Chaosmage (26 page)

“You can protect yourself, but what about everyone else?” asked Tammy, gesturing at the other defenders. “What if they come here when you're elsewhere? You'd be putting their lives at risk.”

Balfruss considered it for a long while before finally drawing the axe from his belt. “Then we do it the hard way,” he said, hefting the weapon.

Alyssa came marching up the stairs followed closely by at least two dozen people until the wall was packed. Among them were Kovac and his three friends, plus mercenaries from the other camp. More people were waiting on the stairs and in the courtyard as well.

“It's too crowded up here,” said Zannah in a quiet voice to Alyssa, knowing that people wouldn't listen to her. “Send at least a dozen to wait in the courtyard. We need room to fight and we'll need reserves. And clear the stairs too.”

Alyssa listened to her advice and then ordered people off the wall. It seemed as if the time when she made suggestions was over. Those remaining on the wall spread out a little and Zannah found herself with Balfruss on one side and Tammy on the other. The big warrior ordered the mercenaries to spread themselves along the wall in pairs, creating pockets of people with skill to shore up the locals.

Staring at the approaching horde Zannah cocked her head to one side, trying to listen for sounds of fighting elsewhere in the city. Despite the constant shuffling of people on the wall beside her, she couldn't hear any distant screams. It seemed as if tonight the other camps would be harassed by just a few Forsaken and theirs was the one destined to be destroyed.

The thump of many approaching feet brought her back to the immediate problem. The Forsaken were a mix of people, locals and a few mercenaries, and for once there were no familiar faces. Unfortunately she heard cries of alarm from others further down the wall as people recognised former friends or relatives. That familiarity might be what killed them. It would make them hesitate and in that moment the Forsaken would strike.

Most of the Forsaken carried makeshift clubs fashioned from lumps of wood and bars of metal, but several carried swords and axes. Zannah knew they would do their best to incapacitate the defenders without killing them. Usually that meant clubbing them about the head until they were unconscious, but sometimes that wasn't possible. If it meant they had to cut off an arm or a hand they would do it. Their power to heal meant that even severe wounds could be regenerated over time.

The Forsaken horde picked up their pace, moving to a sprint as they rushed the walls with their homemade ladders.

“Fire!” shouted Alyssa. All along the wall a chorus of bowstrings hummed in response. A dozen Forsaken stumbled and went down, only to be trampled by those behind. The rest of the Forsaken raced on and people began firing at will, picking individual targets. Several metal ladders rose up into the air before coming down with a heavy impact against the wall. A few defenders tried to shove one of the ladders backwards but their combined efforts barely moved it. Kovac stepped in with the two feral women and they slid it to one side instead, where it collided with another ladder, sending them both tumbling. That trick only worked once though. As soon as the Forsaken started to climb a ladder the weight became too great to move.

The locals screamed at the Forsaken, cursing them and doing anything to fire up their blood, creating an illusion of courage where none existed. The mercenaries remained silent, conserving their energy for the fight. Beside Zannah, Tammy and the Sorcerer wore grim expressions and both just watched and waited.

A ragged face appeared above the top of the wall to Zannah's left and she immediately attacked. Her sword split the man's skull in two down to the bridge of his nose, pulping his brain in the process. The Forsaken tumbled away, but was swiftly replaced by two more, and then the time for thinking was over.

Grunting and sweating Zannah moved from one strike to another, rarely having to worry about parrying, since those she faced had little skill. The Forsaken, though, had the advantage of numbers, and almost immediately it began to tell. Bodies forced themselves onto the wall and several defenders fell, collapsing to the ground in stunned and silent heaps. Some fell into the courtyard below where they were quickly pulled out of the way by those waiting in reserve.

To her left Balfruss hacked away, severing arms and splitting skulls with ruthless efficiency. On her right Tammy fought more stiffly than usual but her ability was nonetheless greater than her opponents. Blood sprayed across over the stones as her peculiar sword cut through the Forsaken with ease. When one woman tried to swing her club at the big warrior Tammy took off the woman's hand with a flick of her sword and then split her in two with the
follow
-
up
. The two halves of the Forsaken slid off the wall and her organs rained down on those below.

