Something flitted behind her, and a terrible cry echoed over her diminished Chosen, something bestial and wholly inhuman.

‘For we are your Chosen, and to us alone shall the bounty of the heavens be revealed,’ Krysthenna finished, her voice wavering as she felt insectile legs scratch at her shins and smelled the dank reek of corruption. ‘For we are your Chosen,’ she repeated, as terror and pain wore away her shield of faith and the mists swallowed her flock whole. ‘For we are your Chosen,’ she said, as she clutched her torch close and spun in a crunching circle, all sense of direction gone. ‘For we… are… your…’

Dark shapes closed in around her.

Red eyes gleamed in the torchlight.

On the ramparts, Hendrick heard a last, shrill scream rise from the dense fog bank. He saw one last torch wink out. His heart pounded, his knuckles hurt where he gripped the ramparts. There was a sour taste in his mouth.

‘And so it is done, Sigmar’s divine judgement delivered and the curse ended,’ said the regent militant, and Hendrick felt anger at the satisfaction he heard in the man’s voice. ‘Captain Morthan, make preparations if you would. We shall open the city tomorrow at dawn. The danger is ended, the necessary sacrifices made. Praise Sigmar.’

With that, Selvador swept from the battlements leaving horrified silence in his wake.

Act 2

Act 2

NIGHTFALL

‘It comes now rising high above,
It’s heard your hue and cry,
The Bad Moon fills the velvet dark,
And beady is its eye.
Those naughty children that it sees,
No, Sigmar cannot save,
Grobi-the-Blackcap comes for all,
A-squirming from his cave.’

– Azyrheimer nursery rhyme

Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

CALM

Hendrick opened his eyes to rosy dawn light. It spilled through the half-open curtains to limn the tired old furnishings with a reddish-gold glow.

It took the sergeant a moment to realise the significance. When it clicked, he untangled himself from his sweaty sheets and padded across to the window. He squinted blearily against the daylight, the after-effects of a late night and one too many ales causing his head to throb.

Hendrick pushed back the curtains and looked out through the dirty windows to see the light of Hysh beaming down upon Draconium.