02 - Taint of Evil

by Neil McIntosh - (ebook by Undead)

  Stefan’s head cleared and he grew calm, filled with a quiet, almost serene contemplation. He was on the cusp of battle, amidst the calm at the very eye of the storm. Now, Stefan vowed, we shall show you such mercy as you deserve.

  With a cool detachment, he watched the riders grow steadily larger. They were not yet close enough for Stefan to make out whether they were men, beasts or some grotesque fusion of the two. But it did not matter. If they had the mark of Chaos upon them, then he would not rest until he had destroyed them all.

  Closer still. A burst of speed and a break in formation told Stefan that the Chaos warriors had realised they were being pursued. In the distance he could see the ancient stone causeway that forded the waters of the River Stir. Too far, surely, for the Chaos band to make the bridge before they were overtaken.

  The dark ones would realise that too. There would be one last desperate attempt to wring enough speed from their tired steeds, to try to reach the bridge. Stefan knew what would happen next. Accepting that escape was impossible, they would abandon the attempt. He felt the muscles in his body tighten in anticipation as he watched the enemy riders slow then gradually wheel away from the river, back towards them.

  “Get ready,” Stefan yelled at the top of his voice. “They’re attacking!”

  “Charge them down,” Anaise commanded, her voice shaking with excitement. “Let the river be their grave!” Stefan held back for one last moment before the conflagration engulfed them all. He pulled back on the reins, and took stock of the horde now driving, full-on towards him. Of the fifty, a good dozen bore standards, flags or colours rippling in the breeze behind them.

  Some were undoubtedly Norscan, others had the shape and size of mortal men, but disfigured by the hideous mutations of Chaos. Ragged antlers sprang from human heads, and limbs sprouted cloven hooves where feet should have been. Stefan shuddered. Was that the fate that awaited Alexei? Was it possible, even, that he was somewhere amongst them now?

  He shook the thought away. All that mattered was the coming battle, the storm of blood and steel that would soon engulf them all. The murdering Chaos horde would have been dangerous enough on the fields of Erengrad. Now, desperate and cornered, they had nothing left to lose. Stefan drew breath deep into his lungs and released a long roar of rage from his heart. He kicked in with his spurs and rode on, accelerating rapidly towards battle.

  CHAPTER TEN

  The Turning Tide

  Drawn into the fury of battle, it was as though Stefan stepped from the mortal realm into a different world, a place where space and time lost all sense and meaning. Where a few seconds of desperate struggle could span an eternity, or a lifetime be cut brutally short, ending in a matter of moments. As he tore into the ranks of the Chaos riders, Stefan surrendered his fortune to the gods. They would be his counsel, steer him and guide his sword. They would bless his victories and sit in judgement upon his deeds. The day would come, Stefan knew, when their judgement would fall against him. On that day it would be he who met the falling blade. Too late to shy from the blow, or take refuge behind a shield. Too late to fall back, bloodied but still valiant, to return again victorious to the fray. Stefan would barely see the shaft of steel as it blazed its fateful arc across that final sky. Somewhere in his mind he would say a last prayer, and walk towards a vision of his father, waiting for him beyond the Gates of Morr.

  One day, but not today, Stefan swore. Sweet would be the day when he stood within the halls of the dead, and embraced his father once more. But that day was not come yet. Today would be a day for vengeance, another small victory in the eternal war between darkness and light. Today he would reap a bloody harvest amongst the creatures of damnation.

  The twenty of Sigmarsgeist rode headlong into the enemy, the odds that faced them at least two to one. But Anaise’s men were faster, and they were united in will and purpose. The fifty or so they faced were the remnants of a defeated army, men and mutants held together only by adversity. Stefan tore into them in a fury his sword felling two slow-moving riders in the first assault. There were Norscans amongst them, possibly even kin to those who had burned his village and murdered his father. Stefan would take care to send as many as he could to the deaths they so richly deserved.

