7 Transitions 02 - The Pirate King by R.A. Salvatore

Author:R.A. Salvatore [Salvatore, R.A.]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2012-08-31T18:04:37+00:00

CHAPTER 17

CONSEQUENCE

T he irony of pulling a battered, but very much alive Deudermont from the ground was not lost

on Maimun, who considered how many others-they were all around him on the devastated field-

would soon be put into the ground, and because of the decisions of that very same captain.

"Don't kick a man who's lying flat, I've been told," Maimun muttered, and Robillard and Ara-

beth turned to regard him, as well as the half-conscious Deudermont. "But you're an idiot, good

captain."

"Watch your tongue, young one," Robillard warned.

"Better to remain silent than speak the truth and offend the powerful, yes Robillard?" Maimun replied with a sour and knowing grin.

"Remind me why Sea Sprite didn't sink Thrice Lucky on the many occasions we've seen you

at sea," the wizard threatened. "I seem to forget."

"My charm, no doubt."

"Enough, you two," Arabeth scolded, her voice trembling with every syllable. "Look around you! Is this travesty all about you? About your petty rivalry? About placing blame?"

"How can it not be about who's to blame?" Maimun started to argue, but Arabeth cut him short with a vicious scowl.

"It's about those scattered on this field, nothing more," she said, her voice even. "Alive and de-ad…in the Hosttower and without."

Maimun swallowed hard and glanced at Robillard, who seemed equally out of venom, and in-

deed, Arabeth's argument was difficult to counter given the carnage around them. They finished

extracting Deudermont at the same time that another rescue team called out that they had located

Lord Brambleberry.

The ground covering him had saved him from the explosion, but had smothered him in the

process. The young Waterdhavian lord, so full of ambition and vision, and the desire to earn his

way, was dead.

There would be no cheering that day, and even if there had been, it would have been drowned

out by the cries of anguish and agony.

Work went on through the night and into the next day, separating dead from wounded, tending

to those who could be helped. Guided by Robillard, assault teams went into each of the four fal-

len spires of the destroyed Hosttower, and more than a few of Arklem Greeth's minions were

pulled from the rubble, all surrendering without a struggle, no fight left in them-not after seeing

the unbridled evil of the man they'd once called the archmage arcane.

The cost had been horrific-more than a third of the population of the once-teeming city of Lus-

kan was dead.

But the war was over.

Captain Deudermont shook his head solemnly.

"What does that mean?" Regis yelled at him. "You can't just say he's gone!"

"Many are just gone, my friend," Deudermont explained. "The blast that took the Hosttower released all manner of magical power, destructive and altering. Men were burned and blasted, others transformed, and others, many others, banished from this world. Some were utterly destro-

yed, I'm told, their very souls disintegrated into nothingness."

"And what happened to Drizzt?" Regis demanded.

"We cannot know. He is not to be found. Like so many. I'm sorry. I feel this loss as keenly as-

"

"Shut up!" Regis yelled at him. "You don't know anything! Robillard tried to warn

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