Temple Hill - Drew Karpyshyn [102]
The warrior opened his eyes and looked down at the confused half-elf with a reassuring smile. "Yes, Lhasha," he said, extending his left hand to help her up. "It's me."
Graal rushed the young wizard, his huge weapon descending in a two-handed chop intended to split the mage from skull to pelvis, but the mage slipped aside, and the blow caught only air. Graal kicked out a boot, catching the thin man under the chin and crumpling him to the floor.
The orog wasted no time gloating over his dazed opponent but stabbed down, looking to run his sword right through his foe, pinning him to the ground. Graal's kick had less effect than he imagined, and the nimble mage still had enough of his senses left to roll out of the way. Graal's sword struck only the stone floor of the cavern- driving itself several inches into the rock.
It took Graal several seconds to work his blade free, and in that time the bald wizard had found his feet again. The man was quick and wiry, Graal had to give him that. Still, there was little fear of the mage even attempting to engage Graal in a physical ‹»nfrontation.
As he pulled his dark sword free of the cavern floor, Graal heard the sounds of an incantation. Trusting his magical armor to protect him from the brunt of the spell, Graal held his ground and turned to face the wizard- only to see Azlar vanish before his eyes.
Graal's senses were keen. He had the eyes and ears of a predator. He could hear hurried footsteps, and he caught a glimmer of distorted light fleeing from him-a warping of the air itself. The mage was still around, he was just invisible. The orog turned his huge head from side to side, trying in vain to pick up any more telltale signs that would reveal the mage's location.
He heard the faint swish of rustling robes at his back, and Graal wheeled but saw nothing. Heavy breathing to his left; a half-imagined shadow flickered in the torchlight. Graal took his shot, hoping to land a lucky blow-but his blade met with no resistance.
He paused and listened again, trying to pick out another sound or glimmering distortion that would pinpoint his enemy's location. Nothing. The wizard was nowhere nearby. He must have retreated into the covering confusion of the melee in the center of the cavern.
Graal stared out over the battlefield, surveying the carnage. Someone had unleashed a storm of hail and ice on the combatants, but even over the blizzard's fury the orog could clearly hear the thunderous clash of metal on metal as the opposing soldiers hacked mercilessly at each other. The armies were evenly matched, for the moment. But an invisible wizard roaming the battlefield at will would quickly turn the tide against Xiliath's men. Within the chaos of the battle and the blizzard, there was virtually no chance of detecting the subtle flickers of light or faint sounds that would betray Azlar's location.
A quick glance at Xiliath's own wizard dispelled any hope Graal had of receiving aid from the old mage. He still lay crumpled and unconscious on the ground, though his body had begun to convulse. Graal looked over in the direction of the charmed medusa. Her hooded form was undergoing a similar series of seizures as her mind fought to break free of the bonds imprisoning her. Recovering the ring and using it to dominate the medusa was impossible-the blue shield still surrounding the old wizard kept even Graal from approaching. But with the ring wearer virtually comatose, the magic enslaving the medusa was growing ever weaker. Soon, Graal realized, she would gain her freedom.
Graal was no coward and no fool. An invisible wizard and an angry medusa were more than he cared to face. If Xiliath himself were to appear on the scene things would only get worse. Even Graal shuddered at the thought of his master's rage being unleashed on the battle.
With occasional glances back to make sure he wasn't being followed, Graal escaped out the newly formed tunnel in the east wall of his master's treasure room. The orog knew Xiliath had undoubtedly already sealed