As promised, here’s the epic conclusion to 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 Eleven!
However, the slaver leader underestimated his opponent’s skill.
Kesisa wrapped her chains around his blade just as he came within striking distance. With a twist, she dragged the man toward the pit’s edge. Off-balance, the man released his scimitar to attempt to hold himself upright.
He failed.
The slaver leader fell off the edge and went screaming into the pit.
The mercenary standing over Runi raised his shield to bash her with the shield’s edge.
A spear point hit his shield. Looking over, Runi saw Asthara wielding the spear. The mercenary changed targets, swinging his shield at Asthara. The blow pushed her back a few steps.
The mercenary then felt a blade hit his back. Turning, he saw Kesisa behind him, wielding his master’s scimitar. Before he could turn his shield, she attacked again.
Kesisa cleaved the man’s head from his neck.
All three women took a moment to catch their breaths. Within seconds, the sound of the giant lizard gulping down the last of its meal forced their attention to it. Luckily, it moved back to the mercenary who had collided with the creature. Oblivious to the women, the beast started munching on his shattered head.
“Wherever that bastard slaver ran to,” Asthara said, “there will be more mercenaries.”
“But possibly also horses,” Runi said.
Another noise caught their attention.
Slaves rose from the pit and onto the ground level. Some remained to help those behind them. Others spotted the fallen mercenary weaponry and grabbed what they could.
“The man most responsible for your plight lies this way!” Runi yelled to the slaves while pointing out to the tents.
The slaves seemed more concerned with bashing a nearby mercenary and running off in any direction toward what they perceived as freedom.
“Don’t you want revenge on the man who set Nazarus the Whip upon you?” Runi asked.
Some of the slaves stopped to think about Runi’s words. Several began to nod.
Runi started for the tents. “This way!”
The slaves roared in approval, all those with weapons and some without charged after Runi. Asthara and Kesisa joined the mob.
Then, one of the slaves tripped over the giant lizard’s tail.
The beast whirled its head around and snapped up the interloper in its maw. Seeing this, slaves near the lizard ran as fast and far away from the scene as their weakened legs would take them. The few who remained with Runi and her allies stopped, unsure which way to go.
“Killing the slaver will appease the beast!” Runi said.
“We’ve come this far!” Asthara said. “You don’t think we can kill that bastard?”
More approval from the slaves. Runi continued toward the tents with her allies and the slaves behind her.
The mob eventually found the stable, but the effete slaver had long since left the scene. As Runi had surmised, several other horses remained here.
Asthara leaped upon one of the horses, a maneuver that brought a modicum of pain from her wounds. After a moment, she said, “We have our freedom, ladies! Where to next?”
Runi and Kesisa also mounted horses.
“Argos is just over the Kothian Mountains,” Runi said. “We’ll find a place to rest and heal, but then I have business in Zingara.”
“The only business I have is finding the man who owns this pit and putting him down,” Kesisa said, fire in her words. “That way leads to Koshemish.”
“I feel your fire, princess,” Asthara said. “But first to Argos! I still know many a soul who can help us heal, give us the weapons to find the slaver, and help the commander with her Zingarian crusade!”
Runi headed out of the stable. “I don’t need your help.”
Asthara brought her horse in step with Runi’s horse. “Alone, neither of us would be riding away from here! Together, we can slay any foe! Even your mystery enemies.”
Kesisa looked after the two other women. Frowning, she prodded her horse to fall in with the others. “You women have warrior spirits. I’d be a fool to lose your company so soon.”
“That’s the spirit!” Asthara said. “Now off to Argos to find the pleasure of a man in our loins!”
Two days later, Abdibaal stood at the lip of the Red Pit. Beneath him, he saw limestone mountains ripe for mining with no one there to do the job. Bodies of slaves, Pelishtim mercenaries, and his handpicked lackey Nazarus the Whip littered the pit.
Such a waste.
Something brushed against Abdibaal. He turned to see the Mighty A’ghama pushing against him with its maw. Abdibaal petted the creature, who demurred at his touch. “You couldn’t have eaten those bitches?” he asked.
The creature gave no response.
Abdibaal heard footsteps approaching. He needn’t turn to face the newcomer; he knew exactly who it was.
“Did you find them?” he asked.
The newcomer spoke with a heavy voice, yet still definitively female. The voice also had a slurred speech pattern. “Three sets of horse tracks headed west. Most likely to the Kothian Mountains.”
“And you can track them from there?”
“You didn’t hire me for my beauty,” the newcomer said.
Abdibaal didn’t argue. He glanced at the woman with him. She wore a full chain mail suit covered by a dark cloak despite the heat of the Red Pit area. A black scarf covered the lower half of her face, concealing a set of scars hinted at by the slash on the left side of the woman’s face.
“Take however many mercenaries you need,” Abdibaal said. “Find them. But bring them back to me alive.” Petting the A’ghama, he said, “I have plans for those bitches.”
That’s it for this story of Conan the Barbarian fanfiction!
Until I decide what I want to turn into fanfiction next, check out some of my other fanfiction.
Or swing over to the Buy Stuff page. Catch the sale of Two Sisters, the first eBook in the new launch of my “Shadowdance” action/ urban fantasy saga, or get a free eBook from the saga.
Until next time!
