Read Online 3 Weaver of Shadow by William King - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: William King
Tags: fantasy novel
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from her maw. The other spiders moved, some clambering over it, some spreading out to circle the walls of the chambers, leaving a clear space for the Queen to advance over, while letting them threaten Kormak from the flanks. There were all different types of them and they looked lethal.
The Queen moved forward as much swinging from her web as charging on her legs. She gained huge momentum as her massive form advanced. Poison dribbled from her mandibles.
She grew larger and larger in Kormak’s vision, swelling to terrifying proportions. His heart pounded against his ribs. His mouth felt suddenly dry. At the last moment, he threw himself flat and rolled under the vast flabby body, slashing up with his razor sharp blade, opening a great wound in the armour of her underbelly. The Spider Queen shrieked and raised herself up. Kormak kept moving, heading towards the node that represented the last glimmer of the consciousness of Mayasha.
A spider intercepted him, moving under the bulk of its mother and Queen, throwing itself at Kormak like an attack dog leaping on prey. Kormak slashed at it, severing its front legs, and kept moving, even as the Queen brought her great bulk down. He rolled faster, just managing to pull himself clear. The spider was not so lucky. Black fluid flowed from beneath the Queen and when she raised her bulk again, Kormak could see that her child had been crushed.
A pack of smaller spiders raced towards him, trying to cut him off from his objective. He danced through them, slashing and twisting and killing with every stroke till he reached his goal. He hacked at the node, cutting it in two, sending the corrupted fungus-covered head skittering away across the floor.
Something landed on his back. He reached over his shoulder with his free hand and caught something hairy and scuttling. Stick-like legs brushed against his hands. He tossed the small spider away before it could sink its fangs into his hand, and slashed a creature the size of a dog that was threatening to bury its mandibles in his leg.
He turned at bay. The Spider Motherwas turning, twisting the cables of web as she tried to bring herself round to face him, hissing and bellowing with frustrated rage at the way the things that supported her weight restricted her movement.
Kormak felt safe for only a moment until he saw small valves open on either side of her mouth. A moment later jets of webbing squirted towards him. He threw himself flat and they passed over his head, but as he did so another spider bounded towards him.
He raised his blade and the creature impaled itself on it. Kormak got a boot under its stomach and using its momentum and the power of his own leg muscles kicked it off, sending it sliding off his blade. He rose to one knee and just had time to slash at another of the spiders as it closed the distance with him.
Another strand of webbing hit the ground where he had been. He kept moving, knowing that to be hit was to be rendered immobile and in this place that meant death.
He studied the plant-like growth rising from the floor, wondering if he had fulfilled Mayasha’s last commandment. So far he could see no sign that what he had done had made any difference. He hacked at it again, taking off another chunk. This time the luminescence in the chamber dimmed a little.
The Spider Queen let out an angry hiss that held a note of warning. Perhaps it had just occurred to her what Kormak was attempting. En masse her children threw themselves towards him, uncaring of their lives, threatening to swamp him with sheer weight of numbers.
For a dozen heartbeats, he dodged, parried and struck, a whirlwind of death tearing through the heart of the scuttling pack. Poisoned mandibles clashed before his face. Bony spearpoints at the end of chitinous legs stabbed at his mailed torso. Skeletons crunched beneath his boots, providing an uncertain platform for his footwork, threatening to overbalance him at any momentary miscalculation.
Something
The Queen moved forward as much swinging from her web as charging on her legs. She gained huge momentum as her massive form advanced. Poison dribbled from her mandibles.
She grew larger and larger in Kormak’s vision, swelling to terrifying proportions. His heart pounded against his ribs. His mouth felt suddenly dry. At the last moment, he threw himself flat and rolled under the vast flabby body, slashing up with his razor sharp blade, opening a great wound in the armour of her underbelly. The Spider Queen shrieked and raised herself up. Kormak kept moving, heading towards the node that represented the last glimmer of the consciousness of Mayasha.
A spider intercepted him, moving under the bulk of its mother and Queen, throwing itself at Kormak like an attack dog leaping on prey. Kormak slashed at it, severing its front legs, and kept moving, even as the Queen brought her great bulk down. He rolled faster, just managing to pull himself clear. The spider was not so lucky. Black fluid flowed from beneath the Queen and when she raised her bulk again, Kormak could see that her child had been crushed.
A pack of smaller spiders raced towards him, trying to cut him off from his objective. He danced through them, slashing and twisting and killing with every stroke till he reached his goal. He hacked at the node, cutting it in two, sending the corrupted fungus-covered head skittering away across the floor.
Something landed on his back. He reached over his shoulder with his free hand and caught something hairy and scuttling. Stick-like legs brushed against his hands. He tossed the small spider away before it could sink its fangs into his hand, and slashed a creature the size of a dog that was threatening to bury its mandibles in his leg.
He turned at bay. The Spider Motherwas turning, twisting the cables of web as she tried to bring herself round to face him, hissing and bellowing with frustrated rage at the way the things that supported her weight restricted her movement.
Kormak felt safe for only a moment until he saw small valves open on either side of her mouth. A moment later jets of webbing squirted towards him. He threw himself flat and they passed over his head, but as he did so another spider bounded towards him.
He raised his blade and the creature impaled itself on it. Kormak got a boot under its stomach and using its momentum and the power of his own leg muscles kicked it off, sending it sliding off his blade. He rose to one knee and just had time to slash at another of the spiders as it closed the distance with him.
Another strand of webbing hit the ground where he had been. He kept moving, knowing that to be hit was to be rendered immobile and in this place that meant death.
He studied the plant-like growth rising from the floor, wondering if he had fulfilled Mayasha’s last commandment. So far he could see no sign that what he had done had made any difference. He hacked at it again, taking off another chunk. This time the luminescence in the chamber dimmed a little.
The Spider Queen let out an angry hiss that held a note of warning. Perhaps it had just occurred to her what Kormak was attempting. En masse her children threw themselves towards him, uncaring of their lives, threatening to swamp him with sheer weight of numbers.
For a dozen heartbeats, he dodged, parried and struck, a whirlwind of death tearing through the heart of the scuttling pack. Poisoned mandibles clashed before his face. Bony spearpoints at the end of chitinous legs stabbed at his mailed torso. Skeletons crunched beneath his boots, providing an uncertain platform for his footwork, threatening to overbalance him at any momentary miscalculation.
Something
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