by William King
Zamara slumped. “Leave me,” he said. “You can still escape.”
“We can still get to the roof,” said Rhiana. “I just have no idea what we are going to do when we get there.”
She looked at Kormak as if hoping he would say something reassuring. There was nothing left for him to say. “We all go together,” he said.
Rhiana nodded. “Aye. We’ve come this far together. We’ll go the rest of the way.”
“I’ll wager you are sorry you ever came to this place,” Zamara said.
“What I resent most is that I am going out with a king’s ransom in wraithstone in my pack and I’ll never get a chance to spend it,” Rhiana said.
“Spoken like a true pirate from Port Blood,” said Zamara. “Well, I’m grateful to you all for standing by me. A man could not ask for better company on the road to the Kingdoms of Dust.”
He was making his last goodbye, Kormak realised.
* * *
Balthazar felt a surge of power that almost made his mouth water until he realised he could not use it. The energy was inimical to him and the master he served. It flowed chaotically, uncontrollably. The Guardian had unleashed all the Furnace held in a chain reaction. He howled with frustration.
Ahead lay the arch through which his prey lay.
There was no way he could pass through it and live. There was no way that he could get to the Guardian now. Kormak had triumphed at the cost of his own life.
The radiance was almost at a deadly level now. Balthazar could feel it building and building. It would only be a matter of time before that tidal wave of energy erupted and flowed over the citadel and out into the desert.
Nothing within leagues would survive. He could fly but he would still not be fast enough to get away in time. He needed to find another way out. There was only going to be one way to do that and he feared to even try. He would need to pass out of the realm of mortals entirely and into the place where the Shadow Lords dwelled.
Balthazar looked deep within his mind and drew upon his power. It was difficult here so close to the blazing presence of all that Light yet it needed to be done if he was to have the smallest shred of a chance at life. He had come too far to give in now without a struggle.
He drew upon the knowledge of the Old One. Its mind was still there, desperate to survive and it aided him. Xothak fed him more power and knowledge through his link to the Outer Dark. It came intermittently as the Light interfered with it. He saw the pattern of the spell and understood what he must do.
He drew upon all his reservoirs of energy, fighting against the interference. It was like trying to run through quicksand with lead weights attached to his legs. His heart pounded within his chest, his breathing deepened, his flesh rippled and changed as it sought new forms to help him endure the pain and the stress.
Nexali’s eyes were wide with fear. She knew what was happening. She sensed what he was doing. She spread her armoured arms wide and threw her own power into the spell. They reached a tipping point. There was a sensation of chill as the fabric of reality tore. A wave of whispering shadows raced out, reaching for them and then retreated as they sensed the Light.
The gap in the air was just big enough for a man to step through. Looking into the depths of darkness and sensing the things that lay beyond, Balthazar felt reluctant. It felt too much like walking down the throat of a great beast.
Xothak whispered to him that it was too late for any hesitation now and he knew that was true. Unless he passed through that opening, he would be destroyed. Yet in some ways it felt like merely a choice of endings. He would be devoured if he passed through that portal.
As his doubts swayed him, the doorway flickered. Only his will held it open and that was starting to weaken.
Nexali stepped forward and turned to give him one last look. Her eyes looked huge. Her face was strained. She gestured for him to follow, stepped through. Shadows flared around her, limning her form against a deeper darkness, then he seemed to hear a distant scream and she was gone.
Undecided, Balthazar stood there for a moment. Perhaps there was yet a way to get out of here, but he knew he had wasted too much precious time. It was the shadowy portal or nothing. He would need to trust in his god and his own power.
He took a last deep breath and stepped through the doorway into the Underhell. Blazing agony took him.
* * *
The pathway curved ever higher until Kormak and his companions emerged onto the roof. He looked out over the glittering bulk of the citadel. Beneath them it seethed like an ant hill broken up by boys with sticks. Machines moved across the ruins, still fighting. Everything happened in eerie silence. No horns blew the alarm. No drums beat. No one shouted in terror and yet he knew without the slightest doubt that something terrible was about to happen.
The others, blinking in the sudden sunlight, saw the same as he did. There was nothing here but the empty sky. There was no escape and no way down save throwing themselves from the edge or going back the way they had come. Both represented certain death.
The building shuddered. The orichalcum frame shivered as if some huge invisible hammer had struck the structure.
It was over. There was no way out. He had taken his last step. He was looking at the last things he would ever see. He knew then what he wanted to look at.
