"Clayton Emery - Netheril 03 - Mortal Consequences" - читать интересную книгу автора (Emery Clayton)

of blades sharper than steel. Propellers of dweomer sliced through ectoplasm like water, ricocheted
from stone walls, and went on spinning. Phantom blades ripped through the undying spirits of fiends
and imps and giants, who screeched in protest as they were killed yet again. They howled too because
they knew they would heal again, slowly, in agony, never dying, never cured, again hanging in this
chamber to die anew. For such was the nature of this pocket hell, that all the denizens suffered, died,
and were resurrected to suffer forever.
Before long, darkbolts and whirlwinds of steel ripped the casura into shreds like a sundered
cobweb. Ichor and blood and snot and ectoplasm dripped in a ghastly rain onto the antique bones and
weapons of the dead below. Ghostly beings shriveled, died, retreated, shouted, hated one another and
themselves, almost forgetting the flint monster in their midst.
For the monster passed on. Down another long tunnel it scuffled, searching. Its dark-bred senses
were attuned to the air, the rock, the dust and decay, constantly seeking any sign of outside life.
And far down, where rocks had collapsed the tunnel to a hand's height, the monster sniffed a trace.
Rusty water, far off. The merest trickle, yet a hopeful sign, for nowhere in this corner of hell was there
any standing water, for thirst was another form of suffering, and the arch-fiend who ruled here liked
his subjects to suffer.
Any water, no matter how foul, came from outside.
"My enemy, she sealed us in. But not all. Sloppy work, sloppy. I shall be free, outside, at last. Free
to wreak vengeance. To kill..."
Scrabbling with hands hard as diamonds, the flinty beast dug at crumbled rock.
 Chapter 4
"That's it! Put up your fists!" bawled Delmar.
"If that suits you!" Sunbright shot back.
Both men swung while everyone else hollered.
Delmar was Sunbright's height but broad as an ox across the shoulders. He had dark skin, dark,
curly hair and a beard to his chest, a tight blue shirt hacked off at the shoulders, and woolen breeches
above rawhide boots. His arms and fists were hard as oak stumps from a lifetime of hauling baggage
and wrangling horses, and he knew how to brawl, which was more than Sunbright could boast.
But the barbarian was furious, having fumed for weeks at the jeers Delmar pitched his way. It was
inevitable that tempers would explode into flame.
Dark Delmar stamped his heavy boots down near Sunbright's toes to distract him, or else cripple
him given the chance. The barbarian danced nimbly backward, but Delmar added a savage right
hook at Sunbright's ribs. Sunbright was rocked half off his feet by the tremendous blow.
Merchants, bodyguards, cooks, and othersтАФincluding KnucklebonesтАФcircled to watch and cheer
and slap down bets. The caravan came to an abrupt halt on the woodland road, a good fight livening up
an overcast summer afternoon. The only one not thrilled was Knucklebones, who held one hand over
her mouth and tried not to scream. At Sunbright.
Crooked to one side by aching ribs, Sunbright guarded his left and whirled to present his right. He
learned fast, and as Delmar repeated his trick of stamping before punching, Sunbright beat him to it. A
fast right smashed into Delmar's brow and glanced off, dinging a swatch off the barbarian's knuckle.
Delmar had flipped his head aside, missing most of the blow, but his bruised eyebrow and eyelid
began to swell immediately, cutting off vision in that eye. "Lucky!" he sneered, and made to stamp
again.
He changed tactics, so his off hand strove for his foe's brisket. The wooden fist slammed into
Sunbright's belly, but that was hard as iron plate itself and did little damage. Rather, the barbarian
hammered both fists onto Delmar's neck and knocked the man into the dust.
Delmar crashed, but he didn't stay down, vulnerable to kicks, for long. Flailing his hands blindly,
he caught one of Sunbright's moosehide boots, hooked his fingers into the iron rings, and yanked.
Upset, the warrior crashed on his rump. His long red shirttail flew up, entangling his fists. Humping
on his belly, Delmar tried to punch Sunbright between the legs. The barbarian barely flicked his knee