df.therunelords-第135章

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　The　next　night；　a　quarter　moon　rose　over　the　eastern　hills　outside　Castle　Sylvarresta。　By　its　faint　light；　Gaborn；　Borenson；　and　fifty　Knights　Equitable　mounted　their　chargers　and　rode　pell…mell　into　the　Dunnwood；　lances　at　the　ready；　to　hunt　for　reavers。
　The　men　were　ferocious；　longing　for　the　hunt；　and　all　promised　that　this　would　be　one　to　remember。
　Binnesman　went　with　them；　for　he　said　that　there　were　soils　deep　beneath　the　Dunnwood；　soils　once　mined　by　the　duskins；　soils　that　carried　magics　of　the　deep　earth；　which　could　grant　magical　properties　to　the　weapons　that　the　Earth　King's　smiths　would　forge　this　winter。
　Of　what　transpired　on　that　great　hunt；　little　was　ever　said　thereafter。　But　the　Earth　King　and　his　wizard　and　some　of　his　knights　returned　shortly　after　dawn；　three　days　later；　on　the　last　and　greatest　day　of　the　Hostenfest；　the　day　of　the　great　feast。
　By　great　misfortune；　in　the　duskin　mines　they　had　found　more　than　they　could　easily　handle　twenty…seven　juvenile　reavers；　along　with　their　reaver　mage。
　Forty…one　brave　knights　died　in　that　battle。
　Borenson　himself　slew　the　reaver　mage　in　her　lair；　and　brought　back　with　him　a　trophy；　dragging　the　creature's　massive　head　behind　his　steed。
　He　laid　the　head　of　lumpy　gray　leather　out　on　the　green　before　Castle　Sylvarresta　for　all　to　see。　It　was　almost　six　feet　in　length；　four　feet　high；　and　somewhat　ovoid　in　shape。　It　looked　much　like　the　head　of　an　ant　or　some　insect；　except　that　it　had　no　eyes；　ears；　or　nose。　Its　only　sensory　apparatus　was　the　patches　of　feelers　that　hung　like　gray　worms　from　the　back　of　its　head；　in　mockery　of　hair；　and　down　near　its　mouth。
　The　rows　of　crystalline　teeth　in　its　great　maw　made　a　huge　impression　on　the　peasants　and　children；　many　of　whom　were　afraid　to　touch　the　rigid　lips。　The　thousands　of　teeth　inside　that　maw　sat　in　seven　rows；　like　those　of　a　shark；　but　each　jagged　tooth　was　as　clear　and　tough　as　quartz。　Like　the　bones　of　the　skull　behind　it。
　Peasants　by　the　tens　of　thousands　came　to　view　the　monster's　head。　The　children　shrieked　in　delight　to　touch　it；　and　many　a　maid　gaped　at　it；　and　tittered；　while　the　old　folks　just　stared　long　and　thoughtfully。
　It　was　the　first　reaver　mage　found　within　the　Dunnwood　in　nearly　seventeen　hundred　years；　and　many　of　those　present　believed　it　would　be　the　last　one　they'd　see　in　their　lifetimes。
　But　they　were　wrong。　For　it　was　not　the　last。
　It　was　only　the　first。



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