df.therunelords-第102部分

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o　find　them；　speak　to　them　all。
　He　needed　to　break　the　serpent　ring；　slay　a　Dedicate　so　that　the　serpent　would　form　a　head。
　Across　the　hill；　Raj　Ahten　made　a　pulling　gesture　with　his　hand；　as　if　to　yank　clouds　from　the　sky。　Hundreds　of　mastiffs　began　racing　for　the　castle　in　a　black　wave；　their　red　masks　and　iron　collars　making　the　mastiffs　a　horrendous　sight；　their　mander　barking　in　short　yaps。
　Now　the　Frowth　giants　hoisted　the　great　siege　ladders；　two　giants　to　a　ladder；　and　loped　for　the　castle　at　a　seemingly　slow　pace；　yet　covering　four　yards　to　the　stride。　Black　behemoths　struggling　in　the　night。
　Tempest　did　not　have　time　to　explain　to　another　what　needed　to　be　done。　He　turned　from　his　post　above　the　gate；　and　ran　for　the　stairs。
　〃Captain？〃　one　of　his　men　cried；　as　if　worried　that　Tempest　had　bee　a　craven　coward　in　that　moment。
　Tempest　had　no　time　to　explain。　A　shout　rose　across　the　battlefield　as　three　thousand　of　Raj　Ahten's　archers　raced　forward；　hurrying　to　give　cover　fire　against　the　castle　walls。
　Tempest　glanced　over　his　shoulder　before　descending　the　stone　steps。　Raj　Ahten's　Invincibles　raised　their　shields　and　charged。　At　their　head；　fifty　men　raced　with　a　battering　ram；　a　giant　iron　wolf's　head　at　the　ram's　end。　Tempest　knew　little　of　siege　magics；　but　he　could　see　that　the　iron　wolf's　head　was　bound　with　powerful　spells。　Fire　glowed　in　its　dead　eyes。
　Though　the　drawbridge　had　fallen　open；　Tempest's　men　had　hastily　set　a　wooden　manteleta　frame　of　timbersjust　inside　the　green。　The　ram　would　smash　into　the　inner　defenses。　Behind　those　defenses；　Longmot's　mounted　knights　had　bee　restive。　They　held　their　great　lances　at　the　ready；　helm　visors　down。　Their　horses　shifted　their　weight　from　foot　to　foot；　eager　to　charge。
　Raj　Ahten's　Invincibles　raced　forward；　the　earth　thundering　beneath　their　iron…shod　feet；　pounding　under　the　hail　that　began　to　fall　more　earnestly。　These　Invincibles　were　men　with　great　endowments　of　stamina　and　brawn　and　metabolism。
　Giants　loped　ahead　with　ladders；　Invincibles　with　their　ram。　Arcane　powders　strewn　from　the　balloon　hung　over　the　castle　gate　now；　like　a　gray　hand　of　doom。
　For　a　moment；　Tempest　hesitated　behind　the　ramparts　inside　the　gate；　wondering　if　he　should　stand　with　his　men　or　hurry　forward　to　slay　Shostag。
　Across　the　fields；　Raj　Ahten's　artillerymen　let　catapults　fly。。。
　Raj　Ahten　watched　approvingly　as　the　catapults　let　fly　shells　bearing　mineral　powders　of　sulfur；　potash；　and　magnesium　that　would　mix　with　other　salts　in　the　cloud　above　the　castle　wall。
　The　firing　of　these　shells　was　timed　so　that　they　would　stream　through　the　skies　at　the　same　moment　his　battering　ram　drew　within　a　hundred　yards　of　the　drawbridge。
　In　the　darkness　and　hail；　the　bowmen　on　Longmot's　walls　saw　the　catapults　fly；　and　dropped　for　cover；　losing　the　precious　second　they　needed　to　choose　a　target　from　among　Raj　Ahten's　Invincibles。
