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pumping and flashing； high above the crowd。
Excekis Gaude； one of the Warlord Titans； caught it dead on； and killed it in the air； but not cleanly enough。 The tumbling Lightning；
ablaze from end to end； hit the immense Warlord Titan square on and decapitated the colossus as it exploded。
I was lost。 I was stupefied。 I was speechless。
I felt as if I should fall to my knees amid the tumult and beg the God…Emperor of Mankind for salvation。
But my part in this was only just beginning。
Pellucid blue flame； like a searing wall of acid； suddenly washed through the churning mob behind the Gate。 Men； women； soldiers；
civilians； were caught in it and shuddered； melting； resolving into skeletons that turned to dust and blew away。
I felt the pain in my sinuses； the throb in my spine。 I knew what it was。
Psyker…evil。 Raw Chaos； loosed on this world。
The prisoners were loose。
The warriors did not matter。 A vast pitched battle was already raging across the Avenue behind Spatian's broken Gate。 The Thracian
Guard； the Aurora Marines and the arbites were striving to contain the outbreak of enemy prisoners； many of whom had taken the
opportunity to break free and grab weapons。 A ferocious； point…blank war had seized the great approach。
But what concerned me were the psykers。 The captured heretics。 The thirty…three。 They had broken free。
I drew my power sword and my boltgun； plunging into the milling bodies； crunching over the calcified bones of those slaughtered by
the psychic wave。
An inhuman thing； a Chaos prisoner； leapt at me； and I struck its head off with my blade。 I leapt over a dead Marine； who was leaking
blood onto the rockcrete from splits in his imperator armour； and pushed through the howling civilians。
Four Thracian Guardsmen were directly ahead of me； using the charred corpse of a fallen aurochothere for cover as they blasted into
the press。
I was a few steps away from them when the gigantic dead animal reanimated； a psychic puppet； killing them all。
My weapons were useless。 I focussed my mind and blew the thing apart with a concussive mental wave。
An Aurora Marine flew through the air over me； ten metres up； his legs missing。
I ran on； scything my blade at the escaped prisoners who menaced me。
The road was covered with the dead。 Humans； on fire from head to foot； stumbled past me and collapsed on their faces。
The Trojan tractor team was on fire； its massive trailer slewed around。 Three of the enemy pyskers lay dead on the payload space； and
four void shields remained intact； their occupants frantic within。
But the others…
Upwards of twenty…five alpha…level enemy psykers had escaped。
I saw the first； a stumbling； emaciated wretch of a man； near the end of the trailer。 Corposant flickered around his head and he was
trying to eat a screaming astropath novitiate。
My boltgun stopped his daemonic work。
I dropped to my knees； gasping and crying as the second found me。 She was a stringy female； clad in a gauzy white veil； her
fingernails like talons。
She cowered behind the end of the trailer； sobbing and lashing out at me with her foul power。 She had no eyes。
I am not alpha…class。 My brain was broiling and bubbling。
A Thracian guardsman ran at her from the left； and instinctively； she turned her attention to him。 His head popped like a blister。
I shot her through the heart and knocked her flat on her back。 Her limbs continued to thrash for over a minute。
Electrical discharge spat out at me from nearby in the crowd。 People； screaming and burning； tumbled frantically back from a male
psyker who was striding； head down； towards the hives。 He was a dwarf； with stunted limbs and an enlarged cranium。 Ball lightning
crackled around his pudgy fingers。
I stabbed at him with my mind； just to get his attention and then exploded his face with a pin…point bolt。
Emperor save me； he kept coming。 I had blown the front off his skull； but he kept coming。 Blind； his features a gory mess。 He
stumbled across the ground towards me； his still…active mind boring into mine。
