- Odd-strange...
Vellux had just heard Klur's story while chewing a piece of hard and nervous meat. The names of Gotrek and Felix were not unknown to him. A few seasons ago, he had received a message on a man-thing skin parchment confirming that Grey Seer Thanquol, special agent of the Council of Thirteen, offered a large reward for the one who would bring him the terrible duo. At last, this offer was still valid.
It was best to go there and investigate. By giving a few warpstone chips by here and there, he could quickly learn in what places the pair had been sighted. Then, with a good team of sharp nosed Gutter Runners, it would be easy; he would send the Eshin spy the passing areas of the duo, they would spot for him the corners where the Skaven smell float, and he would check himself these places and tap the smell of his young pupil, he would have no trouble to recognise it.
Moreover, the Eshin had taught him something even more interesting: castle Gottliebschloss was now without a leader, and its army reduced. It was the best time to take it. Vodaj's troops would guarantee him victory. And about the few shabby weird-Skaven met by the anthracite Skaven, from what he had said, and he didn't seem to have had the nerve to lie to him, there was no reason to worry, the Sons of the Horned Rat would crush them like so many cockroaches.
The plan was perfect, flawless, simple and probably effective. Not surprising for a plan devised by a Grey Seer as smart as him. This improved his mood, and he decided to share it with Klur. After all, he would need the services of Clan Eshin, so make a good impression.
- Right, you did what I wanted. I'll let you live-live for the moment. Remember that your life depends on your silence.
- I won't forget, most excellent personification of mercy!
- Go tell your master to be here, and make yourself at breeders district. I give you three hours with a female.
- Thank you, thank you, o immeasurable carrier of the word of the Horned Rat!
- Come on, get out of here!
Vellux didn't need to say it twice, the coal-black Skaven rushed out without asking for his.
Left alone, the Grey Seer thought again about the words of the man-thing chief reported by the Gutter Runner, and the testimony of Magnus, the weird-thing spy, returned to him.
So... Psody was at Gottliebschloss. Jourg of Clan Moulder was defeated on the day of his arrival, and the men-things have not traced another army. An ordinary Skaven wouldn't have made it, but Psody is a chosen one of the Horned Rat. He is enough clever-smart to mess up. Men-things men then could fire them. What after?
He thought, thought to provoke a headache, and ideas chained.
The men-things would never have left him alive, yet they did when they captured him... wait a moment! They have not captured him. He decided to surrender! And then he went away with the two Skaven killers wanted by Thanquol. They would have killed him on the spot, why they didn't?
His eyes opened wide when he realised:
Because he decided to betray us! He would never have done all this, he never would have surrendered any men-things! He sought Gotrek and Felix, he found them, he took care of Jourg, then went with them! He plots against our people by siding on their side!
Several bloody feelings burst in the brain of the Grey Seer. His student had the nerve to stand up against him, it was something very serious. But his plot with men-things was worse. What could he do with the inferior races?
Learn their secrets to turn against them? ... No, he would have warned me for my help! He will act against me!
At this thought, anger was stronger. He could not help to bark:
- Why you little unfaithful junk!
- Oh, Grey Seer! exclaimed in a tone of mock hurt Master Assassin Tweezil, standing on the threshold of the door of the laboratory.
Vellux, who was standing back to the door, jumped with a startled cry, and glared at the black Skaven.
- Tweezil! Do it again, and I fry you on the spot!
- Please forgive-excuse me, whispered the Eshin kneeling.
The next time it's my blade in your neck that will make you blench! thought the Master Assassin.
- Enter-enter, don't stay there. Close the door!
Tweezil obeyed. Grey Seer sat in his chair, and explained:
- That night, the Horned Rat spoke to me. You know what that means?
- He expects us to do something to honour him?
- Indeed not! You idiot-moron! That means he only trusts me! I'm a chosen one, I'm the only one able to hear him and understand him!
The black Skaven bowed his head and pretended servitude. In truth, his blood boiled with rage, he had to make a significant effort to restrain himself to jump on the White Skaven and gut him right here right now.
- Luckily, I'm here to keep the balance in Brissuc! Vellux continued. Anyway, you can't understand. I forgive you.
- Thank you very much, o inextinguishable light of our colony, you're too merciful.
