Draggah (18 page)

“
I know, but we started this together,
”
Lexi said. 
“
I
’
m not leaving you again.
”

“
Fine, but stay back,
”
Tiberius said. 
“
I
’
ll stay with you.  Rafe, don
’
t do anything stupid.
”

“
Never,
”
said Rafe, but in his mind he was already determined to die if necessary to save his friends.

He looked at Olyva, whose face was a mask of terror.  She was hunched over the saddle, her long hair casting shadows on her face.

“
Take care of Olyva,
”
Rafe said to Lexi.

She nodded and Rafe turned back to face the darkness.  He stabbed the spears into the ground beside him and checked his rapier.  The long sword was sharp and slid easily back and forth in his scabbard.  He loved his sword. It was a precision weapon and he was unmatched in his skill with it, but in that moment he wished it was a big clumsy broadsword, or even a battle axe.  He couldn
’
t imagine that he wouldn
’
t be better suited with a weapon made for hacking and chopping when he faced the huge monster that was coming toward them.

“
Fall back,
”
Rafe told Tiberius. 
“
Stay behind the fire.
”

“
No,
”
his friend said. 
“
We
’
re better side by side.
”

“
Alright, well then, take one of these,
”
Rafe said, handing Tiberius one of the spears. 
“
You killed a Graypee with one like this, didn
’
t you?
”

Tiberius nodded just as the beast roared again.  They turned toward the darkness and the monster finally came into view.

Chapter 13

Tiberius

Tiberius ran through the list of spells he knew in his mind.  He discarded the healing spells.  He might need those later, but at this moment what he needed was a weapon.

Fire, Far Sight, Find North,
he said each spell in his mind.  He could feel the magic all around him.  It was like swimming in a rough sea.  He felt the magic pushing and pulling him as he let himself sink deeper into his newfound sense of magic. 
Find Water, Calm Minds, Cloaking Spell, Shielding Spell, Summon Wind, Sleep Spell
…
  He considered the Cloaking Spell, but didn
’
t feel that invisibility would help all that much.  The most useful spell seemed to be the Shielding Spell, but he remembered using the spell in the Tuscogee when he
’
d fought Moswanee.  The spell had literally been like holding a physical shield between himself and his opponent.  The physical force of the attack was carried straight through the magic and into Tiberius.  It might be useful against a human foe or even a smaller animal, but the huge creature lumbering toward them now wouldn
’
t even notice it.  And there was a very real chance that the spell could kill Tiberius.

The creature emerged from the darkness like a nightmare rising from his dreams.  The beast had a huge head with a dome of thick bone on top.  Its cheeks hung in layered folds with thick blobs of mucus between them.  The mouth seemed small, although Tiberius was certain the creature could easily stuff Ti
’
s whole body into it.  Pointed teeth stuck out through the thin lips, as if the mouth couldn
’
t contain them.  As the creature moved forward, Tiberius could see its body.  The beast had a massive chest and long powerful forelegs.  The back sloped down to a surprisingly small hindquarters.  The beast
’
s rear legs looked almost painfully weak.

“
We need to focus on attacking the rear,
”
Rafe said.

“
Agreed,
”
Tiberius said. 
“
How?
”

“
Have the Rogu spread out on either side.  I
’
ll stay here and keep the beast distracted.
”

“
Be careful,
”
Tiberius said.

Then he tucked the spear under his arm and wheeled the horse, kicking it into a gallop.  He raced toward the tribal warriors.  They had clubs and small knives, but Tiberius guessed that even if he had bigger weapons to give them that they wouldn
’
t know what to do with them. 

“
Move away from the fire,
”
he shouted as he rode. 
“
Leave your torches.  Attack the beast from the rear.
”

The Rogu were fearless fighters.  They rammed their bone torches into the soft turf, then sprinted into the darkness.  Tiberius turned his horse and raced toward the other side of the line of warriors, repeating his orders over and over as he rode.  He felt a thrill of pride seeing the Rogu racing into battle at his command.  He had imagined being an Earl like his father, often pretending to order his loyal war band into battle against imaginary armies.  As children, he and Rafe had fought mock battles, and occasionally rogue beasts from the blighted lands.  As he grew older, he sometimes looked back at those memories with fondness, but never had he imagined that they might actually come true.

He raced his horse, who was sweating from exertion, back to where Rafe stood in front of the beast.  The creature was getting close, but looked leery of the fire.  Tiberius felt another thrill at the thought that his plan might work.  He hoped the fear of the fire would turn the creature away.

Tiberius saw Rafe heft his spear, checking the balance and weight of the weapon.  Then he sprinted forward, throwing the spear with all his strength.  The spear disappeared into the darkness between the ground and the faintly illuminated creature.  Tiberius involuntarily held his breath, waiting to see what would happen.  The creature saw the spear flying toward its face at the last second and turned faster than Tiberius would have guessed was possible.  The spear was aimed at one of the creature
’
s large round eyes, but instead it sank into the soft fold of loose skin on its sagging jowls.

