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He tumbled to the cold marble floor of the mausoleum, entangled in a confused
flurry of paws and plumy tail. The animal yelped in pain. Alfred had landed
squarely on top of it.
Crawling out from underneath the spread-eagled Sartan, the animal shook itself
indignantly, regarded him with reproachful eyes.
"I'm sorry . . ." Alfred stammered.
His apology echoed through the chamber like the voice of a phantasm. The dog
barked irritably.
"You're right," Alfred said, flushing, smiling faintly. "There I
go apologizing. I won't let it happen again."
The door to the coffin slammed shut.
He was back in Death's Gate, inside the corridor, and the serpent was in the
doorway.
Alfred let go ... and seized hold.
A green-scaled and golden-winged dragon, its burnished crest shining like a
sun, shattered the corridor of chaos, burst out of Death's Gate, and attacked
the serpent.
The dragon's powerful back claws slammed into the serpent's body, slid through
the gray-scaled skin, dug deep into flesh.
The serpent, impaled on the dragon's claws, writhed and twisted in an attempt
to free itself, but the movement only drove the claws deeper into its body. In
terrible pain, the serpent fought back, its toothless, powerful jaws
attempting to close around the dragon's slender neck, crack and break it.
The dragon's fangs closed over the snake's snapping jaws, sank into the head,
between the red, hate-filled eyes. Blood spurted, raining down on the
Labyrinth. The serpent shrieked in its death throes, and its cries reached its
fellows.
They began to close ranks around the dragon, preparing to rush in for the
kill.
Alfred loosed his claws from the dead serpent, let it fall to the ground. He
longed to return to the Chamber, to come to Haplo's aid, but Alfred dared not
leave the door unguarded.
The green and golden dragon flew before Death's Gate, awaited the onslaught.
Haplo's cry jolted Xar from his magic. He had no need to look around to know
what was happening. The serpent had betrayed him. Xar had barely time enough
to reestablish his body's own magical defenses when he was hit from behind. A
flash of pain seared the back of his head.
Xar stumbled, turned to defend himself.
Haplo was struggling with Sang-drax, both of them grappling for a bloodstained
dagger.
"Lord Xar! This traitor tried to kill you!" Sang-drax snarled, striking
viciously at Haplo.
Haplo said nothing, his breath coming in sharp, painful gasps. The sigla on
his skin flared blue. There was blood on his hands.
Xar reached to touch the wound, drew back fingers wet with blood.
"Indeed," he said and watched the battle between Hapio and the serpent with a
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strange detachment. The pain was a distraction, but he didn't have time to
heal himself. The rune-construct he had created blazed with a bright light in
front of the four doors the doors that led to the four worlds. But, here and
there, the light was starting to fade. Bereft of the lord's power, the magic
he had cast was starting to unravel.
Xar irritably wiped away the blood that was starting to ooze down his neck and
into his robes. The blood might have been someone else's for all the thought
he gave it.
Sang-drax struck Haplo again and again savage, vicious blows that cracked open
the rune-magic, began to bruise and batter flesh and bone. Haplo's face was
smeared with blood. He was half-blind, stunned, could do little to halt the
brutal attack. Blow after blow drove Haplo to his knees. A vicious kick in the
face sent him reeling backward. He fell, lay unconscious. On the floor near
him was the snake-shaped dagger.
Sang-drax turned to face Xar.
The Lord of the Nexus tensed. The serpent stood between Xar and the magical
rune-construct.
Sang-drax pointed at the fallen Haplo.
"This treacherous servant of yours tried to murder you, Lord of the Nexus!
Fortunately, I was able to stop him. Say the word and I will end his life."
Haplo rolled over, lay face first on the blood-spattered floor.
"You needn't waste your time," Xar said, drawing closer to Haplo, to the
serpent, to the magic. "I will deal with him. Stand aside."
The serpent's red eyes gleamed with a bright, suspicious light. Swiftly,
Sang-drax hooded his emotion, lowering the eyelids.
"I am only too pleased to obey you, Lord. First" the serpent swooped
down "allow me to retrieve the traitor's dagger. He might be shamming again."
Sang-drax's hand closed over empty air.
Xar quite by inadvertence had placed his foot on the blood-covered blade. He
knelt beside Haplo, all the while keeping an eye on Sang-drax. The lord
grasped hold not gently of Haplo's chin, turned his face to the light. A
savage cut had split open Haplo's forehead, practically to the bone. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]