- I know, that's why I'm a chosen one. Master Assassin, I'll need your best elements. I need twelve-twelve of your best Gutter Runners. I have to take them with me for a very important secret mission.
- Right, o mighty Grey Seer.
The Master Assassin knew some questions must never be asked, so he only wondered who would be the twelve selected. Like to thank, Vellux told him:
- I have to go to Sub-Altdorf for some time, in order to get the key to our victory-victory. Your spies will help me. Attention! If I do not return, the other Clan leaders were ordered to remove all the Eshin of Brissuc they can. This will prevent your rats bad temptations. It would be a shame to embarrass you, one of my best agents!
- What an extraordinary intelligence! What a brilliant plan! I couldn't have found better, my dear Master!
- No, you couldn't have found better, because I'm the master here! Go and bring me twelve murderers, the ones who are both the most efficient and the most reliable. Then you go to the breeders district, and you can spend the rest of the day with the breeder you want.
- Oh, hundred, thousand, ten thousand times thank you, miraculous soul of Brissuc!
- And don't worry, you will understand everything when I return.
The Eshin rose, bowed again and left the laboratory.
It was a pretty well coming day for Diassyon Cof lan Skryre. In recent weeks, he had felt an energy boost in his own ideas. He could remember Moly Clan Pestilens without falling back into apathy, and his relationship with Chitik was further improved. So he had decided to make a gift to the Black Skaven. Something that might increase the chances of being victorious from a fight. He had spent the last three days to craft a heavy war hammer, too large and too heavy to be held with one hand. He was particularly proud of the head of the weapon, a solid block of wrought iron. It took him several hours to find the right piece, trim it, fit it, and finally attach securely enough to a wooden handle. The choice of the material was also decisive. He had applied to get it from a small tree in his sanctuary area, above the colony.
And now, after all those hours, he would make a gift to his beloved brother. A present, the first of his life. It was quite strange to him. He imagined the surprised grimace the big Stormvermin would do, seeing this weapon of exceptional quality. He carried it on his back, carefully wrapped in a bag, and walked at a brisk pace.
I hope he'll crush-grind hundreds of skulls with! Who knows? Perhaps his Fangleader's?
Over time, it was increasingly difficult to Chitik to cope with vanity and bad faith of Semik, commander of the Black Skaven. Fortunately, he had listened to the concerns of the young Warlock Engineer, and had tried to show less angry violence.
He didn't want to go to the Stormvermin district; outside Grey Seer Vellux, no Skaven who was not carrying the legacy of the Mighty of the Horned Rat in his veins was allowed – note, thinking about it, they were not more aggressive than the others. Generally, each Clan fiercely prevented foreigners from entering their domain without good reason.
The brown Skaven knew where to look for. When he wasn't sleeping on his mattress or engaged in a battle, the big Black Skaven used to watch the slaves or train the young recruits. He wanted to start with the arena. A few minutes later, he arrived in the area where the Clanrats were trained. It was a huge circular room, the centre of which the Skaven had dug several large round pits. Noise was emanating from the nearest. The brown Skaven, curious, came and bent his head over the fence.
In the pit stood a huge bipedal creature. A huge naked rat-ogre, its body partially covered with brown fur on its back, arms, head and legs, remained motionless, slowly shaking its head from front to back. Before it, a Clan Moulder Packmaster, a Skaven in beige coat with black stripes, cracked his whip and barked orders. The big beast jumped and stepped back, more afraid that really upset. Its musk glands vaporised the smell of fear.
Diassyon didn't know much about the customs and traditions of Clan Moulder. He found himself thinking about his deceased brother Skahl, the first victim of Karkadourian's cursed females. Had he lived longer, he would probably have been an exceptional Packmaster. He stood a few moments to look at what was happening. He knew that the Moulder in the pit was called Zowie, and had the reputation of being good. And what he was doing in the pit was pretty impressive.
Normally, nobody took the risk of deliberately upset a rat-ogre. These monsters were stupid, but quick to get easily angry, and reduce to mush everything that fell under their huge paws. Being a good Packmaster meant to have certain magnetism on animals, or beings with primitive intelligence. For Zowie, it was more than that. His green eyes emitted a particularly unsettling look. Diassyon understood that the Moulder had already fought the rat-ogre in a mind duel, and the power of his gaze had submitted the creature. And the rat-ogre, instead of attacking its tormentor, squealed backwards.
