and touched her face lightly with the tips of his fingers. She groaned quietly. Geth pulled her spear out of the ground and shook the beast's tentacle off of it, then moved over to stand above Adolan.
"How is she?" he asked.
"She'll be all right," Adolan replied. His fingers probed the back of the
His hand closed on the shaft of the unconscious woman's fallen spear, and he rolled to his feet with the weapon in his grip. The weapon was lighter than he expected, its shaft carved from some light, almost-wood, and its head forged of a metal with a delicate, almost crystalline sparkle. It looked needle-sharp, though, and that was what mattered. "Ado, I'm clear!" he shouted.
The second beast had turned its attention back to the druid, its tentacles lashing like serpents. This time, though, it looked like it was trying to seize the spear and tear it away. Adolan let out another whistle.
With a harsh screech and a mighty flurry of wings, Breek launched himself from the back of the larger displacer beast straight toward the smaller. The creature wheeled to meet the bird's attack, but at the last moment, Breek's wings spread wide and he swooped up and out of reach. The beast twisted around again--only to be met with the point of Adolan's spear as the druid charged. Sharp metal buried itself deep in the creature's chest. Its tentacles lashed frantically at the air, then fell still asit slumped to the ground. The larger beast screamed in anger. "Chosen! Mate!" Its head snapped around to glare at Geth and it surged toward him.
Geth shifted his weight as the beast's tentacles swept at him again, swaying back, but not giving ground. The tentacles came close enough for him to hear the hiss as they lashed the air. Guided by sound rather than sight, Geth jabbed out sharply with the woman's spear--piercing the wide pad of the beast's tentacle and pinning it to the earth of the valley floor. The beast roared and tried to wrench the pinned tentacle free, simultaneously raking at Geth with the other. The shifter roared just as loudly with the scourging pain of the blows that hammered at his back, but he reached down and wrapped his hand around the tentacle. As the beast roared out again, he pulled hard on it, hauling himself forward. The displacer's beast's eyes went wide in sudden panic. Following the taut, struggling tentacle, Geth swung his axe in a powerful overhand blow.
The blade hacked straight into the beast's narrow skull.
A shudder passed through its body, then it collapsed to the ground and lay still.
Geth let go of the axe and staggered back. "They're both dead?" he wheezed as Adolan came trotting over.
Adolan glanced at Breek as the bird flapped down from above, settled onto a tentacle, and began to tear at the limp flesh with his hooked beak. "Breek says yes," he said.
"Good." Geth sagged to his knees and released his hold on his shifting-granted endurance. As it drained away, the wounds he had suffered seemed ten times as painful. He clenched his teeth as the shifting tugged on the worst of the injuries, but it was still too much. He gasped out loud and almost fell over.
"Easy," murmured Adolan. Geth felt the druid touch his bloodied back, then heard him murmur a prayer.
Nature's power swirled around them like a summer breeze. A sweet ache throbbed across Geth's back as his wounds closed. He groaned with relief and opened his eyes. "Twice tak," he said.
Adolan smiled briefly, then slapped Geth's newly healed shoulder. "A pair of displacer beasts between two men and a bird," saidthe druid. "We're lucky the beasts were still young!"
"Young?" Geth forced himself to his feet. "They would have gotten bigger?"
"Not necessarily. But they would have gotten smarter." Adolan knelt down beside the fallen woman and touched her face lightly with the tips of his fingers. She groaned quietly. Geth pulled her spear out of the ground and shook the beast's tentacle off of it, then moved over to stand above Adolan.
"How is she?" he asked.
"She'll be all right," Adolan replied. His fingers probed the back of the
Readers choose
Belinda Rapley
Wilbur Smith
Isabel Lucero
Lisa Graff
Andrea Penrose
William Lashner
Maggie Joel
Duffy Brown
Erika McGann
Delia Delaney