But at least two humans had run off into the underbrush, trying to escape them. I turned off the dinosaur trail and started after them. Less than ten minutes later I saw that a single dinosaur’s tracks joined theirs; whoever was directing the raiders had sent one fighting dragon after the escapees.
The sun was setting behind a range of low hills when I saw them. In a clearing among the trees a man cowered on his knees while a woman holding an infant in her arms trembled behind him. One of Set’s clones stood before them, not much taller than the woman, his scales the salmon pink of a barely adult Shaydanian. Off to the edge of the clearing hunched a two-legged dragon, his fierce head nearly as tall as the young trees, his eyes glittering with hunger.
I saw that the Shaydanian was about to kill the man. He grasped him by the throat, drawing blood with his claws.
I shouted, “Leave him alone!” And raised my spear over my head.
The Shaydanian turned, hissing surprise, as I hurled the spear with all my strength. It struck him in the chest, knocking him over backward. He fell practically on top of the startled little family of humans.
The dragon turned toward me also. I focused on it and for a dizzying instant saw the scene through its slitted eyes: the human male still on his knees, gaping at the dead reptilian; the female looking shocked, clutching the baby to her breast; and the tall broad-shouldered Orion standing a dozen yards away, hands empty, weaponless.
I willed the dragon to go off and rejoin the others. I gave it the mental picture of chasing down goats and cows and even bears. It hissed like a teakettle and raised itself to its full height on its two powerful legs. Its head bobbed back and forth between the little family and me, as if uncertain of what to do. We certainly made an easy meal for it. I concentrated as hard as I could on directing it away from us. Finally it pranced off through the trees.
I let loose a breath I had been holding for what seemed like hours. The man climbed painfully to his feet. I saw that his back was crisscrossed with claw slashes oozing blood. I started toward the trio of humans and the dead Shaydanian to retrieve my spear.
I recognized Kraal and Reeva the same instant they realized who I was.
“Orion!” he gasped, dropping back to his knees.
Reeva’s eyes widened and she clasped the baby even closer to her. I saw that she was pregnant again.
I said nothing as I walked up to the dead reptilian and yanked my spear from its scaled hide.
“Spare her, Orion,” Kraal begged, still kneeling. “Take your revenge on me, but spare Reeva and the boy.”
“Where is my knife?” There was much that I wanted to say to this weak, sniveling traitor. Those were the only words that came out, though.
He fumbled under the filthy pelt that covered his middle and handed me the knife, its sheath and strap, with shaking hands.
“You must be a god,” Kraal said, lowering his face to the ground at my feet. “Only a god could kill those monsters. Only a god could wear the skin of a lion.”
“God or man, you betrayed me.”
“And what have you done for us?” Reeva snapped, her eyes flashing fire. “Since we have known you we’ve had nothing but death and destruction.”
“You were a slave when I first saw you. I made you free.”
“Free to be hunted by Set and his devils! Free to be killed and tortured and see our villages burned to the ground!”
“You decided to serve Set. That is your reward. You betrayed not merely me, you betrayed all of your own people. And Set betrayed you. That is justice.”
“What will you do with us?” Kraal asked, still groveling.
I reached down and yanked him to his feet. “I will do battle with Set. I will try to kill him and all his kind so that you can inherit this land and live in freedom.”