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”You
move your skinny blade well,” the giant remarked.
”Except when it is embedded
in your belly,” the ranger replied.
Predictably, Maiyer Dek came
on ferociously, sword slashing across at just the right height
to take the ranger’s head from his shoulders.
But Nightbird was no longer
standing, had dropped to his knees, then came up as the blade
flashed overhead. Left, right, left went Tempest, then in a straight-ahead
thrust, once and again, and then a third time, angled up for
the abdomen once more.
Down went the ranger in a
desperate dive, the giant reversing its swing for a sudden backhand,
and this time with the blade so low that Nightbird had to fall
flat on the ground.
Maiyer Dek rushed ahead, lifted
his massive booted foot and stamped down, thinking to grind Nightbird
into the dirt.
The ranger went over in a
roll, then again as the giant continued to stamp at him. Then
a third time, and when he came over, he put one leg under him.
As Maiyer Dek lifted his foot and turned it yet again, the ranger
sprang up, bracing Tempest, pommel in both hands, against his
breast, driving it hard into the bottom of Maiyer Dek’s
foot before it began its downward momentum.
The blade gored through the
leather as if it were paper and drove upward, into the flesh
and bone. Maiyer Dek tried to pull away, but the ranger stayed
with him, driving on.
All the ground shook when
Maiyer Dek fell over backward, hitting with a tremendous jolt.
The giant felt the ranger then, leaping atop his thigh, running
up his torso. He tried to reach out with his empty hand, but
Tempest slashed away, taking one finger at the knuckle and gashing
the others.
Nightbird sprang to the giant’s
massive chest, then leaped ahead, landing right above the behemoth’s
shoulder, slashing hard with Tempest at the side of Maiyer Dek’s
neck. Then he leaped again, into a backward roll, came up to
his feet and ran up above the prone giant, narrowly avoiding
the great sword as Maiyer Dek rolled about.
Nightbird was twenty feet
away when the giant staggered to his feet. The ranger noted the
blood pouring freely down the side of Maiyer Dek’s neck,
and knew that the outcome was decided.
”Ah, but you’ll
pay for this, little rat!” Maiyer Dek spouted. “I’ll
cut you in half! I’ll—“ The giant stopped and
put its torn hand up to its neck, then brought the hand out in
front of its face, staring incredulously at the complete bloodstain.
Stunned, Maiyer Dek looked back to the ranger, to see him mounting
Symphony, his sword in its sheath.
”You are dead, Maiyer
Dek,” Nightbird declared. “The only thing that could
save you is the magic of the goodly God, and He, I fear, will
show little mercy to one who has committed so many terrible crimes.”
Nightbird turned his horse
and rode away.
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