The Heartstone Saga by Archibald Bradford (short novels in english .TXT) 📕

“Well for one thing, you royally pissed me off.” A cool voice sounded suddenly from beside him.

He jerked his tearful face out of his hands and looked over in time to witness a tiny red fist collide with his chin, wrecking his jaw and instantly rendering him unconscious.

“Stay down for a bit, kay?” Nina chirped.

Her clothes were tattered and covered with blood from her battle with the Ogres and she had nasty bruises all over.

But she was a fighter, and it looked like there was a halfway decent scrap going on not far away that she ought to get in on.

Almost absentmindedly she knocked over a shed with her hammer and wedged his legs underneath it to keep him from squirming away somewhere.

“After all the shit you pulled I really want to yank out your spine. But this time, just this once, I think it isn’t my right.”

She looked up at the sound of Xalanth roaring in pain, and her face set into a fierce scowl.

“I’m definitely going to kill your girlfriend though.”

Chapter 52:Titanic Threesome

Outside of the mounting chaos within Nameless’s mind, a Dragon’s roar of pain and fury echoed around the battlefield.

Evadne laughed, her voice strangely high and cruel.

“That’s it you scaly bitch! Bleed for me!”

Their furious exchange had finally ended, and Xalanth was now on one knee, her armoured hand holding her side as Evadne tore her rigid armoured claws free of the Dragon’s flesh. With her other hand the Chimera seized a fistful of Xalanth’s hair and gloated as she tilted her face upwards.

“Tell me Dragon, when is the last time someone killed one of your kind?”

The wounded monster spat at her.

Evadne laughed as she wiped the bloody spittle away with the rigid claws of her damaged hand.

“Not nice, you should die better than-”

Abruptly a massive black hammer struck the Chimera and sent her careening away from Xalanth’s kneeling form.

A tiny mountain had barreled out of the melee into the open area around them and swung her weapon with both hands, sending Evadne into an awkward tumble in the mud.

While the dark monster tried to make sense of the sudden shift, Nina took the opportunity to help the wounded Dragon up.

“Better question, when was the last time someone took down a Gigas and a Dragon fighting together?” She inquired flatly; “Oh wait, that’s never happened before.”

Xalanth let out a humourless snort, blood trailing from her lips.

“My thanks, mountain-daughter. I’m afraid I have been found lacking, but together we shall end her.”

Nina nodded.

“Normally I don’t like uneven fights, but this asshole keeps slipping away from me and she needs to be in the ground already.”

The Dragon’s eyes narrowed.

“Agreed.”

Once Evadne had picked herself up out of the mud Nina gave her a level look before calling out to her.

“This is the third time we’ve met, but we never have been properly introduced. I’m Nina. And you’re Dead.” She hefted her hammer and her voice dropped dangerously low, causing the ground to rumble and shake as she imbued it with her wrath; “Nice to meet you, Dead.”

Evadne hissed as her tail lashing back and forth, one arm hung useless at her side; the giant had landed a solid blow and had held nothing back.

“I see the Gigas live up to their reputation! Useless Ogres!” She cursed with a snarl; “Whatever, I don’t care who you are! Everyone dies today!”

But as she spoke she became aware that the sounds of battle around them had tapered off, moans of pain were all that could be heard now.

“What the- fight! Keep fighting!” She screamed at a nearby group of Tenebrae surrounded by pale-skinned Amazons.

They didn’t move, instead they stood stock still as the darkness that swirled in their eyes began to flicker with golden light.

As the blonde warrior women put themselves between Evadne and the Tenebrae, she wheeled about in desperation.

“You have to keep fighting! What, what is this?!”

“Looks like you losing.” Nina noted as she likewise took in the sight.

It was the same all over the field: what few pockets of Tenebrae that still stood against the combined wave of Aegis, Amazons, and Antlions had frozen in place, some had actually fallen over, their muscles rigid.

“No! This isn’t how it’s supposed to be!” Evadne cried out, suddenly sounding much more like a monster girl than a demon.

But darkness rose around her.

Nina lunged to prevent her from escaping again, bringing her hammer down in a mighty overhand swing, but under the demon’s control the Chimera whirled in place, her tail wreathed in shadow and smashing into the side of the giant’s head with incredible force, clothes-lining her into the ground.

Demon-touched or not, no way would her snake’s fangs be able to puncture the giant’s skin.

“Ow.” The little red warrior complained, giving her head a shake as she woozily got to her knees in the muck.

The Chimera would have been on her then but Xalanth roared and slammed into her from the side and the winged pair tumbled through the mud, once more exchanging vicious blows.

But while the weakened Dragon’s claws screeched against Evadne’s armour, the Chimera’s were cutting deeper into Xalanth’s scales with each and every strike.

The circle around them grew wider as those that were able began to drag, pull, and carry the motionless Tenebrae and wounded clear of the three-way brawl.

Nina regained her feet in time to see a wave of darkness slam into Xalanth and throw her back again.

“That’s cheating! My weakling’s right, this magic crap needs better rules!” She groused before throwing herself at Evadne again.

It went on like this for some time.

The thunderous pounding of Nina’s hammer was met with Evadne’s whip-like tail strikes and vicious claws. Blood flowed from all three combatants, though it