war of the spider queen 4 extinction-第54部分

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　the　priestess　who　had　beaten　her。　Memories；　too；　of　the　footraces　she　and　her　sister　Jawil　had　run；　as　children；　along　the　roads　of　Ched　Nasad…and　the　terrifying　plunge　after　Jawil　had　pushed　her　over　the　edge　in　retaliation　when　Halisstra　at　last　won　a　race。　Only　the　fact　that　Halisstra　had　〃borrowed〃　an　aunt's　House　insignia…one　that　provided　levitation　magic…had　saved　her。　Later；　Jawil　had　said　that　she'd　known　about　the　insignia　all　along。
　　　Those　older；　well…visited　memories　jostled　against　newer；　fresher；　somehow　cleaner　ones。　Of　the　night　she　had　been　lifted　from　the　cave　and　embraced　by　the　priestesses　of　Eilistraee。　Of　the　fierce　joy　she'd　felt　after　defeating　the　phase　spider。　Her　mind　even　drifted　over　brand…new　memories　that　were　only　then　being　engraved　upon　her　soul。
　　　All　of　the　other　males　Halisstra　had　lain　with　had　been　eager；　yes；　but　an　undercurrent　of　fear　ran　just　beneath　the　surface　of　their　lust。　Perhaps　it　was　because　they　knew　they　were　being　taken　by　a　priestess　of　Lolth　and　feared　that　Halisstra；　like　the　spiders　she　held　sacred；　might　casually　kill　them　and　cast　them　aside。　When　she　had　first　started　kissing　Ryld；　Halisstra　had　seen　a　fleeting　trace　of　that　fear　in　him；　but　then　it　had　disappeared。　At　some　point　during　their　lovemaking；　he　had　surrendered…not　to　fear；　or　even　to　Halisstra；　but　to　something　larger。　It　was　not　so　much　that　she　had　taken　him。　Instead　he　had　given　himself。
　　　That　realization　acquired；　Halisstra's　mind　drifted　on　to　other　recent　memories。　One　of　them；　harsh　and　insistent；　rose　to　the　fore：　Seyll。　Or　rather；　her　death　at　Halisstra's　hands。　Strangely；　that　image　was　garbled。　Halisstra's　memory　of　Seyll；　dying；　blood　leaking　from　her　side　into　the　stream　in　which　she　lay　had　somehow　bee　confused　with　that　of　Seyll　in　the　moment　just　before　she　died；　when　the　priestess　had　turned　and　was　reaching　out　with　both　hands；　preparing　to　help　Halisstra　cross　the　stream。　In　that　false　recollection；　Seyll　was　reaching　up　toward　Halisstra　and　speaking…whereas　in　truth；　Seyll　had　actually　been　lying　so　still　that　Halisstra　had　thought　her　already　dead。　And　the　words　were　wrong…they　were　not　the　words　of　hope　that　Seyll　had　offered　after　Halisstra　had　dragged　her　〃body〃　from　the　stream　and　begun　stripping　it　of　its　weapons　and　armor。　Instead　they　seemed　to　be　a　message；　and　an　urgent　one。
　　　Halisstra；　still　deep　in　Reverie；　leaned　forward　to　hear　it。
　　　You　will　need　the　sword；　Seyll　whispered。
　　　Halisstra；　her　eyes　still　closed；　patted　the　floor　beside　her　and　her　fingers　came　to　rest　upon　the　broken…tipped　songsword；　nested　in　its　scabbard。
　　　〃I　have　it；〃　she　whispered　aloud。
　　　In　the　dream…memory；　Seyll　shook　her　head。
　　　Not　that　one。　Blood　bubbled　from　her　lips　as　she　spoke。　Only　with　the　Crescent　Blade　can　you　defeat　her。
　　　〃Defeat　who？〃　Halisstra　asked。　〃I　don't…〃
　　　It　was　lost　on　the　Cold　Field；　Seyll　interrupted；　her　voice　gurgling　as　her　breathing　became　ragged。　She　was　close　to　death；　almost　unable　to　speak。　The　priestess　was　carrying　it。　。　。　and　was　slain。　The　。　。　。　worm　has　it　now。
　　　Halisstra　puzzled　over　that　one：　was　it　〃worm〃　Seyll　had　said…or　〃wyrm？〃　She　decided　it　must　have　been　wyrm。　Dragons　were　known　to　covet　treasure…especially　magical　weapons。　And　judging　by　the　reverential　way　in　which　Seyll　had　said　the　words　〃Crescent　Blade；〃　magical　was　exactly　what　the　sword　was。
　　　Seyll　was　still　speaking…so　faintly　chat　Halisstra　could　barely　hear　her。
　　　Find　the　Crescent　Blade。　。　。　and　use　it。　。　。　to　defeat　her。
　　　〃Defeat　who？〃　Halisstra　cried。
　　　From　beside　her　came　a　swift；　rustling　noise。　Her　Reverie　broken；　Halisstra　opened　her　eyes　and　saw　Ryld　in　a　ready　crouch；　Splitter　in　hand。　He　glanced　swiftly　around　the　darkened　room；　then　at　Halisstra；　eyebrows　raised　in　a　silent　question。
　　　〃It　was　nothing；〃　she　answered。　〃I　was　in　Reverie。　It　was　just　a　dream。〃
