Waska’s fangs flashed toward Calvin. He rolled out of the way, but one of the monstrosity’s snake arms struck at him. A sharp pain pierced his thigh, and venom pumped into him. It spread like ice through his leg before his dose of antivenom stopped it. He ended up sprawled out on the ground next to the dirt snakes, his bitten leg paralyzed. Another of Waska’s arms spat venom at Pelias, but it didn’t affect him.

  At least the antivenom did some good, Calvin thought, clenching his teeth. He hoped to Talkus that his blessing would kick in fast enough for him to get back on his feet before the fight turned bad.

  One of the Binders cried out as the thieves fell upon him, daggers flashing. The other two Binders attacked the thieves in turn. Finzor and Lloyd dodged out of the way, but Bert and Terry both fell, paralyzed as the fangs injected large doses of venom into them.

  No! This was turning into a disaster. Calvin tried to stand up, but his leg refused to move. He stifled a groan, gritting his teeth. Please, Talkus, I need to get up. He pushed himself up on his elbows, but his leg remained immobile.

  Arg hacked at a Binder, cutting off one of the snake arms. In response, Waska’s tail slithered up around him and shoved him into the circle of dirt snakes. The earthen serpents rose to seize him, pulling his wrists down to the ground. Calvin scrounged around and found the rope. He tried to throw the end into the snakes for Bob to catch. The snakes ignored the rope, but Bob was too busy trying to peel snakes away from his throat. He and the other former cultists were starting to turn blue, and the snakes were slowing in their slithering.

  Julius raised his sword toward the ceiling. “Feel the wrath of Réalt!” he shouted, and the sword lit up with white points of light along the blade. He slashed it at Waska. The abominable serpent tried to parry with his own sword, but the force of Julius’s blow tore the blade from Waska’s fingers. Waska reared back, and an arrow flew past his face. Julius struck him again, and Pelias stabbed from the other side. Shale let loose another arrow, and it buried itself in Waska’s gut.

  Waska growled in defiance. “You pests!” His arms spat at Julius and Shale, but the venom didn’t affect them. His eyes widened, his confidence draining away.

  Calvin pulled the rope back in and tried again. “Bob, catch!” This time, Bob caught the end of the rope. Arg grabbed at it, too. Calvin braced himself as best he could against the stone floor. The huge half-orc pulled himself to his feet, dragging Bob up at the same time. Arg shook the snakes off of his arms, but Bob still had one wrapped around his neck. The snakes stopped moving, hardening like clay, and Bob’s eyes rolled. He fell back onto them, unconscious.

  “Aaaaaarg!” Arg bellowed and hurled his axe. It spun like a hatchet in the air and planted itself in Waska’s back. Waska screamed at the ceiling. Blades flashed. Arrows whizzed. And Waska fell, lifeless, to the stone floor.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Finzor cheered, raising his dagger in the air. He stood over the body of the one-armed Binder. The last Binder fled the chamber, shouting the news of Waska’s fall to the rest of Hark’akuy.

  Calvin dragged himself over the stilled snakes to get to Bob, then pulled out his knife and slammed the butt of it against the snake choking Bob. It didn’t work. He pounded again, but it was like trying to break a brick. “Come on!” He shouted, giving it another go. Still nothing.

  Shale offered him a hand axe. Calvin took it gratefully and slammed the blunt end down on the snake. It shattered. Bob began to breathe again, and Calvin heaved a sigh of relief. He hurried to free the other cultists from the snakes choking them.

  “They know Waska is dead,” Pelias said. “We need to leave.”

  “Just give me a minute.”

  “We don’t have a minute. If we don’t leave now, the whole cult will descend upon us.”

  “I’m not leaving them behind.” Having saved them from suffocation, Calvin pounded at their bonds. Nearly every strike shattered a snake, but there were dozens left. Pelias sniffed and went over to the paralyzed thieves.

  Calvin scowled. Pelias didn’t understand. These guys are part of the crew. They’re my responsibility. I can’t leave them here. Hark’akuy would kill them. Calvin pounded away. He couldn’t bear the thought.

  Shale pulled out another hand axe and started freeing Arg. “Do you mind explaining why?” she asked. “Those guys wanted to kill us earlier.”

  “And then they helped us. The Hark’akuy would kill them for that.” Calvin shook Bob awake, then crawled over to free the next former cultist. His leg was slowly getting some feeling back, but it still didn’t respond when he tried to move it.

  “And it doesn’t bug you what happened right before they changed their minds?” Shale asked.

  “The fact is they did change their minds, and then they helped us rid the world of a great evil. Their reason for doing it doesn’t matter.” Calvin propped himself up and found he could bend his knee. He helped the former cultist up. “Right?”

  The former cultist nodded. “We’ll help you get out of here.”

  “Perfect. Help me free these guys.”

  Julius tapped Calvin’s shoulder. “Listen, Calvin, I know you said you don’t want—”

  “No,” Calvin said. “No healing. I’ll be fine.”

  “But—”

  “No.” He pulled out a vial of antivenom and poured it on the wound. A sizzling heat spread through his leg, countering the paralyzation. He wiggled his foot. “See? I’ll be fine.”

  “But the wound—”

  “It’s not a big deal. Go worry over them.” Calvin pointed to the downed thieves. Pelias had given them antivenom to cure their paralysis, but they still bore the cuts from the Binders’ fangs.

  Julius shrugged. “Okay, then.”

  As he left, Arg came up. He’d brought out a hand axe of his own. “I admire a heart that changes for the better,” he said. He started helping Calvin free the remaining former cultists. “But if the change was fake,” he pointed a finger in the face of one, “don’t think I’ll hesitate to make a different change to your heart. A permanent one. With my axe.”

  The former cultist drew back. “Noted.”

  “Good.” Arg smiled.