by Warhammer
Up ahead, she saw the Slayers had stopped. They stood before a huge cave mouth. The stink of rot and putrefaction was stronger here, as if they were coming close to its source. They stood now at the mouth of Skjalandir’s lair. Where was the dragon, she wondered?
Ulli watched Steg rummaging through the back of Malakai Makaisson’s wagon. A look of shame and embarrassment crossed his face. He tugged his beard. He kicked a stone. He felt dreadful. He had always known he was a coward. He had fled from his first battle and been ostracised by his clan. He had sought to atone for it by becoming a Slayer. He had thought that Grimnir might smile on him, and grant him the courage to find death. The god had not done so. In fact it looked like his shame was going to be increased. Who had ever heard of a Slayer who was a coward?
‘Found anything interesting in there?’ he asked, just to make conversation.
‘Lots of gear. Lots of tools,’ Steg said. ‘Probably weapons. I don’t know how to put them together. Must be worth a fortune but I don’t know how to use them.’
He sounded angry and disappointed. Ulli wondered if he had really thought to make his fortune by stealing the engineer’s devices. He had been wondering that since the start of the trip. Not that he would have minded right now. The engineer’s weapons had certainly routed those goblins. With them, they might have stood a chance of getting back. Without them, they probably did not.
He glanced back down slope. To his surprise the mist had started to lift. Through it, he thought he saw humanoid shapes, greenskins, coming ever closer. His heart sank. He knew now there was most likely no escape.
He felt something hardening within him. This was hopeless. There was no way back. Whichever way he looked there was only death. Perhaps Grimnir had answered his prayers after all. He came to a decision and climbed up onto the back of the cart. He saw that in the cases Steg had rummaged through were a collection of the black spherical bombs that Malakai was so fond of. They would do. He picked up a blanket and, using it as a sack, quickly filled it with bombs. Steg meanwhile had noticed the orcs.
‘Looks like we’ve got company,’ he said.
‘Aye,’ said Ulli. ‘I’d stay and kill them, but the dragon is bigger. It’s a better ending for a Slayer.’
Steg shrugged. ‘Aye, you’re right. And it most likely has gold too.’
‘Let’s be away then.’
Together they raced down into the Dragon Vale. Ulli hoped that if they hurried they might catch up with the others. He was not sure exactly why, but he felt it might be better to die in company.
The mouth of the dragon’s cave loomed before them. Felix guessed that the roof must be nearly five times his own height. He peered in, half-expecting to catch a glimpse of a huge reptilian head in the heartbeat before its fiery breath incinerated him. He saw nothing save that the cave extended deep into the earth. In the shadowy gloom, he could make out stalactites and stalagmites. For a moment, the cave itself seemed to be the maw of an enormous monster, but then common sense reasserted itself.
‘I can’t see any dragon,’ he said.
‘It’s in there. I can smell it,’ Gotrek said. ‘It’s down in the dark, cowering. We’ll just have to go in and get it.’
Gotrek’s description of the dragon’s behaviour struck Felix as being unrealistic. He doubted very much that the dragon felt any fear of them at all. It probably just hadn’t noticed them.
‘We’ll need light,’ he said. ‘It’s too dark to see down there.’
Max gestured and a sphere of golden fire hovered in the air above him. He gestured again and the sphere split into five smaller spheres, one of which moved to hover over each of the humans. Felix gathered that Max already knew the dwarfs did not need nearly as much light to see by as men did.
‘I guess we’re not going to be sneaking up on the dragon anyway,’ Felix said. He looked at the others. ‘Let’s get this over with.’
As they descended into the darkness, Felix was glad of the magical light. It hovered just behind his head and gave him enough illumination to see by. It was an absolute necessity in this place. The floor of the cavern was rough, and descended steeply into the gloom. Rocks protruded from the floor at intervals. He did not doubt that if he had tried to feel his way forward in the dark, he might easily have fallen and broken his neck.
The way followed many branching paths but it was always obvious, from the smell, and the trail of slimy blood that lay before them, in which direction they would find the dragon. Felix was glad of the marked trail too. This was not one cave, he realised, but a vast underground labyrinth in which it would be all too easy to get lost.
