Free Tome of the Undergates by Sam Sykes Page A

heedlessly into more.

    What did not occur to him was that he should stop.

    Something was driving him like a horse, spurring him on. Something compelled his feet to move beneath him, to ignore the footsteps following him. Something forced his hand on his sword, his eyes on the mother chain.

    Something spoke.

    ‘ Go. ’

    The chain grew larger with every step, as did the sight of the crimson hulk in the corner of his eye. Gariath had stopped before the chain, muscles tensed and quivering. No matter, Lenk thought, he must keep going, he must fight, he must obey the need within him.

    In some part of his mind, he knew this to be wrong. He felt the fear that crept upon him, the terror that the voice was some part of the void to which his mind was slowly being lost. Madness; what else could it be? What else could compel him to fight, to rush into impossible odds? What else could override reason and logic with its own frigid thoughts?

    ‘ Stop. ’

    He obeyed, not knowing what else he could do.

    The reason became apparent quickly enough, reflected in the jagged head of a bloodied axe clenched in meaty, tattooed paws. The Cragsman was massive, apparently of the same stock that had bred the giant Rashodd, with grey hair hanging about a grizzled visage in wild braids.

    He stood upon defiant legs, regarding the companions with eyes unwary, challenging them to take the mother chain. Lenk looked past his massive shoulders to the chain itself, swaying precariously as leathery bodies twisted over each link.

    ‘ Reinforcements. ’

    ‘And this one’s the vanguard,’ Lenk grunted in reply to the thought.

    ‘Meant for me . . .’

    Lenk glanced up at the dragonman as he heard the others come to a halt behind him.

    ‘What?’

    ‘This is it,’ Gariath whispered, taking a step forwards. ‘This one was made for me.’

    ‘That’s stupid,’ Kataria said, ‘I can put an arrow in him from—’

    ‘ MINE! ’

    She recoiled, with everyone else, as he whirled on her, teeth bared and claws outstretched. ‘Those other ones were weak, stupid. This one . . .’ He turned back to the massive man, snorting. ‘I might die.’

    She blinked. ‘What?’

    ‘More than a chance of that, dear boy,’ the vanguard boomed, hefting his weapon over his shoulder. ‘Defiance of man’s law is our trade, but expunging an abomination is the work of the Gods, I am assured.’

    ‘Yes.’ Gariath’s eyes lit like black fires, his hands tightened into fists. ‘ Yes. ’ His wings unfurled behind him, tail lashing angrily. His jaws craned open, a roar tore free from his throat. ‘ YES! ’

    ‘COME, DEMON!’ the Cragsman howled, beating his chest. ‘COME AND TASTE THE—’

    His speech was cut short as his body stiffened with a sudden spasm. He smacked his lips, furrowed his brow, as though he had just forgotten what he was going to say. When he opened his mouth to finish the challenge, a faint trickle of red appeared at his lips.

    ‘Well . . . that’s . . .’ The light behind his eyes extinguished along with the fire in Gariath’s as the pirate collapsed to his knees. ‘That’s . . .’ He groped uncertainly at his chest, seeking to scratch an itch beneath the skin. ‘That’s . . . rather ...’

    He fell face down. A bright-red flower bloomed from his neck, dripping onto the wood.

    Denaos’s grin was short-lived as he looked at his companions, wiping clean the long knife in his hands.

    ‘That one was MINE !’ Gariath exploded in a roar, the deck shaking with the force of his stomp. ‘He was put here to fight ME !’

    ‘He just crawled over the chain, actually,’ Dreadaeleon said quietly.

    ‘You gutted him like a fish!’ Asper said, grimacing at the corpse. ‘You killed him as if he was nothing!’

    ‘Is that . . . praise?’ Denaos shook his head. ‘No, no. Of course, you’re whining. Isn’t that typical? I’m demeaned for not killing anyone and the moment I save us all some trouble by indulging in an