Albrek's Tomb - Forman Mark L - Страница 52

• Предыдущая
• 52/90
• Следующая

It happened suddenly, but to Alex it seemed that everything was moving in slow motion. A scream and a horse’s terrified whinny came from behind him, and without thinking, he reined in Shahree, turning her back the way he had come.

Shahree stamped her hooves impatiently, but he held her on the spot for a moment, and then spurred her forward, back across the ground they had just crossed.

Kat struggled to get to her feet; her horse lay on the ground ten feet behind her. Alex saw the black shapes of several hellerash tearing at the fallen horse, and a flame of rage began to burn deep inside him.

As quickly as Shahree could run, he charged forward, whispering magical words as he went. The end of his staff flared in the darkness, and a sudden ball of flame shot toward the dark shadows in front of him. A hellerash burst into flame, and several others jumped away. He wanted to press his attack on the evil creatures, but Kat was on foot, dazed from her fall, and it was up to him to save her.

“Leave me,” Kat yelled as Alex rode up to her. “There is no time, and your horse cannot carry us both.”

“Come,” Alex commanded, putting out his free hand and catching Kat’s arm. With a single movement, he swung her up behind him, and then let loose the reins, giving Shahree the freedom she demanded. “Run now, my friend! Run like the wind.”

Shahree leaped forward. Back into the darkness she raced, back toward the hill that stood so close and yet so far away. Alex could feel Kat clutching at him, trying desperately to hold on. He could feel Shahree struggling for more speed, but the added weight on her back was slowing her down. Desperate to give them more time, Alex raised his staff over his head, its burning light driving back the darkness, and, he hoped, the hellerash as well.

As they reached the bottom of the hill, Shahree stumbled and Alex felt himself lifting off the saddle. Kat tried to grab hold of him, but it was no good. Together Alex and Kat flew helplessly through the air, and as Alex’s staff went spinning out of his hand, its light went out.

Fighting to get to his feet and drag Kat up with him, Alex blurted out the summoning spell to call his staff back to his hand. He had barely managed to relight his staff when his eyes met the evil, yellow-green eyes of the advancing hellerash. His voice seemed to leave him, and all he could do was stare. The hellerash was moving fast, charging down on him before he could do anything to defend himself. For a moment Alex thought his life was over, but then a silver-gray shadow blocked the hellerash from his view.

“No!” Alex screamed, realizing what had happened.

There was the sickening sound of tearing flesh, followed by the sound of Shahree’s body falling to the ground. The evil eyes of the hellerash returned. The light from Alex’s staff showed the bloody jaws of the hellerash opened wide as if it were laughing at him. Anger and sorrow rushed through Alex, blinding him to reason and thought. The hellerash in front of him let loose its chilling howl, calling its companions to the feast, and in that moment Alex’s rage overcame everything else.

The hellerash standing next to Shahree burst into flame, dissolving almost instantly into ash. Alex brought his staff down forcefully, striking the ground and finishing the magic words at the same moment. For a few seconds, the darkness vanished as a wall of bright, blue-white flame grew up around Alex. The burning wall stood motionless for less than a second, and then rushed outward in all directions.

Kat cried out in fear, but Alex took no notice. As darkness reclaimed the night, Alex sank down to the ground, tears pouring down his face as he reached out to touch the neck of his lost friend.

After some time, Alex became aware of the sounds around him. He could hear Kat whimpering behind him, and he could hear the rest of the company moving carefully down the hill toward them. He didn’t want to explain what he’d done or why; he just wanted to be left alone.

“Alex,” Arconn’s concerned voice said softly. “Alex, are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” answered Alex, not turning to look at his friend. “Take care of Kat and make camp. There is no danger now. I’ll be along in a little while.”

Arconn did not reply, but Alex could hear him helping Kat to her feet and moving away. He was grateful to Arconn for leaving him alone and not insisting on answers or reasons. But sorrow filled his mind and he had no place for other thoughts.

Alex didn’t know how long he sat there with Shahree’s dead body. The spell he had used had taken a great deal of power out of him, and when he finally tried to get to his feet, his legs wobbled beneath him. Leaning on his staff, Alex looked down at Shahree. He wiped his face on his sleeve and slowly forced himself to cast another spell.

The silver-gray horse faded into the ground like mist, and a large silver-gray stone rose out of the earth where she had been. Three words written in golden letters appeared on the monument. Resting on his staff for another moment, Alex managed a weak smile, then turned away.

Alex found the others easily, though he was not sure he wanted to answer questions even now. His sorrow had lessened, but the death of his horse was still clear in his mind, and the fact that she had willingly sacrificed herself to save him made her death harder to bear.

Thrang and the others said nothing as Alex sat down beside the fire. He could feel them looking at him nervously. He was sure Kat had told them what had happened and what she had seen, but that would not explain everything. Alex had done something out of pure anger, and now he wondered if he had been right to do it.

“Something to eat?” said Barnabus, holding out a bowl of stew for Alex.

Alex accepted the bowl, but he did not eat. For several minutes he just looked at the stew, and then he spoke. “I destroyed them. All of them. Forever.”

“The wall of flame?” Arconn asked.

“Yes,” said Alex. “It has moved across all of Thraxon and destroyed every hellerash that ever has been.”

“All of Thraxon?” Thrang questioned nervously.

“Yes,” said Alex, setting his bowl down and putting his head in his hands. “Nowhere, in all of this land, does even a bone of a hellerash remain.”

“A powerful spell,” Kat said softly.

“Perhaps too powerful,” said Alex.

“How so?” Thrang asked. “Surely you don’t feel sorry for destroying those evil creatures.”

“No, I don’t feel sorry for that,” said Alex, looking up. “But now I fear the necromancer will try to hide. He may no longer wish to face me. If that is the case, it may take me years to track him down.”

“Will you . . .” Thrang began but did not finish.

“I will finish this quest regardless of what the necromancer chooses to do,” said Alex, answering Thrang’s unasked question. “If he remains, I will face him. If he flees, I will pursue him. But after this adventure is over.”

The others remained silent and Alex picked up his bowl. He didn’t feel hungry, but he forced himself to eat anyway. He knew that he would need his strength, and he knew that he had to write to Whalen immediately.

Chapter Seventeen

The Cursed City

No one slept that night. When dawn finally came, they quietly collected their gear and prepared to resume their journey.

“Where are your horses?” Alex questioned, noticing for the first time that none of his companions’ horses were anywhere near the campsite.

“They broke away when we were trying to get up the hill,” Thrang answered. “Arconn’s carried him to the hilltop, but the rest ran.”

“And even mine ran when the hellerash closed in on us,” Arconn added.

“How close did they get to you?” Alex asked.

“Too close,” said Nellus with a soft laugh.

“We were standing back-to-back on the hilltop,” said Thrang. “The hellerash were closing in slowly, looking for a weak spot, I guess.”

• Предыдущая
• 52/90
• Следующая