An enormous roar echoed through the caverns. The winding corridors amplified it to the point where it was almost deafening. Felix’s ears rang. He had no idea where the dragon might be. Once, judging from the intensity of the sound, he would have thought it was close, but his experiences in the tunnels of dwarf cities had taught him that noises could be deceptive. In a way this was worse. The uncertainty filled him with dread.
Around him the others were shadowy figures. The humans were outlined by the sorcerous spheres. The dwarfs were near invisible as they moved through the gloom. He could see their silhouettes, and hear their voices, but nothing more. The smell of corruption was getting worse. He put his hand over his mouth and nostrils to keep from gagging.
Behind him, he could hear the noise of running feet. He turned to see Ulli and Steg moving down the corridor. He noticed that Ulli had a huge sack thrown over his shoulder.
‘I’m glad you could join us after all,’ Felix said sardonically. ‘You’re not too late for the action.’
‘We didn’t have much choice,’ Ulli said, looking more than somewhat embarrassed. ‘A whole tribe of greenskins has shown up outside.’
‘The way back is cut off,’ added Steg.
‘Wonderful,’ Felix said. ‘Just what I needed to hear.’
‘Don’t worry,’ said Snorri. ‘We’ll get them on the way out.’
The cave became a long high tunnel. Shadows danced away from the glowing globes. The trail led on deeper into the earth. Somewhere off in the distance they could hear running water. The walls were damp, and covered in slick greenish moss. Suddenly the bellowing stopped.
‘Och, the beastie must hae smelled us,’ said Malakai. ‘Ah dinnae doot it kens we’re here.’
‘Snorri thinks that’s just fine,’ said Snorri. ‘Snorri wouldn’t want to take unfair advantage.’
‘The creature must die,’ Gotrek said. ‘The dwarf folk have a mighty grudge against it.’
‘Aye,’ Grimme said. ‘That they have. So have I.’
Everyone looked at him in surprise. It was the first time he had ever spoken to them. His voice was quiet and sad and sour. He met their gazes evenly. Hatred and sorrow were etched upon his face. ‘The beast killed my whole clan. I was in the lands of men trading or I would have died with them. I have come back bearing this grudge. I will either kill the beast, or die expunging the shame of failing to die with my clan.’
‘The beastie will die,’ Malakai said. ‘It owes me for what it did tae ma lovely airship.’
‘The dragon must pay for the death of Varek,’ said Snorri.
‘We’ll make it,’ Bjorni said.
‘Are you going to stand here all day boasting?’ Gotrek said. ‘I have better things to do.’
‘Let’s go,’ Malakai said.
Ahead they could hear the roar of water, and see something glittering.
‘Gold,’ Steg said, lengthening his stride, apparently unconcerned now with his personal safety.
‘Or the glitter of dragon scales,’ Max said. ‘Be prepared to fight.’
As they moved closer, Felix could see a great cavern looming ahead of them. It was a monstrous chamber, as vast as the interior of the Temple of Sigmar in Altdorf. At one end was a waterfall, which tumbled into a large pool. The wetness of the spray moistened Felix’s face, even at this distance. The air stank of rotting flesh.
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sp; Around the chamber’s edge ran several ledges large enough to hold a man. The tunnel on which they walked ran into a crude ramp, smoothed by the passage of the dragon’s massive body over the years. Here and there lay the bones of men and beasts and monsters. There was indeed treasure glittering in the cavern, great mounds of it, silver and copper and gold and jewellery all mingled together. It held the eye for mere moments though before it was drawn to the creature that dominated the huge space.
In the centre of the chamber lay the dragon, the largest living thing Felix had ever seen, or hoped to see.
It was the size of a small hill, an enormous mass of muscle and sinew and scale. Its leathery wings were wrapped tight around its body. Its long tail was tipped with a great razor-edged paddle-blade of flesh. Double rows of serrated spines, each as large as a tall man, ran down its spine. Even as Felix watched the monstrous serpentine neck uncurled as the dragon lifted its head to see who disturbed its slumber. It glanced down at them with baleful, hate-filled eyes. Felix could see pain and madness in the gaze. Part of him wanted to flee, but from the blade in his hand came a flow of strength and calm and courage.
