Empire in Chaos by Anthony Reynolds

Author:Anthony Reynolds
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Black Library
Published: 2011-10-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

The carriage rocked back and forth as it continued through the darkness. Annaliese unconsciously toyed with the symbol of Sigmar around her neck, biting her lip. She stared blankly at the slatted side of the carriage, her mind filled with doubt.

‘You are troubled,’ said a deep voice, making her start. She looked around to see the Sigmarite witch hunter, Udo, staring at her. His eyes were dark, his face serious. She smiled lightly at him.

‘I’m sorry, I was miles away. What did you say?’

‘I said you are troubled,’ he repeated, his dark eyes intense. ‘What are you thinking of?’

Annaliese sighed. ‘A week ago, after I had awoken in the temple, I felt like my purpose was clear. My vision had been so strong. But now? I am doubting myself. What purpose could Sigmar have for me? I’m no warrior – I don’t know anything of real battle. I don’t know… I don’t know what good I can do.’

The witch hunter frowned. He looked like a warrior, Annaliese thought. Big, strong, brutal. Scarred.

‘Describe your vision to me.’

‘I saw a griffon – powerful, majestic and dangerous. It was beset on all sides by enemies – savage dark men dressed in furs and black metal. It tore and ripped at them, cutting them down – they couldn’t touch it. Their swords bounced off its body, and their axes were blunted against its hide. But then the proud beast caught fire – its fur and its feathers were ablaze, and its wings were flaming. It screamed in pain.’ Annaliese shuddered with the memory. She could smell the stink of burning feathers, could hear the painful cry of the creature tearing at her heart. ‘The blades of the enemy could hurt it then, and they plunged lances, spears and swords into the body of the griffon. It fell beneath the dark tide surrounding it, and I cried out.’

‘I ran forwards, and the sea of enemies parted before me. I was surrounded by blinding light, and they recoiled from me, clearing a path. I knelt beside the dying creature. I cradled its heavy head in my arms and stared into its unblinking, piercing eyes. The flames died, and the griffon grew strong. It reared up, its wounds healed, and the enemy fled before it.’

Annaliese shivered, and looked up at Grunwald with a frown. ‘I… I can’t remember the rest of it. It’s fading with every passing day. But I know that I have to find the griffon – and I know that it lies in the north. A week ago I knew this was my destiny, but now – I doubt myself. What if it was nothing more than a meaningless dream brought on by my injuries? What if I go north only to find death, destruction and war? What good can I do? I am but a girl. I cannot affect anything.’

The witch hunter was silent, his face thoughtful. ‘I don’t know if it was a vision from Sigmar or not,’ he said eventually. ‘But a single person can make all the difference.

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