精灵血脉四部曲-第224部分

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　　　Up　came　Taulmaril。



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　　　Bruenor　struggled　with　all　his　might。　He　grabbed　on　to　the　remaining　stump　of　one　destroyed　stalagmite；　but　the　icy　thing　was　too　slick　for　him　to　get　a　firm　hold。　It　wouldn't　have　helped　anyway；　not　with　Errtu梥o　huge　and　strong梡ulling　against　him。　The　dwarf　howled　in　pain　as　his　feet　went　into　the　fiendish　fire。

　　　Drizzt　scrambled　so　fast　that　his　feet　slipped　out　from　under　him。　He　kept　moving；　though；　churning　his　knees；　banging　them　hard。　The　drow　hardly　cared　for　his　pain。　Bruenor　needed　him；　that　was　all　that　mattered。　He　rushed　with　all　speed；　found　a　proper　foothold　amidst　the　quagmire；　and　shoved　off；　diving　straight　out；　his　arm　extended　and　holding　straight　the　ice…forged　scimitar；　sliding　its　curving　blade　right　beside　his　friend。

　　　In　that　area；　Errtu's　fires　were　extinguished；　put　out　by　the　magic　of　the　scimitar。

　　　Both　friends　tried　to　rise；　and　both　were　blasted　back　to　the　wet　ground　as　the　balor　plunged　his　lightning　sword　into　the　watery　ice；　taunting　them　all　the　while。

　　　〃Yes；　a　reprieve！〃　the　fiend　bellowed。　〃Well　done；　Drizzt　Do'Urden；　foolish　drow。　You　have　extended　my　pleasure；　and　for　that？

　　　The　fiend's　sentence　ended　with　a　grunt　as　Guenhwyvar　soared　in；　slamming　Errtu　hard；　knocking　him　off…balance　on　the　slick　floor。

　　　Drizzt　was　up　and　charging。　Bruenor　worked　fast　to　untangle　himself　from　the　binding　thongs　of　the　fiend's　whip。　And　Guenhwyvar　raked　wildly；　biting　and　clawing。

　　　Errtu　knew　the　cat；　had　faced　Guenhwyvar　on　that　same　occasion　when　Drizzt　had　banished　him；　and　the　balor　felt　the　fool　for　not　anticipating　that　the　animal　would　soon　arrive。

　　　No　matter；　though；　Errtu　reasoned；　and　with　a　huge　shrug　of　powerful　muscles；　the　fiend　launched　the　cat　away。

　　　In　came　Drizzt；　his　hungry　scimitar　thrusting　for　the　fiend's　belly。

　　　Errtu's　lightning　sword　swiped　down　in　a　parry；　and　that；　too；　was　an　attack；　as　the　energy　coursed　from　weapon　to　weapon；　and　subsequently　into　Drizzt；　hurling　him　backward。

　　　Bruenor　was　in　fast　and　the　dwarf's　axe　chopped　hard　into　Errtu's　leg。　The　fiend　roared　and　swatted　the　dwarf；　and　Bruenor　flew　backwards。　Out　came　the　fiend's　leathery　wings；　up　he　rose；　above　the　reach　of　the　mighty　friends。　Guenhwyvar　leaped　again；　but　Errtu　caught　her　in　mid…flight；　locked　her　with　a　telekinesis　spell；　as　the　glabrezu　had　done　with　Catti…brie。

　　　Still；　for　Drizzt　and　Bruenor；　shaking　off　their　earlier　wounds；　Guenhwyvar　was　helping；　was　keeping　the　fiend's　considerable　magical　energies　engaged。

　　　〃Let　my　father　go！〃　Drizzt　cried　out。

　　　Errtu　laughed　at　him；　and　the　reprieve　was　at　its　end。　Errtu's　spell　hurled　the　panther　aside；　and　the　fiend　came　on　in　all　his　wrath。



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　　　It　was　a　small　room；　perhaps　a　dozen　feet　in　diameter　and　with　a　domed　ceiling　reaching　up　to　the　tower's　pinnacle。　In　the　middle　of　the　room；　hanging　in　the　empty　air；　loomed　Crenshinibon；　the　crystal　shard；　the　heart　of　the　tower；　pulsing　with　a　pinkish…red　color　as　though　it　were　a　living　thing。

　　　Regis　glanced　around　quickly。　He　spotted　the　coffer　lying　on　the　floor梙e　knew　it　from　somewhere；　though　he　couldn't　immediately　place　it梐nd　the　gem…studded　ring；　but　what　significance　they　held；　the　halfling　could　not　be　sure。

