Part 26 (2/2)
He feigned a convulsion, sobbing and screa the two htly Then suddenly he planted his feet and stood up, throwing the two assassins off balance Ignoring every ache and protesting joint, he pressed upith his hands, causing the two rip on his wrists At that instant, he pulled free
With his right hand, he pulled a dagger froht, and threw his shoulder into hi him back into the sacrifice stone Then he kicked out with his left leg, knocking the ht reached for his belt and found his scabbard e for this?” He lashed out with the blade, catching the assassin across the neck, opening his artery so it sprayed blood across the stone and onto the floor ”If you're so anxious to make this horror appear, use your own blood to do it!”
The high priest shouted, ”No! It is not tiure in the pentagram coalesced, even more horrible than Jaht The face was as he reoat's horns And now the lower half of the body was visible; the deh priest, again
The creature glanced at hi in the sae the assassins used The priest seerabbed the ancient tome that had fallen to the floor and atte The man with the slashed throat twitched atop the stone, while the other guard tried to regain his balance Ja the front of his tunic, pulling hi hih priest
Then Jaainst the chest of the uninjured assassin and pushed The man fell backwards with a startled expression and crashed into the high priest and the one hurrying to get the bowl into which James's blood was to have flowed
The ancient book flew froh priest's old hands, and instinctively he reached after it, howling, ”No!”
Those near the dais were starting to rise, unsure of as happening in those furious moments, but those at the back were still upon their knees
Trying to retrieve the book, the high priest reached across the lines of the pentagrae It reached doith terful, clawed hands and seized the old h priest screamed in terror, then babbled incoherently as he witnessed his approaching death The de as asaliva that smoked faintly With a sudden snap of its jaws, it ripped the face froore
For a brief instant, all eyes in the rooe He grabbed the reave him a shove-what he had heard tavern-keepers call ”the buram
The wounded ram The priest knocked over one of the candles, and chaos erupted
The creature bellowed It snatched the head off the second priest, then ripped the arm off the wounded assassin Pieces of bodies were torn and devoured and blood ran down the monster's chin
The other candles went out and cries of fear filled the chamber
Some members of the asse back and forth, while others rose, looking for an escape route Two drew sciainst the deed it the perfect moment for his escape He leaped on top of the sacrificial stone and glanced at the de certainty he realized the creature was no longer confined
Ja overhead, just as the des, then shot the clear of the black talons He arched away froo of the chains He landed upon an old work table, next to kneeling assassins, who regarded him in amazement
Then all attention was returned to the de to feed in earnest
James jumped a few feet to another table, and fro assassins They ignored hiht of another dying, it was clear they were less devout when their own lives were in the balance
Most of the fleeing assassins were heading toward the stables, and Ja that way He ducked into a side corridor and ran back towards the break in the ceiling where he had found the ambush roo, colanced up and cursed There was no way he could reach the crack overhead by hi to the closest rooed it to the spot below the crack
If he had been able to ignore his wounds before, they were now clearly evident to him Sweat dripped from his hair and off the end of his nose, and the salt of it stung every abrasion and cut His bruised ed the heavy trunk along
He shoved the trunk upright and for a briefslowly, he calmed hi in the ceiling and with great difficulty pulled hi He held on by force of will, for he knew he could not ain Then he clistone floor of the aht sky
From below came screams and an inhuman roar, and James knew that eventually whoever was still down there would be dead And then the degering, James made his way toward the ramp He took three steps before he fell face-first into the dirt, unconscious
Ja water over his face He blinked and saw Williaht, while soreedily
When the skin ithdrawn, he saw that the other man was a soldier from Krondor The sound of footfalls echoed in the roo toward the hole in the floor He said, ”Wait!” His voice was a dry croak
”What?” asked Williarabbed the tunic of the nearest soldier and said, ”Urgent hness Squire James reports there's a demon loose down in the fortress”
To the soldiers in the roooing into that hole until you get orders” To James, he said, ”You come with me The Prince ant to hear this from you”
He put his arm around James's waist and helped him to his feet, then half-carried him up the raood story attached to why you were face-down in the dust wearing only your smalls?”
Jaot them to the top of the ramp and asked, ”Can you ride?”
”Do I have a choice?”
”You'll double with naled for a horse A soldier responsible for the ot Ja up behind Ja on!”
Jaroaned but held on They cantered down the wadi as the sun rose in the eastern sky Cradled against William's chest, Jaate!” said Williaot to the Prince and he ordered a forceda band of assassins, and led thee into that stable,” said William
They rode hard to the base of the wadi, and turned east After one of the most painful rides in James's life, they reached Arutha's position
No caathered atop a nearby outcropping of stone, watching as the soldiers were deployed before the open gates Arutha looked over as Williaar sat next to the Prince and two other officers, around a ca to live?” the Prince asked Ja upright by hanging on to the stirrup of William's horse ”Not if I can help it,” he replied
Arutha indicated that someone should put a cloak around the near-naked squire A soldier quickly co on in there? We chased a bunch of assassins inside after thrashi+ng theht back out again, glad enough for a fight We were forced back for a bit”
”Demon,” said James ”Those fools conjured one up”
Arutha nodded ”Orders,” he said to a runner nearby 'Tell Lieutenant Gordon to hold his position” Looking back to James, he said, ”Well, squire, what can you tell me?”
James winced and hness I'm not an expert, but I suspect that creature won't cohtfall Once he does, I don't kno you're going to keep him here”
Arutha looked at the open doors of the stable and said, ”We o in and finish him inside”
James said, ”Wait a minute-”