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198 lines
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HTML
198 lines
9.0 KiB
HTML
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<head>
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<title>Mythlands - Chapter 32</title>
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<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="imperaWeb.css"/>
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<link rel="stylesheet" type=
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"application/vnd.adobe-page-template+xml" href=
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<div id="text">
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<div class="section" id="xhtmldocuments">
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<h1>32</h1>
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<p>
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On Jack's chest, the heart-stone began to beat again. He could sense the presence, awake and now rousing. Kerry pointed to the sky and Jack raised his
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eyes.
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</p>
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<p>
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"It's happening," Corriwen said, her knuckles white on the Redthorn hilt.
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</p>
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<p>
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As they watched the storm sank lower and lower, speeding up as it descended on the Black Barrow.
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</p>
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<p>
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Jack tried to turn, but the scene held his eyes in awful fascination.
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</p>
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<p>
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As soon as the storm's base touched the black stones, the earth jolted. Even from this distance they could see a shock wave judder across the plain.
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</p>
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<p>
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A deadly silence reigned.
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</p>
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<p>
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"Jack," Kerry said urgently, plucking at his sleeve. "I really think we should…"
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</p>
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<p>
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He didn't even get to finish the sentence.
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</p>
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<p>
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The Black mound <em>exploded</em>.
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</p>
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<p>
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The ground ruptured all around and molten rock sprewed up.
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</p>
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<p>
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And in the centre of it all, something began to emerge.
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</p>
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<p>
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Jack felt her searching mind before he saw the shape. It was like the touch of death.
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</p>
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<p>
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She rose slowly, like a smoke haze, coiling, weaving, thickening all the time. Bolts of power arced up to a sky that had turned from the black of the storm
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to a sickly purple. No sun or stars shone.
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</p>
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<p>
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The Morrigan turned her ghastly head towards them and then she laughed. A flock of roaks circled over its head. Her arms stretched wide, as if to embrace
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the whole world, became great black bat-wings that spread out on either side.
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</p>
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<p>
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"Look away, Jack!" Kerry shouted. He grabbed the reins and hauled at Jack's horse. "Come on!"
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</p>
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<p>
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Corriwen pulled him, forcing him to turn. As he did, Jack felt the awful connection between him and the monstrous thing part with a mental <em>snap.</em>
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</p>
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<p>
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Corriwen kicked her horse and they were off, the howl of mad laughter ringing in their ears.
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</p>
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<p>
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On the hillock, the bards joined their five staves together in an interlocking pattern, holding them up to the sky.
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</p>
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<p>
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From that pentagram, a spear of white light met the darkness head on.
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</p>
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<p>
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Jack risked a look over his shoulder.
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</p>
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<p>
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The Morrigan was powering across the distance towards them.
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</p>
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<p>
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"Faster," Jack yelled. The horses were at full tilt, leaping over the smoking crevasses that laced the plain.
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</p>
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<p>
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Some awesome power came twisting out from the demon like a tornado. Jack caught the motion and instinctively wheeled his mount. The others turned with him,
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and an force shuddered past him, so close he felt the wave of black energy ripple through him. His vision wavered and a deathly cold ripped to his core,
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and then it was gone.
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</p>
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<p>
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The bolt smashed into the rocks ahead of them and the earth cracked open. Brimstone gouted.
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</p>
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<p>
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Jack's horse lost its footing and tumbled, slammed into Corriwen's mount. The other two steeds collided with the first and all the riders went down.
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</p>
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<p>
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Jack rolled, grabbed Kerry's arm and dragged him to his feet. Corriwen was beside him, Declan had his sword drawn, but Jack knew no sword could have any
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effect on the raging thing that plummeted towards them.
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</p>
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<p>
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"Run," he gasped. Boiling stone erupted from a churning crevasse. Jack leapt onto one of the heaving slabs, with Kerry and Corriwen beside him.
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</p>
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<p>
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The Morrigan soared above them. Jack leapt from one tilting rock to another. The little leprechaun scampered across the big rocks to the far side.
