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Abban gripped Jardir’s ar hand at the terrace wall just a few feet away All along the terrace, the , and there on the wall a wind des folded, as it solidified Neither boy had ever been so close to a deht filled Abban with obvious terror, Jardir felt only rage He gripped the spear tighter and wondered if he could charge the creature, knocking it fro it into one of the dehtly it beca right into his eyes

"Don’t be a fool," Abban said

Jardir looked back to the demon, but the choice was taken froai loosed its talons frorip on the sandstone wall and dropped away into the darkness There was a sudden snapping sound, and the wind de out the stars as it swooped by

Not far off, an orange clay deuishable fro to The de, but a co ar the air Kaval had taught that the head of a clay de stone and denting fine steel They witnessed its power firsthand as the de headfirst into the wards around their alcove Silver ic spiderwebbed from the point of impact, and the clay demon was thrown back Itits talons into the cliff face as its head shot forward repeatedly, hah the air

Jardir took his spear and thrust it at the demon’s maw, as he had seen the dal’Sharum do on the trek across the desert But the deht the point in its jaws The metal speartip twisted like clay as the derasp and nearly pulling him out of the safety of the alcove The de over the wall and into the darkness

Hasik saw the exchange from his alcove farther down the terrace He was stationed as a Baiter, and would soon ee to lead the demons to their doom

"Waste another spear, rat," he cried, his s’s still whistling after all these years, "and I’ll throw you over the wall after it!" Jardir felt a burst of sha farther into the alcove to wait for commands

The Krevakh Watchers, balanced atop their ladders, could move from one level to the next in seconds They surveyed the battlefield fronal to the kai’Sharu the dance

Hasik i about to draw the attention of the demons nearby Jardir watched in fascination Whatever his feelings about Hasik, the man’s honor knew no bounds

Several clay deive chase Their short, powerful legs pu the for the ambush point up ahead, past the first barriers The clay demon on the wall by Jardir’s alcove leapt at hiht up his shield, not only deflecting the attack but also angling the shield so that theall the way down into the pits--the first kill of the night

Hasik sprinted into thearound the barriers with a speed and agility that belied his heavy fraht, but they heard him cry "Oot!" as he approached the analing to the dal’Sharuai approached