Song of the Saurials - Kate Novak [91]
Xaran's eyes, all eleven of them, widened in astonishment. "My, but aren't you perceptive? Yet now that you have guessed the source of the largess offered, you must realize you have no choice. You cannot refuse the gift of the Darkbringer.
It would be most hazardous to your well-being. In Moander's name, I must insist that you accept the immortality he offers you."
The beholder barked a few commands in orcish, and Olive heard the sounds of steel blades being drawn from leather and bolts being snapped into crossbows.
"Then let me drive my point home," the bard growled. In one fluid motion, he pulled his grandfather's dagger from his belt and sent it sailing at the beholder.
Olive watched in horror as at least twenty orcs raised their crossbows and daggers and aimed at the bard's back. With a shout, she pulled out the light stone from her pocket and held it up behind Finder. The sudden appearance of brilliant magical light caused the orcs to shriek out in pain. Several fled from the common room.
A green light beam shot out at Finder's dagger from one of Xaran's eyestalks, but the blade split through the beam unscathed and buried itself in Xaran's central eye. White fluid oozed from the puncture.
Finder had already whirled around and pulled his magic horn from his belt. He shouted, "Siege strike," raised the instrument to his lips, and blew into it.
With its magic triggered by Finder's words, the horn emitted a terrific blast of sound that knocked most of the remaining orcs to the ground and shook the cavern roof. Already weakened by the seeping water, the roof began to sag like a fortress wall hit by a catapult missile. Great chunks of rock and showers of dirt cascaded from the roof, scattering the remaining orcs. Dust and dirt from the ceiling and charcoal soot and sparks from the fires began to swirl in the air.
Olive looked back at Xaran, expecting the beholder to shoot a death ray at them at any moment, but the old beholder had sunk into the pillows and disappeared like a wounded creature going to ground. She looked back at Finder. The old bard was grinning arrogantly at the chaos all around him as he slipped the horn back in his belt.
The sagging portion of the ceiling crashed just in front of them. With alarm, Olive noticed the ceiling directly over their heads was beginning to sag. The room grew darker as the light stone failed to penetrate the falling rock and dirt and rising dust.
"Which way is out?" Olive screamed.
Finder spun around, then pointed toward a passage leading off the side of the cavern. "That way," he cried, grabbing the halfling by the waist and carrying her away moments before the ceiling over Xaran's pile of pillows collapsed.
As they ran down the passageway, Xaran's voice cried, "Freeze!"
"Keep going!" Finder ordered, pushing Olive deeper into the dark tunnel. The bard whirled around to face the dark spherical shadow that hovered in the tunnel just behind them. Finder's dagger still protruded from the beholder's central eye socket.
"You cannot refuse the gift of the Darkbringer," the beholder cried. He spat the green, sticky burr at the bard and laughed maniacally.
Finder fell backward, brushing frantically at his tunic. He caught the burr in one hand, but he couldn't pull the sticky thing away from his clothing.
Suddenly the burr opened with the crack of a small explosion. A cloud of moldy dust wafted into the bard's face, and he choked and sneezed and spat, trying to keep from inhaling whatever it was.
"Finder!" Olive shouted as she turned and lunged forward to help. She grabbed the bard's belt to pull him away from the beholder.
"Your turn," Xaran sang out gleefully, floating toward Olive. "All must serve the Darkbringer!"
Olive snatched the horn from Finder's belt, intent on throwing it at the beholder, but some instinct prompted her to raise it to her