Grim Company 02 - Sword Of The North
Page 48
He sniffed the air as he wandered through the wreckage of a city torn apart first by war and then by insurgency. The stench of alchemy filled his nostrils. This city had seen so much death; he could feel it in every pore of the dark granite beneath his feet.
There was a commotion ahead. A group of men and women were marauding down the street opposite. Their clothing was singed and their faces were covered in black powder and he knew they were fanatics, roaming the streets like jackals, looking for victims who lacked the wit to have barred themselves in their homes and closed the shutters. He could sense the alien technology implanted in their flesh, though its flavour was strange to him.
The group passed him by, oblivious to his presence. The traveller walked the paths others could not see. He reached up and touched the key hanging on the chain beneath his cloak, wondering what had become of the devastating entity he had freed from the depths of the forgotten kingdom. The gholam would have pierced his shroud of concealment, he knew. Caught him and scattered his ashes to the wind had he not taken such great pains to avoid making himself a target. It had been a huge risk, activating that terrible weapon of the gods, but the Master had willed it and Wolgred had obeyed. So it had been for the last three hundred years.
He was close now; the voice in his skull grew louder, beckoning him onwards, drawing him towards the docks where a fleet of newly arrived ships the likes of which even he had never seen filled the harbour. They were magnificent vessels: massive and yet delicate, the engineering that had gone into their design so far advanced of any ship ever built by the hand of man that it was as if he been transported to a different age. Though he was himself ancient by the standards of his people, the power he possessed exceeded only by the Master and his surviving peers, he felt himself humbled. He quickened his pace, aware that if the Adjudicators aboard those ships learned of his presence even his magic would not save him.
The building he was looking for was situated on a nondescript street. It appeared to be some kind of book depository, judging by the sign out front. He raised a hand to knock upon the door, but before his knuckles could rap against the wood the door swung inward and the Master’s words manifested directly inside his skull.
‘Enter.’
He did as he was commanded. The interior of the building was dark and unlit, and though his eyes could pierce shadows as easily as if it were day there was a pool of utter blackness in the corner of the well-maintained store that even the gaze of one versed in the ninth school could not penetrate.
‘Wolgred.’ The voice inside his head spoke again. Something seemed to move within that unnatural abyss of light, a deeper shade of black shifting slightly to regard him. ‘You bring news.’
‘Of course, master. It is my honour to serve.’
Silence followed his words, and Wolgred the Wanderer was filled with a sudden dread, afraid he had inadvertently caused offence. But a moment later that voice slithered into his skull again.
‘Report.’
‘The Nameless stirs beneath the Spine. The hold his Herald has on the King is near complete. Mithradates is dying and will not interfere in our plans.’
‘What of the gholam?’
‘It is somewhere in the ruins still.’
Two tiny pinpricks of malevolent red light flickered in the depths of the darkness. ‘You have done well.’
Joy filled Wolgred’s heart at the Master’s praise, but he didn’t dare let the pleasure show in his voice. ‘The Ancients have arrived. We must leave soon. Are… are you strong enough to portal, master?’
‘Not quite. Soon. I require sustenance.’
‘Of course, master. I shall see to it.’
‘Wait. There is something else. A marker in the Pattern has appeared unexpectedly. One I did not account for.’
‘Tell me what must be done, master.’
‘Go to Thelassa. Find the one named Davarus Cole and kill him. Take care not to alert the White Lady to your presence, or you will place our plans in jeopardy and risk a deviation in the Pattern. That cannot come to pass.’
‘Of course, master.’ Wolgred wanted to ask about Shadowport, enquire how much longer Lord Marius would need before he could resume his old form. But he dared not. Instead he bowed low, and then he left the depository to obtain the sacrifices his master had requested.
As luck would have it, a young Watchman was already on his way to the depository as Wolgred left the building. The guard mentioned something about a dog and keeping a promise to a man named the Halfmage. The Wanderer gestured at him to go inside with a warm smile.
He whistled a tuneless ditty as a high-pitched shriek erupted from the depository and was abruptly cut off by a feral growl and the crunching of bone. With the fehd ships now patrolling the harbour, he would need to find some other way of crossing Deadman’s Channel. It would only serve to delay the inevitable.
As he had so many hundreds of others before him, Wolgred the Wanderer would hunt down this Davarus Cole and kill him without remorse.
~
We hope you enjoyed this book.
The final instalment in the series, Dead Man’s Steel, will be released in 2016.
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Acknowledgements
~
Luke Scull
More books by Luke Scull
An invitation from the publisher
Acknowledgements
It’s often said that the second novel is the hardest; now I understand why. I would like to thank my publishers for their continued patience over the past two years as I wrestled with a succession of personal and professional challenges that made writing this book such a challenge.
My sincere thanks to my agent, Robert Dinsdale, without whom I would still be procrastinating over the manuscript that would become The Grim Company. Rob plucked a fledgling writer from the obscurity of the internet and into bookstores in the relative blink of an eye. He has equal claim to any success I enjoy.
