war of the spider queen 2 insurrection-第74部分

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　　　〃Well；　you'll　join　ranks；　then。　Get　forward　and　help　the　other　wizards。〃
　　　〃We　thought　we'd　better　serve　the　cause　by　helping　to　watch　this　end　of　road；〃　Pharaun　replied；　smiling　broadly。　〃You　never　know　when　those　pesky　grays　will　try　to　circumnavigate　our　flank　and　surprise　us。〃
　　　〃Get　on　your　feet；　wizard；　and　go　join　the　other　spellcasters。　And　you　two！　You　can　help　me　rally　the　troops　and　keep　order。　Up　off　your　hind　ends…now？
　　　Pharaun　could　see　that　Quenthel　was　about　to　lash　out　at　the　priestess；　so　before　she　could　cause　a　scene；　he　pulled　the　drow　mander　to　the　side。
　　　〃Listen；〃　he　said　quietly。　〃We're　actually　working　on　a　special　assignment　for　Matron　Mother　Drisinil　Melarn。　We've　got　permission　to　avoid　the　fighting　while　we　take　care　of　a　very　important　mission。〃
　　　〃Oh；　is　that　so？〃　one　of　the　male　wizards　replied　coldly。　〃Well；　Drisinil　Melarn　was　my　mother；　and　I　happen　to　know　that　she　was　murdered　by　traitors　before　this　civil　war　even　started。　Since　you　don't　wear　a　House　insignia；　I'm　guessing　you're　the　spies　who　were　accused　of　collaborating　with　her。　Maybe　it's　time　you　died。〃
　　　The　Melarn　wizard　stepped　back；　reaching　into　his　piwafwi；　but　before　Pharaun　could　react；　a　voice　drifted　from　behind　him。
　　　〃Hello；　Q'arlynd；〃　Halisstra　said　as　she　and　the　others　floated　up　over　the　side　of　the　web　street。
　　　The　Melarn　wizard　stopped；　peering　at　the　priestess　for　a　moment。　Then　he　broke　into　a　broad　grin。
　　　〃Dear　sister；〃　he　said。　〃I　thought　you　were　dead。〃
　　　NINETEEN
　　　〃When　the　fighting　got　worse；　several　of　the　matron　mothers；　including　Maerret；　came　to　the　Dangling　Tower　and　asked　us　to　aid　them；〃　Q'arlynd　explained。　〃They　said　it　was　a　full…scale　civil　war　and　the　rebels　were　going　to　tear　the　city　apart　if　we　didn't　stop　them。　Matron　Mother　Lirdnolu　explained　to　me　what　had　happened　to　House　Melarn。　I　knew　Mother　was　dead；　and　we'd　heard　that　she　was　killed　by　Ssipriina　Zauvirr　with　collaborators　from　the　outside　who　wanted　to　see　the　downfall　of　Ched　Nasad。〃
　　　〃And　you　thought　I'd　perished；　too；〃　Halisstra　said；　squatting　down　beside　her　brother。
　　　〃Yes；　either　at　the　same　time　Mother　was　murdered　or　in　the　fall　of　our　House。　Is　it　really　gone？〃　the　Melarn　wizard　asked。
　　　Halisstra　only　nodded。
　　　〃By　the　Dark　Mother；〃　he　breathed。
　　　〃Well；　the　family　reunion　is　nice　and　all；　but　we　still　need　to　get　out　of　this　city；〃　Pharaun　said；　standing。　〃What's　the　situation？　Where's　the　closest　way　out　that　we　can　get　through？〃
　　　Q'arlynd　shook　his　head　and　said；　〃There　are　none；　so　I've　heard。　All　the　gates　have　either　been　mandeered　by　rebel　forces　or　hordes　of　escaped　slaves　or　they've　collapsed　outright　because　of　the　fighting。　This　alchemical　fire　that　burns　through　stone　is　wreaking　havoc　on…〃
　　　〃Believe　me；　we　know；〃　the　Master　of　Sorcere　interrupted；　〃but　your　report　doesn't　leave　us　with　many　options。　We've　got　to　find　a　way　to　get　free　of　the　city。〃
　　　Quenthel　had　just　opened　her　mouth；　most　likely　to　mand　Pharaun　to　figure　out　a　method　of　escaping　Ched　Nasad；　the　wizard　imagined；　when　a　motion　broke　out　from　farther　down　the　boulevard。　Pharaun　turned　and　looked　just　in　time　to　see　a　jumble　of　dark　elves　stumbling　to　their　feet　in　disarray。　Many　of　them　fell　again　just　as　quickly；　cut　down　by　a　growing　horde　of　gray　dwarves　who　were　emerging　through　a　magical　doorway　hovering　in　the　air　only　a　couple　of　feet　above　the　street。　The　duergar　were　streaming　through　as　fast　as　they　could；　firing　off　crossbows　at　any　drow　targets　they　could　find　before　casting　the　missile　weapons　aside　and　pulling　out　axes；　hammers；　and　the　occasional　mace。
　　　〃Attack！　We're　under　attack！〃　the　cry　went　up　as　more　drow　surged　to　their　feet；　moving　to　stop　the　advance　of　the　gray　dwarves。
　　　〃e　on；　you　flat…footed；　sorry　excuses　for　soldiers…get　up　there　and　fight　before　they　split　us　down　the　middle！〃　the　battle　priestess　yelled；　returning　from　the　far　end　of　the　street　and　shoving　troops　forward　as　fast　as　she　could　get　to　them。　〃Wizard！　Throw　a　spell！　Drive　them　back。　If　they　reach　the　square；　we're　done　for。〃
