The Crippled God

harmless.’
    He was shaking his head. ‘Icarium—’
    ‘Icarium Lifestealer is what he is and what he has always been. Uncontrollable, destined to awaken again and again, there in the midst of the devastation he has wrought. He cannot be stopped, cannot be saved.’ She stepped forward. ‘So, let me free him, Trell.’
    ‘No.’ The mace lifted in his hands. ‘I will die first.’
    She sighed. ‘Trell, you died long ago.’
    Roaring, he charged.
    Calm evaded the clumsy swing, moved in close, one hand shooting out. The blow against his right shoulder punched the bone from its socket, ripped the muscles clean away. The Trell was thrown round by the impact. She drove her elbow into his face, shattering it. Angled a kick against his right shin, broke both bones.
    The mace thudded on to the ground.
    Even as he fell, he tried to grasp her with his left hand. She caught it by the wrist, clenched and twisted, crushed the bones. A savage pull snapped him closer. Calm plunged her other hand into his chest, up and under the ribs, the fingers stabbing through to sink deep. She pushedhim back, her hand reappearing in a welter of blood, fingers clutching half a lung.
    Another push sent him on to his back.
    Calm dropped down over him, hands closing on his throat.
    Mappo stared up at her. Lies. I was nothing. Throwing away my life. They gave me a purpose – it’s all anyone needs. A purpose . She had stolen his breath and his chest raged with fire. His body was broken, and now the end was upon him.
    Icarium! She’s done something to you. She’s hurt you .
    Darkness closed around him. I tried. But … too weak. Too flawed .
    They all hurt you .
    I was nothing. A Trell youth among a dying people. Nothing .
    My friend. I am sorry .
    She crushed his windpipe. She crushed every bone in his neck. Her fingers pushed through wrinkled, slack skin – skin that felt like worn deerhide – and the blood welled out.
    His dead eyes stared up at her from a blackened face, a face now frozen in a peculiar expression of sorrow. But she would give that no thought. Just one more warrior cursed to fail. The world was filled with them. They littered battlefields. They marched into the fray beating time with swords on shields. But not for much longer.
    He is mine. I will awaken him now – I will free him to kill this world .
    A sound to her left, and then a voice. ‘That’s not nice.’
    She twisted, to fling herself away, but something massive slammed into the side of her head, hard enough to lift her from the ground, spin her in the air.
    Calm landed on her right shoulder, rolled and came to her feet. Her face – her entire head – felt lopsided, unbalanced.
    The backswing caught her left hip. Shards of jagged bone erupted from her pelvis. She folded around the blow, pitched headfirst downward, and once more landed hard. Fought to her knees, stared up with her one working eye to see a Toblakai standing before her.
    But you freed me!
    No. You’re not him. That was long ago. Another place – another time .
    ‘I don’t like fighting,’ he said.
    His next swing tore her head from her shoulders.
    ‘Brother Grave?’
    ‘A moment.’ The Forkrul Assail stared at the distant knot of hills. This is where the cloud of birds descended. I see … shapes, there, upon the flanks of the Elan barrow . He spoke to the High Watered at his side. ‘Do you see, Haggraf? We will now encircle – but maintain our distance. I want us rested before we strike.’
    ‘Perhaps we should await the heavy infantry, Pure. They have prepared for us on that barrow.’
    ‘We will not wait,’ Grave replied. ‘That hill is not large enough to hold a force of any appreciable threat. Before dawn, we shall form up and advance.’
    ‘They will surrender.’
    ‘Even if they do, I will execute them all.’
    ‘Pure, will you make them kneel before our blades?’
    Brother Grave nodded. ‘And once we are done here, we shall return to Brother Aloft and Sister Freedom – perhaps the enemy they have now found will prove more of a challenge. If not, we will form up and march our three armies north, to eliminate that threat. And then … we shall retake the Great Spire.’
    Haggraf strode off to relay the orders to the company commanders.
    Brother Grave stared at the distant barrow. At last, we will end this .
    Vastly Blank stepped down from the boulder, and then sat to adjust the leather bindings protecting his shins.
    Fiddler frowned down at the heavy, and then across