The Skryre had a small admiring pout. Zowie was at the height of his reputation, and was often confided the training of new rat-ogres. Looking a little better the creature, he had a strange feeling, as if this rat-ogre vaguely remembered him something. Then he remembered, and his heart leapt in his chest. He just recognised the pattern of the remaining coat on the muzzle of the rat-ogre. The bright spot on its left eye, the dark on its right one, it could be no one but...
Well, well... It is Tôrkh!
He had a wicked smile. Indeed, it was the Skaven of Clan Moulder who had been his companion in misfortune in the cage of the weird-thing sorcerer Karkadourian, who had bee, so insisting to devour the corpse of his brother Moly. Apparently he didn't gave satisfaction to the Master Mutator Skilit, one way or another, and the chief of Clan Moulder of the colony had found him another way to be helpful.
He bent his head over the edge of the pit, and quipped:
- So, you look good now, big guy!
Then he burst into a loud laugh. The rat-ogre looked up at him, an expression combining supreme surprise with abysmal stupidity spread across his facies. Zowie cracked his whip more viciously.
- Go away! You're distracting-confusing it!
The Warlock Engineer didn't want to get into trouble with the Mutators. He obeyed and disappeared.
Klur of Clan Eshin adjusted his belt, put his cape leaving gently slide over the dirty cloth bandage he had wrapped around his injured shoulder, and buckled the pin that held it. He casted a stained by condescending pity look at the huge breeder which was snoring on the straw, full length slumped, unconscious of the gift the Gutter Runner just offered it.
I hope it will lay a slew of small assassins!
He quickly returned to the dark well, which was the domain of the members of Clan Eshin. He went down along the steep wall, and came to the central square of the district. He saw a dozen of his fellows Clan gathered in a corner, preparing their stuff. He recognised some of the most talented Gutter Runners of Brissuc. One of them looked up and hailed the coal-black Skaven.
- Hey, Klur! The Master Assassin wants to talk to you!
- He wants to meet you in the copper tunnels room.
The "copper tunnels room" was the crossroads where the Eshin had met his five brothers for the first time, long ago. Klur felt a slight pressure pinching his heart.
- What does he want?
- Dunno. Hurry, he's not in a good mood.
It took only a few minutes Skaven anthracite to go to the crossroads. He saw no one, but knew that his chief of Clan was not far.
- Ahoy? Master Tweezil?
No reply. This didn't surprise him much, Master Assassin Tweezil loved to laugh at his interlocutors playing with their nerves. He grumbled, cursing the sense of humour of the Eshin Clawleader.
- Nightleader Tweezil? Are you there?
He scanned the tunnels one after another, but detected no presence. Suddenly, the the silky voice of his master whispered:
- I taught you patience, Klur. Have you forgotten?
- Me? Uh... no, Nightleader.
- Good.
Klur turned a jump. Tweezil's voice had just whispered in his ear. The black Skaven stood right in front of him.
- You should have seen me coming, Klur. You lose-lose efficiency.
- I... Nightleader Tweezil, I do my best.
- Yeah... I'll make sure. I'm going to give you the responsibility of Night Runners. They need a good Gutter Runner to train them.
- Ah... Good. But...
The coal-black Skaven was surprised. Why wouldn't be part of the twelve Skaven accompanying Vellux?
- I saw Gutter Runners bracing themselves to do something.
- The Grey Seer needed twelve of my best Skaven. It bothers-bores me, but I have to obey him.
- He... he told you why?
- This is a secret mission, Klur! You don't have to know anything about it!
Klur felt his forehead wrinkling in perplexity. Had Vellux revealed to Tweezil that the little White Skaven was still alive? He wouldn't try to compromise himself by asking this question. Moreover, something else annoyed him.
- Why not send me there, Master? I am also able to accomplish this mission! My injury does not hamper me! So what?
The question plunged the Master Assassin into a violent rage. In a tail sweep, he overthrew the coal-black Skaven, sat on him, and thrust his finger in the hole dug by the she-thing musket. Klur moaned in pain. Tweezil barked:
- Because I am your master, and I want to stay your master, Klur! I don't know what you're scheming with Vellux, but I don't like it at all! You're an Eshin, and I want you near me to be sure-sure you're not preparing a dirty trick in my back! So, here's a good advice: do soft tab, or life will become so bad for you!
