A Malazan Book of the Fallen Collection 3

portal
suddenly exfoliated, crashing down to shatter on the
floor.
    The sorcery lifted higher, fuller, spreading out to the
sides, then over Sathbaro's head, a standing wave of power
that crackled and hissed like a thousand serpents.
    Ahlrada Ahn moved forward. 'Sathbaro! Wait!'
    But the warlock ignored him, and with a roar the
seething wave of magic plunged into the choke-point,
blistering a path up the channel—
    —where it suddenly shattered.
    The concussion pushed Ahlrada Ahn back three steps, a
wave of heat striking him like a fist.
    Sathbaro Rangar screamed.
    As something huge appeared in the choke-point,
humped shoulders pushing through the aperture. Gaunt
with undeath, its skin a mottled map of grey and black,
silver-tipped fur on the neck and reaching along the
shoulders like hackles, the creature emerged from
the choke-point and rushed on its knuckles and hand-like
hind feet – straight for Sathbaro Rangar.
    Ahlrada Ahn shouted out a warning—
    —too late, for the beast reached out and closed
enormous hands on the warlock, lifted him into the air,
tore off one arm, then the other, blood gouting as the
apparition then twisted the shrieking Sathbaro round and
bit into the back of the Edur's neck, huge canines sinking
deep. As the jaws clenched, the undead demon's head
snapped back – and ripped half the neck away – Sathbaro's
spine racing out like an anchor-chain, whipping bloody in
the air—
    The beast then flung the corpse aside, and advanced on
Ahlrada Ahn.
     
    Icarium stood over the corpse of a child, stared down at the
fluids leaking from the broken skull, at the glazed eyes and
half-open mouth. The Jhag stood as if rooted, trembling.
    Taralack Veed was before him. 'Now, Slayer. Now is the
time!'
    'No need,' Icarium muttered. 'No need for this.'
    'Listen to me—'
    'Be silent. I will not kill children. I will have none of
this—'
    A detonation of sorcery ahead, the concussion rolling
back, rocking them both. Shouts, then screams. And a
bestial snarl. Shrieks, cries of horror from the Letherii and
Edur, then the sound of fear.
    'Icarium! A demon is upon us! A demon! No child, no
children – do you see? You must act – now! Show them! Show
the Edur what is within you!'
    Taralack was dragging at his arm. Frowning, Icarium
allowed himself to be pulled forward, through a mass of
cowering Edur. No, I do not want this – yet he could feel the
pounding of his hearts, rising like war drums with songs of
fire–
    The stench of spilled blood and waste, and both warriors
arrived to witness the savage death of Sathbaro Rangar.
    And the Soletaken then surged into a charge – and
Ahlrada Ahn – the brave warrior, seeking to protect his
soldiers – stepped into the creature's path.
    Icarium found his single-edged sword in his right hand –
he did not recall unsheathing it – and he was moving forward,
every motion seeming improbably slow, disjointed, as
he reached out, grasping the Tiste Edur and throwing him
back as if he weighed little more than a cloth hanging; and
then the Jhag advanced to meet the undead ape.
    He saw it suddenly recoil.
    Another step forward, as a strange humming filled
Icarium's skull, and the beast backed further away, into the
choke-point, then beyond, where it whirled round and fled
up the passage.
    Icarium staggered, gasped, threw one hand up against
one edge of the narrowed portal – felt its brittle surface
beneath his palm. The eerie song in his mind faded—
    And then Edur were plunging past him, rushing through
the breach. And once more, ahead, the sounds of battle.
Hard iron clashing, all scent of sorcery gone—
     
    Beyond the choke-point, Ahlrada Ahn saw before him a
widening of the fissure, and there, in a ragged line at least
three deep, stood soldiers of some kind, weapons wavering,
pale smudged faces beneath helms – Sisters take me, they are
so young! What is this? Children face us!
    And then he saw the two T'lan Imass, and between them
a tall, grey-skinned figure – no. No, it cannot be – we left
him, we —
    A savage war-cry from Kholb Harat, echoed almost
immediately by Saur Bathrada. 'Trull Sengar! The traitor is
before us!'
    'You are mine!'
    Despite Saur's bold claim, both he and Kholb lunged
together, closing on Trull Sengar.
    Then the remaining Edur were spreading out, rushing
the line of armoured children, and the two forces collided
in a cacophony of ringing weapons and shields. Screams of
pain and rage rebounded off the battered stone walls.
    And