Deathwing by William King, David Pringle, Neil Jones Read Free Book Online

might prevent
     it.
    "Let us
     go."
     said
     Weasel-Fierce, leaping to his feet. "Let us
     enter
     the
     city and
     kill the
     Stealers' spawn."
    Several other
     warriors made to accompany
     him.
    Wait,
    "
     said
     Bloody Moon.
     "The
     gathering
     is not
     over and I would speak..."
     
* * *
     
    Anger
     and
     impatience drove
     Two Heads
     Talking toward the
     sound
     of pain. By the
     brink of the
     river, in the
     shadow
     of a monstrous
     factory,
     he
     saw
     that
     a
     group
     of bluecoats
     had
     pinned
     an
     old
     man
     against
     the
     wall
     and
     were
     slowly
     and surely
     beating
     him
     to
     death
     with
     their
     truncheons.
     One
     of
     their
     number
     held
     a
     lantern,
     occasionally
     giving
     a
     calm, precise
     order.
    "Talk seditious
     nonsense,
     would you?"
     said
     one
     bravo.
     His
     stroke
     ended
     with
     the
     cracking
     of
     breaking
     ribs.
     The
     old man groaned
     and
     fell to his knees.
     The other bluecoats
     laughed.
    "Preach
     heresy
     against
     the
     Imperial
     cult
     and
     the
     warriors
     from
     the
     sky,
     eh?
     What
     makes
     you
     old
     fools
     do
     it?
     By
     the
    Emperor
    . I thought
     we had
     got
     the
     last of you."
    Their
     victim
     looked
     up
     at
     them.
     "You
     are
     deluded.
     The
     Warriors
     from
     the Sky
     would
     not
     have
     built
     this
     place
     and herded
     us
     here the
     way elks are herded
     to the
     slaughter.
     Nor would they
     have
     broken the
     burial mounds
     of
     our
     people. Your masters
     are evil spirits
     summoned by the
     Hill
     Clans,
     not
     true
     Sky
     Warriors.
     Deathwing
     will
     return
     and
     rend
     them asunder."
    "Silence
    , blaspheming
     no-name." said
     the
     leader of the
     bluecoats.
    "You
     wish
     to
     prove
     your
     courage,
     do
     you?
     Perhaps
     we should
     return
     to
     the
     old
     ways,
     drunkard,
     and
     practise
     the
    Weasel
     Claw ritual on you."
    The old man coughed
     blood.
     "Do what you
     will,
     I
     am
     Morning
     Star
     of
     the
     line
     of
     Running
     Deer
     and
     Silver
     Elk.
     I
     have the
     Witching
     Sight. I tell you
     that
     the
     spirits
     walk. Ancient
     powers
     stalk the
     land.
     The
     red
     star burns
     bright
     in
     the
     sky. A time of trouble
     is coming."
    "Is
     that
     why
     you chose
     to
     start
     ranting
     this
     night?
     I
     had
     thought
     the
     only
     spirits
     that
     talked
     to
     you
     came
     from
     a bottle,"
     said
     another
     bluecoat,
     kicking
     Morning
     Star
     in
     the
     ribs.
     The
     old
     man
     groaned.
     Two
     Heads
     Talking
     made
     his way forward through
     the
     mist, till he emerged into the
     lantern light.
    'The
     bluecoat
     leader
     spoke
     to
     him.
     "Go
     away,
     buck.
     This
     is
     Warrior
     Lodge
     business.
     If
     you
     don't
     want
     to
     join
     this drunkard
     in the
     river, you'll leave now."
    "You dishonour
     the
     idea
     of
     the
     Warrior
     Lodge,"
     said
     Two
     Heads
     Talking
     quietly.
     "Depart
     now,
     and
     I
     will
     spare
     you. Remain a heartbeat
     longer, and
     I will surely
     grant
     you death."
    The old man looked up
     at
     him.
     awe-struck.
     Two
     Heads
     Talking
     could
     see
     the
     winged
     skull tattoo
     of
     a
     Shaman
     on
     his forehead.
     A few bravos
     laughed.
     Some, the
     wiser ones,
     heard
     the
     soft
     menace in the
     Marine's
     voice and
     backed
     away.
    The leader gestured
     for the bluecoats
     to attack. "Take him!"
    Two
     Heads
     Talking
     parried
     the
     swipe
     of
     a truncheon
     with
     his
     forearm.
     There
     was
     a
     metallic
     ring
     as
     the bludgeon snapped.
     He
     broke
     the
     bravo's nose
     against
     the
     butt
     of
     his
     force
     axe
     then
     lashed