into the SkraeBold‘s back, but as he readjusted his grip the SkraeBold‘s talons tore his mailshirt
apart and sliced deep into his chest and flank. Axis went rigid with shock, his back arching off
the ground beneath him, the pain too great for him to summon the breath to scream. His sword
clattered from suddenly nerveless hands, and Axis knew he was dead. Perhaps it was as well that
he would die where he had lost so many of his command. Better he die with them than survive without them.
The SkraeBold writhed and twisted as it lay upon Axis‘ body, digging its talons deeper,
feeling them rip through the man‘s flesh, crowing its joy. Gorgrael would reward him well for
this. It was still laughing and hiccupping with amusement when Belial swung his sword high in
both fists and buried it deep between the SkraeBold‘s wings. The impact was so great that it
almost knocked Belial off his feet, but he held on grimly as the creature writhed screaming
below him. Pray I am not too late, Belial thought over and over in his mind, horrified to see
glimpses of Axis‘ pale and still face, terrified by the sight of blood running away down the
gutter.
―Die, you inhuman bastard!‖ he screamed, and twisted the sword down through the
creature‘s flesh until he heard the flesh tearing away from bone. He let go the sword, still buried
deep in the SkraeBold‘s body and, grabbing one of the leathery flapping wings, rolled the
creature off Axis‘ body. As the SkraeBold flopped over onto its back the sword drove deeper
until the tip of the blade suddenly emerged with a dreadful sucking pop from its breast. The
SkraeBold gave one last hiccupping sigh, its blood pouring out from its beak. Instantly it started
to dissolve.
Belial raised his head to look at the white faces staring down from atop Gorkenfort‘s
walls. ―Damn you!‖ he screamed. ―Open the gates! Axis lies a-dying while you watch!‖
He leaned down and lifted Axis‘ limp body across his shoulder, staggering as he took the
full weight onto his own exhausted frame. Turning slightly towards the final desperate battle at
the barricades he screamed to Arne, the most senior of the Axe-Wielders left alive. ―Fall back,
Arne! Fall back towards the gates!‖ Not waiting to see if Arne had heard him, Belial staggered
towards Gorkenfort‘s gates, his feet slipping now and again on cobbles made treacherous with
melting snow and blood.
Atop the walls Jorge turned to Magariz. ―I hereby do take the decision to open the gates.
You are not involved. I outrank you. I will take total responsibility.‖
―You are too late. I gave the order to open the gates minutes ago.‖
The two men stared at each other. Then they turned and slid down the ladders leading to
the courtyard.
Borneheld was across the other side of the fort, close to the walls of the Keep, when he
saw the gates begin to open. He screamed in fury and ran around the battlements towards the
gates, but he was tired and the footing treacherous and only a third of the way around he slipped
and fell heavily, turning an ankle so viciously that he could not rise for several minutes. He lay
there, his face red and furious, gasping unintelligible orders.
Belial struggled through the gates with Axis an instant ahead of a flood of soldiers, many
of them dragging wounded colleagues. Confounded by the death of one of the SkraeBolds, the
Skraelings failed to attack the retreating men. And the remaining SkraeBold was so surprised at
the killing of its brother that for long minutes it failed to rally the Skraelings.
The combination of Magariz‘s humanity, Borneheld‘s unsure footing, and the Skraelings‘
confusion meant that only a few men were unlucky enough to be caught by wraiths as they
turned to flee for the gates. All the others got through, and the iron-plated gates clanged shut in
the faces of the first Skraelings to rouse themselves and race after the fleeing men.
The siege of Gorkenfort had begun.
Faraday walked through an enchanted forest, full of power and beauty, peace and
serenity and strange diamond-eyed birds.
But the beauty, peace and serenity did not last and the diamond-eyed birds fled.
The sounds of a battle began to intrude upon her dream, and then, horrifyingly, the vision
the trees had sung her flickered before her eyes again.
