AllFreeNovel
Share Us
The entire rear wall of the barn exploded as the creature came thundering through it. Shards of wood and debris rained from the sky as Chax, off-balance from shoving me to safety, was struck on the back by a thick length of timber.
Iron Hoof swung his mighty hammer around and caught Chax across the chest. The cracking sound of his ribs being pulverized to smithereens wrung a scream from my throat.
“Chax!” I bellowed. “No!”
Iron Hoof drew up to Chax and raised his war hammer above his head.
“I must be setting a new record with you,” he said, placing his foot on his chest. “I thank you for your sacrifice.”
Chax floundered, barely able to move his limbs, never mind coordinate them.
Iron Hoof tensed his muscles and brought the war hammer back and up in a huge arc.
He was going to crush Chax into the mud.
I had to do something.
I felt numb. I didn’t notice I still had the fork in my hands until I glanced down. I sprung to my feet and moved without thought of what I would do or how I would feel if I failed to carry it out.
I pulled the fork back with a single arm and hurled it at the giant creature.
It sailed straight and true, the sharp spikes pointing outwards.
Iron Hoof was at the apex of his swing. A handful of seconds and Chax’s fate would be sealed.
The fork slammed into the creature’s upper thigh on his right leg.
He was shocked and hadn’t even noticed its approach. He bellowed a wail of pain and fell back, his hammer slipping from his hands and thudding heavily to the ground beside his head.
Damn! Just a few inches the other way and we would have been rid of the creature’s menace for good.
But it didn’t matter.
I wouldn’t survive out here without Chax to protect me.
I ran over and tapped him on the face.
“Get up!” I said. “Come on! We need to get moving!”
His eyes fluttered in and out of consciousness. He wasn’t going anywhere.
Iron Hoof braced himself on his war hammer and attempted to stand. He yanked the fork from his thigh. It shuddered under his weight and he collapsed back down.
It was only a matter of time before he succeeded.
I slapped Chax across the face hard.
“Wake up!” I screamed at him. “Time to get up!”
His eyes flickered. He managed to blink, but little more.
“Arjath,” he muttered under his breath. “Arjath.”
“Arjath?” I said. “What’s that?”
He turned his head toward the barn. He would have pointed but he wasn’t capable of such a complex movement.
I wondered if he’d hit his head as well as had his chest crushed by the war hammer.
