With his shield on his back and his weapons hanging from his belt, Bonn Skaard grappled for the rope. His large hands squeezed around it as he slipped down several feet, the rope cutting into his palms.
Nazeer guards ran toward him with swords drawn. He swung his foot, knocking the helmet off one of the guards. Freeing his hand, he pulled his ax from his belt and swung it in a clean arc at their heads. The guards took cover as Leiffen threw another exploding orb in their faces.
Nargos, drooling with rage, sputtered words of vengeance as he roughly pulled the crossbow from the hands of a blinded guard and aimed it at Bonn, who was now climbing the rope hand over fist. Bonn turned his back, and the arrow punctured his shield. Cursing, Nargos loaded an arrow into the crossbow while another line of guards rushed at the Skaard warrior.
Bonn swung toward the wall where Leiffen stood, catching a returning orb in his hand. Warding off arrows with his shield, Bonn landed on top of the wall next to his friend. Wasting no time, they both leaped to the other side, landing together on the back of the Roan. The startled horse reared up with a great whinny, hooves scissoring the air, and lurched forward with Bonn riding in front and Leiffen dangling off the rump as they headed for the Crags.
Four Nazeers followed behind, their mounts whipping up clouds of red dust. Hanging onto the saddle with one arm, Leiffen turned and threw a silver orb at the small cavalry. The riders circumvented the explosion, separating into two lines without slowing their strides.
Bonn and Leiffen ran the Roan hard. When they, reached the Crags at last, the Great Vulcan reared high above their heads, casting a black shadow on the dark ground.
"Where's the girl?" Bonn groaned.
Leiffen whistled, and Starlex, her face a pale oval of fear, stepped timidly out of the darkness, leading the Stellarion, the horse unusually calm in her presence.
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Bonn jumped from the lathered Roan, landing on Stellarion’s back. Then, with one strong arm, he pulled Starlex up and onto the saddle behind him.
She gripped him tightly around the waist as the horse leaped forward. She could feel Bonn’s taut muscles as he heeled the horse into a fast canter up the winding path. She peered back over her shoulder. Gazing through her loose silver tresses, she saw the Nazeer cavalry quickly approaching.
Leiffen, riding the slower Roan behind them, caught a returning silver orb in his hand and threw it backward at the Nazeers. The calvary ran into the explosion. The horses reared into the bright light, tossing their riders into the weeds.
"We'll never outrun them!" Leiffen shouted up the path to Bonn. "I'll head them off here. You two keep going!" He brought the Roan to a rearing halt and hopped off. The lathering horse settled behind a rock wall while Leiffen climbed to the top of a large boulder.
Bonn heeled the stallion up the steep path. His bronze shield hung from the side of the saddle, banging against Starlex's thighs with each stride.
Her heart in her throat, she lifted her head to the red sky, blackened by scudding clouds. It was at least a few hours before dawn. The path was steep and narrow, bordered by jutting rocks on one side and a steep drop into a lava canyon on the other.
A cool breeze kissed her cheek as Raki flew low overhead. Swooping down, the large purple bird cawed loudly.
"She's trying to tell us something," Starlex shouted through Bonn's rustling blond locks. "The bird!"
Bonn glanced up briefly, then again fixed his gaze on the path ahead. A vibration rumbled along the ground, making Stellarion snort nervously. Starlex felt it, too. Again the bird swooped down, nearly touching their heads.
"She's trying to warn us!"
"Yes," Bonn grunted. "Warn us the Nazeers are coming. And if we don't ride hard, they'll catch us."
From atop the boulder, as he prepared to throw another orb, Leiffen felt the rumblings, too. He looked up and gasped. Black smoke poured from the red-tipped volcano. A raging cauldron boiled from within, shaking the rocky sides and sending down clouds of red dust and loose boulders.
"Heavens!" Lieffen shouted.
He jumped from the rock onto the Roan's back and charged up the hill. He had to warn Bonn about a danger far worse than the advancing Nazeer cavalry.
The Great Vulcan was about to blow!