The snow had built up a little underfoot, creating slush that was quickly churned from grey into pink. It made finding footing a little difficult but if someone slipped they were quickly pulled upright by the defender beside them.

Six Forsaken burst onto the wall to her far right and in a rush they overpowered the defenders. But rather than continue to fight the Forsaken threw themselves forward into the courtyard. Those waiting in reserve did what was instinctive. They attempted to catch the falling bodies, noticing at the last second they were not friends. Several defenders were knocked down and more were stunned before they started to recover and fight back. The Forsaken ran for the main stairs and five made it to the main entrance. The sixth was cut down in the courtyard.

“I saw it,” said Tammy, moving to the stairs. “I'll go after them.”

The big warrior raced after the Forsaken and a second later Kovac followed.

The breach on the wall was closed and several reserves came up the stairs at Zannah's frantic gesturing. But the Forsaken were not done yet and still more of them were scrambling up the ladders. Looking along the wall she couldn't tell how the fight would end. The locals were barely holding on. Their brief spurt of courage had abandoned them and their anger had worn thin in the face of such an unrelenting enemy. All it would take was one person to run and the rest would follow.

It was time to change the odds.

Zannah reached into the energy reserve within and forced herself to move faster. She whirled from one Forsaken to the next, slicing off pieces until they fell away. Their screams started to fill her ears until it became the only sound in the world.

Space opened up around her on all sides as no Forsaken seemed willing to get too close. Moving one step at a time she began to work her way down the wall, killing Forsaken as she went.

As she'd hoped, the defenders saw the Forsaken fall back from her assault and it gave them a boost. The mercenaries were smart enough to follow her lead, a few laughing at the Forsaken while others mocked and jeered. The defenders rallied and started to force the Forsaken back, screaming their own insults. The tide of the battle began to turn.

T
ammy followed the screams and the trail of felled bodies lying in the corridor. All of the people she passed in the first hallway were either huddled in corners or unconscious on the floor. Several doors were closed and she could hear frantic breathing coming from the other side. Only a few had seen the Forsaken coming and none had been fast enough to protect themselves.

At the end of the corridor Tammy found a man bleeding from his scalp with a second wound in his leg. A dagger lay on the ground not far away but he was more concerned with trying to stem the bleeding. It didn't look too deep but even so she paused to help him.

“Keep pressure on it,” she told him, folding both of his hands on top of the wound and pushing down hard. The man groaned in pain and blanched, but he gritted his teeth and nodded with determination.

Tammy heard footsteps coming up behind and a few seconds later Kovac came into view. A woman screamed below them, long and shrill. They took the stairs two at a time and on the next level found more of the same. The Forsaken had left a trail of unconscious and bleeding bodies in their wake. A scuffle in the doorway of one room and more shouting led them on.

One of the Forsaken, a woman with red hair, was trying to drag another woman away by the hand. Two local people had taken hold of her other arm and a tug of war was taking place.

“Come with me,” said the Forsaken. “It's so much better now.”

Tammy didn't hesitate. She brought her sword down on the Forsaken's arm, just above the elbow.
Maligne
seemed to glow slightly in the gloomy corridor as it severed the arm. The Forsaken screamed but before she could raise the axe in her other hand, Kovac stabbed the woman in the chest, pinning her to the wall. They left the body where it fell and ran on, following the sounds of raised voices.

On the next level down four women were fighting off a Forsaken with pans and broom handles. Tammy stepped up behind the man and stabbed him through the back. She held him upright for a second then yanked her sword free.

A short distance ahead a burly man stepped into view. He carried a short sword in either hand and Tammy saw a look pass between him and Kovac.

“Friend of yours?”

Kovac shook his head. “No, but we've run into each other a few times. I didn't realise he'd been taken.”

“All these years, Kovac,” said the mercenary as they walked towards him. “We've been chasing stories, hoping to find something
life
-
changing
. And it was here all along.”

“Do they ever shut up?” said Kovac.

“Listen to me. It's worth more gold than any job you've ever had.” The mercenary was almost pleading. “Just let me explain.”

Tammy's instincts told her something wasn't right and quickly realised what he was doing. “He doesn't want to convert us. He's just trying to delay us.”