I fired again； almost panicking myself； and blew off one of his arms。 Still he came on。 My jacket； hair and eyelashes caught fire。 My
brain was about to explode out of my skull。
A Space Marine in the colours of the Aurora Chapter came at him from behind and shredded him into pulp with his boltgun。
'Inquisitor？' the Marine asked me； his voice distorted by his helmet mic。 'Are you all right？'
He helped me up。
'What insanity is this？' he rasped。
'You have a vox…channel； Marine？ Alert Lord Orsini！'
'Already done； inquisitor；' he crackled。
Behind us； the tractors exploded en masse； flinging fire and debris high into the air。
A scalded child ran past us； shrieking。
The Marine grabbed the child in his massive arms。
'This way； this way； out of danger…'
'No；' I said slowly。 'Don't… don't…'
His visored face swung up at me in confusion； the child cradled in his arms。
'Don't what？' he asked。
'Look at the brand！ The mark there！' I yelled； pointing to the Malleus rune burned into the child's ankle。 The hammer of witches。 The
brand…mark of the psyker。
The Chaos child looked up at me and grinned。
'What mark？' asked the Marine。 'What mark are you talking about？'
'I…I…'
I tried to fight it； please know that。 I tried to repel the unholy power of the child's mind as it groped into my head。 But this thing； this
''child''； was far beyond my powers to contain。
Kill him； it said。
My hand was shaking； resisting； as I swung the boltgun around and shot the Marine through the head。 A searing white agony flooded
my horrified being。
Now kill yourself； it suggested； chortling。
I put the smoking muzzle of the boltgun against my own temple； my vision filled with the giggling face of the child； perched on the
knee of the collapsed； headless Marine。
That's it… go on…
My finger tightened on the trigger。
'No… n…no…'
Yes； you stupid fool… yes…
Blood streamed out of my nose。 I wanted to fall to my knees； but the monster wouldn't let me。 It wanted me to do one thing； and one
thing only。 It implored me； ripping my consciousness apart。
It was strident and it was undeniable。
I pulled the trigger。
SEVEN
VOKE； AND SPECULATIONS。
ESARHADDON。
THROUGH THE VOID。
BUT I DID not die。
The boltgun； that gift from Librarian Brytnoth； which had never failed me in ten decades of use； failed to fire。
The child…thing shrieked and leapt away into the smoke and flames and struggling shapes around me。 The dead Marine toppled over。
The air frothed with psychic discharge and three figures ran past me in pursuit of the tiny abomination。 Inquisitors。 All three were
inquisitors； or interrogators at least。 One； I was sure； was Inquisitor Lyko。
I lowered my shaking hand。 Both it； and the boltgun it clutched； were cased in psionic ice； the mechanism jammed and locked out。
I turned and found Commodus Voke standing a few paces behind me。 His ancient face was contorted with internal pressure。 Crusts of
psipathetic frost glittered on his long black gown。
'Point。 It。 Aside。' His words came out as halting gasps。 'I。 Cannot。 Hold。 It。 Much。 Longer。'
Swiftly； I turned the boltgun aside and up into the air。 With a barking gasp； he convulsively relaxed and the weapon bucked and fired。
The deadly round whined away harmlessly into the sky。
Voke was sagging； the gyros in the augmetic exo…skeleton that cradled his frail body straining to manage his balance。 I gave him my
hand in support。
'Thank you； Commodus。'
'No matter；' he said； his voice a whisper。 His strength began to return and he peered up at me with his bird…bright eyes。 'Only a brave
man or a fool tangles with a plus…alpha psyker。'
'Then I am both or neither。 I was closest to the emergency。 I could not just stand by。'
WE WERE ASSAILED by extraordinary noises from the charnel ground behind us。 Gunfire； grenades； screams and the popping； surging
sounds of minds fracturing reality； compressing matter； boiling atmosphere。 I saw a robed man； an inquisitor or an astropath； rising
slowly into the sky in a pillar of green fire； burning； shredding inside out。 I saw geysers of blood like waterspouts。 Squalls of hail and
acid rain； localised to this small stretch of the Avenue； blustered across us； triggered by the