〃Well；〃 Nimor said to the lich； his voice deeper； weightier than Gromph remembered； 〃seems you need me after all。〃
Chapter Eighteen
Ryld stood knee…deep in the freezing water of the cold swamp。 Jeggred was nowhere to be seen。 The constant noise made it hard to pick out the sound of the draegloth moving； The strange smells masked Jeggred's rancid breath。 The pinpoint stars and the odd patch of bioluminescence made it impossible to see the draegloth in the cold water and thick vegetation。 The faerie fire the strange swamp cat had cast on him had long since faded away。
He saw things moving in the water from time to time； mostly snakes； but no disturbances big enough to be the draegloth。 Something slid past his leg； but there was no sign on the slime…covered surface that anything had passed by。 It was definitely something alive； but it couldn't possibly be Jeggred。 It didn't touch him again； whatever it was。
Careful with each step； Ryld made his way across the swamp much more slowly than he'd hoped。 The thin coating of bright green algae that covered the water made it impossible for the weapons master to see his feet。 With each step his boot met some resistance： a rock； something soft； something that might have been alive； something that was solid and round like a quarterstaff…there were a lot of those…and something sharp like a dagger blade。
A bubble as big as Ryld's fist slowly expanded on the surface a few feet in front of him； sat there for a few seconds； then popped。 Ryld stopped and watched it and winced when the smell of the air that had been trapped in the bubble finally wafted past his nose。 The smell was reminiscent of the draegloth's horrid breath； but it was different enough that Ryld was sure that it wasn't Jeggred who'd sent up the bubble…and it wasn't the first such bubble he'd seen。
Ryld stepped forward； his foot again brushing past some hard object below the water。 He used a Melee…Magthere technique to slow his breathing and steady the shivering that threatened to slow his reaction time。 He could see his breath condensing in the air in front of him in puffs of white steam when he exhaled； the air cold enough to make his teeth sting when he inhaled。
An explosion of water doused his face and made him close his eyes。 The water was thick with slime and grainy bits of something…Ryld couldn't even guess what。 His eyes blazed with flashes of yellow light and pain that made his jaw tense。 Still； he brought his sword up in front of him and slashed twice at whatever it was that had splashed him。 His blade met no resistance。
From much farther below； a set of claws grabbed at his left thigh； punctured； then pulled down。 The claws dragged deep； ragged furrows in his skin； and Ryld could feel the heat of his own blood soaking his leg then cooling when it mixed with the cold water of the swamp。
Stepping back and stabbing down； Ryld tripped over something in the water that felt like a length of petrified rope。 Though he did his best to judge where the draegloth must have been to have clawed him like that； Splitter sank into the spongy ground under the water； never touching Jeggred。 Ryld fell backward until the water wrapped him in its freezing embrace。
The draegloth's next attack pushed one of Ryld's arms off the pommel of his greatsword and flipped it out to his side。 Another set of deep cuts appeared on the underside of his left arm。 Ryld wanted to scream； but he was under water； so he kept his mouth shut and brought his greatsword back under control。 Even in the roar of swirling water that overwhelmed his hearing； the weapons master could sense the draegloth's jaws snap closed half an inch from his throat。
The draegloth was on top of him； and all the half…demon had to do was keep Ryld under water and eventually the weapons master would drown。 The mistake the draegloth made was to reveal his position so clearly； though； and Ryld took full advantage of that mistake。
Pressing up with one leg； Ryld felt the heavy weight of the half…demon。 The weapons master pressed harder； curling backward and straightening his leg…not an easy task since the draegloth outweighed Ryld by more than two hundred pounds。 He almost had the draegloth rolled over his head； but…maybe due to resistance from the water； the cold； shivering； or exhaustion…Ryld's knees gave way； and the draegloth fell onto him。
Jeggred's claws found the underside of Ryld's breastplate and made some shallow but painful cuts in the weapons master's belly。 The cold water slowed the flow of blood； though。 Ryld almost subconsciously noted the irony in that。 He would drown in the water that was keeping him from bleeding to death。
Ryld pressed again； using Splitter instead of his legs。 Either the draegloth feared the greatsword or being totally submerged made him lighter； but Ryld managed to roll the half…demon off him。 He made a few more blind jabs with Splitter to keep the draegloth at bay while he stood。
When Ryld's head finally cleared the water； he looked around for Jeggred even before he started to breathe again。 The draegloth was nowhere to be seen。 Ryld struggled to his feet； slipping twice on what felt like slime…covered rocks。 Still he managed to get Splitter up in front of him in both hands and ready。
Ryld staggered through the water and across more odd obstructions under it； several paces from where he guessed that Jeggred should have been lying after the weapons master rolled him off。
He would have kept going but stopped when he heard another loud splash behind him。
Ryld spun； keeping his sword up and ready； and saw a disturbance on the water： what he thought looked like signs of a struggle。 Puzzled that Jeggred would be so brazen after having effectively taken Ryld by surprise more than once in that cursed swamp； the weapons master took one step closer to the splashing with his sword in front of him and over his head in an effort to be ready for any eventuality。
The draegloth burst out of the swamp in a flurry of claws and legs。 Water arced from his white mane as his head snapped back。 He was wrapped in dark green ropes； some sort of plant he must have gotten himself tangled in。 Ryld thought he saw the plants move； slithering against Jeggred's body like constricting snakes。
Jeggred had barely enough time to take a deep breath。 As quickly as he came up； the draegloth disappeared into another swirling eddy that broke up the slime covering the water。
Ryld didn't have time to understand what he'd seen。 Something wrapped itself around his ankle and pulled。 The weapons master knew a hundred tricks to keep him on his feet even if someone really wanted to pull him down； but as much as he tried； whatever it was that had him was too strong。
So he cut it。
Splitter was still in his hands and still as sharp a sword as ever saw battle in the Underdark。 Ryld brought the weapon stabbing down along the side of his body then in and through whatever had grabbed him。
It wasn't easy…the thing around his ankle was as sturdy as it was strong…but he severed it and stopped short of cutting off his own foot。 Ryld struggled backward through the water then stopped and turned when he saw something moving in the corner of his eye。
Half a dozen of the green； ropy vines were sticking up out of the water like snakes scanning for their next meal。 Ryld saw no eyes； no mouths； only green stalks as big around as one of the weapons master's sturdy wrists。 They had no faces； but they were very much alive and appeared for all the world as if they were looking for him。
One of the vines burst toward him； unraveling itself from the water to snake quickly through the air at Ryld's throat。
The weapons master sliced fast and hard at chest level and took the first four inches off the end of the attacking vine。 Greenish…yellow sap leaped from it like blood from a wound； and the vine quivered then fell into the roiling； slime…covered water。
Another vine tried to wrap itself around Ryld from behind； and he could feel even more of them worrying him from beneath the surface。 Ryld kept Splitter moving in fast； fluid motions in front of him and to either side； cutting through the water； taking the ends off one animated vine after another。
Jeggred came back up； gasping for breath and ripping at a mass of the dark green vines。 He was covered in the swamp slime； vine sap； and blood。 One of the vines slipped around his face and into his mouth…a mistake。 The draegloth bit down； and the bloodlike sap splashed over his cheeks。 The vine quivered and went dead； but half a dozen more burst out of the water to take its place； and the draegloth was dragged under once again。
This swamp； Ryld thought as he chopped down two more attacking vines； will kill us both before we can kill each other。
Another reason to hate the World Above。
Jeggred came back up again for just long enough to take another breath； and Ryld got the feeling that the draegloth was finally getting the upper hand over the damnable vines。 Ryld cut through another vine then sliced off one that had almost managed to get all the way around his wounded thigh。