The Amazon Warriors' swift attack jolted the guests out of their absorption in Salian's Nine Books.
Right. We came here to seize the books.
The Stormlord struck first. She kicked off hard with both feet, waves rippling through her muscles. Lightning erupted from her chest and split into two sweeping, whirling thunderbolts.
For an instant, time seemed to freeze. Everyone watched as the Stormlord overwhelmed them with her lightning speed. Silver flashed, and a silver bolt streaked across the entire room.
A gleaming longspear pierced the warrior from Tethyr standing before Salian's Fourth Book from behind. He collapsed before he could react, his outstretched hand dropping stiffly onto the book's surface.
The warrior's final response was to look up at his attacker. He saw the Stormlord's wild arrogance-and the utter contempt for men in her eyes.
The Amazon Warriors who worshipped Talos had never respected weak men. To them, a weak man's greatest contribution amounted to a few little swimmers.
Talos, Lord of Storms and God-King of the pantheon of fury, had always had a terrible reputation in the Realms. Born from the battle between Selûne and Shar, this deity was cruel, impatient, and quick to anger. He had no patience for anything and always sought to destroy everything beautiful. Thus, both the Lord of Storms himself and his followers were widely loathed by other deities and churches.
Yet Talos was simply too powerful. A greater deity with numerous combat-related divine portfolios, he feared no opponent in battle. This made him a deity everyone both loved and hated, and he continued to survive, refusing to fall.
Now, in Talos's name, the Stormlord had become the first to begin plundering Salian's Nine Books!
Several guests examining the fourth book reacted first. One tore open his robe, exposing the dragon marks on