war of the spider queen 4 extinction-第61部分

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Valas；　eyes　blazing。　Then；　like　a　cork　being　pulled　from　a　wine　bottle；　a　portion　of　the　ceiling　disappeared　as　the　spell　bored　a　tunnel　through　it。　Daylight　streamed　into　the　vault。　Valas　had　a　brief　glimpse　of　red　eyes；　streaking　toward　him　less　than　a　palm's　breadth　away…and　the　eyes　were　gone。　Squinting　against　the　glare　of　the　shaft　of　light；　he　looked　around　the　vault。　The　wraiths；　driven　off　by　the　sunlight；　had　vanished。
　　　He　closed　his　eyes　and　breathed　a　deep　sigh　of　relief。　Then　he　glanced　down　at　his　sun　amulet。　The　metal　had　lost　its　bright　gold　sheen。　It　was　left　a　dull；　lead　gray。　All　of　the　rays　were　drooping。
　　　Valas　tucked　the　amulet　inside　his　tunic；　out　of　sight。　It　had　done　its　duty。
　　　So　had　he。
　　　〃I'm　leaving；〃　he　told　Pharaun　and　Danifae。　〃You　two　can　stay　and　fill　your　pockets　with　treasure　if　you　like。〃
　　　He　glanced　down　at　the　floor　and　saw　the　magic　that　had　limned　the　portal　in　light　had　faded。　No　matter；　he　remembered　where　it　was。　As　he　stepped　forward　onto　the　portal；　Pharaun；　the　vault…and　Danifae；　who　had　risen　to　her　feet　and　was　glaring　at　him　with　eyes　that　blazed　more　furiously　than　the　wraiths'　had…all　disappeared。
　　　The　air　around　Valas　was　cooler　and　more　humid；　a　wele　change　from　the　vault's　oppressive　atmosphere　of　death　and　dust。　He　had　the　sense　of　enormous　distance　in　front　of　him　and　a　stone　wall　at　his　back。　Shaking　his　head　to　clear　the　slight　dizziness　that　traveling　through　the　portal　had　produced；　he　saw　Quenthel　and　Jeggred　standing　nearby　on　a　narrow　shelf　of　rock　that　was　splattered　with　bat　guano。　Far　below　the　ledge　a　vast；　dark　lake　stretched　as　far　as　the　eye　could　see；　illuminated　by　beams　of　winter　sunlight　that　shone　in　through　crevices　in　the　rock　above。　The　ceiling　of　the　cavern　was　high　overhead；　but　even　from　a　distance　Valas　could　see　the　thousands　of　bats　that　clung；　sleeping；　to　it。　When　dusk　fell　the　air　would　be　thick　with　them。
　　　〃Where's　Pharaun？〃　Quenthel　asked　urgently；　confirming　Valas's　earlier　guess　about　himself　and　Danifae　being　little　more　than　wraith　fodder；　in　her　eyes。
　　　Jeggred；　meanwhile；　sniffed　at　the　rock　face；　prodding　it　with　a　finger。
　　　〃We　can't　go　back；〃　he　growled。　〃Pharaun　didn't　follow　us…and　we　can't　go　back。〃
　　　〃Pharaun's　still　in　the　vault；〃　Valas　told　them。
　　　The　vipers　in　Quenthel's　whip　gave　Valas　a　baleful　look。
　　　〃You　left　him？〃　Quenthel　spat。
　　　〃Why　not？　The　wraiths　are　defeated…no　thanks　to　you；〃　Valas　grumbled…then　realized　he'd　spoken　out　loud。
　　　Stepping　back　a　pace；　he　lowered　his　eyes；　but　the　reprimand　he'd　expected　did　not　e。　Quenthel's　whip　was　still　in　her　belt；　and　her　attention　was　entirely　on　the　wall　behind　him。　Her　body　radiated　tension　as　she　waited；　silently　staring　at　the　wall；　as　if　willing　Pharaun　to　step　through　it。
　　　A　few　moments　later；　Pharaun　obliged　by　emerging　from　the　portal；　together　with　Danifae；　whose　legs　were　articulated　normally　again；　Pharaun's　spell　having　ended。
　　　Jeggred　growled　softly　at　the　mage；　but　Quenthel　silenced　him　with　a　curt　wave　of　her　hand　as　she　spotted　the　object　Danifae　held　in　her　hands。　It　looked；　to　Valas's　unschooled　eyes；　like　a　forked　twig；　plated　in　silver；　but　Quenthel　seemed　to　recognize　it　at　once。
　　　〃A　wand　of　location；〃　she　said；　holding　out　her　hand　in　silent　demand。
　　　〃It　is　indeed；　Mistress；〃　said　Danifae；　her　face　expressionless。　〃The　rogues　who　were　in　the　vault　before　us　must　have　dropped　it。〃
　　　She　handed　the　wand　to　Quenthel；　bowing　her　head。
　　　Quenthel　stroked　Danifae's　hair　in　what　Valas；　had　he　not　known　Quenthel　as　well　as　he　did；　would　have　taken　to　be　a　sign　of　affection。
　　　〃At　last；　Danifae；　you've　proven　your　usefulness。　This　will　make　finding　the　ship　of　chaos　much　easier。〃
　　　So　fixated　on　the　wand　was　Quenthel　that　she　missed　something　that　Valas　did　not：　the　look　on　Pharaun's　face。　Once　again；　the　Master　of　Sorcere　was　plotting　something。　Valas；　neither　wanting　to　know　nor　caring　what　it　might　be；　turned　away　and　stared；　brooding；　out　at　the　lake。　Then；　spotting　something　in　the　distance　with　his　keen　eyes；　he　stiffened。