He turned and gazed upon Rhiana. She met his gaze fearlessly, the white translucent lids retreated from her eyes. He looked into her eyes and fumbled for all the things he wanted to tell her and now would never have the chance.
She looked over his shoulder and her eyes widened. He turned to look in the direction indicated by her pointing finger. A golden dragonfly moved through the sky towards them. Only as it closed did Kormak realise how big it was.
“What is that?” Zamara asked. “It’s as large as a galley and yet it flies like a hummingbird.”
Kormak recognised it. It did not seem possible. “It is one of the vessels that was in the chamber where we first spoke to Zhamriel.”
A blast of heat emerged from the stairwell followed by fire and smoke. The scent of super-heated metal filled the air.
Instinctively, Zamara clutched at Rhiana. The two of them toppled towards the edge of the roof. Kormak’s heart lurched and he grabbed for Rhiana, catching the back of her tunic. The tug of her weight almost overbalanced him. He threw himself backwards, hoping to offset her momentum but they all slithered along the buckling roof.
Desperately, he pulled his dagger free from its scabbard and drove it downwards. It scored the metal but could not pierce it.
Zamara was already halfway over. He had managed to grasp the edge with one hand, scoring his hand bloody. Rhiana slid down, feet scrabbling for purchase.
At the very edge, she stopped and then she fell. She did not scream.
Kormak slid after her, hands clawed, ready to grasp the edge. He went over too, and for a moment caught sight of the vertiginous drop to death, then something large and flat and golden slid into place beneath them. Rhiana lay flat atop the huge metal dragonfly, staring up at him. Her wide eyes revealed a mixture of horror, fear and disbelief. Kormak allowed himself to fall, landing cat-like beside her.
The dragonfly nudged closer to the shuddering roof. Zamara dropped down onto its back.
A hatch opened and the angel’s voice emerged from within. “Get in! Now! We must leave this place or perish.”
Rhiana rolled down through the hatchway. Kormak pushed Zamara through the hatch and dropped down himself.
The hatch closed and Kormak was sent rolling through its metal interior by the force of enormous acceleration. He slammed bruisingly into a metal wall, and found himself looking out through a crystal porthole. Behind him, the massive spire of the citadel erupted into flames, sending huge fragments gouting into the sky.
A shockwave erupted from the central spot, roaring through the citadel, flattening it and melting it. Metal turned to steam, a light as bright as the sun blazed, forcing Kormak to look away.
There was a sound like thunder then the craft descended as if the hammer of an angry giant had arced down on it. Looking backwards, Kormak could see the horizon lift as the aircraft went down. A mighty mushroom cloud of steam and stone and smoke rose behind them, emerging from a glowing metal crater where once the citadel had been,
He felt a sense of loss. All those wonders, all that treasure all gone. All that knowledge lost. The dragonfly struggled skyward again, riding out the hurricane caused by the destruction of the citadel.
His companions looked up breathless. The angel continued to hover, somehow having maintained its position through the whole wild bucking skyride.
“Is it over?” Zamara asked. His face was bruised. His lips were mashed. His arm dangled by its side as if broken,
“Yes,” said Zhamriel. “My adversary is gone. I have no sense of his presence. We have won.”
He did not sound as if he had won. He sounded as if he had lost everything.
Kormak moved over to where Rhiana lay. She looked up at him wanly and smiled. “It’s over. We’re alive.”
The dragonfly rode the winds towards the coast, travelling far faster than any bird, heading back towards the lands of the Sun. As it passed, it left behind the sound of thunder.
About the Author
William King lives in Prague, Czech Republic with his lovely wife Radka and his sons Dan and William Karel. He has been a professional author and games developer for over a quarter of a century. He is the creator of Gotrek and Felix for Black Library. He is also the author of the World of Warcraft novel Illidan. Over a million of his books are in print in English.
He has been nominated for the David Gemmell Legend Award. His short fiction has appeared in Year's Best SF and Best of Interzone. He has twice won the Origins Awards For Game Design. His hobbies include role-playing games and MMOs as well as travel.
You can find out more at www.williamking.me
He has been short-listed for the David Gemmell Legend Award. His short fiction has appeared in Year’s Best SF and Best of Interzone. He has twice won the Origins Awards For Game Design. His hobbies include role-playing games and MMOs as well as travel.
His website can be found at: www.williamking.me
He can be contacted at [email protected]
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CITADEL OF DEMONS
COPYRIGHT © WILLIAM KING 2017