war of the spider queen 5 annihilation-第64部分

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　　　Aliisza　turned　to　look　in　the　direction　the　line　of　drow　souls　were　moving。　At　the　end　of　the　very　long　line　was　a　whirlpool　of　red　and　black…a　gateway　to　the　outer　planes　that　was　drawing　the　souls　in。
　　　〃That's　not　the　Abyss；〃　Aliisza　said。
　　　It's　home；　whispered　the　bodiless　soul　of　Greyanna　Mizzrym。　I　can　feel　it。　It　is。　It's　the　Demonweb　Pits。
　　　Aliisza's　heart　raced。
　　　〃The　Demonweb　Pits；〃　the　alu…fiend　repeated；　〃but　not　the　Abyss。〃
　　　Aliisza　stopped　herself　and　hung　in　the　gray　expanse　off　to　one　side　of　the　procession　of　dead　drow。
　　　〃Well；〃　Aliisza　whispered　to　an　unhearing　Lolth；　〃moving　up　in　the　world；　aren't　we？〃
　　　The　alu…fiend　closed　her　eyes　and　concentrated　on　Kaanyr　Vhok。　She　let　her　consciousness　travel　through　the　Astral　and　back　to　the　cold；　hard　Underdark。　There　she　found　her　lover's　mind　and　dropped　a　message　into　it。
　　　Something　is　happening　with　the　Demonweb　Pits；　she　sent。　It's　a　plane　unto　itself　now；　and　the　gates　are　open。　Lolth　weles　home　the　dead。　She　lives。
　　　That　was　all　she　could　say；　and　she　hoped　it　would　be　warning　enough。　Aliisza　could　have　shifted　back　to　the　Underdark　in　an　instant　and　been　by　her　lover's　side；　but　she　didn't。　She　wanted　to　stay　where　she　was；　though　she　didn't　know　why。
　　　
　　　Nimor　had　given　up　trying　to　claw　Gromph。　Instead；　he　started　to　work　on　forcing　the　archmage　to　attack　him；　but　the　drow　wouldn't　oblige。　The　feeling　Nimor　had　that　Gromph　somehow　knew　what　he　was　thinking…maybe　before　he　even　thought　it…grew　stronger　and　stronger　and　made　Nimor　start　to　second…guess　himself。　It　was　no　way　to　fight。
　　　Nimor　stepped　back　and　so　did　Gromph。　The　assassin　could　see　Dyrr　slowly　circling　them　both　from　a　safe…some　would　say　cowardly…distance。　The　assassin　was　about　to　speak　when　a　familiar　nettling　buzzed　in　his　skull。
　　　Aliisza　is　in　the　Demonweb　Pits；　the　voice　of　Kaanyr　Vhok　sounded　in　his　head。　Something　is　happening；　and　it　will　be　bad　for　us　all。　I'm　not　waiting　to　find　out　how　bad。
　　　For　the　first　time　in　a　very；　very　long　time；　Nimor's　blood　ran　cold。
　　　Gromph　twitched；　almost　gasped；　and　Nimor　couldn't　help　but　look　at　him。　Their　eyes　locked；　and　an　instant　of　understanding　passed　between　them。　Nimor　stepped　back；　and　Gromph　nodded。　The　archmage　still　kept　the　ghostly　battle…axe　in　front　of　him　but　didn't　advance。　He　breathed　heavily；　sweat　running　down　the　sides　of　his　face　and　matting　his　snow…white　hair　to　his　forehead。
　　　Again；　Nimor　was　about　to　speak；　and　again　he　was　interrupted。
　　　〃What　are　you　doing？〃　the　lichdrow　demanded。　〃Kill　him！〃
　　　Nimor　let　a　long；　steady　breath　hiss　out　through　clenched　teeth。　It　was　bad　enough　that　a　key　ponent　of　his　alliance　was　abandoning　the　cause；　worse　still　that　Lolth　was　somehow；　for　some　reason　he　might　never　understand；　choosing　that　moment　to　finally　return…or　do　something　that　scared　Kaanyr　Vhok；　anyway；　and　the　cambion　wasn't　the　type　to　scare　easily。　All　that；　an　opponent　he　should　have　been　able　to　dispatch　with　nary　a　thought　but　who　was　able　to　out…think　and　outfight　him　at　every　turn；　and　the　damned　lich　was　barking　orders　at　him。
　　　Dyrr　began　shouting　again；　but　Nimor　didn't　understand　what　he　was　saying。
　　　〃I　can't…〃　the　Anointed　Blade　started　to　say　then　stopped　when　he　realized　that　the　lich　was　casting　a　spell。
　　　Gromph　heard　him　too。　With　one　hand　still　holding　the　axe　in　front　of　him；　the　archmage　tapped　his　staff　on　the　pockmarked　floor　of　the　smoldering　Bazaar　and　was　instantly　enveloped　in　a　globe　of　shimmering　energy。　No　sooner　did　the　globe　appear　than　Dyrr　finished　his　muttering；　and　the　sound　of　the　lich's　voice　was　replaced　by　a　low；　echoing　buzz。
　　　Nimor；　eyes　still　locked　on　Gromph's；　blinked。　The　archmage　glanced　over　at　the　lich；　and　one　side　of　his　mouth　curled　up　into　the　beginning　of　a　smile。　Nimor　had　to　look；　and　he　knew　that　Gromph　had　no　intention　of　attacking　him　anyway。
