Wardens of the Everqueen Read online

  Torglug peered closely at the captive scout, appreciating the remarkable resistance he exhibited. Only those as favoured and blessed by the Grandfather as himself could endure the diseased emanations exuding from the Great Unclean One. Clutched in one of Guthrax’s immense claws, encased in the daemon’s congealed bile, the lightning-man should be a mass of boils and buboes, his armour reduced to a corroded mess of rusted scrap. To be certain, there was the stink of decay, the mark of contagion. The spy was resistant, but hardly immune. In time, the dread might of Nurgle would consume his body as it did everything else. The knight would die, his body disintegrating in the blaze of light that devoured all vanquished lightning-men.

  Yes, the rot of Nurgle would kill this man’s flesh, but could it destroy his spirit? Torglug’s fingers curled around the haft of his axe, twisting the metal out of shape. Destruction was so much more difficult to achieve than death. Any brute beast could bring death. Destruction demanded far greater finesse.

  ‘You are being abandoned by your God-King,’ Torglug gloated. He waved his blackened axe, gesturing at the huge throng of warriors and monsters marching across the ice. ‘Sigmar is fleeing Ghyran. This realm is being Nurgle’s dominion. For you there is being no victory here, only illusion of purpose. You are giving your loyalty to a dream, a myth. To what end? To what good is sacrifice of your comrades serving when battle already is being lost? What you would be saving is already belonging to Nurgle.’ As he spoke, Torglug studied the inscrutable helm of his prisoner.

  A mighty cough of laughter rippled through Guthrax’s obese enormity. ‘The pup’s thoughts turn to your prize, Torglug Treefell,’ the daemon chortled. ‘It seems in conjuring this winter, the Radiant Queen expended too much of herself. Her body has withered away, leaving only a seed behind. It is carried now by one of her sylvaneth, a branchwraith called the Lady of Vines.’

  Torglug’s face curled into a greedy smile beneath the mask of his helm. ‘This seed is to being planted in Grandfather’s gardens, to be sprouting amidst the deathblooms and corpsevines, to be flowering beneath the leprous boughs of widow-oak and beside the stagnant pools of Blightreach.

  ‘Shall I be telling you a secret?’ Torglug said, his blemished eyes fastened upon those of the lightning-man. ‘Are you knowing what is putting victory within my grasp? After so much fruitless searching, I am finding way into Athelwyrd. I am telling you,’ the warlord chortled. ‘Lightning-men who are finding refuge for me. You are uncovering door I am not finding. You are coming here seeking audience with Alarielle, to be promising her aid of your Sigmar. Instead, you are breaking spells that are hiding her from me. Belonging to you is glory of exposing Radiant Queen’s redoubt.’

  Guthrax’s swollen belly shook with laughter. ‘The whelp tries to seal his mind against my power, to hide his thoughts from the Kingeater,’ the daemon declared, ‘but the truth of Athelwyrd’s fall has sown disorder within him. There is doubt there.’ The Great Unclean One shrugged its cancerous shoulders. ‘Not enough to corrupt or consume,’ it admitted, ‘but enough to show me what he would hide.’

  ‘And what are you seeing?’ Torglug asked, still gazing into the eyes of his prisoner. He was disappointed that there was still so much defiance there, that the rot of despair had failed to take root even now. He wanted to see that moment when faith died and hope withered inside the lightning-man.

  ‘I have seen their line of retreat,’ Guthrax announced. ‘I have seen the sylvaneth and the shiny knights traipsing across the ice, as though they have any real chance of escaping the Grandfather’s power.’ The daemon lowered its head, leaning closer to Torglug. ‘Their leader turns to confront you,’ the daemon said. ‘He would bring battle to your horde, to win through force of arms what he can’t through retreat. He thinks to prove the valour and might of those who serve his simpering godling.’ Feeling a flicker of devotion stir within the captive clenched in its fist, the daemon sought to snuff out the warrior’s defiance. ‘The leader’s name is Grymn and he is but the replacement for the warrior you vanquished in Athelwyrd. Ill-suited and ill-prepared to oppose the triumph of Torglug the Despised.’