Tweezil withdrew his finger with a jerk, and pulled away with a bound. He climbed in a heartbeat in one of the largest pipe and disappeared. When Klur stood, his hand on his reopened wound, he screamed with rage when he saw that he trembled in every limb, both anger and fear.
Chitik the Stormvermin put his wooden mallet against the rock wall, and stretched, cracking his bones throughout his spine. Then he helped the small Black Skaven to get up.
- That's enough for today. You have all made progress. I'll tell it to Fangleader Semik.
There were some surprised and happy murmurs. Chitik had long thought about what Diassyon told him, relative to his bad temper, and had remembered the advice of Plague Deacon Soum: use kindness. With this invisible but easily transferable commodity, the two Skaven were closer to Moly. And if the other Skaven were not as close as his blood brothers, he had noticed that making use of this "kindness" on them could give very good results very quickly. In just a few days, the Skaven had become more motivated, more efficient and more obedient. Recently, a few Stormvermin among younger had even preferred to talk to him rather than to Fangleader Semik to discuss about problems.
The training was completed, the Clanrats dispersed. Left alone, Chitik gave a little satisfied sigh and returned to the Stormvermin sector. He walked away from the arena at a quiet pace. He saw Klur, sat on a rock, a few yards away. The coal-black Skaven seemed to be pretty worried, and gently rubbed his injured shoulder. Chitik smirked. It might be a good opportunity to make a little better contact with the Eshin, with kindness.
- Hey, brother?
The anthracite Skaven looked up, and his facies frowned.
- Don't call me so, headless!
- All right, all right... You look worried.
- Mind your own business!
The big Black Skaven insisted.
- Really! I feel that you're not as usual!
- What are you talking about?
Chitik scratched his head.
- Well ... you're not very well, these days. Perhaps you want a hand?
- I don't need anybody! Barked the Gutter Runner.
- What's wrong with you, brother?
- Nothing, I say! Get off me!
- You're scared...
- Me? Fear? Never! replied the coal-black Skaven, laughing.
Chitik didn't let go.
- You got problems?
- I told you to get off me, you big sausage!
- You failed with your clan?
These words sparked an explosion of rage in the Eshin. He jumped up and unleashed his wrath.
- Never, do you hear me? NEVER! I never failed to anybody! Neither my master nor Vellux or the Horned Rat! Even in the putrid swamp, I swear Psody…
Suddenly, the Eshin realised what he had said, and stood silent. Chitik was startled by hearing the name of his favourite brother out of the mouth of the coal-black Skaven. This allusion to the swamp... was he talking about the tragic end of the little White Skaven?
- So what, Psody?
- I... well... I haven't been able to save him from weird-things, but I... I personally revenged him!
Chitik understood something was wrong. Until this last sentence, Klur had always spoken to him without any hesitation.
- Are you sure?
- So... so I tell you, you skull sparrow!
The Eshin felt anxiety rising in him. This detail didn't escape Chitik. Klur had no musk glands to emit olfactory emotions, but the Stormvermin had learned to read the fear in other ways: the quickening breath, the panicked eye, the trembling hand, even slightly… Klur was really scared. The Black Skaven was now sure: Diassyon was right, and Klur had things to say. He wanted answers. He slowly raised his mallet.
- You're lying... and you're hiding something to me!
Klur eventually yielded.
- You're too stupid-stupid to understand the issues, Chitik!
- Did you hurt Psody?
- I had to, for the glory of the Horned...
- I DON'T LIKE YOU!
Chitik slammed his hammer at a phenomenal speed for a person of his size, but Klur dodged the wooden head narrowly. He jumped back, and in the movement, sent one of his daggers right to the big Black Skaven. He dodged the blade, which touched his arm just above the elbow and pulled a tuft of hair.
Chitik stroke again. The earth broke under the wooden head. Klur dodged every blow, and watched the smallest opening. After a long minute, during which he continued to jump all over the place, he perceived a change in breathing in his big brother. Once again, Chitik's weakened lungs would harm him.
And this time will be the last-last one!
