The Gates of Night_ The Dreaming Dark - Keith Baker [97]
Hold position, Pierce signaled. Watch.
Regretfully, Xu’sasar settled into her crouch. She would have rather moved closer, to peer within the monolith, but she understood Pierce’s tactics. Someone should watch the archer, be ready to strike if the alarm was sounded or, if it became necessary, to flee and alert the others. And so she waited, watching the lights and envisioning the battle that lay ahead of her.
The archer didn’t move, but a new figure passed across an archway. She could see the shape of a greatsword slung across the back, a long bow held ready for action, but what caught her attention was the sheer size of the creature. Xu’sasar was used to fighting giants, and she’d fought larger foes. Nonetheless, this warrior was about twice her height and many times her weight. His muscles spoke of fearsome strength. And even from this distance, she could see the short horns protruding from his forehead. This is my foe. No question in her mind. Let the others fight these human soldiers. Xu’sasar would bring down the giant.
Pierce returned. His voice was barely louder than the wind in the grass. “There is a woman within who watches the area with her mind. We must eliminate her the moment the battle begins, before she can bring other powers to bear.”
Xu’sasar clicked her tongue. A challenge!
“You possess the skill to approach unseen and the ability to resist the other forces that will be brought to bear. Daine wishes you to circle around, enter the monolith, and when battle is joined, ensure that this woman in purple is eliminated before she has the opportunity to act. Are you willing?”
“I have already gazed upon the fields of death,” Xu’sasar said. “I have no fear, and I will not fail. Just let me fight the giant when the woman falls.”
Pierce was silent. Xu’sasar imagined that he was relaying the message back to Lei.
“Very well,” he said. “A burst of fire will signal the attack. Strike swiftly and hard. We will arrive as soon as possible.”
Xu’sasar placed her palm against his, dark flesh dwarfed by the metal gauntlet. “We fight as one.”
She rose and moved into the night.
Three archers stood sentinel in the monolith, watching the plains for any signs of motion. However skilled they might be, they were only human, and no match for Xu’sasar. She was a scorpion wraith of the Qaltiar. Shadow was her shield, and the night her hunting ground. She drew the darkness to her and slipped toward her foes. Soon she stood at the base of the monolith itself, at the edge of one of the gates. Pale green light spilled out onto the ground. The light was unbroken by any motion, and Xu’sasar peered around the edge of the gate.
The monolith was a vast, hollow shell, a single chamber, and the only feature of note was a beam of light rising up from the ground. No, it was crystal, a glowing pillar hundreds of feet in height. Her horned giant, his bulk wrapped in chainmail and black leather, paced restlessly about the chamber. He was a strange creature, more bestial than the giants she was used to battling. His pale blue skin looked as tough as leather, and long black tusks protruded from his mouth.
Two soldiers slept on the floor, with swords set just within reach. A third warrior sat on the floor, oiling his blade.
Then Xu’sasar saw the woman in purple. Her eyes were closed, her legs crossed—and she was floating a few feet off the floor. The woman’s robe was silk hemmed with intricate silver patterns, and she wore a headdress made from violet glass, with sweeping horns curving up and around her head. Her skin was pale, her hair dark, and her features reminded Xu’sasar of the one who had accompanied Daine in the burning jungle—Lakashtai, the servant of demons.
Though there was little cover in the inner chamber, the green light of the crystal core was faint, no stronger than moonlight. Calling on spirits