Wyrd Chronicles Volume 11

8/12/2019 Wyrd Chronicles Volume 11

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ContentsP.34 - Last Subnet thought-log of cir

P.35 - Showdown Tactics

Credits

P.02 - Spreading the Word

P.03 - Ask a Gremlin

P.05 - Winters Chill P.39 - Professor Pontificates

P.43 - Signature Spells

P.46 - Makos Rubbish

P.55 - The Gallery

Creative Director

Justin Gibbs

Layout and Editor

David Hanold

Graphic Artist

Redd Cohen

Contributing Writers

Matt Anderson

Jonathan Boynton

Aaron Brosman

Josh Christensen

Justin Gibbs

David Hanold

Mack Martin

Mark Rogers

Adrian Scott

Graeme Stevenson

Contributing Artists

Alex Alexandrove

Matthew Bradbury

Hardy Fowler

Christophe Madaru

Pablo Quiligotti

Melvin de Voor

Special Thanks

Aaron Brosman

P.08- The Bayou Bash

P.16 - Shadow of Fallen Leaves

P.22 - The Nature of Souls

P.32 - Malifaux Scenarios
http://tinyurl.com/k95nmychttp://tinyurl.com/k95nmyc


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By David Han

A look at whats to come

Spreading the Word

Welcome Back!

Te month o April begins with mischie. Gremlins have taken over the Chronicles, they need their time inthe spotlight too! We ound this time to be appropriate to show off previews rom the Gremlin line. Scatteredthroughout this volume o the Chronicles is never beore seen art or upcoming Gremlin models.

Tanks to our wonderul community o talented writers we have tons o stories to be read. Mark has returned tous with a bloody good painting article. Adrian provides pointers or newcomers to the tournament scene. Joshbreaks down more tactics or Te King o Clubs playstyle in Showdown: Icons. And our avorite Gremlin is back

to answer questions submitted by the community.

Like you, we at Wyrd are also gamers. Each member o Wyrd has his or her own selection o avorite games, andwe couldnt pass up the opportunity to talk about one o them! Tis month we have the honor to provide a lookinto the popular board game Mage Wars.

Aaron Brosman, creative director at Arcane Wonders, has dropped by to provide veteran and new players alikehis own winning spells that he has ound himsel including in almost all o his Spell omes. Mage Wars is aantastic game that many o us at the offices personally enjoy a great deal. It has the same level o customizationand complexity as Maliaux. Te designers over at Arcane Wonders contacted us because they also share a

passion or Maliaux. So i you are already a an o Mage Wars, please check out his article. And i you are notaware o Mage Wars take the time to look up the games unique mechanics over at http://www.arcanewonders.com/category/magewars.

Oh, I almost orgot, there is a secret link buried somewhere in here with even more amazing gremlin art! Haveun lookingAs always eel ree to email me at [email protected] .

Enjoy!
http://www.arcanewonders.com/category/magewarshttp://www.arcanewonders.com/category/magewarsmailto:david.hanold%40wyrd-games.net?subject=mailto:david.hanold%40wyrd-games.net?subject=http://www.arcanewonders.com/category/magewarshttp://www.arcanewonders.com/category/magewars


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Q: What master would you most like to remove fromthe game?A: I I ad my way Id have ta say Ramos. He keeps aputtin too many legs on tings.

Q: Why are gremlins a faction?

A: Some ellers ask why. Other ellers askwud yourather have a ace ull o lead or a gremlin action? Tatsecond eller is always the convincin sort.

Q: Where and how did Somer get Peaches?A: Id have ta say Peaches got im.

Q: What does it take to get a job at Wyrd?

A: Wit a big nough hat anythin can be accom,accommodated? Er, done.

Q: Who comes up with the weirdest ideas in the office?A: Dat Mack eller, might be part gremlin.

Q: Any chance of dual-master upgrades? Like anOphelia-dita hat thing or a Lady J-Lilith sword schtick?

A: I n we capture em we could try sewin dem together, solong as they dont kick an bite like the last two.

Q: Why do non unique models have a rarecharacteristic I.e. Peacekeepers and DesolationEngines and Guild hounds and Insidious madness?A: How many o dem desolation engines do yous want,anyway? When you go a callin somethin the desolation

engine I dont be expectin to be buyin it by the dozenWhile youre out, in its not too much trouble, could yabring me back a couple a desolation engines?

Q: When can we expect the first M2E expansion?

A: When da Bayou heats up and goes all a swelterin.

Q: What is the Square root of 1?

A: Never done seen a root dat was square.

Q: When is the anti-gremlin guild faction coming?A: When? WHERE?! RUN!

Q: What would happen if Ravage, Loco, and Willystarted a band?

A: Callin demselves Papa and the Demolition eam, deywould experience initial commercial success wit theirfirst album, but durin their debut tour they would breakup over creative differences. Loco would enjoy some

brie success as a solo artist, but all three would live inthe incessant shadow o their previous ame, constantlypressured to be wut dey were in their glory days.

Q: Are we asking random questions, or is there apurpose?

A: Dat all depends. Is der a purpose? Or is dis all just a briejoke the universe be havin at our expense? Are we all juspiglets lookin up out o da slop at da uncarin sky?

Questions from the Community

Ask a Gremlin

By A Gremli


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Q: Why wont you sleep, why why why. All I want isone full nights sleep.. Whhhyyyyy!!!???

A: Ya can sleep when youve been conked over da head allproper like.

Q: Whos your favorite enforcer?A: Whiskey Golem.

Q: Why does every time I try to grab a drink, mybarrel of shine keeps hitting me????

A: Whiskey Golem?

Q: What runs but never walks, has a mouth butnever talks, has a bed but never sleeps, and head thatnever weeps?A: Whiskey Golem!

Q: Why is Te Nothing Beast so nice?

A: He might be a mean lookin son o a gun, but hesjust misunder, under. Undersitting? Errrr. Underyer bed. Waitin.

Q: How does one build a Prison thathouses Nothing?A: Easily?

Q: Why is it mancha and lenny are never seen in thesame place at the same time?

A: And who was dat masked gremlin?

Q: If Malifaux had a comic book style super hero,which faction would claim it?A: Dem resser ellas. Te Ghoul, hims a mild manneredGuild accountant by day, flesh eating zombie by night. Anlunch breaks.

Q: If two hats are the same size, is it style or color thatmakes one better?A: Style. Its all bout da style.

Q: What is the air speed velocity of Mah uckets spoon?A: Ladle or un-ladle?


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By Mack Mar

Advanced Pursuit: December Acolyte

Winters Chill

Through the Breach, the Malifaux RPG is in the final

stages of fulfilling the Kickstarter pledges. The digital

copies are out to the backers, and the physical books

are being printed. Soon everything will be in the

warehouse and off to the gamers. Its a very exciting

time for us here in the Wyrd offices.

One thing that is particularly exciting is our ability to

support the game through our bi-monthly magazine. In

this first installment well be presenting a new Advanced

Pursuit not found in the Fatemasters Almanac!

A Pursuit is a bit like a class or archetype from other

RPGs. However, it is designed to change during each

game session. While some players may doggedly hold

to one or two Pursuits that define their character,

others may liberally switch between those they feel

represent what the character is doing at the time. At

the end of each game session the players move along

the Pursuit path, learning a new ability or picking upa general talent.

Fates, on the other hand, are set in stone at character

creation. The character has a set (of ambiguously

worded) destinies that will be fulfilled during

gameplay. Each game session will focus on a player

dealing with one step of this omen. Each player gets

a moment in the sun, and once all of the destinies

are completed the campaign will have a few wrap up

sessions and then end, completing a story.

Advanced Pursuits allow the players and Fatemaster

to extend the tale a bit. While it is important for the

story to have defined finish (all good things must end)

the players have some flexibility through Advanced

Pursuits.

Characters may only have one Advanced Pursuit, and

they must meet a requirement (frequently story based)

to begin the path. Unlike normal Pursuits, however,

the character never chooses an Advanced Pursuit atthe beginning of a session. Instead, it is always with

the character, and advancement is handled like a step

of Fate. An entire game session is dedicated to telling

the story of how the character advances along the

Pursuit with the help, or hindrance, of comrades.

Every Advanced Pursuit is unique, some advanced in a

simple linear fashion, while others present options that

may be chosen by the player or Fatemaster. Like Fate

each has five steps. This means that a campaign may bedoubled in length by the inclusion of Advanced Pursuits,

if the Fatemaster and Players wish.

Here we present the December Acolyte, a devotee of

the powerful winter nightmare... and a potent Advanced

Pursuit available to any character willing to brave the

frigid winter nights.


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December Acolyte

The nightmare entity known only in powerful magically

proficient circles. Those in the know associate it most

closely with the terrorist Rasputina. For most, the

existence of December comes when it contacts them,

or they learn of its power and seek it out.

The December Acolyte is one such person; a manor woman who draws power from their devotion to

December. The entity functions as a power source,

and in some cases an indirect tutor, for the arcane

individuals, but even those without the mystical spark

can gain much from devotion to December.

While enigmatic, Decembers wrath can be seen

in the mountains near Malifaux, where a perpetual

winter ravages the landscape. Nearest its peaks, an

endless blizzard whips snow about the stones, and

there is little shelter to protect oneself from the

cold... which is likely where one can be closest to the

nightmare December.

Requirement

To Become a December Acolyte, the character must be

contacted by the nightmare entity known as December.

This can happen through a variety of ways, and indeed

it is possible that December never speaks to a mortal in

the same way twice, although this is pure conjecture. Thecharacter might hear a voice on the wind, or see a terrible

vision after falling through the ice in a frozen pond.

