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Time to end this. Farrendel whirled and charged toward the remaining troll. The distraction of Essie wielding Farrendel’s magic had been enough for Julien to skip back a few paces to gain breathing room.

The troll surged forward, yelling as he swung his sword. He was so intent on Julien, that he did not seem to notice Farrendel until Farrendel was nearly upon the two of them. The troll tried to check his swing and turn to face Farrendel, but he was too late.

Farrendel grabbed the troll’s shoulder and used his momentum to hook a leg over the troll’s sword arm. As Julien blocked the troll’s frantic stab, Farrendel gripped his sword in both hands and drove it into the troll’s chest all the way to the hilt.

RHARRETH THREW himselfbackwards to avoid the swing of Drurvas’s ax. The large, double-bladed head passed so close Rharreth could feel the chill breeze of its swing past his face. He countered with a sword thrust, even as he kept his shield in place.

Drurvas blocked Rharreth’s sword thrust with his shield, then hammered his ax into the side of Rharreth’s shield, trying to knock it from his grip.

Gritting his teeth, Rharreth held tightly to his shield. Against the battle-ax, he would be dead if he lost his shield.

Lips drawn back in a snarl, Drurvas hefted his battle-ax again. The impact against Rharreth’s shield rattled him from his arm and shoulder all the way down to his toes.

Rharreth surged forward, trying to find a weak spot in Drurvas’s defenses. But Drurvas blocked each strike and stab with his shield, and any time that Rharreth tried to gain an advantage, that deadly battle-ax came whistling toward Rharreth’s head.

Somewhere in the distance, Rharreth registered shouting. A crackle of familiar magic filled the air, but Rharreth could not take his attention away from Drurvas long enough to look.

Drurvas lashed out with his foot, and Rharreth jumped back. Drurvas swung his ax again, and this time he hooked the edge of Rharreth’s shield and yanked so hard that he sent Rharreth stumbling forward a moment before his shield was ripped from his arm.

Rharreth tried to throw himself backwards, but he was too late and too off balance.

Drurvas smashed his shield into Rharreth’s face, and Rharreth stumbled, then fell. Another strike from Drurvas’s shield sent Rharreth all the way to his back, the stone cold against his skin.

With that smirk on his face, Drurvas stalked to Rharreth and leered over him. “There is no yield this time, Rharreth. This time, I finally get to finish you.”

Rharreth forced himself to remain calm. He no longer had his shield, but he still had his sword, though it was partially pinned beneath him. He was not about to give up, and he would have one chance to do the unexpected.

Dropping his shield to the side, Drurvas planted his foot on Rharreth’s chest and raised his ax in both hands. “I never could have defeated Charvod. But you, Rharreth, are weak. Now die and show all of Kostaria that you were unworthy to be king.”

The ax flashed down. Rharreth gripped Drurvas’s leg with his free hand and used the leverage to roll off his sword. He thrust upward even as Drurvas put his whole body behind the downward chop. Drurvas’s eyes widened, but he could not stop his momentum as he plowed forward into Rharreth’s sword.

The ax chopped into Rharreth’s right shoulder, slicing through bone and muscle with a shock of pain. Yelling, Rharreth rolled away from Drurvas and staggered to his feet. His sword dropped from his nerveless fingers, clanking onto the stone at his feet.

Drurvas sank to his knees, blood pouring from his stomach. But he still gripped his ax, that grin turning maniacal as he glared at Rharreth. He gasped wetly as he struggled to raise the ax. “I will kill you.”

Black spots danced before Rharreth’s vision as blood spurted from the deep wound in his shoulder. His right arm hung uselessly at his side, but his left still functioned, though it ached, and he was pretty sure some bones in his hand were broken when he’d lost his shield.