its skull with a sharp blow from the end of the staff, and then deflected a swing. Kharlacht stepped forward, his blue greatsword gleaming with the light of Calliande’s magic, and split the undead warrior in twain. The massive blow left him open for a moment, but Gavin stepped into the gap, shielding the orcish warrior and cutting down another dark elven undead. Step by step, Ridmark and the others forced their way closer to Rhogrimnalazur. If Ridmark could get them close enough for Gavin and Arandar to strike…
A furious screech split the air, and Quinta and the other two spiderlings charged, abandoning their magical attacks to attack Ridmark.
“Arandar! Gavin!” he shouted. The spiderlings would prove more formidable than the undead, and they might stop the Swordbearers from reaching the urdmordar.
Gavin and Arandar went on the attack, Gavin heading towards the spiderling on the left, Arandar attacking the one on the right. Quinta came right at Ridmark, all eight of her eyes glittering with furious hatred. Likely she wanted to revenge herself upon Ridmark for the defeat at the ring fort.
He attacked first, swinging his staff in an overhead loop for her head. Quinta danced aside, reared back, and spat a gobbet of yellow-green venom at him. Ridmark dodged, and the venom spattered against the flagstones with a hiss, a small plume of white smoke rising from the ground. She started a spell, shadow and green fire crackling around her crimson talons, but Ridmark jabbed his staff at her face, forcing her to dodge. Quinta retreated, dodging around the blows of the staff or parrying them upon her long crimson talons, which seemed as strong and as resilient as steel. Worse, she was tremendously strong, and took hits that would have shattered the bones of a normal man. Ridmark hit her once, twice, three times, every blow landing on her arms or ribs, but they only seemed to make her angrier.
He swung the staff again, and Quinta’s right hand darted out, catching the end of the weapon. She yanked, and Ridmark started to lose his balance. He could either let Quinta pull him forward onto her talons, or he could release the staff.
So he let the staff go.
Quinta threw it aside with a howl of glee, the weapon bouncing away. “Let us see how you can defend yourself without your little stick! Let us…”
While she gloated, Ridmark yanked the axe from his belt and attacked. It was a dwarven war axe, a gift from the Taalkaz of Coldinium’s Dwarven Enclave, and the stonescribes had enspelled its edge with potent glyphs. At the last minute Quinta realized her danger and raised her right arm to block the axe, which proved to be a mistake. The axe blade severed her arm at the elbow, and Quinta reeled back with a scream, greenish-black ichor spurting from the stump of her arm. Ridmark swung again, and the spiderling jerked back at the last moment, staring in horror at the ruins of her arm. The axe sank into her right hip, and Ridmark wrenched the blade free as she stumbled to one knee, her wounded leg buckling.
His next swing buried the axe into the back of her neck, ending the fight.
Ridmark pulled the weapon loose, the blade glistening with spiderling ichor, and saw that Gavin and Arandar had killed the other two spiderlings. The remaining dark elven undead were withdrawing across the courtyard, moving to form a guard around Rhogrimnalazur. Antenora loosed controlled bursts of fire, incinerating the undead warriors one by one, while Calliande and Rhogrimnalazur continued their duel of spells.
Ridmark raised his axe and hurried to join the Swordbearers as they charged at the wall of the undead.
###
Blood leaked from a cut over Gavin’s left eye, and another on his left shoulder where an undead warrior’s blade had slipped through. Yet Truthseeker’s power still filled him, driving him on with strength and speed. He fought back to back with Arandar and Kharlacht, covering both of the older men with his
A furious screech split the air, and Quinta and the other two spiderlings charged, abandoning their magical attacks to attack Ridmark.
“Arandar! Gavin!” he shouted. The spiderlings would prove more formidable than the undead, and they might stop the Swordbearers from reaching the urdmordar.
Gavin and Arandar went on the attack, Gavin heading towards the spiderling on the left, Arandar attacking the one on the right. Quinta came right at Ridmark, all eight of her eyes glittering with furious hatred. Likely she wanted to revenge herself upon Ridmark for the defeat at the ring fort.
He attacked first, swinging his staff in an overhead loop for her head. Quinta danced aside, reared back, and spat a gobbet of yellow-green venom at him. Ridmark dodged, and the venom spattered against the flagstones with a hiss, a small plume of white smoke rising from the ground. She started a spell, shadow and green fire crackling around her crimson talons, but Ridmark jabbed his staff at her face, forcing her to dodge. Quinta retreated, dodging around the blows of the staff or parrying them upon her long crimson talons, which seemed as strong and as resilient as steel. Worse, she was tremendously strong, and took hits that would have shattered the bones of a normal man. Ridmark hit her once, twice, three times, every blow landing on her arms or ribs, but they only seemed to make her angrier.
He swung the staff again, and Quinta’s right hand darted out, catching the end of the weapon. She yanked, and Ridmark started to lose his balance. He could either let Quinta pull him forward onto her talons, or he could release the staff.
So he let the staff go.
Quinta threw it aside with a howl of glee, the weapon bouncing away. “Let us see how you can defend yourself without your little stick! Let us…”
While she gloated, Ridmark yanked the axe from his belt and attacked. It was a dwarven war axe, a gift from the Taalkaz of Coldinium’s Dwarven Enclave, and the stonescribes had enspelled its edge with potent glyphs. At the last minute Quinta realized her danger and raised her right arm to block the axe, which proved to be a mistake. The axe blade severed her arm at the elbow, and Quinta reeled back with a scream, greenish-black ichor spurting from the stump of her arm. Ridmark swung again, and the spiderling jerked back at the last moment, staring in horror at the ruins of her arm. The axe sank into her right hip, and Ridmark wrenched the blade free as she stumbled to one knee, her wounded leg buckling.
His next swing buried the axe into the back of her neck, ending the fight.
Ridmark pulled the weapon loose, the blade glistening with spiderling ichor, and saw that Gavin and Arandar had killed the other two spiderlings. The remaining dark elven undead were withdrawing across the courtyard, moving to form a guard around Rhogrimnalazur. Antenora loosed controlled bursts of fire, incinerating the undead warriors one by one, while Calliande and Rhogrimnalazur continued their duel of spells.
Ridmark raised his axe and hurried to join the Swordbearers as they charged at the wall of the undead.
###
Blood leaked from a cut over Gavin’s left eye, and another on his left shoulder where an undead warrior’s blade had slipped through. Yet Truthseeker’s power still filled him, driving him on with strength and speed. He fought back to back with Arandar and Kharlacht, covering both of the older men with his
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