  Others amongst their opponents were mortal men no longer, no more than a ghastly parody of human form. Amongst the wheeling confusion of horses and men, Stefan saw creatures with bodies ripped open, living cadavers whose bones protruded like ivory spears through raw, gangrenous flesh. Many had their faces torn away, jewel-like eyes staring out at him through bleached skulls stripped of skin. Worst of all, Stefan now saw the flags that they carried were not flags at all. The fluttering pennants had been fashioned from human skin; grim trophies flayed from the bodies of the fallen. A wave of anger and disgust rose up in Stefan. These abominations would not see out the day.

  He lashed out with his sword, a scything blow that cut through the guard of the creature bearing down upon him. He had a glimpse of a face, a grinning skull that snarled with the teeth of a dog. The blow cut away the monster’s arm in a single stroke, but the mutant did not veer from its collision course.

  “Stefan, to your right!” He turned quickly to see another rider racing in on his flank. Anaise von Augen was a blur of speed as she closed upon the mutant. Sunlight flashed upon the steel of her blade as she tore the leering skull-head from its shoulders. The creature buckled and fell, breaking apart in a mass of splintered bone. Anaise was now under attack, two Norscan mercenaries closing in on her from either side. Stefan spurred his horse forward, putting himself between the Norscans and their intended target. The first rider struck out at him hastily, a wild sweep with an axe which found only thin air. Stefan made him pay for his wasted opportunity, aiming a blow squarely into the other man’s guts. The second Norscan was younger and faster than the first and for a few moments the two men traded blow for blow.

  The Norscan got lucky, a thrust found its way through Stefan’s guard and pierced the thin chainmail of his corselet. He felt the cold bite of the steel as it cut into his flesh, and saw the sneering satisfaction on the blond warrior’s face. The Norscan aimed what he intended to be the decisive blow, but was too hasty. Your lust for death will be your undoing, Stefan promised. He parried the blow easily and struck back, adrenaline numbing away the pain. The Norscan tried to anticipate the direction of Stefan’s attack, but guessed wrong, caught the full force of Stefan’s blade in his face.

  Stefan charged the other man’s horse out of the way, spilling the blinded Norscan from the saddle. Anaise had vanished again, sucked away into another pocket of the battle. Stefan made a rapid assessment of the unfolding scene. He counted two scarlet-dad riders down, but against that at least ten of the enemy had already been accounted for. The Chaos warriors were fighting with an animal desperation, but the odds were turning against them now.

  Hans Baecker emerged from the crowd ahead, weaving between three mutants, making every thrust of his sword extract a price. One by one, his opponents were cut down. Slowly, the soldiers of Sigmar were gaining parity with their foes.

  Something shot past Stefan’s face, grazing the surface of his cheek. He spun around to see a second missile fly past, only inches away. He found himself looking into the face of a young warrior, his ghostly skin covered in an ugly net of grey-green veins. The apparition jolted forward, accelerating toward Stefan. What had looked at first like the flaps of a coat hanging open around him were now revealed as folds of red raw flesh. The whole of the creature’s upper body had been pared away, leaving the ribcage exposed. The monster was plucking the bones from between its ribs, and hurling them like jagged, bloody spears, with a casual, but deadly ease. Stefan tugged desperately at the reins, weaving from side to side to evade the deadly missiles, closing in upon his adversary.

  The creature of Chaos cast three times, each razor-edged shard of bone flying just wide. Now the two riders were at arms’ length. The Chaos warrior ripped another bloody blade from its c
arcass and stabbed out at Stefan, aiming at his throat in a short, slashing motion. Stefan flung his head back, a sudden, violent motion that all but toppled him from his horse. For a moment he fought to stay in the saddle. If he fell now, it would all be over. He grabbed frantically at the reins and regained balance.

  The mutant struck out again, but this time wide of the mark. As the creature swung back, Stefan aimed a firm blow into the mutant’s body, wedging the point of his sword into the open cavity. Flesh tore and bone splintered and cracked as Stefan twisted the blade. The mutant swore and writhed, desperately trying to free itself, but Stefan held firm, driving his sword ever deeper into the monster’s body. When he was sure it was dead he pulled his sword clear to lash it one final time across the body, hurling the shattered corpse to the ground.

