The Dragon Engine (18 page)

“We need to move faster,” growled Beetrax.

Jael was limping, holding his ribs now, face lined with pain. Beetrax shot Talon a glance, as if to say,
there, I told you he'd slow us down.
Talon stopped for a moment to string his bow, and his hand shifted behind his head, checking his quiver of steel-headed shafts.

They reached the end of the chasm, and the world opened into a bright, glittering array of sunlight bouncing from ice. Ahead was a towering mountain, with various cave mouths staggered up the vertical wall, containing overhanging promontories of black rock. But what made the company gasp were the Ice Bridges of Sakaroth – there were seven of them, each of varying widths. They curved away in random directions, most with a slight dip towards the centre where huge icicles had formed beneath, dropping away to some bottomless pit far beneath; some terrifying chasm of infinity and death. The narrowest bridge was the width of a man, and spiralled towards the centre, with a rainbow of mineral colours trapped in the glittering ice. The widest, just off centre to the right, was perhaps the width of a narrow, cobbled road in Vagan, down which one cart could comfortably pass.

They gleamed.

The company stood, staring in awe.

“It changes every year,” said Jonti, glancing over at Jael. Then to Dake, “The widest?”

Dake nodded, and to everybody, said, “Look at the camber; there is a slope. We'll have to take it slowly. If you have a dagger, keep it to hand – they make an impromptu ice axe. If you go over, dig the knife into the ice until somebody can help.”

“And if we all go over?” rumbled Beetrax.

Dake scowled at him, and chose not to reply.

The howl came again; the howl of the splice, long, and wavering, followed by a crunch of ice and rocks, scattering across the rocky floor with hollow clacks like loaded knuckle dice across a corrupt gaming table.

Beetrax's head whipped round, and he growled a curse. The huge, twisted, deformed horse creature stood between the Fingers, reared up on hind legs, front legs dangling before it with great, twisted iron hooves, scarred and bent from battle. The equine head, with lips pulled right back displaying layers of fangs, quivered. The creature's uneven head and lop-sided eyes, one yellow, the larger one blood red, stared at the company of adventurers.

“Shit,” muttered Beetrax, getting a good hold on his axe.

The creature's front hooves hit the rocks, and it lumbered into a charge.

“Get across the bridge!” screamed Dake, suddenly, as every member of the company drew weapons with hisses and clatters of steel. Jonti passed Jael a long blade, slightly curved and wickedly sharp.

“You might need this,” she said, sombrely.

Jael swallowed, eyes wide with fear.

Talon leapt alongside Beetrax, withdrew a shaft, and notched it.

The beast was bellowing as it galloped down the rocky valley, shoulder-charging huge boulders out of the way with snorts of steam and blood, its head weaving from left to right, twisted side-horn glistening with some kind of mucus.

The closer it got, the uglier it got.

“Fucking shoot it!” snapped Beetrax.

“I don't want to waste arrows.”

“So speaks the best fucking shot in Vagandrak? Fucking KILL IT!”

There was a snap and a whine, and an arrow sped across the space. It deflected from the beast's shoulder, clattering off amongst the rocks.

“Great fucking shot!” snapped Beetrax. “You missed!”

“I didn't
miss,
it's got a hide like plate armour!”

Behind, the others had stepped out onto the widest of the seven ice bridges. They slipped and slid, regaining balances. Jonti looked over at Lillith and Sakora. “It'll be a miracle if we get across!”

“We have to try. We have no option!” said Sakora, eyes on fire. “Link arms!”

They linked arms, and with each member steadying one another, began a slow crossing of the ice-slippery bridge, moving inch by inch, boots sliding out every second step, faces contorting in pain at stretched tendons and muscles.

Another whine, and an arrow embedded in the splice's side. It made not one iota of difference to its charge. It was nearly halfway down the valley now, and it was looking more furious with every passing second.

Beetrax turned full on, and grasped his axe in both hands, and readied himself.

“I hate to say this, old horse, but I think we're going to need more blades.” Another arrow slashed at the beast, disappearing in the thick mane. Again, it had no effect.

“Fucking SHOOT IT!” screamed Beetrax, beginning to realise just how big the creature was. He swallowed, hard, mouth dry with sudden fear. It wasn't just big. It was BIG, ugly, and appeared fucking annoyed about something.

