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.Opening her eyes, Marit had the wildimpression that the wolfen was flying away backward, when she realized it wasbeing carried upward in the claws of a creature more beautiful and wonderfulthan anything she had ever seen in her life.A dragon, green-scaled and golden-winged, with a burnished crest that shonelike a sun, flew down into the gray of the smoke-filled sky.It caught hold ofthe wolfen, flung the beast to its death against the sharp rocks of a cliffface.Then the dragon swooped low and snagged the dead serpent, dragged itaway from Haplo.The other serpents, alarmed by the sight of this new foe, left off theirbattle against the Patryns, turned to fight the dragon.Marit lifted Haplo in her arms.He was alive; the sigla on his skin gleamed afaint blue.But blood soaked his shirt, over the heart-rune.His breathing waslabored and shallow.The dog amazingly on its feet and uninjured after beingburied by the serpent trotted over to give its master an anxious lick on thecheek.Haplo opened his eyes, saw Marit.Then he saw above her the glistening greenand flashing gold wings of the wondrous dragon, "Well, well," he whispered,smiling."Alfred.""Alfred!" Marit gasped in astonishment, stared upward.But a shadow blocked her sight.A figure loomed over her.She couldn't tellwhat or who it was at first, could see nothing more than a black shape againstthe bright radiance cast by the dragon.Haplo's breath caught in his throat;he struggled vainly to sit up.Page 223ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlAnd then a voice spoke and then Marit knew."So that is your friend Alfred," said Xar, Lord of the Nexus, peering upward."Truly a very powerful Sartan."The lord's gaze shifted back down to Marit, to Haplo."A good thing for me heis otherwise occupied."CHAPTER 47ABRITHE LABYRINTHXAR FOUND THE CITY OF ABRl BY THE BEACON FIRE.BURNING ON the top of themountain, above the smoke and mists, above the shimmer of the magic protectingthe city, the beacon fire shone bright, and Xar made directly for it.He had taken his ship into the ruins of the Vortex; there are advantages totraveling in a ship with Sartan runes, although it had been an uncomfortablejourney for the Patryn.Leaving Pryan, he had not had time to reconstruct thesigla on the outside of the ship.He had been cautious about altering those onthe inside.He knew he might very well need all his strength for whatever hefaced in the Labyrinth.Although not easily impressed, Xar had been appalled by the numbers of enemyforces attacking the city.Arriving at the outset of the battle, he hadwatched from a safe location, high in the mountains, near the beacon fire andits flame.Xar warmed himself by the fire as he watched the armies of chaosattack his people.He was not surprised to see the dragon-snakes.He had admitted to himself thatSang-drax would betray him.The Seventh Gate.It all had to do with the Seventh Gate."You know that if I find it, I will control you," he told the dragon-snakeswhose gray, slime-covered bodies were launching their assault on the citywalls."The day Kleitus told me of the Seventh Gate that was the day when youbegan to fear me.That was when you became my enemy."It didn't matter to Xar that Haplo had warned him of the dragon-snakes'treachery all along.Nothing mattered for Xar now except the Seventh Gate.Itloomed large in his vision, blotting out everything else.His task now was to find Haplo among the thousands of Patryns battling thefoe.Xar was not unduly worried.Knowing men and women as he did, he wasfairly certain that wherever he found Marit and that would be easy, since theywere joined he would find Haplo.Xar's only concern was that the meddlesomeSartan, Alfred, might interfere.The battle was taking a long time.The Patryns defended themselves well; Xarfelt a swelling of pride in his heart.His people.And once he found theSeventh Gate, he would raise them to glory.But he was fast losing patience.Time wasted here was time that could be used to find that very gate.He placedhis hand on the sigil, was about to summon Marit, about to go down and searchfor Haplo himself, when he saw the city gate open, saw the small band ofheroes come forth to drive away the dragon-snakes.And of course Xar knew without bothering to look Haplo would be among them.His last battle with Sang-drax had ended in a draw; each had given and takenwounds that would not heal.Haplo would not miss this opportunity to finishoff his enemy, despite the odds against him."Of course you won't," Xar said, observing the duel with interest andapproval."You are my son."The lord waited until the battle was ended and Sang-drax destroyed; and thenXar called on the rune-magic to lift him up and carry him down to the bloodyground below.Marit's first reaction, on seeing Xar, was one of vast relief.Here was thestrong father who would once again  defend, protect, and succor his children."My Lord, you have come to aid us!"Page 224ABC Amber Palm Converter, http://www.processtext.com/abcpalm.htmlHaplo tried to sit up, but he was extremely weak and in pain.Blood soaked hisshirt front, had even stained the leather vest he wore over it.He felt thejagged edges of broken bones grind together; any movement at all was sheeragony.Marit helped him, lending him her strength, her support.She looked up to findXar's eyes dark on her, but she was too battle-dazed, too elated by hispresence to notice the shadow he cast over them."My Lord." Haplo's voice was weak.Xar had to kneel beside him to hear him."We can hold our own here.The gravest threat, the greatest danger is at theFinal Gate.The dragon-snakes plan to seal it shut.We." He choked, coughed."We will be trapped in this prison house, Lord," Marit continued urgently."Its evil will grow; the dragon-snakes will see to that.The Labyrinth willbecome a death chamber, without hope, for there will be no way to escape.""You are the only one of us who can reach the Final Gate in time, Lord," Haplosaid, every word costing him obvious pain."You are the only one who can stopthem."He sank back into Marit's arms.Her face was near his, her anxiety and concernfor him obvious.The three paid no heed to the battle raging around them;Xar's magic enclosed them in a cocoon of safety and silence, protected themfrom death and the turmoil of war.Xar's gaze turned, his eyes searched far, far into the distance, until hecould see the Final Gate from where they stood which, with his magical power,was within the realm of possibility [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]