The Justicar turned to plant himself in the center of the passageway. Facing the manticore room, he slowly unsheathed his sword and tested the deadly edge of the blade.
“One way in, one way out.” Square, dark, and powerful, thebig man rested with his sword cradled in his arms. “If she wants to get out ofthe dungeon, then she has to get past
Cruel as a sugared knife, a female voice carried down the hall. The erinyes stood in the door to the monster chamber, her body framed by her pure white wings.
In her hand she held a black-scabbarded sword. Naked, the creature’s skin shone pale as bone. Around her waist was clasped a string ofrubies that still dripped with dark green blood. Exquisitely, lethally sensual, the erinyes walked slowly down the corridor.
“You are quite right, of course. I was expected. Whoeverbuilt this dungeon has shielded the corridors. I cannot teleport.” She haltedjust short of the Justicar and delicately folded her wings. “It seems I shallhave to pass by you the old-fashioned way.”
Dark and savage, the Justicar lowered his sword into position.
“Polk, leave!”
The teamster hid with only his head poking about the corner of the passageway, reluctant to entirely abscond.
“Final conflict, son! I can’t just leave you!”
The erinyes spoke mocking admiration. “Aww, isn’t that sweet?But Escalla looks so hurt, poor thing. And your doggie’s flames are useless. Soit seems you are alone,
She sidled closer-just out of sword reach-and speared a slysidewise glance at the ranger.
She sank slightly down into a combat stance, the dungeon light glittering from her naked skin.
“I can’t charm you, fear spells don’t work on you, and yourlittle doggie sees straight through illusions, so I suppose I shall have to kill you.” The devil-woman walked forward, framing herself with her wings. “You haveannoyed me once too often.”
Jus stared flatly at the erinyes as though measuring her for a coffin. Framing his helm, Cinders grinned in feral glee, slowly waving his tail. The Justicar gently flexed his grip upon his sword, the blade responding to his touch like a living stream of steel.
“You can’t wield the sword, can you?” he said mirthlessly.“That’s why you were using thieves as minions.”
“The sword has an
Blackrazor shimmered evilly as it slid free. Dancing with the light of countless stars, the weapon gibbered madly in its need to feed.
The evil sword blasted a storm of energy up into its mistress. Her naked body jerked, and the erinyes spread her wings and arched in ecstasy. Her slitted pupils dilated. Breathing deep and ragged, the creature turned toward her enemy and slowly gaped her fangs.
“Oh, this is
The sword stabbed energy into the devil-woman, and she suddenly blurred with speed. With a haste spell burning through her blood, she streaked into the attack, her blade slicing the air with stars.
The Justicar’s sword snapped up to parry, sparks spatteringas the enchanted steel wailed in agony. The screaming erinyes whirled like a dervish, whipping the soul-blade in an almost invisible blur. The Justicar stood like a rock, his own sword blocking Blackrazor time and time again. The soul-sword howled in hunger as it lunged and slashed, but the Justicar smashed it aside even as it screeched for his blood. Sparks showered and skittered all across the dungeon floor. Still lying helpless, Escalla made a little sound of fright as she saw Jus standing at the center of a dizzy blur of steel.
Never once going over to the attack, Jus stood his ground and gave a display of pure, savage skill. He reserved his strength, letting the erinyes come at him in a wild storm of hate. Magical speed accelerating her to fantastic speeds, the erinyes screeched and swirled like a whirlwind. The sword blows rained down faster and faster, high and low, coming at unbelievable speed. A tuft of hair sprang free from Cinders, and then a slash ripped through the hell hounds hide. A line of blood appeared on the Justicar’s thigh as if bymagic, and leather scales went flying from his cuirass. Still the ranger stood in place, his blade flashing short, staccato arcs as he fought against Blackrazor’s speed.
The erinyes cut high, cut low, then made three lightning fast thrusts at the Justicar’s flesh. The blade flashed left and right as Jusslightly swayed aside-then suddenly the man whirled and trapped the erinyes’arm against himself. He locked her wrist and hammered viciously against her elbow, breaking her arm with a horrific snap. Moving inhumanly fast, the devil-woman ripped free, transferring Blackrazor to her other hand.
The erinyes danced back out of range, her sword arm hanging broken at her side. The Justicar breathed hard, gave a cold growl, and then surged forward like an attacking bear. His enemy let her venomous hiss trail up into a scream of manic hate and spun into the attack behind a whirlwind of sorcerous steel.
She snarled in from above-cut high, cut low, and cut again.Blackrazor’s passage was marked by screams as it smacked time and time againagainst the Justicar’s black sword. The Justicar shifted his weight back and forth, his face cold with concentration as he moved with the short, efficient motions of a master swordsman.
Watching the big man fight, Polk simply gaped in awe. Escalla managed to raise herself up, watching in amazement as she saw Jus fight the ensorcelled monster to an utter standstill. Framed by a maze of sparks, the Justicar scarcely seemed to move, his huge bearlike figure moving slowly forward through a storm of screaming steel.
Damage slipped through piece by piece. More fur flew from Cinders, with blood welling up from the Justicar’s shoulder to soak into the fur. The ranger’s magic light suddenly went flying from his chest as Blackrazorslashed a line of blood across his chest. Cinders immediately trickled flames from his mouth, filling the corridor with blood-red light. The combatants cast huge shadows as they battled back and forth along the hall.
And then suddenly the erinyes’ power was gone. Blackrazorhad squandered its energy. The erinyes faltered, and the Justicar instantly sliced his black sword down. In response, the devil-woman threw Blackrazor up to block the blow, the immense power of the attack slamming her off her feet. Knocked backward, she slid along the corridor, dodging wildly as the Justicar’sblade came smashing down. One wing was sheared through as she tried to roll aside, and the she-devil screamed in utter agony. The Justicar’s sword slashedin a blur of steel. She dodged left, right, then left again. Despite her best efforts, she lost the other wing in a sudden horrific swipe of the Justicar’ssword.
Blood sprayed across the corridor. One handed and without her magic speed, the erinyes was no match for the raw violence of the Justicar. The man roared in anger, and the entire dungeon seemed to shudder to his rage. The erinyes blocked a cut that would have sheared her in two, panic suddenly sparking in her eyes. She retreated in fright, only just meeting each attack as the warrior’s raw force smashed her blade aside. Blackrazor came back into theattack, only to be flicked away as the Justicar ripped his sword across the erinyes’ waist. Rubies fell skittering on the ground, and the devil-womanstaggered backward with black blood springing beneath her hands.
Clutching Blackrazor, the erinyes backed into the monster room. Satiated manticores still tore at their meal, while giant scorpions scuttled angrily toward the sound of prey. In the water levels, the surface foamed as predators fought to come closer to the battle up above.
Sheathed in blood, the two combatants poised themselves a dozen feet apart, then charged toward each other in a titanic clash of force. The two black swords met in a blast of force, the erinyes whirling in a circle to hack at the Justicar’s heels. The big man jumped the blade and kicked hisenemy in her broken arm, hammering his boot into the wound. Broken bones grated, and the erinyes gave a screech of agony.
Reeling free, the devil-woman staggered to the edge of the first ring of pens, and a huge crayfish claw lunged
