tg.wizardfirstrule-第187章

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ound　echoing　around　the　chamber。　He　couldn't　reach　the　sword。
　
　Painfully；　slowly；　he　was　dragged　back　up　by　claws　in　his　leg。　They　tore　the　flesh。　He　screamed　again。　Another　appendage　slipped　up　the　other　pant　leg；　feeling　his　calf　muscle　with　its　hard　tip。　；；
　
　Richard　pulled　his　knife　and　twisted　himself　in　half　to　reach　the　thing　that　held　him。　Over　and　over　he　drove　the　blade　into　it。　From　deep　in　the　hole　came　a　high…pitched　squeal。　The　claws　retracted。　Richard　fell；　sliding　along　the　rock；　ing　to　a　stop　next　to　the　torch。　Grasping　the　scabbard　in　one　hand；　he　drew　the　sword　as　snakelike　appendages　came　out　of　the　hole；　wriggling　about　in　the　air；　searching。　They　probed　their　way　down　the　rock　toward　him。　Richard　swung　the　sword；　lopping　off　several　of　the　arms。　With　a　howl；　they　all　whipped　back　into　the　hole。　There　was　a　low　growl　from　the　depths　of　the　blackness。
　
　In　the　flickering　light　of　the　torch　that　lay　on　the　stone　floor；　he　could　see　a　bulk　squeezing　out　of　the　opening；　expanding　as　it　exited。　He　couldn't　reach　it　with　the　sword；　but　he　knew　he　didn't　want　to　let　it　into　the　chamber　with　him。
　
　An　arm　whipped　around　his　waist；　lifting　him。　He　let　it。　An　eye　peered　down；　glistening　in　the　torchlight。　He　saw　wet　teeth。　As　the　arm　pulled　him　toward　the　teeth；　he　drove　the　sword　through　the　eye。　There　was　a　howl；　and　the　arm　released　him。　He　slid　to　the　bottom　once　more。　The　whole　creature　pulled　back　into　the　hole；　and　the　arms　whipped　about；　yanking　in　after　it。　The　howls　faded　back　into　the　distant　darkness；　and　were　gone。
　
　Richard　sat　on　the　floor；　shaking；　running　his　fingers　through　his　hair。　At　last　his　breathing　slowed　and　his　fear　settled。　He　felt　his　leg。　Blood　soaked　his。　pants。　He　decided　there　was　nothing　he　could　do　about　it　right　now；　he　had　to　get　the　egg　first。　Dim　light　came　from　across　the　chamber。　Following　the　large　tunnel　on　the　other　side；　he　came　at　last　to　the　opening　of　the　cave。
　
　Faint　light　of　dawn　and　the　chirping　of　birds　greeted　him。　Below；　he　could　see　dozens　of　gars　prowling　about。　Richard　settled　behind　a　rock　to　rest。　He　could　see　the　egg　below；　with　steam　rising　around　it。　He　could　also　see　that　the　egg　was　far　too　big　to　carry　back　through　the　cave。　Besides；　he　didn't　ever　want　to　go　into　a　cave　again。　What　was　he　going　to　do　if　he　couldn't　carry　it　back　through　the　cave？　It　would　be　light　soon。　He　had　to　think　of　an　answer。
　
　Something　bit　his　leg。　He　smacked　it。　It　was　a　blood　fly。
　
　He　groaned　to　himself。　Now　the　gars　would　find　him。　They　were　being　drawn　by　the　blood。　He　had　to　think　of　something。
　
　A　second　fly　bit　him；　and　he　had　a　thought。　Quickly；　he　took　the　knife　and　cut　off　strips　of　the　wet；　blood…soaked　pant　leg。　He　used　them　to　wipe　the　blood　off　his　leg；　then　tied　a　rock　on　the　end　of　each。
　
　Richard　put　the　Bird　Man's　whistle　between　his　lips　and　blew　hard　as　he　could。　He　blew　over　and　over。　Picking　up　a　strip　of　cloth　tied　to　a　rock；　he　swung　it　in　a　circle　over　his　head；　letting　go；　letting　it　sail　out　and　down。　Among　the　gars。　He　threw　the　blood…soaked　strips　farther　and　farther　to　his　right；　into　the　trees。　He　couldn't　hear　them；　but　he　knew　the　blood　flies　were　roused。　That　much　fresh　blood　would　have　them　in　a　feeding　frenzy。
　
　Birds；　hungry　birds；　a　few　at　first；　then　hundreds；　then　thousands；　swooped　and　dived　down　on　Fire　Spring；　eating　flies　as　they　went。　There　was　mass　confusion。　Gars　howled　as　the　birds　swooped　up　and　pecked　flies　off　their　bellies；　or　snatched　them　from　the　air。　Gars　were　running　everywhere；　some　took　to　the　air。　For　every　bird　a　gar　caught　out　of　the　air；　a　hundred　took　its　place。
　
　Richard　ran　down　the　hill　in　a　crouch；　from　rock　to　rock。　There　was　no　worry　of　being　heard；　the　birds　were　making　far　too　much　noise　for　that。　The　gars　were　frantic；　swinging　at　the　birds；　chasing　them；　howling　and　screaming。　The　air　was　thick　with　feathers。　If　only　the　Bird　Man　could　see　this；　he　thought；　smiling。
　
