Author's Notes: Hey everyone, sorry that I haven't updated in a while, bad case of writer's block. Any way here we go, as always I own nothing.
As they drew closer to the cursed city the countryside grew more and more dismal and the even the air seemed tainted. At one point Wilhelmina decided to leave her horse at one of few inns they still came across. After that she rode on Karl's back, he found this annoying at times but tolerated it. Two days after they left the horse they came to the top of a hill and looked down on the city of Mordheim. Karl took one look and decided that he did not like the look of the place.
It was a vast city but looked and smelled wrong. It gave off the air of a decaying body, a feel supported by the fact that half the buildings seemed to be in ruins and near the center of the city was a vast crater. And the wrongness that he had smelled earlier was now stronger than ever. He did not like the thought of going in there at all and the very thought of doing so made him growl deep in his throat. Wilhelmina reached down and stroked and patted his neck.
"It's alright boy, I don't like it either, but we have no choice. The vampire is down there and Marx ordered us to retrieve it, so we have to go down there." At her suggestion he changed back into his human form and dressed while she looked away. As he did so he asked something that was on his mind.
"I have heard stories of the City of the Damned but I know very little about it, only that Sigmar cursed it." She nodded.
"That is what most people say. It was once a prosperous city five hundred years ago. Then the city fell into decadence and sin and was struck by the wrath of Sigmar in the form of a comet for its sins, at least that is what the Church tells us. The wizards of the Celestial College believe that the comet was merely a natural phenomenon, but they find it advisable to keep that to themselves. Well, natural or not, the strike had quiet the impact. The comet was made of what they called wyrdstone and was highly valued at the time. It drew hundreds of adventures from all over the Empire and beyond in search of riches. It was only later that a terrible discovery was made, wyrdstone was warpstone, Chaos in physical form, causing madness, mutation and death. After he became emperor Magnus the Pious declared it illegal and the market dried up in legitimate circles. After that many left, now the only ones there are the desperate and the damned. Well, them and those willing to do anything, even deal in warpstone, for money."
"Pleasant place." Karl said to her in a dry tone of voice.
"Yes," she replied in tone of dry humor; "I doubt that we will meet anyone there who is of a friendly disposition. Everyone there is either a fugitive or a cutthroat who will soon kill as look at you. We had best be on our guard."
They walked down the hill to the road, though it was hard to tell, so overgrown with weeds it was barely visible, though there were signs that someone had traveled it recently. The walls were mostly fallen down but where they still stood they were tall and think and must have been quite formidable when they were first built. Once they were inside the feeling of unease grew. It was not helped by the fact that all the buildings they past were for the most part decayed and falling down, empty windows watched them like eyes.
Worse for them, the scent of their quarry was soon began to mingle with other smells and became harder and harder to track. Though they saw no one else Karl caught occasional smell that told him that there was something or someone observing them. From what Wilhelmina had told him anyone here would probably see two newcomers as easy prey and he guessed that they would be attacked at some point or another. Wilhelmina seemed to share his opinion about their situation because as the sun went down she decided on a building for them to spend the night, though it was as weather-beaten and part of the roof was caved in all four walls seemed to still be standing which put it ahead of many of the other buildings. It was three stories tall and seemed to have been a grand mansion back when before doom befell the city, the double front doors were fallen in allowing easy access. Karl would have liked to have put something in their place but everything was too decayed and rotten to be of use.
The same could be said for the stairs leading up to the higher floors so they decided to remain on the ground floor. Due to the fact that they could not barricade themselves in anywhere they decided to spend the night in what appeared to have been a ball room of some kind so that they would see anything coming before it reached them. The floor was tilled but time and filth had long since robbed them of color. All along the walls ran a balcony, though it had rotted and fallen away in places. The whole place gave off a feeling of lost grandeur of an earlier time.
As Karl scavenged decayed wood and other debris to burn Wilhelmina went about placing wards that she claimed would conceal them and warn them if anything came near them. Karl made a fire, which seemed terribly small amidst the shadows of the vast room which seemed to be trying to smother it with their darkness. They ate in silence, as if they feared to make any noise which might attract the attention of the inhabitants of the city. When they were done eating Karl offered to take the first watch and Wilhelmina did not object. She did, however, ask him to turn back to his wolven form. He did not object, he had actually planned to do so anyway for the superior senses. Once he was in his wolf form she wrapped her blanket around herself and snuggled up beside him and went to sleep.
As she lay there Karl stared at her. He found her confusing, on the one hand he knew that she could be cruel and seemed to have a very high opinion of herself. On the other hand, she seemed almost child-like at times, such as the way that she treated him like he was an actual dog, always petting him and such. It was almost as if…
His mind was brought back to the present. Something was wrong, the air seemed charged and the smell of magic filled the air. Wilhelmina's eyes shot open.
"The wards!" She hissed; "Something has tripped them." Unable to speak in his wolven form Karl could only nod his head. Then he looked up and his breath caught in his throat and his ears pressed flat against his head. They were no longer alone in the hall.
Author's Notes: Hey everyone I hope you liked it. Again sorry for prolonged writer's block hopefully updates will be faster. Bye for now and please pray for all those who need prayer may Jesus bless you all and Happy Fourth of July! No offence meant to the non-American readers.