　　　Pharaun　sighed　and　nodded；　grabbing　the　battle　priestess　and　spinning　her　around　to　face　him。　His　smile　was　gone。
　　　〃Tell　your　troops　to　fall　back　to　this　point；〃　he　said。
　　　〃What？　And　let　them　e　at　us　unopposed？　I　think　not。〃
　　　〃Do　it；　or　they　will　be　trapped。　Set　up　three　positions　of　missile　fire；　here…〃　he　pointed　to　several　positions　in　the　street…〃there；　and　there。〃
　　　The　battle　priestess　looked　at　the　mage　as　though　he　were　crazy　but　finally　nodded　and　shouted　for　an　organized　retreat。
　　　Pharaun　rolled　his　eyes　at　the　battle　priestess's　short…sightedness　and　began　organizing　the　drow　soldiers　himself；　sorting　them　into　groups　of　crossbowmen；　stationing　them　where　he'd　pointed　earlier。　As　more　and　more　of　the　dark　elves　dropped　back　from　the　duergar；　they　fell　in　with　the　others　already　positioned。　As　a　unit；　they　began　to　fire　into　the　mass　of　milling　gray　dwarves；　who　were　slaughtering　the　few　remaining　stragglers。
　　　They're　lost　to　us；　the　wizard　said　to　himself。
　　　He　cast；　and　a　great　mass　of　webs　appeared；　spanning　the　width　of　the　street；　anchored　to　the　pavement　and　the　buildings　on　either　side。　A　handful　of　the　dark　elves　were　caught　in　the　sticky　strands；　and　perhaps　a　dozen　or　so　were　trapped　on　the　other　side；　but　the　gray　dwarves　were　effectively　sealed　off　from　advancing；　at　least　until　they　penetrated　the　webs　or　the　spell　wore　off。
　　　〃e　on；〃　Q'arlynd　said；　motioning　upward　as　he　began　to　levitate。
　　　Pharaun　followed　the　other　wizard　upward　to　a　position　where　they　could　see　over　the　top　of　his　webs；　down　into　the　field　of　battle　where　the　gray　dwarves　had　quickly　killed　the　few　remaining　drow　who　had　been　trapped　with　them。　The　duergar　were　milling　about；　seemingly　unsure　what　to　do。　Halisstra's　brother　had　ponents　out；　ready　to　cast　a　spell；　and　one　look　at　the　lump　of　bat　guano　in　his　hand　told　Pharaun　what　the　wizard　planned。
　　　〃Hold　on；〃　Pharaun　said；　laying　a　hand　on　Q'arlynd's　arm。　〃They're　waiting；〃　he　explained；　pointing　down　at　the　duergar。　〃They　want　a　shaman　or　something　to　e　try　to　dispel　the　webs。　He's　probably　the　same　one　who　opened　the　dimensional　doorway。〃
　　　Sure　enough；　a　duergar　dressed　in　robes　and　wearing　several　totems　and　other　magical　trinkets　stepped　through　the　glowing　doorway。　One　of　the　duergar　addressed　him…Pharaun　couldn't　hear　what　was　being　said…and　pointed　to　the　webs。　The　shaman　nodded　and　began　to　cast。
　　　〃Do　it；〃　Pharaun　said。
　　　Q'arlynd　went　into　action；　letting　loose　with　his　spell；　aiming　it　directly　at　the　shaman。　It　was　a　direct　hit；　and　that　entire　side　of　the　street　was　engulfed　in　a　white…hot　ball　of　fire　that　blossomed　outward　and　vaporized　an　instant　later。　Charred　and　burning　gray　dwarves　lay　everywhere。　A　few　moved；　having　survived；　but　they　were　few　and　far　between。　Most　importantly；　the　dimensional　pathway　had　been　banished；　winking　out　when　the　shaman　who　created　it　died。
　　　The　two　wizards　settled　back　to　the　ground　again；　noting　that　Q'arlynd's　fiery　ball　of　magic　had　ignited　the　webs；　which　were　quickly　burning　away。　Already；　though；　another　gateway　was　forming；　this　one　at　the　opposite　end　of　the　street。　The　battle　priestess　rallied　her　troops　to　deal　with　the　new　threat。
　　　〃You　know　you　only　delayed　the　inevitable；〃　Quenthel　said　as　Pharaun　and　Q'arlynd　returned。　〃We're　wasting　time；　here。　We　have　to　get　out　of　the　city。〃
　　　〃I　know；〃　the　Master　of　Sorcere　replied；　〃but　it　was　fun。〃
　　　〃Look！〃　Danifae　shouted；　pointing　toward　the　new　gateway。
　　　Duergar　were　streaming　out；　and　drow　were　arriving　from　above　and　below；　levitating　from　the　web　streets　on　the　two　adjacent　levels。
　　　〃It's　House　Zauvirr　troops；〃　the　battle　captive　explained。　〃They've　got　us　pinned。〃
　　　〃Fall　back；〃　the　battle　priestess　manded；　turning　to　point　back　the　way　the　duergar　had　e；　but　as　she　began　to　direct　her　soldiers；　she　took　a　crossbow　bolt　in　the　ear。　The　missile　passed　through　and　protruded　from　the　other　side　of　her　head；　and　she　was　already　dead；　motionless；　as　she