Regardless of the way in which December makes contact,

the character must then choose to head a summons to the

perpetually snow-capped mountains north of Malifaux

city. After disappearing alone into the eternal blizzard,

they may eventually emerge... their heart frozen, and

their dedication to December secure.

The Winter Wind Calls

The path of a December Acolyte follows a set path.

Each step along this Advanced Pursuit is taken in

order (beginning with Frozen Heart and ending with

Smell Weakness).

Frozen Heart

With the first touch of Decembers power the characters

heart becomes frozen solid, and over time it may become

pure ice. Powerful emotions become a rarity, and it is

very easy for the character to overcome panic.

The character is immune to Horror Duels and the

Paralyzed Condition.

Maim

Without remorse the December Acolyte is capable

of hurting those around them in astonishing and crue

ways. The character chooses a Ranged Combat or Close

Combat skill. Attacks made with the chosen skill gain the

following trigger:

CMaim:When this attack causes a Critical Effect the

attacker may choose to inflict any lower Critical Effec

of their choice instead.

From the Shadows

Devotion to the cold nights of December has granted

insights into the nature of shadow and darkness. When

called upon to make an Initiative flip, if no enemy is aware

of this characters presence, this character may immediately

take one additional turn after the Initiative flip, but before

characters begin resolving their turns in order. If multiple

characters have this ability, resolve each in Initiative order.

Ice in the VeinsThe powerful winter magics of December infuse the

characters very being, and this extends to the weapons they

wield, which are often covered in mystical hoarfrost.

Whenever this successfully strikes a single target with

a Ranged or Close attack, the target also gains the

Slow Condition.

Smell Weakness

The hunter in the bitter nights must strike quickly, and with

as little energy expended as possible. This character maytake the following 1 AP action:

(1) Smell Weakness: Until the end of the round

enemy characters within 6 yards of this character may no

benefit from Armor or the Hard to Wound talent.


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9/62

By Graeme StevFor possibly the only moment in living memory, theBayou was silent.

It was one o those pregnant heart beats when somethingproound was about to happen; the final teeteringinstant in defiance o gravity beore the wave crasheddown upon the beach. Even the wind had allen silent,waylaid by the electrical expectation in the air.

Ophelia LaCroix surveyed her kingdom, the red ragheld high overhead in her slim green fingers. Countlesseyes watched her or the signal; a thousand breaths wereheld, a orest o moonshine jugs paralyzed hal-way togrinning mouths.

She stood on a decidedly rickety wooden platorm somethirty eet above the crowd, directly behind a line ocompetitors held in check only by a thin cotton ribbonto mark the starting line and the all-consuming red rag

that hung in limbo above.

A row o great pink hogs waited, their haunchesshivering with nervous tension, while their riderscraned back to watch Ophelia with mixed expressionso determination, adoration, and in a ew cases blatantterror. Many o the hogs were saddled and a ew morewere armored the majority o the riders seemed tohave taken a more philosophical stance with regardsto protection and were generally wearing their bestoutfits, presumably in the hope that should they all off

and crack their skulls on a rock, at least they would lookgood while doing so.

Behind the line o hog butts was a litter o emptymoonshine jugs. It was generally agreed by the populacethat the more empty jugs visible at the start o a BayouBash, the more hilarious the consequences, and this onelooked very promising indeed.

Tere were a lot o amous aces in that line; Leatherneckon his huge black hog Bad-Motor-rotter, sleek andconceited Cleetus Clyde riding his prize winningPorkchops, Sam Hal-Ear atop Te ruffler, Five-oothCharlie and his battered old hog Boneshaker, and awhole host more. Every one o them had their eye onthe prize Te Big Hat.

It was astonishing how quickly bad news spread.

At dawn that morning, Pickle Grubshoot had beentending to Somer Joness legendary pig Peaches andhad been hal-way through slopping out her pen whenhe heard the most unearthly groan o agony. Sneakinga glimpse through a hal-open window, Pickle caughtsight o the Big Boss Man himsel, sprawled on the flooro his shack and turned a most un-Gremlin-like shadeo gray. Somer had emitted another piteous noise andsquirmed partway under the bed beore laying still.

The Bayou BashRace to the finish


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Pickle was none too bright but he could sense that Somerwas not at his best and decided to alert his cousin, Gerkin.While not necessarily any brighter, Gerkin was certainlythe bolder o the two and crept into Somers shack to givethe Gremlin Boss a poke with a stick.

When this ailed to elicit a response, the boys arrivedat the irreutable conclusion that Te Big Hat was not

much longer or the world and had apparently thrownhis last punch. Tey wasted no time in notiying ellowpig sloppers o Somers imminent demise and wordspread around the entire Bayou like wildfire.

Within the hour, the rumor had solidified into act andmany o the swamps more influential individuals hadperked up their ears. Now that the Big Boss Man had oneoot in the coffin and the other on a bar o soap (apparentlybrought on by excessive hat weight on the brain, some

said), there was an imminent vacancy about to open at thetop o the bayou ood chain and an increasing number ohopeuls were reaching the conclusion that they were justthe Gremlin or the job.

By mid-morning, Clancy Pin the tailor had eleven ordersor an enormous hat and one order or an enormous hatwith a pocket in the side to keep a shine jug in rom DirtyErk the laborer whose interests in local politics were littleand less, and who rather ound himsel consumed withentirely practical matters such as where to secret another

jug when ones pockets, hands, pants, etc, were already ull.

Te first fight started shortly aer that, between Wong andGhengis Klang (who until earlier that morning had goneby the name o Cecil Lowmuck beore he began wearing arying-pan helmet and a ake moustache made rom hog

bristles). Te specifics o the argumentwere lost amid the screaming, but therewere repeated reerences made regardingtrademark inringement o acial hair.

It wasnt long beorearguments and fights

were breaking outall over the Bayou.

Gremlins weremaking noisydeclarat ions

o their right toascendancy and having a bar

stool or clay shine jug broken

over their head by another worthy successor, who inturn had their shins gnawed by a third contender whoseambition ar outstripped their comparatively diminutivestature.

And so it would have continued indefinitely had OpheliaLaCroix and a handul o her clan not come into town thatsame aernoon to trade or supplies. Tey broke up the

fighting in short order and Ophelia learned the grisly ateo Somer (who, aer several hours at the merciless hands ogossip-mongers, was at this moment in the last paroxysmso a poison administered by a jilted and vengeul senorita).

She immediately declared that there was only one way tosettle who was the worthiest to inhabit Somers still-warmboots a Bayou Bash.

Tis declaration wasnt met with the immediate enthusiasm

one might have expected rom a happy-go-lucky peoplesuch as the Bayou Gremlins. Te last Bayou Bash had beena rather cataclysmic affair where nineteen hogs ended uplame, orty-five Gremlins were reduced to a permanentvegetative state, and roughly sixty percent o the Bayouwas razed to the ground. Tis grim tally did not takeinto account the eye-wateringly awul ates o the actualcontestants themselves o course, just the results o theoverly-enthusiastic spectators.

Te particular event selected or this Bayou Bash was

simple enough the contestants raced their hogs aroundan assault course and the first to reach the finish line wasconsidered either the toughest or simply the darn luckiestGremlin around either quality was ideal or command.

As oen happens when real lie intervenes, the rulesregularly required re-interpretation and the Gremlinswere nothing i not capable o thinking on their eetMore than once a rider would succumb to the assaultcourse and only his hog mount would reach the finishline. Tis wasnt as big a disaster as one might think andit was generally agreed throughout the swamp that TeBig Pork had been one o the best bosses theyd ever had

Equally, it was common or none o the contestantsto reach the finish line at all, in which circumstancesmany Gremlins took the Darwinian stance that thebayou gene pool would benefit in the long run asthe whole thing seemed like suicide anyway andanyone dumb enough to take part probably deservedeverything they got.


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Perhaps the only real dark cloud in the history o a BayouBash had been in 77 when Pancho Vanilla and hismount Squealer had tied a first place finish with Big GutsGrowler riding Haunchosaurus Rex and both Gremlinshad ascended to Boss status o equal stature. Te situationortunately didnt last long but many older Gremlinsstill reerred to the short period beore Big Guts ate hisargumentative rival as Schitzo Week.

ime and alcohol cure all ills and aer a ewcontemplative shines, the populace started to comearound to the idea o another Bayou Bash and withinminutes a carnival atmosphere was building, and a ewminutes aer that so were the Gremlins.

And now all was ready; all was poised. Tat elasticmoment o anticipation had stretched almost toinfinity, or at least until Ophelia elt she had tortured

her audience long enough.

With a sultry smile, she dropped the red rag.

Crazy Satchmo had known it was going to be a greatday rom the moment he rolled out o his blankets.

Te sun was bright and warm, but not too hot; there was

a breeze moving through the swamp that was keepingthe mosquitos occupied with something other than hisblood; and his aithul hog Plug Ugly had recoveredduring the night. He wasnt much o an animal doctor

but as near as he could figure it, his hoghad eaten something the day beore that

had not agreed with it andhad spent an unpleasant

night evacuatingthe contents oits prodigiousstomach romboth ends.

Satchmo had wracked his brains but ailed to come up witha suitable candidate or this mysterious item that had causedhis pig such woe. He had previously been o the belie thatPlug Ugly could and usually did eat absolutely anythingwithout displaying any ill effects. He had personallywitnessed the voracious hog consume rocks, shoes, shinejugs, wooden buckets, and on one occasion, a copper boilerhal filled with rotten ruit and potato peelings, always

culminating in the same loud report o flatulence thatsounded like Somers blunderbuss going off and a sleepycontented expression on his hogs ace.

