Page 13 of Storm of Fury
“Behead them,” she roared back. “Cut them to pieces if possible. Or burn them.”
The war axe cleared its sheath. It felt good to have something solid in his hand. His pulse was still raging out of control. “Back to back then. Don’t let them break through.”
Bryn strode forward to meet the first draugr. “I don’t need you to guard my back, big man. I fight alone.”
Jesus. He threw her a frustrated glance, but the draugr to his left captured his attention. Its hollow eye sockets were filled with the little green marsh lights he’d seen earlier, and it stared at him as if yearning to make his acquaintance.
Judging from the rotting leather carapace that clung to its bared ribs, it had once been a woman.
“I’m sorry,” he told it. “I’ve already met my wife. And I prefer a little more… flesh, to be honest.”
The creature hissed at him, the twisted tendons of what had once been a tongue waggling at him.
“Why do you always drag me into these things?” he bellowed at his cousin as Haakon’s back met his.
“Drag you?” Haakon demanded incredulously. “You volunteered to come, you fucking idiot.”
The draugr swung its sword.
Both of them drove forward, his axe and Haakon’s sword meeting the downward blow. It should have stopped any normal creature, but the draugr possessed supernatural strength. The jar of its strike reverberated up his arm, and Tormund went to one knee, almost dropping his weapon.
For a creature compiled of rotting sinew and bones, it was remarkably strong.
“Someone has to save your fool head,” he yelled, scrambling across the ground and swiping for its calf.
Missed. Curse it.
The ringing clash of Haakon’s sword echoed frantically. “You’re the one on your ass!”
Muscles bunching, Tormund swung back the other way, smashing the spiked end of his axe into the creature’s foot. It let out a roar, momentarily thrown off-balance, and he scrambled upright.
Haakon’s sword slashed across its abdomen, spewing ropelike innards and a gush of green bile.
Tormund’s stomach rebelled the second the smell hit him, and he dry heaved as the creature roared and started… growing.
Frigg’s tits, what would it take to kill this fucking thing?
He examined his axe, examined the creature who now stood head and shoulders above him, and then lifted the axe over his head and hurled it directly into the draugr’s chest. The draugr screamed, its ribs caving in beneath the blow, but it merely staggered back three steps, then locked its gaze upon him.
“Tormund!” Sirius roared.
Tormund turned just as thedrekilaunched into the skies, his human arms stretching into wings. Sirius erupted into an enormous creature carved of scales, fury and violence.
The blackdrekilaunched forward, its teeth snapping around the draugr’s head. With a wrench the Blackfrost ripped it off, tossing it aside with a vicious fling. The body fell backwards, Tormund’s axe sticking out of it.
“That’s one way to kill it,” Tormund muttered, yanking his axe from the draugr’s chest and breathing hard. He paused. “What’s he doing…?”
Thedrekiturned and shook its head. Its lithe, snakelike neck whipped back and forth, and then it retched. Scrabbling at his mouth with his foreclaws, the Blackfrost’s tongue spilled from his mouth, and then he drove his head into a nearby pool of stagnant water and shook it violently.
Draugar apparently did not taste very nice.
“I think that’s possibly the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen.” Tormund shook his head. “And now I owe that bastard an ale.”
“Behind you,” Haakon warned.
They turned to find another of the massive creatures advancing upon them. This one wore a scraggly beard that fell to its knees and an old helmet.
“Mine,” Haakon said grimly, holding his sword low. “Go see how our guide is faring. Bryn’s smaller than we are, and I don’t know how well she can wield that sword.”
