Today, author Dean Lappi shares with IU readers an sneak-peek at his book, Black Numbers.
Book Excerpt: Black Numbers
by Dean Lappi
Crowdal pushed back against the sword and kicked as hard as he could. He connected.
With a grunt, the Haissan flew backward and hit the wall but immediately sprang to its feet.
Crowdal moaned. He had surprised a Haissan guarding the other side of Father Mansico’s chamber door. He should have known there would be a guard. The Haissen were incredibly fast, so the split second it had taken the Haissan to realize it wasn’t Father Mansico coming out of the room was the only thing that saved Crowdal from losing his head.
The Haissan approached Crowdal without fear, holding its sword out and tilted slightly upward. It was a powerful attacking position and Crowdal shifted his own sword while pushing the door shut behind him with his foot. He wanted Sid and Melinda locked inside the room so he could concentrate on the Haissan.
He faced the Haissan, holding his own sword in the Gaiken position, angled slightly downward and held loosely in his hands. He took long slow breaths.
He only got two breaths in before the Haissan lunged forward, raising its sword up and slicing downward with such force that had Crowdal not been prepared for it, the blade would have sliced him in half lengthwise. He stepped to the side, avoiding the blurring blade. With the strength and speed that could only come from a lifetime of training, he cut the Haissan in half at the waist. At least that is what he had expected to happen. But somehow the Haissan was able to bring its sword around and block him. Impossible! No one was that fast.
But he didn’t have time to think about it.
The Haissan spun around, the blade whistling as it moved through the air, and Crowdal blocked four quick strikes.
The Haissan attacked relentlessly.
Crowdal started to sweat as he blocked the blade, the ring of steel loud in the room. He was facing a master swordsman, and if it was one thing he had learned from years of training, it was that if you got yourself into a sword fight, you were going to get cut. A person who dreamed of winning a fight without getting hurt had never been in a real fight. Once you drew your blade, you were going to lose blood.
Crowdal backed up quickly, sliding his feet along the stone floor, blocking three more quick strikes. He could see the eyes of the Haissan behind its hood. They were dull and lidded.
The Haissan was bored!
It knew it was going to win and was methodically wearing him down. Crowdal realized he was in a fight that he could very well lose. He had gotten lucky with the first two Haissen. He didn’t fool himself into thinking he could get that lucky three times in a row.
He was getting close to the opposite wall of the room as he backed up, blocking strike after strike. Sweat flew from his head as he parried each attack. He knew that once his back was against the wall, he was a dead man. Even with his tough skin, a direct thrust would penetrate him, especially when that thrust was from a skilled swordsman. And this Haissan was a master.
He had to do something now or this fight was over and he would be lying on the floor watching his blood pool around his body.
The Haissan moved purposefully forward, flicking its sword left, then up and around in an arc, all the while forcing Crowdal to the wall.
Crowdal parried the last thrust, knocking it aside. He knew he had to stop parrying the Haissan blade.
It was the only way.
As the Haissan thrust quickly forward, Crowdal stepped into it at the same time. He felt steel penetrate his side. Pain flared brightly through him, but he ignored it. Before the Haissan could pull its sword from him, he dropped his own sword and grabbed the Haissan’s head in both hands and twisted as hard as he could. He heard a loud crack and the Haissan jerked briefly before going limp in his hands.
—End Excerpt—
Black Numbers is available in print or Kindle format from Amazon US, Amazon UK and Amazon DE, as well as other e-reader formats from and eBook formats. It is also sold from Barnes and Noble and Fantasy Island Book Publishing.
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