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.The wizard sprinted ahead, careful to maintain his balance on the quivering web street as the colossal spider pursued them.He had but a handful of spells left, and there was little if anything left in his repertoire that might affect the huge arachnid.A far better bet, he decided, was to misdirect the creature, perhaps conjure an obscuring mist that would allow him and the others to hide and sneak away while the spider was distracted—but he didn't dare stop to weave the spell."Pharaun!" someone shouted from ahead, and the wizard glanced over in time to see Ryld, Valas, and Halisstra standing in the mouth of a side street, gawking slack-jawed at the massive spider behind him.He veered in their direction and darted into the shadow of the alley.Only then did he stop to catch his breath."I've never.seen anything.like it," the wizard panted."Danifae called it a.guardian spider.""Yes," Halisstra said softly, still staring at it."The matron mothers must have called it—Oh, by the Dark Mother.it's summoning another one!"Pharaun turned to see what Halisstra was talking about, looking past Jeggred and Quenthel as they came into view, running for all they were worth, with Danifae limping behind them.The spider had stopped pursuing them, and was rearing up on its hind legs, flailing about with its front limbs in the air.The wizard gasped when an enormous gate opened up in front of the spider, as large as the creature itself.Through the hazy murk of the bluish-white portal, the wizard watched, aghast, as a second massive spider clambered through and onto the street.The portal shut quickly behind it."Oh, no," Quenthel murmured."How many times can they do that?""I don't know," Halisstra said from somewhere behind the wizard."Once is too many," Pharaun said."We've got to get out of here."He spun away from the massive arachnids, ready to sprint in the opposite direction."Wait!" Halisstra cried, pointing.The mage glanced back once more.Danifae was still limping badly and had not been able to keep up.As the second spider passed through the portal, it appeared on the opposite side of the battle captive.She was trapped between the two creatures, and was sprawled in the middle of the street as well."She's hurt!" Halisstra cried.She took a tentative step forward to go to the aid of her attendant."Don't be a fool," Ryld said, grabbing the priestess by the arm as Jeggred and Quenthel joined them."You'll only get yourself killed, too."Halisstra jerked herself free and took another step out into the open."I don't care," she said."I'm going to help her."With that, the First Daughter of House Melarn dashed across the open area to where her servant was struggling to regain her feet.The spiders sensed the movement, and both of them began to close in.SEVENTEENPharaun cursed and took a step after Halisstra, thinking he might have to magically cloak the two of them in order to save them."Don't," Quenthel ordered."Danifae was unlucky enough to be wounded.I will not exhaust either resources or time saving her.Let's go while the spiders are distracted.""But—" Pharaun began, but when he saw the look in the high priestess's eyes, he shook his head and stepped back into the alley.He regretted the idea of losing them—or at least, losing the beautiful Danifae."Very well," he said."I'm not leaving," Ryld said, and he turned to sprint out into the street, following Halisstra."No!" Quenthel shouted at the Master of Melee-Magthere, but it was too late.Ryld was already ten steps away, removing Splitter from its sheath on his back as he charged toward the closest of the two spiders."Damn you all to the Abyss!" Quenthel raged.Shrugging, Pharaun turned and followed the weapons master."Go after them!" Quenthel growled from behind the wizard.Pharaun could only assume she was talking to him, though why she was ordering him to do something he had already made up his mind to accomplish, he couldn't fathom.Soon enough, though, the draegloth flashed past him, sprinting down the street in the direction he also traveled.The mage pulled up a few yards from the closest spider, watching as Halisstra reached her servant and knelt down.Somehow, along the way, she had fumbled a wand free from her cloak, and she quickly utilized it, causing both drow to disappear.The spider, looming over the spot where the pair had just been visible, snapped down once, clacking its mandibles together in obvious frustration.The beast began moving its head back and forth, trying to find its prey.In the distance, the second spider had turned its attention to something else.Fortunately, it was not coming their way—at least for the moment.Pharaun, of course, could still see the two females, for he was aware of the magic they radiated.It appeared to him that Halisstra was dragging Danifae to the side, out of harm's way, but the spider somehow sensed where the two females were, and it dipped its head again, missing a direct bite but coming close enough with its attack that it grazed Halisstra, knocking her down.Shivering in delight at having felt its prey, the spider raised up for another attack.Ryld had almost reached the creature, and his long legs covered the remaining distance quickly.He leaped through the air, Splitter raised high overhead.As the warrior sailed past the hindmost leg of the giant spider, he swung the greatsword around with all his might, cutting cleanly through the appendage.Black blood spurted everywhere, and the spider reared up, kicking with its ruined leg and barely missing the weapons master.At nearly the same time, Jeggred launched himself into the air toward another leg, grabbing a hold of the spider and climbing upward.Pharaun could see the draegloth's claws extended, and the fiend used them to great effect as he quickly ascended the creatures limb.Fearlessly, Jeggred slashed and clawed his way to the spiders body and began to climb the slick black abdomen, working his way higher and higher.The effect of the two attacks was instantaneous.The spider jerked away from its intended meal and spun around, looking to bite whatever tormented it.Its one ruined leg twitched erratically, but otherwise the arachnid lost none of its stability.Ryld had rolled into a crouch after his sweeping sword strike, and he had Splitter up, ready to fend off the spider as it maneuvered to face him.Pharaun shook his head and considered what he could do to aid in the fight.There was really only one choice.Most of his spells were gone, and the few remaining to him were not offensive in nature.He reached inside his piwafwi and produced a wand, a single segment of iron that was about as long as his forearm.Extending it outward, he uttered a trigger phrase and activated the magic in the wand.Instantly, a sizzling bolt of electrical energy leaped forward from the end of the wand, arcing through the air and crackling across the surface of the spider's head.The discharge caused the spider to recoil, chattering and quivering, from Ryld's position.As the last remnants of the bolt dissipated, Pharaun could see that the spider's leathery hide and multifaceted eyes were smoldering.Pharaun started when he heard the twang of a bowstring strumming, and he glanced down to his right.Valas was there, kneeling, firing off a short bow.The wizard had seen the diminutive scout carrying the weapon all along, but up until then, Valas had apparently had little cause to use it.The Bregan D'aerthe scout lined up and released four shots in the time it took Pharaun to assess the situation, and his aim was true.The arrows embedded themselves in the nearest eye of the spider, one after another, puncturing the many-sided orb like a massive pincushion.The spider thrashed about in response [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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