war of the spider queen 1 dissolution-第46部分

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ss　between　a　bat　and　a　mosquito。
The　stirges　swirled　around　him；　jabbing　at　him　with　their　proboscises；　striving　to　drink　his　blood。　They　interfered　with　the　motion　of　his　hands　and　so　spoiled　his　conjuration。　He　restored　his　weight　and　fell　back　to　the　ground；　where　Ryld；　beset　by　clinking　skeletons　on　all　sides；　beheaded　one　with　a　sudden　cut。　One　of　the　twins　edged　toward　him　but　balked　when　the　big　male　pivoted　in　his　direction。
Pharaun　slammed　down　on　the　street。　Trailing　chattering　stirges；　he　sprinted　toward　the　fallen　Relonor。　A　couple　skeletons　turned　to　hack　at　him；　but　most　of　them　were　too　intent　on　killing　Ryld　to　notice　him。　Up　close；　the　things　stank。　Pharaun　thought　they　must　still　have　some　scraps　of　rotting　flesh　about　them　somewhere。
Just　as　he　reached　the　unconscious　wizard；　Greyanna's　foulwing　landed　on　the　other　side　of　the　body　with　a　ground…shaking　thump。　Pharaun　roared　out　a　painfully　loud　magical　shout；　and　the　beast　recoiled；　carrying　its　rider　with　it。
Pharaun　stooped；　ripped　the　brooch　off　Relonor's　sash；　turned；　and　ran。　Greyanna　screamed　in　rage。　The　foulwing　roared　its　strange　double　roar；　and　two　sets　of　jaws　clashed　shut　behind　the　fleeing　male。
A　stirge's　proboscis　jabbed　him　in　the　back；　staggering　him；　but　was　unable　to　penetrate　his　piwafwi。　Another　spell　rattled　his　mind　but　with　no　permanent　ill　effects。　A　skeleton　appeared　on　his　flank；　swinging　a　notched；　rusty　axe　at　his　head。　Splitter　flashed　in　an　arc　and　smashed　the　undead　thing　into　tiny　pieces。
Pharaun　caught　hold　of　the　hem　of　Ryld's　piwafwi　and　glanced　around　at　Greyanna。　Her　face　a　mask　of　fury；　she　tossed　away　her　scroll；　which　was　likely　blank；　and　held　her　hands　high　to　receive　the　long　staff　materializing　from　some　extra　dimensional　storage。　He　could　see　why　she　wanted　the　instrunotment。　It　blazed　with　mystic　power；　but　it　was　also　slow　in　attaining　tanginotbility。　Some　chance　interaction　of　the　magical　energies　playing　about　the　battleground　was　retarding　its　transition　to　the　physical　plane。
Why；　then；　didn't　she　leave　off　summoning　it　and　attack　in　some　other　manner？　Why…
In　a　flash　of　inspiration；　the　answer　came　to　him；　and　it　was　astonishing。
But　he　was　scarcely　in　a　place　conducive　to　contemplation　of　his　disnotcovery；　and　it　was　time　to　remedy　that。　He　peered　at　the　brooch　he'd　taken　from　Relonor；　found　the　trigger　word　implicit　in　the　kaleidoscopic　pattern　shining　around　it；　and　spoke。





Greyanna　regarded　the　open　space　in　the　middle　of　the　ring　of　aimlessly　milling　skeletons；　and　the　stirges　swooping　and　wheeling　above。　A　moment　before；　Pharaun　and　his　hulking　acplice　had　been　standing　there；　but　they　were　gone。　If　her　eyes　had　not　deceived　her；　her　brother　had　flashed　her　that　old　familiar　mocking　grin　as　he　vanished。　How　dare　he　smirk　at　her　like　that　when　it　was　she　who　had　driven　him　from　House　Mizzrym！
She　regarded　her　iron　staff；　taller　than　she　was；　square　in　cross…section；　graven　with　hundreds　of　tiny　runes；　and　warm　as　blood　to　the　touch。　The　weapon　had　failed　her。　She　trembled　with　the　impulse　to　swing　it　over　her　head　and　smash　it　against　the　stone　beneath　her　feet　until　it　was　defaced；　deformed；　and　useless。
She　didn't；　because　she　knew　Pharaun's　escape　was　really　her　fault；　not　the　staff's。　She　should　have　summoned　the　weapon　sooner。　She　should　have　been　more　aggressive　with　the　sack。　Damn　this　degrading　and　inexnotplicable　season！　Because　of　its　vicissitudes；　her　mother　had　instructed　her　to　play　the　miser　with　every　personal　resource；　even　though　she　was　fightnoting　for　the　welfare　of　House　Mizzrym　and　all　Menzoberranzan。
Well；　she　wouldn't　make　the　same　mistake　next　time。　It　was　her　renotsponsibility　to　look　after　her　troops　and　return　them　to　the　castle。　She　dismounted；　squared　her　shoulders；　put　on　a　calm；　manding　expresnotsion；　and　proceeded　with　the　business　at　hand。
Neither　of　the　twins　were　hurt；　and　her　cousin　Aunrae　merely　needed　the　ball　of　darkness　around　her　head　dispelled。　It　was　Relonor　who　connotcerned　Greyanna；　but　fortunately　the　mage　was　still　alive。　A　healing　potion　mended　him　sufficiently　to　stand；　clutching　his　sash　so　it　wouldn't　slip　off　and　shrugging　out　of　his　ice…encrusted　cloak。
While　the　twins　helped　Relonor　hobble　about　and　so　restore　his　circunotlation；　Aunrae　came　sidling　up　to　Greyanna。　To　her　cousin's　admittedly　jaundiced　eye；　in　Aunrae　the　usual　Mizzrym　tendency　to　leanness　had　run　to　a　grotesque　extreme。　The　younger　female　resembled　a　stick　insect。
〃My　miseration　on　your　failure；〃　Aunrae　said。
Her　expression　was　grave；　but　she　wasn't　really　trying　to　hide　the　smile　lurking　underneath。