Torment and Terror by Craig Halloran Page A

unleash the final blow?
    Whack! Whack! Whack!
    “You look tired,” Scorch said from his busted face. It was bruised and swollen. Blood dripped over his lip. “I say we take a break. Even better, I’ll declare that you won this bout. I have to admit, you did surprise me. It’s extremely rare that I’m caught off guard.” He coughed and sputtered. “It saddens me that you hate me so.”
    “You destroy everything.”
    “It’s in my nature to meddle.” He spat a tooth out. “I can’t leave, you know. You saw to that.”
    The flames lit back up in her eyes.
    “Easy now. Okay, so maybe it wasn’t your doing. But you have to admit, Trinos, this is just what you wanted. A world of endless entertainment. Have I not given you exactly what you wanted? Even more so?”
    He made a good point. But what Scorch did wasn’t part of her plan. He was a curse. A plague. There was no way her world would survive with him in it. A mystic sword appeared in her hands. Its blade glowed like a hundred stars. “Your time is over, Scorch.”
    “Please, Trinos, please,” he pleaded. “Have mercy on me!”
    “No, I’ll show compassion and feel bad for what I’m about to do, but mercy will be ridding this world of you.” She raised the sword overhead. “Goodbye, Scorch.”
    “Alas,” he replied with eyes hiding a smile, “Goodbye, Trinos.”
    Starting into her swing, every fiber of her being tingled. Someone was behind her. She whirled around. Scorch stood before her, just as perfect as ever. A star-filled knife was in his hand. He rammed it through her belly.
    “Ugh!”
    Leering into her fading eyes, he said, “How’s that for Mercy?”

 
     
    CHAPTER 14
     
     
    They were tied up now. Baking in the sun. Waiting. Brak’s stomach growled like a hungry wolf.
    “Eh, you might want to feed us while we wait,” Fogle suggested to the gnoll leader. “My big friend gets unsettled with his hunger.”
    Chewing the meat off of a chicken bone, the gnoll tossed the greasy stick away. “There’s no hunger in the grave.” He got up, approached Brak, and slapped him on the shoulder. “It will be over for you all in about an hour.”
    Brak shook his big head. He’d gotten better about controlling his hunger, but right now he was feeling confused.
    Seated on the sand beside him, Jubilee said, “Stay calm, Brak. We can’t have you going berserk on us.”
    Shifting around, he fought at the knots that bound his hands behind his back. His heavy shoulders ached. The rumbling in his stomach got worse.
    The gnoll leader stopped and stared at him. “I’ve never heard such hunger before. Men, come!” More brigands with grimy teeth and dusty faces surrounded him. “Listen to this.”
    Brak’s stomach let out a loud moan.
    Mrrrrorbbb!
    All of the brigands exploded in knee-slapping guffaws.
    “I say we let this one starve to death,” one said.
    Another added, “Let’s cut his belly out.”
    “Hungry. Bish, I’m hungry too! I say we fill our bellies with him. He’s got a week’s worth of meat on him. Bah! Haw-hawhaw!”
    “What is going on here?” a voice louder than all of the others said.
    A tall wide shadow fell over Brak. The man that spoke was behind him.
    All of the brigands, including the lead gnoll, shrunk back. Finally, the leader rose up. “Just poking fun at the prisoners, Lord.”
    “Oh, we are here to have fun, are we?”
    “No,” the gnoll said, averting his eyes, “but we’re brigands, and their demise, I’m confident, is certain.”
    “I see.”
    Brak couldn’t see the man behind him, but he saw Jubilee’s head twisted over her shoulder. Her eyes were fear-filled. She didn’t blink, just stared in silent horror.
    He didn’t try to look around. He was so hungry that it didn’t matter. But he got the impression that whoever it was, was a big, big man. His nose twitched. A smell of salt and urine filled the air.
    What is that?
    “Carry on and keep me apprised,” the voice said. Heavy boots crunched