war of the spider queen 2 insurrection-第52章

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　　　Khorrl　sighed。　He　would　have　to　send　scouts　out　to　reconnoiter　the　new　troops。　He　said　as　much　to　the　aide；　who　saluted　him　and　started　to　turn　away。
　　　〃Wait；〃　the　captain　said；　and　the　aide　stopped　attentively。　'Get　some　boys　up　there…〃　Khorrl　pointed　toward　the　street　one　level　above　where　they　were　currently　positioned…〃I　don't　want　another　swarm　of　those　damned　dark　elves　dropping　in　on　us　like　they　did　earlier。〃
　　　〃Yes；　sir；〃　the　aide　replied；　and　hurried　off　to　execute　his　captain's　mands。
　　　Khorrl　sighed　again　and　turned　to　call　for　water。　From　behind　him　there　was　a　loud　popping　sound；　a　sound　he　knew　too　well…　splintering　stone。　He　spun　back　around　and　peered　through　the　gloom　of　smoke　in　the　direction　from　which　it　had　e。　All　up　and　down　the　lines　that　protected　the　clan's　position；　the　word　was　spreading；　and　it　reached　Khorrl　quickly　enough。　House　Melarn　was　burning　to　oblivion；　and　it　was　about　to　go　over。
　　　Khorrl　shook　his　head；　knowing　what　was　about　to　happen。　He　hoped　his　aide　was　right　and　hoped　that　all　his　boys　had　gotten　out　of　there。　He　lamented　the　ones　who　couldn't；　for　whatever　reason。
　　　The　popping　started　again；　and　grew　louder　and　more　steady。　He　could　feel　the　vibrations　in　the　stone　beneath　his　feet。　He　almost　wished　he　could　see　it；　but　in　a　way；　he　didn't。　It　was　going　to　be　a　deathtrap　for　anyone　still　inside。
　　　The　snapping；　splintering　sound　of　stone　reached　a　crescendo；　and　there　was　one　final　explosion；　a　tremor　that　shook　the　entire　street　enough　that　Khorrl　had　to　brace　himself　with　his　axe。　There　was　a　jerk；　and　the　rumbling　ceased。　Khorrl　knew　the　whole　building　had　gone　over　the　side；　tumbling　into　the　void。
　　　A　few　seconds　later；　there　was　a　horrendous　crash　from　below。　House　Melarn　had　struck　something。　A　heartbeat　later；　he　felt　the　vibrations　of　the　impact。　It　was　subtle；　but　for　that　sort　of　vibration　to　travel　through　a　web　street　and　into　the　walls　of　the　huge　cavern；　and　back　along　the　other　web　streets；　the　initial　impact　must　have　been　devastating。
　　　It　might　take　out　several　more　streets；　the　duergar　mused　grimly。
　　　〃Sir！〃
　　　It　was　the　aide　again；　rushing　up　to　his　captain；　his　look　wide…eyed。
　　　〃What　is　it？〃　Khorrl　demanded；　wondering　what　would　so　shake　up　the　lad。
　　　〃A　spider！　A　huge　one；　as　big　as　a　house！　It's　ing　this　way！〃　Khorrl　groaned；　realizing　just　how　much　worse　things　had　gotten。　He　hated　being　right。
　　　FIFTEEN
　　　As　he　floated　up　and　out　of　the　collapsing　building　that　had　at　one　time　been　House　Melarn；　Phataun　Mizzrym　heard　a　cry　of　anguish　below　him。　Looking　downward；　he　spied　Halisstra；　still　emerging　from　the　gaping　opening　that　led　into　the　ruin　of　her　mother's　chambers。　She　was　staring　back　down　into　the　building。
