the only coward
the only coward in this room. Youâre a sad, scared, evil little man who wonât be happy unless he makes everyone just as miserable as he is.â
Drool dripped down in a thin line from the edge of the giantâs mouth and puddled on her shoe.
She closed her eyes tight and turned her head to the side.
Carlisle lunged at the monster from behind. He slipped on the smooth, wet surface of the floor and sprawled headlong. The sword flew out of his hand and skidded across the stones.
The monster snapped his head down at the prostrate form of Carlisle and clucked his tongue, âMy, my, my. What a pity weâre so clumsy.â
Carlisle inched forward toward his weapon.
The ogre reached down and whisked the blade away. The sword clattered a foot or two along the stones then clanged as it bounced off the wall next to May. The weapon spun twice on its guard and came to rest right next to her feet.
The giant lifted Carlisle off the floor and flung him to the far side of the room where he slammed into the corner and crumpled to the floor. The giant left May and stalked after its prey.
As Carlisle got to his knees, he felt and smelled the giantâs breath on his neck. Carlisle didnât even bother to stand up. He closed his eyes, crossed himself and waited for the inevitable.
May didnât think. In one seamless motion, she scooped up the sword and ran with it. Holding it high over her head in both hands, she rushed forward and plunged it into the giantâs thigh.
Honed to a deadly sharp point by the dwarf, the blade went into the stringy flesh with unexpected ease; through skin, through muscle, through sinew. It grazed the bone, pierced clean through to the other side of the leg, and stuck there, buried to the hilt.
The ogre screeched, shot to full height and spun around. He swatted at May, missing her by only inches as she ran. He pursued her, dragging his lame leg behind him grotesquely like a maimed cockroach.
He swatted again and caught the hood of Mayâs sweatshirt with several of his daggerlike claws.
May gagged and clutched the zipper at her throat as the ogre picked her up and dangled her in midair. She watched the floor twirl
Drool dripped down in a thin line from the edge of the giantâs mouth and puddled on her shoe.
She closed her eyes tight and turned her head to the side.
Carlisle lunged at the monster from behind. He slipped on the smooth, wet surface of the floor and sprawled headlong. The sword flew out of his hand and skidded across the stones.
The monster snapped his head down at the prostrate form of Carlisle and clucked his tongue, âMy, my, my. What a pity weâre so clumsy.â
Carlisle inched forward toward his weapon.
The ogre reached down and whisked the blade away. The sword clattered a foot or two along the stones then clanged as it bounced off the wall next to May. The weapon spun twice on its guard and came to rest right next to her feet.
The giant lifted Carlisle off the floor and flung him to the far side of the room where he slammed into the corner and crumpled to the floor. The giant left May and stalked after its prey.
As Carlisle got to his knees, he felt and smelled the giantâs breath on his neck. Carlisle didnât even bother to stand up. He closed his eyes, crossed himself and waited for the inevitable.
May didnât think. In one seamless motion, she scooped up the sword and ran with it. Holding it high over her head in both hands, she rushed forward and plunged it into the giantâs thigh.
Honed to a deadly sharp point by the dwarf, the blade went into the stringy flesh with unexpected ease; through skin, through muscle, through sinew. It grazed the bone, pierced clean through to the other side of the leg, and stuck there, buried to the hilt.
The ogre screeched, shot to full height and spun around. He swatted at May, missing her by only inches as she ran. He pursued her, dragging his lame leg behind him grotesquely like a maimed cockroach.
He swatted again and caught the hood of Mayâs sweatshirt with several of his daggerlike claws.
May gagged and clutched the zipper at her throat as the ogre picked her up and dangled her in midair. She watched the floor twirl