run naked, feast on succulent viands and feed them garbage! We'll sack Menzoberranzan, and afterward those of us who wish it will r
eturn to our own
peoples laden with treasure, while the rest of us rule the cavern as our own!"Not likely
, thought Ryld. He turned to say as much to Pharaun, then blinked insurprise. The wizard looked as if he was taking this diatribe seri
ously.
"They're just venting their resentment in the form of a fantasy," the warriorwhispered. "They'd never dare, and we'd crush them in a m
atter of minutes if
they did.""S
o one would assume " P, haraun replied "C. ome on, I want a closer look."
They started working their way forward through the agitated throng. Some oftheir fellow spectators plainly resented their shoving. R
yld had to toss onehobgoblin down onto the floor of the sunken arena, but no one seemed to think
it odd that they wanted to get closer to the charismatic leader. Others were dointhe sam g
e.
The Prophet continued his oration.
reward. W"I thank you for your work and your patience, which soon will reap their ord of our revolt has reached every street and alley. We have warriors
everywhere, and each understands what he is to do when he hears the Call.Meanwhile, the drow suspect nothing. Their arrogance m
akes them complacent.
They won't suspect until it's too late, until the Call comes and we rise as one—until we burn them."
Ryld and Pharaun had forced their way close enough to see the Prophet pick u
d pa san stone rod and anoint the end with an oil from a ceramic bottle. The rod
burst into yellow, crackling flame as if it were made of dry wood, that exotic
combustible product of the World Above. The master of Melee-Magthere
squinted at the sudden flare of light."Eyes of the Goddess!" Pharaun exclaim
ed.
"It's a neat trick," Ryld said, "but surely nothing special by your standards ".
"His bodyguards, I im"Not the fire, those two bugbears standing behind the Prophet."agine. What of them?"
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Dissolution
"They're Tluth Melarn and one Alton the cobbler, two of our runaways. They're wearing veils of illusion, too, but of a sim
pler nature. I can see past theirs."
slave revolt?""Are you serious? What are drow, even rogues, doing aiding the instigator of a
here.""Perhaps we'll find out when we tail the Prophet and his entourage away from
"I taught you how to use the fire pots," the orator continued, "and my friends
hovering floatchests. "Tand I have brought plenty of themake them and hide them." He gestured toward severalThe bright notes of a brazen glaur horn blared through the air until the day of reckoning.
. For a moment
confused, R ,yld thought "the Call"—whatever that was—had arrived, then athrill of panic, or at least the m
emory of it, reminded him what the trum
truly portended. Judging by the goblins' babbling and f pet rantic peering aboutthey knew ,
, too."What is it?" Pharaun asked.
"You're nobly born," said Ryld, hearing a trace of an old bitterness in his voice.
"Didn't you ever go hunting through the Braeryn, slaying every wretch
could catch?" you
The wizard smiled and said, "Now that you mention it, but it's been a long
time. It occurs to me that this is probably Greyanna's
really, even though it involves a lot of waste m doing. Not a bad tactic, otion. Once I shielded us ourhunters couldn't pinpoint our location, but they knew our mi
ssion would brin
us to the Braeryn so they organized a hunt for a party of nobles. The idea is that gall the turmoil is likely to flush us out and send us scramb
through the streets, at which point they' ling frantically "What' ll have a better chance of spotting us."
s more," said Ryld, making sure his swords were loose in their
scabbards, "your sister gives us the choice of retaining our veils of illusion andbeing harried by our own kind, or casting them off and facing the w
rath of the
undercreatures. Either way, someone might do her killing for her ".The Prophet raised his hands for calm
, and the undercreatures quieted a little."My friends, in a moment we will scatter as we must, for a little while longe
r
but before you go, take the fire pots. Once the danger is past, share the weapons ,and news of our gathering with all those who were unable to attend. Rem
ember
your part in the plan and wait for the Call. NowSom , go!"
e
enough to take a jug or two from of the rebels bolted without further delay the hovering boxes. One ore lost h, but at least half lingered li ong s footinin the press, then screamed as other goblinoids trampled hi g
m in their haste.
Meanwhile, the Prophet and his bodyguards slipped out a door in the back wall."Shall we?" said Pharaun, striding after them
.
"What of Greyanna and all the hunters?" asked Ryld."We'll contend with them
as necessary, but I'll be damned if I hide in a holewhile two of the boys we worked so
The m hard to find vanish into the night."asters stalked out onto the street. The Braeryn already echoed with
more trumpeting, the sporting cries of dark elves, and the screams of
undercreatures.
The teachers shadowed the Prophet and the rogues for half a block. The trio
moved briskly but without any trace of panic. Evidently they were confident
of their ability to elude the hunters. Ryld wondered why.Then the night gave him other things to think about.
He and Pharaun skulked by a house where several shouting goblins pounded
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11 0
War Of The Spider Queen
Book 1
Dissolution
on the granite front door. As was the common practice duri
inhabitants refused to admit them. They wouldn't let in anyone but folk who ng a hunt, the
actually lived there. Otherwise, a rush of terrified refugees flooding into the
already crowded warren might trample or crush some of the residents—or theinflux might m
ake the house a more provocative target. It had happened before.
Finally Ryld heard the small, long-armed creatures turn away from the structure. They cried out, then broke
drumming on the ground. into a run, their rapid footsteps
R
1
the goblins were charging him and Pharaun. Perhaps the
creatures had myld had no idea whyistaken them for tenants of the house that had denied them
entry and thus appropriate targets for revenge. Maybe they simply wanted totake their frustrations out on som
eone.
Not that it mattered. The brutes were no match for masters of Tier Breche.
The dark elves would kill them in a trice.
Ryld drew Splitter from its scabbard and cam
in his assailants' pitiful m e on guard, meanwhile taking akeshift weaponry and lack of armor. It was pathetic,
really, so much so that the next few seconds would almost be a bore.T
wo goblins spread out, trying to flank him.
left, then right. The undercreatures fe He stepped in and swung Splitter against the ground and the other keeping hold of its mll, one dropping its crowbar to clang
allet.
The next two bat-eared creatures hesitate
because R d. They should have turned and run, yld couldn't stand and wait for them
wanted to fight. The Prophet and the rogues were getting farther a to ponder whether they still way b thesecond. y
sword—a proper warrior'He stepped in and cut downward. A goblin, this one possessed of a short s weapon, and some malifted the weapon to parry. It didn't m rtial training to go with it—
atter
and streaked on into its torso. . Splitter sheared right through its blade
Knife in hand, the fourth goblin dodged behind its foe. Sensing its locationR ,
yld kicked backward. His boot connected solidly, snapping bone, and when heturned the creature lay m
o
R tionless on the ground, likely dead of a broken back.yld turned to survey the battlefield. His eyes widened in shock and dismay.
Pharaun too was on the ground. Three goblins crouched over him on their bandy legs. One scabrous creature had blood on the iron spike that s
erved it as a
poniard.R ld bellowed a war cry
, sprang at them, and struck them down before thcould do any my ey
ore damage. He kneeled beside his friend. Beneath the elegant
piwafwi, Pharaun's equally gorgeous robe had two punctures in it, and was dark and wet from breastbone to thighs.
"I heard them coming a moment after you did," the wizard wheezed. "I didn't
turn around fast enough.""Don't worry ld. "It'
In reality, he wasn'," said Rt at all sure of that.y s going to be all right.""The goblin thrust through the gap between the wings of m
y cloak. The little b
astard hurt me when Greyanna and her followers couldn't. Isn't that silly?"
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