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Bridge of Smoke – Extract

A Black Library Publication

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Bridge of Smoke

Josh Reynolds

Kratus the Silent swooped upwards through the smoky air, high over the crater-city of Uryx, his blazing wings cutting through the red rain. His starblade drawn, the Knight-Azyros twisted and rolled, turning in the air so that his keen gaze fell upon the yellow length of the Bridge of Smoke. The bridge had been crafted by sorcery; formed by the priest-kings of Klaxus from the raw essence of sulphur rising in clouds and geysers from the eternally boiling lake below. Now, like the rest of Uryx, it was beginning to crumble. The corrupt magics which had held it together were slowly unravelling, causing the bridge to writhe as if in agony.

Along the bridge’s rippling span, the golden-armoured Stormcasts of the Adamantine clashed for a third time in as many hours with the remnants of those Bloodbound forces which had been driven from the Plaza of Yellow Smoke. But more enemies were flooding into the plaza behind the advancing Stormcasts even as Kratus wheeled through the air above. Skaven, beastmen and bloodreavers were streaming through the crumbling streets of Uryx like ants from a disturbed hill, all converging on the central plaza before the bridge. Every foe yet living in the crater-city and not already engaged with the Stormcasts was hurrying to join this battle.

Kratus wheeled overhead, and directed the Prosecutor retinues flying nearby to head off the newcomers. The winged warriors swooped away, and Kratus dove low, over the heads of those Stormcasts still occupying the plaza. Lord-Castellant Gorgus raised his halberd in greeting as Kratus drew close.

‘What news, Silent One?’ the Lord-Castellant called as he approached, accompanied by his bodyguard of Protectors.

The Knight-Azyros dropped onto a broken pillar. All around him, Stormcasts laboured to construct bulwarks from broken statues and shattered stones, or else toppled those few remaining Khornate icons and trophy-poles. The Lord-Castellant’s forces had arrived just as the main body of the chamber moved onto the Bridge of Smoke. Since that time, the Adamantine advance had stalled at the centre of the bridge as the ferocity of the Bloodbound defenders and the unnatural proportions of the structure acted against the Stormcasts. Now the crimson gloom of the day was giving way to the dark of night, and the rain mingled with the blood on the ground, forming a strange mire.

Kratus gestured sharply in response to Gorgus’ question. Gorgus nodded. ‘Aye, my scouts reported as much. Closer than I thought, though.’ The Lord-Castellant turned and squinted. ‘Closer than either of us thought – look.’ He gestured with his halberd. Kratus turned and saw skaven advancing into the plaza from the west, despite the best efforts of his Prosecutors to deter them. The ratkin squirmed through barriers and burst from beneath the stones of the plaza, rising from hidden tunnels. Liberators moved to meet them, shields locked.

‘They’re testing our defences,’ Gorgus said. He stroked the narrow skull of his Gryph-hound as he spoke, and the animal chirruped softly. ‘Fifth time since I arrived. Nothing serious, but they’re an effective distraction – we can’t move out of the plaza and onto the bridge to support the Lord-Celestant while they’re gnawing at our flanks. Not committed enough to warrant digging them out, but not weak enough to ignore. If you see a hundred of them, there’s sure to be a thousand who see you.’

Kratus nodded, knowing that Gorgus spoke the truth. He looked around warily, imagining beady red gazes in every shadow and behind every pillar or fallen statue. The skaven were more numerous than the Bloodbound. Indeed, their numbers were seemingly limitless – he had seen them for himself as they poured out of the jungles and outer streets of Uryx in great, squealing hordes. Where they came from, and where they went when they inevitably retreated, was still a mystery.

He gestured and Gorgus shook his head. ‘No. No sign of reinforcements yet. We’ve heard from the other chambers though. The Stormforged have taken the citadel of Ytalan, at least, and the Wrathsworn are still burning a path through the crawling jungles of Vaxtl. The Beast-Bane have cleared the western slope, but they’re finding it a hard slog through what’s left of the Raxulian Dukedoms.’ Gorgus looked up. ‘And Sigmar holds the rest of the chambers in reserve, I suspect.’

Kratus motioned sharply and Gorgus laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. ‘Aye, or it could be because he believes we need no help. You may have the right of it, Silent One. I– Down!’ The Lord-Castellant dragged Kratus aside as something black whizzed through the space his head had occupied.

The Knight-Azyros whirled about. His starblade sliced through the hairy form of a skaven assassin as the beast leapt at him. More of the creatures, clad in soot-blackened rags and cloaks, bounded out of the shadows, gleaming blades clutched in their paws. And not just assassins – armoured, bulky stormvermin bearing crude polearms and iron-bound shields loped towards them, screeching triumphantly.

At their head came their verminous warlord, brandishing a mace and a chopped-down halberd. Kratus recognised it instantly from their abortive encounter at the Gnawing Gate. The red-armoured creature charged towards Kratus with a snarl.

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A Black Library Publication

Published in Great Britain in 2016 by Black Library, Games Workshop Ltd, Willow Road, Nottingham, NG7 2WS, UK.

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