war of the spider queen 4 extinction-第42部分

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　　　Shielding　his　face　from　the　heat；　Gromph　said；　〃No。　Your　task　has　been　altered；　that's　all。　After　you　perform　it；　you　are　free　to　go。〃　He　showed　the　elemental　the　thought　bottle。　〃In　a　moment；　I　will　use　this　magical　device。　When　I　am　done；　you　will　relay　the　following　information　to　me　。　。　。〃
　　　A　few　moments　later；　Gromph　found　himself　seated　behind　his　desk；　holding　a　corked　bottle　in　his　hand。　A　drawer　containing　a　bottle　identical　to　it　was　open；　and　a　fire　elemental　hovered　on　the　other　side　of　the　desk。　Glancing　at　the　wall；　Gromph　saw　that　the　sigil　that　had　held　it　had　been　activated。　An　intruder　must　have　entered　the　office…Gromph　cast　a　quick　detection　spell；　but　his　magic　revealed　no　trace　of　any　creature；　living　or　undead。　Whoever　the　intruder　was；　he　or　she　had　left　a　gold　ring　and　what　looked　like　a　spell　tube　on　Gromph's　desk…and　an　impressive　battle…axe；　leaning　against　the　side　of　the　desk。
　　　Suddenly　worried；　Gromph　realized　that　the　last　thing　he　could　remember　was　being　trapped　inside　the　sphere；　floating　on　the　lake。　He　had　obviously　made　it　back　to　Sorcere　somehow；　found　his　way　into　his　study；　and　escaped　the　imprisonment　spell。　But　how？
　　　Gromph　stared　at　the　golden　bottle　he　held　in　his　hand…one　of　his　thought　bottles。　The　answer　must　be　inside。
　　　〃Masterrr；〃　the　fire　elemental　said；　drawing　his　attention。
　　　Gromph　looked　up。
　　　〃The　Gracklstugh　army；　together　with　an　army　of　tanarukk；　arrre　attacking　Menzoberranzan；〃　the　elemental　announced；　a　tongue　of　bright　red　flame　licking　out　of　its　mouth　as　it　spoke。　〃The　duerrrgar　have　set　up　a　siege　wall　just　inside　Tier　Breche　and　are　attacking　Sorcerrre。　At　least　one　illithid　was　among　their　number…a　sorrrcerer　by　the　name　of　Sluuguth。　He　had　in　his　possession　one　of　the　amulets　that　contrrrols　the　jade　spiders。　You　defeated　him。〃
　　　That　said；　the　fire　elemental　gave　a　roar　of　triumph　as　the　invisible　magical　bonds　that　had　held　it　fell　away。　It　disappeared　as　abruptly　as　a　blown…out　candle。
　　　〃An　illithid；〃　Gromph　whispered。
　　　That　explained；　then；　why　he　held　a　thought　bottle　in　his　hand。　A　tickle　of　memory　returned。　He'd　created　the　thing…and　the　bottle　that　matched　it…for　use　in　the　event　of　his　capture　by　a　mind　flayer。　His　plan　had　been　to　offer　it　to　the　creature　。　。　。
　　　There；　the　memory　faded。
　　　Shrugging；　Gromph　placed　the　bottle　carefully　in　the　drawer　beside　the　other　one　and　pushed　the　drawer　shut。
　　　〃Sorcere　is　under　attack？〃　he　muttered。　〃We'll　see　about　that。〃
　　　
　　　Gromph　strode　toward　the　balcony　where　two　of　his　students　stood。　They　were　Norulle；　a　fifth…year　student　who　had　used　a　hair…growth　cantrip　to　cause　a　long；　dwarflike　beard　to　sprout　from　his　chin…hardly　an　appropriate　affectation；　given　whom　they　were　fighting…and　Prath；　a　first…year　student　who　was　still　only　in　his　thirties；　and　whose　stocky　build　and　bulging　biceps　should　have　caused　his　House　to　enroll　him　in　Melee…Magthere；　instead。　Both　had　their　backs　to　the　corridor　down　which　Gromph　hurried　and　were　sheltering　behind　the　ghostly　image　of　a　turtle　shell　the　size　of　a　table　that　hung　in　the　air；　just　in　front　of　the　balcony。
　　　Norulle　flinched　as　a　hail　of　arrows　struck　it；　most　of　them　exploding　to　splinters　as　the　spell　destroyed　them。　One　arrow；　however；　sparkled　with　arcane　energy。　It　pierced　the　magical　barrier　and　snagged　the　sleeve　of　Prath's　piwafwi。　Barely　glancing　at　it；　Prath　yanked　it　free　and　cast　it　aside。　A　moment　later；　a　trickle　of　blood　dripped　from　his　hand。　He　shook　it　away。
