07 The Seventh Gate by Weis & Hickman

Author:Weis & Hickman [Weis & Hickman]
Format: epub
Published: 2010-04-10T22:57:39.549000+00:00

The snake's head sank. Its eyes were hooded, the red glint fading. "You wrong us, Councillor. We are here to help you. As you surmised, the Patryns are attempting to break out of their prison. They have summoned hordes of dragons to fight at their behest. Even now, their armies approach the Final Gate."

The head slid over the wall, followed by part of the enormous, foul-smelling body. Ramu could not help himself. He fell back before it, but only a step or two. Then he held his ground.

"Your kind are with them."

The snake's head oscillated. "We serve our creators. Give the command, and we will destroy the Patryns and seal shut the Final Gate forever!"

The serpent rested its head on the ground in front of Ramu. Its red eyes closed in servile submission.

"And when they have destroyed us, they will turn against you, Ramu!" Marit warned. "You will find yourself inside the Labyrinth! Or worse!"

The serpent ignored her. And so did Ramu.

"Why should we trust you? You attacked us on Chelestra--"

The giant reptile lifted its head. Its red eyes flared in hurt indignation. "It was the wicked mensch who attacked you, Councillor. Not us. There is proof. When your city was flooded with the magic-nullifying seawater, when you were bereft of your power, weak and helpless, did we harm you? We could have."

The red eyes glinted for an instant; then--again-- the hooded lids shadowed them. "But we did not. Your esteemed father--honor to his memory--opened Death's Gate for us. We were only too happy to flee our mensch persecutors. And a good thing we did. Otherwise, you would now face this threat from your most terrible enemies alone."

"You do face it alone, Ramu. In the end, we will all face it alone," Marit said softly.

"This from one who helped murder your father!" the serpent hissed. "She listened to his screams and she laughed!"

Ramu went deathly pale. He turned to look at Marit.

"I didn't laugh," she said through trembling lips. She remembered Samah's screams. Burning tears stung her eyelids. "I didn't laugh."

Ramu's fist clenched.

"Kill her . . ." whispered the dragon-snake. "Kill her now . . . Take your just revenge."

Ramu reached into his robes, drew forth the Sartan knife, the Cursed Blade. He stared at it, looked back at her.

Marit came forward, apparently eager, ready to fight. Balthazar stepped in between the two. "Are you mad, Ramu? Look what this foul snake has driven you to do! Don't trust it! I know it. I recognize it! I've seen it before."

Ramu seemed ready to shove Balthazar aside. "Get out of my way. Or by my father's memory, I will kill you, too!"

The serpent watched, grew fatter, sleeker.

The two Sartan guards looked on in horror, not certain what to do.

The Cursed Blade in Ramu's hand was wriggling, starting to come to life. Marit drew a magical circle of blue and red sigla. Its fire shone brightly. Speaking the name "Vasu," she stepped through the rune-circle and was gone.

Ramu thrust the Cursed Blade back into its sheath.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.