Read Online Geis of the Gargoyle by Piers Anthony - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Piers Anthony
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"Whose path do you think this is?"
"This is mischief," Iris muttered.
"I'll go first, and it will break ish teesh-its teeth on my body," Gary suggested.
"You are forgetting that you are no longer a stone animal, but a flesh man," Iris said. "And I am no longer a leathery husk, but a plump young chick. We have a problem."
Gary's thinking had become somewhat fuzzy for some reason, but he realized that she was right. The dragon would want to eat them both. "Maybe we should gesh- get off its path."
"Too late," Mentia said cheerfully. "Here comes the dragon."
"Why didn't you tell us this was a dragon path before? Iris demanded.
"You didn't ask."
"That makes so much sense it can't be the reason."
"You're right. I'm too crazy to have a straight reason."
Meanwhile the dragon was charging down on them. Gary wasn't sure what kind it was-smoker, steamer, or fire breather-because wisps of smoke hovered around its mouth, and jets of steam hissed from its ears, and there was fire in its eyes. Its huge fbreclaws gouged divots, and its great mouth was cranking open to chomp the first victim-which happened to be Mentia.
Of course that didn't work. The teeth passed right through the demoness without effect. "What are you trying to do?" she inquired, breathing on her nails.
The dragon made a fiery snort of disgust, realizing her nature, and oriented on the second morsel, which was Iris.
Then a giant serpent replaced the young woman. Huge and green, it lifted its enormous head and bared its swordlike teeth. Its mouth was just about big enough to take in the dragon's whole head. "What is the meaning of thiss?" it hissed.
The dragon blanched, and its fire went out. "Ssorry, naga," it hissed back apologetically. Then it quickly turned tail, and was gone in three-quarters of an instant.
"But you aren't of the naga folk," Gary protested, somewhat confused.
Iris reappeared as the serpent vanished. "How was the dragon to know that? It saw a woman transform into a serpent, as the naga do. I think its conclusion was reasonable."
Her illusion had done it! "You saved us," he said weakly.
"Well, I wasn't going to let the thing chomp us," she said. "What's the use of going on a quest if you just get eaten?"
Gary realized that there might be advantages to having the Sorceress along. Her power of illusion could be as good a defense as real weapons, if the enemy did not know the difference.
They walked on, but another threat developed: a hungry roc bird spied them as they crossed a flat plain. It folded its wings and dived toward them. But a boulder appeared around them. Gary was inside it, yet it looked real. The roc blinked, twitched its beak, and sheered off, thinking it had gotten confused.
"Birds are not phenomenally smart," Iris observed. Gary understood that, but still, had he been a roc, he would have sheered off too, because that boulder was so realistic. Still, he wondered what would happen if some creature called her bluff, and charged on through the veil of illusion.
They continued, entering a deep valley. In its center was a chasm, an arm or maybe a leg of the great Gap Chasm, which had offshoots extending far afield. "How are we to get across this?" Gary asked as they approached the brink. He was feeling less dizzy now, which was just as well, because it would not have been good to lose his balance and fall into the depths of the cleft.
"There must be a bridge somewhere," Iris said. "Is that right, demoness?"
Mentia appeared. "Sure, right beyond that copse to the north."
But then another threat appeared. This was a truly ferocious creature, with the head of a serpent, body of a lion, cloven hooves, and a formidable stinger. It bayed as it spied them, making a hideous noise.
"There's the Blatant Beaste," Mentia remarked,
"This is mischief," Iris muttered.
"I'll go first, and it will break ish teesh-its teeth on my body," Gary suggested.
"You are forgetting that you are no longer a stone animal, but a flesh man," Iris said. "And I am no longer a leathery husk, but a plump young chick. We have a problem."
Gary's thinking had become somewhat fuzzy for some reason, but he realized that she was right. The dragon would want to eat them both. "Maybe we should gesh- get off its path."
"Too late," Mentia said cheerfully. "Here comes the dragon."
"Why didn't you tell us this was a dragon path before? Iris demanded.
"You didn't ask."
"That makes so much sense it can't be the reason."
"You're right. I'm too crazy to have a straight reason."
Meanwhile the dragon was charging down on them. Gary wasn't sure what kind it was-smoker, steamer, or fire breather-because wisps of smoke hovered around its mouth, and jets of steam hissed from its ears, and there was fire in its eyes. Its huge fbreclaws gouged divots, and its great mouth was cranking open to chomp the first victim-which happened to be Mentia.
Of course that didn't work. The teeth passed right through the demoness without effect. "What are you trying to do?" she inquired, breathing on her nails.
The dragon made a fiery snort of disgust, realizing her nature, and oriented on the second morsel, which was Iris.
Then a giant serpent replaced the young woman. Huge and green, it lifted its enormous head and bared its swordlike teeth. Its mouth was just about big enough to take in the dragon's whole head. "What is the meaning of thiss?" it hissed.
The dragon blanched, and its fire went out. "Ssorry, naga," it hissed back apologetically. Then it quickly turned tail, and was gone in three-quarters of an instant.
"But you aren't of the naga folk," Gary protested, somewhat confused.
Iris reappeared as the serpent vanished. "How was the dragon to know that? It saw a woman transform into a serpent, as the naga do. I think its conclusion was reasonable."
Her illusion had done it! "You saved us," he said weakly.
"Well, I wasn't going to let the thing chomp us," she said. "What's the use of going on a quest if you just get eaten?"
Gary realized that there might be advantages to having the Sorceress along. Her power of illusion could be as good a defense as real weapons, if the enemy did not know the difference.
They walked on, but another threat developed: a hungry roc bird spied them as they crossed a flat plain. It folded its wings and dived toward them. But a boulder appeared around them. Gary was inside it, yet it looked real. The roc blinked, twitched its beak, and sheered off, thinking it had gotten confused.
"Birds are not phenomenally smart," Iris observed. Gary understood that, but still, had he been a roc, he would have sheered off too, because that boulder was so realistic. Still, he wondered what would happen if some creature called her bluff, and charged on through the veil of illusion.
They continued, entering a deep valley. In its center was a chasm, an arm or maybe a leg of the great Gap Chasm, which had offshoots extending far afield. "How are we to get across this?" Gary asked as they approached the brink. He was feeling less dizzy now, which was just as well, because it would not have been good to lose his balance and fall into the depths of the cleft.
"There must be a bridge somewhere," Iris said. "Is that right, demoness?"
Mentia appeared. "Sure, right beyond that copse to the north."
But then another threat appeared. This was a truly ferocious creature, with the head of a serpent, body of a lion, cloven hooves, and a formidable stinger. It bayed as it spied them, making a hideous noise.
"There's the Blatant Beaste," Mentia remarked,
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