The Hollow King (Warhammer Age of Sigmar) by John French

Author:John French [French, John]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Published: 2022-08-27T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The air was howling with the voices of the dead. Green-and-ochre light flashed across the sky. Balls of lightning crackled between the spires of rock above the road. The wind was heavy with magic. Nighthaunt shimmered at the edge of sight, before vanishing like scraps of cloth caught in a gale. Cado could feel the gale tugging at him too. It had changed since they had left Aventhis. The winds of death were pulling at the abyss inside him and the stolen blood in his veins. He could feel the magic that sustained him unravelling even as it renewed. They were not just riding to a city, they were riding into a growing hurricane of magic.

Cries of challenge came down to them as they reached the outer spires. There were militia on the bridges and towers now. Valentin called in reply and showed the worthies’ seal when a wing of horsemen flanked them. The riders followed them all the way to the gate. Birds cut the air above them.

Vaux was waiting as they came through. Word must have passed from the watchers on the outer spires to the gate, and Cado remembered the birds following them as they had approached. The seneschal was grim-faced and said nothing as Cado dismounted. Valentin levered himself from the saddle and slid from his mount.

‘Follow,’ Vaux said, and turned. She began to stride up the road towards the spire top. Guards fell into step beside them. They looked grim but reeked of fear as much as the people who looked from the cracks in the doors as they passed. The curtains of grey-and-black cloud flashed at intervals. Cado could still hear the rustle and hiss of spirits clawing towards the spire only to vanish. Birds wheeled in the air, their cries filling the quiet between the crashes of thunder. Vaux glanced out occasionally. Valentin glanced around constantly, somehow more nervous now that he was closer to home. Up they went, step by step through the fold of cloud and the flash of lightning.

They reached the spire top, and then ascended the spiral steps of the tower to the platform. Dry whipcracks of lightning greeted them. Damascene and Leragrais were waiting again, standing over the table rather than seated.

Vaux raised her hand and pointed where Valentin and Cado were to stand. The guards hung back, but all of them were ready to level spears or draw swords.

‘What did you find?’ asked Leragrais.

Cado looked at the pair, then at Valentin. ‘Tell them,’ he said. Valentin hesitated. Cado looked away from the smith. These mortals needed to understand what was coming for them and why. They might listen to him, but they would believe the smith.

Valentin licked his lips and then recounted what they had found. The man only hesitated when it came to the point where the Lumineth host had attacked.

‘They attacked without warning?’ asked Leragrais.

‘They attacked me,’ said Cado, before Valentin could answer. ‘Their mages sensed my nature and that was enough for them to try to kill me.

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