Blades of the Banished - Robert Ryan Page 0,18

ahead and saw why she had come to a stop.

There was a dip in the cavern, and a body of water lay ahead of them. The light of Erlissa’s staff flared brighter, and it shone out, racing ahead.

The light revealed a lake, but like none that Lanrik had ever seen. The water was evidently hot, for stream rose up from it in wispy clouds, and moisture, condensing on the roof close above, dripped down ceaselessly to disturb the otherwise still surface.

There was no way forward save for a path on the right. The ground rose highest there, but the way was narrow and close to the lake.

“Don’t touch the water,” Erlissa said.

Lanrik wondered if that warning was because it was hot, or for some other reason, but she did not explain. Instead, she moved to the right and struck out across the narrow path. She did not reduce the light, and even as they walked ahead, he still saw no sign of the far shore.

They walked cautiously. It was difficult to keep a good footing on the slick rock, but they hugged the wall where the ground was marginally dryer.

Peering ahead through the vaporous air, Lanrik now saw to the other side of the lake. It was not that distant. A moment later, he noticed a ripple in the water far out to the left. What it was, he did not know, but it seemed larger than the disturbances caused by the dripping from above, and the shore suddenly seemed much further away.

They kept going, and he fixed his gaze out over the water, a sense of danger prickling his skin. He saw no more movement though.

The shore loomed closer now, but the land bridge over which they trod narrowed. It tilted at a steeper angle as well, sloping down toward the water. Erlissa slowed, and Lanrik kept scanning the water.

There was movement again. This time much closer. The water was deeper than he had guessed, for something large swam within it, and yet for all its size it stayed below the surface. All he saw was a growing wave of water that rose up, frothing and steaming at its crest.

“Hurry!” he said. “Something’s in the water!”

Erlissa did not move. She stood a moment, looking out over the lake, a determined expression on her face.

“Running is no good,” she answered.

Lanrik did not know what she meant. The way ahead was clear, but he trusted her. He too stood his ground. He put his back to the wall and kept a firm grip on Conhain’s sword.

Whatever swam in the water gathered speed. It struck out toward them now swiftly. The wave rose higher, perhaps to knee level.

Too late Lanrik realized what Erlissa already knew. The creature would not attack directly. Instead, it used the wave. The simmering water would roll over the little land bridge, and then smash into the wall behind them before draining back into the lake in a great rush. The mass of water would surely sweep them with it as it returned. In the lake, they would be at the creature’s mercy, and neither sword nor bow would be any help to him.

He pressed back against the wall, and squatted down, bracing himself against it. Erlissa, however, remained where she was. At the last second several things happened at once.

Whatever creature this was, it turned and thrashed, propelling the wave with a final lash of power. He caught a glimpse of it then, large and sinuous, finned, but not a fish. It threw up great loops of its body, three of them rising high above the surface of the water, scaled and moss-slicked. Its back was gray and dull, but its belly was pearlescent.

The wave smashed into the land bridge, cascading toward them. At the last moment, light flared from Erlissa’s staff.

Blue lòhren-fire lit the vast cavern, but she did not attack the creature. Instead, the fire formed a shield. The water pounded against it. A hiss filled the cavern, and a cloud of steam billowed out to hang over the lake. After a few seconds both light and wave disappeared.

“Run!” Erlissa cried.

She had given them a chance, and they took it. With a final glance at the water, Lanrik sprinted. He saw nothing through all the steam, but the creature was there, and close, for he heard it in the water nearby.

They raced ahead, wary of the slick stone beneath their boots, but risking it. The land bridge widened quickly. The creature was not just large,