　For　long　years　Raj　Ahten　had　nurtured　his　flameweavers；　feeding　them。　On　the　mountains　south　of　Aven；　fires　burned　constantly　so　they　might　appease　the　Power　that　the　sorcerers　served。　His　flameweavers　were；　Raj　Ahten　believed；　the　most　fearsome　of　their　kind　on　earth。
　And　these　flameweavers　had　made　great　studies　in　the　use　of　explosive　fires。　It　had　long　been　known　that　when　wheat　and　rice　were　poured　into　their　granaries；　the　flame　of　a　small　lantern　could　ignite　the　air　with　explosive　force。　Miners　pounding　out　coal　deep　beneath　the　mountains　of　Muyyatin　had　long　known　that　coal　dust　would　spark　at　the　touch　of　their　lamps；　sometimes　exploding　so　ferociously　that　entire　passages　within　the　mine　would　cave　in。
　For　generations；　people　had　raised　borage　flowers　to　give　them　courage；　and　children　had　delighted　in　throwing　the　dried　stalks　into　the　fire　to　hear　the　popping　sounds　they　exuded　as　they　exploded。
　But　no　one　had　considered　how　to　benefit　from　the　explosive　force　of　such　agents。　So　Raj　Ahten's　flameweavers　studied　the　phenomenon；　learned　to　prepare　and　grind　and　mix　the　powders。
　Now　Raj　Ahten　watched　in　awe　and　satisfaction　as　years　of　nurturing　his　sorcerers　and　financing　their　grim　study　paid　off。　The　skies　all　around　went　blacker　than　the　deepest　night　as　the　final　ropes　of　fire　twisted　down　from　heaven。　Hail　plummeted　from　the　air；　and　the　sound　of　thunder　raged　overhead。
　The　huge　bonfire　where　the　flameweavers　stood　with　the　beings　they　summoned　suddenly　snuffed　out　like　a　candle；　the　green　walls　collapsing；　the　creatures　within　drawing　all　light　and　heat　into　themselves。
　The　skies　remained　black；　and　in　that　sudden　total　darkness；　no　archer　could　have　seen　his　target　to　shoot。　For　ten　seconds；　the　skies　gave　no　light。
　Atop　the　castle　walls；　Orden's　knights　performed　one　last　defiant　act。　They　broke　into　a　grim　song。
　Under　the　cover　of　that　shadow；　Raj　Ahten's　troops　continued　to　race　for　the　walls。
　As　the　bowmen　on　the　castle　rose　to　shoot　at　unseen　attackers；　a　blinding　light　shot　from　the　center　of　the　flameweavers'　infernos。
　The　sorcerous　blast　roared　like　a　living　sun　from　flameweavers　and　salamanders；　and　a　green　flaming　wave　of　fire　swept　from　the　hilltop；　raced　toward　the　castle。
　In　the　sudden　rush　of　light；　one　could　see　the　terrified　faces　of　Longmot's　defenders。　Brave　boys　unmanned；　brave　men　trembling　but　still　defiant。
　As　the　wave　of　flame　traveled　inexorably　toward　Longmont；　it　touched　the　arcane　powders　in　the　sky。
　Then　the　whole　arch　above　the　gate　roared　into　an　inferno。　Raj　Ahten's　powders　exploded　in　a　cloud　of　fire　that　rose　like　a　mushroom　some　hundred　yards　at　the　base；　slowly　ascending　a　mile　into　the　air。　The　concussion　threw　defenders　from　the　walls　like　rag　dolls。　Many　fell；　stunned。　Others　staggered　back　in　abject　terror。
　But　the　great　green　wave　of　flame　was　not　a　mere　spark　to　touch　off　the　explosive　powders。　It　was　much　more　than　that。
　The　wave　of　green　fire　smote　the　castle　walls；　washing　over　hundreds　of　defenders　who　still　stood。
　On　the　crowded　walls；　away　from　the　initial　explosion　above　the　arch；　warriors　were　crammed　shoulder　to　shoulder　in　ranks　six　deep。　The　green　flames　rolled　over　them　like　the　roaring　waves　of　the　sea。
