David Gemmell - The Legend of the Deathwalker

'Then he is mine,' said Oshikai. 'You hear me, Druss? He is mine!'

Druss looked across at the stocky figure in his shattered golden armour. 'No argument from me, laddie.'

Oshikai chuckled and moved across to sit beside Druss. 'By the Gods of Stone and Water, Druss, you are a man I would be proud to call brother. I wish I had known you in life. We could have downed a dozen flagons of wine, and filled the night with boasting.'

'The wine sounds good,' said Druss, 'but I never was much of a boaster.'

'It is an acquired skill,' agreed Oshikai. 'I always found that a story sounds better if a multiple of ten is added to the enemy. Unless of course it was known that there were, say, only three. Then they become giants.'

'I have a friend who understands that very well,' said Druss.

'Is he a fine warrior?'

Druss looked into Oshikai's violet eyes. 'No, a poet.'

'Ah! I always took a poet with me, to record my victories. I am no mean braggart myself, but when I listened to his songs of my deeds I felt put to shame. Where I would speak of slaying giants, he would sing of subduing the gods themselves. Are you feeling rested?'

'Almost,' lied Druss. 'Tell me, little man,' he said to Shaoshad, 'what is this Great Bear you spoke of?'

'The Guardian of the Bridge of Giragast. It is said to be eight feet tall; it has two heads, one of a bear with sharp fangs, the other of a snake. The snake spits venom, which will burn through all armour. Its talons are as long as a short sword, and sharper than spite. It has two hearts, one high in the chest, the other low in the belly.'

'And how do you propose we pass this beast?'

'My magic is all but spent now, but I shall cast one more Hide-spell, to mask Oshikai. Then I shall rest here, and await your return.'

Oshikai rose and laid his hand on the little man's shoulder. 'You have served me well, Shaoshad. I am a king no longer; but if there is justice in this vile realm, you will be rewarded. I am sorry that my refusal of your offer led to your death.'

'All men die, Great King. And my own actions led to my death. I bear no ill-will towards any. But if. . when. . you reach Paradise, speak a word on my behalf to the Gatekeeper there.'

'I shall.' Taking up his golden axe, Kolmisai, the warrior turned to Druss. 'Are you ready now, my brother?'

'I was born ready,' grunted Druss, forcing himself to his feet.

'You will see the bridge about a hundred paces that way,' said Shaoshad. 'It spans the Abyss of Fire. If you fall it will be for an eternity, then the flames will devour you. The bridge is wide at the start, maybe fifty feet, but then it narrows. You must draw the bear to you on to the wide section, to allow Oshikai to slip past.'

'No,' said Oshikai, 'we will face it together.'

'Trust me, Great King, and follow my bidding. When the Bear dies Chakata will know you are coming. Then he will slay Shul-sen. It is vital that you cross the bridge to the Dark Place before that.'

'In the meantime I dance with the bear and try not to kill it?' queried Druss.

'Delay for as long as you can,' advised Shaoshad, 'and do not look into its eyes. You will see only death there.' The shaman closed his eyes and raised his hands. The air around Oshikai crackled with bright, nickering lights. The Great King's image faded, becoming translucent and then transparent. Then it was gone.

Shaoshad opened his eyes, then clapped his hands with glee. 'Arrogant I may be,' he chortled, 'but skilled am I!' His smile faded and he turned to Druss. 'When you approach the bridge Oshikai must be close behind you. Otherwise the bear will sense both spirits. Once the beast is engaged, Great King, you must slip by him and run. Make no sound. Do not call out for Shul-sen — you will sense her when she is close.'

'I understand,' came the voice of Oshikai. 'You move on, Druss, and I will follow.'

Taking up his axe, Druss led the way. His legs were heavy, his arms weary. Never in his life, not even in his years in the prison dungeon, had he felt such a sense of physical weakness. Fear rose strong within him. His foot struck a stone, and he stumbled.

The sound of wings beating came to him. Swivelling, he saw the last of the bat creatures swooping down towards him, its black wings wide, its grey-taloned hands outstretched. Snaga flashed up, smashing through the thin neck — but not before the talons had scored across his face, ripping open his cheek. The creature's body struck him, toppling him from his feet. He felt the hand of Oshikai grasp him by the wrist, hauling him upright.

'You are exhausted, my friend,' said Oshikai. 'Rest here. I will try to slip by the bear.'

'No, I will see it through,' grunted Druss. 'Do not concern yourself for me.'

