Belly of the Beast Warren Thomas (e novels for free .txt) 📖

            “Back off, Raven,” Tane shouted. “You, too, Jessy.”

            Raven grinned evilly, stepped around Tane, and then swept Jessy’s blade to the side. Tane cried out when the Tyrian moved inside her guard. Jessy’s breath caught, knowing the killing thrust was coming.

            And Tane’s sword came in and parrying Raven’s blade to the side. He body-checked the Tyrian.

            “Jessy, please!”

            “Surrender!” she shouted, tears streaming down her hot cheeks. “I don’t want to hurt you, Tane.”

            “You’re being manipulated by Dakar and his priest,” he said. He held up a blackened sword. The edge was polished bright from sharpening, but the fuller held evilly glowing runes. “I made this Sword of Power to fight Dakar.”

            “Look at the runes, Jessy!” Nizar called. “They glow with the evil of the Pit. That is not a Good weapon!”

            “I see it,” she said, locking sad eyes with Tane. “Can’t you see the evil?”

            “Don’t listen to him, Jessy. Listen to me,” Tane said. “I’ve never lied to you. Trust me.”

            Raven pressed up close, slamming an elbow into Jessy’s face. At the same time, she seized the teen’s wrist and twisted Tasheba away.

            “A-ha! She’s mine again!”

            Her straight sword went clattering away. Jessy raced over and snatched it up. Then she threw herself at Raven again.

            “Stop fighting!”

            Jessy and Raven froze, cutting looks at Tane. Even the others stopped. Well, everyone but the zombies. And Nizar.

            Two zombies charged Tane. He cut one down, but the other wrapped an arm around her cousin’s throat. Jessy cried out, and thrust her sword into the zombie’s side, right through the heart.

            Raven jumped back and blinked at her.

            Looking back at Nizar for guidance, she saw the priest’s hands began glowing and his eyes narrowed at Tane. Was he going to kill Tane?

            “Die!” the redheaded witch shouted, loosing one of her magic arrows at Nizar. The arrow exploded before it reached him, so threw his bolt at her instead. The witch sent another arrow at him at the same instant.

            Ka-Boom!

            The witch went flying back against the wall. Nizar stood undisturbed.

            “Joelle!”

            The male Vikon warrior rushed to her side. The elf cut down the last of the free-minded mercenaries, followed by two zombies. Then he rushed the priest with a battle cry.

            Nizar tried to pull up the energy for another bolt, but the elf proved too fast. So the priest dodged aside. Then the Vikon let out a soul-rending wail.

            “You killed her! You monster!” Armin screamed, tears flowing. “I’ll kill you! I’ll kill your soul!”

            “Help me, Jessy,” Nizar cried, pursued by two of Tane’s handlers.

            Tane and Raven gasped, tears flowing down their cheeks as well. Jessy gawked at them. Why would Tane cry for someone so evil? Would such evil people truly care about anyone? Unless…

            Nizar managed to pull his sword, but both the elf and Vikon proved they were superior swordsmen. Jessy recoiled at the sight of a Priest of Ashtar, Goddess of War and Adventure, being so easily driven back. Ashtar’s priests were all weapons’ masters.

            Ka-BOOM!

            Quinn and Armin went flying back, as did Nizar. A feeling of enormity, of vast evil and wickedness filled the air, everyone froze. Jessy’s heart raced, and she didn’t know why. Why was she suddenly filled with dread? Then everyone slowly turned to the doorway.

            Ten feet tall, a monstrous black figure stood. His eyes glowed blood red. Jessy took in the horns, the cloven hooves instead of feet, and his shaggy body.

            “Dakar?” she whispered.

            “My God!” Nizar cried joyously. “I’ve caught the swordsmith! And he’s already completed a Sword of Power.”

            “Sweet Ashtar, what have I done?” Jessy whispered, a tremor starting in her belly.

Chapter 95

            “Yes!” Raven cried.

            “What?” Tane asked. “Are you crazy?”

            “This is what the Gods sent you here to do,” she said. “You hold the Sword of Power in your hand. You are the hero fated to save the world. Now do it.”

            Raven might be an adventurer, who dreamed of saving the town, kingdom, world, but that never occurred to him. He was a simple craftsman, a swordsmith. And he’d be quite happy to never kill another man, woman, or God.

            “We’re here for you,” Quinn said. “You’re not alone.”

            Dakar stroke into the temple, causing the maelstrom volume to double. The sound rose to the brink of unbearable.

            “Give me the Sword of Power,” Armin shouted over that unholy roar, voice hoarse. His eyes darting between Dakar and Nizar. “I’ll kill that vile beast of a God.”

            “Tane is Chosen,” Raven said. He barely heard her. “Tane must kill Dakar.”

            He stared at the Tyrian. Tane didn’t recall any part of his compulsion being fighting a God. Nope. He was sent to make four Swords of Power. And then he looked back at Joelle’s still body, and his hand tightened on the hilt.

            “Let’s do this.”

            Dakar came straight at them. The God locked his burning red eyes on Tane. The swordsmith suddenly had to pee. Pee like a big horse. It felt like his bladder would burst. A tremor started deep inside and quickly spread throughout his body.

            Out his peripheral vision, Tane noticed Quinn and Armin to his left shift into fighting stances. Raven did the same to his right. He mimicked them, suddenly unable to remember anything about sword fighting.

            Halfway to them, Dakar pulled back a fist, and punched at them. A ball of fiery energy thundered at Tane. It happened so fast he couldn’t react. He opened his mouth to scream his death… and the ball of lightning burst apart.

            “Ha-ha!’ Raven cried. “The Sword of Power works! He can’t touch you, Tane!”

            That’s not how Tane interpreted it. Dakar looked unfazed by his first failed attempt to kill him.

            How did it come to this? Tane thought. I can’t fight a God.

            Whether he could or couldn’t didn’t matter. Dakar reached