‘I can only speculate, I have never come across such a thing in life or in lore. I’m not even certain who conjured it here, for it appears to be as much a shock to the Deathpriests as it does to us.’
Valko signalled his remaining Deathknights to regroup and in moments, they stood ready to defend the Bloodwitches from the monster. A handful of palace Deathknights were still struggling to find a way to kill the conjured horror, and Valko watched closely, looking for any hint of weakness in the creature. Behind him, half a dozen Bloodwitches were also chanting quietly, some with their eyes closed, trying to sense something of the creature’s nature or power.
As Audarun began an enchantment, Valko returned his attention to the creature as it was confronted by the last of the palace Deathknights. He wished every one of them dead, but they were dying with courage, and he saluted that.
Soon there remained a single Deathknight, and he began to retreat, taking the creature farther away from where Valko and the others waited. Valko swore in frustration as some of his companion Deathknights began to laugh at the palace knight’s cowardice. ‘Enough!’ he shouted. ‘As amusing as it is to see the coward die painfully, we have more important things to think about, such as killing that monstrosity.’
‘I see no weakness in the creature,’ said a voice from behind him, and Valko turned to find Luryn standing at his shoulder.
‘You should not be here,’ he said. He had found the idea of having a sister difficult at first, but as he had spent time with her he had begun to see her resemblance to their mother and felt a drawing towards her, a sense of connection, which both pleased and troubled him. Sisters were to be sent off to mate with sons of powerful families, and bear them sons, to forge alliances; they were not people you grew to care about.
So much of what he had been taught as a youth by his mother was now coalescing into a new and troubling perspective. Valko found himself caring about those in the room, so that instead of just wanting to be victorious against the monster, he also wanted to protect his sister and the other Bloodwitches, as well as those Deathknights serving the White. He hated the conflict that came with those feelings when all he should wish to do was to kill whatever stood in his way.
Then suddenly Martuch, Hirea, another four Deathknights and two of the humans disguised as Lessers appeared in the courtyard. The human known as Pug moved fast: before the others could react he had already begun to cast a spell. As the monster killed the last palace Deathknight, a canopy of energy formed around it, and it looked back towards Pug as a pattern of crystals appeared on the surface of the canopy. Each crystal emitted a bright yellow line of energy, connecting to another crystal, and abruptly the creature found itself trapped in a latticework of energy.
It charged and upon contact with the lattice an explosion of smoke and flame erupted from its hand and shoulder. It howled in pain and rage, an echoing sound that once more caused Valko’s hair to stand up on his neck and arms. Mindlessly, the monster lashed out, but each contact with the energy lattice caused it more injury and pain.
Valko watched with a fascination bordering on revulsion as the frenzy of the monster grew with every passing second. Finally it was flailing around inside the trap, its body a mass of smoking, flaming wounds as it continued to throw itself against the latticework in a futile attempt to escape.
Pug said something to Magnus who stepped forward and incanted another spell. A pulse of force left the palms of his outstretched hands and struck the confined creature. It howled one last time and then exploded in a blinding silver-and-red flash, its destruction filling the courtyard with a stench of char and decay.
It had taken less than a minute for the two human magic-users to vanquish the creature. Martuch and Hirea both stood as if stunned: their years of battle-training had done nothing to prepare them for this.
Valko hurried to where Pug and Magnus waited, both looking exhausted. Pug and Magnus had left Nakor with Bek and hurried back to the rendezvous only to discover they had missed Martuch and Hirea. It was dawn and the city had been frantic; bells were pealing and the call was going out to muster the societies. All Deathknights and their followers were to be ready to receive orders from the TeKarana on behalf of His Darkness at noon the following day.
Magnus had used his ability to transport himself without a device to return them to the grove, where they had arrived just minutes before Martuch and Hirea rode in. A quick discussion resulted in them deciding to find Valko, for the absence of the young Lord of the Camareen would be noticed at the following day’s muster. Pug had had the time to inform the two Deathknights of what he had discovered in the heart of the Dark One’s temple.