Greywolf

  Unlike the other pyramids of the Temple District, set in groups of four and only accessible by climbing long stairways leading to the top, the pyramid of Ghash-Kimil stood by itself without any stairs to be seen. It didn't need any, because facing them was an entrance wide enough to drive a wagon through.

  It was also guarded by a dozen skeletons watching with grey orbs in their eye sockets. They hadn't moved yet, which was good, as Kula addressed all three hundred in his booming voice. "Alright, listen sharp. Lys is going to cast a spell making us able to hear the voices of the restless dead, and when she does, I expect all of you to remember that you are warriors and not foolish children. Greywolf, being the fastest and strongest in the Shadowlands, will challenge the ones now watching us, and lure them into chasing him back to where we are standing. The Chosen, bearing Artifact weapons that work better here than normal steel, will defeat them far enough from the dead tree so that any priest watching will not be alerted to our presence. From there, we shall continue as planned. Questions?"

  From the front rank of the Khanda swordsmen, Prince Timur said, "You should send Karl the Outlander as well, since he seems to be the only one the boy listens to."

  Anger flared inside Greywolf as Karl dropped a hand on his shoulder, giving Greywolf a knowing look. He clamped his mouth shut, though Karl knew from his expression he wasn’t happy about it. Karl winked before looking up again. "I'll go to the edge of Twilight space and stop there, so the Chosen will know where it begins. How's that?"

  "Acceptable," War-leader Kula grunted. "Lys?"

  She leaped off Karl's shoulder and landed gracefully onto the paving stones. "When we enter the temple," she called out in her child-like voice, "do not attack the dead unless they attack first. Our business is with the living. Ready?" Without waiting for an answer, she spoke a few words in a strange language as she pushed outward with her bone white hands.

  A semi-circular wave washed over them, distorting the Shadowlands as it passed by. Greywolf didn't hear anything except the Xian mercenaries muttering in their language… Wait, yes I do. There's a wailing sound coming from the pyramid. "Someone doesn't sound too happy."

  "A lot of somebodies, I'd say." Karl motioned towards the pyramid. "After you."

  Greywolf gave him a sour smile with his katana at the ready. Karl fell into step beside him and they walked towards the pyramid, Greywolf’s nose testing the air for changes... nothing yet... wait, maybe? The dead air of the Shadowlands had the tang of the real world now, and as he stopped a stone's throw away from the pyramid, Karl did the same. "Okay, this is the edge of Twilight space,” Greywolf said." Karl nodded and he took a step forward.

  Karl clamped a hand down on his shoulder. "No heroics, I'm serious."

  "Are you jesting? They come down off that pyramid, I'm running like a rabbit."

  Karl chuckled. "If they come down off the pyramid, I'll already be cowering behind Kula." He let Greywolf go and he began walking forward once more.

  Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  The dead watched as he approached. All the skeletons around the entrance were slowly moving, their inviting poses becoming more intent as Greywolf stopped a short distance from the entrance, a yawning hole leading straight back. The Grey gave their bones sinews, though no flesh. Wotan's blood, they all look ready to pounce. Brace up! Tengri's Chosen and Kula himself are watching. A skeleton with a cracked skull opened its mouth. "Why are you here?"

  Its voice was a whisper on the wind, yet clear as a man speaking beside him. Greywolf brandished his katana. "My name is Greywolf, son of Ghostdog, and I'm here to kill all your priests."

  Rustling bones as all the skeletons moved into a crouch. "Will you tear out their hearts?"

  "Cut out their throats?”

  "Rip out their entrails and burn them while the priests scream?"

  "Yes, I will," Greywolf yelled at them, waving the sword over his head with one hand. "I've come to destroy the priesthood of Ghash-Kimil."

  Shite, oh shite, they're all leaning forward. Greywolf knew they could leap at any moment, but he had to wait until they moved. The one with the cracked skull opened its jaws. "Kill them all."

  The rest of the dead were opening their jaws as well. "Kill them all. Kill them all. Kill them all!" They took it up as a chant, over and over, the sound echoing off the stones of the temple.

  Greywolf looked back. Karl was staring at him, opened mouthed, and beyond him, the Chosen were lowering their weapons as they looked back at Kula, who was watching intently. Alright, you need to lead the way, so take a step inside. Now take another... the dead aren't going to leap on you, another step. The darkness is an illusion... another step.

  Greywolf walked into the entrance of the temple. It was a stone passageway with a roof extending upwards at least three times a man's height, the passage widening as it went deeper inside. He turned around. Karl was still standing there, open mouthed as the dead continued their chant, and over their whispering voices Greywolf yelled, "Come on."

  Karl flinched, hesitated, then broke into a run. The dead watched him, yet did nothing as he sprinted inside, and Greywolf lowered the katana as Karl joined him. "Papa never told me the dead would do anything except attack you."

  "Aye, it likely slipped his mind." Karl took a deep breath as he rested his battle-axe against the wall and put his fingers to his lips. His piercing whistle echoed off the walls. "There, Kula knows we're alright. Though how he's going to get everyone inside without the mercenaries panicking is beyond me." He gave Greywolf a sharp look as he picked the weapon back up. "You don't think they're luring us into a trap, do you?"

  "They would've already attacked. Papa told me the dead don't reason like we do; they know what they knew in life, but they can't use trickery and they don't lie." He blinked as a thought struck him. "He couldn't have possibly known that if he couldn't speak to them. Why didn't he ever mention he could?"

  "That likely slipped his mind as well." All at once, Karl laughed as he pointed outside. "Trust Kula to come up with something on the fly. Look." The Khanda swordsmen were forming into a Turtle like the formation he used earlier, but a strange one, all long and narrow...

  "A tunnel,” Greywolf said. “That's what he's forming." Sure enough, the Khandas were moving forward with shields out in all directions, including over their heads, the formation no wider than the entrance to the temple. "He's going to funnel everyone inside then collapse the formation from the outside in, so the mercenaries don't have to see the skeletons."

  Karl turned around to look inside. "That's why he's the War—” Karl broke off and gripped Greywolf’s arm. "Odin's bones." Karl let go and he whirled around.

  A dead woman was standing less than a yard away. "You are right," she whispered. "The dead do not reason as you do. However, I am a special case." One eye was grey, the other rotted flesh, her teeth showing through holes in the skin of her jaw, while the hands sticking out from the ragged robes she wore were bones held together by grey sinews. "The dead believe what you tell them is truth, but I remember how the living lie. Are you truly here to destroy the priests of Ghash-Kimil?"