David Gemmell - Waylander II - In The Realm of the Wolf

'It could be a trick of the earth,' whispered Miriel. 'You know, like wind whistling through a crack in the rocks.'

'There's not usually a great deal of wind at this depth,' said Senta.

They moved cautiously on, until they came to a long room, filled with metal cabinets. Most of the glowing panels had ceased to operate, but two still cast pale light across the iron floor. Miriel saw an object lying beneath an overturned table. 'Senta,' she said softly. 'Over there!'

The swordsman crossed the room and knelt. He rose swiftly and backed to where Ekodas and Miriel were standing. 'It's a human leg,' he said. 'Or what's left of it. And believe me, you don't want to know the size of the bite-marks.'

'Kesa Khan said there was no danger,' put in Miriel.

'Perhaps he didn't know,' volunteered Ekodas. 'The crystal is through that doorway. Let me find and destroy it, then we'll leave as fast as we can.'

'If we disappeared in a flash of magic it wouldn't be fast enough,' Senta told him. The priest did not smile, but moved on through what was left of the doorway. 'Look at that,' Senta told Miriel. 'The stone of the wall around the door has been torn out. You know, call me boring if you like, but at this moment I'd like to be sitting in that cabin of yours, with my feet out towards the fire, waiting for you to bring me a goblet of mulled wine.' The lightness of tone could not disguise the fear in his voice, and when Ekodas cried out, apparently in pain, Senta almost dropped his sword.

Miriel was the first to the doorway.

'Get back!' shouted Ekodas. 'Stay beyond the walls. The power is too much for you to bear!'

Senta caught Miriel by the arm and hauled her back. 'You know, beauty, I don't mind telling you that I am frightened. Not for the first time, but I've never known anything like this.'

'And me,' she agreed.

A shuffling sound came from the other end of the hall.

'I have a bad feeling about this,' whispered Senta.

And the creature moved into sight. It was colossal, almost twelve feet high, and Senta gazed in horror at the beast's two heads. Both were grotesque, with only vestigial traces of humanity; the mouths wide, almost as long as his forearm, the teeth crooked and sharp. Miriel drew her sword and backed away. 'Whatever you have to do, Ekodas, do it now!' she shouted.

The creature leaned forward, part-supporting its weight on two huge arms, its three legs drawn up beneath its bloated belly. It looked to Senta like a giant white spider crouching before them. One of the heads lolled to the left, eyes opening, fastening on Miriel. A groan came from its grotesque lips, deep and full of torment. The mouth on the other head opened and a piercing scream echoed in the hall. The creature tensed and shuffled crablike towards them, groaning and screaming.

Miriel edged to the left, Senta to the right.

The beast ignored the swordsman and charged at the girl, scattering tables and chairs. The speed was not great, but its huge bulk seemed to fill the room.

Senta ran at it, hurling himself at its broad back. One of the four arms clubbed at him, smashing his ribs. He staggered and almost fell. But the creature was rearing up above Miriel. She slashed her sword across a huge forearm, slicing deep into the flesh. Then Senta attacked again, plunging his own blade into the great belly.

A fist clubbed him again and he was sent spinning to the floor, his sword torn from his grasp. He saw Miriel dive beneath the creature's grasp and roll to her feet. Senta tried to rise, but a piercing pain clove into his side, and he knew several of his ribs were broken.

'Ekodas! For the sake of all that's holy help us!'

Ekodas knelt in the golden chamber, the crystal held in his hands, his thoughts far away. The doors of his mind were all open now, and the noises from beyond the chamber held no meaning for him. His life unfolded before the eyes of memory, wasted and filled with ridiculous fears. The sanctuary of the temple now seemed more of a grey prison, holding him from the riches of life. He gazed down at the many facets of the crystal, seeing himself reflected a hundred times, and he felt the strength of his soul expanding within the frail flesh of his body.

In an instant he could see not only the battle in the hall outside, but also the grim fighting on the walls far above. And more than this he saw the man Waylander moving silently along the darkened corridors of Zhu Chao's palace.

He laughed then. What did it matter?

And he saw Shia, standing beside the tall Orsa Khan, and the hole in the portcullis gate through which Gothir soldiers were scrambling. Meaningless, he thought, though he felt a shaft of irritation that he would no longer have the opportunity of enjoying her body, his enhanced memory recalling again the smell of her skin and her hair.

'Ekodas! For the sake of all that's holy help us!'

For all that's holy! What an amusing thought. Just like the temple, the Source was created by men as a prison for the soul, to prevent stronger men from enjoying the fruits of their power. I am free of such baggage, he thought.

Dardalion had said the crystal was evil. Such nonsense. It was beautiful, perfect. And what was evil, save a name given by weak men to a force they could neither compre­hend nor control?

'Now you understand,' whispered a voice in his mind. Ekodas closed his eyes, and saw Zhu Chao, sitting at a desk in a small study.

'Yes, I understand,' Ekodas told him.

'Bring me the crystal, and we shall know such power, such joy!'

'Why should I not keep it for myself?'

Zhu Chao laughed. 'The Brotherhood is already in place, Ekodas. Ready to rule. Even with the crystal it would take you years to reach such a position of power.'

'There is truth in that,' agreed Ekodas. 'It will be as you say.'

'Good. Now show me the battle, my brother.'

Ekodas stood and, the crystal in his hands, walked to the doorway. Beyond it he saw Miriel dive to the floor and roll as the beast lunged for her. Senta, one hand clutching his ribs, had drawn a dagger and was stumbling forward to the attack.

Foolish man. Like trying to kill a whale with a needle.

The injured warrior plunged his dagger into the beast's back. The beast half-turned, and a mighty fist crashed into Senta's neck. He crumpled to the floor without a sound. Miriel saw him fall. And screamed, the sound full of fury. Hurling herself forward she thrust her blade into one of the open mouths, plunging it up into what should have been a brain.

Ekodas chuckled. There was no brain there, he knew. It was situated – if brain it could be called – between the heads, in the enormous lump of the shoulders.

The beast caught hold of Miriel, lifting her from her feet. Ekodas found himself wondering whether it would tear her apart, or merely bite her head from her shoulders.

'Such confusion in the beast's mind,' said Zhu Chao. 'Part of it is still Bodalen. It recognises the girl, the twin of a maid he killed by accident. See it hesitate! And can you feel the rising anger from the souls that were once of the Brotherhood?'

'I can,' admitted Ekodas. 'Hunger, desire, bafflement. Amusing, is it not?'

A figure moved in the background.

'More entertainment,' whispered the voice of Zhu Chao. 'Sadly I cannot retain the spell, and must miss the inevitable conclusion. We will share the memory in Gulgothir.'

The sorceror faded from Ekodas, and the young priest returned his attention to the gladiator who had entered the hall.

You shouldn't have come, he thought. You are too weary for such an adventure.

Angel had heard the awful screams and was already running as he entered the hall. He saw Senta stretched out, unconscious on the floor and witnessed the monster lunge down, grabbing Miriel and dragging her into the air.