  ‘My legion is meeting your comrades in battle,’ Torglug assured the prisoner. Despite all the information that Guthrax had ripped from the man’s mind, despite the sickening revelation that it was the lightning-men who’d exposed the way into Athelwyrd, despite the ascendency of Nurgle across all Ghyran, the warrior’s faith refused to break. ‘They are not keeping me from claiming queen-seed for Grandfather,’ he promised. Still failing to see despair in his enemy’s bearing, Torglug turned away in disgust. ‘Fanatic,’ he hissed, disgorging the word with revulsion. It was simple for a fanatic to be brave. Madness couldn’t destroy what it had already claimed.

  Torglug turned from the prisoner. His bodyguard, the putrid blightkings, stood ready to attend their master, safely beyond the pestilential aura of Guthrax.

  ‘We are learning nothing more from him,’ he told the daemon. ‘Be sending him back to Sigmar. Be letting his spirit tell his god that I am crossing blades with lightning-men and after I am cutting my way through them, I am claiming my prize.’

  Marching away to join his warriors, Torglug heard the shriek of metal and the crunch of bone as Guthrax crushed the prisoner in its claws. What he failed to hear was a scream. Right to the last the lightning-man strove to defy him.

  Fanatic, Torglug thought. There was no power that could long deny the might of Nurgle. Experience had taught him that. Every­thing else was delusion, the mocking lies of deceitful hope.

  Out of the mist and snow they came, a mongrel host of men and beasts. Herds of braying, goat-headed monsters stampeded towards the Hallowed Knights, grotesque banners of flayed skin fluttering above them. Tribes of barbaric marauders slowly marched forwards, banging their axes against their shields and snarling hymns to the Father of Crows. Swarms of tiny daemons, like bloated toads, hopped and slithered across the ice, insane giggles of vicious anticipation spilling from their fanged mouths. Looming above the beastmen and marauders, diseased ogors slogged through the snow, huge clubs torn from fallen sylvaneth now clenched in their murderous fists. Ghastly troggoths, their scaly hides slimy with decay and fecund growth, loped among the warherds, their dull minds hearkening to the call of battle.

  As he watched the horde advance, Grymn prayed that Sigmar’s blessing would guard his Stormcasts and their sylvaneth allies. The numbers of Torglug’s vile legion were daunting; with every breath more enemies came marching out from the icy fog. Yet there was a terrible comfort in watching the host descend upon the rearguard. By holding the army of Chaos here they would be giving the Lady of Vines her chance to escape and carry the queen-seed beyond the reach of Nurgle’s abominable slaves.

  The first of the warherds crashed into the Hallowed Knights. The slavering gors hurled themselves against the stalwart warriors with savage abandon. Bone clubs and stone axes shattered against sigmarite shields. Clawed hands raked futilely across silver helms. Bony hooves kicked at armoured legs without avail.

  For a moment, the Stormcasts held their shields high, absorbing the impact of the charging beastmen. Then, at Grymn’s shouted command, they retaliated in kind. Swords flashed out from between the heavy shields, stabbing and slashing the hairy hides of the gors. Hammers smashed into horned heads or slammed into branded chests, shattering skulls and splintering ribs. Soon there were bleats of pain and cries of fear mixing with the murderous braying of the warherd. Monstrous foes crumpled at the feet of the Liberators, dead and dying alike trampled into the bloodied snow as enemies rushed forwards to the attack.

  To the right, diseased tribesmen slammed into the battle line, striving to pull aside the shields with hooked axes and whipping flails. Liberators from the rear rank stepped forwards each time a comrade’s guard was overcome by such tactics, stabbing their blades into the faces of startled barbarians. Following an order issued by Grymn, the Liberators beset by th
e diseased marauders brought their shields cracking into the howling mass, a violent wave of shining sigmarite that knocked the tribesmen back, flinging them into the faces of the enemies following behind them. The momentum of their rush broken, the rage of the Chaos worshippers swelled. They lunged back to the attack with the disordered fury of a mob. Disciplined, steady, the Stormcasts met the assault with precision and unity, cutting down scores of the enemy in only a few heartbeats.

  Near the left flank, where the line of Hallowed Knights met the sylvaneth formation, a bellowing bullgor accomplished what masses of beastmen and marauders had failed to manage. Ploughing through its own comrades, the hulking monster smashed through the double-rank of Liberators. Stormcasts were flung aside by the bull-monster’s horns while others were cut down by the beast’s enormous axe. The flash and clamour of vanquished Hallowed Knights rose from the battlefield as the rampaging brute broke through the shield wall.