Klur ran to the Stormvermin, and jumped as high as he could. He leaned on Chitik's shoulders, passed over his head and turned in the same movement. Chitik felt a hard and icy touch around his neck. The coal-black Skaven was tightening his throat with his leaded iron wire, ideal tool for strangulation. By reflex, he put his hands under his chin to try to give slack to the outlet.
- You... you... lied.
- It is characteristic of our race, poor fool! We are Skaven! And I'm a future Sorcerer! So is the way of Clan Eshin! You're going to die, and the other degenerate Skryre will follow you soon!
Klur squeezed harder. The vision of the Black Skaven was troubled.
I don't want to die!
He focused, tried to remain conscious. His temples were throbbing so hard he hardly heard what the Eshin said.
- You should have seen his face when he saw that it was me who had just shove a knife in his back. It was so exciting! Almost as enjoyable as now! He looked so surprised! Because he believed, too, to all this nonsense-nonsense about blood ties! I cheated him more easily than I expected!
- Murderer...
- Yep! Naivety is a fatal error-error for the Sons of the Horned Rat!
The Stormvermin drew on his rlast esources to escape the deadly grip of his assailant. He raised his left hand and felt something hairy between his fingers. By desperate reflex, he pulled this "something" in his mouth and clenched as hard as he could his jaws. Klur uttered a terrible screech, and loosened his grip before switching back. Chitik breathed deeply, and stood up. He then felt the flavour of blood acidifying his taste buds. The anthracite Skaven was curled on himself, and was holding his left forearm, whining. Chitik saw a little bloody mass on the floor, and then suddenly realised that his teeth had cut Klur's wrist.
Now without his left hand, the Eshin begged his older brother with a gaze, but it was too late for him to change his mind. Chitik jumped on Klur, the latter tried to avoid the movement with a roll. The Black Skaven swept the air with his paws, and grabbed something, the ringed tail of the assassin. He grabbed more firmly between his claws.
- Get off me! Klur squeaked.
The Black Skaven didn't listen. He made a sweeping movement with the arms, and began to spin the coal-black Skaven above his head. He squealed in panic as he spun more quickly. Chitik and took the momentum for a good twenty seconds, then let him go. Klur was rushed to a wall, against which he crashed. The Stormvermin didn't give him time to recover. He grabbed him by the scruff of his neck with both hands and slammed him on the wall. Then he shook him, shouting with all his might:
- WHY DID YOU THIS TO OUR BROTHER?
Klur knew he was doomed. The Black Skaven would never let him live, and he couldn't defend himself. He thought a moment to confirm his suspicions and tell him the truth, he had missed his strike, and Psody was still alive, but it would have been the worst betrayal to his clan. In any case, he couldn't go far with just one hand, and Clan Eshin would get rid of him quickly. He remembered one of the lessons of Master Assassin Tweezil.
An assassin who's caught may feel great shame-shame. But the worst shame is to reveal to the enemy the name of the person who hired him. A real Eshin rather die than talk!
So he would be a real Eshin to the end, and die quickly. He concentrated all the hatred that was left in his heart, and hissed:
- Because he was an idiot, unable to satisfy the Horned Rat! I would have been a better Grey Seer! I should have had his white fur and horns! I would have filled the colony with glory, instead of wasting-wasting my powers in stupid projects! I have done a great service to Brissuc by pushing his head into the water until he drowned!
The Skaven Black slid his fingers on Klur's head, his palms flat on his temples. With a bestial roar, he clenched his hands to join them. The Eshin felt his skull box cracking, fissuring in places. He uttered a cry of pain so strong and sharp that it deafened the Stormvermin. However, he didn't release his grip, and redoubled his efforts when he saw the face of his brother deforming under pressure.
The coal-black Skaven had the satisfaction of choosing his own death, one last thought appropriate, but at the last moment, he heard the final warning that he had from his brother Moly, an eternity ago. Then there was a disgusting crackling and mashed pulp noise.
Chitik dropped the now lifeless body of the Gutter Runner and vigorously waved his hands to get rid of bone fragments and bits of brains on his fingers. That's when he felt the presence of someone else. He turned and saw Diassyon.
- Oh... you... he...
- Say no more. I got it.
The brown Skaven advanced to Klur"s corpse. Then he removed his leather apron, and urinated on the anthracite Skaven, without saying a word. Chitik watched him, dumbfounded.
