The Last Threshold (Neverwinter #4)(139)

The balor stiffened at the sound of the words in the distinct Menzoberranyr accent, and wheeled around.

Tiago started to ask another question, but the creature was apparently in no mood to converse—not with a solitary drow warrior, at least—and it lifted its whip in a spin around its massive horned head. Out lashed the weapon, and Tiago ducked behind his shield, and the magnificent web that was Orbcress spiraled as he did, and grew in size to fully wall him from the deadly bite of Errtu’s whip.

“A hundred years is not so long a time, Drizzt Do’Urden!” Errtu roared, and threw a fireball Tiago’s way.

The drow was already moving, though, running Byok along the narrow walkway toward the ruined gate, then down the outside of the wall, back to the field before Bryn Shander. He had barely registered the demon’s words, barely begun to sort out that this creature was hunting not him, but Drizzt, when the beast charged back out of the city, its fiery whip snapping at Tiago once more.

At the same time, the great demon reached to the side with its sword hand, exuding a telekinetic power that lifted a boulder from the rubble of the broken gate.

Tiago blocked the snapping whip yet again, and started to call out, trying to strike up a conversation with this demon. But any thoughts he had of joining with the creature flew away from him as that boulder flew toward him!

He ducked behind the shield once more, and surely it saved his life, but the weight of the blow sent him flying from his mount with such force that it tore the saddle from Byok’s back and sent the powerful lizard tumbling over.





A glabrezu lifted a Bryn Shander warrior into the air between its great pincers. The man’s companion and dear friend cried out in denial, but to no avail.

The pincers closed and the poor warrior fell to the ground in two pieces.

“Drizzt did this!” the man screamed, throwing himself with abandon at the huge demon. He slashed and stabbed wildly with his sword, scoring a couple of solid hits before the creature backhanded him with the strength of a hill giant, launching him to the side.

Other warriors replaced him. From the balcony of a nearby building, a wizard lashed out with a lightning bolt, shocking and startling the glabrezu, weakening its preparedness as the other citizens came on.

To the side, the battered warrior cried out for his fallen friend, and loudly cursed the name of Drizzt Do’Urden.

Others joined in.





Tiago rolled a dozen times, trying to absorb the shock of the blow. He came around, his shield arm slumping low, his shoulder numb, just in time to see his prized lizard charging in fiercely at the balor.

“No!” Tiago screamed, but the lizard, as well-trained as it was, was hearing none of his commands. Byok leaped at the balor, forelegs raking, maw snapping.

But the balor’s whip connected first, wrapping around the powerful lizard, and with frightening strength, the great demon tugged hard and defeated the lizard’s momentum, sending Byok into a sudden spin to land hard amidst the flames at the balor’s feet.

Tiago charged, screaming for his prized pet. He saw Byok bite up at the balor, and catch the whip arm, tearing demon flesh, but then the balor’s greatsword swept down into the flames, and came up dripping lizard blood.

From the side charged Jearth and the others, a volley of javelins soaring in to sting the great demon. Two glabrezu came through the gate at the same moment, however, turning immediately to engage this new force.

Tiago winced with every strike as the battle in the flames continued before him. The balor stood up straight, towering above the flames, and lifted its whip arm, and Byok—grand and brave Byok!—was still attached, biting on ferociously. Ragged skin hung from the lizard’s powerful maw, and Byok shook his jaws and the balor howled in pain and Tiago’s heart leaped with hope.

But across came the demon’s sword arm, and the sword it held proved vorpal, severing Byok’s head cleanly. The lizard’s body fell away into the flames. The head remained in place, locked onto to the balor’s arm.

Tiago skidded to a stop and felt as if a hill giant had punched him in the gut. “Byok,” he breathed and he retched as if he would vomit. He had raised that lizard from the day it had hatched, and had been magically attuned to it, much as a wizard might find and bond to a familiar.

“Kill it!” he cried in outrage, and looked to Jearth and the warriors, who engaged the glabrezu pair.

“Kill it!” he cried again, looking helplessly to the city gates and the force assembled just within, not daring to come forth.





“Hold!” the guard commander called out to the gathered forces of Bryn Shander. “Do not exit the city!”

He waved his hand, ordering archers back up to the wall. Who were these dark elves battling the demons?

“Allies?” he asked quietly, but aloud, and those around him could not offer an answer.

He looked to the north then, to another approaching force, and he swallowed hard with sheer revulsion and horror, and at the thought that Bryn Shander might well be in dire trouble no matter which side in this titanic battle proved victorious.





Tiago’s plea was answered with a net of crackling lightning, hurtling through a dimensional gate to seemingly appear out of nowhere right beside the massive balor. The demon grunted in surprise as the net descended over it, brilliant flashes of lightning exploding all around, blinding all who looked on. Tiago continued to squint against the thunderous explosions, though, wanting to see this demon utterly destroyed, wanting to witness the retribution against the demon that had killed his prize lizard mount.