Call of Kerberos: Twilight of Kerberos, The - Jonathan Oliver Page 0,28

the thing across the skull as Katya fell back behind him.

The creature howled in pain but quickly found its feet and came after him instead. This time it cleared the arc of Silus's blade and was about to rake its talons across his face when Dunsany barrelled into it from the side, bringing the creature to ground.

The pinned Chadassa thrashed wildly beneath him as Dunsany gripped its skull. Silus could see the strain in his arms as he prevented the creature struggling against his grasp. Then, he wrenched the thing's head violently to the side and it stopped moving as its neck broke.

Kelos, panting with the strain of his injuries, rushed over and helped Dunsany to his feet.

Silus looked back to where Jacquinto and his comrades were cowering in the mouth of the tunnel, Emuel just visible behind them. They caught his gaze for a moment and seemed to be about to steal themselves to advance when the chanting of the Chadassa stopped.

"I suggest that we go, now." Father Maylan said, already backing towards the cave.

But before they could begin their retreat a shiver passed through the stones surrounding the island and the ground seemed to sway beneath their feet.

With a noise like a great door slamming the curtain of magical energy fell. Belck raised his staff and cried out a word that no human mouth could ever have formulated as the standing stones began to explode, one by one.

As burning fragments of rock showered them, the crew turned and ran for the shelter of the tunnel, Silus shielding Katya's body with his own, crying out in agony as shrapnel scored his shoulders. He saw Kelos turn and start to gesture with his hands as he attempted to weave the beginnings of a defensive spell. But when the Chadassa started to swarm across the island towards them, he too turned and fled.

Dunsany and Father Maylan were the last to the tunnel and, turning, they saw that the Chadassa were closing the distance to them fast.

"Kelos, is there anything that you can do?" Dunsany shouted, above the roar of the advancing creatures.

"Get clear of the entrance." Kelos said, his hands on the rock walls, his fingers seeming to sink into the stone. "Go!"

Dunsany joined the rest of the crew as they fled and, as the darkness of the tunnel swallowed them, a great wave of force slammed them to the floor as the roof of the cave collapsed. They covered their heads as a hot wind rolled over them and the sound of falling rock filled the tunnel.

And then the thunder of stones stopped and there was just the creak and groan of rock settling into new configurations.

For a moment they lay in absolute darkness, listening to each other's breathing. Silus reached out and found Katya's hand, a sigh of relief escaping his lips when she returned his grasp. Behind him he could hear Jacquinto and his friends swearing as they checked themselves for injuries. Emuel was sobbing to himself and muttering prayers.

"Kelos?" Dunsany called.

And they all listened, hoping for the sound of footsteps that would tell them that the mage was safe, but Dunsany's voice echoed away into emptiness.

"Kelos?" Dunsany called again, the threat of tears now in his voice.

From out of the darkness a light bobbed towards them and Silus was reminded of the corpse lamps that haunted the swamps on the borders of Nürn, for the face that the unreal glow illuminated certainly seemed to be that of a ghast or revenant. The lined features that drifted down the tunnel were a spectral white and a groan escaped from the cracked lips of the unholy vision. An icy chill touched Silus as the ghastly creature drew near.

"Dunsany?" It said, and a pale hand reached out towards him. "Water."

Dunsany handed the pallid vision his flask and, as it poured the water over its features, the rock dust was washed away and Kelos stood before them, shaking.

Dunsany embraced him with a fierce hug.

Kelos smiled weakly and sipped from the flask. "The tunnel entrance has been sealed. I'm afraid that leaves us with only one means of escape."

"The Llothriall?" Dunsany said.

Kelos nodded and the crew began to prepare themselves for the voyage.

The Final Faith ship was skirting Sarcre when a thunderous boom echoed through the channels of the archipelago. Brother Philip noted that the dome of magical energy that he had observed covering one of the smaller islands had come down. He passed the telescope to Inquisitor Mandrias and signalled for