　Richard　broke　from　the　rock　and　ran　toward　the　egg。　In　the　chaos；　gars　began　falling　on　one　another；　ripping　and　tearing。　One　saw　him。　He　ran　it　through　with　the　sword。　The　next　he　only　cut　off　at　the　knees。　It　fell　to　。　the　ground　howling。　Another　came　and　he　took　off　a　wing；　and　yet　another；　both　arms。　He　deliberately　didn't　kill　them；　but　let　them　flap　around　on　the　ground；　howling　and　screaming；　to　add　to　the　mayhem。　In　the　disorder；　gars　that　saw　him　didn't　even　attack。　But　he　did。
　
　He　killed　two　by　the　egg。　With　his　forearms；　he　lifted　the　egg　from　its　resting　place。　It　was　hot；　but　not　hot　enough　to　burn。　The　egg　was　heavier　than　he　expected；　and　it　took　both　arms　to　carry　it。　Wasting　no　time；　he　ran　to　the　left；　toward　the　gully　between　the　hills。　Birds　flew　in　every　direction；　some　crashing　into　him。　It　was　chaos。　Two　gars　came　for　him。　He　set　down　the　egg；　killed　the　first；　and　took　the　legs　off　the　second。　He　ran　with　the　egg　as　fast　as　he　could　without　risking　a　fall。　Another　gar　came。　He　missed　with　the　first　swing；　but　ran　it　through　when　it　leapt　for　him。
　
　Breathing　hard　with　the　effort；　Richard　ran　between　the　hills。　His　arms　were　painfully　weary　from　the　weight　of　the　egg。　Gars　landed　about　him；　their　green　eyes　enraged。　He　set　down　the　egg　and　swung　at　the　first　gar　to　e；　taking　off　part　of　a　wing　and　its　head。　With　howls；　the　others　rushed　him。
　
　Trees　and　rocks　all　about　lit　with　bright　light　as　flame　incinerated　several　of　the　beasts。　Richard　looked　up　and　saw　Scarlet　hovering　over　his　head；　beating　her　giant　wings　and　raking　everything　around　him　with　flame。　She　reached　down　with　one　claw；　snatched　up　the　egg；　reached　down　with　the　other；　gripped　his　middle；　and　lifted　him　away。　They　took　to　the　air　as　two　gars　came　for　him。　One　he　caught　with　the　sword；　the　other　burst　into　flame　and　fell　away。
　
　Scarlet　roared　in　anger　at　the　gars　as　she　lifted　into　the　sky　with　Richard　hanging　from　her　claw。　He　decided　that　this　wasn't　his　favorite　way　to　fly；　but　it　was　still　better　than　being　back　with　the　gars。　Another　gar　came　up　from　underneath；　reaching　for　the　egg。　Richard　whacked　off　a　wing。　It　spun；　howling；　toward　the　ground。　No　more　came。
　
　Scarlet　carried　him　high　into　the　air；　up　and　away　from　Fire　Spring。　Hanging　in　her　claw；　he　felt　like　a　meal　being　taken　back　to　the　young。　Her　grip　was　hurting　his　ribs　a　little；　but　he　didn't　plain。　He　didn't　want　her　to　loosen　her　hold　on　him；　it　was　a　long　way　down。
　
　They　flew　for　hours。　Richard　managed　to　rearrange　himself　and　get　a　little　more　fortable　in　her　talons　as　he　watched　the　hills　and　trees　pass　below。　He　saw　streams　and　fields；　even　a　few　small　towns。　The　hills　grew；　being　rocky；　as　if　the　stone　were　sprouting　from　the　landscape。　Jagged　rock　cliffs　and　peaks　rose　up　before　them。　Stroking　the　air　smoothly；　Scarlet　lifted　them　higher；　over　rock　Richard　thought　would　scrape　his　feet。　She　took　them　into　a　desolate　land；　barren　of　life。　Brown　and　gray　stone　looked　to　have　been　haphazardly　stacked　up　by　a　giant；　like　coins　on　a　table；　into　thin　columns；　some　singular；　others　clumped　in　bunches；　still　more　having　toppled。
　
　Beyond　and　above　the　columns　of　rock　stood　massive；　craggy　stone　cliffs；　riddled　with　splits　and　cracks；　shelves　and　projections。　A　few　clouds　drifted　past　the　face　of　the　cliffs。　Scarlet　banked　toward　a　wall　of　rock。　It　seemed　to　Richard　that　they　would　run　smack　into　it；　but　before　they　did；　she　brought　them　up　short　with　a　fluttering　of　her　huge　wings；　setting　him　on　a　ledge　before　landing　herself。
　
　At　the　back　of　the　ledge　was　an　opening　into　the　rock。　Scarlet　squeezed　her　bulk　through。　In　the　back；　in　the　cool　darkness；　was　a　nest　of　rock；　where　she　placed　the　egg；　then　breathed　fire　over　it。　Richard　watched　as　she　stroked　the　egg　with　a　claw；　turning　it　gently；　inspecting　it；　cooing　to　it。　She　played　fire　gently　over　the　egg；　turning　her　head；　listening；　watching。
　
　〃Is　it　all　right？〃　Richard　asked　quietly。
　
　Her　head　turned　to　him；　a　dreamy　look　in　her　yellow　eyes。　〃Yes。　It　is　well。〃
　
　Richard　nodded。　〃I'm　glad；　Scarlet。　I　really　am。〃
　
　He　started　toward　her　as　she　lay　down　next　to　the　egg。　Her　head　came　up　in　warning。