The Quest for the Trilogy: Boneslicer; Seaspray; Deathwhisper Read Online Free PDF Page B

couldn’t desert the wizard and leave him to face his foes alone. He shoved Grandmagister Lamplighter’s coded book into his backpack, took a fresh grip on his fighting knife, and peered around Craugh’s leg.
    â€œDark magic!” someone cried in warning.

    â€œBog beasts!” another shouted.
    The Keelhauler’s Tavern emptied in short order. Several of the patrons simply threw chairs through the windows and followed them outside. Only a few elven, dwarven, and human warriors remained. Most of those who had been bending their elbows were sailors and merchants, not versed in the arts of combat.
    â€œWizard,” one of the bog beasts growled in a deep voice that seemed to erupt from within him. It threw a hand forward and a vine leaped from it like a fisherman’s line. Thick and fibrous, the vine streaked straight for Craugh.
    Hardly moving, the wizard attempted to block the vine with his staff. The vine reacted like a live thing, curling around the staff and tightening. The bog beast fisted the vine and yanked.
    Incredibly, Craugh stood against the creature’s immense strength, once again demonstrating that he was more than human. He spoke a Word in a harsh tongue. With a bamf! , green flames spread along the staff. The vine crackled, burning to ash in the space of a heartbeat.
    The bog beast screamed in pain and drew back its hand.
    â€œGet back, foul swamp spawn!” Craugh commanded.
    The bog beasts surged forward. Their feet hammered against the wooden floor, shattering thick planks that had withstood the test of time till that night.
    â€œAxes!” one of the dwarves yelled. “Don’t let them black-hearted beasties tear up our tavern!”
    At once, the dwarves broke up into three groups of four, standing one by two by one deep. As needed, they rotated the leader in case he grew tired from attacking their enemies or was wounded, moving into the defensive anvil formation—two by two, with shields raised—to wear through an opponent’s attack, then back into the axe formation.
    The elven warders had nocked their bows. Arrows sped across the short distance of the room and feathered the bog beasts. The creatures roared in anger and pain but showed no sign of turning from Craugh.
    Roaring, unleashing Words of power, Craugh raised his flaming staff and brought it crashing down on the floor. In response, Juhg thought the earth had shivered free of its moorings. He toppled and fell, striving desperately to push himself back to his feet.
    Everyone in the tavern fell, including the elves, dwarves, and humans. Even the bog beasts toppled. Then what was left of the roof dropped as well, crashing down around Juhg. None of it hit him. When he peered fearfully up from under his folded arm, he saw that a green bubble surrounded Craugh and him. Sparks shimmered along the surface of the bubble. Then it disappeared.
    Juhg stood. Tremors continued through the ground and he felt certain the earth would open up and swallow them at any moment.
    Bellowing angrily, the bog beasts surged up from under the debris that had fallen on them. One of them threw a vine at Craugh, catching the wizard around the lower right leg. Obviously drained by the spell he had cast, Craugh was slow to react. The bog beast yanked, pulling the wizard from his feet.
    Moving by instinct, Juhg scrambled after Craugh, leaping to the top of a broken
table and slashing his knife across the vine. The fibrous length parted with only passing resistance. Another bog beast cast its line, but Juhg stomped on an abandoned serving platter and caused it to leap into the air. The vine pierced the platter and was deflected from its target enough to miss, though it was only a matter of inches.
    Craugh regained his feet and clapped his hat back on. He took a firmer grip on his staff.
    â€œScribbler!” a familiar voice yelled.
    Turning, Juhg saw Raisho standing in the crooked doorway. The young sailor had become