Even the dwarfs were daunted by those evil eyes, Felix could tell. Behind him, he heard Ulli and Bjorni and Steg whimper. Even Snorri let out a groan of despair. Only Gotrek, Malakai and Grimme stood their ground with no show of fear. Felix could sense Max and the Kislevites would turn tail at the slightest provocation. He did not blame them. The dragon was as large as the Spirit of Grungni. Its mouth was a massive tooth-filled chasm which could easily swallow a man whole. Flame flickered from its nostrils along with clouds of acrid chemical smoke.
‘Hold fast,’ Felix said, surprised at how calm he sounded. Once again, he felt the power of the sword at work. ‘Ulrika, Oleg, Standa, get up on the ledges and start shooting for the eyes, the throat or any vulnerable spot you can think of. Max, can your magic protect us from the flames?’
‘Aye. I hope so. For a time, at least.’
‘Then do so!’ A note of command entered Felix’s voice and he was amazed to see them jump to obey. Something else struck him. The dragon was moving slowly, dragging its left side. Hope surged through Felix. He thought he understood what had happened.
‘It’s wounded,’ he said. ‘It still hasn’t recovered from Varek crashing the gyrocopter into it.’
The dragon reared unsteadily, spreading its wings for balance. Its huge shadow flowed over the wall behind it, but that was not what held Felix’s attention. He could see now that he was right. There was a massive wound in the beast’s side, which festered greenly. This was the source of the stink in the air. Varek had hurt the creature far more than he had ever believed possible.
‘Try firing arrows at the wound in its side,’ Felix shouted. ‘The scales have fallen away there.’
Ulrika and the two Kislevite bowmen were already running along the ledges, spreading out and taking cover behind the stalagmites. Max raised his staff and a wave of power flowed out of him, setting the air shimmering.
‘Charge!’ roared Gotrek. All of the Slayers except Malakai raced forward. Without quite understanding why Felix did the same. The dragon moved to meet them, the earth shaking beneath its ponderous tread. Its roars were deafening. Its head looped forward on its neck and it breathed a sheet of flame. Felix raised his sword to parry it as he had done on the airship but there was no need. The shimmering protective field cast by Max held the flames at bay.
From the corner of his eye, Felix noticed that Steg was not running towards the dragon, but towards the largest pile of loot. He dived into it like a swimmer plunging into water and shrieked, ‘Gold! Lovely gold! It’s all mine.’
He’s mad, Felix thought. Even as the dragon loomed over them, Steg tossed handfuls of coins ecstatically into the air, shouting, ‘Mine! All mine!’
From behind Felix came a weird spluttering hissing noise. Something flashed past overhead, trailing fire. It exploded in the dragon’s wounded side, sending great chunks of flesh hurtling outwards, and exposing bone and inner organs. The dragon let out a fearsome roar that was somewhere between a bellow and a scream. As he closed with the creature, Felix could hear the air hissing out of the dragon’s lungs through the hole in its chest.
The mighty creature reared upwards, its wings flexing as it did so. The movement drove the stench of rotting flesh towards its attackers in an almost overpowering wave. Felix fought to keep from gagging, and looked up in wonder. He did not think he had ever imagined a living thing quite so large. It loomed over him like a walking tower. There was something unnatural about it, as if a building had grown legs and started walking around. It was so tall that its head almost touched the ceiling of the cavern, and that was almost twenty times the height of a man.
How can we possibly overcome this, he thought, as awe threatened to paralyse him? It did not seem possible that human or dwarf valour could prevail against such a thing. It was just too big. They were like mice trying to overcome a grown man. Even as these thoughts surged through Felix’s mind, Gotrek reached the dragon’s foot.
Felix’s numbed mind noted that the talons of the creature’s paw were almost the size of the Slayer. If this dismayed Gotrek, he gave no sign of it. His axe flashed through a thunderous arc and bit into the dragon’s leg at about the spot the ankle would have been in a human. The mighty blade parted scales and flesh. Greenish blood spurted steaming from the wound. The dragon bellowed its rage and pain once more then bent forward, its head coming down with the speed of a striking serpent, its huge jaws opening and threatening to take Gotrek with one gulp.
