war of the spider queen 3 condemnation-第59章

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formerly　supported　the　lower　floors；　but　it　was　nothing　he　cared　to　try。
　　　I　don't　like　the　climb；　he　replied。
　　　Nor　do　I；　Danifae　added。　The　creature　knows　we're　protected　by　anti…magic。　Will　it　expect　us　to　abandon　the　spell　in　order　to　get　to　it？
　　　〃Possibly；〃　said　Pharaun。　At　a　sharp　look　from　Ryld　he　signed；　One　wonders　if　perhaps　we　should　have　studied　this　situation　at　greater　length　before　agreeing　to　the　task　the　Jaelre　set　us。
　　　Pharaun；　like　the　others；　moved　carefully　across　the　floor　of　the　chamber；　peering　upward。
　　　The　wizard　craned　back　his　head　and　called；　〃Ho！　Beholder！　As　we　are　at　something　of　an　impasse；　will　you　consent　to　parlay？〃
　　　Quenthel　fumed。
　　　〃You　speak　for　us；　wizard？〃　she　growled。
　　　From　the　heights　of　the　tower　overhead　the　deep；　rasping　voice　came　again。
　　　〃Parlay？　On　what　account？　You　have　invaded　my　home；　impudent　fools。〃
　　　〃Pharaun…〃　Quenthel　started。
　　　〃You　have　a　book　we　want；〃　the　wizard　replied；　ignoring　the　high　priestess。　〃I　guess　it's　called　the　Geildirion　of　Cimbar。　Give　it　to　us；　and　We'll　trouble　you　no　more。〃
　　　The　beholder　fell　silent；　evidently　considering　the　offer。　Quenthel　stared　daggers　at　the　wizard；　but　like　the　others；　she　listened　for　the　beholder's　reply。
　　　〃The　book　is　extremely　valuable；〃　the　creature　replied　finally。　〃I　will　not　yield　it　up　because　some　whelp　of　a　dark　elf　demands　it　of　me。　Retreat；　and　I　will　consent　to　spare　your　lives。〃
　　　Quenthel　snorted　and　said；　〃As　if　we　expected　anything　different。〃　She　made　a　small　wave　of　her　hand　to　call　the　others'　attention　to　her；　and　signed；　On　the　count　of　three；　Pharaun　will　dismiss　his　spell。　Danifae　and　Ryld…you　will　follow　me　up　the　shaft。　Pharaun；　when　we　reach　the　halfway　point；　you　will　then　teleport　yourself　and　Jeggred　to　the　floor　above　and　take　the　monster　unawares　while　it　focuses　its　attention　on　defending　the　shaft。　Valas；　you　remain　here　and　cover　our　ascent　with　your　bow。　e　up　as　quickly　as　you　can　once　we　reach　the　top。　The　Baenre　did　not　wait　to　entertain　any　refinements　to　her　plan；　beginning　her　countdown　at　once。
　　　One；　two。　。　。　three！
　　　Pharaun　made　a　curt　gesture　and　dismissed　his　spell　of　antimagic。　Ryld　felt　the　arcane　power　of　his　belt；　his　gauntlets；　and　his　sword　flood　back　into　his　limbs。　He　drew　Splitter　and　ascended　into　the　shaft；　using　the　levitation　charm　with　which　his　Melee…Magthere　insignia　was　imbued。　With　luck；　the　sword's　ability　to　disrupt　enchantments　would　shield　him　from　the　worst　of　what　the　beholder　mage　could　send　their　way。
　　　Quenthel　and　Danifae　rose　alongside　him；　three　black；　graceful　forms　sliding　smoothly　up　into　the　darkness。　Pharaun　moved　up　beside　Jeggred　and　watched　their　progress；　one　hand　on　the　draegloth's　white…furred　shoulder。
　　　The　ceiling　of　the　shaft　featured　a　circular　opening　at　one　side；　cluttered　somewhat　by　the　remnants　of　the　old　stairwell　that　once　climbed　the　tower。　Ryld　peered　at　the　opening；　expecting　incandescent　death　at　any　moment。
