ANGEL OF JUSTICE (2014 revised)

Chapter Forty Four - Beasts of Burden

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Beasts of Burden

Bane and Harne darted along the tunnel towards the main cavern, the sounds of agonising death echoed from somewhere up ahead. Both men shared a look of concern beneath the soft glow of the yellow wall lights that were barely able to initiate in time to keep up with the two men running along the twisting tunnels and interconnecting caverns. The main ice cavern was deathly quiet as Bane and Harne arrived. Slowly the naturally energized crystal lights upon the wall lit up one by one, embracing the massive chamber in a flood of warm light to reveal a bloody mess of savaged bodies.

"It seems Lara's training session has turned into a real fight." Harne stated looking at the blood soaked walls and the torn pieces of flesh and clothing. "Arc's concern that your master might have been able to trace you to this location seem justified."

"I warned he'd find me sooner or later." Bane stated sighting his crossbow on the nearest tunnel exit, his finger resting lightly on the trigger.

"Kait and Daniel did set precautions just in case but it seems they were not enough."

"It was only a matter of time, Harne. Before you broke through the lord's death ward, he must have gleaned enough information to learn my location."

"There must have been at least twenty people in here. Not that you could tell by the scattered body parts. What did Charaz send us, some creature he pulled out of his personal pit hole of hell?"

"Charaz has developed a fetish for cruelty and ugliness from years of dabbling with the dark arts. I have witnessed his conjuring many times and I can tell you from experience you would not like to be in the same room as anything Charaz digs up."

"I'm really starting to hate that man." Harne stated as he clashed his wrist guards together, initiating his First Guard armour.

Bane watched as the metal flowed like silk over Harne's body blending every metal link of armour into solid metal.

"I thought you said you couldn't use your armour in the city?"

"That was Thomas's warning to prevent your lord from finding us. I think we don't have to worry about that any more, do we?" Harne shook his head. "So what can we expect?"

"He would have sent two sorcerers to undo the ward over the most distant tunnel before sending in at least half a dozen canine tracker beasts. They are wild hell beasts with six inch dagger fangs that can tear through armour."

Harne shivered. "What a delight working with you is turning out to be."

Bane closed his eyes and sought out the position of the beasts. "There are fourteen of them scattered throughout several tunnels. Depending how quickly the beasts are killed will inform Charaz of your strength before he sends more."

"He likes watching things die, doesn't he?"

"Charaz has always liked death, more so if it delivered by his hands. To him everything and everyone is expendable. If he ever learns I still live he will tear this city apart stone by stone with his bare hands to find me."

"Let him try. I wouldn't mind give him a thrashing myself."

Bane's expression hardened. "That's only after I've finished with him."

"We need to find Lara and the citizens. I hope Hamish has already arrived. They could certainly use his help. It's ironic the beasts attack the same night that training has started at the Landing in preparation for such an attack through the wards."

Bane looked to Harne with a frown. "It can only be sheer coincidence, I have not reported back to Charaz since before my capture. You lot know that."