Spear of Destiny by James Baldwin (little bear else holmelund minarik .TXT) 📕

on the backs of the Theris, staggering them. I pulled the energy back, and they condensed around me like a fan of javelins, blasting the dinosaurs a second time. One of them crumpled to its knees, rotten jaws working in a soundless scream.

“Focus your fire on that one!” Gar shouted to the others, smoothly reloading his revolver and firing again.

I hit the ground and rolled, just about out of Adrenaline Points after the last five maneuvers—which meant I had to get in and fight dirty. I ran forward and vaulted onto the Theri at the end of the line, jamming the spear into the back of its neck and levering myself to stand on its shoulders. The dinosaur spun, claws flailing, but it couldn’t reach up to slap me off.

“Ohho no. Look at your tiny arms!” I wrenched the spear free and plunged it down again, like an olde-worlde butter churn. “So mean! So stabby!”

The Theri let out a call—something between a dinosaur’s bellow and a wet fart. The next in line spun to face us and charged with its head down and its claws held out to the sides.

“Wait! No! You’re not supposed to be able to talk!” The Theri beneath me began to twist and shake, trying to get me off its back. “Bad bronco! Bad!”

The second dinosaur braced itself like a linebacker and smashed straight into its buddy, sending me flying. I turned the tumble into a flip, just in time. A gout of acid sailed past me, and then a second hit me right on the visor of my helmet, splattering and blacking out my vision.

[Your armor is Sundered! -15% protection for 60 seconds!]

[You are Blind! Remove the obstacle to see again!]

“Dude, fucking gross!” I Shadow Danced backwards, getting as far from the Therizinosaurs as I could. The two aggravated mobs spun on their hind feet and lumbered after me as I quickly pulled a rag out of my Inventory and used it to wipe my helmet so I could see again, removing the Blind status—and revealing, in vivid technicolor, the twenty tons of extremely dead dinosaur rushing toward me.

“Nope.” I bunched my legs, then vaulted into the air. At the apex of the jump, I burned my last AP to dash over the pair of Theris as they swiped with their sword hands and lurched into each other. “Nooope.”

“Last two! Hector, get out of the way!” Rin’s voice pierced the clamor of battle.

I bounded out of the line of fire as the pair of dinosaurs spun around, their eyeless sockets gaping, and ducked as a barrage of small arms fire blasted the zombies in the head and chest. They struggled forward into the fire, even as arrows embedded in their flesh, or blew maggot-riddled chunks off of them. Panting, resting, I watched anxiously as they got to within thirty feet of Rin... and then slowly crumpled to their knees and collapsed.

“HUURRGH!” Suri’s snarl cut the din. I whipped around to see her wrench a horn off the fallen chimera, raise it high above her head, and stab it through the chest. The monster roared and bleated at the same time, its legs scrabbling along the bloody ground. Suri wrestled with it, taking a clawed slap across the side of her face before it expired and fell still.

[Suri has defeated Chimera!]

[You gain 3864 EXP! You are Level 28! Suri is Level 31! Rin is Level 25! Gar is Level 18!]

“Damn, nice.” I leaned on the Spear to catch my breath.

As we regathered around Karalti, the gates to the city opened. A squad of ten guardswomen ran to greet us. Like their menfolk, they were a far cry from the wary, cautious Meewfolk of the mainland. They were tall and sleek, fit, proud, dressed in golden half-plate armor and brimmed, armored hats that fit around their ears. Their spears spat sparks of mana as they thumped them on the ground and stood to attention.

“Who have you brought to us?” The woman shot the Forest Keeper Captain a dark, challenging look. “Humans? And a dragon?”

“Their ship wrecked near the Ponang Commons,” the Forest Keeper Captain replied. His ears flattened, and his tail swished as he spoke. “They wish an audience with the Glory of the Sun, regarding some matter of international importance. You can speak to them directly… they know our language.”

“Interesting.” The guard turned her eyes to us, proud and aloof. “It is still a month until the next season. Are they your prisoners?”

“They have not committed any crimes.” The Forest Keeper shrugged. “They have complied with us and assisted us in battle. The colony stands to benefit from their presence. That is our opinion.”

“Your opinion carries high regard, Forest Keeper Nok Gao.” The woman put her hands together, palm to palm, and bowed fractionally from the neck. He did the same. Then, she turned to us.

“Humans, your menfolk cannot come into the city—as guests.” She looked pointedly at me and Gar. “You can be admitted only as prisoners. But because you are not guilty of any crimes, it is a formality until you reach the temple grounds. If our Priest-Queen judges your cause worthy, she will revoke your arrest.”

“And if she doesn’t?” Suri asked.

The guardswoman shrugged. “Who knows? She is the Priest-Queen.”

“Not real reassuring,” Gar rasped.

“It is up to you.” She turned her brilliant blue-green eyes back to me.

“I think Her Majesty will listen to us,” I said. “I’m fine with a formal arrest—for me and Gar.”

“Hey!” Gar snapped. “You can’t just lump me in with this! I’m not even in your damn party!”

“Then stay out here.” I held my wrists out to the lady. “The women of my party don’t need any special conditions to enter, right?”

“Correct,” the guard replied. “They are permitted.”

“Then whatever we did, it’s all my fault.” I grinned at