Page 67 of On a Barbarian World

There was a loud screech and the huge shadow passed over them again. Kavon spun…and saw the trondor diving at his warriors.

“Oh, my God,” Aurina cried, staring at the huge wingspan of the attacking animal.

Kavon’s men spurred their beasts out of the way of sharp claws and the snapping beak.

“We need to get inside.” Aurina urged her beast toward the rock pile.

“Aurina!” Kavon urged Tarm to follow.

She leaped off her beast and skidded to a halt. “It’ll take forever to move these.” She pulled her laser, fiddling with the buttons on it. “I should be able to open up enough room for us.”

She aimed and fired.

Her laser glowed orange, and he saw the rocks heating. There was a loud sound behind him, and he spun to see the trondor had landed.

It was a giant creature with leathery wings like a bird, but a thick, stocky body covered in scales. It snapped its sharp beak, and when it opened its mouth to screech again, rows of sharp teeth were visible.

Kavon charged Tarm toward it, hefting his sword. The trondor screeched again, swiping out with a giant, clawed foot.

Then it flew into the air with a flap of wings, only to land on the other side of him. He forced Tarm to wheel around, the well-trained hargon turning sharply.

But the trondor had lost interest in Kavon. Its gaze landed on Aurina.

“Aurina!” He dug his heels into Tarm, charging ahead with his sword raised.

But the giant bird was already moving toward her.

She turned, her face set in determined lines. No screaming or hysterics for his woman. She fired at the trondor.

The laser hit its wing, and it let out a terrible screech. It snapped out with its beak.

Aurina ducked, sliding in under the creature and firing again.

This time the animal didn’t make a sound. It leaped into the air, its takeoff a little off-kilter.

Aurina jumped to her feet. “Come on!”

Kavon sprinted to her, grabbed her arm and just stared at her for a second. She was amazing, with a calm, steady courage. It was admirable and completely terrifying for a warrior.

“Kavon, call the men. There are more of those flying menaces circling overhead.” She waved at a dark opening she’d opened in the rock pile. “Let’s get inside.”

With a nod, he bellowed for his warriors. As a tight unit, they moved forward, fighting off another trondor as it dived at them. Soon, they were all coaxing their hargons through the small opening.

It was tight, and Tarm protested at the indignity of having to squeeze through the entrance. But at least it was too small for the trondors to get through.

Inside was pitch black, except for the dim glow of Aurina’s Sync.

“Light wands,” Kavon ordered.

Aurina was shaking her laser stunner, then she tapped it against her palm and cursed. “It overheated and burned out.” She tossed it against the wall. “Dammit.” Then she gasped. “Look.”

Where they stood at the entrance had once been a wide cave mouth, but ahead, it narrowed to a tunnel with crisp, even sides—clearly man-made. One wall was etched with Markarian sacred script.

She hurried over, stroking the engravings. “Can you read it?”

He stopped beside her. “‘Stop if you want to live. The Mines of Riom are cursed. Within them lives sickness and death. Creatures of myth and nightmare. Many men have perished within. You are warned. Do not join the foolish dead in the eternal sleep of death. Turn and go back to your warm beds, women, and villages. Turn back and live.’”

She shivered. “Well, that’s cheery.”