Clutch Of The Cleric (Book 4)

by Craig Halloran

  I checked with Shum behind me. “Anything?”

  “No,” he said. “But these tunnels probably go for miles.”

  Bayzog was silent at my side, a faint glow on his fingertips.

  “We’re going to find her,” I said.

  “I know we are,” Bayzog said. “We have to.”

  We spent the next hour following Brenwar and I only assumed the Dragon’s Eye was still ahead. I grew more and more puzzled. We saw fewer and fewer signs of life.

  Finally, Brenwar put his hand out and gestured, touching his nose. Something ahead.

  I could smell it myself. Life. Blood. We kept moving.

  From the way the air moved, I knew the tunnel had opened into a large cave. But it was pitch black and I couldn’t see from one side to the other. There were no outlines. No nothing. We crept inside, keeping close to one another.

  Something shuffled in the dark. Its breath was heavy and it grunted a little.

  My fingertips tingled beneath my claws, and my heat-sensitive eyes adjusted a little to the darkness.

  A warm figure was huddled on the floor, trembling.

  Sasha! That was my first thought. I wondered if Bayzog saw her as well. Her fragrance filled my nostrils. It was her! I reached for Bayzog. We had to be careful. Take it easy. Slow. I touched his shoulder and pointed towards her.

  Bayzog’s body stiffened.

  I waved my finger in front of his face. Hold.

  The Dragon’s Eye hadn’t alerted me, so perhaps there wasn’t any danger. Maybe the winged ape had left her and taken off.

  But I heard something else breathing in here. Something big.

  I picked up a stone and chucked it over the room. Something bounded after it. Heavy and powerful.

  Bayzog dashed towards the figure of Sasha.

  Brenwar and I stood guard, waiting for the creature to return. It was coming back.

  “Why can’t I see it?” I said.

  “Perhaps you need more light,” an unfamiliar voice replied.

  Pop!

  Fire pits erupted throughout the cavern in orange green flames

  “Is that better, Nath Dragon?” the dark voice said.

  I tore Fang out and faced the sound of the voice.

  Shing.

  “Who are you?” Brenwar came along my side, with Shum right behind us. Bayzog held Sasha in his arms. “What is this?”

  “Well,” the voice said, emerging from a darkened cove. It was a large hooded Man in deep purple robes. In his hand it tossed my Dragon’s Eye up and down. “It’s called a trap. Certainly you know that.” He tossed the marble to the floor and it stopped between my feet. “This might have worked if I weren’t expecting you.”

  “Told you, can’t always count on magic,” Brenwar said, crossing his arms.

  “Your little friend is right, Nath Dragon,” the Man said. “You can’t always trust what you see or hear, either.”

  A large winged figure came forward.

  “What in Nalzambor is that?” Brenwar said.

  “A Draykis,” I replied.

  “You didn’t tell me they were that ugly.”

  “You didn’t ask,” I said.

  “Dragon,” Shum’s voice warned.

  The walls and rocky floor started to move. More Draykis popped up all over. Over a dozen of them.

  “Bayzog, get Sasha out of here,” I said. “We can hold them off.”

  “No, we stay together.”

  “Don’t be a fool,” I said.

  The tunnel we came through began to fill with Goblins and Gnolls.

  “Ah, too late now,” the robed Man said.

  “So, this is another ploy of the Clerics of Barnabus? An effort to what, capture and kill me? And just who might you be?”

  “Kryzak,” he said, swinging a war mace over his shoulder, “and I think my effort to capture you has succeeded. I even have your friends. Now the question is, do I kill you all, or let some of you live?”

  CHAPTER 34

  We were trapped. Flatfooted. Doomed maybe. My head was racing. Kryzak had been ten steps ahead of us the entire time, and that meant only one thing. Garrison was a spy. Which led to another problem. Ben was in danger. Perhaps the entire village was.

  Brenwar set his war hammer down, spit in his hands, rubbed them together and let out a gusty laugh before picking it up again. “It is you who are mistaken. I’m no Man’s prisoner, but you are mine.”

  Brenwar hurled his hammer into the winged Draykis. Crack! Sent it reeling, head over heels.

