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The explosion triggered a coruscating conflagration froed beneath the arch, then the violence settled back to forolden wall

‘That is the warren itself,’ Onrack said ‘The ward is broken Still, I do not recognize it’

‘Nor I,’ Trullthe ’s co ar-back across the bridge Flee !’

The Tiste Edur spun and began running

Onrack proceeded to back up a step at a time He could feel the power of the ones on the other side of the gate, a power brutal and alien The breaking of the ward had been noted, and the enant outrage

A quick look over his shoulder showed that Trull Sengar had crossed the bridge and was nohere in sight Three e And there, he would make his stand He expected to be destroyed, but he intended to purchase tiate shih Riding white, long-limbed horses ild manes the colour of rust Ornately armoured in enamel, the warriors were a match for their mounts-pale-skinned and tall, their faces uards Curved scimitars that appeared to have been carved fro silver hair flowed from beneath the helms

They rode directly towards Onrack Canter to gallop Gallop to charge

The battered T’lan Imass widened his stance, lifted his obsidian sword and stood ready to meet them

The riders could only coe two at a time, and even then it was clear that they simply intended their horses to ride Onrack down But the T’lan Iht in the service of the Malazan Empire, in Falar and in Seven Cities-and he had faced horse warriors in many a battle A moment before the front riders reached hi the sword that whirled in from his left, the T’lan Imass slashed his blade into the other warrior’s midsection

Two ivory blades struck hih clavicle and cutting deep into his shoulder blade, then through in a spray of bone shards The scih the side of his face, sheering it off from temple to the base of the jaw

Onrack felt his own obsidian blade bite deep into the warrior’s armour The enamel shattered

Then both attackers were past hi two arrived

The T’lan Imass dropped into a crouch and positioned his sword horizontally over his head A pair of ivory blades hah Onrack’s battered fra out onto the concourse to wheel their horses round, visored heads turned to regard the lone warrior who had so the clay-li The one whose ar forward, one arainst his stomach Spatters of blood speckled his horse’s flank

Onrack shook himself, and pieces of shattered bone fell away to patter on the ground He then settled his oeapon, point to the ground, and waited while one of the riders walked his horse forward

A gauntleted hand reached up to draw the visor upward, revealing features that were startlingly siar’s, apart from the white, almost luminous skin Eyes of cold silver fixed on the T’lan Imass with distaste ‘Do you speak, Lifeless One? Can you understand the Language of Purity?’

‘It seems no purer than any other,’ Onrack replied

The warrior scowled ‘We do not forgive ignorance You are a servant of Death There is but one necessity when dealing with a creature such as you, and that is annihilation Stand ready’

‘I serve no-one,’ Onrack said, raising his sword once more ‘Come, then’

But the wounded one held up a hand ‘Hold, Enias This world is not ours-nor is this deathless savage one of the trespassers we seek Indeed, as you yourself must sense, none of them are here This portal has not been used in millennia We must needs take our quest elsewhere But first, I require healing’ The warrior gingerly disainst his midsection ‘Orenas, attendfirst, Seneschal-’

‘No We shall tolerate its existence Perhaps it will have answers for us, to guide us further on our quest Failing that, we can destroy it later’