As promised, here’s the next chapter in the fanfiction I set in the world of Conan the Barbarian!

In case you missed it, here’s a link to the first chapter!

And now, on to Chapter Eight!

Before climbing, the three women warriors grabbed three fallen mercenaries and dragged them into the cave just off the Eunuch’s Ear. They removed the chain mail from the men and claimed it as theirs. Asthara and Runi secured scimitars at their backs. Kesisa favored her chains.

They remained surprised yet thankful that in the time it took them to change, the other mercenaries had not descended to attack them.

Looking to the slaves who had retreated to the cave at the sight of the giant lizard monster, Runi realized they’d be no help in this final leg of their escape.

Armed and prepared, the women emerged from the cave, ready to battle.

Kesisa, being the only one uninjured, began the ascent first —

The mercenaries rewarded her with a volley of spears, one of which pierced her side. She lost her hold on the wall and fell a few feet to the Eunuch’s Ear.

Asthara quickly picked up one of the spears and tossed it back. The weapon impaled one of the mercenaries. He fell back from the ground-level edge, stumbling into people behind him.

Runi checked on Kesisa. The young Hyrkanian had hurt more than her pride; the spear had pierced her chain mail, cutting across her shoulder. Kesisa waved Runi away, insisting the wound would only strengthen her rage.

The women made a second attempt to reach the top of the pit. This time, despite the pain, they succeeded — but Asthara lost her scimitar on the climb. Worse, six Pelishtim mercenaries, all brandishing spears, surrounded them.

“A valiant effort, ladies,” an effete-looking man with dark brown skin said from a position just behind the mercenaries. He wore a long sun jacket and matching pants, unsuitable for the climate but perfect for the courts of Koth. The women would write him off as a dandy out of his element were it not for the scimitar at his side and the threatening expression on his face.

“Unfortunately, your efforts are for naught,” he said. “You see, there are only two choices left to you now. Die by the spear or die from the fall.”

Kesisa didn’t appreciate his condescending tone. “We’ve come this far because we created our own choices, slaver,” she said.

Before the mercenaries could react, Kesisa reached behind Runi and grabbed her scimitar. Kesisa threw the weapon over the heads of the mercenaries to her left. The effort shot pain through her shoulder and brought her to her knees.

“You throw away our weapon?” Runi asked, alarmed at Kesisa’s seemingly poor choice. But then she noted the twirling blade’s trajectory.

The scimitar bounced off the hide of the giant lizard feasting near its cage. Enraged by the disruption, the creature bellowed a sickening noise and scanned ahead for its attacker.

But to get to Kesisa, it had to go through the mercenaries. The men slowly realized this, turning their spears from the women to the lizard.

“Don’t hurt it!” the effete man, most likely the owner of the pit, said. “Just get the hell out of the way!”

Unfortunately, the horror the lizard presented transfixed the men too much to listen to their master’s words. The beast justified that horror by charging at the mercenaries. It grabbed one in its giant mouth and chomped down, severing the man’s legs and upper torso from the rest of his body, which lay firmly lodged in the lizard’s mouth.

Taking advantage of the confusion, Asthara turned to the mercenary nearest her and grabbed his spear. Despite his surprise, the man did not relinquish the weapon.

Runi swung her chain at another mercenary, striking him but doing little in the way of damage.

Kesisa, now face to face with the snarling lizard, wrapped her chain around the mercenary Asthara had wounded with the spear.

The lizard threw away the dismembered parts of his kill and charged at Kesisa. She deftly pulled the grappled mercenary into the lizard’s path. The beast caught the mercenary about the legs, snapping them from the man’s upper body. Blood painted the ground at Kesisa’s feet.

The man struggling with Asthara for the spear gave her a defiant stare, daring her to take the weapon. She backed off enough for him to push her away — but lost his footing in the effort. So close to the edge the man fell with a flailing of arms to the Eunuch’s Ear below.

Without the presence of the lizard, the slaves in the cave found their courage. Seeing the defenseless mercenary on his back, they attacked with feet and fists, beating the man senseless.

Before Asthara could retrieve the spear, one of the other mercenaries slashed her back with his spear. She grimaced from the pain but fought it enough to retrieve the fallen spear. She thrust it at her attacker, but he sidestepped her attempt.

He wasn’t as lucky on the second thrust. This one punched through the mail on his right arm, drawing blood as it severed flesh.

A second swing from Runi’s chain swept her opponent off his feet. His head crashed onto the pit’s ground-level rock, knocking him unconscious.

In a feat of ultimate daring, Kesisa released the dismembered mercenary and leaped at the giant lizard. She pushed off from its closed and chewing mouth, flipped in the air, and landed on the creature’s back.

Displeased, the lizard dropped its potential food and let out another scream. Kesisa covered her ears to avoid the noise.

Runi moved to Asthara’s side, again swinging her chain. She hit the speared mercenary, knocking him to the ground unconscious. One of the archers, identified by the empty quiver on his back, came at Runi with a scimitar. She ducked, his blade swooshing above her head.

Attempting to remove Kesisa, the lizard bucked underneath her. Kesisa’s skill at horseback served her, keeping her on the beast. She slid her chain around the thing’s snout between its mouth. She then pulled back, overextending the beast’s upper jaw. The beast stumbled perilously close to the edge of the pit.

That’s it for this chapter of Conan the Barbarian fanfiction!

To tide you over until the next chapter, check out some of my other fanfiction.

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Until next time!