  I banged Fang’s tip on the ground. Nothing. “Fang!” I launched myself towards the Cleric Kryzak.

  Three Draykis cut off my path, swinging heavy swords and axes at me.

  I ducked.

  Swish.

  Rolled.

  Clang.

  Kicked one in the chin.

  The brutes were fast and strong, raining down one pulverizing blow after the other.

  I parried and swatted.

  Slice!

  Caught one in the leg.

  Stab!

  Hit another in the shoulder. “Blast, Fang!” I said. “Freeze them or something.”

  They’d beaten the snot out me the first time I encountered them, but I hadn’t had my sword that time either. Now it was a little more even. I was still quicker. And now two of them were slower, but I lost sight of one of them.

  “Ulf!”

  It bear hugged me from behind.

  Not this again! I wheezed for breath.

  The other two came at me.

  I kicked one in the nose, drawing a roar.

  The other one slugged me in the face. Walloped me in the belly.

  The stars I saw made my aching stomach queasy.

  “No!” I tried to yell, but I couldn’t breathe. Again.

  ***

  Snatching up his war hammer, Brenwar slammed in into the toe of the reeling winged Draykis. “That’ll teach you.” He didn’t stop there.

  Wham! Wham!

  The monster’s howl was desperate. Angry. It ripped at Brenwar with its claws.

  Wham!

  Brenwar broke its hand, drawing forth a howl. He raised his hammer for a final blow. “Yer one of the ugliest things I ever … eh?”

  Swack!

  A tail licked out, sending him tumbling over the cavern floor. A second later something pounced on top of him, pinning Brenwar down under its greater weight. A round Dragon face with long whiskers peered down at him with bright yellow cat eyes. Its purr was a rumble.

  “Get off me, you scaly cat!”

  It dug its claws into his shoulder.

  “Ow!” Brenwar said. “Ya poked a hole in my armor. Yer gonna pay for that!”

  Streams of smoke drifted out of the cat’s nose.

  Brenwar’s eyes became heavy. “Ye better not eat me,” he said, dozing off, “Dwarves make lousy mealzzzz …”

  ***

  Shum, short spear ready, braced himself.

  A Draykis with a large iron club charged.

  Shum muttered a word in Elvish.

  Shtikt! Shtikt! Shtikt!

  The spear grew from two feet to six, piercing the Draykis in the middle of the chest.

  Its club clanged off the cave floor. It was dead.

  Shum went after the next one.

  Bullish and scaled, it wore a helmet with metal horns.

  Shum jabbed at it.

  It backed away, swinging a pole axe from side to side with the skill of a veteran soldier, but more power.

  Make it quick!

  The cavern had erupted in chaos. Bright flashes and bursts of energy brightened the room. Howls and screams followed. It all happened fast. Sometimes fast is good. Sometimes fast is bad.

  Shum swatted his spear into the pole axe of the Draykis, jarring his arms.

  The part Man part Dragon monster was formidable. Fast. Strong. Vicious. A lethal blow ripped over Shum’s head.

  He bounded back.

  The Draykis kept coming. Swinging hard
. Chipping the stone from the ground. Making sparks.

  Shum ran his spear through its side.

  It roared and twisted away, ripping the spear from Shum’s grip.

  He went for his sword and dagger.

  Two Goblins dove into him. Drove him into the ground. One stuck a dagger in his leg. The other punched him in the face.

  Pinned down, he somehow wriggled free. Bounced to his feet and freed his Elven steel, leg throbbing.

  Goblin after Goblin fell. The Gnolls barked and howled. Swords and axes ready. The Draykis pulled the spear from its side and came back after him. They had him surrounded.

  ***

  Bayzog sent an arc of blue energy into the oncoming Goblins and Gnolls, throwing them back into the tunnel. He’d had it. They’d taken Sasha and she wouldn’t wake up. But she was breathing.

  Around him, everything happened at once. Brenwar threw his hammer and everyone burst into action. Including him. The Gnolls and Goblins scrambled back to their feet and scurried into the room, breaking off in all directions.

  Bayzog tipped a vial full of pale red liquid to his lips and drank. His mind became sharp. Focused. Everyone in the cavern slowed down. Either that or his mind sped up. I like it. He pulled out a small wand and let them have it.