  Survivors closed ranks behind the charging bullgor, blocking the rush of snarling ungors that came loping forwards to exploit the gap. The Liberators devoted themselves completely to the foes before them, sparing not so much as a glance for the bovine monster that had won through to their rear. Settling with the bullgor would be for others to attend to. Paladins ran towards the blood-crazed beast, Retributor-Prime Markius bringing his heavy lightning hammer crashing against the creature’s leg, pulverising the bone beneath. As the brute pitched towards the ground, Markius delivered another brutal blow to its head, cracking its vicious horns. A pained groan rose from the stricken beast, then it collapsed against the ice as life fled from its mutated flesh.

  Wheeling around the assaulting infantry, a host of barbarian horsemen charged into the sylvaneth position. Dressed in skins and furs, their leather helms adorned with antlers and iron spikes, the mounted marauders roared their tribal cries as they thundered towards the tree-creatures. Those at the fore of the attack gripped blazing torches in their fists, swinging the brands overhead to stir the flames as they galloped closer. Snarling in defiance, they hurled the torches at their enemy, then spun their chargers to the right, making way for the horsemen following behind them.

  The marauders had intended to throw the sylvaneth into disarray. After their long campaign to conquer Ghyran, the Chaos warriors had learned how to fight the tree-creatures and come to appreciate that the only thing which could sow fear in their wooden hearts was fire. In their attack, however, the barbarians failed to appreciate the effect of the snow storm. The trunks of the tree-creatures were slick with frost and ice, wearing the chill of winter like a layer of armour. The blazing brands struck against them only to glance off without taking light, crashing to the ground and fizzling at the feet of the sylvaneth.

  Charging onwards, the mounted axemen found an unbroken wall of foes waiting for them. There were no holes in the line, no burning forest spirits to rush past or cut down with their blades. Instead the marauders struck an enemy boiling with inhuman rage. The effort to set the sylvaneth alight had only succeeded in stirring their fury. Claw-like hands and spear-like branches stabbed out at the cavalry, impaling men and horses, ripping shrieking barbarians from their saddles, tossing screaming chargers through the air. Hissing dryads darted beneath the boughs of the larger tree-creatures, raking their talons across the bellies of frightened steeds and dragging down dismounted fighters. Havoc and carnage had indeed been the result of the cavalry attack, but it was visited upon the forces of Chaos rather than the defenders.

  The snow-storm had lost much of its fury over this part of the frozen sea and from where he stood atop a spur of rock, Grymn could see almost the entirety of his battle line. Everywhere the enemy was throwing himself upon the ranks of Stormcasts and sylvaneth, but it was rare the slaves of Chaos managed to force their way through and each of these brief incursions was swiftly put down by lurking dryads and the flying squads of Retributors. For every enemy the defenders struck down, however, it seemed two more came marching out of the storm.

  ‘They will have to try much harder if they want to break us,’ Tegrus told his commander. The Prosecutors had been held back among the Judicators, waiting as a reserve or to serve as messengers should Grymn need to communicate with Morbus and Angstun in the main column.

  ‘If ferocity was enough, they might prevail,’ Grymn observed. ‘But these creatures lack the strength and valour to accomplish their purpose. Inside all but the most degenerate minion of darkness there is buried an awareness of its own wickedness. That self-loathing is what denies them the fortitude of those with righteousness in their hearts.’

  ‘They’re stubborn,’ Tegrus said, pointing to where the remnants of a warherd were leaping over their own dead to reach the Liberators. ‘If this keeps up, we’ll bleed Torglug’s legion white before nightfall.’

  A cold that had nothing to do with snow and ice shivered through Grymn’s mind as he listened to Tegrus’ words. It was true, the Hallowed Knights were butchering the Chaos warriors by the bushel. Yet nowhere amidst the carnage had Grymn spotted any of Torglug’s heavy troops. There were no dark knights in black armour or packs of gors clad in chain and plate. He had yet to see the bloated, diseased hulks of the putrid blightkings or hear the murderous drone of rot flies. Except for the diminutive nurglings, none of the obscene daemons that marched under Torglug’s diseased banner had taken part in the attack.

