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with the hellish glare of the oil-fire, making it seem as if they fought demon-creatures in a nightmare.
Finally, just when she thought that she could not swing her blade again, she looked up in a momentary
respite, after killing yet another of the beasts by hacking its legs off then stabbing it through the eyes-
-to see that the sky was turning lighter, and that the only creatures left within the palisade were all dead.
It was over.
They had won.
Chapter 14
Xylina wiped a grimy hand across her brow, feeling grit mix with the sweat, and surveyed the rest of her
exhausted crew. They would take what sleep they could, when morning drove the armored spiders
away-but first they needed to drag the remains of the dead monsters out of their camp, and to dispose of
their own dead. Altogether, they had managed to slay over twenty of the creatures; it was hard to tell
exactly how many there had been, because so many of them had been burned. There were five more men
gone now: four of the fighters and one of the three servants. Miraculously, all of the animals had
survived the attack; she was still not certain how. Ware said that at one point he had seen the mules in a
defensive circle with his stallion; that was all he could tell her.
It took them several hours to hitch the mules to the charred and dismembered bodies and drag them out
of the gap Xylina created in the palisade. Sadly, the disposition of their own dead took far less time.
They piled the bodies-or, more aptly, what was left of the bodies- onto an improvised pyre, and poured
the last of the oil over them, while Hazard spoke the words in a voice harsh from smoke and shouting.
Then Ware ignited the pyre, and they returned to the camp while the flames still burned. Xylina had just
enough energy left to create another palisade stone-and she had to hold onto the tent-stake lest she
collapse when she finished. Fortunately, both Faro and Ware were so tired that neither of them seemed
to notice.
They slept the sleep of the utterly exhausted until noon, when the heat woke them. Xylina dispelled the
palisade and tents, while the men broke down the camp.
They were following the road again within the hour, pushing the mules to put as much distance between
them and where they had been attacked as they could. Between sunrise, which was when they had left
the hacked-up bits of spider outside the palisade, and noon, which was when she had dissipated the
stone, scavengers had already reduced the dead monsters to bits of tough armor and scattered claws.
They did their best to put as many leagues between them and the spiders as possible. Ware confided that
he hoped they would come within another magic zone soon, but as night fell, and the land about them
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had not changed in any significant way, Xylina and the demon had to admit defeat. They had not
escaped the danger region. Tonight there would likely be another such attack, and they were just as ill-
prepared to meet it as the first time.
They were forced to halt in a place where the tentacle creatures were particularly thick on the ground,
and that was not encouraging, either. It was very difficult to find a large enough space free of them to
make any size camp at all. But that was not the worst of it.
When Xylina steeled herself to conjure another stone palisade, she realized that her efforts of last night,
and perhaps lack of sleep, had seriously depleted her resources. This was a new experience for her; she
must have overextended herself, magically, and would have to wait a few days for recovery. She could
not conjure stone to give them protection. Even her efforts at conjuring oil for a trench were
frighteningly difficult, and she very nearly fainted after the second barrelfull.
Ware approached. "You are magically exhausted," he murmured. "Faro and I hoped this would not be
the case. We shall have to cover for you, lest the men think they lack protection."
So she had not fooled Ware or Faro. "Think?" she asked wanly.
Ware caught Faro's eye, and nodded. He approached as if just thinking of something. "Mistress," he
said, loudly enough to be heard throughout, "it occurs to me that we have been depending too much on
your magic. Last night we thought the stone and oil was sufficient, so we were caught by surprise when
they weren't. We should assume more of the burden of defense ourselves, keeping your powers in
reserve for ugly surprises."
The other men paused, then slowly nodded. They weren't lazy, and they wanted to survive. Last night
had been brutal, but perhaps it would be better if Xylina used her magic only when their efforts failed.
Faro directed them in the preparation of earthworks and wooden stakes, keeping them busy. "Build as
close to the tentacles as you can," he said. "So that any intruders will brush them before reaching us."
There was a mutter of almost humorous agreement.
Nevertheless, Xylina had to try to do her part. She decided that it was best to begin with the oil, rather
than the palisade, for when she gathered her power, she felt disoriented and dizzy. The next barrel filled
sluggishly, the oil flowing from a point between her hands much more slowly than she was used to-and
it was not that the magic power was not available. She sensed the power waiting for her to call upon it-
but she was the one lacking. She felt as if she had begun a long run directly after a marathon swim: her
"muscles" were tired, and could not direct the power as she was used to. And the more she tried, the
harder it became to control.
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