In any event, his hog had perked up mightily and itwas while he was strapping on his home-made saddle(consisting o a big pot with a leather strap goingaround it at two holes or his legs) that he noticed theexcited crowd o Gremlins. It transpired that they werewatching old Crinkle in-Leg beating Meaty Bart about

the head with his aore-mentioned metal limb, whichled to the LaCroix descending on the scrum and thenthe announcement o a Bayou Bash shortly thereaer.

Crazy Satchmo was a air-to-middling hog rider, buthis real strength lay in his complete disregard or hisown saety. He was more than willing to take a risk onsomething that everyone else would have considereda one-way trip to a pine box and a eulogy. Besides, heliked the sound o Boss Satchmo.

And so it was he ound himsel hunkered over PlugUgly, the reins tight in his fists, shoulder-to-shoulderwith over a dozen ellow Gremlins that were eitherstupid, ambitious, or psychotic enough to think thatcompeting in this race was a good idea.

As the sensuous Ophelia LaCroix threw down the rag tosignal the start o the race, it suddenly occurred to Satchmothat he had orgotten to place an order or his enormoushat o office.

Leatherneck was eeling very confident when the lineo hog riders surged orward, propelled by the howlingcrowds o onlookers he was the biggest Gremlin thereand Bad-Motor-rotter was the biggest hog by ar. Teywould simply crush any opponent that got in theirway and use Bad-Motor-rotters great mass to smashthrough whatever flimsy obstacles had been erected totry and slow them down.


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He illustrated this tactic by riding directly over the topo Little Ron Spindle on his pint-sized mount Rasher,leaving them both pancaked in the dirt o the starting line.Leatherneck didnt even eel the bump.

Very quickly, however, he saw that his plan might not be asoolproo as he had first thought. Within seconds Cleetus

Clydes pedigree pig had shot out in ront and was rapidlyopening up a comortable lead.

Te big Gremlin spurred his grunting mount on,determined to catch Porkchops and her sickeninglypampered master so he could watch their expressions osurprise and disbelie when Bad-Motor-rotter trampledthem to green and pink smears.

Te contestants shot down the first straight whilethe crowd o spectating Gremlins bayed likehounds. Dust flew up rom galloping trotters andvery soon the racers were obscured rom view as theyskidded around the first bend, but this seemed to haveno effect on the crowd who continued to shriek andholler long aer the hogs and their riders were out oearshot.

Te more astute viewers had located themselvesaround the first obstacle, a quarter o a mile up theroad, affectionately known as the Springboard. Tisparticular obstacle had eatured on several Bashesbeore in one incarnation or another and was aguaranteed crowd pleaser.

Cleetus and Porkchops were the first to reachit and handled the situation well Porkchopsresisted the urge to hit the long knotwood plank atull speed, but instead slowed enough that they were onlysprung a ew eet into the air enough to sail comortablyover the mud pit. Porkchops landed daintily (as a ladypig should) and they shot off along the trail.

Tis was to be expected rom a pedigree animal andthe spectators were not overly disappointed. As isome sort o karmic reward was bestowed upon themor their patience, Rancid Pete and his panting mountApplesauce came thundering over the rise and theaudience grinned with anticipation.

Applesauce hit the sprung plank at ull speed andappeared quite surprised to be catapulted fiy orso eet into the air while his short legs continued toblur industrially. Tis surprise turned to a squeal oconcern when his small piggy eyes took in that thetrack immediately ahead swerved hard to the le andhis trajectory would carry him substantially urther to

where the ground dropped sharply into a rocky bluff.

Rider and mount vanished over the edge o this cliff andthe assembled Gremlins let out a ragged cheer whichcompletely masked the distant splat.

Each time misortune struck an incautious rider theGremlins cheered and toasted one another with shineand so it was that they were thoroughly drunk by thetime Five-ooth Charlie and old Boneshaker finally

hove into view, the last contestants by someconsiderable distance. Te audiencewatched through a pleasant intoxicatedblur as the old hog and even olderrider trundled slowly along the lengtho the plank, dropped with a splutt

into the mud without the slightestbounce and struggled slowly to

dry land.

Tey even managed

to summon a lastuncoordinated cheer

when Boneshaker heavedhimsel out o the mud andset off at a wobbly trot, butby then they were so ar

gone that they could nolonger quite rememberwhat they were standingaround cheering or and

decided to have a bit o alie down.


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Further along the trail, another batch o giggling spectatorswas waiting impatiently or the racers to arrive.

Tey had chosen to stake out the Barrel Ride a large andslightly preposterous obstacle that they elt sure wouldprovide wanton carnage in abundance. When the racersarrived at the brow o Snake Hill, they were supposed toleap atop one o the many wooden barrels resting on their

sides and attempt to ride the rolling container down to thetrench below. Tis was no mean eat in itsel as the hogwould have to run backwards at the same pace the barrelwas rolling orwards in order to maintain balance andposition atop the container, and the aster the barrel rolledthe aster the hog would need to run.

However, this by itsel struck many o the Gremlins as abit lacking in spectacle, which was why the barrels werealso hal-ull o flint and steel strips. Te premise was

that the flint and steel would clatter and rattle aroundin the spinning barrel until something produced aspark, which was also the reason or the dozen sticks odynamite secured to the inner wall o each barrel. Tespectators were confident that the sense o anticipationin watching whether any contestant could reach thebottom o the hill without exploding (not to mentionthe financial gain to be had rom betting against theodds) was more than enough to transorm an otherwisecheap stunt into genuine amily entertainment.

As beore, Cleetus and Porkchops were the first to reachthe brow o the hill and the pedigree pig once againdemonstrated her quality breeding by springing ontothe nearest barrel and beginning the treacherous descentdown the hillside without so much as a wobble.

A sweaty and harassed looking Bad-Motor-rotterappeared seconds later but, spurred on by the hulkingLeatherneck, simply shouldered aside the waitingbarrels and began to gallop down the hill in pursuit.Te assembled Gremlins booed at this, but they did sorather quietly because Leatherneck had a reputation orintolerance and violence in equal measure, and one o theprincipal laws o Gremlin society was that the only rulesthat really applied were those that one could enorce.

Tey were disappointed by Leathernecks poorsportsmanship, at least until Sam Hal-Ear and his obesemount Te ruffler crashed into the barrels at the browo the hill. Te ruffler, to give him his due, did make agenuine effort to climb aboard a barrel, but was undone

by his seven-hundred pound girth and crushed thebarrel flat. Tere ollowed an awkward moment whenthe immensely at hog began a strange sort o downhilltoboggan adventure on the splintered remnants o thebarrel while Sam Hal-Ear tried rantically to get hismount back to its eet.

White smoke was spewing rom two o the disturbed

barrels at the top o the hill and most o the audiencewas tittering nervously as the prospect o an explosiondrew near. Tis tense excitement heightened whenCrazy Satchmo and Plug Ugly launched themselvesonto one o the already-smoking barrels and began toride it downhill either unaware or unconcerned thatit might go up at any second.

Most o the other riders arrived at the brow o thehill seconds later and began to jostle or ree barrels

when a breathtaking double-event happened almostsimultaneously.

Te smoking barrel at the top o the hill (which wasbeing careully avoided by the other riders) abruptlyexploded and set off every other barrel in the vicinity which was unortunately all o them. Almost a dozensurprised Gremlins and their hog mounts vanished ina huge plume o flame and a sooty breeze carried thesmell o barbecued pork to the staring spectators below.

As i this wasnt a stunning enough revelation, the barrelthat Porkchops had been expertly riding disintegratedin an equally violent explosion when the hog and herrider were scant eet rom the base o the hill. Smallpedigree chops (cooked to perection) rained down onthe astonished crowd.

Leatherneck and Bad-Motor-rotter skidded to a halt ashort way off and Leatherneck seemed to blink slowly atthe smoldering crater or a minute, as i unsure what todo now that his quarry had escaped him. Almost as anaerthought, he snapped Bad-Motor-rotters reins andcharged the huge pig off the hill and away down the track.

Incredibly, Crazy Satchmo arrived at the bottom othe hill unharmed. He and Plug Ugly leaped romtheir still smoking barrel and charged o in hotpursuit o Leatherneck. he crowd watched thebarrel with expectation until it gave a smallphutandstopped smoking.


14/62

It was almost five minutes later when a single figureappeared through the belching black clouds at the browo the hill. Unperturbed by the chewed-up hilltop andlack o barrels, old Five-ooth Charlie and Boneshakerbegan their slow, wobbly descent towards the stunnedand silent crowd.

Leatherneck hunched low over his puffing mount,surprised at how disappointed he elt over missinghis opportunity to crush Porkchops and that awningCleetus into mush. He was in the lead with only onemore obstacle to go, but it elt like a hollow victory.

He cheered himsel up with the prospect that perhapsCleetus had survived the explosion and hed have the

chance to trample him once the race was done and he hadcollected his enormous hat.

Hoofeats were coming up behind him and he glancedover his shoulder to see Crazy Satchmo and Plug Uglyclosing the gap. Te younger hog was both much lighterand aster and it was scant seconds beore he drewabreast o and then nosed ahead o Bad-Motor-rotterbut Leatherneck wasnt worried. He just grinned at CrazySatchmo as he overtook, who grinned back.

Anyone else who stood to lose a Boss-hood would havemade more o an effort to preserve pole position, butLeatherneck had a plan. He knew that the last obstacle wasdead ahead the Big Mud.

