Page 360 (1/2)

’What will happen if the wagon stops, Draconus?’

Thetime ’Project your vision, mortal, onto our trail See for yourself, what pursues us’

Pursues! He closed his eyes, yet the scene did not vanish -- the wagon lu by hiroans fading behind him The ruts of its wheels flanked him, each one as wide as an imperial road The earth was sodden with blood, bile and sweat, a foul mud that drew his boots doed theaze followed those tracks, back, to the horizon

Where chaos raged Filling the sky, a storer poured from it Frenzied anticipation

Lost memories

Power born from rendered souls

Malice and desire, a presence almost self-aware, with hundreds of thousands of eyes all fixed on the wagon behind Paran

So … so eager to feed …

He recoiled

With a gasp, Paran found hiside Draconus The residue of what he had witnessed clung to hiely in his chest Another thirty steps passed before he was able to raise his head, to speak ’Draconus,’ he grated, ’you have made a very unpleasant sword’

’Darkness has ever warred against Chaos, mortal Ever retreated And each tiht, to the Birth of Shadow -- her power has di more profound Such was the state of the real imbalance Until Chaos approached the very Gate to Kurald Galain itself A defence needed to be fashioned Souls were … required …’

’Wait, please I need to think-’

’Chaos hungers for the power in those souls -- for what Dragnipur has claier -- tenfold A hundredfold Sufficient to breach the Gate Look to your , civilization-destroying wars, civil wars, pogroress at a perilous pace on the path forged by Chaos Blinded by rage, lusting for vengeance, those darkest of desires-’

’Wait-’

’Where history otten Memories -- of humanity, of all that is humane -- are lost Without balance, Ganoes Paran-’