　Longmont　had　been　the　perfect　castle　for　Raj　Ahten　to　use　his　powders　on。　Its　south　face　was　but　a　hundred　and　twenty　yards　wide。　Defenders　had　concentrated　along　the　upper　wall…walk　in　that　hundred　yards。
　Raj　Ahten's　flameweavers　incinerated　perhaps　some　two　thousand　men。　As　the　mushroom　cloud　rose；　Raj　Ahten's　flameweavers　now　fell　unconscious　into　the　ruins　of　their　own　bonfire。　No　flames　leapt　in　the　remains　of　the　fire。　No　smoke　rose；　for　the　flameweavers　had　drained　the　vast　majority　of　the　energies　from　it；　and　in　an　instant　the　great　blackened　logs　had　incinerated；　bee　ash。　So　now　the　flameweavers　lay　dazed　among　the　hot　coals。
　But　the　white…hot　salamanders　suddenly　leapt；　as　if　freed　from　a　cage；　rushing　hungrily　toward　the　castle。
　The　scene　before　the　castle　gate　was　a　pandemonium。　Under　the　cover　of　darkness；　Raj　Ahten's　giants　had　made　the　wall。　Raj　Ahten's　archers　unleashed　a　hail　of　deadly　arrowsa　hail　that　proved　almost　unnecessarywhile　his　Invincibles　began　to　race　up　ladders　to　the　tops　of　the　battlements。
　No　defenders　stood　on　that　south　wall　now。　The　explosion　and　waves　of　fire　had　all　but　emptied　the　wall…walk。
　The　castle　gate　stood　undefended。　The　east　tower　was　a　smoking　ruin。　But　within　the　west　tower；　a　few　men　tried　one　last　trick。　King　Orden's　men　unleashed　a　rain　of　burning　oil；　pouring　it　down　runnels　within　the　tower。　Stone　gargoyles　above　the　gate　suddenly　spewed　the　vile　stuff　as　Raj　Ahten's　troops　raced　in　with　their　battering　ram。
　Some　of　Raj　Ahten's　men　faltered　under　the　heat　of　that　oil；　but　such　was　the　speed　of　the　men　running　that　the　head　of　the　ram　still　struck　the　mantelet　behind　the　castle　gate。
　All　the　energy　of　the　spells　bound　within　the　wolf's　head　exploded　against　the　mantelet；　sending　timbers　of　wood　splintering　in　all　directions。　Defenders　behind　the　mantelet　shrieked　and　died　under　the　onslaught。
　And　in　Raj　Ahten's　mind；　a　peculiar　flame　began　to　dance。
　He　knew　that　he　should　restrain　himself　now；　that　it　was　wrong　to　destroy　men　so　ruthlessly。　It　would　have　been　better　to　use　those　he　could；　take　their　endowments。　These　men　had　virtues　and　strengths　that　should　not　have　been　wasted　in　such　a　brutish　fashion。　Their　ugly；　fleeting　little　lives　could　have　been　converted　to　a　grander　purpose。
　Yet　the　smell　of　burning　flesh　suddenly　enticed　Raj　Ahten；　left　him　tingling　in　anticipation。　Against　all　his　better　reason；　he　hungered　for　destruction。
　Cedrick　Tempest　had　been　standing　behind　the　mantelet；　racing　between　two　warhorses　toward　the　Duke's　kitchens；　where　Shostag　lay　hidden；　when　the　green　wave　of　flame　touched　the　battlements　and　a　great　ball　of　fire　filled　the　sky　overhead。
　Fortunately；　he'd　been　staring　down；　running　away　from　the　blast。　The　heat　and　energy　of　it　shoved　him　face…first　into　the　paving　stones；　so　that　his　helm　bent　close　to　his　head。　For　one　moment；　he'd　felt　the　searing　heat　of　the　blast　crisp　his　clothing；　burn　his　skin　at　a　touch。　Then　he　tried　to　draw　a　breath　in　the　hot　wind　of　the　fireball's　passage。
　Horses　k