After all that has happened, it would be impossible for me to raise another army large enough to consolidate any strong position within these islands. And this region is too hot for me to linger in now. 'So it seems as though no one could achieve his ambition in this game. Kane spat into the water in the direction of the vanishing coastline. As to what took place in the end-like a werebeast, Efrel assumed her true form in death.'

Her half-demon heritage explains a lot of other things, now that I think back on it. I often wondered how she could communicate so well with such alien creatures-her bond with them was a deeper one than any had guessed. But that's not uncommon among were-beasts-which is roughly what Efrel was, although she couldn't change form at will. 'Efrel was beautiful, certainly-appeared completely human. No wonder her mother went insane that night in the sorcerer's chamber. 'Somehow, by some dark sorcery-who knows what Pellin Othrin intended to achieve that night-Efrel was the offspring of an unhallowed coupling of human and Scylred. 'The tales of Efrel's demon parentage were true,' Kane answered pensively. Even the assassin's irreverent tones were tinged with a note of awe. 'What was it that happened to Efrel there in her chamber?' asked Arbas from beside him, finding pause at last to reflect. With ship and crew, Kane set sail, leaving behind him the chaos of his own creation. Fighting his way clear, Kane had gathered together as many of his followers as escaped on the Ara-Teving.

With all of Prisarte raised against Kane, the battle with the Pellinites was going against him. The heavy losses that resulted from the fight with Lages's men-and the horror in the subterranean chamber-had dealt a mortal blow to his plans. He had escaped from the carnage within Dan-Legeh only to find his forces on the short end of the battle. XXXII: Farewellįrom the deck of the Ara-Teving, Kane watched the ruin-haunted coasts of Pellin drop from sight. Behind them the subterranean chamber dissolved into a nightmare of screaming men and feasting black shapes.ĭarkness swallowed up the entire chamber and all those who were in it. Kane gained the stairway, followed by Arbas and several of the others. The lamps were hurled to the floor, spilling oil in spreading pools that blazed briefly across the bare stones. Like a giant scythe, the tentacles swept across the chamber-smashing dozens of men to the stones in each blow, catching them up in its suckered grasp. Somehow the boneless monster had passed through the vast tunnel along with its masters. For now looping from the pool were the immense black tentacles of an Oraycha.

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