He staggered on, rounding a bend in the black cavern. Ahead of them an awesome bridge arced across a chasm. Druss stepped on to it, and glanced over the edge. It seemed to him that he was staring down into infinity. It made him dizzy, and he swiftly stepped back on to the black stone. Holding Snaga in both hands, he walked on. From here he could not see the far side of the bridge. 'It must be miles across,' he whispered, a sense of despair filling him.

'One step at a time, my friend,' said Oshikai.

Druss stumbled on through a haze of bone-numbing exhaustion. A cold wind blew across the chasm, and Druss could smell acrid smoke upon it. On he struggled, forcing his body through each weary step.

After what seemed like hours they reached the midpoint of the bridge. The far side could now be seen, a towering hill of black rock set against a slate-grey sky. A figure moved upon the bridge and Druss narrowed his eyes, straining to see it. It moved slowly on its hind legs, mighty arms stretched wide. As it neared, Druss saw that Shaoshad's description was correct in every detail: two heads, one a bear, the other a serpent. What Shaoshad had not conveyed was the sense of evil that radiated from the demon. It struck Druss like the numbing claws of a winter blizzard, colossal in its power, dwarfing the strength of Man.

The bridge had narrowed here to less than ten feet wide. The creature coming slowly towards them seemed to fill the gap.

'May the Gods of Stone and Water smile upon you, Druss!' whispered Oshikai.

Druss stepped forward. The beast gave a terrible roar, thunder deep and deafening. The wall of sound struck the axeman like a blow, pushing him back.

The beast spoke: 'We are the Great Bear, devourers of souls. Your death will be agonizing, mortal!'

'In your dreams, you whoreson!' said Druss.

'Bring him back!' shouted Sieben. 'You can see he is dying!'

'In a good cause,' said Nosta Khan. Sieben looked at the little man, and saw the malevolence in his eyes.

'You treacherous cur!' he hissed, scrambling to his feet and launching himself at the man. Nosta Khan threw up his right hand and needles of fire sliced into Sieben's head. He screamed and fell back, yet even through the pain he scrabbled for the knife at his hip. Nosta Khan spoke a single word and Sieben's arm froze.

'Don't do this to him,' begged Sieben. 'He deserves better.'

'Deserve has nothing to do with it, you fool. He chose to walk in Hell; I did not force him. But he has not yet accomplished what he set out to do. If he dies, so be it. Now be silent!' Sieben tried to speak, but his tongue clove to the roof of his mouth. The pain subsided, but he was unable to move.

The beast spoke, the voice issuing from both heads: 'Come to me and know death, Druss!'

Druss hefted his axe and moved forward. With astonishing speed the Great Bear dropped to all fours and charged. Snaga flashed up, then down with sickening force, plunging between the two heads, smashing through bone and sinew. The beast's body struck the axeman hard, hurling him from his feet. Losing his grip on his axe, Druss skidded across the bridge on his back, his legs slipping over the chasm. Rolling to his belly he scrabbled at the black stone, halting his slide, then hauled himself back on to the bridge. The Great Bear had reared up now, black blood gouting from between its heads. Druss surged upright, charging the beast. A taloned arm swept down, ripping through his jerkin and scoring his flesh with the pain of fire. Reaching up, he grabbed Snaga's haft and wrenched the weapon clear. Blood spurted over his face, burning like acid. The snake mouth opened, spewing a stream of venom that covered his jerkin, bursting into flame. Ignoring the pain, Druss hammered Snaga into the snake neck, severing it. The head fell clear, bouncing on the black stone as smoke spewed from the mutilated neck. The Great Bear lashed out once more, Druss was thrown clear and he landed heavily, but rolled to his feet with axe in hand. The beast tottered forward. The venom on Druss's jerkin burnt through to the flesh beneath and, with a cry of rage and pain, he threw himself at the mortally wounded guardian. The talons swept down, but the speed of Druss's charge carried him under the blow and his shoulder hit the beast in the chest. The Great Bear staggered back, then fell from the bridge. Druss crawled to the edge, watching the body spiral down and down. Sinking to the black stone, Druss rolled to his back. Exhaustion overtook him, and he longed for the bliss of sleep. 'Do not close your eyes,' came the voice of Shaoshad. Druss blinked and saw the little man kneeling beside him. Shaoshad touched his slender hands to Druss's wounds and the pain subsided. 'Sleep here is death,' said the shaman.