marble flying. Tarion swung a backhanded slash at the giant’s belly, cutting the ring mail and creasing the blue flesh.
“Well met King Johaan!” he exclaimed, drawing the edge back and stabbing up at the giant’s throat. The giant king twisted aside, but the dwarven blade cut a deep wound in his jaw. The tip caught Johaan’s hoop earring, tearing it off the giant’s ear. Johaan cried out in pain but struck Tarion to the floor with his mallet fist.
“I’ll spice my wine with your Praetorian blood!” Johaan cursed.
As the Praetorian and the giant king fought another battle took place across the chamber. Ancenar sought to drag the emperor to the stone, but Diocletian clutched his chair in panic. “Diocletian invoke the spell; the Dragonheart,” Ancenar shouted.
“Today is your day, Diocletian!” Baruk urged, dragging the emperor to the stone. Diocletian couldn’t resist the dwarven muscle, but he was terrified, crying out, “I will not be trapped within this day of doom for all eternity!”
Tarion rolled up and slashed at the giant’s knee. Johaan parried the sword with his axe, striking back and making the Praetorian roll out of the way.
Baruk thrust the emperor onto the stone, cursing at Diocletian. “You will doom our world to desolation! Invoke Carpe Diem!”
Diocletian shrank back from the stone in fear.
“Force him Baruk! Ancenar; I’ve got a giant on my hands!” Tarion tried to hold the giant off, but the confined space worked against him. Johaan got a hold of him and smashed him into the wall.
“I’m coming!” Ancenar drew his sword and headed across the chamber. A few paces from the giant he struck out the palm of his left hand, and cried, “Strangulato!”
Johaan clutched his throat with one hand and dropped Tarion. His already blue face turned purple for lack of breath. Tarion regained his wits and came after the giant. Johaan backed frantically away from the Praetorian’s attacks. With a mighty effort he broke Ancenar’s spell.
The elven lord reeled as from a physical blow. Johaan took in a great, ragged gasp of air, but Tarion was upon him. He stabbed at Johaan’s heart, but fortune intervened. As Johaan desperately backed away he stumbled over a chair. Tarion’s thrust missed the giant’s heart and his blade caught in Johaan’s leather harness. Swift as a cat the giant grabbed Tarion’s arm and sliced the sword hand off at the wrist. Tarion cried out and the giant hurled him back against the wall. The impact drove the breath from his lungs. He fell to the floor, head swimming, trying to stay conscious.
Tarion clutched his maimed arm, but instinctively looked for his sword. It was two yards away; to Tarion’s horror, his severed hand still clutched the haft. With his remaining hand, Tarion reached for the sword.
Johaan got there first, tossing the blade over the balcony rail. The giant kicked Tarion in the gut, sending him flying across the room and into the wall again. The Praetorian’s sight dimmed, fading to black. Gritting his teeth, Tarion focused on the giant—fighting with all his strength to stay conscious. Through a wash of blood, he saw Johaan advance with his axe, grinning at him. He had nowhere to go.
Tarion gasped, “Diocletian—now before it’s too late!”
With a sudden burst of energy Minerva rushed across the room, sprinting to her father. She crossed Johaan’s path. The astonished giant stopped, watching her in disbelief, hesitating.
“Father!” she cried, wrapping her arms around Diocletian. With a firmness not matched by Baruk’s brute force, Minerva took her father’s hands and moved them toward the stone. “You must do this father; you must do it for the Imperium!”
At last, the emperor put his trembling hands on the stone. He opened his mouth to speak but a deep, terrible voice rang in the chamber.
“Silence!”
Tarion looked beyond the giant and all thought of pain disappeared. Filling the doorway, was a menacing, fire-crowned,
“Well met King Johaan!” he exclaimed, drawing the edge back and stabbing up at the giant’s throat. The giant king twisted aside, but the dwarven blade cut a deep wound in his jaw. The tip caught Johaan’s hoop earring, tearing it off the giant’s ear. Johaan cried out in pain but struck Tarion to the floor with his mallet fist.
“I’ll spice my wine with your Praetorian blood!” Johaan cursed.
As the Praetorian and the giant king fought another battle took place across the chamber. Ancenar sought to drag the emperor to the stone, but Diocletian clutched his chair in panic. “Diocletian invoke the spell; the Dragonheart,” Ancenar shouted.
“Today is your day, Diocletian!” Baruk urged, dragging the emperor to the stone. Diocletian couldn’t resist the dwarven muscle, but he was terrified, crying out, “I will not be trapped within this day of doom for all eternity!”
Tarion rolled up and slashed at the giant’s knee. Johaan parried the sword with his axe, striking back and making the Praetorian roll out of the way.
Baruk thrust the emperor onto the stone, cursing at Diocletian. “You will doom our world to desolation! Invoke Carpe Diem!”
Diocletian shrank back from the stone in fear.
“Force him Baruk! Ancenar; I’ve got a giant on my hands!” Tarion tried to hold the giant off, but the confined space worked against him. Johaan got a hold of him and smashed him into the wall.
“I’m coming!” Ancenar drew his sword and headed across the chamber. A few paces from the giant he struck out the palm of his left hand, and cried, “Strangulato!”
Johaan clutched his throat with one hand and dropped Tarion. His already blue face turned purple for lack of breath. Tarion regained his wits and came after the giant. Johaan backed frantically away from the Praetorian’s attacks. With a mighty effort he broke Ancenar’s spell.
The elven lord reeled as from a physical blow. Johaan took in a great, ragged gasp of air, but Tarion was upon him. He stabbed at Johaan’s heart, but fortune intervened. As Johaan desperately backed away he stumbled over a chair. Tarion’s thrust missed the giant’s heart and his blade caught in Johaan’s leather harness. Swift as a cat the giant grabbed Tarion’s arm and sliced the sword hand off at the wrist. Tarion cried out and the giant hurled him back against the wall. The impact drove the breath from his lungs. He fell to the floor, head swimming, trying to stay conscious.
Tarion clutched his maimed arm, but instinctively looked for his sword. It was two yards away; to Tarion’s horror, his severed hand still clutched the haft. With his remaining hand, Tarion reached for the sword.
Johaan got there first, tossing the blade over the balcony rail. The giant kicked Tarion in the gut, sending him flying across the room and into the wall again. The Praetorian’s sight dimmed, fading to black. Gritting his teeth, Tarion focused on the giant—fighting with all his strength to stay conscious. Through a wash of blood, he saw Johaan advance with his axe, grinning at him. He had nowhere to go.
Tarion gasped, “Diocletian—now before it’s too late!”
With a sudden burst of energy Minerva rushed across the room, sprinting to her father. She crossed Johaan’s path. The astonished giant stopped, watching her in disbelief, hesitating.
“Father!” she cried, wrapping her arms around Diocletian. With a firmness not matched by Baruk’s brute force, Minerva took her father’s hands and moved them toward the stone. “You must do this father; you must do it for the Imperium!”
At last, the emperor put his trembling hands on the stone. He opened his mouth to speak but a deep, terrible voice rang in the chamber.
“Silence!”
Tarion looked beyond the giant and all thought of pain disappeared. Filling the doorway, was a menacing, fire-crowned,
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