　　　And　he　didn't　have　the　time　to　figure　it　out。　Regis　had　talked　extensively　with　Drizzt　after　the　fall　of　Kessel；　and　he　knew　well　the　technique　the　drow　had　used　to　defeat　the　tower　on　that　occasion；　simply　by　covering　the　pulsing　shard　with　blocking　flour。　So　it　was　with　the　halfling　now　as　he　pulled　the　small　pack　from　his　back　and　strode　confidently　in。

　　　〃Time　to　sleep；〃　Regis　taunted。　He　was　almost　right；　but　not　in　the　manner　he　meant；　for　he　was　almost　knocked　unconscious。　The　halfling　and　Drizzt　had　erred。　In　the　tower　on　the　plain　outside　of　Bryn　Shander　those　years　ago；　Drizzt　had　covered　not　Crenshinibon；　but　one　of　the　shard's　countless　images。　On　this　occasion；　it　was　the　real　crystal　shard；　the　sentient　and　powerful　artifact；　serving　as　the　tower's　heart。　Such　a　meager　attack　was　defeated　by　a　pulse　of　energy　that　disintegrated　the　flour　as　it　descended；　burned　the　sack　in　the　halfling's　hands；　and　hurled　Regis　hard　against　the　far　wall。

　　　The　dazed　halfling　groaned　all　the　louder　when　the　trap　door　in　the　room's　floor　flew　open。　The　stench　of　trolls　wafted　in；　followed　closely　by　a　huge　and　wide　hand　with　sharpened　claws　and　rubbery；　putrid　green　skin。



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　　　Catti…brie　could　hardly　feel　her　extremities；　her　teeth　chattered　uncontrollably　and　she　knew　that　her　bowstring　was　cutting　deeply　into　her　fingers；　though　she　felt　no　pain　there。　She　had　to　continue；　for　the　sake　of　her　father　and　of　Drizzt。

　　　Using　solid　Stumpet　as　a　support；　the　young　woman　steadied　herself　and　let　fly　an　arrow；　taking　down　the　fiend　closest　to　the　cave　entrance。　Again　and　again；　Catti…brie　let　fly；　her　enchanted　quiver　providing　her　with　endless　ammunition。　She　decimated　most　of　the　manes　remaining　on　the　ice　beach；　and　blew　away　those　ing　over　the　ridge。　She　nearly　shot　Guenhwyvar；　too；　before　she　recognized　the　speeding　cat。　Her　heart　was　lifted　with　some　hope　as　the　mighty　panther　rushed　into　the　cave。

　　　Soon　all　that　remained　of　the　manes　were　the　few　in　the　water；　swimming　fast　for　Catti…brie。　Catti…brie　worked　frantically梞ost　of　her　shots　hit　the　mark梑ut　one　did　get　up　on　the　ice　floe；　and　came　rushing　in。

　　　Catti…brie　looked　to　her　sword；　buried　to　the　hilt　in　the　ice；　and　knew　that　she　could　not　get　to　it　in　time。　Instead；　she　used　her　bow　like　a　club；　whacking　the　fiend　hard　across　the　face。

　　　The　wretched　thing　skidded　in；　off…balance；　and　even　as　the　two　connected；　Catti…brie　snapped　her　forehead　right　into　the　ugly　fiend's　nose。　Up　came　the　tip　of　her　bow；　driving　hard　under　the　thing's　saggy　chin；　poking　through　the　oozing　skin。　The　creature　exploded　into　noxious　gas；　but　it　had　done　its　work。　The　momentum　of　its　rush；　bined　with　the　sudden　gaseous　cloud；　sent　Catti…brie　moving　backward；　past　the　dwarf　and　into　the　water。

　　　Up　she　came；　gasping　for　breath；　flailing　with　arms　that　she　could　not　feel。　Her　legs　were　useless　to　her　now。　She　managed　somehow　to　grab　on　to　the　very　edge　of　the　ice　floe；　locking　her　fingers　into　a　small　crevice；　for　she　knew　that　her　strength　was　already　going　away。　She　cried　out　for　Stumpet；　but　even　those　muscles　of　her　mouth　would　not　respond　to　her　mind's　mand。

　　　Catti…brie　had　survived　the　fiends；　it　seemed；　only　to　be　destroyed　by　the　natural　elements　of　Icewind　Dale；　the　place　she　had　called　home　for　most　of　her　life。　That　irony　was　not　lost　on　her　as　all　the　world　grew　cold。