Realising that his ruse had been uncovered the mercenary grinned and raised his weapons. With Kovac on her right Tammy stayed to the left side of the corridor. Just as she was about to reach the mercenary someone burst out of an open doorway.

She turned and managed to get her sword up just in time to block a cut towards her head. The two swords sheared together and a shower of sparks rained down. A
leather
-
clad
mercenary came at her again with a broadsword, driving Tammy back. She could hear Kovac fighting the other mercenary but couldn't risk looking away from her opponent. The Forsaken was skilled, and her face was tight with concentration. In the narrow corridor their struggle became more of a brawl than a sword fight. With little space to move they resorted to jabbing, trying to kick, punch, or smash each other against the walls.

The woman's fetid breath made Tammy's eyes water so she quickly pushed her away and followed up with a kick at her opponent's leg. She caught a knee and the mercenary stumbled back, bounced off the wall and came back with an underhand cut. Tammy's momentum was already carrying her forward and with no time to reverse she threw herself to one side. Despite her efforts the tip of the Forsaken's blade scored a line up one thigh, making her hiss in pain. Tammy lashed out with an elbow, snapping the woman's head to one side.

The Forsaken cracked the pommel of her sword into Tammy's side, catching her bruised ribs, and she fell back wheezing as fingers of pain jabbed into her side. Using a
double
-
handed
grip she blocked a slash then leaned into it, forcing the Forsaken back with her weight and strength. They collided with a wall but not enough to stun her opponent, so Tammy smashed her forehead into the woman's face. It bought her a couple of seconds, which she used to step back and swing at the Forsaken's stomach. The mercenary saw it coming but was too slow to block it in time.

Tammy's sword entered the woman's body just under the ribcage and emerged out the back, severing her spine. With her last breath before she toppled over, the Forsaken tried to curse Tammy. Her lips formed the words but she had no air in her lungs to say anything out loud.

“A little help,” said Kovac. A second later he was thrown past her and skidded down the corridor on his back. He scrambled to his feet but the mercenary hadn't followed to finish him off. This was still part of a delaying tactic but she couldn't work out what it was for. Five Forsaken could not take over the whole base by themselves, let alone one, so what would a few minutes buy the remaining Forsaken?

“Together?” suggested Tammy.

“Together,” agreed Kovac, hefting his sword. “On three.”

“Three,” said Tammy and they both charged at the mercenary.

As the sounds of violence drifted down to his ears Kai moved towards the disturbance while the other priests shied away. Far above his head people were screaming and fighting for their lives. Kai closed his eyes and smiled at the chaos and rich surge of dark emotions flooding his senses.

He could smell fresh blood in the air but the delicious bouquet was soured by a bitter and familiar tang. It came from whatever creature had sucked all of the life and joy from this
once
-
thriving
city. A piece of its essence infused every one of its people. He could feel it now, which meant there were Forsaken inside the building.

The sound of heavy feet moving away down the corridor drew his attention. The intruder stank worse than if he'd been soaked in vinegar and sprayed with shit. There was also something unusual about this Forsaken.

Kai followed the man at a distance into the most secluded part of the winery. At first he thought the Forsaken was heading towards the caves but he stopped near to the first of the deep wells. The fighting on the wall must have been intense for one of them to make it all the way down here. Kai was curious about why they would mount such an attack, just so that one man could make it all this way. He slowly drew closer, observing the man and waiting to see what he did next.

Judging by his armour and weapons, which looked better than most, he was a former mercenary. Kai extended his senses towards the man and picked up some of his surface thoughts. The dream of riches and a quiet life spent idling in luxury were still there in the back of his mind, but now all he cared about was his mission. The man's thoughts were jumbled for the most part, but they seemed to be completely his own. Kai felt a vague presence of the other, whatever piece of the creature he carried inside, but it seemed asleep.

The former mercenary dropped his weapons and started to pull off his armour, casually throwing it away. Next he opened his shirt, exposing his chest, and closed his eyes, tilting his head back with his mouth open wide.

Something moved under the skin of the man's stomach. Kai saw several strands probing and pushing outwards, perhaps testing how pliable the skin was without ripping it. The tendrils settled and then the man's whole stomach and chest started to swell outwards as if he were being filled with too much air.

