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‘Get ready!’ shouted Nogusta. The three men put their shoulders to the vehicle.
On the rear of the wagon Nogusta hefted the lance. He too could see the curve in the road, and was trying to judge the speed of the approaching beast. There was little room for error here. If the wagon rolled too fast it would reach the curve before the gogarin, and Nogusta would die uselessly. If too late the wagon might not have picked up enough speed to hurl the creature out over the abyss. Nogusta’s mouth was dry, and his heart was beating fast.
‘Start her moving,’ he called. The three men threw their weight against the wagon. It did not budge.
‘The brake is on!’ shouted Bison. Nogusta ran to the headboard and vaulted to the driver’s seat, pulling the brake clear. The wagon jolted forward. Nogusta almost fell, but then righted himself and ran back to the rear, taking up his lance. Valuable seconds had been lost.
‘Push harder!’ he commanded. The wagon began to gather speed. The gogarin rounded the curve, and saw the rumbling wagon approaching. Rearing up on its hind legs it let out a hideous screech. Nogusta felt the wave of terror strike him like a physical blow. It ripped through his mind and belly, and he screamed and fell to his knees. In all his life he had never known fear such as this. The spear dropped from his trembling fingers and he wanted to fall with it, burying his head in his hands, and squeezing shut his eyes. He could feel the talisman warm upon his skin, but it offered no help. In that moment, when despair threatened to unman him, he saw again the face of his wife, and remembered the Demon Lord’s words, of how she had run through the flames. Anger came to his rescue, flaring in his belly and burning into his brain. Grabbing the lance he surged to his feet.
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The wagon was almost upon the beast. The gogarin reared up high, then dropped to all six limbs, and charged. Nogusta braced himself for the impact. At the last second the gogarin reared again, its talons lashing out. The wooden side of the wagon exploded. Then the full weight of the vehicle struck the beast. Lance extended, Nogusta was catapulted forward. The dagger strapped to the lance sliced into the beast, the weapon driving deep into its shoulder. Nogusta’s weight powered it on, the wood plunging deeper still. Then it snapped. Nogusta’s flying body struck the gogarin’s neck, then sailed on to collide with the cliff wall. Searing pain burst through his shoulder as he fell to the road and slid towards the edge. His legs went over the side and he scrabbled for a hand hold. Glancing down he saw pine trees far below. His shoulder was numb, and there was no strength in his left hand. Fear touched him, but he quelled it, and relaxed. Then he slowly hauled himself back up to the ridge.
The gogarin had been driven to the lip of the road, and the beast was flailing at its wooden enemy, its sweeping talons ripping at the wagon, smashing it to shards. Nogusta pushed himself to his feet, staggered, then drew his sword and prepared to attack.
Bison came running into sight carrying a lance, followed by Kebra and Dagorian. The bowman sent a shaft slamming into the gogarin’s neck. Then Bison scrambled over the remains of the wagon and hurled himself at the beast. As the gogarin swung to meet this new attack its right hind foot slipped on the rock. The beast staggered, and tried to right itself. Bison’s spear slammed against its chest, barely breaking the skin. But the giant’s weight tipped the balance, and the lance propelled the creature back. The gogarin fell, tumbling through the air. Twice
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it crashed against the mountainside, then it soared clear and plunged through the branches of a tall pine, snapping the tree in two.
Bison leapt clear as the ruined wagon slid over the edge. He ran to Nogusta. ‘Are you all right?’ he asked.
The black man groaned as he tried to move his left shoulder. ‘Just bruised, I hope,’ he said. ‘Is it dead?’ Bison peered over the edge.