　　　The　beholder　mage　did　not　disappoint　him。
　　　A　brilliant　green　ray　flashed　into　existence；　lancing　toward　Ryld。　He　parried　it　with　Splitter；　and　felt　a　tingle　in　the　hilt　as　the　greatsword　destroyed　the　insidious　ray。　Beside　him；　Danifae　yelped　and　swerved　aside　from　another　tremendous　bolt　of　lightning　that　arced　out　to　sear　all　three　dark　elves；　leaving　the　odor　of　charred　wood　and　ozone　in　the　air。
　　　Arrows　hissed　up　from　underneath；　whistling　past　the　weapons　master　as　Valas　fired　at　the　unseen　foe。　Ryld　snarled　in　defiance　and　willed　himself　upward　with　more　haste。　Another　spell　struck　Quenthel…some　kind　of　dispelling　magic　that　snuffed　out　her　levitation。　She　flailed　her　arms　and　plummeted　to　the　floor　below。　Ryld　reached　out　to　catch　her；　but　the　Baenre　was　simply　not　close　enough。　She　struck　the　floor　at　the　bottom　of　the　shaft　after　a　fall　of　close　to　forty　feet。　Quenthel　crashed　into　the　rubble　like　a　falling　meteor；　and　vanished　in　dust　and　wreckage。
　　　〃Keep　going！〃　shouted　Danifae。　〃We're　almost　at　the　top！〃
　　　The　beholder　mage　must　have　reached　the　same　conclusion。　A　moment　later；　a　barrier　of　solid　ice　appeared；　walling　off　the　top　of　the　shaft　and　trapping　the　drow　beneath　it。
　　　〃Damn！〃　swore　Ryld。
　　　Danifae　glowered　at　the　barrier　and　said；　〃Maybe　we　can…〃
　　　At　that　moment；　Jezz　the　Lame　appeared　on　the　floor　of　the　chamber。　He　wheeled　and　hurled　a　spell　back　through　the　doorway；　then　slammed　the　door　shut。
　　　〃Whatever　it　is　you're　doing；　finish　it；〃　the　Jaelre　called。　〃The　devils　have　returned　in　force！〃
　　　Ryld　looked　up　at　the　sheet　of　ice　covering　the　top　of　the　shaft；　then　down　again　at　the　rubble…strewn　floor。　Quenthel　lay　half…buried　in　the　shattered　masonry；　unmoving。　Spells　rumbled　above　the　ice；　sure　signs　that　Pharaun　and　Jeggred　had　found　their　foe；　but　the　creature's　barrier　had　effectively　cut　the　pany　in　half。　Abandoning　the　effort　to　get　at　the　beholder　mage　might　give　the　monster　the　chance　to　destroy　the　pany　in　detail；　but　Quenthel　was　dead　or　injured　below。
　　　〃Up；〃　Ryld　decided。　〃Going　back　is　no　good。　Valas；　Jezz；　aid　Quenthel！〃
　　　He　came　up　beneath　the　gleaming　white　ceiling　and　struck　at　the　icy　wall　with　Splitter；　using　the　sword's　ability　to　rend　enchantments。　Razor…sharp　shards　of　ice　flew　from　the　spot　he　struck；　but　the　sword　failed　to　undo　the　beholder's　magic。　Ryld　cursed　and　tried　again；　with　no　more　success。
　　　Below　them；　the　door　to　the　tower　boomed　with　a　heavy　blow。　Valas　quickly　shouldered　his　bow　and　scuttled　over　the　heaps　of　masonry　and　rubble　filling　the　bottom　of　the　shaft；　heading　toward　the　spot　where　Quenthel　had　fallen。
　　　Jezz　the　Lame　growled　something　and　worked　a　spell；　clogging　the　tower's　foyer　with　a　mass　of　sticky　webbing。　He　mouthed　the　words　of　another　spell　and　arrowed　up　into　the　air；　leaving　Valas　and　Quenthel　on　the　floor　of　the　shaft。
　　　〃Forget　the　priestess；〃　he　called　to　Valas。　〃e；　if　you　want　to　live！〃
　　　The　scout　grimaced　in　frustration。
　　　〃I　can't　climb　and　carry　her！〃　he　snapped　as　a　second　blow　at　the　door　splintered　wood　and　bent　iron。