　　　〃What　is　it？〃　Pharaun　asked；　peering　in　the　same　direction。　〃More　wraiths？〃
　　　Valas　shook　his　head；　and　pointed　to　a　distant　spot　where　bats　were　frantically　circling　above　a　disturbance　in　the　water。
　　　〃Something's　stirring　up　the　bats　。　。　。　something　big。　And　it's　headed　this　way。〃
　　　
Chapter　Twenty…nine
　　　Ryld　trudged　along　the　open；　treeless　plain；　following　Halisstra's　trail。　She'd　forbidden　him　from　acpanying　her；　saying　the　quest　for　the　Crescent　Blade　was　something　she　had　to　undertake　alone…but　she　hadn't　forbidden　him　from　following　her。　Not　in　so　many　words。
　　　And　so　he'd　bade　her　farewell　when　she　left　Eilistraee's　temple；　then　set　out　after　her　as　soon　as　she　was　out　of　sight。　He'd　been　able　to　trail　her　closely　during　the　three　days　she'd　traveled　through　the　forest；　but　when　she　struck　out　across　the　Cold　Field；　he'd　been　forced　to　fall　back　and　follow　only　under　cover　of　darkness。　Even　with　his　magical　piwafwi　there　was　no　way　for　him　to　hide　on　the　flat；　featureless　plain　in　full　daylight。
　　　He　followed　the　faint　traces　of　Halisstra's　passage：　a　blank　spot　on　the　frosted　ground　where　a　pebble　had　been　kicked　out　of　place；　a　patch　of　lichen　that　had　been　scuffed　off　a　rock；　and　a　concave　fragment　of　bone；　recently　kicked　over；　the　frozen　dirt　clinging　to　its　underside　still　fresh。
　　　Flicking　the　fragment　of　skull　aside　with　the　toe　of　his　boot；　the　weapons　master　stared　across　the　desolate　landscape；　looking　for　Halisstra。　As　far　as　he　could　see　the　frozen　ground　was　studded　with　crumbling　pieces　of　bone；　rusted　lance　heads；　shield　bosses；　and　chunks　of　chain　mail　so　rusted　the　links　had　fused　into　a　single；　solid　mass。　It　was　as　if　the　remains　of　the　armies　that　had　fought　there　centuries　past　had　been　seeded　into　the　ground　in　the　hope　that　they　would　one　day　rise　again。　Yet　nothing　grew　there；　save　for　a　few　faint　traces　of　lichen　on　those　rocks　that　hadn't　been　melted　to　slag　by　the　fiery　breath　of　dragons。
　　　A　bitterly　cold　wind　began　to　blow；　plucking　at　the　ends　of　Ryld's　piwafwi　like　the　ghosts　of　the　dead。　Shivering；　he　peered　into　the　gloom；　searching　for　Halisstra。　She　must　have　still　been　far　ahead　of　him；　he　couldn't　see　her。　Ryld　wondered　if　the　ground　had　swallowed　her　up；　just　as　it　had　the　fallen　armies；　then　he　realized　his　nerves　were　getting　the　better　of　him。　That　was　the　way　of　the　place；　though。　The　bination　of　the　moldering　death　beneath　his　feet　and　the　vastness　of　the　sky　above　him　made　him　feel　vulnerable；　exposed。　If　the　dead　truly　did　walk　that　barren　landscape；　there　was　nowhere　to　make　a　stand　against　them…no　cavern　wall　to　place　his　back　against。
　　　Running　a　hand　across　the　crown　of　his　head…his　close…cropped　hair　had　almost　grown　out　and　would　soon　need　to　be　shaved　back　again…he　trudged　onward；　eyes　constantly　flicking　down　to　search　the　ground　for　Halisstra's　trail。　After　a　few　paces；　however；　he　stopped。　There；　some　distance　ahead　of　him　in　the　direction　Halisstra　had　been　heading…was　that　someone　moving？
　　　Not　someone…something。　The　figure　was　definitely　drow…shaped　but　seemed　to　be　lacking　its　lower　half。　Ryld　could　clearly　see　a　head；　shoulders；　and　arms　silhouetted　against　the　spot　on　the　horizon　where　the　moon　was　rising　behind　the　clouds；　but　below　the　waist　there　was　nothing　but　a　trail　of　dark　fog；　twisting　in　the　wind　like　smoke　from　an　extinguished　candle。　He　didn't　need　to　see　its　legs；　however；　to　determine　which　direction　the　thing　was　moving　in。　It　sped　briskly　along；　stopping　every　now　and　then　to　stoop　down　low　over　the　earth。　With　a　shudder；　Ryld　realized　it　too　was　following　Halisstra。
　　　He　drew　Splitter　from　the　sheath　on　his　back　and　sprinted　forward。　The　ground　beneath　his　feet　blurred　as　his　magical　boots　propelled　him　along　at　several　times　his　normal　running　speed。　To　attempt　stealth　on　the　featureless　plain　was　futile。　All　Ryld　could　count　on　to　tip　the　balance　in　his　favor　was　speed。　That；　and　the　magic　of　the　greatsword　in　his　hand。
　　　Within　moments　he　was　close　enough　to　the　cr