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Mercy of the Dragon – Extract

A Black Library Publication

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Mercy of the Dragon

Nick Kyme

The final wall had fallen, and with it Venikov. The city had been called ‘the Bloody Bastion’ by the Ranknar Blood-Guard. It was impregnable, they had said. Now Venikov burned, its precincts as hollow as the confidence that had once proclaimed it unbreakable.

And as it fell, and burned, the Imperial war machine ground on.

Sarda watched the city fall through his omniscope, glad for the kilometres between him and the armour-clad star warriors who had laid siege to his world. The hills where he had led those fleeing the destruction of Venikov would do little to stop the oppressors, however.

‘How many?’ asked Veddus. Sarda thought the goreov priest sounded weary, not just with the fatigue of the war but a spiritual malaise that came with the almost certain knowledge that your culture and everything you knew would soon be extinguished and replaced by another.

But then Sarda had always thought too much. He had been thinking ever since the so-called Emperor had made his proclamation. The Emperor had spoken of unity and compliance, but to Sarda this had sounded like conquest and annihilation. He adjusted the strap on his leather hauberk, suddenly uncomfortable.

‘Blood-Marshal Enoch has forged a last redoubt. At the old keep in southern Venikov.’

‘How many, captain?’ repeated Veddus, the sound of a cloak rasping as he swept closer.

Sarda tweaked the brass omniscope, adjusting the dials to focus in on the warriors and refugees fleeing Venikov. They were heading south, to the hills, to the next city on Erod. The last city. He adjusted his armour again. The studs were digging in through his padded jerkin. A rime of salt crusted his forehead where his leather helm met skin and made him sweat.

‘A few thousand.’

‘Is that all?’ uttered Veddus, pausing at the thought.

Sarda heard the priest’s breath reverberate against the brass mask. ‘Over a hundred thousand men entered that city.’

‘Blood-Marshal Enoch has another thousand trying to hold them off.’

‘Teeth of Ranknar…’ hissed Veddus.

Sarda doubted their patron god was listening. There was only one god that really mattered now, and he was on the other side. The Dragon.

‘We’ll need to fall back to Romistad. The Red Citadel is formidable,’ said Sarda.

Veddus nodded, starting to grow in confidence again. ‘Yes. Out here in the hills we are vulnerable. The Red Citadel can withstand a siege. Let’s see if these curs have the stomach for it. I’ll see the Dragon slain on our walls. Bled dry! I swear it by Ranknar!’

A great explosion lit the horizon to the north. Tremors were felt as far as the hills. They ripped Venikov and the old keep apart.

Sarda lowered the omniscope, and let out a long shuddering breath. He faced Veddus. The blank visage of the mask was reflected in the priest’s eyes. The mask’s stylised representation of a gaunt human face, edged instead of curved, could not hide his fear.

‘What is it?’ he demanded. ‘What happened?’

‘Blood-Marshal Enoch is dead, goreov.’

Veddus swallowed audibly. ‘Are you certain?’

Sarda pointed a crimson glove in the direction of the city.

Except there was no city. Venikov was gone.

Only fire remained, a conflagration so large and ferocious it engulfed the sky like slow spreading ink and turned it red. And at the heart of the blaze, killing with fang and claw, a giant in emerald scale.

A myth brought terrifyingly to life.

Veddus scarcely had voice enough to name it out loud, ‘The Dragon…’

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A Black Library Publication

First published in Sons of the Emperor: An Anthology in Great Britain in 2018.
This eBook edition published in 2019 by Black Library, Games Workshop Ltd, Willow Road, Nottingham, NG7 2WS, UK.

Produced by Games Workshop in Nottingham.
Cover illustration by Mikhail Savier.

Mercy of the Dragon © Copyright Games Workshop Limited 2019. Mercy of the Dragon, GW, Games Workshop, Black Library, The Horus Heresy, The Horus Heresy Eye logo, Space Marine, 40K, Warhammer, Warhammer 40,000, the ‘Aquila’ Double-headed Eagle logo, and all associated logos, illustrations, images, names, creatures, races, vehicles, locations, weapons, characters, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are either ® or TM, and/or © Games Workshop Limited, variably registered around the world.
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ISBN: 978-1-78999-615-9

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