　　　The　ancient　door　would　not　withstand　another　blow。　Valas　glanced　up　the　shaft　and　down　at　Quenthel；　and　reached　down　and　unfastened　her　House　Baenre　brooch　from　her　shoulder。　Her　snake…headed　whip　stirred　in　agitation；　and　Yngoth　actually　struck　at　the　scout；　but　Valas　scrambled　back　and　fixed　the　brooch　to　his　tunic。
　　　〃I'm　trying　to　save　your　mistress；〃　he　barked　at　the　whip。
　　　The　scout　moved　close　and　grasped　Quenthel　under　the　arms；　using　the　power　of　her　own　brooch　to　levitate　away　from　the　floor。
　　　Meanwhile；　Ryld　measured　the　icy　barrier　in　front　of　him。
　　　〃All　right；　then；〃　he　muttered。
　　　He　backed　up；　set　his　feet　as　best　he　could　against　the　shaft's　wall；　and　drew　Splitter　back　for　the　mightiest　blow　he　could　muster。　With　a　cry　of　rage；　he　struck　the　wall　a　tremendous　blow；　Splitter's　blade　shearing　through　the　magical　ice　even　as　waves　of　excruciating　cold　washed　over　him。　He　ignored　the　pain　and　swung　again；　and　again…and　the　sheet　of　ice　cracked　into　a　dozen　pieces　and　fell　away　to　the　floor　below。　Without　waiting　for　the　others；　Ryld　hurled　himself　up　into　the　beholder's　lair。
　　　
　　　Within　a　day　of　Seyll's　murder；　Halisstra　began　to　wonder　if　she　might　have　been　better　off　going　with　the　Eilistraee　priestess　and　feigning　conversion。　It　might　have　been　a　strategy　unlikely　to　reunite　her　with　her　rades；　but　it　would　have　meant　that　she　would　have　enjoyed　shelter；　food；　and　the　opportunity　to　perhaps　regain　her　equipment；　instead　of　an　interminable　march　through　the　freezing　woods。　As　dawn　approached；　she　could　find　no　better　shelter　than　a　small；　damp　hollow　surrounded　by　drow…high　boulders　and　bare　trees。　Shivering；　she　shrugged　off　her　stolen　backpack　and　searched　it　thoroughly；　hoping　against　hope　that　she　had　somehow　overlooked　some　key　implement　or　a　scrap　of　food。
　　　Seyll　and　her　followers　had　not　anticipated　a　wilderness　sojourn　of　more　than　a　few　hours。　They　carried　no　more　gear　than　Halisstra　would　have；　had　she　decided　to　venture　out　to　a　well…known　cavern　a　mile　or　two　from　Ched　Nasad。　They　certainly　hadn't　equipped　themselves　for　the　convenience　of　their　captive's　escape。
　　　With　the　crossbow　she'd　taken　from　Xarra　and　the　bae'qeshel　songs　at　her　mand；　she　had　a　fair　chance　of　dropping　any　game　she　came　across；　but　in　her　hours　and　hours　of　wandering　she'd　not　seen　anything　larger　than　a　bird。　Even　if　she　did　succeed　in　killing　something　for　her　dinner；　she　had　no　means　to　cook　it；　and　Halisstra　was　beginning　to　suspect　that　the　forest　itself　conspired　against　her。
　　　She　was　reasonably　sure　that　she'd　managed　to　keep　heading　west　after　her　escape　from　the　heretic。　If　Seyll　hadn't　been　lying　when　she　said　they　were　near　the　spot　where　Halisstra　had　been　captured；　the　Melarn　priestess　was　no　more　than　one　or　two　nights'　march　from　the　small　river　Pharaun　had　described　in　his　vision。　Since　the　river　ran　south　to　north　somewhere　in　front　of　her；　it　seemed　a　difficult　target　to　miss　as　long　as　she　kept　moving　west。
　　　Halisstra　tried　to　keep　the　sunset　and　moons