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46.
They had become so accustomed to their unchanging existence that they nearly did not notice the creaking sound that signaled that the door was about to open.
Alex gathered his weapons and had Maryan hide as far back in the caves as possible, right in the piled soil he’d slid down from on his entry.
He strode through the galleries to meet his fate.
He even bent to take a few good drinks of the healing water of life.
Then he strode to the entrance. He felt the roaring before he heard it, a deep exploratory growl. He armed himself and made his way forward into the daylight that now bathed the forward chamber.
As he entered the first gallery, fitted his best arrow to the bowstring. The door had partially opened, just two or three feet—a twitch, perhaps? No reason—nothing about to issue forth.
And there stood two of the devils, breathing hard. He could see steam coming from their mouths. Their mouths hung open in what looked like a fiendish smile. Their eyes interlocked, and they could read each other’s minds.
He drew back with all his strength and let fly, right into the torso of the closer.
Without waiting, he reached for the next arrow, chambered it, pulled apart with all his might, and let fly.
In seconds, both rippers were thrashing on the ground, making their wounds infinitely worse. Their screams and snarls were so deafening that he reeled back holding his ears.
He should have had another arrow ready, for one of them rose in a flash, turned toward him, and leaped.
He saw it coming at him, and barely managed to move out of the way.
But it fell short, with a loud thump, and lay dying at his feet.
He put an arrow through its neck.
Then he stepped over it and put another arrow through the other one’s neck.
He drew his knife and attacked the sinew of the door.
He thought he heard a thin, distant scream come from the living cave as he tore out its fingernail, one might say. He carved and carved until blood ran down the walls and the door slowly rumbled shut with a helpless bounce. He found heavy rocks and piled them against the edge so that the door could not slid open again. Then, using another large rocks, he smashed the skulls of the two animals he had just killed.
He would wear their pelts as a sign of triumph.
But first—the most important matter of all. He must bring Maryan to her new home so that they could make a life together.
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