　　　For　the　rest　of　his　days；　the　wizard　wouldn't　be　sure　what　convinced　him　to　do　it；　but　sensing　that　someone　was　still　inside；　he　made　up　his　mind　in　the　blink　of　an　eye　to　cast　a　spell。　Yanking　off　his　piwafwi　and　tossing　it　to　Ryld；　he　uttered　a　quick　arcane　phrase　and　began　transforming　himself　into　a　loathsome　and　wretched　creature。　He　had　seen　the　horrid　thing　several　times　before　and　in　fact　had　hunted　them　for　sport　a　few　times　in　his　younger　days。　As　he　dropped　back　down　toward　the　crumbling　building；　which　was　beginning　to　break　away　from　the　last　of　its　moorings　and　drop　into　the　space　below；　he　changed　from　the　handsome　drow　elf　with　the　winning　smile　to　a　winged　woman　with　scaly　hindquarters。　Though　the　form　was　repulsive；　it　did　have　one　advantage　over　the　wizard's　natural　shape：　It　could　fly。　Pharaun　hoped　his　harpy　shape　would　be　strong　enough　to　lift　whoever　was　still　trapped　inside。
　　　Halisstra　seemed　about　to　drop　back　down　into　the　cavernous　room；　which　was　tilted　pletely　on　its　side；　but　Pharaun　grasped　hold　of　her　piwafwi　and　shoved　her　to　the　side。　She　looked　up　at　him；　startled；　and　gave　a　quick　shriek　of　surprise　and　horror；　even　as　she　stumbled　back。　She　fumbled　for　something　tucked　inside　her　own　piwafwi；　and　the　mage　got　the　impression　she　had　no　clue　it　was　him。　She　was　about　to　attack　him。
　　　〃Get　up　with　the　others！〃　he　hissed；　motioning　with　one　of　his　clawed　hands。　〃I'll　go　back。〃
　　　He　saw　the　flash　of　a　dagger；　and　Halisstra　relaxed　the　slightest　bit；　seeming　to　understand　who　the　harpy　really　was。　He　filed　away　for　later　the　fact　that　she'd　secreted　a　weapon　on　her　person。
　　　Halisstra　nodded　and　pushed　herself　up　from　the　edge　of　the　hole　even　as　Pharaun　folded　his　wings　to　his　side　and　stepped　over　the　opening　so　that　he　could　drop　through。　Inside；　he　saw　Danifae　flailing　madly　atop　a　pile　of　rocks　that　had　once　been　the　ceiling；　as　the　mound　of　rubble　shifted　beneath　her。　At　that　point；　House　Melarn　was　truly　falling；　and　the　two　of　them　with　it。　He　noticed　that　the　rubble　shifted　and　ground　itself　together　as　the　building　plummeted　downward；　grinding　itself　into　oblivion。　It　almost　seemed　to　be　draining　out　of　a　hole　below　her；　like　some　great　hourglass。　She　was　struggling　to　keep　from　getting　sucked　down　with　the　stone；　but　her　leg　was　wedged　between　two　large　blocks；　and　she　could　not　gain　a　sufficient　grip　anywhere　else　in　order　to　pull　her　limb　free。
　　　Pharaun　sank　quickly　down　to　where　the　battle　captive　struggled；　unfurling　his　wings　at　the　last　moment　to　slow　his　descent　and　e　to　hover　beside　the　drow　female。　Danifae　responded；　reaching　out　to　try　to　grab　hold　of　the　creature　before　her。　Whether　she　realized　it　was　Pharaun　or　not；　she　didn't　seem　to　care。　Pharaun　extended　his　taloned　feet　in　her　direction　and　worked　his　way　to　within　her　reach。　She　was　sinking　ever　deeper　into　the　debris　pit。　It　was　up　to　her　knee；　and　when　it　shifted；　she　arched　her　head　back　and　screamed　more　in　frustration　than　in　agony。
　　　The　instant　Danifae　had　a　solid　grip　on　him；　Pharaun　began　to　thrash　with　his　wings；　exerting　himself　to　rise　up　and　out；　hoping　it　would　be　enough　to　remove　her　from　her　predicament。　He　felt　the　resistance…not　just　of　her　weight；　but　also　of　her　trapped　leg…　but　he　tugged　and　flapped；　working　to　free　her。　Finally；　with　one　last　heave；　he　felt　the　resistance　give；　and　he　was　barreling　upward；　Danifae　clinging　tightly　to　his　legs。　He　soared　toward　the　opening　as　the　room　continued　to　drop；　and　there　was　a　massive　roaring　I　crash　and　a　blinding　cloud　of　dust　as　he　shot　out　through　the　widening　hole。