  A wave of nausea washed over Stefan as the shock of the encounter kicked in. He looked around, gasping for breath, and found himself in a clear space. The plain was littered with the bodies of the fallen. Stefan counted four Chaos marauders dead for each of the six soldiers of Sigmar that had given their lives. The tide had turned, the battle was all but won.

  A horseman burst through the skirmish of riders just ahead of him. It took Stefan a few moments before he recognised Anaise. Her white singlet was now a filthy red, and her face was spattered with the bloody gore of her enemies. But she was filled with an energy that was almost frightening to behold. Her face was wreathed in smiles, and her eyes shone with an almost manic excitement. She saw Stefan and saluted him, her voice trembling.

  “Seven dead by my sword!” she shouted to him, elated. “Seven sons of darkness who’ll never taint the light of day again!” She pulled her horse about, coming into tandem with Stefan. “How many have you taken?” she asked, breathlessly.

  “Five, I think,” Stefan replied. “Maybe six. It seems you have the better of me.” He tried to shape some sense of celebration into his words, but he could not. He felt cold, almost numb. There was something stark, something shocking about the raw blood lust he saw in Anaise. For a moment he found himself looking at her, but thinking about himself, in a way he had never done before. Was this how it was for him, as he emerged, victorious from battle? Was this how he felt? And, in that moment, he was seized with a sense of awe, and a quiet horror.

  Rilke stepped from the shadows into the circle of light at the centre of his master’s chamber. In the gloom behind him stood a cluster of Red Guards and two other figures, one of them weighed down with every manner of rope and chain imaginable. Rilke bowed before the seated figure of Konstantin von Augen, his grave expression mirroring that of his master.

  “They are here, my lord.”

  Konstantin peered into the gloom and beckoned for the guards to approach. They shuffled forward, ushering Lothar Koenig and his prisoner into the interior. Once in place, the guards stood round the prisoner with their swords held ready, drawing a ring of steel around the figure of Alexei Zucharov.

  Konstantin von Augen sat, taking in the man stood before him. A look of sorrow, and deep and ancient enmity crossed the Guide’s face.

  “The creatures of the night come to Sigmarsgeist,” he murmured. “Like moths to the eternal flame, they come.”

  The prisoner looked down upon the Guide as though staring through him, gazing upon something in the far distance.

  Konstantin returned the gaze steadily and without fear. The terrors of darkness would hold no dominion here. Finally, he turned to Koenig, who had been standing on one side, his head lowered in a posture of supplication.

  “Tell me your story,” Konstantin commanded. The bounty hunter executed a low bow before the Guide. “My lord, I captured this man with my own hands, and at great risk to my life, after a ferocious battle at the foot of the Ostravska valley. I knew at once where I must bring him.”

  “Does he not speak?” Konstantin asked.

  “My lord, he has uttered barely a word whilst in my keeping. I believe the Dark Gods have poisoned his tongue.”

  Konstantin looked to Rilke. “Was he alone at the gates?”

  “Quite alone,” Rilke said. “Apart from this.” He raised his arm. Lamplight fell upon a battered and blood-caked object: the severed head of the bandit lord, Carl Durer.

  “The mortal remains of a thief and a murderer,” Lothar explained, hastily. “I was taking proof of his death to Talabheim, hoping to earn some favour for my deeds there.”

  Konstantin nodded to Rilke. “Have your men dispose of it,” he said, waving aside Lothar’s pleas. He looked long and hard at the prisoner. Alexei Zucharov hadn’t moved so much as a muscle since being led to the chamber.

  “A fearsome looking warrior,” Konstantin observed. “And doubtless the poison of evil run deep in his veins. But what of it? The dungeons of Sigmarsgeist are full of creatures such as this. What do you think?” he asked Rilke. “Shall we have this one put to the sword and be done?”

  “Please,” Lothar protested. “Look closer, I beg you. My lord, look closer at his arm.”

  Konstantin said nothing for a few moments then, slowly and deliberately, rose from his seat and took a few steps towards the prisoner. He nodded to the guards, signalling that they should lift Zucharov’s arm for him to see. The metal of the amulet shone like fire under the lights, but it was not the golden band that caused the Guide to draw in a sharp breath.

