Lityerses - Shot By Arrow

The skin around Lityerses’s ostrich bruise reddened, as if the bird were still standing on his face. “Sire, with respect—”
Commodus’s hand shot out like a rattlesnake, clamping around the swordsman’s throat.
“Respect?” the emperor hissed. “You talk to me of respect?”
Arrows sailed toward the emperor’s remaining guards. Both Germani fell with lovely new silver-feathered nose piercings.
A third missile hurtled toward Commodus. The emperor yanked Lityerses into its path and the arrow point erupted from the front of Lit’s thigh.
The swordsman screamed.
Commodus dropped him in disgust. “Do I have to kill you myself? Really?” He raised his knife.
Something inside me, no doubt a character flaw, made me feel pity for the wounded Cornhusker.
“Livia,” I said.
The elephant understood. She trunk-smacked Commodus upside the head, knocking him flat on the turf. Lityerses fumbled for the hilt of his sword. Finding it, he jabbed the point into the emperor’s exposed neck.

***

The Dark prophecy, Chapter 26