war of the spider queen 4 extinction-第68部分

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ce　with　a　fighting　hand　and；　wrenching　violently；　tore　the　head　from　its　neck。
　　　The　first　wight　was　still　moving；　crawling　furiously　after　Jeggred　with　its　rotted　entrails　dragging　along　behind　it。　Before　it　could　reach　him；　Danifae　rushed　forward；　morningstar　in　hand。　There　wasn't　much　room　to　swing　the　weapon　in　the　low…ceilinged　corridor；　but　she　managed　an　abbreviated　downward　smash。　The　spiked　ball　of　the　morningstar　connected　with　the　wight's　head　in　a　blaze　of　magical　sparks；　filling　the　air　with　a　sharp　ozone　tang。　The　wight　dropped　and　laid　still。
　　　Pharaun　stared　at　Danifae　with　a　look　of　open　admiration。　He　held　a　tiny　leather　pouch　in　one　hand；　which　he'd　drawn　from　his　pocket　as　the　wights　attacked。
　　　〃Well　done；〃　he　said；　tucking　it　back　into　a　pocket　of　his　piwafwi。
　　　Quenthel　looked　past　Danifae。
　　　〃Are　there　more？〃　she　asked　Jeggred。
　　　Jeggred　stood　panting；　head　turning　from　side　to　side　as　he　searched　for　the　scent　of　additional　foes。　As　his　chest　rose　and　fell；　Valas　noted　the　wound　the　wight　had　inflicted　on　the　draegloth。　It　was　little　deeper　than　a　scratch；　but　it　was　causing　Jeggred　to　wheeze　as　if　each　breath　was　painful。　After　a　moment；　Jeggred　shook　his　head。
　　　〃No　more；〃　he　concluded；　〃just　these　two。〃
　　　Valas　cleared　his　throat。
　　　〃Wights　are　the　least　of　our　worries；〃　he　reminded　the　others。　〃We　should　get　moving。　The　portal　is　just　ahead；　at　the　center　of　the　vault；　about　seventy…five　paces　into　the　room。　Pharaun's　marked　it　with　a　spell。　Quickly　now；　and　one　at　a　time。　Take　a　run　and　leap　out　from　the　end　of　the　tunnel；　then　levitate　down。　Touch　nothing　in　the　room。　You　first；　Quenthel；　then　Jeggred；　while　Pharaun　casts　a　spell　on　Danifae。　Then　Pharaun；　followed　by　Danifae。　I'll　go　last。〃
　　　That　said；　he　flattened　against　the　wall　and　motioned　the　others　forward。　As　he　did；　he　scanned　the　vault　one　last　time；　searching　for　signs　of　movement；　in　case　any　wights　had　entered　it　while　his　back　was　turned。
　　　They　hadn't。
　　　Quenthel　moved　forward　to　glance　down　into　the　room；　then；　after　muning　silently　with　her　whip　vipers；　she　nodded。　She　backed　down　the　corridor；　then　sprinted　past　Valas　and　leaped　into　the　air。　A　heartbeat　later　Jeggred　rushed　after　her；　arms　flailing。
　　　As　the　pair　drifted　down　through　the　empty　room　toward　the　portal；　Valas　glanced　up　at　the　ceiling。　Were　the　gods　in　the　mural　scowling　a　bit　more　fiercely？　He　stared　back　at　them　a　moment；　then　decided　it　must　have　been　his　imagination。　Meanwhile；　Quenthel　had　ignored　his　instructions　and　was　hovering　above　the　portal。　Jeggred；　floating　in　the　air　beside　her；　kept　glancing　back　and　forth　between　his　mistress　and　the　portal；　a　confused　look　on　his　face。
　　　Valas　turned　to　warn　Pharaun　that　something　was　delaying　the　pair；　but　the　mage　was　just　pleting　the　spell　he　was　casting　on　Danifae；　tracing　an　invisible　symbol　on　each　of　her　knees　with　something　he　held　pinched　in　his　fingers。　Finishing；　he　gave　Danifae　a　quick　smile　of　encouragement；　then　he　turned　and　sprinted　down　the　corridor　past　Valas；　leaping　into　the　vault。
　　　He　levitated　to　a　halt　just　above　Quenthel　and　Jeggred　and　motioned　furiously　for　them　to　go　through　the　portal。　Quenthel；　however；　shook　her　head。
　　　〃You　first；〃　she　ordered。
　　　Pharaun；　hovering　in　the　air；　folded　his　arms　across　his　chest。
　　　〃e　on；　Danifae！〃　he　shouted　up　at　the　tunnel。　〃We're　all　waiting。〃
　　　Valas　shook　his　head。　The　scuffle　with　the　wights　had　already　caused　enough　noise　to　wake　the　undead；　and　with　all　the　shouting　they'd　never　hear　if　more　approached。　Impatiently；　he　beckoned　Danifae　forward。
