Sebastian Darke: Prince of Explorers Read Free

socket. He clung on for a short distance, then lost his footing and went tumbling in the dirt.
     
He staggered back to his feet and saw that Cornelius was running across the clearing towards the enemy, his sword raised. He was roaring in anger at his attackers. Max had lowered his head and was advancing too, his great horns poised to strike at whoever came within reach; the great piles of equipment on his back jigged and clattered as he went.
     
'I knew it was too ruddy quiet!' Sebastian heard him say as he raced after Cornelius.
     
'Hey, wait for me!' shouted Sebastian. He started after his friends – they clearly hadn't realized he wasn't still with them – but then blundered into Samuel, who was staggering back towards him, his eyes wide and staring, his arms held out in front of him as though begging for mercy. He grabbed hold of Sebastian and hung onto him tightly, his weight bearing the slim elfling down onto his knees, making him drop his sword.
     
'What are you doing?' gasped Sebastian – but in the next instant his question was answered. He saw a long wooden shaft sticking out of Samuel's side.
     
'Pull it out,' gasped the big man. 'It hurts. Pull it out!'
     
Sebastian stared at Samuel for a moment. There was such fear written on the man's normally placid features – he couldn't leave him. He took hold of the arrow in one hand, but before he could exert pressure on it, a second arrow thudded into Samuel's broad back, finishing him off. His pleading eyes glazed over and the strength flowed out of his arms. He tipped sideways and hit the ground, staring up at Sebastian as if in silent accusation.
     
Sebastian shook his head. This couldn't be happening! He told himself that perhaps he was asleep and dreaming . . . but then he saw a smear of bright crimson on his hand and knew that this was no nightmare: it was really happening and, for the moment at least, he had no idea where his friends were.
     
He was getting back to his feet when one of the attackers ran at him, a great hairy brute encased in crude armour and waving a huge two-handed sword. There was no time to think. Sebastian snatched at his own sword where it lay on the ground. His scrabbling fingers closed on the hilt and he brought the blade up as the creature closed the distance between them. The sword shuddered as it punched its way through metal and into the flesh beneath. The beast went flailing over him in a sprawl of arms and legs, then struck the ground heavily and tumbled over and over, until at last he came to a halt and was still.
     
Sebastian remembered to draw breath. He got to his feet and turned to look in the direction that Cornelius and Max had taken. They were up there somewhere – he could hear them crashing through the undergrowth, Max bellowing for all he was worth. It might not be too late to catch up. He took a step forward and then the arrow hit him in the chest.
     
It was like being struck with a wooden club. The impact made him reel back several steps and the air was driven abruptly from his lungs. Liquid fire seemed to trickle from his breastbone to his groin, and when he tried to take another step, it was as if the muscles in his legs had gone. He sank to his knees, gasping for breath. A short distance away he could see Samuel's dead face staring sightlessly up to the canopy of leaves high above them.
     
And then he saw them coming. Two more of the creatures, their pale faces arranged into masks of grinning triumph, shambling along on their short bow legs, their long arms holding crudely fashioned, heavy swords. Sebastian looked around helplessly. There was no sign of Cornelius or Max. He was on his own. He tried to lift his own sword but it took a terrible effort to even raise it to chest height and he was
     

     
horribly aware that his strength was failing as the blood trickled out of him.
     
The nearest of the beasts slowed to a walk, baring his yellow, misshapen teeth. He lifted his sword in both hands, ready for