Tis had actually been Leathernecks idea and it was onethat had been careully craed to compliment Bad-Motor-rotters strengths. It was essentially a big mud pit, aboutten eet long and our eet deep and filled with thick viscousmud; more than enough to slow down and even stop an

average hog, but a great big beast like Leathernecks mountwith a head o steam would just power straight through it

While Plug Ugly was floundering in the mire, Bad-Motor-rotter would steamroller right over the top o

him and on to victory.

Leatherneck grinned savagely andhunched even lower over his mountas he maneuvered Bad-Motor-rotter into line directly behind his

opponent.

Crazy Satchmo might have questioned whyLeatherneck simply grinned at him as heell into second place i he had been raised

simply as Satchmo, but Gremlins usuallynamed their kin or good cause and heraced on, snapping Plug Uglys reins.

He could see the last obstacle up ahead, abroad stretch o glistening swamp mudwith dozens o excited Gremlin spectatorshopping and jostling on either side or abetter view. He spurred his heels intohis hogs flanks and hauled back on thereins, inciting Plug Ugly to leap at the

very edge o the mud pit.


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His intention was to leap over the first five eet or so othe muddy trench and use Plug Uglys momentum todrive them both through the last o it and back ontofirm ground. Tings went well initially Plug Uglylaunched himsel into the air and they sailed ar outover the mud, coming down only three eet or so shy othe ar end o the pit.

And stopped dead with a huge splotch.

Satchmo almost olded in hal with the sudden impacto coming to a complete halt and slithered out o his potsaddle, winded and completely dazed. He ell into the mudto the le o his hog with a small plop and lay there whilethe Gremlin audience cheered.

And then the strangely jelly-like surace o the mudpool began to tremble and he realized that the massive

Bad-Motor-rotter was about to thunder over the topo them both.

Cracking his reins savagely, Leatherneck guided hishuge hog down the slope to the mud pit, charging it atull speed. He laughed out loud when he saw Plug Uglycome to an abrupt halt; the hog was ar too skinny to getthrough that quagmire, but Bad-Motor-rotter would

make short work o it.

Te huge steaming animal rumbled down the incline,tusked head bowed or a charge and ploughed straightinto the mud. Leatherneck had just enough time toregister how the mud bunched up around his hogshead and shoulders in a most un-mud-like way beorehe ound himsel catapulted orwards with Bad-Motor-rotter nowhere to be seen.

His head struck Plug Uglys broad backside which broughthis flight to an abrupt halt and he dropped ace-first andheadlong into the mud, where he stuck ast. Behind himhe could hear Bad-Motor-rotter snorting and heaving butthe huge pig was completely immobilized.

Te crowd cheered again. Tey had taken one look atLeathernecks mud pit and decided it ell ar short o whatwas considered an acceptable obstacle or a Bayou Bashand had set about dumping honey, molasses, glue andpretty much every other sticky substance they could find

into the mud to make it a more ormidable trap. Te endresult was a thick brown fluid that had stuck ast the planksused to stir it and the Gremlin stirrers themselves (two owhich were still sticking out o the eastern end o the pit likegreen lollipops).

Tey watched as hogs and riders struggled and kicked andsnorted and swore but the impossibly sticky goop didnt

budge an inch.

Finally, Five-ooth Charlie and Boneshaker appeared. Teyhad been orced to take a short nap when the comparativeexcitement o going downhill unaided overcame oldBoneshaker but he was now rested and fighting fit, or atleast as fit as a ninety-one year old hog can be.

Te elderly competitors worked their way careully down tothe edge o the mud pit, where Boneshaker clambered overthe immobilized Bad-Motor-rotter, then the outstretchedand cursing Leatherneck, and finally over the top o PlugUgly. For a moment it was touch and go when the audiencedebated whether Boneshakers quivering old hauncheshad it in him to leap the remaining 3-oot gap but, witha Herculean effort, the old hog managed the jump andtrotted off at a sedate pace towards the finish line.

Te Gremlins (now well lubricated with shine and willingto cheer almost anything or anyone) were going crazy asthe doddery old hog and rider came up the slope. EvenOphelia LaCroix had lost some o her usual decorum withthe incessant drinking and was whooping and firing intothe air as Five-ooth Charlie and his tired mount trundledover the finish line.

Te noise was incredible as countless hundreds o Gremlinscelebrated the nomination o their new Boss. Te act thathe was incredibly ancient, absent-minded, hal blind andunlikely to live out the remainder o the week was entirelyacademic at that moment. Te old Gremlin would havebeen hoisted onto their shoulders and carried around thetown were there not so many concerns that he might snapor all apart under their rough ministrations.

Instead, they settled or crowding around him andshowering the decrepit victor in moonshine while theychanted his name and fired off an assortment o weaponryinto the sky.


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It was right about that time that a ripple o disturbancebegan at the rear o the crowd. It took a little while to reachthe center o celebrations, but this particular disturbanceproved that it had more than sufficient muscle and raworneriness to make its presence known. Te cheering andmerry-making was steadily replaced with gasps o shockand astonishment until the entire crowd had allen silent.

Somer eeth Jones shoved his way into the middle o thethrong and unceremoniously slapped old Five-oothCharley off his hog. Te fleeting-and-now-abruptly-retired Boss vanished into a sea o staring aces with asqueak o surprise.

Whats the matter with you pack o eejits? Somer roaredcradling his head while his small blood-shot eyes rolledcantankerously rom one goggling Gremlin to the nextCaint a Boss sleep off a hangover in peace? Keep th noisedown aore I blast the whole lot o ya to kingdom come!

Te entire Gremlin horde watched in speechlesssilence as he stomped back into his shack, grumbling

under his breath.


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Te wooden skiff dried lazily down the river, one oardangling loosely into the water, barely visible against thedark water in the aint moonlight. Te oar caught thecurrent and turned the skiff, causing it to dri slowlytowards a small jetty that led to a narrow flight o stonesteps set into the bank. As it neared the rivers edge,it caught the lamplight o Shaun Kensey as he slowlypatrolled the downtown waterront. Kensey paused ora moment to tighten his uniorm coat against the chill

o the all night, his Guild badge glinting on the heavyabric, beore calling to his partner, Hollin. Te twoguardsmen walked closer to the jetty, Kensey leadingwith his lamp ully opened to better see the little boat,while his partner ollowed him with pistol drawn.

Who goes there? Kensey demanded, loudly. Te nightswallowed his voice, making it sound thin and reedy. Terewas no response, just the steady lapping o water againstthe jetty and the so thump o an oar shiing in the lock.

He drew his pistol and called again. Whos in that boat?Speak up, or therell be trouble. Te boat turned slowly asit came into the lee o the jetty, and Kenseys lamp revealedwhy there had been no answer. Te boat was empty asiderom some tangled cloth and ragments o wood. A eworlorn leaves, tanned by the season, sat in the bottom othe skiff while others dried alongside.

Looks like some idiot wrecked their pretty little boat.Hollin said. Why anyoned wanta sail on this oul stripo water to start with, I dont know. Kensey shrugged in

response, then started down the worn steps to the jettyor a closer look. Ah, Kens, really? Tere aint gonna bea reward or findin it, Hollin grumbled. Kensey ignoredhim, standing at the bottom o the steps and leaning outto peer into the boat as it slid closer. He heard Hollinstart down the steps behind him with a theatrical sighand turned to look at him.

Beore he finished turning, Hollin came tumbling down

the steps and slammed into him shoulder first. WindedKensey lost his balance and the two o them went overthe side o the jetty in a tangle o limbs. Kensey saw theskiff rising up beneath them beore something struckhis temple and everything vanished.

Neither man was conscious to see two figures unoldthemselves rom amongst the debris in the skiffWearing loose clothes in a mix o nondescript darkgreys and browns, they had been close to invisible in the

poor light. As they climbed silently and lightly over thetwo crumpled guardsmen, one reached out with slenderfingers to pluck a small eathered dart rom Hollinsneck. Within seconds they had aded rom sight in thegloom o the streets, leaving nothing but a ew orange-brown leaves swirling gently in their wake.

As soon as they were out o sight o the river thepair ducked down a near lightless alley, searching itquickly or other occupants. Tey ound nothing butthe ever present rats, which ignored the men as they

Keeping the Secrets

By Mark Rodg

Shadow of Fallen Leaves


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crouched among the piles o debris and trash. Aerseveral heartbeats o total stillness, one subtly gesturedupward. Te other nodded, springing lightly onto thewall, finding purchase in the ageing brickwork andfittings. He paused just beore reaching the top o thewall, leaning out a little, to look onto the sloped roowithout outlining his head in the moonlight. Anothergesture brought the second figure nimbly up the wall

and over the iron guttering, his body hugging the tilesas he snaked up the roo towards the ridge.

Tere was no one else on the rooops as the pair ranrom shadow to shadow across the tiles in a noiselesscrouch. Te haze o cloud that had covered the moondried away, brightening the skyline o the old city andsilhouetting the moving figures or a brie moment beorethey ell still, becoming nothing more than indistinctshadows. A minute passed and nothing stirred on the

rooops. Te break in the clouds closed again, themoonlight ading, and the silent shapes moved again.Tey paused in the shadow o a taller building, alreadysome distance rom the river, and one looked aroundthe sky. He turned to his companion and gestured withthree flattened fingers on one hand against the openpalm o the other. Tirty minutes lef. Te other noddedminutely and rose rom his haunches. He had barelymoved a step when the distant cry o a bird made themboth reeze. In seconds they had identified the source othe cry, a large raptor circling near a building that jutted

above the surrounding roos.

