The Dragon of Time: Gods and Dragons Read Online Free PDF Page A

frame then sent it off to ride west down the beaten
trail.
    “Ya!” the new wagoneers commanded, and the
horses took off kicking up dust in their wake.

Chapter Three- Complications
     
    Under cover of cloth, the Zmajan’s jostled by
the cart ride grumbled. The foul smell of sweaty men was
unbearable, but the current arrangement was a necessity to assure a
swift victory with a paltry number of soldiers. Chatter eased the
tension.
    “This is a great ruse,” one whispered.
    “Aye,” another agreed. “Perhaps there’ll be a
sweet piece to take as a love slave.”
    “Always your mind on your cock, Eldru,” one
joked.
    “What about you, Scar,” another asked. “I
heard you bedded Kaviri.”
    “Word spreads quickly I suppose…yes. She was
sweeter than I imagined,” Scar answered.
    It was during the chuckling that the cart
slowed. Cries of “Whoa”, and “slowly now”, were heard from the
wagoneers. A change in lighting through the cloth indicated they
had pulled into the base of the second tower, into the shade. The
men held their breaths.
    Kulshedran guards were heard approaching.
While the Zmajan wagoneers’ armor gave them the look of allied
forces, their skin tone betrayed their true purpose. The emerald
eyes of one exceptionally smart Kulshedran went wide with
understanding and alarm. Quickly as he reached for his blade,
another howled “Ambush!” Scar’s plan had failed before it
started.
    “Now,” Scar yelled and ripped the cloth from
his head.
    The battle broke out in a bloody mess when
one Kulshedran struck a wagoneer with his long spear. Quickly, Scar
and his men hopped over the sides of the cart. Swings of blade,
axe, and spear resounded against one another. When the gong from
the top floor rang, a dozen Kulshedrans poured down the stairs and
into the fray.
    “Steel yourselves!” Scar called out and cut
one man down with ease, shoulder rolled over a wooden table, kicked
another in the sternum then made for the stairs. “I will hold them
here,” he growled.
    By ducking beneath weapons, and forcing two
Kulshedrans to the bottom stair, he did well to bottleneck the
coming masses. The enemies grunted, and struck at him with their
spears, but the mercenary easily blocked their attacks and slew
them. Unfortunately, his back was exposed and he received the
crescent blade of an axe across his spine.
    “For Kulshedra!” the attacker yelled in
victory.
    It was premature. Scar had indeed stumbled
forward in pain, and fell upon the opponents dead on the stairs,
but he was far from defeated. He turned over and slashed out the
attacker’s knees. The enemy fell to the ground crying.
    It was pandemonium. The ambush had not gone
as planned, and the dwindling Zmajans were being obliterated.
Inevitably, more Kulshedrans turned their weapons on Scar, so he
bolted up the stairs. Knocking over a handful of enemies on the
way, he arrived at the second level in time to see a soldier hop
over the guardrail. Damn, he’s making a break to report our
intrusion, Scar reasoned.
    Though he tried to give chase, several
soldiers ran down from the floor above. In the quickly cramping
stone quarters the Kulshedrans made their stand. The first soldier
to close the distance swung his sword from overhead. Scar thrust
his blade, and with his reach coupled with his blade’s length, he
stabbed into the man’s belly, spun around, and slashed at the chest
of two others who were in mid charge.
    A brazen group dashed into him, bowling him
to the ground. They rained fists, pommels, shafts, and blades into
his flesh, but with a mighty bucking of his hips, Scar managed to
knock the assailants off. After throwing a left fist into the
closest, he ran to the guardrail and flipped backwards over the
edge.
    Careening to the ground was far less pleasant
than presumable. As the wind escaped his lungs, Scar worked himself
to his feet only to have to dodge arrows from above, and more
soldiers spilling from the ground floor. He whipped his