Read Online Pyramid of Blood (Swords Versus Tanks Book 3) by M Harold Page - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: M Harold Page
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of the gantry, the hatch burst open. A dozen Tolmec warriors jostled over the narrow threshold and advanced on the turret, the aluminium mesh sinking under their weight.
Wisdom-at-Night shifted to huddle into the angle between the walkway and the turret, giving Jasmine a clear shot.
Bright girl. Jasmine strained to drag the mount round the last few degrees. The machine guns clanged to a halt with the cross hairs pointing at sky. Of course, the turret had the new governors to stop you from shooting up your own ship.
The Tolmecs edged down the gantry. Wisdom-at-Night rose and – in one catlike motion — clambered on top of the turret and spread-eagled herself over the Flexiglas dome like a bug on a windshield.
Really bright girl . Jasmine glanced up – mentally filed the sight away for later… if there was a later — then kicked the turret back around. She threw open the hatch and sprang onto the gantry. Hot rain prickled her skin. The honeycomb aluminium scoured her lacerated soles.
The first warrior approached, eyes blank with concentration, the rain pinging off his obsidian axe blade. The airship dipped slightly as the weight of his comrades altered the trim, putting Jasmine further downhill from her attackers.
She unsheathed her combat dagger and gripped it pick-fashion, the blade pointed down. She took a moment to savour the after-image of Wisdom-at-Night. Blinking away the rain, she dropped into a fighting half-crouch and reached for her battle rage.
#
Ranulph’s boots splattered mud as he ran.
The sky lit up. Thunder crashed.
A native turned, confusion on his face. Ranulph bowled him over, and kept going. Behind him, his Northmen formed a tight wedge, trampling anybody stupid enough to get in the way. As ordered, they swung their looted obsidian axes only at warriors and priests.
Slowly, the pyramid’s treasure-chest shape emerged from the curtains of rain. The airship floated above it like a massive loaf of bread suspended by some invisible giant. Had Ranulph doomed his men by trusting Jasmine? He broke into a sprint, churning the mud with each step. The damp air wheezed in and out of his lungs. "Come on gentlemen!"
The airship hung less than a hundred feet from the top of the pyramid, drifting through the rainstorm. If Jasmine was abandoning them, she was making a poor job of it.
A figure detached itself from the airship. Trailing feathers, it plummeted the short distance and vanished behind the pyramid.
Shielding his eyes from the rain, Ranulph traced the body back to its origin: the latticework spur at the prow of the aerial behemoth. As he watched, Tolmec warriors advanced single-file over the walkway towards a naked, woman. “ Jasmine!”
A warrior swung his axe down.
Ranulph winced. There was nowhere for Jasmine to dodge. No room for manoeuvre at all.
Jasmine back-stepped just enough.
The heavy-bladed weapon swung past.
She lunged. Her short blade flashed in the dull light. Blood sprayed and the man sprawled on the walkway.
Another warrior stepped over the body and tried a lateral cut. Jasmine leaned out of reach, then pivoted forward. The warrior turned his axe and made a second cut.
Ranulph held his breath.
As the airship wheeled, Jasmine’s left hand shot out and caught the smaller warrior’s elbow. She vanished out of sight behind the mass of the black silk hull.
A brown figure plummeted from the underside and smacked into a flat temple roof. Ranulph remembered to breathe. Despite the oppressive heat, a shiver went down his spine. He’d misjudged her prowess. Now he knew the truth, he wanted her as much as he did Lady Maud. "God's teeth!"
"Lord!" said Thorolf. "What now?"
Ranulph’s barbarian warband stood in the mud, waiting for him to move. He glanced around. Still no sign of opposition. The pyramid of the Dancing Earth Fish was the best defensive position. It was also – according to Jasmine — the only possible mooring. He would have to trust her to have some sort of
Wisdom-at-Night shifted to huddle into the angle between the walkway and the turret, giving Jasmine a clear shot.
Bright girl. Jasmine strained to drag the mount round the last few degrees. The machine guns clanged to a halt with the cross hairs pointing at sky. Of course, the turret had the new governors to stop you from shooting up your own ship.
The Tolmecs edged down the gantry. Wisdom-at-Night rose and – in one catlike motion — clambered on top of the turret and spread-eagled herself over the Flexiglas dome like a bug on a windshield.
Really bright girl . Jasmine glanced up – mentally filed the sight away for later… if there was a later — then kicked the turret back around. She threw open the hatch and sprang onto the gantry. Hot rain prickled her skin. The honeycomb aluminium scoured her lacerated soles.
The first warrior approached, eyes blank with concentration, the rain pinging off his obsidian axe blade. The airship dipped slightly as the weight of his comrades altered the trim, putting Jasmine further downhill from her attackers.
She unsheathed her combat dagger and gripped it pick-fashion, the blade pointed down. She took a moment to savour the after-image of Wisdom-at-Night. Blinking away the rain, she dropped into a fighting half-crouch and reached for her battle rage.
#
Ranulph’s boots splattered mud as he ran.
The sky lit up. Thunder crashed.
A native turned, confusion on his face. Ranulph bowled him over, and kept going. Behind him, his Northmen formed a tight wedge, trampling anybody stupid enough to get in the way. As ordered, they swung their looted obsidian axes only at warriors and priests.
Slowly, the pyramid’s treasure-chest shape emerged from the curtains of rain. The airship floated above it like a massive loaf of bread suspended by some invisible giant. Had Ranulph doomed his men by trusting Jasmine? He broke into a sprint, churning the mud with each step. The damp air wheezed in and out of his lungs. "Come on gentlemen!"
The airship hung less than a hundred feet from the top of the pyramid, drifting through the rainstorm. If Jasmine was abandoning them, she was making a poor job of it.
A figure detached itself from the airship. Trailing feathers, it plummeted the short distance and vanished behind the pyramid.
Shielding his eyes from the rain, Ranulph traced the body back to its origin: the latticework spur at the prow of the aerial behemoth. As he watched, Tolmec warriors advanced single-file over the walkway towards a naked, woman. “ Jasmine!”
A warrior swung his axe down.
Ranulph winced. There was nowhere for Jasmine to dodge. No room for manoeuvre at all.
Jasmine back-stepped just enough.
The heavy-bladed weapon swung past.
She lunged. Her short blade flashed in the dull light. Blood sprayed and the man sprawled on the walkway.
Another warrior stepped over the body and tried a lateral cut. Jasmine leaned out of reach, then pivoted forward. The warrior turned his axe and made a second cut.
Ranulph held his breath.
As the airship wheeled, Jasmine’s left hand shot out and caught the smaller warrior’s elbow. She vanished out of sight behind the mass of the black silk hull.
A brown figure plummeted from the underside and smacked into a flat temple roof. Ranulph remembered to breathe. Despite the oppressive heat, a shiver went down his spine. He’d misjudged her prowess. Now he knew the truth, he wanted her as much as he did Lady Maud. "God's teeth!"
"Lord!" said Thorolf. "What now?"
Ranulph’s barbarian warband stood in the mud, waiting for him to move. He glanced around. Still no sign of opposition. The pyramid of the Dancing Earth Fish was the best defensive position. It was also – according to Jasmine — the only possible mooring. He would have to trust her to have some sort of
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