Rise of Fire: Dragons Reborn [COMPLETED]

Chapter 33

The scream was trapped in his throat. He kicked and struggled but with each twist and strike his strength waned. His lungs were screaming, his head felt like it was about to explode. Tears streamed from his eyes as every movement jarred his arm. He was succumbing to the agony as white lights clouded his vision.

'Is this what Talia feels every time she breaks a bone?' Nazir never physically punished him, he had never had the misfortune of suffering a broken bone. Looking at his arm he watched in mounting horror as white bone protruded from dark red meat. He was bleeding profusely which added to his lightheadedness. The minotaur was reaching for his other arm again now that he had disposed of Talia's threat.

"Do you think she broke her back like I'm about to break this arm?" The beast laughed as his fingers started to crush Nico's other arm. He would have screamed but he couldn't even bring himself to groan, the monster was still choking the life out of him. He wanted to spit at the creature, to summon hoards of dead upon him but... He couldn't. He was starting to realize why Talia had lost, the creature was all too prepared for the fight while they were blindsided.

"Put the boy down beast." Bromyr's voice sounded odd to Nico, perhaps it was the way it warbled in and out of focus as he clung desperately to the last shreds of consciousness. He wondered if the minotaur would break and kill him just as he had done to Talia and himself. The creature seemed to revel in cruelty after all.

"Ah, the famed Prince of the Stars. I was wondering when you'd show up, I've been fantasizing about killing you for a long time." The minotaur threw Nico to the side as he focused himself entirely on the dwarven band.

"I'm sorry, I don't believe we know each other." Bromyr drew his axe from it's place on his back while Floki did the same on his left. Both dwarves prepared for a frontal assault while the others started to circle cautiously.

"No, I don't recon we do." The minotaur laughed as he swung his massive battle-axe downward. He had every intention of cleaving both dwarves in half in an instant but to his ire they both dodged nimbly away.

Nico watched Bromyr and Floki toy with the beast as Grimor, Rombier, and Killo attempted to position themselves to take out the beast at the legs. As it would swing down at Bromyr or Floki Grimor or Killo would lunge in and take a swipe at the monster's cloven hooves or his hamstrings. Their fighting style indicated that they had battled such creatures before and knew well how to incapacitate and kill one but this particular minotaur was not normal. Their efforts were in vain as it continued to dodge their attacks and press them back.

"Where's that damned half giant!" Bromyr hissed as he blocked a heavy blow from the minotaur. The sound of metal clanging on metal rang in Nico's ears as he tried to shake his mind back into functioning order. Where had she gone again? Everything was still fuzzy.

"You should worry about where I'll be putting you dwarf, else you'll find your head on the ground next to your body!" The minotaur swung his axe again as he blocked Grimor's attack. Bromyr lunged forward to slice at the minotaur's groin only to find the axe nearly cutting the tip of his nose off. He leapt back once more to block the axe as it came back around. The beast was faster than any normal minotaur and likely twice as strong, he had never encountered such difficult foes in his life. First a dragon, then this? He spat as he tried to formulate a plan on how to keep himself and his men alive.

"Talia..." Nico croaked as he finally managed to pull himself into a sitting position. He could remember her being thrown... Was she ok? He looked into the darkness of the temple wondering just why she hadn't resurfaced to beat the demon's ass like she normally would have.