Nick was used to this by now. He and Lirael were especially used to dealing with Undead – Sam hated the things and feared them. He (Sam) could not get over his near-death experience with the Necromancer Hedge. Though Nick had at first scoffed at the idea of Magic – after all, he came from beyond the wall and had been raised to deal with Scientific Notions. His time in the old Kingdom had radically altered his viewpoint. There was nothing like being tricked into bringing back the World Destroyer, Orranis, and dying when it the attempt succeeded to shake his faith in science. Since the time after he was brought back to life by the Dog he had worked closely with Lirael and Nick in their fight against the Undead. His newfound ability as a charter mage of some ability allowed him to follow the other two more experienced warriors into battles.
He worried especially about Lirael. The strain of being Abhorsen – nay, Abhorsen in Waiting, for Sam's mother was mercifully still alive and fighting – was telling on her. He had seen the ring of red- pulled from her old Second Librarian of the Clayr robes- in her bag. She had left the often dangerous Library for a yet more dangerous role, and while she would not give up her work for anything, there were shadows in her eyes which should not have been there. The charter-built hand that Sam had made Lirael was just another reminder to him about how much she had lost in her fight against evil; he had seen her rubbing it as if it itched at odd moments as well. They neared the spot where the gate had been opened, and it was time to put such thoughts behind him.
The first task in any possible battle against the undead was to set a Diamond of Protection, and this was done quickly. The narrow corridor meant that the Diamonds around each of them created a wall of force that the undead could not breach- so much the better. Each drew their blades, flashing with charter symbols, and Lirael got ready to draw her Bells. Sam readied his pan-pipes, less potent than the Bells but still they would do against the lesser ones. Nick slipped into the charter, reading his mind to unleash the charter-marks of destruction upon the foul beings who even now could be heard coming their way.
The squish of rotting feet, the scrape of mangled bone and limb, could be heard echoing off the walls of the subterranean corridor. Through the dark gloom, illuminated by few torches this far into the bowels of the castle, dark shapes moved. The first rank of undead, pressed on by their fellows, careened into Lirael's Diamond of Protection. Their shrieks soon died away, as the second rank met the same fate. They kept coming in this wasteful fashion for quite a few minutes, until even Nick knew that something was not as it should be. Either the Necromancer who controlled these was very weak and far away or there was some other reason that the undead were wasting themselves in this fashion. It became clear to him when he saw Lirael's face become drawn, at the same time as her Diamond of Protection inexplicably flickered. It just as suddenly flickered back into existence –but not before the undead pressed forward and, with claws extended, tried to tear Lirael to shreds until the Diamond flickered back into existence. The yowls of undead who were suddenly in two smoking halves, or who had had arms and legs severed was dreadful.
Why had her Diamond failed? Even this press shouldn't have been enough. It was unheard of… her shield flickered again, and came back on. Nick frowned. If Lirael's protection from the undead failed, she would be stuck up against Sam's Diamond with no where to turn. If she even noticed: frost had formed on her body, a sure sign that she was in Death searching for the Necromancer who was behind this. While there her body had no protection other than the Diamond…
Nick and Sam began flinging charter marks like mad at the dead, but they kept on coming. A major problem with the effectiveness of their spells was the fact that their targets were, after all, dead. A flaming charter mark might kill a man, but burning a large hole in something that's already dead just makes it madder. The only way to kill the beasts was to simply tear the body they inhabited to shreds. The Diamond around Lirael began flickering with more rapidity, and several deep cuts appeared on her where undead managed to get an arm or leg through the field and attack before the protection resumed. Lirael did not respond, still deep in the river of Death. Whoever is doing this is good. Thought Nick. They know exactly how we work: if they get Lirael than the rest of us don't really stand a chance. If she catches him in Death, though… he felt only pity for the man or woman. Lost in these thoughts, he stopped with the magic for just a second, and a larger rush of undead surged around them. Suddenly, Lirael's Diamond disappeared. Completely. As if it had never been. Even the burning marks scratched on the floor vanished. With a howl of triumph from the undead, Lirael vanished.