  Bwing! Bwing! Bwing!

  Purple hornets of energy showered the hoard. Small explosions erupted all over them. They hopped and screamed, danced around, swatting at the balls that danced off their heads.

  A Gnoll broke through and came at him. But it was slow.

  Bayzog muttered a quick word and sent the creature hurling through the air into the others.

  They kept coming at half speed. But there we so many. He and his party were outnumbered greatly.

  Perhaps I should get Sasha out of here while I have the time and energy.

  Bwing! Bwing! Bwing!

  He sent the purple hornets back into the hoard then gathered Sasha in his arms.

  “Wake up,” he said, shaking her.

  She remained still. In a deep sleep.

  That cleric, Kryzak, must have done something to her. He searched the room for the Man. He’d take out the leader and put an end to this. “Where are you?”

  “Right behind you,” a dark voice said.

  Bayzog whirled around and faced the tormenter.

  Impossible!

  Kryzak towered over him with his arms over his chest. “You have no power over me here, Elf. I was expecting you.”

  Bayzog cast the wand right at the Man.

  It sizzled out.

  “Seems you’re empty,” Kryzak said.

  “My wand maybe, but not the rest of me.”

  He raised his arms over his head and summoned sunbursts of energy forth, blasting Kryzak full in the chest and skipping him over the floor.

  The cleric rose in his smoky robes. Laughing over the chaos.

  Bayzog sent another blast.

  Kryzak swatted it away with one hand. “You have no power over me, Elf, but I have power over you.”

  Bayzog felt the hairs rise on his neck. The shadows of the Gnolls and Goblins took a life of their own and slithered towards him.

  He summoned his words, but no sound came out. The cleric had silenced him.

  The shadows slithered around his ankles, his waist, his chest and neck―and dragged him to the ground.

  CHAPTER 35

  My sword clattered on the stone floor. Pinned in the bear hug of one Draykis, I took a shot in the stomach from another. Smoke erupted from my nose and that wasn’t all. My blood boiled. My temper flared.

  The Draykis drew back to punch me again.

  I opened my mouth.

  A geyser of flames shot out, coating the monster from head to toe.

  It shrieked. Engulfed in flames, it sputtered around, igniting others in its path.

  I wasn’t finished either. I kept on breathing.

  The Gnolls and Goblins ran from the flames. Still the Draykis held me tight. But noting could hold me now. No Draykis. No Ettin.

  I flexed. I heaved. I roared.

  The bats above scattered. The Draykis lost its grip.

  “Now you’ve had it!” I spun away and slugged it in the face. We exchanged blows.

  Whop! Crack! Jab! Jab!

  I was faster. Madder. Furious. I was Dragon! I pounced on its chest. Drove it to the ground and beat it into submission. Chest heaving, I looked for my friends. Flames were scattered everywhere. Thick smoke was rolling.

  “Dragon,” a voice shot out.

  I found Shum. Goblins and Gnolls had dragged the Elf to the ground. I dove into the fray. Grabbed hair, arms, legs and slung them away.

  Shum clutched at his side and bled from many wounds.

  I helped him to his feet. “Can you still fight?” I said.

  “Certainly,” he said.

  Back to back, we faced the hoard. Surrounded by barking faces and cautious eyes. Then I caught sight of something else. A Dragon almost as big as a horse. Below it, an unmoving Brenwar.

  “No!” I cried out. I didn’t think. I reacted. Grabbed Akron from my back.

  Snap. Clatch. Snap.

  I whipped out an explosive arrow from my quiver and nocked it.

  “Better duck if you want to live, Vermin!”

  They dove.

  I unloosed.

  Kaboom!

  The Dragon the likes I’d never seen leapt screeching like a cat jumping out of water. Wingless, cat-like and serpentine, it landed on all fours facing me, whiskers dragging on the floor. Part of its back smoking.

  I nocked another. “Great Guzan!”

  The arrow should have slowed it, maybe even killed it.

  But it was a Dragon. A powerful one.

  I spoke at it in Dragonese. “Better back away, Feline Fury.” Normally, I wouldn’t attack another Dragon for anything.

