Darkvision - Bruce R. Cordell [118]
The newly arrived Imaskari focused on Ususi. In his hand he clutched a sliver of Celestial Nadir crystal, carved like a small throwing dagger. He raised the sliver high, its needle-sharp end aimed at her head. Did the man mean to launch the crystal at her from across the room? Worry pinched Ususi's forehead.
What would happen if she were infected by a Pandorym-controlled crystal?
* * * * *
The giant was strong-as strong as many of Monolith's noble brothers and sisters who cavorted yet, uncaring of the fleshy creatures that haunted the earth above the mantle. But Monolith was renowned in the wide Earth Court for his strength and solidity.
Monolith grappled the giant around the legs in a great hug. He powered the legs together even as the green-skinned storm lord smashed at the back of Monolith's head. Uncaring, the prince pushed the giant over on his back.
A pale-skinned servitor of Pandorym, one hand pierced with crystal, the other holding a crystal dagger, appeared in exactly the wrong spot. The falling giant crashed down directly upon the man, smashing him flat just as he tried to hurl his dagger across the chamber.
The giant's fall cratered the floor, and Monolith was on his adversary even before the shock of the impact vibrated through the giant's full length. He had to keep his weight on the giant's torso.
The giant was down, but not out. The earth lord fended off a staggering blow and took a few directly in the head and face. Fortunately, his body was more resistant to pummeling than living flesh. And as mighty as the storm giant was, it was still a creature more like a man than an elemental.
The giant turned on its side, trying to get away from the prince's grapple-a fatal mistake. Though the giant was stronger than the elemental, Monolith was practiced in centuries of contests with his heavy-limbed kin. As soon as the giant gave the prince his back, the earth lord straddled the giant, grabbed him around the neck, and pulled. The giant's lower back was pinned under Monolith's boulderlike weight.
With a savage jerk, Monolith broke the giant's back.
* * * * *
Warian danced away from the titanic figures, barely avoiding the same fate bestowed on Pandorym's newly summoned stooge. Four or five mantis-men remained near the core, not to mention the great smudge of steaming evil that seeped from the cracked silo-was that Pandorym itself? Kiril Duskmourn had just cut down Shaddon, but the Datharathi's head still threatened her. And…
A creature, half bone and half void, stepped out of Pandorym's shrouded portal. Blood slicked its shadow-tipped claws, and gore crusted its body in horrible textures.
The creature was fresh from a slaughter. Warian moved, and the world around him slowed again, though not as dramatically as before. He was tiring.
The creature whirled, not as befuddled by Warian's speed as he would have hoped. It clawed at him, each hand like a fistful of swords. Warian ducked right. His left shoulder was scored, but his prosthesis withstood the cuts.
His crystal hand formed a fist, and he slammed it with all the force he could muster into the creature's eyeless, bony face.
The monstrosity exploded under Warian's phenomenal strike, blasting motes of shadow and splinters of bone in every direction.
Warian gasped. The radiance of his arm failed. He'd used all his reserve, holding none back. Exhaustion curled into his limbs, and haze narrowed his vision. Nausea took him to his knees. He didn't have the strength to be sick. He didn't have the…
Warian reeled into oblivion.
* * * * *
The Cerulean Blade tore through several razor-sharp, soul-burrowing strands that spewed from Shaddon's mouth. Turning those strands into so much dust, Kiril tried to plunge Angul into