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"That's going to hurt," Mordrim winced after they hacked through enough of the underbrush to see the female ape rise up above someone.
"You would know," Garrick muttered.
"Get in there and help!" Kar snapped at the two warriors. "I'll keep her busy."
The wizard released a spell he'd been holding ready and sent three glowing white globes floating through the air. They circled the female just above her head, distracting her. She swiped at one and made contact with it, only to shriek in pain and pull her hand back a moment later. She held her hand and stared at it, and then looked up at the other two white lights and swatted at the next one. The result, predictably, was the same.
Namitus launched himself forward, diving through her legs and hacking at the leg he'd already wounded with his scimitar. He kept running, heading down the trail she'd already trampled through the vegetation. The forest burst out at him on his left, startling him and forcing his swords up to intercept the attack that never came.
Mordrim picked himself up off the ground and adjusted his dirty helm, and then turned and let loose a dwarvish roar to rival those of the apes. Garrick followed behind him, shirtless and brandishing his great sword.
The ape had turned and sat on her haunches to look at her hands. She sniffed them and then looked up to see the dwarf and barbarian running through the weeds. She snarled and fell forward on all fours, and then used her left hand to swing at Mordrim.
Mordrim met her swinging fist with his hammer, cracking dwarven steel against flesh and bone. She roared in rage even though the dwarf was sent flying into the vegetation. She retreated to her hind legs, standing and pulling her freshly broken fingers up to stare at them.
Garrick gave her no quarter. He thrust up and into her belly with his great sword and then ripped it out, creating a gap that blood burst from. She shrieked again in pain and fear and kicked at him as he side-stepped. Her foot glanced off the barbarian, forcing him into a wall of vines and flowers. He was tripped up by the brambles and fell just in time to avoid her hand that swept away the greenery he'd bounced off of.
Another spell struck the ape, this one channeling magic into small balls of fire that burst when they hit her, confusing and scorching her. Mordrim crawled out of the bushes, weeds sticking out of the plates in his armor, and swung his hammer into her ankle. The resounding crack echoed through the woods.
The female fell and slammed her back and head into the cliff wall. Mordrim ran after her and grabbed a handful of fur on her leg so he could climb onto her thigh. She shook her head and grunted, and then stared down at the dwarf as he stood on her lap and drove his hammer into her jaw.
The ape's head snapped back into the cliff, stunning her again. She dropped her head forward, right back into another swing from the dwarf, this one smashing into her face between her eyes. The female jerked, knocking Mordrim off balance and into the weeds beside her, and then lay slumped and lifeless against the cliff.
Bucky charged in and towered over her. He stood up and looked around, sniffing and turning until he saw Garrick picking himself up. The ape howled and grabbed the man up as he tried to rise. He clenched Garrick tightly and raised him towards his open mouth. Garrick's arms and sword were above the ape's grip but the pressure made him grimace in pain and struggle to loosen Bucky's fingers.
A ray of light speared through the darkness from the holy symbol Karthor held in his hand. It struck Bucky in the face and made the ape rise up and shield his eyes with his other hand. Garrick used the distraction to reverse his sword and plunge it into the meat of Bucky's hand next to the ape's thumb. Bucky shook his hand and sent the barbarian tumbling off a tree and into a mess of vines that stretched from the tree to the ground.
Bucky turned away from Karthor's blinding light long enough to grab up a rock nearly as tall as Mordrim. He hurled it at the priest and sent the man leaping away, ruining his concentration and his spell. Kar struck the ape with more of his magic, weaving a spell that spun the same sticky strands he'd once used to save a falling child from a window as a trap to stop the ape from moving.
Bucky snorted and burst the magical net apart. He started towards Karthor, who was centering himself and making ready to call upon Leander's aid again. Alto burst out of the greenery, blood staining the side of his face and his left arm clutched against his side. He snarled at the ape and approached it, stepping in front of the priest without even a glance at him.
Patrina ran down the path Bucky had made through the forest, her axe held in both hands, and slipped past Karthor to slow and walk at Alto's side. The two warriors parted, Alto going left as much as the jungle vegetation would allow and Patrina to the right. Bucky flared his lips and snorted, and then pounded the ground hard enough to make it tremble. He rose up and slammed his hands into his chest and roared out a challenge to them. Patrina and Alto rushed in and hewed at his legs while he taunted them.
Bucky fell forward but his hands caught him. He started to spin to deal with Alto but then Patrina's axe cleaved into his shin. He tumbled to his knee and blindly swiped at her. Patrina went to a knee to duck his hand but he still clipped her shoulder and sent her rolling into a wall of bushes that concealed a large rock they'd overgrown. She lay stunned and unable to catch her breath from the impact.
Alto swung his sword up and dug the tip of his magical weapon into Bucky's side. The ape twisted back around and threw his body at Alto, trying to crush him by rolling over him. The warrior was thrown back by the impact and pulled his arms in to protect himself as the ape succeeded in laying on his legs and hips. Only Alto's armor and the soft jungle floor saved him from being crushed.
A bloodcurdling scream preceded a dark shape swinging through the air on a vine. Bucky stared up as Carson landed on his chest hard enough to make the ape grunt. The woodsman rolled and jumped to his feet, and then drew one of his blades and held the tip of it at Bucky's throat. He started to drive it home and then stopped when his eyes locked with the ape's.
Isle of the Ape Page 36