At the same time, both Sam and Nick dispelled their protections and wadded in, swords drawn. Sam blew his pan-pipes for all he was worth, and many undead heeded the call. Yet even so, the ranks continued to come, rotting and decaying, with no sign of any end. Lirael was still gone from sight, he could only hope that she was not dead. He and Sam were pushed backwards, further and further from where she must lie by the press of the bodies.
He worried especially about Lirael. The strain of being Abhorsen – nay, Abhorsen in Waiting, for Sam's mother was mercifully still alive and fighting – was telling on her. He had seen the ring of red- pulled from her old Second Librarian of the Clayr robes- in her bag. She had left the often dangerous Library for a yet more dangerous role, and while she would not give up her work for anything, there were shadows in her eyes which should not have been there. The charter-built hand that Sam had made Lirael was just another reminder to him about how much she had lost in her fight against evil; he had seen her rubbing it as if it itched at odd moments as well. They neared the spot where the gate had been opened, and it was time to put such thoughts behind him.
The first task in any possible battle against the undead was to set a Diamond of Protection, and this was done quickly. The narrow corridor meant that the Diamonds around each of them created a wall of force that the undead could not breach- so much the better. Each drew their blades, flashing with charter symbols, and Lirael got ready to draw her Bells. Sam readied his pan-pipes, less potent than the Bells but still they would do against the lesser ones. Nick slipped into the charter, reading his mind to unleash the charter-marks of destruction upon the foul beings who even now could be heard coming their way.
The squish of rotting feet, the scrape of mangled bone and limb, could be heard echoing off the walls of the subterranean corridor. Through the dark gloom, illuminated by few torches this far into the bowels of the castle, dark shapes moved. The first rank of undead, pressed on by their fellows, careened into Lirael's Diamond of Protection. Their shrieks soon died away, as the second rank met the same fate. They kept coming in this wasteful fashion for quite a few minutes, until even Nick knew that something was not as it should be. Either the Necromancer who controlled these was very weak and far away or there was some other reason that the undead were wasting themselves in this fashion. It became clear to him when he saw Lirael's face become drawn, at the same time as her Diamond of Protection inexplicably flickered. It just as suddenly flickered back into existence –but not before the undead pressed forward and, with claws extended, tried to tear Lirael to shreds until the Diamond flickered back into existence. The yowls of undead who were suddenly in two smoking halves, or who had had arms and legs severed was dreadful.
Why had her Diamond failed? Even this press shouldn't have been enough. It was unheard of… her shield flickered again, and came back on. Nick frowned. If Lirael's protection from the undead failed, she would be stuck up against Sam's Diamond with no where to turn. If she even noticed: frost had formed on her body, a sure sign that she was in Death searching for the Necromancer who was behind this. While there her body had no protection other than the Diamond…
Nick and Sam began flinging charter marks like mad at the dead, but they kept on coming. A major problem with the effectiveness of their spells was the fact that their targets were, after all, dead. A flaming charter mark might kill a man, but burning a large hole in something that's already dead just makes it madder. The only way to kill the beasts was to simply tear the body they inhabited to shreds. The Diamond around Lirael began flickering with more rapidity, and several deep cuts appeared on her where undead managed to get an arm or leg through the field and attack before the protection resumed. Lirael did not respond, still deep in the river of Death. Whoever is doing this is good. Thought Nick. They know exactly how we work: if they get Lirael than the rest of us don't really stand a chance. If she catches him in Death, though… he felt only pity for the man or woman. Lost in these thoughts, he stopped with the magic for just a second, and a larger rush of undead surged around them. Suddenly, Lirael's Diamond disappeared. Completely. As if it had never been. Even the burning marks scratched on the floor vanished. With a howl of triumph from the undead, Lirael vanished.
At the same time, both Sam and Nick dispelled their protections and wadded in, swords drawn. Sam blew his pan-pipes for all he was worth, and many undead heeded the call. Yet even so, the ranks continued to come, rotting and decaying, with no sign of any end. Lirael was still gone from sight, he could only hope that she was not dead. He and Sam were pushed backwards, further and further from where she must lie by the press of the bodies.