Read Online The Wanderers of the Water-Realm by Alan Lawton - Free Book Online Page B

were almost human in appearance, and the whole of their bodies were supported upon powerful muscular legs that obviously enabled their owners to cover long distances without undue fatigue. However, the being’s arms were probably the strangest part of their anatomy, for they were long and supple and divided into three separate segments through the possession of two sets of elbow joints; their claw-like hands were also multi-jointed and doubtless endowed the creatures with great manual dexterity. The appalling vision that confronted the newcomers was compounded in horror by the two pairs of eyes that turned to gaze upon them, for they were set high up in the creature’s triangular foreheads and resembled dark glass orbs, being quite devoid of pupils and irises. Below each pair of eyes were two narrow slits, which presumably served as nostrils and their terrifying appearance was completed by gaping mouths, set with flat teeth, suggesting that the twin apparitions normally ground their pray rather than ripping it apart.
The two beings had obviously intended to remove the old man from his perch and then dispatch him without the use of weapons, for two long spears stood upright in a corner of the room and their immediate response to the unexpected arrival of the newcomers was to launch themselves forward in an attempt to rend them apart with their many jointed talons.
The first of the apparitions closed with the boatmaster and attempted to break his neck with a single blow from one of his multi-jointed arms, but Darryl used his boxers reflexes to sway out of the path of the slashing limb delivering an upward cut from ‘Kingslayer’ and opening up the creatures blue-skinned body from crotch to chest. As the apparition fell, the boatmaster saw that the torrent of blood pouring onto the floor, along with the creature’s intestines was as red as that flowing in his own veins.
Myra, meanwhile, had waited until her opponent was almost upon her and then discharged the fowling piece directly into its face. The creature halted with the left hand side of its head carried away by the impact of the charge of buckshot, but the apparition had not fallen and the young woman moved forward purposefully to club it down with the butt of her weapon. Fortunately, this form of coup-de-grass was not required, for the old man swung down from his refuge with surprising agility, retrieving a crossbow-like weapon from the dust and launching a needle sharp dart into the creature’s spine. The monstrosity fell forward with a hissing groan and was dead before hitting the floor.
The old man brushed away some of the dust that had clung to him during his frantic scramble for safety and greeted his rescuers.
“Arr.” He grunted. “All be well that end well … as you folk say … now we best get to your boat … pretty quick … in case these ones we kill got friends nearby.”
He pointed to the pair of long spears that had belonged to the dead creatures.
“Good weapons … bring!”
The three victorious combatants headed for the narrowboat’s mooring with all possible speed and the twins were able to take a good look at their new companion as they moved through the ruins. He was short, only about five feet in stature and clad in a brief loincloth that had been woven from some type of course material. His head and body were quite hairless and his deeply lined features were dominated by a hooked nose that would have done justice to a Bedouin Sheik. His only possessions appeared to be his crossbow-like weapon and a small skin pouch, both accoutrements being slung over his shoulder and suspended from stout leather thongs.Yet it was his red skin colour that riveted the attention of the travellers.
The man noticed their inquisitive looks and he burst out laughing.
“You ain’t seen any red-folk like me before.” He stated. “Arr … but you see plenty now … all folk in Water-Realm coloured like me … sept’folk from beyond Northern Sea who be mostly