- But... Clan Eshin will believe it's you!
- Better than if it's your scent.
- You're taking risks!
- I'm ready to take risks. I know better than you defend me against these cowards-cowards!
Chitik was about to protest, but stopped himself at the last moment. He was forced to admit, if any enemy attacking him by front didn't frighten him, he was not very good at anticipating backstabs, unlike his brother of Clan Skryre.
Once his business completed, Diassyon recovered the large bag of coarse cloth he had left behind him, and handed it with both hands towards the Stormvermin.
- Here!
Chitik remained so surprised, seeing the carved hammer. Then a huge smile stretched his lips. The Warlock Engineer smiled back.
- Reduce to dust all your enemies.
- You won't be disappointed, brother!
The Horned Rat temple bell rang. The two blood brothers simultaneously turned heir head in the direction of the Temple of the Horned Rat.
Usually, the temple bell rang regularly to announce each hour of the day. But this time it was different. Instead of just typing a few accurate shots on the inlaid warpstone bronze, the ringer hammered twice faster than usual, and without stopping. All the Skaven citizens of Brissuc knew what it meant: an immediate convening of everyone at the temple.
The Skaven therefore came to the house of the Horned Rat, by groups more and more numerous. Some wondered aloud what was happening, but no one could give any answer. They became more nervous, and like all emotions, the nervousness was reflected in the scent of irritating musk.
Finally, the last entered, the doors closed and there was silence in the nave. With this tocsin, Grey Seer Vellux had gathered in the prayer room all Skaven adults of colony Brissuc, which made a big thousand men rats. All were anxiously awaiting the words of their leader. He appeared on the scene, and slowly descended the stairs side. He stopped in front of the first row, and began his speech.
- Sons of the Horned Rat, I have you all here to talk about the decisions I have made in the name of our God. Indeed, the Horned Rat gives us the opportunity to expand our colony and crush all his enemies.
There were a few murmurs, which quickly fell silent. The Grey Seer didn't seem willing to allow joy overflows. Vellux continued, passing between ratmen.
- I know, our last campaign against man-thing wizard Aescos Karkadourian was a disaster. But things changed. We recently had a lot of young Skaven accepted-recognised as adults, with rights and duties. And we will unite to the colony of Treecil to take advantage of their resources.
Few undecided whispers again. If this idea of union with the neighbour Skaven Warlord was not so surprising, it remains unusual, and some residents of Brissuc feared lose a lot, without consider that the Grey Seer could very well turn the situation to their advantage. The latter explained:
- I will soon conduct the main part of our Clanrats to the surface. Men-things are hiding in a castle, a few days walk from here. They have been greatly weakened by the Skavens of Jourg of Clan Moulder, and had not time to rebuild their forces. Their leader was recently killed by the Clan Eshin. This is the perfect time to finish them. Troops of Vodaj of Clan Skryre will help-help us.
Vellux was now in the middle of the crowd. The only sound audible was his footsteps on clay.
- I want to be sure you'll all be focused on winning and nothing else. So will I get straight some things before expose you my plan.
He paused between a Moulder and an Eshin. The assassin snapped his teeth.
- In recent days, there is a rumour circulating in Brissuc, according the fact Grey Seer Psody didn't die as Klur of Clan Eshin told us. This rumour revolves around at least two of you.
Diassyon swallowed. Despite all precautions, the secret he shared with Chitik seemed to have transpired. The Grey Seer stopped right next to Chitik. This made an incredible effort to stand still, although his neighbours felt the smell of panic emanating from his glands. Vellux spoke more gently without stopping staring at the Stormvermin.
- It is true that his death has saddened us all. He was a Skaven White, a chosen one of the Horned Rat, whose loss has affected the colony more than anyone else. And I myself recently had a doubt. That's why, when I learned that an isolated Grey Seer was mop with men-things, I asked Klur to go check.
Grey Seer resumed his walk, and headed to Diassyon. The brown Skaven remained stoic, even if unpleasant heat warmed his hair gradually as Vellux approached. The White Skaven turned slowly around the Warlock Engineer while explaining:
- It turned out that Grey Seer captive of men-things was not Psody. Klur told me before… his unfortunate accident.
