war of the spider queen 1 dissolution-第37部分

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red　on　the　floor。
Fortunately；　the　illumination　had　lasted　long　enough　for　her　to　note　the　locations　of　several　other　objects　on　the　stand。　She　instinctively　ducked；　the　tentacle　swept　over　her　head　and　tousled　her　hair；　and　she　grabbed　a　scroll。　As　before；　she　would　regret　expending　any　of　the　spells　contained　therein；　but　she'd　regret　dying　even　more。
Conversant　with　the　contents　of　the　parchment；　she　didn't　need　to　see　the　trigger　phrase　to　〃read〃　it。　She　recited　the　words；　and　a　shaft　of　yellow　flame　roared　down　from　the　ceiling　through　the　spot　where　the　core　of　the　demon　had　been　floating。　The　firelight　showed　that　it　was　still　there。　The　blaze　passed　right　through　it；　and　all　its　arms　and　streamers　of　murk　convulsed。
The　column　of　flame　vanished　after　a　moment；　leaving；　despite　the　care　the　drow　had　taken　to　shield　her　eyes；　a　haze　of　afterimage　bisecting　her　vision。　It　took　her　a　second　to　realize　that　dull；　wavering　stripe　was　the　only　thing　she　could　see。　The　darkness　had　survived。　It　had　clotted　its　essence　around　her　to　seal　her　eyes　once　more。
You're　a　tough　one；　she　thought；　sending　the　unspoken　words　to　the　mind　of　the　demon　as　she；　a　divine　emissary　of　Lolth；　was　trained　to　do。
There　was　no　response；　and　Quenthel　felt　no　connection　made　between　her　mind　and　the　consciousness　of　the　demon。　This　was　no　servant　of　Lolth's。
Alive　and　impossible　to　mand；　it　would　surely　grab　or　strike　at　her；　and　this　time　intuition　was　failing　her。　She　had　no　idea　from　where　the　attack　would　e；　so　she　didn't　know　which　way　to　dodge　to　evade　it。　She　simply　had　to　guess；　jump　somewhere　and　not　let　blindness　and　innotdecision　delay　her。　She　pivoted；　and　something　struck　her　shoulder。
At　first　it　was　just　a　startling　jolt；　then　pain　burned　at　the　point　of　impact；　and　wet　blood　flowed。　Either　the　darkness　could　harden　its　memnotbers　into　claws　or　else　it　had　picked　up　a　blade　from　somewhere　in　the　chamber。
Quenthel　was　glad　her　teachers　had　taught　her　to　suffer　a　wound　withnotout　the　shock　of　it　freezing　her　in　her　tracks；　helpless　to　avert　her　advernotsary's　follow…up　attack。　She　kept　moving；　making　herself；　she　hoped；　a　more　difficult　target。
Something　hissed。　The　source　of　the　sound　was　almost　under　her　feet。　Evidently；　dragging　the　whip　handle　behind　them；　her　vipers　had　been　slithering　about　endeavoring　to　locate　her　in　the　dark。　She　stooped；　fumbled　about　their　cool；　sinuous　lengths　for　a　moment；　achieved　the　proper　grip；　and　lifted　the　weapon。
The　serpents　reared；　hissed；　and　peered；　each　in　a　different　direction。　Quenthel　realized　they　could　see　what　she　could　not。　The　darkness　was　preparing　to　attack。
The　priestess　deepened　her　psionic　link　with　her　snake…demon　servants。　She　still　couldn't　see　where　her　adversary's　tentacles　were　poised；　but　she　had　a　sense　of　them。　That　would　have　to　do。
The　darkness　reached　for　her；　and；　turning　and　turning；　she　swung　the　whip　repeatedly。　Her　aim　was　inexact；　but　the　vipers　twisted　in　the　air　to　correct　it。
Toward　the　end；　she　was　breathing　harder；　and　her　actions　were　getting　bigger；　slower；　and　wilder；　as　any　batant's　will　if　she　performs　too　many　without　a　pause。　Then　something　long　and　pointed　plunged　into　the　back　of　her　thigh。
Quenthel　knew　at　once　from　the　flare　of　pain　and　the　gush　of　blood　that　this　puncture　wound　was　worse　than　the　gash　in　her　shoulder。　She　stagnotgered　a　step；　and　her　leg　began　to　fold。　The　whip　vipers　hissed　in　alarm。
She　shouted　to　focus　her　will　and　quell　the　agony；　to　force　the　limb　to　obey。　Throbbing；　it　straightened。
She　spun　and　struck　at　the　tentacle　that　had　stabbed　her；　lashing　it　to　pieces　before　it　could　do　the　same　again。　At　that　same　instant；　her　serpent　familiars　detected　hands　reaching　for　her　neck。　She　spun；　destroyed　those　as　well；　and　at　last　the　shadow　stopped　attacking。
Feeling　the　blood　stream　down　her　leg　to　pool　on　the　floor；　her　mind　racing；　Quenthel　considered　her　situation。　She　must　be　causing　the　demon　pain…if　not　it　would　attack　relentlessly；　never　faltering　until　she　fell…but　that　didn't　necessarily　mean　she　was　well　on　her　way　to　killing　it。　From　what　she　knew　of　such　entities；　it　seemed　entirely　possible　that　she　would　have　to　do　more　harm　to　the　nucleus　at　the　end　of　the　tendrils　to　acnotplish　that。　Assuming　she　could　reach　or　even　locate　it　amid　the　obfuscatnoting　gloom。
It　might　be　better　not　to　try；　to　take　advantage　of　this　momentary　respite　and　make　a　run　for　it；　but　she　knew　that　if　she　moved　the　demon　would　move　with　her；　which　would　mean　she'd　still　be　scurrying　sightnotlessly　along。　In　her　suite；　that　wasn't　an　enormous　problem…she　knew　every　inch　of　the　space　by　heart…but　outside；　she　could　easily　take　a　hard；　incapacitating　fall。　If　that　happened　or　if　her　leg　gave　out　before　she　found　help；　her　foe　would　have　little　difficulty　finishing　her　off。
No；　she　would　kill　the　cursed　thing　by　herself；　quickly；　while　she　was　still　on　her　feet。　The　only　question　was；　how？
One　of　the　weapons　in　her　hidden　closet　might　do　the　trick；　but　she　had　no　way　of　reaching　them。　The　demon　would　slay　her　while　she　fumbled　in　the　dark　to　manipulate　the　hidden　lock。　She　wou