　　　Ryld　relaxed　and　slid　the　greatsword　back　into　its　sheath。　His　eyes　lingered　on　her；　and　Halisstra　remembered　that　she　was　still　naked。　He　did　not　look　respectfully　away；　as　was　the　custom　for　a　drow　male。　Instead　his　eyebrows　raised　a　second　time；　and　a　fire　danced　in　his　eyes。
　　　Halisstra　shook　her　head。
　　　〃Later；〃　she　told　him。　〃I　need　to　speak　to　Uluyara　about　something。〃
　　　Leaping　to　her　feet；　she　hurriedly　clothed　herself；　then　slipped　out　into　the　night。
　　　
Chapter　Twenty…six
　　　Gromph　strode　up　to　the　captain　who　stood　surveying　the　silent　battlefield；　arms　folded　across　his　blackened　mithral　plate　mail。　Andzrel's　eyes　held　a　satisfied　glint　as　he　took　in　the　shattered　mushroom　forest　and　the　tanarukk　corpses　that　littered　the　ground　like　felled　stems。
　　　〃Drag　the　bodies　back　to　the　corrals；〃　the　Baenre　weapons　master　told　the　soldiers　who　were　inspecting　the　fallen　tanarukks。　〃We　can　feed　them　to　the　lizards。〃
　　　As　he　spoke；　he　cleaned　blood　from　his　sword　with　a　scrap　of　cloth。　He　inspected　his　blade；　smiled；　then　shoved　it　back　into　the　scabbard　at　his　hip。
　　　〃I　wouldn't　put　that　away　just　yet；〃　Gromph　said。　〃You'll　be　needing　it。〃
　　　Andzrel　turned；　a　surprised　look　on　his　face。
　　　〃Archmage！〃　he　gasped。　〃Where　in　the　Abyss　have　you　been？〃
　　　〃Not　quite　as　deep　as　the　Abyss；　but　close　enough；〃　the　archmage　quipped。　〃I'll　tell　you　all　about　it　later。〃　He　glanced　around。　〃How　do　things　fare　here？〃
　　　〃Everything　is　under　control；〃　Andzrel　reported。　He　gestured　at　the　mouth　of　a　tunnel　in　the　wall　of　the　great　cavern。　In　front　of　it　was　a　heap　of　tanarukk　dead。　〃We've　driven　the　enemy　back　into　the　Dark　Dominions。　They're　pulling　back　from　the　city；　regrouping。　And　Tier　Breche？〃
　　　〃Quiet；　for　the　moment；〃　Gromph　answered。　〃The　enemy　has　also　been　driven　back　on　that　front　and　the　approach　well　sealed。　I　expect　the　duergar　will　eventually　rally；　rebine　with　other　units　somewhere　out　in　the　tunnels；　and　resume　their　siege　elsewhere。　Before　they　have　a　chance　to　do　that；　however；　I　need　your　help　with　something。〃
　　　〃Something　other　than　corpse　disposal？〃
　　　Gromph　nodded。
　　　Andzrel　grinned　and　said；　〃Name　it。〃
　　　The　archmage　glanced　at　one　of　the　bodies　that　lay　nearby。　Part　orc；　part　demon；　the　tanarukk　was　a　stocky　monstrosity　covered　in　patches　of　coarse　hair　and　scabby…looking　scales。　A　long　jaw　jutted　out　from　under　its　abbreviated　snout；　and　the　tusks　that　curled　over　its　upper　lip　were　chipped　and　yellow。　Its　low；　sloped　forehead　gave　it　a　stupid　appearance…accentuated　by　the　flat　glaze　of　death　in　its　dull　red　eyes。
　　　〃I　need　to　get　through　the　enemy　lines；〃　Gromph　began。　〃And　I'll　need　an　escort。　A　soldier；　rather　than　a　mage。〃　He　nudged　the　dead　tanarukk　with　his　foot。　〃Tell　me；　Andzrel；　have　you　ever　been　polymorphed？〃
　　　〃Once；〃　Andzrel　answered。　〃Years　ago；　into　a　lizard。　As　a　joke；　by　a　prideful　upstart　who　thought　that　saddling　me　up　and　riding　me　would　teach　me　my　place。　After　I　took　a　bite　out　of　him；　he　didn't　think　it　was　so　amusing　anymore　and　changed　me　back。〃
　　　Gromph　smiled。　He　remembered　well　the　day　that　Nauzhror　had　limped　into　Sorcere；　demanding　a　cushion　because　he　was　unable　to　sit　down。　A　〃riding　accident〃　he'd　called　it…until　one　of　the　other　students　had　used　a　spell　to　peer　through　his　robe　and　had　spotted　the　bite　wound　on　the　buttocks。　The　pompous　young　Nauzhror　had　been　the　butt　of　many　a　joke　after　that。
　　　〃I'll　try　not　to　give　you　cause　to　use　your　tusks　on　me；〃　Gromph　told　Andzrel　with　mock　gravity。
　　　
　　　The　tanarukk　soldiers　retreated　in　disarray　through　the　tunnels；　snarling　and　nipping　at　each　other　whenever　a　narrowing　of　the　walls　caused　a　bottleneck。　The　air　was　filled　with　the　clank　of　weapons　and　armor；　the　tang　or　blood　from　the　wounded　who　had　been　rudely　shoved　aside　and　abandoned　to　die…and　with　the　shouts　of　the　sergeants　who　tried　to　bring　order　to　the　chaos。
　　　Two　tanarukks　shuffled　along　behind　the　rest；　taking　care　to　keep　apart　from　the　jostling　masses；　neither　giving　provocation　nor　accepting　it。　One　had　a　more　pronounced　forehead　than　his　fellows　and　bristle…stiff　patches　of　white　hair。　The　other　was　broader　across　the　shoulders　and　clad　in　chain　mail　that　see