Te second figure curled two fingers at the first, the resto his hand closed in a loose fist. Guild? Te signal wasreturned a moment later, with a tightly clenched fist anda sweep o the other hand. Another brie signal ollowed.Guild avoid wings. Tey kept their distance rom thebuilding, looping round to keep out o sight o thewheeling raptor. Te detour was costing them time, andonce they were well past the sight o the bird they hadto move aster, sacrificing a degree o caution or speed.As the clouds dried by, the moon sporadically gloweddown on two indistinct driing shapes, invisible rombelow as they darted rom building to building like cats,climbing and jumping as i the street wasnt there below.By the time anyone gathered their nerve to check whatthe so noise on their roo might be, there was nothingbut the occasional lea tumbling in the wind.

Eventually they drew close to their objective, lookingat it across the rooops rom a perch in a crumbling

bell tower. One o them unwrapped the long bundlehe was carrying just enough to detach a slender sighttube rom the long metal shape within. Tey surveyedthe area between them and their destination careullythrough the magniying lenses o the tube. Satisfiedtheir route was clear enough, one o the pair raised hishands together, two fingers o one outstretched, thenolded one finger and raised one on the other hand as

he moved his hands apart. Divide. Te other didnt waitto nod, dropping nimbly down the elderly brickworkbeore angling across the roo below and springingacross a narrow alley to land catlike on the other sideTe first reattached the tube beore wrapping the metalobject in the loose cloth again, slinging it across hisback alongside his katana. He too then climbed easilydown to the tiled roo and padded gently down the lineo roos that lead towards his position, ading rapidlyinto the night.

Te dojos master had bowed low when the representativeo the Katanaka clan had entered the building. Terepresentative was tall and slender, his hair pulled backin a long, sleek ponytail. Aer a studied pause he bowedbriefly in acknowledgement, then addressed the masterdirectly.

You are aware o why I was sent here? He said, in eventones. Te master nodded.

You have need o our services. As ever, we serve theOyabun with our lives, i he commands it. What is ityou wish o us?

We need the Guild and the Union o Minersdistracted. Tey must be kept busy with each otherwhile the Oyabuns agenda is moved orward. We havetaken the trouble to find out about a meeting betweenthe two sides, an exchange o inormation betweenspies. Te man spat the last word, evidently disgustedby the underhand dealings o the clans enemiesKnowing what he had come or, the master politely heldback a smile at the mans hypocrisy. Te representativehanded a rolled shea o papers to the master. Tese aredirections, maps, and everything else we have learnedabout the meeting. Tere will be too many guards oreven the torakage to enter the building unseen, so this


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task alls to you. Your men must not be caught. Leave notrail, and do not reveal the clans involvement under anycircumstances. Will that be a problem?

I do not think that is a concern. I have men who are theequal o any torakage. He raised his voice a little. Kiga,Hioki, attend me.

What gives you such confidence in their skills?

Because, the master said with a hint o pride, they havejust arrived behind you. Te representative whirledround, letting out a brie noise at the unkempt figureswho were barely three eet away rom his unguardedback. He turned back to the master to rebuke such aneedless perormance, but one o the pair moved swilyin ront o their master, watching the representativewarily. Flustered, the representative brushed down his

coat to hide his nervousness as the master uttered abrie command and the pair drew back. Tey walkedrespectully around to the side o their master, bowedto their master and then to him, and knelt silentlyon the matting at the edge o the training floor. Terepresentative looked disapprovingly at the dirty,ragged looking outfits the pair wore, but he began torealize they were made to look rough, but were in actexpertly tailored and dyed.

Tese are your best? Te master nodded. And you

can be certain o their silence?

O course, the master said, a little insulted. Aer all,does the Oyabun not say that i you wish a man to besilent, he snapped his fingers and the two kneeling menopened their mouths to reveal the scarred emptinesswithin, you have only to cut out his tongue? Terepresentative blanched a little, then nodded, satisfied.

Ten this is now in your hands. Do not ail us, Ansatsuno Sensei. Te man strode rom the room stiffly, andthe master o assassins smiled thinly, his attentionalready on the work beore them.

Slowly the assassin crept along the roo, staying justbehind the ridge. One roo over, on the building oppositethe target, a guard was standing in the shadow o achimney stack trying to look unobtrusive. Contemptglittered in the assassins eyes; the man knew nothing ostealth or concealment, and had no idea that he was notalone. o his silent observer, the guard may as well havebeen carrying a lamp and whistling. Reaching the end

o the roo, he roze, gaze fixed on the other rooop thatprovided a clear view o the room the target would bein. Another guard stood there, a cigarette glowing in hismouth as he paced slowly back and orth. Te assassinshand reached back and gently grasped the hilt o hiskatana thoughtully. It would be easier to eliminateone and take a straightorward shot. Several momentspassed as he considered the situation.

Leave no trail. He let go o the blade gently; any

intererence with the guards would be too obviousInstead, he dropped lightly onto a lower roo and slidacross it like a driing shadow. He that is insubstantialas wind in the orest, is the master o his enemy. Fromthis new position, he could see between the buildingsand into the room. As long as the target stood, he wouldhave a shot. ucked beneath the overhang o the nextroo, the assassin unwrapped the long bundle againtaking a sleek rifle stained with lampblack rom the rollo cloth. He then pulled a ew strips o abric rom hisclothing and tangled them around the muzzle o his

rifle, to disguise the flash. Tis done, he settled downto wait, the ragged tassels and loose olds o his outfitturning him rom a prone figure into a scattered moundo debris on an old rooop.

wo streets away, the second assassin was slowly crawlingacross the roo o the target building. Having slunk pastseveral bored and cold guards without being seen, hewas now within yards o where the target should be,separated rom him only by the tiles and beams o theroo. Knelt against the chimney, he took a small bundlerom inside his top and unrolled it. Tere in ront o himwas a small holdout pistol that carried a similar roundto the assassins rifles, a length o twine, and severalsmall packages o strangely smelling berries. Tese hedely dropped down the chimneypots, waiting until hecould smell the scent o the smoke rom the chimneychange as they burned. Tat done, he looped the twinethrough the rough cloth o the bundle to orm a pockettucked the pistol in it, and ed it down the slope o theroo towards the windows he knew his partner would be


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watching. Holding both ends o the string in his handhe checked that the pistol was still hanging just over theguttering, beore moving careully into a more secludedposition to await the signal.

Jeremiah Greenjack sighed wearily, pushing the pile opapers away rom him. He hated late nights in the dingymeeting house. It always elt cold to him, no matter howhot he stoked the fire. Bloody spies, always so muchtrouble he grumbled to himsel. Te papers on hisdesk were a prime example; one o his eyes in HollowMarsh, Saul Farcek, had been handing him less and lessaccurate inormation lately, and Greenjack suspectedhe was trying to play both sides. It didnt help that wordhad come down rom on high that he had to get hold

o better intelligence on the arcanist movement. Terehadnt been any obvious threat, but Greenjackknew what happened to people who didntdeliver what the Secretary wanted. So here hewas, just aer midnight, waiting around or Farcekto show up and deliver what would no doubtbe another useless report. Rubbing his bridgeo his nose, he pulled thepaperwork back towardshim and read over it or thetenth time.

Halway down the second page, hesniffed. Tere was a aint smellin the air, rank enough to makehis nose wrinkle. He sniffedcautiously around him to find thesource o it, eventually realizingthat it was strongest behind him,where the fire burned in its grate.He peered at the wood remains withinthe dancing flames and grimaced as thesmell hit him ull orce. Te room stanko it by now, and he strode over to t hedoor, yanking it open to let in the slightlyresher air o the corridor. He was conrontedby a guardsman with a cloth pressed to his ace andone hand raised to knock at the door. He dropped bothto his side quickly.

Sorry sir, the wood supply seems to have something init that, well, stinks. Its spread through the whole house.

Best we can do is open the windows til we get morewood in and this stuff is burned off. Greenjack scowledin response.

Ugh fine. When that useless idiot Farcek gets heredrag him up to me without waiting or him to blink. Idont want to spend any more time than I have to in thisfilthy hole. He slammed the door in the guards ace

and stomped across to the windows, shoving them openand glaring at the guards on the roos opposite beorereturning to the desk and sitting heavily in his chair,staring in irritation at the paperwork without reading it

Saul Farcek gripped the brim o his hat nervously as hereached the nondescript door in the usual backstreet atthe edge o downtown. Tese days he was getting moreand more worried about his role as a guild inormant.I he stopped being useul, theyd told him, he would

disappear. What was more, his handler had said with acruel smile, he wouldnt have to worry about his wieand son mourning him. Te problem was, he

thought the Union might suspect himit was getting harder to find anything

out, orcing him to risk being discoveredto find out vague scraps o plans thatailed to please his handler. onightthough he had some real inormation

to pass on, inormation he hoped wouldplacate the man somewhat.

He was surprised when the door openedas soon as his knuckles tapped it and a pair

o hands hauled him unceremoniouslyinside. Beore he could explain who he was,

he was being roughly shoved up thestairs to stand in ront o the

door to his handlers roomHe sniffed curiously, but when

he looked at the guards grimexpression decided not to ask. Aerknocking and a brie pause, the guard

opened the door and shoved thesmall man through with a handto the back. Te door slammedshut immediately, and Saul looked

across the room at the stern, short temperedace o his handler, the man he knew as JackGreene. Saul shivered under Greenes gimlet

eyes, telling himsel it was just the cold drarom the open windows. He shuffled orward


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across the room, perching on the stool le or him,and waited or Greene to speak. Te unpleasant glarecontinued unchanged or several nervous momentsbeore Greene broke the silence.

I detest being here. I particularly detest being here thislate, waiting or you to come and waste my time. Get onwith it so I can leave.

