reach of the invisible Akkar. One Slac guard tosses your club out into the pit."
"I'm going to grab for that guard's spear and dash out into the arena with it. Then I'll have more than just a club," Vailret broke in.
Bryl and Drodanis looked at each other. "All right, pick a number between one and fifteen," Bryl said.
"He has the advantage, Bryl ¯ he's surprising them," Drodanis said.
"All right, a number between one and twelve, then."
"Eight."
"Got it!" Bryl said, surprised.
Unseen in the blackness, Drodanis chuckled. "The Slac shout in anger, but they're not about to follow you to get the spear back. You have the spear in your hand. The club is about ten feet in front of you, lying on the bloodstained sand. Behind you the Slac slam shut a heavy door, trapping you in the arena. You can hear a grunting noise, like something running. The sand and gravel is covered with broken bones, but you can see large foot prints appearing as the Akkar charges toward you."
"I'm going to run and get the club. I'll pick it up off the ground and hold it in my hand, waiting to throw it as hard as I can at the front of the creature when it gets close to me." Vailret felt breathless, as if his life was really at stake.
"You get the club and you throw it. Pick a number between one and three."
"Two. There is only one number between one and three."
"Hah! Caught me. All right, then. You hit the beast with a loud thump, probably in its head. You can't see if it did any damage, but you have halted the creature's charge. For the moment."
"Now I'm going to try to stick it with my spear. Is it making any noises so I can find it easier?"
"Yes, you hear a snorting, breathing noise."
"I'm jabbing with my spear."
"Pick a number between one and seven."
"Five."
"Missed." "I'm jabbing again! And again, until I hit something."
"You hit it. I'm thinking of four different sections of the creature's body. Pick numbers one, two, three, or four and I'll tell you where you hit."
Vailret paused in the darkness, concentrating. "One."
"You skewered the monster's throat! Several points of damage. Blood is gushing out ¯ you can locate the Akkar easily now. But it is angry and charging."
"I'll dodge, now that I know where it is. Can I try to get my club again?"
"You can't get to the club," Bryl said flatly.
"You said there were lots of bones lying around. I'm going to run and pick up the first big one I find and throw it at the Akkar."
"All right. After you've done so, you see another blotch of blood appear in front of the spear wound ¯ one more point of damage. This time you hit the monster in the head."
Vailret paused again, considering his next course of action. "Is there one Slac around the pit who looks like a leader, like an overlord?"
Drodanis paused, but he did not ask what Vailret was considering. "Yes, one seems to be dressed more magnificently than the rest. He has a portion of the arena circle to himself."
"I'm going to steer the Akkar to get near the Slac warlord. I'll pick up another bone and throw it if I have to."
"You throw another skull. It misses, but the Akkar is getting cautious.
It is still bleeding heavily from its neck wound."
"I'm up against the wall of the pit below the Slac warlord."
"The beast sees you cornered and charges."
"I'll plant my spear in the sand, bracing the haft and myself against the pit wall, sticking the point directly in front of me so the monster will charge into it."
"Good," Drodanis laughed. "Pick a number between one and five."
Vailret paused a long time, sweating. Two? Four? One? "Five!"
Drodanis laughed again. "The Akkar has impaled itself on your spear!"
In the darkness, Bryl's voice became serious. "Pick another number.
Between one and ten."
Vailret picked five again.
"You have been gored by one of the many invisible spines on the Akkar in its death throes. Your side is laid open and you are bleeding badly."
Vailret let out a quiet cry. "Is it bad?"
"Very bad. If it isn't taken
"I'm going to grab for that guard's spear and dash out into the arena with it. Then I'll have more than just a club," Vailret broke in.
Bryl and Drodanis looked at each other. "All right, pick a number between one and fifteen," Bryl said.
"He has the advantage, Bryl ¯ he's surprising them," Drodanis said.
"All right, a number between one and twelve, then."
"Eight."
"Got it!" Bryl said, surprised.
Unseen in the blackness, Drodanis chuckled. "The Slac shout in anger, but they're not about to follow you to get the spear back. You have the spear in your hand. The club is about ten feet in front of you, lying on the bloodstained sand. Behind you the Slac slam shut a heavy door, trapping you in the arena. You can hear a grunting noise, like something running. The sand and gravel is covered with broken bones, but you can see large foot prints appearing as the Akkar charges toward you."
"I'm going to run and get the club. I'll pick it up off the ground and hold it in my hand, waiting to throw it as hard as I can at the front of the creature when it gets close to me." Vailret felt breathless, as if his life was really at stake.
"You get the club and you throw it. Pick a number between one and three."
"Two. There is only one number between one and three."
"Hah! Caught me. All right, then. You hit the beast with a loud thump, probably in its head. You can't see if it did any damage, but you have halted the creature's charge. For the moment."
"Now I'm going to try to stick it with my spear. Is it making any noises so I can find it easier?"
"Yes, you hear a snorting, breathing noise."
"I'm jabbing with my spear."
"Pick a number between one and seven."
"Five."
"Missed." "I'm jabbing again! And again, until I hit something."
"You hit it. I'm thinking of four different sections of the creature's body. Pick numbers one, two, three, or four and I'll tell you where you hit."
Vailret paused in the darkness, concentrating. "One."
"You skewered the monster's throat! Several points of damage. Blood is gushing out ¯ you can locate the Akkar easily now. But it is angry and charging."
"I'll dodge, now that I know where it is. Can I try to get my club again?"
"You can't get to the club," Bryl said flatly.
"You said there were lots of bones lying around. I'm going to run and pick up the first big one I find and throw it at the Akkar."
"All right. After you've done so, you see another blotch of blood appear in front of the spear wound ¯ one more point of damage. This time you hit the monster in the head."
Vailret paused again, considering his next course of action. "Is there one Slac around the pit who looks like a leader, like an overlord?"
Drodanis paused, but he did not ask what Vailret was considering. "Yes, one seems to be dressed more magnificently than the rest. He has a portion of the arena circle to himself."
"I'm going to steer the Akkar to get near the Slac warlord. I'll pick up another bone and throw it if I have to."
"You throw another skull. It misses, but the Akkar is getting cautious.
It is still bleeding heavily from its neck wound."
"I'm up against the wall of the pit below the Slac warlord."
"The beast sees you cornered and charges."
"I'll plant my spear in the sand, bracing the haft and myself against the pit wall, sticking the point directly in front of me so the monster will charge into it."
"Good," Drodanis laughed. "Pick a number between one and five."
Vailret paused a long time, sweating. Two? Four? One? "Five!"
Drodanis laughed again. "The Akkar has impaled itself on your spear!"
In the darkness, Bryl's voice became serious. "Pick another number.
Between one and ten."
Vailret picked five again.
"You have been gored by one of the many invisible spines on the Akkar in its death throes. Your side is laid open and you are bleeding badly."
Vailret let out a quiet cry. "Is it bad?"
"Very bad. If it isn't taken
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