The little warrior stretched and lifted his sword-belt into place, the long blade hanging between his shoulder-blades. His servant slept on, snoring softly.
‘Where is Chareos?’ asked Chien.
‘On the wall, I think.’
‘Let us hope so,’ said Chien, trotting towards the rampart steps. They searched the wall and the gate-tower. Chien seemed anxious now. He turned to stare back into the fortress, his eyes alighting on the still figure by the guardhouse wall. Both men ran to the body and Chien turned it over, feeling for a pulse.
‘What happened to him?’ asked Kiall.
‘I do not know. I heard his soul cry out. It woke me.’
‘Look, there is a cut to his face.’
‘It could have happened when he fell,’ said Chien. ‘We must get him to a fire. His body is cold, but the heart still beats.’
*
Chareos awoke to a bleak landscape – the sky a pitiless grey, the land devoid of life. A dead tree stood like a skeleton on the brow of a distant hill, and a light shone there. Chareos shook his head. He had no recollection of travelling to this barren land. As he walked towards the light wolves howled in the distance, the sound eerie and hollow. Chareos climbed the hill and sat by the light, which was emanating from a point just above the ground. He reached out to touch it, but a voice stopped him.
‘It is fragile, Chareos, and pure,’ said Okas and Chareos turned. The Tattooed Man smiled and held out his hand. Chareos took it.
‘What is the light?’ asked the Blademaster.
There are two lights,’ said Okas. ‘They are the souls of the twins Ravenna carries.’
‘They are beautiful,’ Chareos whispered.
‘All children have bright souls, but these two are special. They will change the world, Chareos. For good or ill.’
‘How did you come here? For that matter, how did I come here?’
‘Asta Khan poisoned your body. Even now you are dying in the world beyond. He plans to kill what he sees as the soul of the child.’
‘I remember,’ said Chareos. ‘He wants to bring Tenaka Khan back to life. Can he do it?’
‘Yes, if his timing is right. That is why the bones were at Bel-azar. That is also why Jungir placed a thousand spells on the Tomb of Ulric – not to stop robbers from getting in, but to stop Tenaka Khan from getting out. But Asta fooled him; he substituted the Khan’s bones, and carried them to Bel-azar – to await the ghosts-yet-to-be.’
‘So we fulfilled his dreams?’
‘We kept him alive when he was weak. But now he is strong again.’
‘What can we do?’
Okas shrugged. ‘We can defend the child.’
‘Can we succeed?’
‘No, Chareos. But when has that ever been important?’
A cold wind blew across the hill-top and a dark mist formed. The mist hardened to become a horde of demons with dull red eyes and long talons. In their midst stood Asta and beside him Tenaka Khan, the King Beyond the Gate.
Chareos stood and drew his sabre. It shone with a silver light.
‘Still you oppose me?’ sneered Asta Khan. ‘It will avail you nothing. Look now upon my army!” As far as the eye could see there were creatures of darkness, and Chareos could sense their lust for blood like a physical force pushing him back.
‘Step aside, Chareos,’ said Tenaka Khan. ‘You have done all that you were intended to do. The ghosts-yet-to-be have fulfilled their quest – they have given me a second chance at life.’
‘No, Great Khan,’ replied Chareos. ‘You had your life, and it ended. This child deserves to see the sky and live his own life. And I do not believe that my friends and I died for your glory. If anything, it was for the babe.’
‘Enough of this!’ shouted Asta. ‘You think to stop us alone?’
‘But he is not alone,’ said Beltzer, walking to stand beside Chareos. When the Blademaster looked at his friend, Beltzer was no longer old and fat, no longer bald. Red hair framed his face in a lion’s mane, and his silver axe blazed with light.