Read Online The Paladins by James M. Ward, David Wise - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: James M. Ward, David Wise
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new arrival snarled and raised its hackles at its twin, and they began to slowly circle one another.
Noph took advantage of the moment to slip back toward Able and Trandon.
Something against the wall next to him shifted….
Noph caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and froze. He tensed his muscles for a spring and dug his fingernails into the soft sandstone, then raised his buttocks as he shifted to his knees, finding purchase for his toes. His eyes and nostrils flared wide. With a final deep breath, he leaped up and forward, grunting with the effort. His hands left the ground as he shifted his weight to his feet and pushed off for all he was worth. A cool breeze slid through his hair as he accelerated.
In a flash, a massive claw shot out from the cave wall and snatched the boy by the collar. His feet swung out in front of him with a jerk as his forward momentum came to a sudden stop. Another one of the creatures, somehow camouflaged against the cave until now, lifted him by the back of his shirt and grinned cruelly into his eyes. Noph gawked back at the thing and opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out.
“Stop!” shouted Able, who stood two paces away. The creature looked his way with a start. “Filthy Abyssal barlgura! You shall not have him!”
Trandon came to the cleric’s side and twirled his quarterstaff threateningly. “You shall know and fear the power of Tyr!” he cried, pointing at Able. “This priest carries the god of justice within him!”
At Trandon’s words, Able started and froze. He held forth his warhammer with Tyr’s scales of justice emblazoned on its head, but no words came to him. Trandon looked at him with a frown of concern, and both the barlgura and Noph paused in dread, watching himyet nothing happened. Five more barlgura stepped away from the walls. They were joined by the two from the room beyond.
“We feel nothing!” sneered voices in Abie’s head. “No power of Tyr. All we sense from you is… fear.”
“Able, call upon Tyr!” urged Trandon, taking a step back
“Feel the power of the Abyss!” whispered the telepathic voices. The barlgura released their aura of terror and Noph screamed. Able and Trandon fell to the floor as though they’d been run over by a war wagon, crying out in horror themselves. “Tyr-slime, unloved by Tyr,” the barlgura sneered. “We shall eat you alive and take this man-boy back to the Abyss, where he will be turned into a larva!” Macabre laughter rang through their heads.
“No!” shrieked Able. “Tyr, why have you forsaken me?” He looked at the wretched tanar’ri leering at the boy, who dangled helpless before them. Suddenly, his fear turned into fury, and he climbed to his feet. The barlgura looked at him, surprised.
“No, I say!” declared the warrior-cleric. “You shall not have him! If there is justice in this or any world, I shall have it, wherever I stand!” He looked at the fiends before him with a wild glint in his eyes. “Your evil power is nothing before justice! Nothing!”
The symbol on Abie’s warhammer caught the dim light of the chamber and flared to brilliance. A wave of screeches passed through the fiends. The one holding Noph dropped him to the ground. The symbol burned brighter still, bathing the entire cavern in holy white light
“My god!” uttered Trandon, somewhere beside him, amazed at the sudden burst of power. “Noph, come to me! Come to me! Come now!”
Pure energy such as he had never felt filled Able, surging through his body and flowing into his hammer. He dropped to one knee and held his blazing holy symbol high. “Justice!” His voice resonated through the cavern. “Justice is Tyr, and He is Justice. So long as it lies within me, so does my god!”
With an ear-piercing howl, the nearest barlgura exploded! The one beside it threw back its head and shrieked in agony, then shattered into ichorous shreds while the rest began to wail and stumble toward Able, claws
Noph took advantage of the moment to slip back toward Able and Trandon.
Something against the wall next to him shifted….
Noph caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and froze. He tensed his muscles for a spring and dug his fingernails into the soft sandstone, then raised his buttocks as he shifted to his knees, finding purchase for his toes. His eyes and nostrils flared wide. With a final deep breath, he leaped up and forward, grunting with the effort. His hands left the ground as he shifted his weight to his feet and pushed off for all he was worth. A cool breeze slid through his hair as he accelerated.
In a flash, a massive claw shot out from the cave wall and snatched the boy by the collar. His feet swung out in front of him with a jerk as his forward momentum came to a sudden stop. Another one of the creatures, somehow camouflaged against the cave until now, lifted him by the back of his shirt and grinned cruelly into his eyes. Noph gawked back at the thing and opened his mouth to scream, but no sound came out.
“Stop!” shouted Able, who stood two paces away. The creature looked his way with a start. “Filthy Abyssal barlgura! You shall not have him!”
Trandon came to the cleric’s side and twirled his quarterstaff threateningly. “You shall know and fear the power of Tyr!” he cried, pointing at Able. “This priest carries the god of justice within him!”
At Trandon’s words, Able started and froze. He held forth his warhammer with Tyr’s scales of justice emblazoned on its head, but no words came to him. Trandon looked at him with a frown of concern, and both the barlgura and Noph paused in dread, watching himyet nothing happened. Five more barlgura stepped away from the walls. They were joined by the two from the room beyond.
“We feel nothing!” sneered voices in Abie’s head. “No power of Tyr. All we sense from you is… fear.”
“Able, call upon Tyr!” urged Trandon, taking a step back
“Feel the power of the Abyss!” whispered the telepathic voices. The barlgura released their aura of terror and Noph screamed. Able and Trandon fell to the floor as though they’d been run over by a war wagon, crying out in horror themselves. “Tyr-slime, unloved by Tyr,” the barlgura sneered. “We shall eat you alive and take this man-boy back to the Abyss, where he will be turned into a larva!” Macabre laughter rang through their heads.
“No!” shrieked Able. “Tyr, why have you forsaken me?” He looked at the wretched tanar’ri leering at the boy, who dangled helpless before them. Suddenly, his fear turned into fury, and he climbed to his feet. The barlgura looked at him, surprised.
“No, I say!” declared the warrior-cleric. “You shall not have him! If there is justice in this or any world, I shall have it, wherever I stand!” He looked at the fiends before him with a wild glint in his eyes. “Your evil power is nothing before justice! Nothing!”
The symbol on Abie’s warhammer caught the dim light of the chamber and flared to brilliance. A wave of screeches passed through the fiends. The one holding Noph dropped him to the ground. The symbol burned brighter still, bathing the entire cavern in holy white light
“My god!” uttered Trandon, somewhere beside him, amazed at the sudden burst of power. “Noph, come to me! Come to me! Come now!”
Pure energy such as he had never felt filled Able, surging through his body and flowing into his hammer. He dropped to one knee and held his blazing holy symbol high. “Justice!” His voice resonated through the cavern. “Justice is Tyr, and He is Justice. So long as it lies within me, so does my god!”
With an ear-piercing howl, the nearest barlgura exploded! The one beside it threw back its head and shrieked in agony, then shattered into ichorous shreds while the rest began to wail and stumble toward Able, claws
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