Belly of the Beast by Warren Thomas (story books for 5 year olds txt) 📕

            Boom. Boom.

            Jessy hurried toward the far end where battle had been renewed. None of the zombies had weapons, so the bad guys were slaughtering them in impunity. The two swordfighters stood in line before the witch, who shot between them.

            One of them was missing. The black-haired female. Dead? She didn’t see a body dressed in Dakar’s gray and black.

            Boom.

            A zombie’s chest exploded into a crimson cloud, before what was left of him fell straight back. Jessy lifted the magic sword up between her and the witch.

            Boom. Another fell back. Boom. And another. Boom. That shot took off a man’s left shoulder and arm.

            Her eyes heated up. Those poor souls, entranced by the evilest of Gods, forced to labor and fight against armed men, never having a chance. And no one on either side cared.

            The greatest injustice of all.

            Of course, if anyone ever saw through Nizar’s disguise, then the zombies would turn on them. Yet, even a priest of Ashtar didn’t hesitate to send them to their death. It just didn’t feel right.

            Boom. Boom. Boom.

            And that was the last of the zombies. Jessy came to a stop. She couldn’t fight three veteran mercenaries alone. All of her fighting experience was sparring as a teenager, and then fighting with her bare hands as a zombie. And the two men looked so big.

            Nizar shouted something. She heard a commotion behind her, and glanced back. A few more zombies, moving like they were injured, hurried towards her. She counted eight. Accompanying them were the five mercenaries that had been supervising them work team. The mercenaries came to the fight with swords and shields.

            “Old men, but still veterans,” she muttered. “Better than zombies, and more of them than bad guys.”

            Turning back to the bad guys, she spotted the witch drawing a glowing arrow back. Aiming at her!

            Jessy dropped straight to the ground. The arrow missed, exploding somewhere behind her. And then the witch turned her attention on the mercenaries, not waiting for them to reach them.

            Boom.

            A mercenary wailed in horror and agony. It took Jessy a moment to realize the magic arrow stuck his shield, blowing it away, and taking most of his arm with it. He would bleed out quickly, and knew it.

            “We have the superior force!” Nizar shouted. “Charge them! Overrun them!”

Chapter 89

            Sweat streaked down his face. One bead pushed through his brow and down his eyelid to sting his left eye. Tane blinked, and swung the hammer. The chisel bit into the untempered steel. And he struck again, and again.

            The final Rune of Power, he thought. Once tempered, this will be a true Sword of Power.

            Tane stiffened, hammer raised. One or two more hammer blows, and that last rune will be finished. His belly filled with butterflies, tears welling up. Kamain chose him. HIM! His God chose to work through him to save the world from Dakar.

            He brushed at his eyes, feeling his face heating up. I’m so stupid.

            A grin spread. “I’m officially ‘Touched by the Gods.’ And everyone knows what that means!”

            “You’re dragon shit crazy,” Raven said. “Welcome to my world, and I’m not even touched by a God.”

            “Raven! Where’d you come from?”

            “I’ll refrain from making a joke,” she said, grinning. “But I’m here to warn you that Dakar’s stupid minions will be here shortly. There are too many for us to fight off. So hurry.”

            “This sword is almost done,” he said, lifting it up. “All I have to do is temper, polish, and sharpen. But the Sword of Power’s magic will awaken when I do the quench and temper it.”

            That’s when he realized the chamber was lit up by four chandeliers above. When did they light up? Who caused them to come alive?

            Raven turned to head back to the growing sounds of battle. “Then get to it!”

            His breath caught. He needed her! Now!

            “Wait,” he said, grabbing her wrist. Tane pointed to a barrel of water. “I need you to add as much of your blood to that as possible. Don’t hurt yourself.”

            “Are you trying to be funny?”

            “I’m afraid not. I need your God blood to bring the sword alive.”

            He didn’t wait for her reply. Tane hurried over to the temple door. Quinn, Armin, and Joelle fought in line just outside it. Well, Joelle was doing most of the fighting with her magic ring bow.

            “Joelle! I need you,” he called. “Raven needs healing. Quickly.”

            “What happened to her?”

            Joelle rushed past him, and straight to the Tyrian warrior. Raven stood beside the barrel clutching her bleeding left wrist. Tane noticed fear in her eyes. Her blood was flowing out pretty fast.

            Joelle immediately stopped the bleeding with a touch. Both women’s breath caught.

            “Thank you,” Raven whispered. “I think I cut too deeply.”

            “You cut yourself?”

            “I need her blood for the quench,” Tane said, joining them. “And I need some of yours, too. Please.”

            “Hey, you didn’t ask me so nicely,” Raven said.

            Tane smiled, noticing the mischievous glint in her emerald eyes. If Raven was joking, then she’d be fine. By the sound of the fight outside the temple doors, they needed her sword right away.

            “Don’t kill them all before I get there!” Raven shouted, running toward the fight.

            Joelle caught Tane’s eyes, grimacing. “You really need that much blood?”

            “All you can spare,” he said. “Sorry.”

            “I know. I know. It’s why the Gods arranged us to accompany you,” she whispered, looking trapped. “I’m just almost out of hoarded life energy, and this second healing will probably drain me.”

            Tane started to tell her to forget it. But Joelle pulled her belt knife and sliced open her left wrist. Not as deeply as Raven.

            “That stupid Tyrian cut too deeply, forcing me to use too much energy,” she grumbled. “That bitch is going to be the death of me yet.”