“He will be the last,” said Kormak. His gaze flickered from Massimo to Tam to the giant wolf-man. It was hard to tell which was the more dangerous.
“Petra, don’t let him kill me,” Tam said. “The demon’s gone. Massimo exorcised him and fed him to his Wolves. He is going to kill me next and feed me to the Wolves.”
Tam’s voice sounded plaintive. Kormak did not dare take his eyes from his enemies to see how Petra was responding. Tam sounded fearful and very believable. Kormak wondered whether Razhak would manage to play on the ties of blood with the girl and whether he would soon have an enemy at his back. It would not be the first time he had been in such a situation.
“You’re not Tam, you’re the thing that killed him,” Petra said. Her voice sounded shaky and uncertain.
“No, sister, I am not. Please believe me. I don’t want to die.” Tam had started to edge closer to Petra by a circular route that did not take him within the reach of Kormak’s blade. His arms were spread wide. His hands were open. He was the very picture of a frightened teenage boy. Kormak let him close the gap. Anything that put the demon within striking distance was good.
“It has been interesting,” said Massimo. “Your blade is everything the tales say. I had not thought anything could wreak such havoc as you have among my creations, Guardian.”
For a moment, Kormak’s attention was split between Massimo and Tam. The giant wolf-man sprang. He was different from the others. He struck like a thunderbolt, sight-blurringly swift. His claws slashed forward and tore at the mail on Kormak’s chest, popping rings, slashing leather. He had barely time to step back and launch a counter-blow. The giant avoided it easily and struck again, claw slashing at Kormak’s shoulder. The force of the impact was like a sledge-hammer strike. Kormak wondered that nothing was broken.
“I told you, Guardian,” Massimo said.
Kormak reeled back under the huge Wolf’s savage onslaught. The wolf-man kept striking at him and hitting, too fast to be parried. Kormak realised that it was toying with him now, like a cat playing with a mouse. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Tam had reached Petra. His arms were outstretched to embrace his sister. She looked at him with tears running down her face. She looked torn between fear and gratitude, like a girl who had gotten her brother back and could not quite believe it.
“No,” Kormak shouted as she reached forward to meet Tam. In that moment, a smirk passed over the youth’s face that only Kormak could see, an expression, old and evil and inhuman that could not possibly belong to a human boy. Then his eyes widened, and he looked down to see the girl’s dagger driven through his chest and blood pumping from the wound.
“Got you, you bastard,” Petra shouted a look of triumph on her face.
“Get away from him now,” Kormak shouted as the wolf-man came at him once more. Tam fell forward his hand outstretched, and one hand closed on the girl’s shoulders. She spasmed and threw back her head to scream. A bright green glow appeared in Tam’s eyes and flared brightly. A glow surrounded the pair and then the glow was in Petra’s eyes and Tam’s decomposing form was lying on the ground. The girl now wore the evil expression, glanced in fear at Kormak and turned and ran from the chamber.
Kormak cursed. The wolf-man sprang back to the assault, a whirlwind of fanged death. It took all of Kormak’s skill just to stay alive as he backed away from the furious beast. His spine was pressed to the wall and he could retreat no further. The wolf opened his mouth and howled again. Kormak leapt forward, stabbing with the sword, as the man-wolf launched himself into a spring. The wolf-man’s greater weight slammed Kormak into the wall even as it drove the blade into the monster’s chest with additional force.
Stars danced before Kormak’s eyes and all the wind was smashed out of his body. He smelled the monster’s breath on his face even as he watched the light die from its eyes. He struggled to push himself upright as Massimo raced closer. It was a struggle pushing the wolf-man’s huge weight off but it became lighter by the second and pinkish pus leaked over Kormak as it transformed back into a large, handsome, silver-haired man.
“You killed me,” Jaro said. He sounded as if he could not quite believe it. Kormak pulled himself upright just in time to confront Massimo. The wizard held his staff ready to strike. Kormak did not doubt there were potent and deadly spells woven into it. It would be best not to let it touch him, even wearing his protective amulets.
Massimo came to a halt and stared at Kormak. Fear and hate warred on his face. Kormak’s legs felt as if they were about to give way. His body felt battered beyond belief. His chest felt as if it was on fire. He let none of his weakness show in his voice when he spoke, “There’s just you and me left now,” he said. “Soon there will be only me.”
Massimo took a step back. He knew that physically he was no match for a Guardian, potent wizard though he might be. He needed time to weave his spells.
“There’s no need for us to fight,” the wizard said, his eyes darting around the temple. Was he expecting help to come, Kormak wondered? He doubted any men at arms would come to investigate the goings-on up here but perhaps Razhak would summon them. The thought of the demon and what he had done to Petra made Kormak snarl. He owed the girl his life and he had allowed her to die. Or worse. He took a step forward.
“I can help you find the demon,” Massimo said. Kormak took another step forward. Massimo took another step back. They were walking towards the open balcony at the far end of the sacred space.
“I doubt it,” Kormak said.
“It is hurt.” Massimo said. There was an urgency in his voice as if he was desperate to convince Kormak that he had something to bargain with. “All the centuries stuck in the jar have weakened it, damaged it in some way. It does not have its full power and it needs to find new bodies or it will die from lack of energy.
Kormak took another step forward. Massimo moved away. “It told you this, did it?”
“Yes but it did not need to. I could tell just by studying its aura. It wanted my help. It wanted me to weave spells that would strengthen it before it made its journey.”
“What did it offer you in return?” Massimo licked his lips. Sweat beaded his face.
“Secrets, many magical secrets. The Ghul knows much magic that has been forgotten in this modern age.”
“And you were willing to help it in return.”
“I do what I need to do to protect my people. Its knowledge would have been helpful.”
“It will leave a trail of death across the lands. It has already begun to.” Massimo’s back was against the wall now. He held his staff out with both hands as if it could form a barrier between him and Kormak. He did not look so powerful or confident now, just a large, flaccid man with fear in his eyes.
“I can tell you where it is going,” said Massimo.
“Oh you will,” said Kormak. “One way or another. There are many ways to make a man talk and I know all of them.” He kept his voice flat and emotionless. He knew it would sound more menacing that way.
“It’s going to the dead city of Tanyth. It has to. It’s where it was born. There are magical engines there that will heal it. If it does not, it will surely die and soon.” Massimo was babbling now. The front of his robe was stained with urine. “Don’t kill me,” he said.
“You have committed crimes against the Holy Sun and his people. You have had commerce with demons. You have broken the Law. There can be only one penalty.”
Massimo suddenly swung his staff at Kormak. It was what the Guardian had been waiting for. He parried the blow and stabbed forward. Massimo’s flesh did not sizzle but he died like any other man would as Kormak’s blade pierced his heart. Kormak looked up. The full moon gazed down on him mockingly. He turned and looked on the scene of carnage. Bodies were strewn all through the temple space. There was an army waiting in the valley.