Squigs, Aelyn thought. These horrors she had seen before, after she and some companions disturbed a nest of the things amidst an ancient ruin south of Taelfen many years ago. Those creatures had scuttled through the undergrowth and gnashed ferociously at her and her comrades. By comparison, these squigs were bounding along in great arcing leaps, ricocheting from the walls and bulling headlong into screaming humans like huge rubbery cannonballs. Sat atop the back of each squig, clinging on for dear life and cackling with deranged glee, was a Moonclan grot.

Even as they watched, another wave of squig riders bounded up from the pit. Jaws gaping, the beasts ploughed into luckless militiamen, their fangs snapping shut in sprays of blood to sever limbs, crush skulls and eviscerate torsos. The grot riders flailed madly, clubbing and stabbing at anything in reach before their steeds bounded off in all directions like misfiring volley-gun rounds.

‘We can’t leave these men and women to die,’ said Captain Morthan, drawing her blade.

‘There are a lot of those beasts,’ said Aelyn.

‘Then we’ll have to fight hard and kill them quickly, won’t we?’ said Morthan.

‘And pay well,’ muttered Borik, but Aelyn could hear the duardin’s heart wasn’t in it. His people had many reasons to hate greenskins. He would fight willingly enough, she knew.

The decision was made for them as one of the squigs caromed back across the square and shot straight towards the alley. The grot sat atop it spotted them and shrieked something at its comrades. The next instant, its steed slammed into the levelled blades of several watch halberds, the impact sending their wielders staggering back and the grot rider catapulting forwards amidst a shower of his steed’s blood. Aelyn wove aside from the greenskin’s awkward trajectory and heard its bones crack as it hit the cobbles. Borik’s ironclad boot came down on its head before it had even finished rolling, splattering blood and brains across the alley floor.

‘Charge,’ barked Captain Morthan, and surged from the alley with her blade levelled. The watchmen and the Swords of Sigmar followed her. The beleaguered soldiers raised a ragged cheer and redoubled their efforts.