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Naked Empire :: Goodkind Terry
Страница: 456 из 495"
Something was terribly wrong. "Why not?"
For the first time, the man smiled. "Because you don't know how many men we really have. Once I knew where your attack was coming, I was able to call in all my forces." The man's smile widened. "Do you hear that horn in the distance? Here they come." A belly laugh rolled up. "You are about to die."
Richard gritted his teeth. "You first."
With a mighty thrust, he ran his sword through the officer's heart. The man's eyes widened in shock. Richard gave the blade a twist as he withdrew it to be sure the job was done.
"We'd better get the men out of here," Richard said as he took Cara's arm and ran for the corner of the buildings.
"Looks like we're too late," she said when they came out from behind cover and saw the legions of men pouring in all around them.
How did Nicholas know when and where they were going to attack? There had been no one around-no races, not so much as a mouse had been there when they had made their plans as they moved through the countryside. How could he have known?
"Dear spirits," Cara said. "I didn't think they had this many men in Bandakar."
The roar of the soldiers was deafening as they charged in. Richard was already spent. Each deep breath he pulled was agonizingly painful. He knew that there was no choice.
He had to find a way to get to Kahlan. He had to hold out at least that long.
Richard whistled in a signal to gather his men. As Anson and Owen ran up. Richard looked around and saw most of the others.
"We have to try to break out of here. There's too many of them. Slay together. We're going to try to punch through. If we make it, scatter and try to make it back to the forest."
With Cara at one side, Tom at the other, Richard charged at the head of his men toward the enemy lines. Thousands of the Imperial Order soldiers poured out from the city around them and into the open. It was a frightening sight. There were so many that it almost seemed as if the ground itself were moving.
Before Richard reached the soldiers, the morning suddenly lit with blinding blasts of fire. Thunderous eruptions of flame tore through the enemy lines, killing men by the hundreds. Sod, trees, and men were hurled into the air. Men, their clothes, hair, and flesh burning, tumbled across the ground.
Richard heard a howl coming from behind. It sounded somehow familiar.
He turned just in time to see a roiling ball of liquid yellow flame wailing through the air toward them. It expanded as it came, tumbling with seething, deadly intensity.
Something was terribly wrong. "Why not?"
For the first time, the man smiled. "Because you don't know how many men we really have. Once I knew where your attack was coming, I was able to call in all my forces." The man's smile widened. "Do you hear that horn in the distance? Here they come." A belly laugh rolled up. "You are about to die."
Richard gritted his teeth. "You first."
With a mighty thrust, he ran his sword through the officer's heart. The man's eyes widened in shock. Richard gave the blade a twist as he withdrew it to be sure the job was done.
"We'd better get the men out of here," Richard said as he took Cara's arm and ran for the corner of the buildings.
"Looks like we're too late," she said when they came out from behind cover and saw the legions of men pouring in all around them.
How did Nicholas know when and where they were going to attack? There had been no one around-no races, not so much as a mouse had been there when they had made their plans as they moved through the countryside. How could he have known?
"Dear spirits," Cara said. "I didn't think they had this many men in Bandakar."
The roar of the soldiers was deafening as they charged in. Richard was already spent. Each deep breath he pulled was agonizingly painful. He knew that there was no choice.
He had to find a way to get to Kahlan. He had to hold out at least that long.
Richard whistled in a signal to gather his men. As Anson and Owen ran up. Richard looked around and saw most of the others.
"We have to try to break out of here. There's too many of them. Slay together. We're going to try to punch through. If we make it, scatter and try to make it back to the forest."
With Cara at one side, Tom at the other, Richard charged at the head of his men toward the enemy lines. Thousands of the Imperial Order soldiers poured out from the city around them and into the open. It was a frightening sight. There were so many that it almost seemed as if the ground itself were moving.
Before Richard reached the soldiers, the morning suddenly lit with blinding blasts of fire. Thunderous eruptions of flame tore through the enemy lines, killing men by the hundreds. Sod, trees, and men were hurled into the air. Men, their clothes, hair, and flesh burning, tumbled across the ground.
Richard heard a howl coming from behind. It sounded somehow familiar.
He turned just in time to see a roiling ball of liquid yellow flame wailing through the air toward them. It expanded as it came, tumbling with seething, deadly intensity.