war of the spider queen 1 dissolution-第103章

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pinnotning　around　a　hair　faster　than　the　other　two；　raising　her　baton。　Thanks　to　his　silver　ring；　Pharaun　could　tell　it　was　a　spider　wand；　a　weapon　capable　of　entangling　him　in　sticky　webbing。
He　had　no　intention　of　enduring　that　kind　of　humiliation。　He　rattled　off　a　string　of　magic　words　and　thrust　his　arm　out。　Five　slivers　of　arcane　force　leaped　from　his　fingertips；　hurtled　across　the　intervening　space；　and　slammed　into　the　cleric's　torso。　She　stumbled　backward　and　collapsed。
A　wiry　male　with　deep…set　eyes；　and　a　trace　of　a　scholar's　stoop；　Gelroos　peered　up　the　street　and　called；　〃Master　Mizzrym！〃
〃So　much　for　my　ability　to　manufacture　a　nonmagical　disguise；〃　Phanotraun　answered；　grinning；　〃but　then　we　do　know　one　another　fairly　well。〃
〃You're　allowed　to　try　to　kill　another　Master　of　Sorcere；〃　said　Gelroos。　〃That's　entirely　proper。　But　you　overstepped　when　you　struck　down　these　youths。　It　was　pointless　and　sloppy；　and　their　mothers　won't　appreciate　the　waste。　They'll　reward　me　for　taking　you　down。〃
〃Does　it　help　if　I　explain　that　all　I　do；　I　do　to　deliver　Menzoberranzan　from　twin　calamities？〃　Pharaun　asked。
Gelroos　raised　his　hands；　preparing　to　conjure；　and　the　remaining　warnotriors　charged。
〃Ah。　I　thought　not。〃
He　too　began　to　cast。
Gelroos　pleted　his　spell　a　moment　before　Pharaun　finished　his。　Crashing　and　crunching；　the　surface　of　the　lane　spat　stone　in　the　air。　It　was　like　a　geyser；　save　for　the　fact　that　the　chunks　of　rock　didn't　fall　back　to　earth。　Instead；　they　shifted　around　one　another　and　fitted　together；　formnoting　a　towering；　massive；　and　vaguely　drowlike　form；　like　a　heroic　statue　abandoned　when　the　sculptor　had　barely　begun。　Its　footsteps　shaking　the　ground；　the　creature　lurched　up　the　corridor　between　the　stalls。
Pharaun　was　mildly　impressed。　It　wasn't　easy　to　summon　and　control　an　essential　spirit　of　the　earth…nor　easy　to　fend　one　off；　either…but　the　manifestation　didn't　shake　his　concentration。　He　continued　his　recitation　without　a　flub；　meanwhile　floating　up　into　the　air　to　avoid；　if　only　monotmentarily；　the　swords　of　the　onrushing　warriors。
He　spoke　the　final　syllable　of　the　conjuration。　A　dagger　made　of　ice　flew　from　his　hand。　Gelroos　dodged　it；　but　the　conjured　blade　exploded；　pepnotpering　its　target　with　frozen　shards。　One　slashed　open　the　mage's　cheek　and　he　stumbled；　but　Pharaun　could　tell　he　wasn't　seriously　hurt。
Below　the　Mizzrym；　some　of　the　warriors　were　readying　their　crossnotbows。　Others　began　to　levitate。　By　rushing　him；　they'd　drawn　even　with　the　game　merchant's　tent；　and　Ryld　burst　from　underneath　it。　Half　an　hour　earlier；　he'd　purchased　a　scimitar　to　use　in　this　particular　battle；　but　it　was　Splitter；　rendered　visible　by　his　touch；　that　he　currently　clasped　in　his　hands。　He　must　have　decided　that；　since　Gelroos　had　already　called　out　Pharaun's　name；　it　would　be　pointless　to　try　to　conceal　his　own　identity。
The　greatsword　leaped　back　and　forth；　each　stroke　dropping　a　foe　to　the　ground。　Bellowing　for　his　minions　to　turn　and　face　the　new　threat；　Ryld's　fellow　instructor　tried　to　shove　his　way　toward　him。
Stone；　liquid　as　magma；　flowed　upward　from　the　ground　into　the　elemental's　body。　Most　of　the　rock　served　to　grow　the　creature　bigger　and　taller；　but　some　of　it　accumulated　in　the　palm　of　its　hand；　forming　a　spiky　sphere　that　it　no　doubt　intended　to　hurl　at　Pharaun。
The　wizard　snatched　a　tiny　vial　of　water　from　one　of　his　pockets。　Brannotdishing　it；　he　chanted。　He　felt　the　walls　of　the　cosmos　attenuating；　and　for　a　moment；　sensed　an　infinite　number　of　Pharaun　s　conjuring　in　adjacent　realities；　receding　away　from　him　like　reflections　in　a　mirror；　growing　subtly　less　and　less　like　himself　with　each　step。
A　pulse　of　scarlet　light　struck　him　in　the　chest。　Gelroos　must　have　connotjured　it。　The　blaze　of　pain　was　extraordinary。　Pharaun　strained　to　plete　the　last　word　of　power　and　final　mystic　pass　without　a　fumble。
He　wasn't　sure　he'd　succeeded　until　a　vacancy；　a　gap　not　in　matter　but　in　the　medium　that　underlies　it；　opened　under　the　elemental's　feet。　The　creature　cocked　back　its　arm　to　throw；　and　the　animating　force　fell　out