I’d also like to extend my thanks to Rob’s colleagues at A M Heath, who continue to represent my work in the international markets. I dread the day they find me a Spanish publisher and my in-laws are finally able to read these books…
My thanks also to Chris Lotts for all his work in North America.
Mike Brooks again provided much needed (and honest) feedback on early versions of the manuscript. Not only is Mike is a great pair of eyes, he’s also rather a fine writer himself.
Lastly – but absolutely not least – in my absence of any artistic talent whatsoever, my wife Yesica stepped in to draft the map of Kayne’s journey. She also helped out with last-minute proofreading. Her loving support helped ensure this book got written.
About this Book
SOME LEGENDS NEVER DIE…
Between the Demonfire Hills and the Shattered Realms, three rich and mighty cities flourished. Each city was protected by the power of their Magelord; each Magelord protected by an ancient truce. But no longer. The City of Shades is drowned. The Grey City enslaved. The barrier between the worlds is failing and only the Magelord of the City of Towers still lives to protect her people.
Until the arrival of a blind wanderer.
A man who calls himself Crow…
Reviews
THE GRIM COMPANY
‘Scull spins a gripping tale with expertise and relish.’
Guardian
‘Packs an impressive amount of violence, hazy morality and betrayal, crafting an energetically cynical read. Showcasing thrilling action sequences alongside effective plot twists, it’ll please fans of the darker edges of epic fantasy… An entertaining page-turner.’
SFX
‘If you like your gizzards glistening and your mages mean, this rollicking debut will suit. Hugely enjoyable.’
Daily Mail
‘One of the bright new voices in epic fantasy.’
Speculative Book Review
‘With a great cast and an even greater story all wrapped up in a mature
world, told by a true storyteller, The Grim Company IS the best fantasy book you will read this year.’
SFBook
‘Paced like a race, never a dull moment, extraordinary set pieces, bold and brilliant. A stellar exemplar of what the genre has to offer today.’
Tor.com
‘An enjoyable romp at the heart of the genre.’
Interzone
‘A deftly crafted work that covers politics, betrayal, assassination, war, and frighteningly believable battles against enormous magical monsters, this is a great story that will keep you guessing right until the end.’
We Love This Book
‘A writer who will hit the fantasy genre like an augmented hammer, his writing is compelling, exciting and engaging.
My favourite fantasy of the year.’
Parmenion Books
‘I absolutely loved this novel. Scull could have a classic on his hands.’
Geek Syndicate
‘A fantastic story that is ripe with action, strong characterization and a tight plot. This not-to-be-missed debut marks Luke Scull as one of epic fantasy’s most talented.’
Fantasy Book Critic
‘Scull is the sort of author you buy on publication date and read on the way home.’
The Bookbag
About the Author
LUKE SCULL was born in Bristol and lives in Warminster with his wife. Luke also designs computer roleplaying games and has worked on several acclaimed titles for Ossian Studios and Bioware. Visit his website at: www.lukescull.com or connect with him on Twitter @Luke_Scull
About this Series
1 – The Grim Company
It is a time of darkness. The last magic of the dead gods is on the wane. Demons and half-formed monsters plague the land as the final barriers between the realms begin to fail. The jealous Magelords of three great cities sit in their towers of stone and brood over the scant power that remains…
It is not a time of heroes. Their songs are long forgotten, their deeds go unwritten.
But, even now, some few still nurse a spark of hope, an unlikely fellowship, united against the tyranny of their immortal overlords—
THE GRIM COMPANY
The Grim Company is available here.
A Letter from the Publisher
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HeadofZeusBooks
The story starts here.
First published in the UK in 2014 by Head of Zeus Ltd
Copyright © Luke Scull, 2014
The moral right of Luke Scull to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.
This is a work of fiction. All characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
9 7 5 3 1 2 4 6 8
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
ISBN (E) 9781781851586
ISBN (HB) 9781781851555
ISBN (XTPB) 9781781851562
ISBN (MMP) 9781781851579
Head of Zeus Ltd
Clerkenwell House
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London EC1R 0HT
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Contents
Cover
Welcome Page
Dedication
Maps
Thirty-six Years Ago
Wild Country
The More Things Change
Night of Fire
Dreams of the Dead
Thirty-six Years Ago
Savages
The Butcher King
Cold Truths, Warm Lies
Newharvest
Thirty-one Years Ago
Into the Swamp
The Iron Man
Just a Girl
Unbroken
The Better Place
Twenty-six Years Ago
Blood Magic
Assimilating
Scars of War
Twenty-five Years Ago
Choice and Consequence
Rock Bottom
The Seeding
Always a Choice
Changing Times
Twenty-four Years Ago
The Seer
God-touched
Shadowport
Reflections
Twenty-one Years Ago
Mal-Torrad
Legacy of Gods
Revelations
The Unborn
Fourteen Years Ago
Friends Old and New
What Lies Beneath
Angels and Demons
Ten Years Ago
Sundered
The Returned
The Better Man
Executed
Homecoming
The Truth of Iron
The Wanderer
Acknowledgements
About this Book
Reviews
About the Author
About this Series
An Invitation from the Publisher
Copyright