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He hardly registered the movement as a metal pole came down hard atop that sword, as a secondline, wrapped down and under the sword, and as a third part of that staff, similarly fastened to the end of the mid-piece, wrapped up and over to smack the surprised devil across the face
With the tri-staff wrapped around the sword, Dahlia yanked hard, turning the thrust and bringing the devil’s arm out wide The beast responded with a roar and accepted the turn, twisting its shield horizontally and trying to ja into Drizzt’s face
Too late
The drow dropped low, under the second attack, and both his blades thrust forth in front of hiion devil in the chest
The devil tried to back off those sci in his heels and pressed forward, holding faith that Dahlia would keep the sword trapped out wide
She did, running beside, pacing the drow and his victi strides until at last the devil slaht through the beast They held that pose for a long while, the devil with its ar as it tried desperately to hold onto the last moments of its life on the Prime Material Plane
Then its shield slumped to its side, and Dahlia yanked the sword free of its weakened grasp
Drizzt held the scimitars in deeply for several rowl, he shifted the angle and dragged the dying beast out fro as he went to throw the devil aside, and twisting his scimitars to rip open more flesh
The drow stood tall as the devil spilled face-down into the dirt
"You didn’t think I would desert you, did you?" Dahlia asked innocently
Drizzt looked at her, but no s expression lasted only the ht ar fro to his side, for it became obvious that only his adrenalin in the rush of battle had kept the drow upright this long She steadied him as he swayed
"Gone," Drizzt answered in a whisper, and he closed his eyes and fought back against the waves of pain
As soon as he was steady on his feet once more, Dahlia moved to collect Taulmaril "We’ll find a place to rest," she explained, "so I can cut out those spines …"
"Do you think you can eludevoice, and it see from every direction at once, with echoes both near and far away
Dahlia drew Drizzt’s gaze to the dead devils "He knohere we are," she explained "He’s a h the eyes of hisas she spoke, and so was Drizzt, neither wanting to face Hadencourt or any of his re soldiers just then
"I will find you!" the unseen war devil roared with an accohter "You cannot hide!"
Drizzt and Dahlia stuh the brush
Chapter 10: The Misshapen Warlock
AN UNEASY HERZGO ALEGNI PACED AROUND A DARK THICKET in Neverwinter Wood He knew another Netherese lord had coh the shadows He could feel the presence And the sickly sensation accoht be
He was hardly surprised, but still dismayed when the withered oldhis frao, rippled with thehis head and lowering his gaze to the ground
"So you relanced up to look into the warlock’s face How could he not reo Quick, had sponsored Herzgo Alegni into the Circle of Power, and had reconi specifically to lead the expedition in Neverwinter Wood
As soon as he realized his faux pas, Alegni dropped his gaze back to the ground, but Draygo hed
"How é?" the old warlock said, and the twist of sarcasni wince
"Oh, look up at ni complied, he continued, "I didn’t sponsor you for this task so that you would forever live in Neverwinter Wood"
"I know, Master," Herzgo Alegni replied "But e of victory--the city’s ain, a wheezing sound that showed how his years of playing with diseases and rot had exacted a toll on his lungs "I cannot deny that the cataclysains in Neverwinter," Alegni assured the warlock "And I’ve dealt the Thayans a vicious blow"
"I know, I know," Draygo said dismissively "And not so vicious You destroyed a few zombies and murdered a few zealots, ill no doubt rise as undead to fight you once o’s eyes widened at his tone, the tiefling warrior sucked in his breath