I, well, I got inormation. Urgent inormation, thatyoud wanna hear. Saul stuttered over the first ew words,but gained confidence quickly as he thought over whathe had to tell Greene. He ignored the contemptuousexpression on his handlers ace and hurried onto theinormation itsel. Unions running a new line out themines or moving uncut stones. In the tunnels sos theynever get near where the Guild can find em. Te plansto slowly drop the yield in a couple new shas, use the

extra to go on the secret line. Tey Greene cut himoff with a sharp gesture.

Which shas?

I er dunno.Where does this secret line run rom, what route doesit take, and where does it stop?

Dunno that neither.

So, i I understand you correctly, Mister Farcek, there isa new rail line being installed underground in the minetunnels that goes rom somewhere you dont know, viaa path you also do not know, and finishes somewhere.Te key evidence that would confirm this being a dropin productivity in some o the newly opened shas. Butyou are not sure which ones. Saul nodded, suddenlyeeling nervous at the cold derision dripping rom hishandlers voice. Greene tossed a shea o papers onto thedesk, so they span to ace Saul. He looked down, seeingthe complex columns o data, and realized theywere reports on mining production levels. Hehadnt worked out what they meant beore Greenspoke again, his voice hard. Mr. Farcek, the reason theGuild saw fit to give you a chance to help us was becausean administrator has access to a volume o inormationthat both the laborers and senior staff do not. It isyour job to see everything that is written down,and provide the right morsels o knowledge tothose above you. Te morsels you provide uswith, however, appear to be weak at best. Tose

reports, or example, indicate a slow increase in miningefficiency and overall production in every new sha orthe last three months.

He smiled nastily, voice dripping venom. Perhaps youare not able to concentrate due to worrying about youramily. Maybe we should remove that little distractionor you, see i that helps ocus your mind more. Sauls

ace paled.

You cant he cried. We got a deal, and I stuck with it!Greenes ace colored and his fists clenched.

I cant? He jerked to his eet, slamming his fistsonto the desk and making Saul cower back. I can dowhatever I

Greenes head twitched sideways and a flower o blood

and bone bloomed rom his temple as a muted gunshotechoed around the room and street. His lieless bodybounced off the desk and upended his chair as it tumbledto the floor, his sentence unfinished. Saul leapt to hiseet and instinctively ran a ew steps closer to the body,then began to panic as he realized what had happenedHe backed away in mute shock, turning to the windowas a so clatter o metal outside caught his ear in thesilence. He heard muffled shouts rom outside, ollowedby several pairs o eet thunderingup the stairs. Te door crashed

open and the guards chargedinto the room, knockinghim to the floor.


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Te captain o Greenes protection detail steppedthrough a moment later. He swept the room with coldeyes, taking in the stunned Farcek pinned to the floorby two guardsmen, the unmoved desk with upturnedchairs, and Greenjacks body sprawled behind it.Another guard entered the room and went to check themotionless orm, but the captain shook his head.

Hes already dead. Instant, by the look o that little poolo blood. He gestured to the guards that were roughlysearching Farcek, and they hauled the whimpering manroughly to his eet. Want to try and explain this? Go on,Im looking orward to hearing your pathetic excuseshe growled at the terrified Farcek.

I but what I I couldnt do it! I dont even havea gun, I swear! Farcek burst out aer several seconds ojumbled stutters. Te captain cocked an eyebrow at the

guards, who shook their heads. A shout rom downstairsstalled the captains next question, and he strode intothe corridor. Muttered snatches o conversation driedback into the room.

the street. Dropped

threw it?

aer the shot, Sir. Te murmur o voices ended, andthe captain returned, dangling a little holdout pistol in

ront o him by the barrel.

Nice try, but throwing the gun out the window wasntvery hard or my men to spot. Te captain smiledbroadly, a hint o menace about his expression. Doubleagents are always un when we catch them. Shame aboutGreenjack, but youll more than make up or it. Withthat, he turned on his heel and walked out the room, theguards dragging the still protesting Farcek along behindhim. When they reached the street, panic overwhelmedFarcek.

No no no no Im not I swear please dont kill meIll tell you everything I know. Te words tumbled romFarceks mouth in an incoherent rush, his eyes wideand whole body trembling. Te captains cruel smilewidened a little more, his eyes gleaming in the yellowlight o the streetlamps.

Kill you? Oh no, you dont get off that easy. Somethingdried down onto the captains shoulder. He pluckedit off and examined the crisp brown lea briefly beoretossing it aside. Were going to take you or a littlechat with the boss. He leant in, looming over Farcekssmaller rame. And youre damn right, youll tell himeverything. I guarantee it. He might even thank youhes been looking orward to having an excuse to crack

down on you terrorist scum. Tey dragged Farcek, nowmute with shock, into the night. Te lea the captainhad discarded tumbled across the silent cobbled streetcoming to rest amongst its ellows, caught on a scrap osinged and dirty cloth.


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Im just saying, there aint nothing we really knowabout soulstones, the marshal said, scrubbing his bootwith a cloth. Sure, theres theories, some which mightbe true. But a lot have to be alse. oo many contradict,yknow? He spat on the leather, then rubbed at it again.I mean, the name might even be wrong. Do souls existand all that nonsense.Patience stared at him, not making a sound. She blinked a

dark eye. How can a horse look doubtul? he muttered.With a sigh, he started packing his kit. Knew I shouldahaggled lower on you. Some philosophical partner youturned out to be. Nothing like Fidget at all. He patted herneck gently. Granted, youre not a burned out corpse in aditch like him either, so Ill take what I can get.It was quick work to pack up the camp, during whichPatience continued to eye him. With a shrug, themarshal reached into his pack and pulled out an apple.

Her ears perked orward, and he smiled as she careullywalked to him. She grabbed the apple, chewing noisilyas he arranged the gear on her back. He took stock othe supplies as he placed them, nodding in satisaction.Saddlebags are ull o ood, still going through this book,none o the regular gears broken... Looks like were aweek off rom needing to head home. Patience whinnied,stamping black stocking hooves on the ground. Aerputting on her bridle, he pulled himsel up into the saddle,then patted her neck. Ready to hunt, girl?

It was a hot day in the Wilds, ull o dust and wind.Pleasant enough or riding, compared to what else itcould be. Pulling his hat down to keep the wind out ohis eyes, it was hard not to be bitter about the extendedpatrol. Still, the Judge had the right o it- he was the onlyone o the Death Marshals who didnt draw immediateattention. Keeping him mobile and moving betweenthe Pioneer owns on the watch or Resser activity justmade sense. Not to mention, it was a great way to make

use o the marshal during his punishment.I ever tell you about that, Patience? What brought meout here to the middle o nowhere, bored and talkingto a horse? He grabbed a canteen, taking a sip olukewarm water. Penance. Yknow, back in the daymy priest never could get me to do it, but then, hes notexactly Lady Justice. I screwed up real big about a yearback. By rights, should have been executed aer all thelaws I broke. Hell, I can even remember kneeling on the

ground waiting or her sword to all. Instead, all I heardwas her gentle voice. Protect. Until the scales tip backprotect. No matter the cost.Te horse twitched an ear back and orth, making himlaugh. Eh, maybe it wasnt quite that melodramaticStill, my version sounds more interesting, dont youagree? Besides, there are worse ways to end up. At least,there better be!

By Jonathan Boy

The Lone Marshals Love

The Nature of Souls


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Felicia sat against the wall o the cave, huddled on thewet ground. She didnt really eel cold anymore, but thedampness was uncomortable in her torn dress. Sherocked back and orth, hands over her ears, mouthingprayers she learned as a child. Outside the rain ell, butin spite o the noise, she could still hear the murmuring.ListenlistenlistenLISTENlistenListen...Te rerain continued on unchanging. She squeezedher eyes shut, sparse tears crawling down her ace. Goaway, she whispered. Just...just go away!It was a mistake. She hears... one voice say, a hissingpredator. Others echoed.Does she listen? another wondered. Feminine, that voice. Ithas been so long...

Behind it all, the chorus continued. Listenlistenlisten...Felicia returned to muttering prayers. Sometimes ithelped. On better days, she could ignore them, but

shed pushed themaway too long this

time. Tey

were insistent, demanding. Her constant companion herein the Wilds, ollowing her no matter how ar she ran. Inher youth, she had questioned belie in a hell. She hadound one in Maliaux, and she could not flee rom it.We hunger, the predator said. We thirst.We drown. We gorge. It is our way, the emale said. You know...LISTENlisten...

Stop, she said huskily, lowering her hands. Te voicessettled into an indistinct sound, like a breeze. WaitingAnticipating. Felicia stared down at her hands. Te firstjoint o each finger had been worn to the bone. Scabsringed them, crusty and brown. Tey ached as shestudied them, the pain matching the thudding o herheart. A stab o agony went through her as she saw her

wedding ring on her le hand.She stifled a quiet sob then shoved that hand into theground. She screamed at the pain o the dirt digging intothe wounds, tearing them open anew. Te voices rose toa hurricane, triumphant. Feed, they chorused. Grow.Green light leaked through the chunks o dirt aroundher hand. Bracing hersel, she pushed her other handinto the ground, bowing her head to the ground, tearsstreaming down her ace. She pressed her ear to the

floor, then began chanting. Te voices toldher the words, staying just ahead o her. Shecould eel them curling around her soul.

A bone hand burst out o the ground yards away

rom her. It slapped the ground, scrabbling orpurchase, digging into the so soil. Slowly, it pushed

the rest o the arm pulling out o the ground. Nearbyanother creature dragged itsel out o the floor. Te rockwall cracked, breaking open to reveal a nightmarishmask o flesh beneath a primitive miners hat.Felicia sobbed as the corpses in the abandoned mineexpectantly watched her. KillkillKILLkill...the voices raged.