“
Great cast!
”
Tiberius yelled once he could be heard over the creature
’
s roar of rage.

Shadow, Tiberius
’
horse, was obviously spent.  Tiberius saw foam at the corners of its mouth and the even though the horse was shifting nervously, unwilling to stand still so close to the huge monster, its head drooped.  Tiberius slid off the saddle and slapped the horse
’
s rump so that it ran off into the darkness.

Tiberius had a spear and his whip.  He also had a Wangorian dagger, but he didn
’
t think any of the weapons would do him much good against the beast.  Rafe had recovered his other spear and Tiberius moved close beside him.

The beast was bending low, eyeing the small creatures that had somehow stung it.  Then it raised one massive foreleg, the limb bending more like a man
’
s arm than an animal
’
s leg.  It rose high in the air and then came slamming down.  The bottom of the creature
’
s foot was one massive callus.  Rafe and Tiberius sprinted out of the way, but the impact knocked them both off their feet.  They scrambled back up as the creature raised its other leg.

Tiberius drove his spear into the ground, point first.

“
What are you doing?
”
Rafe shouted.

“
I
’
ve got an idea.
”

He jerked the spear free again and then slammed the butt of the spear into the hole he
’
d just made in the turf.  The creature
’
s leg was dropping again and they didn
’
t have time to do more.  They ran for safety, moving closer to the large fire of burning dung.  It wasn
’
t quite a raging bonfire like Tiberius had hoped for.  The dung burned hot, but it didn
’
t send flames high into the air the way wood did.  They turned just in time to see the leg come down.  The spear snapped and the metal spearhead jammed into the creature
’
s foot, but it didn
’
t seem to notice.

“
Damn,
”
Tiberius said. 
“
I thought that might hurt it.
”

“
It was a good idea,
”
Rafe said, taking the last spear from Tiberius. 
“
No sense hanging on to this one.
”

He hurled the last spear almost straight up.  They were nearly under the creature
’
s head now, and the spear sank into the leathery flesh of the beast
’
s throat.  It roared and reared back.  The creature
’
s hind legs folded and it rested on its backside, the massive forelegs pawing the air.  One foot swiped at the spear lodged in the creature
’
s throat.  It wasn
’
t a deadly wound, but blood was leaking around the spear.  The clumsy foot didn
’
t dislodge the weapon, which had punched into the softer flesh of the exposed throat past the metal spearhead.  The beast roared and sputtered at the pain.

Then the Rogu, sensing a moment of weakness, attacked.  They came rushing in from both sides almost simultaneously, darting in with their knives ready.  They hacked and slashed at the bony back legs, then just as quickly rushed away again.

“
Get out of there!
”
screamed Lexi.

She was now holding the reins of all four horses and was just barely visible in the light from the big fire.  She had gone and collected Tiberius
’
tired horse and still led Olyva
’
s mount.  She looked frantic and Tiberius sensed that she was right.

“
Let
’
s move!
”
he shouted.

They raced around the fire and toward the horses.

“
Are the Rogu doing any good?
”
Rafe shouted.

“
I don
’
t know,
”
Tiberius said.

They were both looking back over their shoulders to see what would happen next.  The beast was wailing in anger and pain, but it didn
’
t seem to be seriously hurt.  It turned and lumbered after one group of the fleeing warriors.

“
We have to help them,
”
Rafe shouted.

“
Let
’
s go,
”
Tiberius agreed.

“
What are you doing?
”
Lexi cried as they jumped up into their saddles.

“
Stay here!
”
Tiberius said.

Then he kicked his horse into action, following Rafe.  Shadow was not a fast horse to begin with, but it almost seemed to lumber compared to Mars.  Rafe was outdistancing Tiberius, who realized he wouldn
’
t be able to help his friend.  He saw Rafe bend low on one side of the horse, almost hanging off the saddle.  For a terrifying moment, Tiberius thought that perhaps Rafe was hurt and falling off the horse.  Then Rafe snatched up one of the bone torches and righted himself in the saddle.  Tiberius couldn
’
t keep up and he wouldn
’
t have been able to snatch up a torch the way Rafe did even if he could keep pace.  He needed another way to help.  He watched as Shadow slowed to a walk and Mars raced ahead, galloping dangerously close to the creature.  Then Rafe flung the torch.  It flew end over end, streaking through the air and leaving shinning sparks as it flew toward the creature
’
s face.

Once again, the beast saw the danger coming, but Tiberius realized that was Rafe
’
s intent.  The creature lowered its head and the torched bounced harmlessly off the bony skull.  It roared, sending Mars into a terrified gallop away from the beast, but Rafe had given the Hoskali on the creature
’
s right flank enough time to escape.  The warriors on the opposite side were rushing back in for another attack.  Tiberius realized that this time there would be nothing to stop the beast from attacking the Rogu as they fled unless he did something fast.