MIGHTY HAMMER DOWN
By David J. Guyton
Legend of Reason Series
Book One
Copyright 2010 David J. Guyton
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For Paige
Chapter 1
The knife struck him hard, sending him right to his knees.
"Well now soldier, you didn't expect another one of us here in the shadows did you?" he whispered.
The Medoran soldier gasped a few times, but he did not cry out in pain. It was to be commended, for the wound was fatal, and the man was as tough as the granite walls around them. He tried to stand but his body was no longer responding to his commands.
"That will teach you to kill one of my men. How dare you meddle in the business of the Mages?"
When he received no answer he twisted the knife hard between the ribs in his back. He didn't do it to demonstrate his savage charm; he just thought that a painless death was meaningless. He was simply showing the man that he deserved more than that. The man jerked violently several times before falling limp to the floor, his face slamming into the cold stone with a sickening smack.
He heard the whistle of a blade swinging through the air behind him. He was quick enough to step aside, the sword catching only his robes. The blade met the stone wall with a piercing ring, sending showers of sparks and chips of granite clattering to the floor.
His eyes met his attacker's determined gaze. It was another Medoran soldier, this one even larger than the one had had just killed. He couldn't imagine how they could have found them, but they did. He had to dispatch this nuisance before half a Legion arrived and put his head on the end of a spear.
The sword came around again in a wide arc. He dropped to his knees to avoid it and punched the man square in the groin. The man let out a cry and hit his knees too. He was hoping he would have dropped the sword, but his fist still held it tightly, and in an instant it was sweeping through the air again.
He reached for his knife but realized it was still jutting from the back of the first dead soldier. He retrieved it after a carefully planned roll, coming to his feet and immediately lunging at his enemy. The soldier was able to avoid the stab but he stumbled, and was unable to bring the sword around again for an effective attack.
The soldier's own momentum made driving the blade into his belly rather easy. He thrust the blade into the man over and over, not wanting to take any chances. When he collapsed to the floor, he still held the hilt of his sword in an iron grip, but a few swift kicks to his hand freed the blade.
The soldier lay there on the floor, his blood and soul seeping out into the world beyond his body. It was only fair to end his miserable existence, so he picked up the man's sword and with several gruesome hacks severed his head from his neck.
He spat at the corpse. "Some soldier you proved to be. You should have worn more armor."
"Red Master," came a voice from across the room.
He looked down at his companion in black robes several paces away. "You're still alive? I thought for sure the soldier had killed you."
"I'm afraid he has Red Master. I feel the world fading around me," the man said between ragged breaths.
The Red Master smiled and pulled his dark hood off of his head. "Then why do you call to me? Go meet Inshae and be at peace."
"Soon Red Master. I must tell you that I found it. It is there, under the cloth. I hid it before they could see it."
His smile widened. "You have done well my friend. If you really did find it, then you will have accomplished the most important task in the history of the Mages."
"Thank you Red Master. It is an honor to have served you," he said, coughing up blood with his words.
He knelt by the dying man and put his hand over where he grasped his stomach wound. The man flinched, so he pushed a little harder, just to see the man grimace. "You did not die for nothing Blue Master. I will ease your pain for you."
The man tried to shake his head and pull away, but it was too late. He stabbed him in the neck and sawed through his windpipe as he thrashed about in protest. Soon enough, the thrashing stopped. The horror of life had ended and the man's soul went to serve the great god Inshae.
"Now go to Inshae Blue Master. You have served me well; now serve our god in the lands beyond our sight."
He sighed in relief. His heart had been pounding ever since he saw the Medoran soldier sneak up on his companion. It was excitement as much as it was fear. He knew right away that he was going to watch two men die-watching three men die was even better.
But that's not what excited him most. In the corner was a black cloth thrown on the floor. He followed a trail of blood over to the shiny satin cloth. Carefully, he pulled the cloth away to reveal the priceless treasure beneath. His eyes went wide and he felt his heart pumping hard in his chest. He felt dizzy as he bent to pick it up.
In his hands he held the most dangerous object the world had ever seen.
Mighty Hammer Down Page 1
