With that, he swung hard. The mace struck the beast on the side of the skull. The amalok let loose with an abbreviated bark, then dropped to its knees. Despite the force with which the grand lord had struck it, the amalok was only stunned.
But that was enough for the handlers to hoist and shove the dazed animal toward the griffons-
With tremendous eagerness, the winged beasts went to work tearing the frantic amalok to bloody shreds. Their talons they used like lions on the hunt, holding the prey down, and with their beaks, they stabbed and ripped at the amalok’s long throat.
As the griffons fought over the grisly scraps, a temple warrior stepped outside. A moment later a horn sounded and the roar of the crowd briefly drowned out the griffons’ squabbling.
Golgren signaled for the next amalok. As it was brought forward, the winged predators lost interest in what remained of their first victim. They strained at their chains, eager for fresher blood.
There was suddenly a screech of distressed metal, and in the next breath, the griffon in front of them managed to break its chain. Fortunately, it was so startled by its own success that it hesitated, disbelieving that it might be free. That enabled Golgren, directly in its path, to leap out of the way.
Another warrior jumped in to help Golgren. He pulled the grand lord up and away, but just as Golgren regained his footing, his would-be rescuer vanished in a flurry of monstrous talons. Blood and gobbets of flesh rained down on the ogre leader.
Seizing up the mace, Golgren staunchly swatted at the winged beast. The head of his weapon struck the side of the griffon’s skull but had less effect than it had on the amalok. Screeching, the griffon pressed its attack, slashing at Golgren, forcing the half-breed to retreat.
But as Golgren backed away, he heard a rattling sound coming from deeper inside, followed by the clatter of heavy chains. The other griffon had also somehow broken free, multiplying his danger and persuading the grand lord that it was no mere accident. The chains were constantly tested, especially before something so momentous as that ceremony.
Someone had taken the opportunity to prepare the trap, intending that the powerful predators-driven to a frenzy by so much nearby fresh meat and blood-would run riot. That both griffons had done so at the same time was a stroke of luck for the evildoer and a stroke of misfortune for Golgren.
The griffon dived for him again, snapping at him with a beak huge enough to rip the ogre’s head off. Golgren deflected one such lunge, but the beast’s talons came close enough to tear his robe and leave a line of gashes across his stomach. The grand lord gave thanks to his patron spirit, aware of the irony that said patron was a griffon, as he twisted and dodged to keep alive.
Then to each side of him appeared a temple guard. With their long spears, they were better able to parry the griffon as another figure-Khleeg-forcibly drew his lord toward the entrance.
But Golgren was caught between survival and reputation. His retreat couldn’t be perceived as cowardly. The grand lord could not be seen as being rescued by helpmates, as an infant or a female.
So he broke free of Khleeg, startling the ogre. Before the officer could protest, Golgren seized a sword left by the slaughtered guard. “All out!” he commanded. The grand lord pointed at Stefan Rennert, who was frozen in place, but also had his weapon out and ready. “Khleeg! Remove the knight!”
Knowing better than to argue, Khleeg slapped his breastplate and followed orders. With a meaty hand, he dragged the knight away. The guards shifted toward the entrance.
Then, from behind the griffons, a figure appeared that turned Golgren’s plan upside down. Idaria pressed against the far wall, her face calm despite being painfully aware of the terrible risk surrounding her. The griffons, intent on the busy prey in front of them, had somehow failed to notice the easier target.
There was no reason for Golgren to do anything but leave the female slave to her fate. One elf more or less meant nothing to the ogre realms or the continent of Ansalon itself.
But then …
Golgren charged toward where Idaria stood. Both his followers and the beasts were caught by surprise by his audacious action. Khleeg let out a grunt of dismay. The nearest griffon took a swat at Golgren, but the grand lord evaded the blow. Dropping from a run, he slid under the second monster just shy of its beak. As he passed, he let the keen edge of his blade cut a gash across the griffon’s underside.
As the winged predator shrieked and bucked from the pain, Golgren rolled to a halt and stood before the elf.
“Come!” he barked, stretching out his maimed limb. Her expression still steady, Idaria grabbed hold. The grand lord guided them both to where Khleeg and several warriors desperately maneuvered to keep open a narrow escape route for the two.
One griffon, though, suddenly recalled its wings, and even though those wings were clipped, they were strong enough to assist the freed beast in leaping through the air. The creature soared over the heads of the guards, escaping to the outside.
With a curse at having lost the one griffon, Golgren battled against the other. The escaping griffon would no doubt wreak catastrophe outside. Eventually it would be brought down, but any deaths or destruction it caused would undermine his power. Many would read in that episode not only a distinct lack of favor from the patron spirit, but worse omens ahead.
Grand khans had been deposed for far less.
The griffon’s beak came at Golgren again, snapping within inches of his face. He swung his sword, which clattered against the griffon’s maw, only serving to annoy the beast.
Suddenly, the lone monster was surrounded by Khleeg and the guards. Golgren almost swore at the officer for failing to heed his order to retreat-especially with the second griffon on the loose-but he knew that Khleeg was single-mindedly devoted to his lord’s welfare. The escaped beast was a secondary concern, no matter how much carnage it might unleash.
Golgren swept past his warriors, not even sparing a glance at Khleeg. Idaria held tight to his arm as they left the temple. Outside, however, they were still not safe.
There, the grand lord beheld Sir Stefan Rennert and a pair of guards attempting to keep the second beast at bay. The human’s countenance was twisted into so fierce an expression that he almost resembled an ogre. Along the creature’s path, three guards lay mauled and a fourth hung back, his arm in tatters.
The throng had edged away to a safe perimeter. Golgren’s impressionable and superstitious people were not quite certain how to read the chaos. The grand lord would have preferred that they had all simply fled in case he further disgraced himself.
Golgren glanced at Idaria, commanding, “To the palace! Return to the palace!”
Confident in her obedience, the ogre leader paid her no further mind; he rushed to aid the knight, who might still be of value should they actually live to discuss Golgren’s proposed “alliance.” But as he neared man and beast, a shadow loomed over him. Golgren heard the familiar cry and knew that the other griffon had slipped past Khleeg and the others.
The ogre barely had time to whirl about and defend himself. He struggled to bring his sword up to meet his foe.
Razor-sharp talons and a monstrous beak bore down on Golgren …
XIII
If the griffon had just leaped a little more to his left, the ogre would have stood a chance, but-
Then the winged beast let out a harsh cry and twisted in midflight. Its shift in trajectory brought it exactly where Golgren desired.
Aware he was still in great danger of being crushed, the grand lord nevertheless used all his strength to force the blade up.
The sword drove into the griffon’s underside, digging deep just below the rib cage and cutting down into the belly. A shower of steaming blood and other fluids drenched Golgren, nearly gagging him. The griffon let out an ear-splitting shriek.