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</p>
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<p>
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The slab Jack reached spun under his weight. He felt his skin bake.
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</p>
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<p>
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The stone cracked like thin ice and one part pulled away. Jack slipped to one knee. Corriwen gave a cry as the slab they were spun off. Declan stood up. He
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held the Redthorn Sword in his hands.
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</p>
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<p>
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Jack got to his feet again. On his neck, the heartstone was pulsing as fast as his own. Above him, above the smoke and heat, the Morrigan wheeled and
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cackled. Jack turned to Declan and his heart almost stopped.
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</p>
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<p>
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Declan dropped his saddlebag. Its contents spilled out. He turned his eyes on Jack and they were as dead and as empty as a corpse.
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</p>
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<p>
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His fingers found Jack's neck and squeezed hard.
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</p>
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<p>
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"<em>Freedom in all worlds</em>."
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</p>
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<p>
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Jack heard the words, but the voice that spoke was not Declan's. It was the same voice that had invaded his mind in the depths of the Black Barrow.
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</p>
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<p>
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Corriwen screamed a warning and tried to leap from her stone across a gap six feet wide. Kerry held her back.
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</p>
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<p>
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<em>"You lose, journeyman. Like your father."</em>
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</p>
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<p>
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In desperation, Jack fumbled at Declan's belt and managed to grab the knife. Declan raised the Redthorn sword high, and began to swing it down.
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</p>
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<p>
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Jack thrust with the knife and took Declan under the swinging arm. The knife drove straight in. Declan faltered, just enough to let Jack dodge the blade
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edge. Jack twisted, grabbed Declan's saddle bag as the sword came down again and hit with such force it jarred his arms up to the shoulder. The little book
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fell out and in the heat the edges of its pages began to turn brown.
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</p>
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<p>
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<em>"Give it up,"</em>
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the Morrigan's voice spoke from Declan's mouth. "Fight me and you will suffer forever."
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</p>
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<p>
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Declan grabbed for the heartstone on its chain. Jack flinched.
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</p>
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<p>
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On the far side, the little leprechaun fixed its eyes on the book that had fallen open.
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</p>
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<p>
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Jack rolled and almost tumbled into the searing flow. Declan caught his ankle and drew him back. He twisted, knocked the little book to the side and the
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pages fluttered open. Declan suddenly stopped hauling.
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</p>
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<p>
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A scarlet rose was pressed to the page, still bright.
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</p>
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<p>
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As Declan's empty eyes caught the image, the rose swelled up from the page. On the far side of the gash in the earth, the little leprechaun hunched,
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polished eyes fixed on the flower, muttering. The rose petals opened. Declan's death grip loosened abruptly. He dropped the Redthorn sword and Jack
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scrambled back to the edge of the slab.
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</p>
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<p>
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He grabbed the sword in both hands.
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</p>
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<p>
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Declan turned to him.
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</p>
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<p>
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"Do it now," he hissed. "Finish me now before…"
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</p>
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<p>
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Jack raised the sword.
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</p>
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<p>
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Above them, in the smoke and fumes, the Morrigan screamed. A withering bolt of pure evil came blasting down and smashed into Declan whose fingers spasmed
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around the rose flower and crushed it to nothing. He looked up, lurched forwards.
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</p>
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<p>
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"Now, boy. End it lest she…."
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</p>
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<p>
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His mouth clammed shut and his face twisted in agony. The slab rocked alarmingly as Declan's hand found Jack's neck again.
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</p>
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<p>
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The stone lurched and spilled Declan backwards towards the cauldron of melted rock.
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</p>
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<p>
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His fingers found the chain around Jack's neck as he fell, dragging him to the edge and then without warning, the slab tilted. Declan's foot hit the molten
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rock and sizzled in a burst of steam. He screamed once and then the rock simply flicked over and smashed them both into the incandescent heat.
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</p>
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</div>
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</div>
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</body>
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