Talon held out his bow, fixing his cool gaze on Beetrax. “I swear on my life, Axeman, one more bloody word and you can kill it yourself.”

“Just do something!”

The space between them was rapidly closing. They felt the very rocks beneath their feet shaking.

“Gods, it's nearly the height of two stallions!”

Talon started firing shaft after shaft, aiming for eyes and throat, but the beast was weaving, odd disjointed legs smashing rocks as it carried itself forward in an almost random trajectory; certainly one hard to anticipate. Arrows struck from its head and shoulders now, and it reared suddenly, staggering on hind legs, and let out an almighty roar that reverberated around the mountains, the canyons, the valleys, the crevasses, booming and grinding, screaming a created sound of animal hate rarely experienced in the realm of Vagandrak.

Dake, helping Lillith and Jael, glanced up as a shower of small rocks and ice pattered onto the ice bridge. They were half way across, but looking back, he knew they wouldn't make it. And what was Beetrax going to do?

“I can't leave them,” he muttered, and drew his sword.

“You mustn't!” hissed Jonti, grabbing his arm, face fearful.

“But... just look at the beast!”

Jonti stared, stared in horror, and drew her lips in a tight line. “Go back to them,” she said. “Go back, now!”

Slipping and sliding, Dake reversed his progress, and started heading back for Beetrax and Talon.

Talon glanced left at Beetrax. The beast was nearly upon them.

“Well?” snarled Beetrax.

“Better use that bastard axe. I'm out of shafts.”

It loomed close, eyes insane, mouth drooling blood and saliva, great head turning on Beetrax, for whom it made a direct charge. As it came close, Beetrax felt his arse clench in fear as it reared over him. There was a slither of steel as Talon's sword sprang free of its scabbard, and he rolled left under a crushing swing from an iron-shod hoof. Beetrax took a step back, the glittering heads of his great axe slashing through the air. The beast made no attempt to avoid the blow, but twisted, taking the blades on one leg as it heaved its bulk forward, almost sending Beetrax slipping backwards from the ledge into the chasm beneath the bridges. Off balance, he ducked a whirring hoof and jabbed his axe forward, opening a wound in the creature's chest. It bellowed, and Beetrax rolled right but the beast moved fast, rearing, hooves coming down to crush a section of rock a few inches beside Beetrax's head. He stumbled to his knees and feet, and circled around the beast. Talon circled the other way as it whirled about, fixing an evil gaze on Beetrax.

“You… die first, Axeman,” it managed through squirming lips and quivering fangs, as pus and blood drooled from a mouth filled with strips of human flesh.

“Beast, you are one ugly son of a cunt,” spat Beetrax, anger rising within him to overwhelm the fear. “I'd hate to meet your mother or your sister; although that's probably the same fucking nightmare beast, ain't it?”

The splice roared and charged, and Talon leapt from the side, sword slamming at its head. The blade cut a line but bounced free of armour and the creature whirled on Talon, turning faster than anything so large had a right to – and charged.

Talon skipped back, sword jabbing, and with a roar Beetrax charged in behind, axe coming down on the creature's back, cutting a huge, ragged hole. A leg punched out, iron hoof hitting Talon in the face and sending him spinning across the snow, dazed, sword clattering away. Then Dake was there, between Talon and the creature, his sword up, his eyes bright, his mouth a grim line.

“Come and taste some Vagan steel,” he said.

Beetrax came in from the other side. He could see splatters of blood across the snow, and gestured to Dake, who nodded, circling away from Talon.

Suddenly, the splice roared, rearing up, and both Beetrax and Dake rushed in. A hoof caught Beetrax in the chest, picking him up and accelerating him across the ice, where he slid to a stop, wheezing, groaning, and a single foot from where the chasm fell away.

Dake's sword cut a long groove down the beast's hide, but it spun on him and advanced, huge maw opening wide and ready to bite off his head. His sword came up but was batted aside. Nothing could stand in the way of the splice…

On the snow, head pounding, Talon grabbed a stray arrow which had been dislodged during the fight. He brought round his bow, notched the arrow, and in one smooth movement, fired.

The arrow whined, and embedded in the splice's big, red eye, popping the orb in a splatter of pus and fluid, and driving deep into the elongated horse skull.

The effect was incredible.