The skin stretched and then began to rip in places. The man tried to scream but his voice was muffled, as if there were something lodged in his throat. A faint wisp of something green drifted up from the Forsaken's gaping mouth and he choked, creating another fetid cloud. Shuffling slowly to one side he inched towards the well.

The creature's plan was ingenious in its simplicity. Trying to capture all of the local people one at a time was proving difficult. They fought back. They died and they beheaded those already turned. Its numbers never increased significantly because the humans refused to accept the gifts it offered. This way, whatever was gestating inside the mercenary would soon escape and poison the water. Over the next few days it would infect everyone and probably incapacitate them. Then it would be easy to take all of them at once without the need for violence.

It was devious and ruthless and exactly what Kai would have done.

With his eyes on the ceiling the Forsaken didn't see the plague priest approach, but he felt the dagger taken from his belt as it entered his groin. The man's head snapped down and his mouth clamped shut as blood began to pour down his leg. With
claw
-
like
hands the man lurched towards Kai and tried to rake his eyes. Kai tried to bat the man's hands away as he waited for the inevitable, but when that didn't happen fast enough he sliced off a few fingers.

He danced back, careful not to get the dagger anywhere near the bloated man's torso. The slightest cut and whatever was festering inside could be released. As the man's lifeblood drained from the artery in his leg his attacks became less aggressive, until Kai barely needed to move to evade them. Realisation dawned on the man, and the parasite within him, as he turned from Kai and staggered towards the well on shaky legs.

“I don't think so,” said Kai. He kicked the man in the side of one knee and a meaty crack echoed around the cave. With a scream the Forsaken toppled over, falling hard onto his left side. In a normal human it would have been over, but only a few seconds later the man hauled himself onto his belly. Dragging himself forward with his shattered leg dangling behind, he continued to inch across the floor, leaving a growing trail of blood in his wake.

Kai easily kept pace with the dying man, looking down on him, the dagger held loosely in one hand. The Forsaken managed to make it to the base of the well but his six remaining fingers weren't strong enough to pull him up the stones. He continued to claw at the wall until the nails were ripped off and his
finger
-
ends
were bloody.

Finally the death of the body caught up with whatever urged it forward as the man's hands stopped moving. Kai sat down beside the corpse, closed its eyes and laid a hand on its shoulder. When someone eventually stumbled across the tableau they would think he was praying for the man and offering some final words for his recently departed soul. In reality, direct skin contact allowed him to look deeper into the dead man and study the parasite.

The meat was completely dead, but deep inside there was a faint spark of something that could be described as life. Even as the flesh cooled and the blood congealed he could feel it slowly reaching out and probing the limits of the damage to its vessel. The Morrin always insisted on cutting off the head and now he could see why. Eventually, if left unattended, the parasite would regenerate the damaged tissue until the only essence that animated the body was its own. It would utilise the memories and skills of its meat puppet, but the person it wore would be gone. The mercenary had died the moment his heart stopped beating, but the parasite didn't need him, only his flesh.

Pushing the dagger deep into one of the man's eye sockets Kai scrambled the cooling brain. Although the man's flesh didn't move he felt a subtle shift inside and a spasm of shock ran through the creature. Without a brain to move it around the body was useless and soon the parasite would die. Once that happened perhaps he could find a way to take the body somewhere private and cut out the parasite to study it in more detail.

The sound of heavy footsteps and loud breathing reached him long before Tammy and a mercenary came skidding into view. They stared at the dead man and then the bloody dagger in his hand. A hundred questions were on their lips but he answered the most important one.

“He was going to poison the well,” said Kai. “I had to stop him.”

While the mercenary seemed appeased by his answer the big Seve just stared at him. She was better at concealing her emotions than others but Kai could see the distrust. He looked away, knelt beside the corpse and bowed his head.

“I will stay here and pray for him. He was human once.” It sounded like something a priest would say at this moment. He could sense Tammy's continued suspicion and knew she would not stay silent forever.

“We need to get back to the wall,” said the mercenary.

“We'll send someone to take care of the body,” said Tammy. Kai nodded and continued to pretend he was praying over the dead man. The pair's footsteps receded and he heard them race back along the corridor and then up the stairs.