Dragonlance: Dhamon Saga, Book 02 - Betrayal by Jean Rabe

Author:Jean Rabe [Rabe, Jean]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-0-7869-2718-0
Publisher: Fanversion Publishing
Published: 2015-12-31T16:00:00+00:00

“Riki?” Dhamon shouted. “Riki!”

Varek pumped his legs harder in an effort to catch up, but he could not muster the same speed. Dhamon raced out of his view, followed by the wingless sivak.

There were no immediate signs of the half-elf or Maldred, but—beyond the screams he had heard—no obvious indication of trouble. A cursory search revealed Maldred’s and Riki’s footprints headed west toward where the smaller trees gave way to older oaks and maples.

Dhamon followed their trail, listening as he went, moving briskly, then stopping when the sun suddenly disappeared. Foliage had not shut out the light—webs were responsible. A few were artful, huge and beautiful with intricate patterns that shimmered in the diffused light, but most were ugly masses as dense as a dwarf’s beard. They stretched between the tallest branches, in several spots reaching the ground.

He pressed forward more cautiously, walking now, keen eyes scanning the ground in search of more of his friends’ tracks, glancing at gaps in the webs, where he thought he spied something moving.

What’s there? he asked himself. “Who’s there?” He stared and saw nothing.

The woods became grayer the deeper into the forest he went—thick with night-dark shadows and with heavier curtains of webs that hung from practically every tree. There were hundreds of spiders everywhere. Some were so small they were barely discernible, black specks jumping from strand to strand. Others were larger, the size and color of steel pieces, and these moved slowly if at all. Dhamon noted a few as large as peaches, shiny black and with eyes that appeared sunken. Others were brown, long-legged varieties, like some he’d seen in the woods near far-away Palanthas.

“By my father!” Dhamon faintly heard a voice up ahead. “Is there no end to these?”

“Mal?” Dhamon called. Louder, “Maldred!”

He heard the half-elf scream again, but faint and muffled this time. In response Dhamon tugged free his long sword. He listened, hearing nothing but the coarse breath of the draconian and footsteps pounding behind him—Varek.

“Where’s Riki? Where’s my wife? Riki!”

Dhamon tried his best to ignore Varek. He concentrated on Maldred’s voice hailing from somewhere to the west.

“Maldred!” Dhamon shouted. “Mal! Keep talking!”

“Here!” came Maldred’s reply. “We’re in here!” He kept shouting, most of it curses in his ogre tongue directed at something Dhamon couldn’t see.

“Here,” Dhamon muttered. “Just where is here?” Dhamon headed toward the voice, slicing through veil after veil of gossamer web. Ragh followed, using his claws to tear at the thickest veils. Varek was behind them, constantly calling for the half-elf. Some of the webs were so thin Dhamon simply stepped through them, brushing at his face afterward. He marveled that they felt like pieces of damp fog.

“This is your fault,” Varek hissed. “You sent them here, Dhamon. You were so worried over the Legion of Steel Knights. Your damn fault. You—”

“Quiet!” Ragh warned. The sivak and Dhamon brushed aside another curtain of webs and pressed on.

“No, Dhamon. The tracks lead this way! This way!” Varek insisted, pointing at the ground. “Riki! Riki,

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