　　　Once　free　of　the　room；　Pharaun　realized　he　really　wasn't　flying　upward　at　all　but　was　hovering　in　place　as　the　entire　structure　of　House　Melarn　fell　away　beneath　them。　He　saw　it　smash　into　a　web　street　that　stretched　across　beneath　it；　and　when　it　struck　the　thoroughfare　a　glancing　blow；　the　rubble　tumbled　around　so　that　it　was　spinning　as　it　fell。　If　they'd　been　a　moment　longer　in　freeing　themselves；　the　wizard　realized　with　a　shudder；　he　never　would　have　been　able　to　navigate　his　way　out　of　the　hole。　The　room　would　have　spun　and　tumbled　with　him　and　Danifae　trapped　inside。
　　　Both　of　them　watched　for　a　moment；　awed；　as　the　massive　stone　structure　plummeted　downward　toward　the　bottom　of　the　city。　Finally；　with　a　sickening　boom；　it　struck　somewhere　far　below；　and　the　concussive　impact　reverberated　all　the　way　up　to　where　they　hovered。
　　　Pharaun　was　beginning　to　feel　the　strain　of　trying　to　fly　while　holding　so　much　weight。　Struggling　to　see　through　the　thick；　choking　dust　that　had　been　stirred　up；　he　eyed　what　was　left　of　the　web　street　where　House　Melarn　had　been；　portions　of　it　still　aflame；　and　saw　that　chunks　of　it；　too；　were　giving　out。　Instead　of　heading　straight　up　toward　that　spot；　he　veered　to　the　side；　away　from　the　worst　of　the　damage。　Where　the　calcified　webbing　broadened　into　a　plaza　it　was　still　solid　and　firm。　As　he　labored　in　that　direction；　another　major　section　of　the　street　fell　away；　following　House　Melarn　to　the　bottom。　What　was　left　was　just　a　ledge　jutting　out　into　space。
　　　The　mage　pumped　his　wings；　steering　the　two　of　them　toward　the　firmer　pavement；　past　the　ledge；　which　extended　perhaps　ten　feet　from　the　plaza　and　was　twice　as　wide。　When　he　was　over　the　plaza；　he　sank　down　quickly；　flapping　his　wings　to　force　himself　to　fall　off　to　one　side　rather　than　directly　on　top　of　Danifae。　The　drow　female　dropped　right　where　he'd　set　her　down　and　sprawled　there；　drawing　deep；　ragged　breaths。　He　settled　down　next　to　her；　none　too　gently　himself；　and　collapsed。　Little　points　of　light　swam　in　his　vision　as　he　gasped　for　breath　in　the　dust…choked　air。　His　limbs　were　leaden；　and　he　could　do　nothing　but　listen　to　Danifae's　and　his　own　panting。
　　　〃That　was　some　rescue　effort；〃　Ryld　said；　floating　down　next　to　the　wizard。　〃I　don't　know　what　sort　of　terror　you're　supposed　to　be；　but　please　don't　ever　try　to　save　me　looking　like　that。　I'm　liable　to　kill　you　before　I　know　it's　you。〃
　　　Pharaun　opened　one　eye　and　looked　at　the　warrior　as　he　mentally　ended　the　transformation　spell　and　returned　to　his　own　form。
　　　〃Certainly　not；〃　he　answered　between　gasps。　〃You；　my　friend；　would　just　have　to　extract　your　worthless　carcass　from　poor　Danifae's　predicament　yourself；　should　you　ever　find　it　thusly　trapped。　You　haven't　the　beauty　to　warrant　rescuing。〃
　　　The　other　membe