The splice went insane, rearing up, spinning round, screaming and roaring, tusk slashing randomly at the air, hooves slashing at invisible foes.

On the bridge, Jonti, Lillith, Sakora and Jael had reached the safe path across the ice. The ground, however, seemed unstable; there was a deep rumbling, a shaking, and looking up, Jonti realised the mountain itself had started to complain.

“Dake!” she screamed. “Dake! I think there might be an avalanche!”

“Shit,” he muttered. “Talon! Trax! We need to get across that fucking bridge, NOW!”

Weapons in hand, and ignoring the spinning, gouging, roaring splice, they ran for the ice walkway, hitting the edge and each going over, sliding along on bellies and arses. More rocks and splinters of ice fell from above. The ground trembled, a tremor of terrifying proportions.

Beetrax slid to the very edge of the bridge, and peered down, heart in his mouth. Below, there were several much wider ledges, but then the chasm spun off into infinity. An eternity of deep, dark blackness.

“By the Holy Mother,” he said, and sat up, spinning around on the slick, slippery ice. He accidentally nearly pitched backwards over the ledge, and rammed his axe down, blade lodging in the bridge surface, and saving himself from toppling off. He dragged himself back to his feet.

“This is not a good day,” muttered Beetrax. “Dake? Talon?”

“I'm good,” breathed Dake.

“I'm not, the bastard broke my nose!” snarled Talon.

“Er, gentlemen, I think we have a problem,” said Dake, nodding to behind his two companions. The splice had suddenly stopped spinning, and turned, orientated on the ice bridge containing these, its enemies. It snorted blood, a crimson spray against the snow. It pawed the ice, and started forward, shoulders hunkering down, head dropping almost to the ground, like a hound scenting its prey.

“Whoa boy!” shouted Beetrax, gesturing at the bridge. “You'll collapse us!”

The single remaining eyes focussed on Beetrax. The creature snarled, lips curling back, fangs quivering, then clashing together at high speed, gnashing, as if anticipating his flavour, the taste of his flesh.

“Trax, it'll take us down with it!”

The ground was shaking; indeed, the very mountain itself seemed to be shaking. More snow and rocks tumbled from above, larger this time, hammering down around the trio. There came a staccato rapid-fire series of cracks, and the bridge shifted uneasily, like a ship on a rolling ocean.

“Get back,” growled Beetrax. Then he turned and stared hard at Dake and Talon. “Get to the fucking ledge!”

The splice came onto the ice bridge. Beetrax snarled something incomprehensible and charged, axe in both hands, blades glittering like diamonds as shafts of sunlight painted their carbon-hardened razor edges. The splice stamped forward, head shaking, and lifting its head, roared up at the mountains, the shaft of Talon's arrow jutting from the left side of its twisted, uneven head.

The splice leapt at Beetrax, as lumps of ice and rock rained around him, and his axe thundered down, cutting a great cleft in the beast's shoulder. But that didn't stop the splice, and its head lunged forward, headbutting Beetrax and sending him staggering back. Then it leapt at him, a deadly strike, and Beetrax was punched backwards, sliding across the bridge on his arse, face contorted in pain at his crunched ribs.

“Now… you die!” gurgled the creature, head low against the ice-bridge. Falling rocks and ice were bouncing from its hide as Beetrax lifted his axe, and struck a mighty blow to the bridge. Steel and ice met, and Beetrax dragged himself to his feet, backing away, his axe striking down, three, four, five blows. Ice cracks zig-zagged in crazy lines across the bridge, accompanied by great tearing, cracking sounds, as if a mighty oak had been chopped at its base and was now tearing its narrow heartwood core apart.

The splice howled, and leapt forward… as the bridge at Beetrax's boots opened in a yawning chasm, and fell away. Huge chunks tumbled down, some landing on the wider ledge below, some bouncing away into the darkness of infinity. The splice, hooves clattering on ice, a half-scream, half-whinny grinding from its throat, was dragged away in a sudden downwards rush of tumbling ice.

Beetrax teetered on the edge, then a hand grabbed his belt and hauled him back.

He turned, to see Talon, grinning at him.

“Thanks,” mumbled Beetrax.

“My pleasure, Axeman.”

The cacophony of the roaring, falling bridge gradually subsided. All on the ledge stood, breathing deep, eyes wide in shock and fear.