Broken Blades Don't Sing (Tales of Ashkar Book One) by Kayl Karadjian Page B

elementalist sat gripping his large hammer with a grin from
ear-to-ear that Serraemas recognized all too well.
    Serraemas quickly darted over the unsteady
ground to where Raxxil gazed.
    "Looks like the lizard-man is in trouble!" he
heard Raxxil yell from above.
    As Serraemas rounded the large tree he witnessed
a pack of rabid hounds closing in on Erendil. Well, to say that
they were just rabid hounds was an understatement. These creatures
were much larger, with powerful paws and hulking torsos. While
their fur was black, they radiated an unnatural fire from their
bodies. Their maws were lined with sharp fangs that could easily
sink into flesh and tear off chunks, maybe even an arm or a leg.
Most striking, however, were the pairs of crimson red eyes that
glowed with malicious intent. He counted five beast in total.
    "Finally!" Raxxil yelled again with glee.
    Serraemas knew his companion barely held himself
back from erupting. He waved a hand at Raxxil commandingly. "No.
Let's see what Erendil is capable of."
    "I'm sure Vrand is going out of his mind right
now", rang Zaranet.
    Snarling, the beasts circled Erendil, who was
crouching in a defensive stance. He reached for his quiver, and in
quick succession, loosed a barrage of arrows. To Erendil’s dismay,
they bounced off the beasts' unnatural hides harmlessly. One-by-one
the beasts lunged, attempting to bite or latch onto the
green-skinned archer. Erendil proved to be quite agile and was able
to dodge each attack, albeit with slight difficulty.
    One of the beasts charged again, yet Erendil
somersaulted over it acrobatically, letting loose three arrows
before landing on his feet. He wheeled around just in time to catch
another hound lunging for his throat. He dashed to the side,
narrowly evading the attack. Two more creatures aimed for his leg
and arm, attempting to pin him down. Again Erendil leapt out of the
way, and the beasts crashed into each other. Before the towrth
could stop his momentum and react, however, the fifth hound took
advantage and lunged on top of the towrth. It pinned him down and
attempted to bite his throat—
    He threw up his right arm reflexively, blocking
the attack. The beast's powerful maw clamped down, tearing flesh
and spilling blood. It thrashed, yet Erendil kept firm. Sora had
taught him well, but he still had much to go.
    The pack proved relentless, and it was clear
that they would eventually overpower the stoic towrth; still
pinned, the towrth could do nothing as other hounds inched closer
to him.
    Erendil had great potential, but there seemed to
be something missing. During their time on the ship across the
Gavarian Ocean, Erendil had mentioned that Sora did not spend much
time teaching elementalism, which was strange to Serraemas. Did
Erendil not even know how to use his elemental? He wasn’t going to
wait and find out, lest he return to Sora with a dead towrth.
    Serraemas looked up at Raxxil, who was nearly
shaking in excitement. The hammer-wielding warrior looked back down
at him, awaiting approval. Serraemas nodded at his eager
partner.
    With an ear-piercing war cry, Raxxil leapt from
atop his vantage point straight down into the fray. He brought his
hulking hammer downward as he landed on top of one of the beasts. A
loud crack followed by a yelp reverberated throughout the woods as
the hound's torso was crushed under the blow, and the hammer struck
the ground with such force that the area shook with tremors.
    Notified of this new, more powerful aggressor,
the remaining four beasts shifted their attention. They stalked
their way toward him, growling menacingly and ready to strike.
    "Aww, did I hurt your buddy?" he mocked,
feigning a sorrowful expression as he pointed at the obliterated
corpse lying in front of him. He quickly changed back to his
signature grin, accompanied by a manic look in his eyes. Raxxil
shifted his feet and lowered his body. He then gripped the hammer
with both hands and twisted his torso to the right, preparing