  The living tattoo upon Zucharov’s flesh covered all of his arm, mapping every inch of his skin. Konstantin took another step closer, unable quite to believe what he was seeing. As he looked at the tiny figures and images etched in the lines of the tattoo, he could swear that they began to move, coming to life before his eyes. He looked up, into Zucharov’s eyes. For the first time Zucharov seemed to acknowledge him, and something akin to a smile crossed his dark features. Zucharov rotated his arm, the metal chains groaning as he opened the palm of his hand. Konstantin looked down, and let out a gasp of shock.

  He was looking at the citadel, his creation reproduced upon the man’s flesh. At the centre of the tiny image, two faces, their likeness unmistakable.

  Konstantin jolted back, the shock upon his face clear for all in the room to see. The Guide took a moment, struggling to regain his composure.

  “Take him to the cells,” he commanded, his voice shaking. “Our physicks must know more of this. They must divine what manner of witchcraft this is, and what it portends.” He looked around the room. “Rilke, do you hear me?”

  The White Guard nodded, acknowledging his master. But he was not looking at Konstantin any longer. His focus was elsewhere, his gaze locked upon the figure of Alexei Zucharov, intense and unflinching.

  “I feel terrible,” Bruno declared, getting up and pacing the floor for a second or third time. Bea regarded him without too much sympathy.

  “Come on,” she cajoled. “It’s only a scratch.”

  “I don’t mean this,” Bruno said, holding up his bandaged arm. “I mean letting Stefan down. I should have been there with him when they rode out.”

  “Well, I’m sorry,” Bea replied. “I’m a good healer, but I can’t work miracles, not yet. If you will go lumbering around near falling buildings then you’ve only yourself to blame.”

  “It’s just bad luck,” Bruno continued. “Getting myself injured at the very time I need my sword. The worst of luck.” He settled himself back by Bea’s side, but continued to look out of the turret window, towards the citadel walls.

  “I should be there,” he said, mostly to himself. “I should have been with them.”

  “Sorry yet again,” Bea answered, a hurt tone creeping into her voice. “Sorry for being such poor company.”

  Bruno looked round, and his face flushed. “No,” he said, hurriedly. “That’s not what I meant at all. I meant that I didn’t want to let Stefan down, that’s all.” He looked away, unable to meet Bea’s eye, his face growing ever redder. “You’re not poor company at all. Quite the opposite, in fact…” His voice trailed off and he sat in silence, lost for words. Bea w
aited a moment then took Bruno’s hand.

  “I’m the one who’s sorry,” Bruno muttered. “I’m not exactly making myself clear.”

  “I think you are,” Bea said, her voice warmer, more gentle now. She smiled, and moved closer towards him. Something fastened at Bruno’s neck flickered gold in the low light of the lamp.

  “Let me see that,” Bea asked. “Please.” Bruno hesitated. From beneath his shirt he pulled a thin gold chain bearing a pendant. “It’s an icon of the Goddess Shallya,” he explained. “It means—”

  “I know what it is,” Bea said, softly, “and I know what it means. May I?” Without waiting for an answer, she took the chain in her hand, leant forward, and lightly kissed the icon. “It means you are a pious man,” she said. “And a good man. But I knew that. I knew it as soon as I first set eyes upon you.”

  Bruno turned until they were face to face in the lamplight, their bodies all but touching. The tension of unspoken words hung in the air between them. Finally, Bruno broke away. “It’s stupid,” he said, running his fingers through his hair. “Or, rather I’m stupid. But I could swear that tower, or whatever it was, had sprung out of nowhere.” He glanced at her again. Bea was looking at him intently, no hint of mockery on her face. “Perhaps I’m going mad,” he suggested.

  “No, you’re not,” Bea replied, sounding suddenly very certain. She paused, as though weighing something up. “Actually, I’ve seen them too. Lots of them. All over the citadel.”

  “You have?” Bruno asked. “These columns, you mean?”

  “I’m not sure what I’d call them,” Bea said. “But whatever they are, it’s like something growing out of the ground, pushing through whatever was there before, breaking it apart.”