"Jim Theis - The Eye of Argon (2)" - читать интересную книгу автора (Theis Jim)

oaken handled transfixing the center of the weapon's iron head. Adorning
the torso's of both of the sentries were thin yet sturdy hauberks, the
breatplates of which were woven of tightly hemmed twines of reinforced
silver braiding. Cupping the soldiers' feet were thick leather sandals,
wound about their shins to two inches below their knees. Wrapped about
their waists were wide satin girdles, with slender bladed poniards dangling
loosely from them, the hilts of which featured scarlet encrusted gems.
Resting upon the manes of their heads, and reaching midway to their brows
were smooth copper morions. Spiraling the lower portion of the helmet were
short, up-curved silver spikes, while a golden hump spired from the top of
each basinet. Beneath their chins, wound around their necks, and draping
their clad shoulders dangled regal purple satin cloaks, which flowed midway
to the soldiers feet.
hand over hand, feet braced against the dank walls of the enclosure,
huge Grignr ascended from the moldering dephs of the forlorn abyss. His
swelled limbs, stiff due to the boredom of a timeless inactivity,
compounded by the musty atmosture and jagged granite protuberan against his
body, craved for action. The opportunity now presenting itself served the
purpose of oiling his rusty joints, and honing his dulled senses.
He braced himself, facing the second soldier. The sentry's stature
was was wildly exaggerated in the glare of the flickering cresset cuppex in
his right fist. His eyes were wide open in a slightly slanted owlish
glaze, enhanced in their sinister intensity by the hawk-bill curve of his
nose andpale yellow pique of his cheeks.
"Place your hands behind your back," said the second soldier as he
raised his ax over his right shoulder blade and cast it a wavering glance.
"We must bind your wrists to parry any attempts at escape. Be sure to make
the knot a stout one, Broig, we wouldn't want our guest to take leave of
our guidance."
Broig grasped Grignr's left wrist and reached for the barbarians's
right wrist. Grignr wrenched his right arm free and swilveled to face
Broig, reach- beneath his loin cloth with his right hand. The sentry
grappled at his girdle for the sheathed dagger, but recoiled short of his
intentions as Grignr's right arm swept to his gorge. The soldier went
limp, his bobbing eyes rolling beneath fluttering eyelids, a deep welt
across his spouting gullet. Without lingering to observe the result of his
efforts, Grignr dropped to his knees. The second soldier's axe cleft over
Grignr's head in a blze of silvered ferocity, severing several scarlet
locks from his scalp. Coming to rest in his fellow's stomach, the iron
head crashed through mail and flesh with splintering force, spilling a pool
of crimsoned entrails over the granite paving.
Before the sentry could wrench his axe free from his comrade's
carcass, he found Grignr's massive hands clasped about his throat, choking
the life from his clamped lungs. With a zealous grunt, the Ecordian flexed
his tightly corded biceps, forcing the grim faced soldier to one knee. The
sentry plunged his right fist into Grignr's face, digging his grimy nails
into the barbarians flesh. Ejaculating a curse through rasping teeth,
grignr surged the bulk of his weight foreard, bowling the beseiged soldier
over upon his back. The sentry's arms collapsed to his thigh, shuddering
convulsively; his bulging eyes staring blindly from a bloated ,cherry red