| Author: | R. Richard | ISBN: | 9781310917516 |
| Publisher: | R. Richard | Publication: | November 15, 2015 |
| Imprint: | Smashwords Edition | Language: | English |
| Author: | R. Richard |
| ISBN: | 9781310917516 |
| Publisher: | R. Richard |
| Publication: | November 15, 2015 |
| Imprint: | Smashwords Edition |
| Language: | English |
The three finally reach the western junction of three canyons. This is the dangerous part of the mission. Each man has to work down a canyon far enough to attract the Priests who will be out on patrol, because they will have noticed the landing. The Priests are masters of combat and, once each man has attracted the attention of a Priest, or reached the mouth of his canyon unopposed, he will then need to retrace his steps and again climb to the top of the West side ridge. Once he's back at the top of the ridge, he'll run North until he's well past the Temple and then he has to figure a way to cross the river to get to the pickup point. Simple enough, unless the Priests catch a man. If the Priests catch a man, the man is dead.
As he starts down the steep western end of his assigned canyon, Dommy once again has cause to regret his lack of useful education and training. He makes good money as a member of the artifact landing teams. However, he risks his life at each landing. However, it's risk his life for good money or spend his life as a low-paid, no-hope laborer.
Dommy's trip down the western end of the canyon is terrifying. It's a steep slope, but Dommy knew that. The problem is that the western end of at least his canyon is rotted, unstable rock. Dommy has no choice but to slide down the steep slope to the bottom. That's not the problem. The problem is that there's no way that Dommy is going to get back up the slope again. He'll have to exit the eastern end of the canyon and try to work North along the river valley. It's almost certain death at the hands of the Priests, but there's only the one chance for Dommy.
Dommy steels himself and works his way East along the twisting, turning bottom of the canyon. If he can avoid meeting a Priest, he has at least a chance.
Dommy works cautiously over a rise in the bottom of the canyon and finds himself staring at a Priest. Dommy is dead!
Dommy has position at the top of a slope and, with escape cut off at the western end of the canyon, the top of the slope seems as good a place as any for Dommy to die.
Dommy aims his crossbow at the Priest to at least make a fight of it. However, the Priests wear armor good enough to stop a crossbow quarrel and they're masters at the art of combat, including moving cleverly enough to avoid taking a crossbow quarrel in an unprotected spot.
The Priest moves rapidly up the slope and Dommy fires the first of the two quarrels he might get off before the Priest is upon him. The Priest sees Dommy fire and he would have avoided the quarrel except that the same treacherous footing that makes it impossible for Dommy to retreat to the western slope of the canyon causes the Priest to lose his balance. Unbalanced, the Priest can't avoid the quarrel. The Priest dies and Dommy might yet live!
Dommy walks cautiously down the slope to the Priest. He verifies that the Priest is indeed dead. Dommy catches the glimpse of a shiny sigil of some sort worn by the Priest. The sigil might be silver and Dommy removes it from the dead priest and slips the chain holding the sigil over his own neck.
Dommy then moves further East down to the mouth of the canyon. The canyon has wound its way further North than Dommy expected. Dommy glances back and sees two Priests coming out of the mouths of the two canyons further South. The sight means that the Priests have found Morg and Jer and the Priests aren't in pursuit. Thus, Morg and Jer are dead! Dommy is the only survivor on this side of the river.
Dommy’s only hope is to run North. Dommy runs, using the mile eating stride that his six foot one inch body can generate. The Priests are fierce warriors, but they're short in stature and Dommy’s survival chances are with his longer legs.
Dommy runs for a while until he spots a Priest in the flat plain to his North. Dommy’s only chance for escape leads across a river bridge that undoubtedly leads to the Temple and probably more Priests.
The three finally reach the western junction of three canyons. This is the dangerous part of the mission. Each man has to work down a canyon far enough to attract the Priests who will be out on patrol, because they will have noticed the landing. The Priests are masters of combat and, once each man has attracted the attention of a Priest, or reached the mouth of his canyon unopposed, he will then need to retrace his steps and again climb to the top of the West side ridge. Once he's back at the top of the ridge, he'll run North until he's well past the Temple and then he has to figure a way to cross the river to get to the pickup point. Simple enough, unless the Priests catch a man. If the Priests catch a man, the man is dead.
As he starts down the steep western end of his assigned canyon, Dommy once again has cause to regret his lack of useful education and training. He makes good money as a member of the artifact landing teams. However, he risks his life at each landing. However, it's risk his life for good money or spend his life as a low-paid, no-hope laborer.
Dommy's trip down the western end of the canyon is terrifying. It's a steep slope, but Dommy knew that. The problem is that the western end of at least his canyon is rotted, unstable rock. Dommy has no choice but to slide down the steep slope to the bottom. That's not the problem. The problem is that there's no way that Dommy is going to get back up the slope again. He'll have to exit the eastern end of the canyon and try to work North along the river valley. It's almost certain death at the hands of the Priests, but there's only the one chance for Dommy.
Dommy steels himself and works his way East along the twisting, turning bottom of the canyon. If he can avoid meeting a Priest, he has at least a chance.
Dommy works cautiously over a rise in the bottom of the canyon and finds himself staring at a Priest. Dommy is dead!
Dommy has position at the top of a slope and, with escape cut off at the western end of the canyon, the top of the slope seems as good a place as any for Dommy to die.
Dommy aims his crossbow at the Priest to at least make a fight of it. However, the Priests wear armor good enough to stop a crossbow quarrel and they're masters at the art of combat, including moving cleverly enough to avoid taking a crossbow quarrel in an unprotected spot.
The Priest moves rapidly up the slope and Dommy fires the first of the two quarrels he might get off before the Priest is upon him. The Priest sees Dommy fire and he would have avoided the quarrel except that the same treacherous footing that makes it impossible for Dommy to retreat to the western slope of the canyon causes the Priest to lose his balance. Unbalanced, the Priest can't avoid the quarrel. The Priest dies and Dommy might yet live!
Dommy walks cautiously down the slope to the Priest. He verifies that the Priest is indeed dead. Dommy catches the glimpse of a shiny sigil of some sort worn by the Priest. The sigil might be silver and Dommy removes it from the dead priest and slips the chain holding the sigil over his own neck.
Dommy then moves further East down to the mouth of the canyon. The canyon has wound its way further North than Dommy expected. Dommy glances back and sees two Priests coming out of the mouths of the two canyons further South. The sight means that the Priests have found Morg and Jer and the Priests aren't in pursuit. Thus, Morg and Jer are dead! Dommy is the only survivor on this side of the river.
Dommy’s only hope is to run North. Dommy runs, using the mile eating stride that his six foot one inch body can generate. The Priests are fierce warriors, but they're short in stature and Dommy’s survival chances are with his longer legs.
Dommy runs for a while until he spots a Priest in the flat plain to his North. Dommy’s only chance for escape leads across a river bridge that undoubtedly leads to the Temple and probably more Priests.
