Born of Darkness (William King) - William King Page 0,26

around its head. The poisoned weapon had been Khazduri-forged. It bore more than one of their forbidden runes.

The Old One tried to lower the bucket deeper into the well of memory but nothing came up. He could find no more knowledge to go with this. Khazduri. He savoured the taste of the word, and the images that went with it.

A rune-sign entered his mind, a symbol summing up the essence of the thing it described. It was a cosmic code that could manipulate that thing itself. A word from the language the Source had used during the Shaping of Creation. The sign was the essence of the Khazduri, of all they were and could be.

The Old One had once known thousands of such symbols. He had used them to rewrite the pages of reality in sentences of fire. Great holes gaped in his memory where those words had been torn out. Perhaps it would be possible to recreate them by studying the outlines of their absence. Perhaps he could deduce the nature of what was missing from the gaps it had left.

He would not be denied the power and knowledge that were his birthright. He would once again take his place on the pinnacle of creation. He would be himself once more. He would be Vorkhul.

At last, he had it. A name. His name. The rune burned in his mind. It was more than just his name. It was the core of his being, the basic web from which his existence had been woven, the seed from which he had grown.

The dogs were almost on top of him now. There was no time. No time. The interplay of memory and image had distracted him. His enemies had found him.

Vorkhul opened a mouth full of razor sharp teeth, transformed his saliva to poison, bellowed a challenge. Let them come. He would kill them. He would kill them all.

A muted glow announced the presence of his hunters. The Old One prepared to slay.

CHAPTER TEN

FANG ROUNDED THE corner and skidded to a halt. A monster hunched there, ape-like arms extended. Its head was wolf-like. Its fur was an odd desiccated green. Spikes of bone protruded from its flesh.

Unable to stop, Balthus tumbled by Fang. His momentum sent him bowling into the creature. It lashed out with one shovel-like hand. Huge talons bit into Balthus’s flesh drawing blood. The dog let out a high whimpering squeal. Its head lunged forward. It buried bear-trap teeth in the arm of the Old One.

“Sunflare! Watch your eyes!” Gerd bellowed as he tossed something. Kormak looked away.

A brilliant flash slashed the darkness. Kormak waited an instant and glanced at the Old One. Semi-translucent lids protected its eyes, turning them into glowing green orbs. The sunstone’s light had seared its fur and blistered its flesh.

Kormak moved forward. He drew his blade in one smooth motion. He aimed for the creature’s arm, intending to take it off at the wrist and then impale the thing while it reeled away wounded.

With terrifying speed the Old One swung the dog. Balthus would not let go. The dog’s huge form, heavy as a man’s, connected with Kormak.

It was like being hit with a sack of meat wielded by an ogre. The force of the blow tumbled Kormak to the ground.

Rhiana cast her spear. It caught the Old One in the chest. The creature’s howl was deafening. Gerd limped forward brandishing his runic mace. Rodric reached down into his belt to draw forth another sunflare.

There was a sickening crunch as the Old One smashed Balthus into the wall. Bones broke. The dog’s jaws came lose. The Old One’s wounds closed with a sickening, sucking sound.

Kormak rolled away from it and rose to his feet.

The Old One glared at him. Kormak saw inhuman rage and hatred in its eyes. It tore Rhiana’s spear free and tossed it on the ground. Its form flowed. Its limbs lengthened. It bounded away, moving with a speed even the hounds had difficulty keeping up with.

Rodric yelled, “Quick, lads! Seek! The bastards on the run now.”

***

Vorkhul fled with the hounds at his heels, passing open doors into cages where humans had once tortured other humans. If not for the accursed blinding light, he would have slaughtered his enemies while they were too surprised to respond.

The sunflare had forced him to protect his eyes even as his body burned. The front of his body felt scorched. Fire was a thing that could cause him pain. So was sunlight. It might even