Gunshots filled the air. Jasper spun in his seatback wrenching as he looked toward the eastern

picket. He couldnt see the guard through the


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thick orest that sat a dozen yards rom the road. Aera ew moments he heard more gunfire, ollowed by theguards screams. Circle up! the caravan master roared.Jasper grabbed the reins o his wagon, pulling them hard.Te early morning rain was finally letting off, but the cloudshad yet to disperse, keeping the area dark. Men and womenrom the wagon train ran to get the group together, some

carrying chains, others weapons. Luckily there werent anyamilies on this trip, which meant no children to worryabout. Jasper hopped to the ground, helping unhook hishorses. It took a ew moments to get them into the centerwith the others, but when he returned to his wagon, it hadalready been chained to the next in line.His hands shook as he grabbed the dirty pistol he wore.Te handle was covered in mud, but hed taken the timeto clean the barrel earlier in the morning. Good thing,

too, otherwise it wouldnt have fired. Jasper lookedaround or a guard he recognized, then joined her.What are we dealing with, Natalie?No idea, she said, checking over her rifle. Her weaponwas cleaner by ar, higher quality as well. A small scopesat on top o it, which she careully uncapped Weve notseen or heard rom any o the outriders beyond that onescream. Whatever it is, doesnt seem to be in a hurry.Hold fire, the master shouted. Anyone fires early,

therell be hell to pay! Civilians, pair up with the guards,listen to their orders.Jasper mimicked the woman as she hid by the wagon,settling her rifle on a box in the back. Feel comortablewith that thing? she asked.Not as much as I should, he admitted, bracing hispistol on the wood seat. Te solid surace prevented histrembling, he noticed gladly. He set the pistol down,wiping his hands dry on his pants. Any advice?Dont shoot when I do, your range is a lot shorter. Iyou can, try to wait until Im reloading to fire. ake yourshots one at a time, and try to stay calm. I-He glanced at her when she became silent. Her eyesnarrowed, staring into the distance. Teyre here! sheshouted, firing into the distance, making Jasper jump.He ollowed her aim, cursing the dim light. He couldntsee anything.

Other rifles on their side o the caravan fired. Idiots,Natalie muttered, eye pressed against the scope. Notthat any o that lot can see anything. She fired againand Jasper finally saw her target, a vague outline o aman. It stumbled, alling sideways onto the ground.What are they?

Not raiders, thats or sure.Tere was a scream behind them. Jasper whirled, allingback against the wagon in horror as a monster ragged itsway out o the ground, sparks o green light arcing romits eyes. A wide, bleached grin gleamed rom undera ragged mining hat. Bone fingers gripped a rustedpickaxe, scraps o flesh connecting chipped joints.Cursing, he raised his gun in two hands, firing a shot

into the creature. Te bullet slammed through thechest, passing messily through a rotted heart. It ignoredthe wound, slowly twisting its head to look aroundthe circle o wagons. Gunfire ripped an arm rom itsshoulder, making it stumble. wo more o the horrorspulled their way out o the ground, as other creaturesslammed into the wood o the perimeter.

Whys it always raining out here? I mean, would it killthings to have a day that stayed nice, instead o juststarting nice? What a mess. Te marshal pulled thebrim o his hat down, trying to shield his ace rom thewind and the wet. Patience walked next to him, mudcovering her legs. She whickered soly, bumping hishand with her nose. Well eat at the next break. Herubbed her neck. Just want to get past these ruins first.Te sound o gunfire in the distance made him pause.urning, he squinted, looking through the dim lightTere. Flashes o light. Tat was either lightning or afight going on. Knowing my luck, probably both. Breaksover, Patience. He pulled himsel up into the saddle andgrabbed his rifle. Now, keep your head this time. I dontwant a repeat o the Neverborn incident last week.She shook her head, stamping her hooves. oo badIm not the praying type anymore. Alright, here goesnothing. Big damn heroes time, eh, girl?


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Jasper ell to the ground screaming as a monstrositywith a drill or an arm ripped its way through the wagon.Splinters filled the air, a chunk o them embedding inthe corpses ace. It growled, green light filling emptyeye sockets. Part o its head disappeared as a heavy rifleround tore upwards through its neck.Watch my back! Natalie ordered, shooting off the

creatures leg at the hip. It collapsed to the ground,attempting to drag itsel closer. Dammit, I hate thesethings, she said, blasting away an arm. Around them,the scene was ull o blood and corpses. Far too manyo the latter were moving or Jaspers liking. Te horsesall were dead or had run off, jumping over the wagonsto escape the trap.

He turned to another corpse and fired. Te pistol clicked.Sonuva- he swore. Te creature, with an unnatural

burst o speed, tackled him to the ground. Help!He managed to ram his pistol into the things snappingteeth, grimacing at the sound o bone on metal.Anytime! he screamed, kicking at the corpse. Itignored his blows, reaching with dirt covered hands orhis throat.Te creatures head exploded. A shard o bonewhined across Jaspers ace, leaving a deep cutthat made him gasp in pain. Suddenly, the

thing stopped moving, collapsing againsthim. He shoved at it, pushing it away. Hepulled himsel out o the mud, handsstumbling through reloading his pistol.A horse galloped past, the rider onits back firing at another monster.Te creature stumbled, turning its eyes tothe newcomer. Another shot ripped into itschest, ollowed quickly by a third. Te riderspun his horse around the circle o wagons,picking shots careully with a rifle. Withinmoments, hed emptied the circleo enemies.

Jasper turned Natalie, then leapt to her side when hesaw her pressing a hand on an injured leg. What can Ido to help? he asked.ourniquet, she gasped. ie it off.He pulled off his jacket, tearing at the sleeve. A horsesnorted behind him, and Jasper glanced at their rescuer

Te man wore a long coat, dusky blue covered in mud,and a hat that he tipped backwards. Brown eyes lookeddown at them rom a tanned ace covered in stubbleHe climbed out o the saddle, placing his rifle to theside and began examining Natalies wound. Clean thewound first, otherwise youll trap any rot in there.Tanks or your help, Marshal, she said throughgritted teeth. Jasper noticed the rams head badge on themans lapel. Excellent timing.

I aim to please, the man smiled. Ive driven them offbut theres a chance that they might come back. Im goingto track down the person who set them loose. Teres atown maybe a ew miles north o here.We were headed there, Jasper said, looking aroundor a canteen. He stopped as the marshal pulled one

out o a saddlebag and tossed it to him.Itll take us longer without the

horses. And...Im not sure how

many o us are le.


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Ive seen about ten survivors so ar. Teyre busydealing with wounded and finding the horses. Temarshal pulled himsel into his saddle, sliding his rifleinto a holster. Im sorry I didnt get here sooner.You did- Natalie hissed as water flowed over thewound. Jasper murmured an apology, wiping at theblood with a relatively clean piece o jacket. You did

what you could, Marshal. Tats ten more o us thanwould have lived. Whats your name, sir? Te Guildshould know what you did.I... dont have one, he replied quietly. Not anymore.Tank you or the compliment, though. He pulled hishat down over his dark hair. With luck, Ill meet youin that town in the next couple o days. Buy me a drink,were even.

Deal, she said. Te marshal pulled at his reins, spinninghis horse north and galloping off down the road.

You did what you could. I only the marshal couldbelieve that. I hed been moving earlier this morning,he could have arrived at that slaughter earlier. I hedbeen better at his job, he would have ound the monsterthat commanded those corpses beore the attack had

happened. Tose people were dead, because he wasntgood enough. Te scales weighed heavier the wrongdirection every day.He pulled gently on Patiences reins, stopping to starethrough the trees at the nearby mountains. Isnt therean abandoned mine around here? Te horse cranedher neck around and blinked at him. Well, didnt youstudy the maps too? I mean, really, girl, I gave them toyou. Cmon, lets go check it out.As they rode careully he reached out with his powers.Tere was a...taste to necromancy. Even to other DeathMarshals, he had a hard time explaining it. Te only oneo them who had seemed to understand was the Judge.It filled the air, a scentless stench that made his teethitch and bones ache. It was a limited thing, but it beathunting blind.Te taste led towards the mine he remembered on themap. It was an old one, little more than a cave. At some

point, the Guild was bound to come back to it, butor now it was ignored. Aer all, it wasnt a soulstonemine, just a source o raw metals. In the grand schemeo things, it wasnt as important. He stopped Patiencebeore they reached the treeline, looking around orsigns o enemies.Alright, lets review assets, shall we? He pulled his rifle

out o its holster, slotting in a resh set o rounds. Riflebackup pistols, a mare thats smarter than she pretendsmy wits... lacking anything better, itll have to do, Iguess. Patience snorted, stamping a hoo.Wait. Whos that? A woman stumbled out o the minealling to the ground on hands and knees. Te marshalpulled the rifle up to his shoulder, sighting down it ather. Black hair, wild and dirty. A torn dress, dirty enoughthat it could have been any color under that all the dried

mud and ash that covered it. Her skin was sickly pale andpulled over her bones. Te marshals finger rested on thetrigger as the itching in his teeth became murderous. Shewas the source o the attack, hed bet anything on it. Shelooked up, staring into the trees.Te marshal nearly dropped the weapon in shockFelicia? He couldnt breathe, couldnt move. It couldntbe her. He jumped down, careully walking to her siderifle in hand. Felicia, is that you?