  ‘By nightfall, the enemy will be cutting a path through the column,’ Grymn cursed, sick realisation coursing through him. Beside him, Tallon snarled in sympathy with its master’s alarm. ‘We’re not holding them here, they’re holding us! Torglug’s sending the chaff to pin us down while his best troops bypass us.

  ‘He’s trying to reach the column!’

  Chapter five

  ‘Hounds! Hounds at our heels!’

  The shout of warning rose from Decimator-Prime Diocletian. Their presence disturbing to the sylvaneth, the paladins and their immense thunderaxes continued to maintain a place at the rear of the column. With black humour, they whispered among themselves that with axes following behind them, the tree-creatures would be encouraged to maintain a hearty pace. Now it was the Decimators who found it necessary to lag behind.

  Lord-Relictor Morbus dashed towards the rear of the column, warning the Stormcasts he passed to keep a wary eye upon the flanks. As he rounded the vast gathering of sylvaneth refugees, he spotted Knight-Vexillor Angstun rushing out from the icy mist that obscured the other side of the column. Ahead of them, both of the Stormcasts could see Diocletian and his paladins. The silver warriors were locked in vicious combat with a slavering pack of mutant hounds. The beasts charged out from the storm, baying and snarling, foam flecking their fangs. With a thunderous crack, the Decimators would bring their enormous axes hacking into the putrid hides of the diseased dogs, but such was the rabid frenzy of the pack that the gory destruction of their fellows did nothing to dissipate their ferocity. Angstun and Morbus hurriedly called for Liberators to redeploy at the back of the column and form a shield wall to protect the sylvaneth.

  ‘One could almost feel sorry for the beasts,’ Angstun told Morbus. ‘Claws and fangs will never pierce sigmarite plate.’ He looked at the standard clenched in his hand. ‘There is no glory in cutting down a dull brute corrupted by the Dark Gods.’

  Morbus shook his head, pointing his gauntlet at the embattled Decimators. ‘It is not glory but necessity that must rule us here,’ he said. Already, more packs of Chaos hounds were loping out from the storm. Catching the scent of combat, they hastened to pounce upon the Decimators. ‘The beasts have found us. That means Torglug has already overwhelmed Grymn’s rearguard.’

  ‘No,’ Angstun objected, shaking his sword at the heavens. ‘The enemy couldn’t have overcome so many Hallowed Knights so quickly.’

  ‘Then they found a way around them,’ Morbus declared. He watched as one of the Decimators brought a gigantic mace swinging down. From between the weapon’s meta
l flanges, a withering blast of energy streamed out, engulfing a horned hound as it leapt towards him. The beast’s body dissolved into a burst of gore and ash. Even as it died, a dozen more of the animals came rushing out of the mist. ‘Diocletian’s paladins could make short work of these curs if they came upon them all at once. Staggered as the attacks are, the Decimators can neither wipe them out nor disengage.’

  Angstun scowled at the cruel purposefulness of the enemy. Somewhere behind the veil of mist and storm was Torglug’s horde – and the beastmasters who controlled these warhounds. Knowing the mutated dogs couldn’t harm the Stormcasts on their own, the villains had decided upon a more callous use for them. They were being expended like shafts loosed from a bow, flung at the Hallowed Knights in volleys. Not to kill, but to delay, to keep them tied down while the full might of the plaguehosts drew closer.

  ‘Bring up Osric’s retinue,’ Angstun called out. Morbus caught at the Knight-Vexillor’s arm. ‘You’ll weaken the right flank if you withdraw them. That will leave Justinian’s retinue as the only Judicators to defend that side of the column,’ the Lord-Relictor warned.

  ‘You said it yourself,’ Angstun declared, ‘the hounds are meant to delay us here. We’ve got to free ourselves of them and I’m not about to leave Diocletian’s warriors behind. We’ve left too many of our brothers behind us already.’

  Osric’s retinue took up position ahead of the shield wall. Each of the Judicators took careful aim, fastening his keen eye upon the loping shapes emerging from the mist. They ignored the beasts already engaged with the Decimators, confident that the paladins were more than equal to the dogs. It was the waves of warhounds that had yet to close upon their comrades which posed the true menace. At Angstun’s command, they loosed their arrows into the charging brutes. Yelps and whines sounded from the stricken creatures as one after another crashed into the snow.