Invasion by B.N. Crandell Read Free Book Online Page A

with her feet and her thighs as she hung upside down. She rode the momentum of the swing and arched her back which gave her the extended range she needed. Her outstretched sword plunged into his unprotected belly.
    She didn’t get the penetration she hoped for as the swing took her back out of range, but it proved to be a painful wound. It would make swinging that heavy sword of his very difficult. Reaching up with her left hand, she gripped the rope and swung down, landing lightly on her feet and holding her sword at the ready. She needn’t had bothered as he didn’t pursue.  
    He held his hand against the open wound for a moment and then took it away and gazed at his bloodied hand. Looking up, he eyed her dangerously as he wiped his hand on his black jerkin. Readying his sword, he dived at her aggressively.
    The grimace on his face remained the only sign of his pain as his movement and strength didn’t diminish. She admired his fighting spirit. She deflected, blocked, ducked and dodged his many strikes, waiting for his fury to play out. He went on for longer than she imagined possible but eventually his movements slowed and his strikes became clumsier.
    Frustrated the fight was taking longer than she expected, Sylestra finally blocked one of his attacks, spun in towards him as she drew the dagger from her belt and plunged it into his side. Gilkan roared with pain, dropped his sword and pushed her aside like a rag doll. Sylestra lost her grip on the dagger as she fell and continued to roll, wanting to put as much distance as possible between her and the angry orc.
    When she stood up the stubborn orc leader pulled the dagger from his torn flesh. Even this powerful orc could not ignore the pain of such a deep and serious wound though and he sagged. He eyed his weapon lying on the ground by his feet and then looked at her. The time had come to finish this.
    She rushed toward him with a view to administering a swift final blow. The orc deserved at least that despite her earlier words to him. As she charged he reached to retrieve his weapon. He had no chance of readying it in time, but he was going to try anyway. As she neared, though, she caught some movement out of the corner of her eye that made her dive to one side instead of finishing Gilkan.
    Too late.
    The arrow thudded into her chest and knocked the wind of her. She hit the ground hard and painfully. Her vision blurred.
    The crowd watching on erupted. Some cheered, but many vocalised their disapproval. The Challenge Festival had been tainted. Sylestra listened intently to the crowd as she lay on her back with the arrow protruding from her chest. She wondered whether this act had been arranged by Gilkan or if the shooter acted alone.
    Gilkan approached her slowly, using his sword as a walking aid. He stood over the top of her — his face unreadable. Was he about to finish her off?
    “Do you have no honour?” she spat at him.
    He didn’t reply, only produced the dagger that she had struck him with and threw it down beside her. For a moment she figured he meant for her to finish herself off as she had suggested to him earlier. But then he walked away.
    She watched his movement carefully as she retrieved the dagger and started to cut away at the shaft of the arrow. The movement sent waves of pain through her body and for a moment she thought she may lose consciousness but she continued nonetheless. Gilkan reached the edge of the arena and stopped near the archer.
    The crowd watched on quietly.
    Suddenly he lifted his sword and thrust it right through the orc, looking into his eyes as he did so. Gilkan removed his sword and let the body crumple and then made his way back over to her.
    “Can you continue?” he asked as she snapped the shaft of the arrow and tossed it aside.
    “I can,” she replied. Her surprise was complete when he reached down and offered her a hand up. She took the offer on good faith.
    “I assure you that I did not arrange that,” he said as