　　　As　she　crouched　on　the　lip　of　the　tunnel；　he　noticed　that　her　legs　were　articulated　the　wrong　way。　She　leaped…in　a　jump　that　carried　her　halfway　across　the　room。　She　looked　confident　and　to　all　appearances　was　about　to　land　easily　on　the　bare　floor…but　then；　when　she　was　still　about　a　pace　above　the　floor；　she　suddenly　stumbled　and　pitched　over　to　one　side。　As　she　did；　Valas　heard　a　noise　that　sounded　like　pebbles　shifting。
　　　Danifae　wound　up　on　her　hands　and　knees…but　not　on　the　floor。　Instead　she　seemed　to　have　landed　on　something　that　held　her　at　arm's　length　from　it。　Something　invisible…or　something　cloaked　by　an　illusion。　Something　that　kept　shifting。
　　　Pharaun；　too；　saw　her　stumble。　One　of　his　hands　whipped　into　a　pocket　of　his　piwafwi；　and　a　moment　later　he　was　smearing　something　across　his　eyes　as　he　chanted　a　spell。　As　Danifae　struggled　to　her　feet　on　the　shifting　surface…causing　that　pebble　noise　again…Pharaun's　eyes　widened。
　　　〃Danifae！〃　he　shouted。　〃You're　standing　on　a　rotted　chest　that's　spilling　gems…but　more　importantly；　there's　a　wand　just　to　your　right。　Grab　it！〃
　　　Quenthel's　head　snapped　up；　and　she　asked；　〃A　wand？〃
　　　Danifae　began　patting　the　still…invisible　pile　on　which　she　stood。　Valas；　meanwhile　felt　a　growing　sense　of　unease。　Someone；　or　something；　was　watching。　Once　again；　his　eyes　flicked　up　to　the　ceiling。
　　　The　scout　saw　that　his　intuition　had　been　right。　The　eyes　of　the　gods　in　the　mural　were　different。　They'd　been　dull；　flat　stones　a　short　time　before；　but　had　begun　too　glow　red；　like　angry　coals。
　　　Then　they　blinked。
　　　〃Venom's　kiss；〃　Valas　swore　under　his　breath。　Then；　as　two　pairs　of　glowing　red　eyes　detached　themselves　from　the　ceiling　and　drifted　down　into　the　room；　he　shouted。　〃Pharaun！　Quenthel！　Above　you…wraiths！〃
　　　Jeggred　was　the　first　to　react。　Grasping　Quenthel's　shoulders；　he　gave　her　a　shove　that　forced　her　down　into　contact　with　the　floor。　Her　feet　touched　the　portal　and　she　disappeared。　The　draegloth　then　turned　and　tried　to　do　the　same　to　Pharaun　but　the　mage　twisted　out　of　his　grasp；　kicking　Jeggred。　The　blow　forced　the　draegloth　into　the　portal；　and　he　too　disappeared。
　　　Valas　grunted；　Jeggred's　actions　had　been　too　deliberate…and　too　disrespectful…to　have　been　anything　but　Quenthel's　orders。　Quenthel　had　obviously　briefed　him　well　in　advance　about　what　to　do　should　wraiths　attack…and　her　tactics　were　sound。　She　and　Pharaun　were　vital　to　the　quest；　but　the　others　could　be　sacrificed。　Pharaun；　however；　had　guessed　what　was　ing…and　had　decided；　wisely　or　not；　to　stay　and　fight。
　　　The　mage　yanked　from　his　pocket　the　tiny　pouch　he'd　been　reaching　into　earlier。　With　a　serpent…fast　motion；　he　pulled　from　it　a　pinch　of　diamond　dust　and　flung　it　into　the　air。　As　a　pair　of　wraiths　swooped　in　to　attack　him…their　location　revealed　only　by　their　glowing　eyes…Pharaun　shouted　his　incantation。　Unable　to　stop　themselves　in　time；　the　two　wraiths　plunged　into　the　diamond　dust。　As　they　struck　it　they　wailed…a　hollow；　anguished　sound　that　raised　the　hair　on　the　back　of　Valas's　neck。　Their　eyes　winked　out　as　the　powerful　spell　snuffed　out　the　necromantic　magic　that　had　sustained　them。
　　　Unfortunately；　there　were；　as　the　rogue　had　correctly　warned；　more　than　just　those　two。　Dozens　of　glowing　red　eyes　erupted　from　the　ceiling　and　descended　into　the　room　like　tiny；　paired　embers　falling　from　a　burning　building。
　　　Seeing　that；　Pharaun　glanced　quickly　between　the　wraiths　and　Danifae。　What　he　was　thinking　was　plainly　wr