　　　The　boy　should　have　been　a　soldier；　indeed；　Gromph　thought。
　　　From　outside　came　the　sounds　of　battle：　the　shouted　orders　of　the　duergar　below；　the　creak…and…thump　of　catapults　being　winched　and　shot；　the　crackling；　explosive　hiss　of　magical　energy；　and　the　frantic　chanting　of　mages；　casting　retaliatory　spells　from　the　balconies　above　and　below。
　　　〃Norulle；　Prath…what's　happening？〃　Gromph　asked　as　he　strode　out　onto　the　balcony。　〃Where　are　your　instructors？〃
　　　Norulle　whirled　around　in　surprise；　a　wand　clutched　in　one　hand。
　　　〃Master！〃　he　gasped。　〃You're　here！〃
　　　Diamond　dust　glittered　in　Norulle's　hair　and　beard。　Someone　had　cast　a　powerful　protective　spell　upon　him。
　　　It　was　Prath　who　answered　Gromph's　question；　〃Leandran's　gone。　He　was　hit　square　on　by　magic　fire。〃
　　　He　pointed　at　a　spot　farther　along　the　balcony…a　smoldering　crater　in　the　stone　floor。　Through　a　hole　at　the　center　of　it；　Gromph　could　see　the　ground　below。　Smaller　craters；　also　still　smoking；　pitted　the　wall　behind　that　spot　like　splash　marks。　Each　was　ringed　by　a　circle　of　frost。　The　two　students　had　obviously　used　a　cold　spell　to　extinguish　the　blaze。　Of　Leandran；　the　school's　Master　of　Abjurative　Magic；　there　was　no　trace；　save　for　the　lingering　stench　of　burned　flesh。
　　　A　whistling　sound　drew　Gromph's　attention。　He　glanced　to　the　side　just　in　time　to　see　an　enormous　clay　pot　arc　up　toward　Sorcere　and　strike　the　side　of　the　stalagmite；　several　dozen　paces　away。　It　broke　against　the　stone；　splashing　liquid　fire　in　all　directions。　The　fire　poured　down　the　stone；　burning　everything　in　its　wake：　stone　walls；　a　decorative　arch　of　wrought　iron　above　the　balcony；　and　the　balcony　itself。
　　　Figures　on　the　balcony　scurried　away　from　the　rush　of　flame…one　of　them　a　little　too　slowly。　As　some　of　the　stuff　poured　down　onto　his　piwafwi；　his　agonized　screams　filled　the　air。　They　were　cut　off　a　moment　later　when　the　wrought…iron　arch；　weakened　by　the　fire；　collapsed　with　a　loud　squeal　of　metal。　Above　the　spot　where　it　had　been　mounted；　the　wall　continued　to　burn；　and　the　flames　soon　ate　a　hole　through　the　stone。
　　　Gromph　stared　in　the　direction　from　which　the　pot　of　fire　had　e；　at　the　protective　barrier　the　duergar　had　erected。　It　stood　just　in　front　of　the　tunnel　that　gave　access　to　Tier　Breche　from　the　Dark　Dominion。　The　barrier　appeared　to　be　made　of　square…hewn　lengths　of　fungus　stem；　stacked　horizontally　on　top　of　each　other；　but　had　obviously　been　magically　strengthened。　The　lightning　bolts　that　one　of　the　mages　on　a　balcony　above　fired　down　into　them　did　little　more　than　chip　off　tiny　pieces　of　the　fungus；　and　the　hailstones　raining　down　from　the　ice　storm　another　mage　had　caused　to　materialize　in　the　air　just　above　the　barrier　were　melting　before　they　struck　it。
　　　Yet　another　mage　of　Sorcere　sent　a　cloud　of　acid　billowing　down　at　the　barrier。　The　yellowish　vapor　swept　over　the　fungus…log　blockade　and　continued　on　down　the　tunnel　beyond　it。　The　barrier　remained　intact；　however；　and　clay　pots　continued　to　sail　into　the　air　from　the　catapults　behind　it；　whistling　through　the　air　to　blast　the　walls　of　Sorcere　with　alchemical　flame。
　　　It　didn't　look　as　though　Arach…Tinilith　was　faring　any　better　than　Sorcere。　The　walls　of　the　spider…shaped　temple　were　also　dotted　with　gouts　of　white…hot　flame；　and　the　ground　in　front　of　the　building　was　strewn　with　corpses。　Many　were　squat　and　bald…duergar…but　many　more　were　drow。　Dark　elf　soldiers　had　given　their　lives　in　defense　of　the　cavern。　Of　the　priestesses；　there　was　no　sign。　Like　their　goddess；　they　had　retreated　behind　walls　of　stone；　leavi