　　　The　buzzing　sound　grew　louder；　escalating　to　an　almost　deafening　roar。　Nimor　saw　what　looked　like　a　cloud　of　black　smoke　winding　through　the　air　at　him；　and　it　was　a　few　seconds　before　he　realized　it　wasn't　smoke。　The　cloud　wasn't　a　cloud　at　all；　but　a　swarm　of　tiny　insects…perhaps　tens；　even　hundreds　of　millions　of　them。
　　　The　swarm　descended　over　Gromph；　but　they　didn't　penetrate　the　globe　that　surrounded　the　archmage。　Nimor　had　to　assume　they　were　being　directed　by　Dyrr；　so　when　the　insects　turned　on　him；　he　took　it　personally。
　　　Before　the　first　of　them　could　land　on　him；　sting　him；　bite　him；　or　do　whatever　they　were　meant　to　do　to　him；　Nimor　stepped　into　the　Shadow　Fringe。　The　act　was　second　nature　to　him。　He　was　there　in　the　Bazaar；　then　he　wasn't。　The　swarm　became　a　shadow；　the　Bazaar　a　dull　world；　barely　corporeal；　drenched　in　blackness。
　　　Nimor　looked　at　his　claws。　His　mind　was　strangely　blank；　his　mood　impossibly　serene。
　　　〃Is　that　it？〃　he　said　aloud　into　the　unhearing　shadows。　〃Have　I　lost？〃
　　　He　closed　his　eyes　and　thought　of　the　lich　。　。　。　and　stepped　back　into　the　solid　world　right　behind　him。
　　　Nimor　grabbed　the　spindly　undead　mage　from　behind　and　beat　his　wings　hard　to　pull　him　up　and　away　from　the　floor　of　the　Bazaar。　The　lich　stiffened　and　drew　in　a　breath…perhaps　to　cast　a　spell…but　was　wise　enough　to　stop　when　Nimor　pressed　one　razor…sharp　talon　into　the　lich's　desiccated　throat。
　　　〃You　might　not　bleed；　lich；〃　Nimor　whispered　into　the　lichdrow's　ear；　〃but　if　your　head　es　away　from　your　neck　。　。　。〃
　　　〃What　are　you　doing？〃　Dyrr　asked；　his　voice　a　thin；　reedy　hiss。　〃You　could　kill　him。　Our　moment　is　at　hand；　and　you　turn　on　me？　Me？〃
　　　〃You？〃　Nimor　sneered。　〃Yes；　you。　I　should　kill　you　now；　but　then　you're　already　dead；　aren't　you；　lich？　All　you　did　was　waste　my　time；　and　now　the　Spider　Queen　is　rattling　in　her　cage；　and　our　time　together　is　spent。〃
　　　〃What？〃　Dyrr　asked；　honestly　confused。　〃What　are　you　saying？〃
　　　〃Not　that　you　deserve　to　know　it　before　I　let　Gromph　Baenre　kill　you；〃　Nimor　replied；　〃but　it's　over。〃
　　　〃No！〃　the　lich　shouted。
　　　Nimor　grunted　when　something　pushed　hard　against　his　chest　His　hand　came　away　from　the　lich's　throat；　and　he　was　forced　backward；　driven　through　the　air　by　some　unfathomable　force。　Despite　any　attempt　to　fly；　Nimor　was　repulsed。
　　　The　assassin　spared　a　glance　down　at　Gromph；　who　had　put　away　his　stolen　duergar　battle…axe　and　was　looking　up　at　them；　laughing。
　　　Nimor　laughed　too。　Why　not？
　　　〃We　failed；　lich；〃　Nimor　called　to　Dyrr；　〃but　at　least　for　me　there　will　be　another　chance。〃
　　　〃We　failed？〃　the　lich　wailed。　〃We？　No；　you　wretched　son　of　a　wyrm；　you　failed。　You'll　go　back　to　the　Shadow　with　your　dragon's　tail　between　your　legs；　repeating　your　feeble　excuses　to　yourself　over　and　over　again。　Blame　me　if　you　wish；　Nimor；　but　I'm　still　here。　Live　or　die；　I'll　still　be　here；　in　Menzoberranzan；　fighting。〃
　　　〃Perhaps；〃　Nimor　said；　the　first　waves　of　a　profound　exhaustion　beginning　to　soften　his　tired　muscles；　〃but　not　for　long。〃
　　　The　lich　screamed　his　name；　but　Nimor　didn't　hear　the　first　echo　before　he　drifted　into　the　Shadow　Fringe　and　was　gone　from　Menzoberranzan　forever。
　　　
Chapter　Twenty…four
　　　Inside　the　temple　walls　was　a　city　twenty　times　the　size　of　Menzoberranzan。　Like　the　walls　and　the　surrounding　plazas；　the　city　was　a　battered；　war…ravaged　ruin　that　looked　to　Pharaun　as　if　it　had　been　abandoned　for　a　thousand　years　or　more。
　　　The　architecture　throughout　mimicked　all　manner　of　dark　elven　dwellings；　from　the　calcified　webs　of　Ched　Nasad　to　the　hollowed…out　stalagmites　of　Menzoberranzan。　The　only　thing　the　structures　had　in　mon　was　that　they　were　all　at　least　partially　collapsed　and　they　were　devoid　of　life。
　　　Valas　appeared　behind　the　mage　as　he　always　did；　as　if　by　magic。　Pharaun　didn't　bother　trying　to　pretend　the　scout's　sudden　appearance　hadn't　startled　him。　The　time　for　keeping　up　appearances　and　jockeying　for　position　in　the　party　had　e　and　gone。
　　　Valas　nodded　once　to　the　Master　of　Sorcere　and　said；　〃There's　more　metal　the　deeper　in　we　go。〃
　　　Pharaun　found　himself　shaking　his　head；　unsure　at　first　what　the　scou