Felix wondered if the moment of the Slayer’s doom had finally arrived.
Desperately Ulrika tried to get a bead on the dragon’s eye. It should not be difficult, she told herself. The orb was larger than the targets she had used for archery practice ever since childhood. Of course, those targets had not moved around at enormous speed, nor had they been attached to something quite as overwhelmingly fearsome as a dragon. Part of her did not want to fire for fear of attracting the creature’s attention. And, in archery practice, there was not the distraction of having Felix and the Slayers fighting with the target either.
Stay calm, she told herself. Breathe easily. It does not matter how large the beast is. It does not matter what it is doing. It is just another target. You can hit it easily enough. You have hit birds in flight. This should not be so difficult as that.
Time seemed to slow. Her mind emptied and calmed. She drew back the arrow. With what seemed to her incredible slowness, the dragon’s head started to descend. She compensated for the movement, aimed at where the eye should be when the arrow reached it, and then released.
The arrow flew straight and true. She prayed to Taal that it would find its mark.
An arrow flashed out of nowhere and hit the dragon in the eye, just before the head reached Gotrek. The Slayer threw himself to one side, and the dragon’s jaws snapped shut on empty air. The dragon’s own motion, and Gotrek’s hamstringing blow, combined to overbalance the creature. It tumbled forward, headlong. Felix cursed, realising that it was going to land on him. Screams from Ulli and Steg told him that they had realised that they, too, were in the path of its descent.
The dragon’s wings flapped instinctively, slowing its fall. Felix felt the wind flutter his cloak and threw himself to one side. Ulli did the same. For some reason, Steg refused to move. ‘You can’t have my gold,’ he shouted, swinging his pick up to strike at the dragon, even as the huge body landed on him. Felix heard the squelch as he only just rolled clear.
Felix saw that Malakai was stuffing something into the metal tube he carried once more. As the dragon started to rise, he finished the operation and swung the cylinder into position on his shoulder. The dragon stretched its neck towards him, and as it did so, Malakai pulled some sort of trigger on the front of the tube. Sparks flew from the back of the tube and another projectile flashed forth and sped straight towards the dragon’s mouth. It reminded Felix of the fi
reworks he had seen unleashed at Altdorf to celebrate the Emperor’s birthday. No firework had ever exploded with quite such violence though. The force of the explosion loosened several of the dragon’s man-sized fangs, and tore a hole in the top of the creature’s mouth. How could anything survive such punishment, Felix wondered.
It had its terrible festering wound. It had a huge hole ripped in its chest. It had an arrow sticking from its eye. It had blood seeping from its ankle where Gotrek had hamstrung it. And yet it still refused to die. It lashed around in a frenzy. Its tail cracked the air like a whip. Its wings drummed like thunder. It lashed out with a claw that would have flattened Malakai like a swatted fly, had not the engineer thrown himself flat below it. As the dragon rose for another blow, Felix saw the flattened form of Steg was still attached to its chest. His pick was driven between the creature’s scales, and even in death his hand still clutched the weapon’s shaft. The force of the impact had embedded bits of gold in his skin and armour. In death, he glittered.
Gotrek’s warcry rang out and Felix saw that the Slayer was at the dragon’s rear, chopping at its tail with the axe. Each blow carved great chunks out of the dragon’s flesh. Snorri had joined the fray and battered away with axe and hammer. Felix could not see whether his blows were having any effect.
A flash of gold light told Felix that Max had cast a spell. A bolt of uncanny power flashed at the dragon’s other eye. The eyeball sizzled and popped and now the dragon was blinded. Grimme raced forward as its head swooped low, and ran almost into the creature’s mouth. His hammer smashed through a great arc, and pulped scale and flesh beneath it.
The dragon breathed, and even from where he stood Felix could feel the heat. Grimme was too close to its source for any protective spell to intervene. His armour and hair caught alight. His crest became a sizzling flame. His flesh blackened and then ran like liquid, so fierce was the heat. He did not even have time to scream, then he was gone. The dragon sprawled forward on all fours once more, emitting the fiery jet at its tormentors.