She flinched, green eyes wide as she stared. Her mouthmoved, but he couldnt recognize the word. Its you, shesaid, pushing away rom him. Her ace was covered indirt, but tear tracks stood out clearly. How are you here?Felicia, youre alive! He dropped the rifle and rushedto her, dropping to his knees. She winced as the marshalembraced her, pressing his ace into her hair. I thoughtyou were dead! All this time, I thought you were... Areyou okay?Aer a moment, she wrapped her arms around him,body shaking as she sobbed quietly. Tey sat therehuddled against each other on the cold ground. Hisbrain elt slow, conused. His wie, missing or over ayear, alive and in his arms again. She kept muttering aword that he couldnt hear, repeating it like a mantra.Its going to be okay. He pulled back, brushing awayher tears careully. I finally ound it, love. I can helpyou now! We can make the voices go away.


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She trembled, then leaned orward and gently kissedhim. You have to leave, she said through a sob. Youhave to leave now.

What?Tey want me to kill you. And...and I wont let them.But I cant fight or much longer, she said. I wish I

could...but Im so tired. So very tired.You dont have to do it alone anymore, Felicia.Her mouth tightened into a line. She reached up andpressed a hand onto his cheek, a resh tear crawling downher ace when he flinched rom the exposed bone o herfingers. Te marshal stared at the ivory, grotesque againstthe sight o her hands, once the slim hands o a masterartist. You cant undo the past, she said. And Ive got

too much blood on my hands. But...but I wont kill you.Felicia-Green light illed his vision, and then everythingwent black.

One Year Ago

I walked through the door o the hut, hand on myPeacekeeper. Te swamp air was thick and humid, givingme a dull headache that pulsed at my temples. Tedwelling was surprisingly organized, considering the stateo the building itsel. A small cauldron sat in the fireplace,sewing instruments were laid out on a table. Bookshelves,o all things, sat in another part o the building. A thinbed had been placed near the shelves, though it moreresembled a cot. And at the largest table, in the middle othe room, an old woman waited or me.What can I do or you, dearie? she cackled, shuffling adeck o cards. She eyed me, gaps in her teeth showing inher smile. Here to know the uture perhaps? Maybe thepast? What can old Zoraida do or you?Te question made me pause. What was I doing here?Tis visit went against every oath I had ever made to theGuild, and I knew it. I bit the inside o my cheek, then

said, Im here or inormation I can use.She gestured to the seat opposite her, and I sat downpulling a bag off my waist and setting it down on thetable. I pressed my hands on the rough wood, eeling themild pain o a splinter digging into my palm. Tat kind oharm didnt register as it once did, afer the necromancybegan to take its toll on the body. I stared at my hands,

the pallid flesh and drawn skin that was part o the costo my training.Inormation is a dangerous thing, Death Marshal, shesaid, setting the cards on the table. Willing to pay theprice?I wouldnt be here i I wasnt. I took a deep breath, myheart pounding. How do I save my wie?

Her hand paused above the deck, hovering in the air. Greyeyes narrowed, and her brow urrowed. What?My wie. Ever since we came through the Breach, shesbeen...hearing things. Voices that arent there. Ones tellingher to do terrible things. I joined the Death Marshals, tolearn something to help her, but I havent ound anythingNothing that can help her. Do you know what I can do?She leaned back in the chair, the wood creaking as sherowned. So, youre that one, she said finally. Yes, I can

help with that. But you may not like my help in the end.I dont care! I yelled, slamming a fist on the table. Sheis my wie, Im supposed to protect her! How can I protecther rom something I cant even see, or fight?Te old woman said nothing. In the background, I couldhear the contents o the cauldron boiling, shoving the smallid upwards with a rattle. You stand at a crossroads,Marshal. All paths will bring you pain. One will give youhappiness or a time. Another will place you at the ulcrumo uture events. Tere are others that even I cannot see. Othose I can, I cannot tell you which is which.Cant, or wont?As ar as youre concerned, they are the same thing. Youwant the knowledge to save your wie rom these voices. Ican give you that.

What will it cost?


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More than you can imagine, and less than you planned.What did you bring?I pulled open the bag, revealing the treasure trove osoulstones inside. Stolen rom the Guild, a crime almostas bad as bargaining with a Neverborn witch. Shepicked through the contents, selecting a handul o them.I couldnt athom the reasoning she used. Some were

amongst the smallest o the cut stones, others were roughand bright. Te most valuable ones she lef behind.Remove your hat and shirt, then lie down on the bed,she said, walking over to the table with the sewingequipment. She selected a needle and some thread whileI complied. When she walked over, she held one o mysoulstones in one hand, placing the glowing gem over myheart. Tis will hurt a great deal, even to one such asyou, she warned.

Pain would be a novelty, considering the kind o trainingIve had, I replied glibly. As she began to work, my limbsspasmed. My eyes and tongue elt as i they were on fireas a roaring curtain o ice spread rom my chest. I beganscreaming...

Felicia ran rom the mine, stumbling over the rough groundin her haste. Te voices chased her, a rage filled storm. Shetripped, skinning her knee, then picked hersel up and keptrunning. I she ran ar enough, the demons couldnt win.

You left him...the emale hissed.Left him alive! the predator roared. Te tempest echoed thewords, overwhelming her. She ell against a tree, using it tostay standing.I dont care, she bit out. Im not going to hurt him.But you already did, a new voice hummed, twisting aroundher soul. It was pleasant, filling her with warmth. You lefhim a year ago. You ran from him now. You left him unconscious.She stared at the ground, leaning her orehead against therough bark. What do I do?

Let me help you. I can make it all go away.

Felicia closed her eyes, fighting back resh tears. How?Just give me permission. If you want help, all you need to do is ask.

She swallowed hard, wringing her hands. Alright, shewhispered. Help me.Gladly,the voice purred. She gasped, limbs twitching as she

ell to the ground. Her back arched, mouth open wide in asilent scream o pain. Te new voice chuckled as the stormenveloped her. Be careful the bargains you make, child...Te marshal woke to Patience licking his ace. Im up, Imup! Enough, girl! She backed away as he sat up, grabbinghis head. Tere was a spiking pain just behind his eyes that

contrasted oddly with the fire that burned his teeth. Wellthat was certainly a first. Lets keep that story between usokay? I doubt itll ever be worth drinks. He cocked aneyebrow at her. Well, maybe or you at the water trough.Limbs stiff, he stood up and leaned against Patience. Weregoing to have to find her. And... and I dont know whatDammit all to hell, this is madness. He caught sight o hisrifle and hobbled over to pick it up. Lets get going, beoreshe does something worse.

His first attempt at swinging into the saddle ailed miserablyPatience, true to her namesake or once, waited or him tostand up as his back ached with resh pain. I I have to gofind a rock, Im going to be very annoyed with her. Patiencelowered hersel to the ground slightly, allowing him to getup aer a significant effort.I cant figure out where she went. Her spell, or whateverthat was, has my head all screwed up. Every directioneels the same. Te marshal turned around in the saddlelooking back to the caravan. No signs o anything worsethere, so that was unlikely. You dont think she ran to thetown, do you? Tat would be a little...crazy.Patience twitched an ear. Yes, it was a lame joke. No, itwasnt supposed to be one. Cmon, lets start there, just to besae. I were lucky, my head will have cleared this mess outand I can think clearly by the time we get there. ake it slowor now. Ive had enough surprises today.


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Oh hell, Patience. Were late again. Smoke illed thesky, screams joining the winding columns o ash. hemarshal stared in disbelie, head inally clear aterthe short ride. Gritting his teeth, he pulled the rileout. Screaming means there might be someone stillalive. Looks like we get to put the Ladys instructionsto the test. I we die, I want you to know, Patience.You really were crap at conversations, but the trips

been un.Te mare snorted, stamping her hooves impatiently.Te temptation to smile died with the realization thatthis could only have one real outcome. He bit the insideo his cheek and pushed the thought away. No time orthat. oo many people depended on him doing his job.Protect, no matter the cost.Tey galloped through the outer streets o the town,

ollowing the screams. Te air teemed with necromanticpower, a aint glow that he could see, not just eel. Oh,great. More on the job training. Why didnt that old haggive me a damn book on this stuff?Rounding a corner, the marshal saw the first enemy.Instinct guided his hands, a pair o rifle rounds slamminginto the head o the punk zombie. It collapsed to theground in a heap, ichor flying over the young man ithad cornered against a wall. Ten they were past thatstreet, looking or the next.

A punk zombie? She didnt have anything like thatat- Te thought disappeared as they burst out o apatch o smoke and nearly ran into a man levitating inthe air, body bond tight with ropes. His eyes went wideas the horriying thing turned its wicked gaze on him,secrets rom beyond the grave spilling rom its mouth.Te marshal took a deep breath, channeling his power.eal fire rimmed his hands, spreading up to surround hisace. It had been a long time since he had used this, withgood reason. Te pain was immense, and it took everyounce o willpower he had to not scream. Te hangedroze, and he could see his blackened skull reflected in itsdead, glassy eyes.Te rifle bucked against his shoulder and the spirit ellback, orm twitching as the bullet slammed throughits core. It couldnt be killed, not in the traditionalsense. But it could be...unbound. Te marshal couldhear the training instructor in his mind as he worked

the lever to reload, firing again. Center o mass. Everytime that is disrupted, it expends energy. Repeat until ino longer stays.

Te hanged roared, making Patience rear up with apanicked scream. Te marshal dropped a hand to herreins, fighting or control. It shouted in a language thathe didnt know, but the meaning was clear enough in

his min

Wyrd Chronicles Volume 11

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Transcript of Wyrd Chronicles Volume 11