war of the spider queen 1 dissolution-第41部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　trying　to　tamper　with　my　mind；　but　it's　gone　now。〃
〃It　won't　stay　gone　unless　I　confront　the　spell　casters。〃
Pharaun　floated　up　into　the　air；　beyond　the　skeletons'　reach；　making　sure　he　would　have　a　clear　shot　at　Greyanna　and　the　others。　In　his　absence；　the　creatures　would　likely　be　able　to　surround　Ryld；　but　that　couldn't　be　helped。
Surveying　the　scene；　he　saw　that　Relonor　was　still　lying　motionless　on　his　back。　Positioned　beyond　the　melee；　Greyanna　and　her　sister　priestess　were　reading　from　scrolls。
For　a　moment；　Pharaun's　thoughts　exploded　into　a　terrifying　madness；　but　reason　quickly　reasserted　itself。　He　sucked　in　a　deep　breath；　trying　to　quell　the　residual　fear；　and　a　second　assault　wracked　his　body。　He　cried　out；　and　the　agony　passed。　Somehow　he'd　weathered　both　spells。
He　threw　a　seething　ball　of　lighting　at　Greyanna；　but　it　winked　out　of　existence　halfway　to　the　target；　unmade　by　the　priestess's　defenses。　She　and　the　other　cleric　employed　their　scrolls　again。
A　dazzling；　searing　beam　of　light　erupted　from　Greyanna's　hand。　It　slashed　across　Pharaun's　face；　and　he　closed　his　eyes　just　in　time　to　keep　it　from　blinding　him。　It　was　painful　nonetheless；　but　his　own　defenses　kept　it　from　burning　his　face　off。
The　other　priestess　flailed　at　him　with　a　sizzling　bolt　of　lightning。　As　it　was　one　of　his　own　favorite　forces　to　mand；　it　hardly　seemed　fair。　He　stiffened　with　the　shock　for　a　moment　or　two；　and　the　magic　lost　its　grip　on　him。
He　feared　the　spasm　had　cost　him　precious　time。　By　the　time　it　passed；　he　thought　the　priestesses　were　surely　in　the　process　of　casting　new　spells；　but　when　he　looked　at　the　lesser　of　the　two　she　wasn't　creating　any　magic。　She'd　dropped　her　suddenly　blank　scroll　on　the　ground　and　was　rooting　in　her　leather　pouch；　presumably　for　another　means　of　magical　attack。
Clasping　a　bit　of　coal　and　a　tiny　dried　eyeball　held　in　a　little　vial；　Pharaun　created　an　effect。　Power　sighed　and　rippled　through　the　air；　and　a　mass　of　darkness　appeared　around　the　female's　head；　blinding　her。
The　wizard's　thoughts　flew　apart　once　more；　then　reassembled　themnotselves。　He　rounded　on　Greyanna。　She　was　still　clutching　her　scroll；　evinotdently　still　casting　from　it。　He　began　to　conjure；　and　she；　evidently　uncertain　of　the　parchment's　power　to　protect　her；　tore　open　the　bag。
It　had　occurred　to　Pharaun　that　the　sack　might　have　more　spores　in　it；　but　he'd　assumed　they　would　produce　more　skeletons。　This　time；　though；　the　glittering　motes　burst　in　midair；　swelling　into　ugly　little　beasts　resemnotbling　a　cross　between　a　bat　and　a　mosquito。
The　stirges　swirled　around　him；　jabbing　at　him　with　their　proboscises；　striving　to　drink　his　blood。　They　interfered　with　the　motion　of　his　hands　and　so　spoiled　his　conjuration。　He　restored　his　weight　and　fell　back　to　the　ground；　where　Ryld；　beset　by　clinking　skeletons　on　all　sides；　beheaded　one　with　a　sudden　cut。　One　of　the　twins　edged　toward　him　but　balked　when　the　big　male　pivoted　in　his　direction。
Pharaun　slammed　down　on　the　street。　Trailing　chattering　stirges；　he　sprinted　toward　the　fallen　Relonor。　A　couple　skeletons　turned　to　hack　at　him；　but　most　of　them　were　too　intent　on　killing　Ryld　to　notice　him。　Up　close；　the　things　stank。　Pharaun　thought　they　must　still　have　some　scraps　of　rotting　flesh　about　them　somewhere。
Just　as　he　reached　the　unconscious　wizard；　Greyanna's　foulwing　landed　on　the　other　side　of　the　body　with　a　ground…shaking　thump。　Pharaun　roared　out　a　painfully　loud　magical　shout；　and　the　beast　recoiled；　carrying　its　rider　with　it。
Pharaun　stooped；　ripped　the　brooch　off　Relonor's　sash；　turned；　and　ran。　Greyanna　screamed　in　rage。　The　foulwing　roared　its　strange　double　roar；　and　two　sets　of　jaws　clashed　shut　behind　the　fleeing　male。
A　stirge's　proboscis　jabbed　him　in　the　back；　staggering　him；　but　was　unable　to　penetrate　his　piwafwi。　Another　spell　rattled　his　mind　but　with　no　permanent　ill　effects。　A　skeleton　appeared　on　his　flank；　swinging　a　notched；　rusty　axe　at　his　head。　Splitter　flashed　in　an　arc　and　smashed　the　undead　thing　into　tiny　pieces。
Pharaun　caught　hold　of　the　hem　of　Ryld's　piwafwi　and　glanced　around　at　Greyanna。　Her　face　a　mask　of　fury；　she　tossed　away　her　scroll；　which　was　likely　blank；　and　held　her　hands　high　to　receive　the　long　staff　materializing　from　some　extra　dimensional　storage。　He　could　see　why　she　wanted　the　instrunotment。　It　blazed　with　mystic　power；　but　it　was　also　slow　in　attaining　tanginotbility。　Some　chance　interaction　of　the　magical　energies　playing　about　the　battleground　was　retarding　its　transition　to　the　physical　plane。
Why；　then；　didn't　she　leave　off　summoning　it　and　attack　in　some　other　manner？　Why…
In　a　flash　of　inspiration；　the　answer　came　to　him；　and　it　was　astonishing。
But　he　was　scarcely　in　a　place　conducive　to　contemplation　of　his　disnotcovery；　and　it　was　time　to　remedy　that。　He　peered　at　the　brooch　he'd　taken　from　Relonor；　found　the　trigger　word　implicit　in　the　kaleidoscopic　pattern　shining　around　it；　and　spoke。





Greyanna　regarded　the　open　space　in　the　middle　of　the　ring　of　aimlessly　milling　skeletons；　and　the　stirges　swooping　and　wheeling　above。　A　moment　bef