He shuddered. The creature’s appearance would have frightened the bravest Norghanian warriors.
Arrow not hurt, Camu warned him.
Ona came out of her hiding-place. She growled and got ready to attack.
Don’t go near it! Move back! Stay in the forest!
Lasgol released again, and this time the arrow hit the Ogre in the torso. It pulled it out with a huge hand and gave a guttural sound that sounded like a guffaw. The Ogre was laughing at him, and Lasgol was puzzled. Although it was thought that these creatures were not very intelligent, they were catalogued as more so than a bear, a wolf or a fox, even if their level of mental development had not been established. Because they attacked and destroyed everything they saw, it was impossible to study them. Their hatred of humans was profound. Lasgol remembered that apart from Trolls, which were even bigger and stronger, Ogres probably had no natural enemy apart from Man. He remembered Egil telling him that in little-explored parts of Tremia there were a number of animal species yet to be discovered, among them the bestial kind, or what humans considered to be monsters.
Lasgol began to retreat, as he did so he released again, even though he was sure the arrow would not pierce the creature’s tough skin. So, it turned out. The Ogre pulled out the arrow and laughed again, and a moment later it was charging at him on its huge, half-human feet. Lasgol called upon his Cat-like Reflexes and Improved Agility skills, as he did whenever he found himself in danger. Both skills activated at once, and two green flashes ran through his body. He retreated at a run toward the forest behind him.
The Ogre ran after him and gave a roar that made his hair stand on end. If it caught up with him it would tear him to shreds, but luckily with his skills active he could escape. Suddenly he felt a tremendous blow in his back and fell forward. He hit the ground hard and rolled over himself several times. What could have happened? He leapt to his feet like lightning thanks to his skills, and felt another hard blow in his chest that hurled him backwards. A stone the size of an apple rolled on the ground beside him.
The Ogre was throwing stones at him!
He was about to get back up, but it was too late. The beast was on top of him. It put one foot on his chest and pressed, preventing him from getting up. The pressure was so great that he thought it would break all the bones in his chest. The Ogre, rising above him like a bestial tower of flesh and bone, laughed. An almost human laugh, deep and guttural. It was going to kill him. But then he saw Ona out of the corner of his eye, and his faithful snow panther leapt on to the Ogre to defend him.
Ona, no!
The panther went for the Ogre’s throat, but it saw her and raised his arm to hit her. She was thrown through the air and fell several paces away. With her reflexes she managed to turn in mid-air and land on her feet, but Lasgol could hear that she was moaning in pain. She was injured. At that moment Camu appeared behind the Ogre and climbed up its back as far as its head in a couple of leaps.
Lasgol was petrified. What did his partner intend to do? It did not take long to find out. Camu bit the beast in the back of its neck with all his strength. Lasgol assumed that this would have no effect on the monster, but he was wrong. The beast roared with rage and reached both hands to the back of its neck to grab its attacker. It could not manage to do this with its left, because Camu was clinging to its back with his adhesive palms. But it succeeded with its right hand and hurled its attacker ten paces away. Camu hit the ground hard, unprepared.
Lasgol feared he had sustained a serious injury, or worse than that.
Camu!
Camu, stretched out on the ground unmoving, made no reply.
Ona. Protect Camu, Lasgol ordered. The injured panther limped over to where Camu was lying, although she was in no condition to do much either for him or for herself. Lasgol, seeing his two friends injured and helpless, felt such a pang of anxiety that he almost stopped breathing.
The Ogre laughed again and stared at Lasgol with enormous eyes that shone with satisfaction. It was going to tear the three of them apart, and very probably eat them alive. Lasgol swallowed, feeling the situation was desperate. He tried to get out from under the monster’s foot, but the pressure on his chest was too strong. With his right hand he took out his Ranger’s knife and prepared to stick it deep in the side of that foot. He reached out to strike the blow, but the Ogre saw him and with his other foot stepped on both hand and knife. Lasgol cried out in pain. He was totally helpless now. With his torso and one hand crushed against the ground, there was nothing he could do.
The monster turned to Camu and Ona and roared, as if daring them to attack.
Don’t come near! It’s too strong! Lasgol transmitted, to stop them from trying to help him. Ona
