Lady of Poison_ The Priests - Bruce R. Cordell [60]
Marrec's felt his face warm. Ususi looked at him with one raised eyebrow, as if she expected him to cork off with a sample proclamation.
A gurgle and sucking sound drew their gazes back to the circular crater of ooze. The ooze was drawing back together.
Marrec said, "He's returning, be ready." He was almost grateful the creature was back-it relieved him of having to comment on Ususi's theory. He readied his spear.
Yet another blanket of stench erupted from the coagulating ooze. As it slumped back together, it seemed to grow in quantity. Soon there was no question that the ooze was somehow replenishing itself, growing larger and taller than the muck man had been. A half-formed arm reached forward, palm out. Marrec's stomach twisted as he recognized a sort of dark mirror of himself summoning Justlance. In the half-formed creature's hand a slender, weapon-shaped object blackened the air. Both he and Ususi recognized the weapon immediately. It was twin to the halberd wielded by fallen Gameliel.
Ususi whispered, "A blightlord comes. I am too tired to fight."
"You were right about the ooze creature, almost. It called its master, not the other way around. It must be Anammelech." He grabbed Ususi's hand and they dashed toward the empty mouth of the Arches of Xenosi. "Let's try to catch up with Gunggari and Elowen."
Marrec glanced back as they passed from the sun into the tree-lined corridor framed by the arches. The blightlord was almost fully formed and already sliding forward on a layer of slime like an upright, armored slug. Then they were fully committed to the cool green hall under the trees, running over light-stippled earth.
He was surprised to discover that he couldn't see very far at all along the length of the passage. Some sort of viridian mist greened out vision beyond more than forty or fifty feet, if that. As it happened, that was about the distance between each successive stone arch. Though the lane was strangely clear of growth, the forest pressed in on all sides, and vines grew thickly on the sides of each arch, and some few hung down beneath each stone span.
Like light, sound was also muffled in the lane, though he thought he could hear the sound of conflict far ahead If Gunggari's tracking skill could be trusted, Ash and her kidnapper were also ahead. He tightened his grip slightly on Ususi's hand and tried to speed up.
Ususi's injuries came to the fore. A stitch in her breath soon became a gasp, and she stumbled. She said something in a language Marrec couldn't understand. He was pretty sure it was a language he'd never heard before.
"What?" he asked, slowing a trifle.
"I can not keep this pace. My foresight has failed me. I know just the spell to speed me along, but I do not have it prepared."
Marrec frowned but decided not to remind Ususi of his current diminished state of being unable to prepare any spells at all. It would only come across sounding petty.
Instead he said, "They are just a bit ahead of us. Just a little bit farther. I'd rather Anammelech catch up with us only after we've caught up with Gunny and Elowen."
She nodded, conserving her breath.
They penetrated further into the Rawlinswood. The light dimmed slightly, but otherwise the trees, undergrowth, and other foliage to either side of the corridor remained fairly uniform. By that time their forward progress had slowed to a fast walk. The sounds of fighting ahead died away, perhaps because of intervening distance.
To keep his mind off their slow pace, he asked, "Why'd you call those creatures twigblights?"
Ususi shrugged. She said, "It seemed appropriate."
The unicorn warrior smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. "Indeed."
Recognition of the true nature of the 'dead tree' standing just outside the arch-defined corridor came a heartbeat too late, as it stumble-rushed forward on its tree trunk legs, blocking their path.
Ususi cursed, again in a language unknown to Marrec. No, she wasn't cursing;