  But this wasn’t an ordinary Dragon. It was a mean one. And it had done something to Brenwar. It flashed its razor-like claws and narrowed its eyes.

  I fired.

  It jumped.

  The arrow zinged by it. That was fast!

  Kaboom! The cavern shook.

  The Feline Fury pounced right at me.

  I jumped over its head and onto its back.

  It twisted beneath me.

  I fell to the ground but jumped right to my feet.

  Its claws slashed, clipped my chest armor and spun me around.

  I struck back, clipping its nose.

  It bounced back.

  Dragons hated that. Still, I had to find its weakness before it tore me to pieces.

  The Feline Fury was much bigger and far stronger than me. It was a beast. It’d take more than my claws and speed to stop it.

  I dashed for my sword, Fang. Dove and wrapped my hands around the pommel.

  The Feline Fury crashed on top of my back.

  Fang skittered from my grip.

  “No!” I elbowed it in the nose.

  It slammed my face into the dirt with its paw. A cat toying with a mouse.

  I wriggled and squirmed. Found myself on my back, pinned down. I struggled and strained.

  The foul beast had me. Smoke billowed from its nostrils.

  I opened my mouth and breathed, bathing its face in fire.

  It sprung away, shaking its flaming head. Mewling, it roared and disappeared into the caves.

  Fang’s shiny blade caught my eye.

  I crawled over, picked it up and rose.

  Goblins, Gnolls and Draykis were all around me. Some living, some smoking, some dead. Where were my friends, though?

  Clap! Clap! Clap! Clap!

  “Well done, Dragon,” the cleric said. “But I suggest you put your weapon down. It’s time to surrender now.”

  That’s when I saw. A cool chill went through me, dousing the flame in my veins within. Shum was in a Gnoll’s stranglehold with two blades on his belly. Brenwar’s arms were bound behind his back. A Draykis tossed his snoring form over its shoulder. Bayzog and Sasha
’s limp forms lay at Kryzak’s feet, unmoving.

  “They better not be dead,” I said, pointing with my sword.

  “They all still live at the moment,” Kryzak said. His voice was deep and rough. Merciless. “But my word can be the death of them all.”

  The Draykis dropped Brenwar to the floor. The Goblins bound and gagged all of them.

  “Drop your weapons,” Kryzak said.

  “What is it you want?” I said. Keep him talking. Think of something.

  Kryzak reached down, grabbed Sasha by the hair and pulled her to his chest. “Such a pretty lady,” he said, “I’d hate to hurt her. Of course, I could leave her with the Goblins and Gnolls maybe. They appreciate a pretty face more than I do.”

  The Goblins howled and panted. Beat their chests. Danced back and forth on their feet.

  “Enough!” Kryzak shouted.

  They fell silent.

  “What will it be, Dragon?”

  “Are you exchanging their freedom for me?” I said.

  Kryzak nodded. “Certainly.”

  I stuck Fang’s tip in the floor. Nothing.

  CHAPTER 36

  I surrendered. It ate at me.

  Above was an opening and rain was pouring down from on high. I’d been moved, shackled with mystic bounds to some sort of sacrificial rock marked in bright colors. My friends, every last one, were gone.

  Kryzak stood before me. Hooded. Shaded face gloating.

  Testing my bonds, I said, “How do I know my friends are free?” The harder I tugged, the more they bit into me. “Argh!”

  “You’re a strong one, Dragon. I can feel it,” he said. Purple energy raced around his hands and wrists. “Such raw power. Incredible.” He removed his hood. His face was big and scarred. His bald head tattooed with many bright colors. Shoulders broad and thick. Not the typical cleric, but a warrior. Seasoned. Formidable. “They are almost free,” he said. “For now.”

  “What!”

  He tapped his war mace on his shoulder. It was crude and ugly with a twinkle to its dark metal. “You’ll see, in a moment.” He came closer. Eyeing me up and down.

  Smoke steamed from my mouth. “What game are you playing, Kryzak?”

  A twisted smile formed on his lips. He said, “Game? I thought you liked games, Dragon. Games where you show off your speed, skill and underwhelming intellect.” He didn’t get any closer. “And that breath of yours, really something. A surprise I wasn’t expecting. But don’t use it on me. You might need it for later, Dragon.”