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　　　Regis's　back　skimmed　the　curving　ceiling　as　the　nine…foot　troll；　the　larger　of　the　two　that　had　entered　the　room；　lifted　him　high　into　the　air　to　look　into　its　ghastly　face。　〃Now　youses　goes　into　me　belly！〃　the　horrid　thing　proclaimed；　opening　wide　its　considerable　maw。

　　　The　mere　fact　that　the　troll　could　speak　gave　Regis　an　idea；　a　desperate　glimmer　of　hope。

　　　〃Wait！〃　he　bade　the　creature；　reaching　under　his　tunic。　〃I　have　treasure　to　offer。〃　Out　came　the　halfling's　prized　pendant；　the　magnificent；　hypnotic　ruby　dancing　on　the　end　of　the　chain　just　inches　from　the　startled；　and　suddenly　intrigued；　troll's　eyes。

　　　〃This　is　only　the　beginning；〃　Regis　stammered；　fighting　hard　to　improvise　for　the　consequences　of　failure　were　all　too　evident。　〃I　have　a　mound　of　these條ook　at　how　wonderfully　it　spins；　drawing　your　eyes　。　。　。〃

　　　〃Ere　now；　be　ye　to　eats　the　thing　or　not？〃　the　second　troll　demanded；　shoving　the　first　one　hard。　But　that　troll　was　caught　fast　by　the　charm；　and　was　already　thinking　that　it　didn't　want　to　share　the　booty　with　its　panion。

　　　Thus；　the　horrid　thing　was　more　than　open　to　Regis's　ensuing　suggestion　as　the　halfling　casually　glanced　at　the　second　troll　and　said；　〃Kill　him。〃

　　　Regis　dropped　hard　to　the　floor；　and　was　nearly　squashed　as　the　two　trolls　fell　into　a　wild　wrestling　match。　The　halfling　had　to　move　fast；　but　what　was　he　to　do？　His　rolling　evasion　took　him　to　the　gem…studded　ring；　which　he　promptly　pocketed；　and　to　the　open　and　empty　coffer；　which　he　suddenly　recognized。

　　　It　was　the　same　coffer　the　glabrezu　had　been　carrying　when　Regis　and　his　panions　had　e　upon　evil　Matron　Baenre　in　the　tunnels　under　Mithril　Hall；　the　same　coffer　that　had　held　the　stone梩he　black　sapphire　that　had　stolen　away　all　the　magic。

　　　Regis　scooped　up　the　thing　and　dashed　past　the　rolling　trolls；　bearing　down　fast　on　the　crystal　shard。　A　flood　of　mental　images　assaulted　him　then；　nearly　buckling　his　legs。　The　sentient　artifact；　sensing　the　danger；　entered　the　halfling's　mind；　dominating　poor　Regis。　Regis　wanted　to　move　forward；　he　really　did；　but　his　feet　would　not　obey。

　　　And　then　he　wasn't　sure　that　he　wanted　to　move　forward　at　all。　Suddenly　Regis　had　to　wonder　why　he　had　wanted　to　destroy　the　crystal　tower；　the　beautiful　and　marvelous　structure。　And　why　would　he　desire　the　destruction　of　Crenshinibon；　the　creator；　when　he　might　use　the　artifact　to　his　own　benefit？

　　　What　did　Drizzt　know　anyway？

　　　Though　he　was　a　confused　and　nearly　lost　soul　at　that　point；　the　halfling　thought　to　lift　his　own　ruby　pendant　up　before　his　eyes。

　　　Immediately　Regis　found　himself　swirling　into　the　item's　depths；　following　the　red　flickers　deeper　and　deeper。　Most　people　got　lost　in　that　charm；　but　it　was　there；　deep　within　the　hypnosis　of　his　gemstone；　that　Regis　found　himself。

　　　He　dropped　the　pendant　chain　and　leaped　forward；　snapping　the　shielding　coffer　over　Crenshinibon　just　as　it　released　another　pulse　of　deadly　energy。

　　　The　coffer　swallowed　the　item　and　its　attack；　and　Regis　plucked　the　shard　out　of　the　air。

　　　Immediately　the　tower；　the　gigantic　image　of　the　crystal　shard；　began　to　shudder；　the　initial　rumbles　of　its　death　throes。

　　　〃Oh；　not　again；〃　the　halfling　muttered；　for　he　had　been　through　this　before；　and　had　escaped　only　with　aid　of　Guenhwyvar；　while　Drizzt　had　escaped　by　。　。　。

　　　Regis　turned　to　the　window；　leaped　up　to　its　sill。　He　glanced　back　at　the　trolls；　hugging　instead　of　wrestling　as　their　tower　home　shivered　beneat