Diassyon felt every hair on his fur wetting in a cold sweat.
He already knows? News travel too fast here!
- And I confirm, the Horned Rat told me repeatedly that our small beloved White Skaven was dead. Dead! Dead! I felt in the Warp the explosion of energy that burst as the Horned Rat came collected his soul.
Vellux was facing the Skryre. He put his index finger on his chest.
- So, there is nothing more to hope, Diassyon! Put yourself this right in your head, and make it so, all of you! Psody is history! A day will come when one of our breeders calve another White Skaven. But in the meantime, I'm the only Grey Seer of Brissuc, and the only one who the Horned Rat speaks to! We must forget Psody, and to help you, I tell you that every Skaven who will pronounce his name in my presence immediately suffer the curse of our god!
Not any Skaven dared move a hair. The Grey Seer returned to the foot of the stage.
- Now here's what we'll do. The next night, I go with the twelve best assassins of Clan Eshin to Altdorf, the men-things capital city. I have something to pick up for our victory. A regiment of Clanrats will wait for me. Meanwhile, under the authority of Deacon Soum, you will go to the terrier of Treecil. There, Vodaj of Clan Skryre will lead you to the castle that men-things call "Gottliebschloss." I will join you with my escort for the battle. Together we will succeed where Jourg of Clan Moulder failed!
In the midst of the crowd, some Moulder, including Master Mutator Skilit, grumbled at the mention of this shame. The Grey Seer climbed onto the platform by the side stairs, and harangued the audience once more.
- You do understand! Besides the slaves who make the colony engines turn, breeders and ratwives turn, everyone will participate in the battle! We will leave no chance for men-things! We will go Gottliebschloss masters. But there is something else.
Murmurs arose over the Skaven crowd. Grey Seer continued:
- I learned that our enemy Aescos Karkadourian also wanted the castle. But if we come before him, we will be in a strong position! Sons of the Horned Rat, we will destroy-destroy both men-things and weird-things!
He said it with enthusiasm, raising his arms. This time, the Skaven applauded.
- The victory is finally within reach, superior people! Tomorrow Gottliebschloss, but what about the day after tomorrow? A bigger city!
- Hooray! replied the audience.
- A dwarf-things fortress!
- Bravo!
Vellux feasted. The more his Skaven approved him, the more his power increased. The more his power grew, and his Skaven approved it. The loop was just so complete. He decided to do it one more time:
- Glory to the Horned Rat!
- GLORY TO THE HORNED RAT!
- Glory to the Skaven people!
- GLORY TO THE SKAVEN PEOPLE!
- Death to inferior races!
- DEATH TO INFERIOR RACES!
- Glory to the Horned Rat!
- GLORY TO THE HORNED RAT! GLORY TO THE HORNED RAT!
The Grey Seer was on the middle of the stage, his arms outstretched, his eyes exalted, a huge smile on his lips. Bursting with vitality, he broke into an insane laugh.
Author's Note: I started to put on FanFiction the story of Psody and his brothers January 14, 2013. Since then it has collected today more than 2700 views. I really want to thank you all for your faithfulness and interest.
Recently, I had an idea: I can write, but I can't draw. If there are among you some who are inspired enough to produce an image or more, I would be very pleased to receive them.
I prefer to be honest: I cann't hold a contest with prizes, or even guarantee to publish your images on a website. Those who feel motivated to send me a drawing would get nothing but my consideration. However, if I can publish this story on a website that I would have done, or in an official way, I will forward your proposals, I could even to consider the small details that I would like on an illustration. So you would bring your own stone to this small building, and I'd love to see how the readers "see" these characters.
I propose something more: I happened to write a few scenes that I did not put in the final version of the story, kind of "deleted scenes". For example, the moment when Vellux reprimands severely Chitik and cuts his ear, or the scene where Felix introduces Heike to Gotrek. Maybe you have such images, ideas that would take place "off stage", or perhaps you saw the characters from the Enfant Terrible outside the story. If someone sends me a picture like this, I promise to write a short story of some pages long around the image, and publish it on FanFiction. I'll try to balance the number of pages by four to fiveby short story, so as not to favour some and devalue others.
Interested drawers are invited to contact me by private message, so I send them my email address.
Thank you for your attention and encouragement. Glory to the Horned Rat!