war of the spider queen 1 dissolution-第144节

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ues　shot　a　flight　of　whistling　quarrels；　and　the　Freth　warriors　responded　in　kind。　The　renegades　had　the　advantage　of　their　elevated　platform；　and　the　solnotdiers；　of　numerical　superiority；　but　neither　volley　dropped　more　than　a　smattering　of　its　targets。　The　batants　were　too　well　armored；　by　metal；　magic；　or　both。
Eager　to　see　if　swords　would　serve　where　the　darts　had　failed；　the　Freth　soldiers　howled　a　battle　cry　and　charged。　Most　of　them；　anyway。　In　his　deep；　booming　voice；　Welverin　ordered　some　of　the　troops　back　outside　to　find　their　way　around　to　the　entrances　the　traitors　had　used　and　attack　them　from　the　rear。　Not　a　bad　idea；　but　Pharaun　thought　the　warriors　had　a　good　chance　of　getting　lost　instead
Whirling　loose　lengths　of　chain；　eight　kytons；　each　a　match　for　a　dozen　ordinary　fighters；　leaped　down　off　the　stage　to　meet　the　oning　foe。　The　rogues　remained　on　the　platform　with　Syrzan；　where　they　started　renotloading　their　crossbows　with　the　obvious　intention　of　shooting　down　into　the　melee。
Pharaun　decided　he　wouldn't　allow　that。　He　levitated　above　his　notrades；　thus　obtaining　a　clear　shot　at　the　dais。
He　felt　a　twinge　in　the　center　of　his　forehead；　but　only　for　a　second。　As　he'd　expected；　Syrzan　had　attacked　first　with　a　psionic　thrust；　not　realizing　its　foe　had　warded　himself　against　such　effects　with　apposite　talismans　and　spells。
This　time；　the　Mizzrym　thought；　you'll　have　to　fight　me　charm　to　charm　and　spell　to　spell。
To　his　surprise；　he　received　an　answer；　a　telepathic　voice　grating　and　buzzing　inside　his　mind。
So　be　it；　mammal；　the　alhoon　said。　Either　way；　I'll　have　revenge　on　the　wretch　who　condemned　me　to　exile　yet　again。
Even　as　he　attended　to　Syrzan's　threat；　Pharaun　was　murmuring　an　innotcantation　and　manipulating　a　little　steel　tube。　A　bright　pellet　of　flame　hurtled　from　the　open　end；　expanding　into　a　skull…sized　orb　as　it　flew。　It　smashed　into　one　of　the　renegades　on　the　dais；　rebounded；　and　struck　annotother。　It　bounced　and　slashed　back　and　forth　across　the　platform；　sowing　a　zigzag　trail　of　sparks　and　afterimage　in　its　wake；　striking　everyone。　Before　it　winked　out　of　existence；　it　killed　a　good　many　of　the　rogues　or　turned　them　into　reeling；　flailing　living　torches；　whom　their　own　allies　had　to　slay　lest　they　ignite　them　as　well。　Syrzan；　however；　was　unaffected。
Below　his　feet；　Pharaun　glimpsed　the　clash　of　stabbing；　cutting　blades　and　spinning　chains。　As　they　flailed　at　their　adversaries；　the　kytons；　who　resembled　oozing；　festering　corpses　within　their　coiled　armor　of　chains；　alnottered　their　features。　The　devils　had　the　capacity　to　take　on　the　appearance　of　a　deceased　intimate　from　an　enemy's　past。　Supposedly　svirfneblin　and　their　ilk　found　this　deeply　distressing；　but　it　was　only　slightly　disfiting　to　representatives　of　a　race　that　did　not　love。
Ryld　was　at　the　forefront　of　the　fighting；　sweeping　Splitter　about　with　all　his　accustomed　strength　and　skill。　Pharaun　was　glad　to　see　that　his　friend　was　only　striking　at　the　demons。
Mouth　tentacles　writhing；　bulbous　eyes　glaring；　Syrzan　lifted　its　three…fingered　hands　to　conjure。　Around　it；　many　of　the　rogues　who　still　surnotvived　jumped　off　the　dais。　Evidently　they'd　rather　fight　the　Freth　warriors　on　the　floor　than　stand　near　the　alhoon　while　Pharaun　threw　spells　at　it。
The　Master　of　Sorcere　was　surprised　that　so　few　of　the　traitors　simply　tried　to　run　away。　Certainly　loyalty…that　alien　conceit…didn't　hold　them　there。　They　must　have　known　that　with　their　schemes　thwarted；　their　connotspiracy　revealed；　they　were　outlaws；　outcast　from　all　they　coveted　and　chernotished。　Perhaps　their　plight　filled　them　with　such　rage　that　they　prized　vengeance　above　survival。
As　Syrzan　wove　magic；　its　dark　elf　counterpart　was　hastily　doing　the　same。　The　lich　finished　first。　A　blaze　of　lightning；　kin　to　those　still　twistnoting　and　forking　through　the　open　air　outside；　leaped　from　its　parched；　scaling　hand；　crackled　entirely　through　Pharaun's　torso；　and　burned　a　black　spot　on　the　ceiling。
Pharaun's　muscles　clenched；　and　his　hair　lifted　away　from　his　head；　but　his　protections　averted　any　real　harm。　Indeed；　the　attack　didn't　even　disnotrupt　his　own　conjuring。　On　the　final　word；　he　thrust　out　his　hand；　releasnoting　a　wave　of　cold；　fluttering　shadows　like　ghostly　bats。
326
Screeching　and　chattering；　the　phantoms　swooped　and　whirled　about　the　alhoon；　slashing　at　it　with　their　claws。　The　mind　flayer　growled　a　word　in　some　infernal　tongue；　and　a　jagged　crack　snaked　up　one　of　the　walls。　Pharaun's　illusory　minions　vanished。
The　Mizzrym　extracted　five　glass　marbles　from　one　of　his　pockets；　rolled　them　dexterously　i