David Gemmell - The King Beyond the Gate

Balan leapt from the battlements and ran back some twenty paces. Turning, he knelt on the grass and closed his eyes. Somewhere in all this pain and horror there had to be a purpose and a triumph. Yesterday the combined force of The Thirty had turned the Joinings back into men. Now there was only Balan.

He emptied his mind of all thought, reaching for the serenity of the Void, building his lack of thought into a channel to the beasts. He reached out. .

And recoiled from the blood-lust and fury. Steeling himself he reached out once more.

Hate! Terrible, burning, all-consuming hate. He felt it and burned with it, hating the Joinings, their masters, Ananais, Rayvan and the world of untainted flesh.

No. Not hate. No hate. The horror washed over and past him. He was untouched, unsullied. He would not hate a man-made monster, nor even the man who had made them so.

The wall of hatred was all around him, but he pushed back.

He could not find a single memory to jolt the beasts, for they were not ex-Dragon, but he used the only emotion he could be sure they had known as men.

Love.

Love of a mother in a cold frightening night; love of a wife when all around you prove false; love of a daughter given so freely in a swift hug, in the first smile of a babe; love of a friend.

Growing in power, he sent out his feelings like a wave upon sand.

On the walls the carnage was terrible.

Ananais, bleeding from a dozen cuts and slashes, watched in horror as a Joining leapt at Rayvan and bore her from the battlements. He jumped after them. She twisted in the air and the Joining landed on its back with Rayvan above it. Her weight hammered the air from its lungs and, seeing her chance, she rammed her dagger into its neck, rolling clear as the beast lashed out with its talon. It reared drunkenly to its feet and Ananais plunged his blade into the creature's back.

Above them the line broke and the beasts swept on over the battlements. The Skoda survivors broke and ran, but the Joinings surged after them, hacking them down.

Suddenly the beast closest to Balan staggered, dropping its sword and holding its head. A howl of despair filled the air and everywhere the Joinings fell back as the Skoda warriors watched in disbelief.

'Kill them!' shouted Galand, running forward and hacking his sword through a furry neck. The spell broke and the Skoda men fell upon the dazed beasts, cutting them down in scores.

'No,' whispered Balan. 'You fools!'

Two Joinings turned on the kneeling priest. A mace thundered down, smashing him from his feet, then talons ripped away his chest and his soul was torn screaming from his flesh.

The fury of the beasts returned and their murderous roaring rose above the sound of clashing steel. Galand, Rayvan and Lake sprinted with a score of warriors to the timber-built hospital. As Ananais cut his way through to them, a talon raked across his back, ripping his leather jerkin and snapping a rib. He twisted and stabbed out and the beast fell back. Hands pulled him inside and the wooden door was slammed shut.

A hairy fist smashed the wooden shutters of the window and Galand ran forward, spearing his sword through the creature's neck. A taloned hand grabbed his jerkin and hauled him against the wooden frame. He screamed once as giant jaws closed around his face, then fangs fastened upon his skull and it burst like a melon. His body was dragged though the window.

An axe splintered the upper door, narrowly missing Ananais' head. Valtaya stepped from the ward within, her face bone-white with fear. In her hand was a needle and thread and a bloody swab, which dropped from her fingers as she saw the werebeasts climbing through the open window.

'Ananais!' she screamed and he jumped back as the door burst open and a huge Joining with an axe leapt forward. Ananais lashed out savagely opening a terrible wound across its belly which spilled its entrails to the wooden floor. The creature tripped and fell, dropping the axe which Ananais swept up.

Rayvan saw two Joinings running towards Valtaya and valiantly she leapt into their path, swinging her sword. A back-handed blow sent her reeling. Ananais beheaded a creature with the face of a lion and turned to aid Valtaya.

He hammered his axe into the back of the first Joining, tearing the weapon loose as swiftly as he could, but the second beast was towering over Valtaya.

'Here, you hellhound!' bellowed Ananais and the creature swung its great head, focusing on the puny black-masked figure. It backhanded the axe aside, ignoring the wound gashed in its forearm. Then its talons snaked out, ripping Ananais' mask from his face and hurling him from his feet. He hit the floor hard, losing hold of the axe. The creature leapt towards him and he rolled to a standing position to launch himself feet-first at the monster. Fangs snapped as his booted feet crunched home and the beast was thrown back into the wall. Ananais swept up the axe and whirled it in a murderous arc, caving in the creature's side.

'Behind you!' shouted Rayvan, but it was too late.

The spear entered Ananais' back, plunging through the lower chest.

He grunted, and twisted his powerful frame, tearing the weapon from the Joining's talons. The creatures leapt forward and he tried to back away, but the spear jammed against a wall. Ananais ducked his head and grabbed the beast, pulling it into him in a bear-hug.

Fangs tore at Ananais' face and neck, but his mighty arms continued to pull the creature forward on to the spear-point jutting from his own chest. The Joining howled in pain and fury.

Rayvan watched it all and time appeared to freeze.

A man against a monster.

A dying man against a creature of darkness. Her heart went out to him in that moment as she watched the muscles of his arms bunch and strain against the power of the beast. She lurched to her feet, ramming her dagger into the Joining's back. It was all the aid she could give. . But it was enough. With one convulsive heave Ananais dragged back the beast and the spear-point plunged home.

Outside the rolling thunder of hooves echoed in the mountains. Men of the Legion turned to the east, narrowing their eyes, trying to make out the riders in the dust-cloud.

At the tent of Ceska, Darik ran forward, screening his eyes. What the Hell was happening? Were they Delnoch cavalry? His mouth dropped as the first line of riders appeared from the dust-storm.

Nadir!

Screaming for his men to form a shield ring about the emperor, he dragged his sword from its sheath. It was impossible. How could they have taken Delnoch so swiftly?

Legion men raced into place, forming their shields as a wall against the riders. But there were too few, and none of them carried spears. The lead horsemen leapt over the shield wall, swinging their mounts to attack from the rear.

And then the wall collapsed, men running in all directions as the Nadir swept over them. Darik fell in the doorway of the emperor's tent with a lance through his chest.

Tenaka Khan leapt from the saddle and entered the tent with sword in hand.

Ceska was sitting on his silk-covered bed.

'I always liked you, Tenaka,' he said.

The Khan advanced, his violet eyes gleaming.

'You were to be the Earl of Bronze. You know that? I could have had you hunted down and killed in Ventria, but I did not.' Ceska wriggled his fat frame back on the bed and knelt before Tenaka, wringing his hands. 'Don't kill me! Let me go away — I will never trouble you.'

The sword lanced out, sliding between Ceska's ribs.

The emperor fell back.

'See?' he said. 'You cannot kill me. The power of the Chaos Spirit is in me and I cannot die.' He began to laugh, high-pitched and shrill. 'I cannot die — I am immortal -1 am a god.' He staggered to his feet. 'You see?' He blinked once, then sank to his knees.