Guns of Mars 26
A Martian action-adventure by The Legend Chuck Dixon
CHAPTER 7.5
The Samathaan tore his foot from the stirrup in time to avoid having his leg lopped off. The saber continued its arc to sever the cinch holding the saddle to the mount. As the massive creature dropped to its forelegs with a mighty impact, the rider was thrown, saddle and all, to the side. Thark and thoat slid away together as Kal whipped his blade from the opening gash. Steaming entrails fell in a ropey pile with the thoat rolling on its side where it pinned the rider to the ground with its bulk.
With a single bound, Kal was atop the body of the thrashing thoat where he drove his blade point first deep into the chest of his trapped enemy.
The father of the slain pair was returning to his senses, and attempting to rise from the sand. His mouth ran with blood, the jagged end of a freshly broken tusk visible in the red mush. Kal took his head from his shoulders with a single slash. It tumbled away, the expression of bestial fury forever frozen on its features.
Kal dropped, spent, to his knees in the sand. He was covered over in the blood of the warriors and their mounts. His own thark, pulling the pack animal behind it, was fleeing up the sluice ramp with the remaining Samathaan mount chasing it as though in a race.
Kal leaned on the sword hilt, the crimson stained blade driven point first into the sand. He appraised his new situation and was generally pleased with his improved prospects.
Though there was still the bounty man to deal with.
Special Note: GUNS OF MARS is now available in a hardcover edition. It is available at Amazon and at NDM Express.
