Read Online Possessing the Grimstone by John Grover - Free Book Online
Authors: John Grover
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horse into ashes. Screams filled the air, arrows soared, and fire crackled. Men swung at the ghosts all around them, but their weapons went right through them as the mortal monsters clubbed and bashed their stunned victims.
For every creature that fell, the animal spirit tethered to it wailed and vanished. The dual enemies were like nothing the Cardoon men had ever seen: they were powerful and fearless. They slaughtered horses with clubs and axes, even breaking their necks with bare hands. The men would fall and meet their deaths by axe or club.
The enemy pushed on, some with many arrows stuck in their hides, seeming to be impervious to the pain.
Tolan raced through the legion of them, slashing at thick necks with his sword, a man galloping on either side of him until fireballs plucked them from their rides in a cloud of ash. Tolan looked past the carnage and saw two enemy mages standing on a catapult in the rear of the flanks, spinning ghoulish flames in the palms of their hands, heads crowned with hollow skulls with curled horns, bodies covered in black animal skins.
Tolan grabbed a spear from a fallen comrade and raced toward the mages. He kept them in sight and hurled his spear.
It soared through the air with true aim, and ran one of the mages right through. Black blood spurted across his fellow mage, and he toppled from the catapult. Tolan drew his sword and howled.
Claws raked down the length of Tolan’s back; searing pain rippled through him. He turned and swung his sword, but it ripped through nothing more than an apparition. The spirit laughed at him as its master smashed a club across Tolan’s shoulder, sending him toppling from his horse.
He looked up to see a spiked club coming straight down. Rolling out of the way, the club narrowly missed his head. The creature wound up again, and Tolan kicked him in the gut. The creature barely moved, but it halted his swing.
He got to his feet and attacked, sword meeting club. His enemy bashed him in the face with his head, forcing him to stumble backward. Tolan swung and swung, parrying against the brute, but he found himself moving back further and further, losing ground.
He tripped over a downed horse, and lost his sword. The creature raised his club, and …
Geyess jumped on top of it, smashing the thing with his sword. The creature turned and bashed Geyess with a backhand, knocking him to his rump.
Tolan jumped to his feet, and found an enemy axe. He swung and smashed the bone armor across the creature’s chest.
“Remember, Geyess,” Tolan called. “Bone breaks!”
The two of them slashed and hit the creature, its spirit animal lashing out, but unable to strike them. At last they battered through the creature’s armor, and sliced it open from gullet to tail.
It grunted and went down, black blood seeping from it. Its spirit animal howled and vanished.
“Thank Thet for you, my friend.” Tolan extended his hand to Geyess.
“They have ghosts fighting with them!”
“That, or their souls travel outside their bodies.”
“Whichever the case, the ghosts don’t die by sword or arrow, yet they do damage to us! It is like fighting two foes!”
Tolan looked around the battle scene: his comrades fell and screamed as foes of both flesh and spirit pressed against them relentlessly. Howls and growls rose, weapons clattered, horses screamed.
A catapult launched another boulder at Bhrungach. Tolan followed the rock with his gaze as it smashed against the walls. They were riddled with cracks, and the top crumbled; it wouldn’t be long before it came down. He spotted Bhrungach soldiers there, and a woman… it was her: the Lady of the Council.
He looked back to see the enemy loading their catapult, again.
“Hold them back, my friend!” Tolan shouted. “Shatter the bone armor!” Geyess nodded, slashing his sword across a stalking reptilian’s neck.
Tolan raced through the battlegrounds to the catapult. Ghostly claws reached for him, and battle axes
For every creature that fell, the animal spirit tethered to it wailed and vanished. The dual enemies were like nothing the Cardoon men had ever seen: they were powerful and fearless. They slaughtered horses with clubs and axes, even breaking their necks with bare hands. The men would fall and meet their deaths by axe or club.
The enemy pushed on, some with many arrows stuck in their hides, seeming to be impervious to the pain.
Tolan raced through the legion of them, slashing at thick necks with his sword, a man galloping on either side of him until fireballs plucked them from their rides in a cloud of ash. Tolan looked past the carnage and saw two enemy mages standing on a catapult in the rear of the flanks, spinning ghoulish flames in the palms of their hands, heads crowned with hollow skulls with curled horns, bodies covered in black animal skins.
Tolan grabbed a spear from a fallen comrade and raced toward the mages. He kept them in sight and hurled his spear.
It soared through the air with true aim, and ran one of the mages right through. Black blood spurted across his fellow mage, and he toppled from the catapult. Tolan drew his sword and howled.
Claws raked down the length of Tolan’s back; searing pain rippled through him. He turned and swung his sword, but it ripped through nothing more than an apparition. The spirit laughed at him as its master smashed a club across Tolan’s shoulder, sending him toppling from his horse.
He looked up to see a spiked club coming straight down. Rolling out of the way, the club narrowly missed his head. The creature wound up again, and Tolan kicked him in the gut. The creature barely moved, but it halted his swing.
He got to his feet and attacked, sword meeting club. His enemy bashed him in the face with his head, forcing him to stumble backward. Tolan swung and swung, parrying against the brute, but he found himself moving back further and further, losing ground.
He tripped over a downed horse, and lost his sword. The creature raised his club, and …
Geyess jumped on top of it, smashing the thing with his sword. The creature turned and bashed Geyess with a backhand, knocking him to his rump.
Tolan jumped to his feet, and found an enemy axe. He swung and smashed the bone armor across the creature’s chest.
“Remember, Geyess,” Tolan called. “Bone breaks!”
The two of them slashed and hit the creature, its spirit animal lashing out, but unable to strike them. At last they battered through the creature’s armor, and sliced it open from gullet to tail.
It grunted and went down, black blood seeping from it. Its spirit animal howled and vanished.
“Thank Thet for you, my friend.” Tolan extended his hand to Geyess.
“They have ghosts fighting with them!”
“That, or their souls travel outside their bodies.”
“Whichever the case, the ghosts don’t die by sword or arrow, yet they do damage to us! It is like fighting two foes!”
Tolan looked around the battle scene: his comrades fell and screamed as foes of both flesh and spirit pressed against them relentlessly. Howls and growls rose, weapons clattered, horses screamed.
A catapult launched another boulder at Bhrungach. Tolan followed the rock with his gaze as it smashed against the walls. They were riddled with cracks, and the top crumbled; it wouldn’t be long before it came down. He spotted Bhrungach soldiers there, and a woman… it was her: the Lady of the Council.
He looked back to see the enemy loading their catapult, again.
“Hold them back, my friend!” Tolan shouted. “Shatter the bone armor!” Geyess nodded, slashing his sword across a stalking reptilian’s neck.
Tolan raced through the battlegrounds to the catapult. Ghostly claws reached for him, and battle axes
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