Read Online Echoes of the Great Song by David Gemmell - Free Book Online
Authors: David Gemmell
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a blizzard raged over the bay. Four chests had been recharged, but the process was becoming ever more slow - a phenomenon Questor Ro did not wish to examine. He feared he already knew the answer. One of his teams was still on the ice, seeking to recharge the fifth chest. Swirling snow and icy winds made their work increasingly difficult. Talaban, his zhi-bow recharged, stood with them.
Touchstone moved alongside him.
'Air is bad,' he shouted above the howling wind. 'Must leave here. Now!'
'It is cold,' Talaban agreed.
'Not cold. Bad. Death is coming.' Talaban knew the tribesman's uncanny talents were rarely wrong. Ducking his head against the wind, he struggled across to where Questor Ro was kneeling by a flickering pyramid. 'Back to the ship!' shouted Talaban. Questor Ro glanced up. He wanted to argue, but he knew Talaban was right. The weather was making Communion almost impossible to maintain. He nodded and began to unloop the gold wire from around the pyramid's base. Touchstone loosened his fur-lined robe and drew his axe from his belt, his green eyes squinting as he tried to see through the swirling snow.
A Vagar, working some 20 paces away, suddenly screamed and staggered to his left. Blood was pumping from a huge wound where his left arm had been. He lurched to his right, and then it seemed to Touchstone that the snow reared up and covered him. Touchstone hefted his axe and began to back away towards Talaban.
A huge form reared up at Touchstone. It was white, with long arms and a grey face. Touchstone saw sharp fangs in its maw, and terrible talons on the ends of its fingers. The tribesman threw himself to his left, hitting the snow with his shoulder and rolling to his feet. The beast was fast and bore down upon him again. A bolt of light struck it in the white fur of its chest. There was a flash and a huge hole opened in the beast, spraying blood and bone to the snow. More krals came running through the blizzard. Touchstone spun and sprinted back to where Talaban was standing calmly sending bolt after bolt into the beasts.
The panicking Vagars were running in all directions. Questor Ro drew his golden sceptre and stepped up alongside Talaban. Touchstone glanced at him. The little man showed no fear. Touchstone's respect for him rose a little.
Three of the beasts charged forward. Talaban shot the first, the bolt hurling the creature back through the air.
The second was almost upon him but Touchstone threw himself at it, ducking under the sweep of a taloned arm and hammering his axe into the beast's face. The blade sank deep. The kral staggered, then sent a crushing blow to the tribesman's side. His axe wrenched from his hand, Touchstone flew through the air, landing heavily.
Talaban shot the creature just as the third beast reared over him, but Questor Ro thrust forward his sceptre, straight into its belly. Blue flame blossomed around the kral and its huge grey head exploded, fire bursting up from its shaggy neck.
Down by the waterside four of the creatures were slashing their talons into the bodies of dead Vagars.
Talaban shot the first two. The others hooked their talons into two corpses, dragging them into the sea before disappearing below the water.
Touchstone struggled to his feet. His shirt was blood-drenched and he felt dizzy and faint. Stumbling to Talaban and Questor Ro he dragged his axe from the head of the dead kral.
The ground moved beneath his feet and he almost fell. At first he thought it was merely dizziness that had thrown him, but then he saw that Questor Ro had also stumbled.
'Get... to ship ... or all die,' he told Talaban. 'Pillar of fire coming. Kill all.'
Talaban helped him down to the water's edge. Only five Vagars remained alive. Talaban ordered them into the longboat, then helped Touchstone over the side. 'Got to be fast,' said Touchstone.
Talaban tossed his zhi-bow into the boat then glanced back to where Questor Ro was still trying to dismantle the wire from the pyramids.
Touchstone moved alongside him.
'Air is bad,' he shouted above the howling wind. 'Must leave here. Now!'
'It is cold,' Talaban agreed.
'Not cold. Bad. Death is coming.' Talaban knew the tribesman's uncanny talents were rarely wrong. Ducking his head against the wind, he struggled across to where Questor Ro was kneeling by a flickering pyramid. 'Back to the ship!' shouted Talaban. Questor Ro glanced up. He wanted to argue, but he knew Talaban was right. The weather was making Communion almost impossible to maintain. He nodded and began to unloop the gold wire from around the pyramid's base. Touchstone loosened his fur-lined robe and drew his axe from his belt, his green eyes squinting as he tried to see through the swirling snow.
A Vagar, working some 20 paces away, suddenly screamed and staggered to his left. Blood was pumping from a huge wound where his left arm had been. He lurched to his right, and then it seemed to Touchstone that the snow reared up and covered him. Touchstone hefted his axe and began to back away towards Talaban.
A huge form reared up at Touchstone. It was white, with long arms and a grey face. Touchstone saw sharp fangs in its maw, and terrible talons on the ends of its fingers. The tribesman threw himself to his left, hitting the snow with his shoulder and rolling to his feet. The beast was fast and bore down upon him again. A bolt of light struck it in the white fur of its chest. There was a flash and a huge hole opened in the beast, spraying blood and bone to the snow. More krals came running through the blizzard. Touchstone spun and sprinted back to where Talaban was standing calmly sending bolt after bolt into the beasts.
The panicking Vagars were running in all directions. Questor Ro drew his golden sceptre and stepped up alongside Talaban. Touchstone glanced at him. The little man showed no fear. Touchstone's respect for him rose a little.
Three of the beasts charged forward. Talaban shot the first, the bolt hurling the creature back through the air.
The second was almost upon him but Touchstone threw himself at it, ducking under the sweep of a taloned arm and hammering his axe into the beast's face. The blade sank deep. The kral staggered, then sent a crushing blow to the tribesman's side. His axe wrenched from his hand, Touchstone flew through the air, landing heavily.
Talaban shot the creature just as the third beast reared over him, but Questor Ro thrust forward his sceptre, straight into its belly. Blue flame blossomed around the kral and its huge grey head exploded, fire bursting up from its shaggy neck.
Down by the waterside four of the creatures were slashing their talons into the bodies of dead Vagars.
Talaban shot the first two. The others hooked their talons into two corpses, dragging them into the sea before disappearing below the water.
Touchstone struggled to his feet. His shirt was blood-drenched and he felt dizzy and faint. Stumbling to Talaban and Questor Ro he dragged his axe from the head of the dead kral.
The ground moved beneath his feet and he almost fell. At first he thought it was merely dizziness that had thrown him, but then he saw that Questor Ro had also stumbled.
'Get... to ship ... or all die,' he told Talaban. 'Pillar of fire coming. Kill all.'
Talaban helped him down to the water's edge. Only five Vagars remained alive. Talaban ordered them into the longboat, then helped Touchstone over the side. 'Got to be fast,' said Touchstone.
Talaban tossed his zhi-bow into the boat then glanced back to where Questor Ro was still trying to dismantle the wire from the pyramids.
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