Axis, his sword clattering uselessly from his hands. Red, red everywhere. Heat. A Dark
Man, crying with laughter. A woman, crying for release. A bloodied sun hanging over a golden
field. Blood. Blood—why was there so much blood? Where was Axis? Faraday twisted away,
gagging in horror. He was covered in blood—it dripped from his body, it hung in congealing
strings through his hair and beard. He reached out a hand, then a great gout of blood erupted
that covered her as well. She could feel it trickling down between her breasts, and when she
looked for Axis all she could see was a body lying before her, hacked apart, and a golden and
white form, as if a spirit, slowly rising behind it.
A heart, beating uselessly…
The bloodied sun…
A heart…
Blood…
The creature’s claws and beak tearing deep into the heart.
― Axis! ‖ she screamed and wrenched herself from Yr‘s arms. ―Axis!‖
Yr tried to grab her but Faraday had already snatched a cloak and was pushing past
Timozel. He too tried to restrain her, but Faraday turned on him viciously. ―Take your hand off
me,‖ she snarled, and, shocked by the power in her voice, Timozel let her go.
Faraday wrapped the cloak about her shoulders and ran down the corridor, her hair flying,
Timozel and Yr only a step behind her. They shared an apprehensive glance. What was
happening?
Faraday ran into the courtyard just as Belial staggered through with Axis in his arms.
Even from her distance Faraday could see the blood that covered Axis.
―Mother!‖ she whispered, appalled, certain he must be dead, then picked up her skirts and
ran towards Belial.
Yr raced behind Faraday, her face white with anguish at what she could see.
Faraday slid to a halt beside Belial as he lowered Axis to the ground underneath the eaves
of the stables. Drained of the last of his strength, Belial sank down beside Axis, his face pale
underneath his bloodied forehead.
Faraday pushed away the few men who reached down to Axis and fell to her knees beside
him. He breathed spasmodically, his skin ashen from loss of blood that seeped from half a dozen
deep wounds. If the SkraeBold had missed Axis‘ heart it nevertheless sounded as if it had torn
his lungs apart.
―Faraday,‖ Belial began brokenly.
Faraday raised her eyes from Axis‘ bloody body. ―I am not going to give up while he has
life left in his body, Belial! Give me your knife!‖
Belial stared at her, not comprehending, and Faraday snapped her fingers impatiently.
―Your knife! I have to cut these clothes from him!‖
Yr dropped to her knees beside Faraday, her face stricken, cradling Axis‘ head in her
hands. This was the closest contact she‘d had with the man since she‘d been in cat form; it felt as
if his life force was all but gone. If it blinked out completely then all was lost; the world would tear itself to pieces under Gorgrael as the Prophecy shattered apart.
Faraday desperately cut and tore Axis‘ clothes from his body, paling as she saw the full
extent of his injuries. The SkraeBold had dug its talons deep into his chest and left flank—seven
or eight appalling lacerations gaped open revealing bone and spongy lung tissue. A dozen
smaller cuts dotted his chest and belly.
―Leave his head,‖ Faraday said quietly to Yr, ―Help me staunch some of the wounds.‖
Already her own hands were slippery with blood.
Axis was dying. ―Damn it!‖ Faraday muttered, then took a deep breath. ―Mother, help me
save him,‖ she whispered, and reached down into the very soul of her being to draw on the
power the Mother had given her.
It seared up through her body and Faraday fought not to lose control, fought to direct the
power to her purpose. Belial, who had struggled to a sitting position, was the only one with a
clear look at Faraday‘s face and he noticed the change that came over her. He rocked back,
shaken by the flash of emerald glow in the woman‘s dark green eyes as she called on the
Mother‘s gift, but more so by the expression of sheer power that swept down over her face like a
curtain.
Faraday dug her fingers deep into Axis‘ wounds until her hands were completely
submerged in his body, the Ichtar ruby on her left hand burning as it was immersed in the
BattleAxe‘s blood. The bystanders took sharp breaths in alarm; what was she doing?