Sabit scrambled away from the fallen man’s reach, every muscle shrieking in agony. She tried to pull herself to her feet, only to have her legs collapse beneath her. Crawling would have to do. The bridge gave her only two directions: backward toward the other bandits, or forward into the unknown. The bandits had her … Read more
Sabit’s lungs fought against the bandit king’s weight, dragging in one more breath. His powerful hands pried her mouth open, despite the desperate fury of her defense. The pressure on her jaw was agony. The tattoos writhed across his skin everywhere Sabit clawed at him, making his touch as unyielding as stone. The blue and … Read more
The weight of the bandit king pressed down on Sabit’s gut as he loomed over her. She could not catch her breath. He laid one slab-like hand on her forehead while he grasped her jaw with stubby fingers that felt as solid as stone. The scent of rancid oil oozed from his skin. “Call me … Read more
Sabit’s hand prickled with tiny jolts of pain where the bronze adze-head had flown from her grasp. Staring at the bandit king in shock, Sabit took note of the deep blue and black tattoo-lines on his neck writhing across his skin like a ball of serpents. “You hide behind your magic, coward!” Sabit spat. The … Read more
Hearing the bandit’s gruff voice, Sabit put her hand to her shoulder—and was reminded of dropping her iron-tipped spear on the distant shore when she dashed for the serpent. Sabit carried no other weapon—her hands were sore and empty. If only she had kept hold of the snake! She slid out from under the cart, … Read more
Dropping the three bandit bows she carried on the mahogany planks, Sabit dashed for the writhing green serpent. Her powerful legs carried her across the bridge with a speed like the wind. The donkey’s turn of head was faster. Seeing the thin, green form it its path, the animal reared up, legs flailing in the … Read more
The sun was still high in the sky when the two travelers heard the rushing of water over the buzzing, screeching din of the forest. The river cut a thin gash in the shady canopy overhead, shafts of light catching insects flitting to and fro. Approaching the river, the roadway’s clearing spread out to encompass … Read more
Sabit sprung from a shadowy clump of ferns behind the three bandits. With swift strikes, the shaft of her spear found the weakest points of their young bodies. Knees buckled, bellies doubled over, skulls rang. Within moments, all three bandits lay sprawled on the packed earth of the road that was their livelihood. Sabit stood … Read more
Verdandi stared into the eyes of the broad-shouldered young man before her. His right hand held the bowstring to his cheek, although his left trembled slightly. The smooth, tan skin of his face was marked by a black tattoo—its curving shape crowned with an jagged maw of pointed teeth, poised to sate their hunger from … Read more
A cacophony of buzzing insects, chirping birds, and screeching beasts assaulted the weary travelers from all sides. They walked without a word—neither the tall woman with spear in hand nor the older woman with bulging satchel on back mustered the energy to shout a conversation over the din. Above the twisted road and the hot, … Read more