The Dark Mage blew out his cheeks. ‘I don’t know. The after-effects of a spell battle, I should think. It’s a little like the Torn Wastes, though not as blasted.’

‘Could it be something to do with Septern’s workshop?’ asked Ilkar, peering into the dust-filled distance.

‘Possibly.’ Denser shrugged. ‘Who knows what effects an un-maintained dimensional rip might have on its surroundings.’

‘What in all the hells is a “dimensional rip”?’ The Unknown’s face was blank.

‘Well, basically, it’s a hole in the fabric of our dimension that leads to another one or simply into interdimensional space, although there’s obviously far more to it than that.’

‘Obviously,’ muttered Hirad.

The Unknown glared at Hirad. ‘And are we near enough to this dimensional thing to suffer some kind of interference?’

‘Hard to say. I’m no expert on dimensional theory,’ replied Denser. ‘What Septern might have done is anyone’s guess. Septern was a genius, but his records are incomplete.’

‘He certainly was,’ said Ilkar. He scanned the horizon in the direction in which they had been travelling. He narrowed his eyes and spurred his horse into a walk forwards. Hirad, dragging on the reins of his mare, fell into step by him.

‘Can you see something, Ilks?’

‘Nothing much,’ replied Ilkar. ‘That shimmering messes up my long sight, I’m afraid. All I can say is that there appear to be large dark shapes a little to our left. How far, I can’t say.’

‘Shapes?’ Talan was the next to speak as the rest of The Raven began moving.

‘Buildings, at a guess. It could be rocks but I don’t think so.’

‘Well, let’s head for them,’ said Hirad. ‘They seem to be the only landmark we’ve got.’ Hirad dug his heels into his horse’s flanks and led the way across the plain with Ilkar at his side.

As they began to close, Ilkar added flesh to his earlier description. They were riding towards the ruin of a large mansion house and an outbuilding of some kind, probably a low barn.

‘Ruined? Are you sure?’ asked Denser.

‘ ’Fraid so,’ said Ilkar.

‘Is that bad?’ asked Hirad.

‘Not necessarily, though it certainly adds weight to the spell battle theory. Mage houses aren’t known for being easy to knock down,’ replied the Dark Mage.

‘Except by other mages,’ said Ilkar. ‘Or Wytch Lords.’

Denser raised his eyebrows. ‘Exactly.’ Inside his cloak, his cat hissed loud enough for all to hear, poked its head out briefly then withdrew in a hurry.

‘Oh dear,’ said Denser.

‘What is it?’ The Unknown turned in his saddle.

‘I think—’ began Denser, but a chilling howl cut him off. ‘That we are about to have company.’

‘What the hell was that?’ Hirad searched around him but could see nothing, though the single howl had been taken up by more throats.

‘Wolves,’ said Ilkar. ‘Big ones.’

‘No, they’re Destranas.’ The Unknown chewed his lip.

‘Destranas? Then that means Wesmen,’ said Talan, loosening his sword in its scabbard.

‘Yes,’ confirmed The Unknown. ‘We’ve got to make cover. Where are they coming from?’

‘The outbuilding.’ Ilkar pointed, and now they could all see, through the swirling haze that made up the horizon, large moving shapes in front of the distant black barn.

‘We’re in trouble,’ said Richmond.

‘Well spotted,’ muttered Hirad, staring around him for a way out. There was none.

‘All right,’ said The Unknown. ‘Let’s circle north and west and come to the buildings from another direction. We might lose them that way, and at least we’ll have made up some ground.’ He caught Hirad’s eye and added, in a low voice, ‘Although what good it’ll do is open to debate.’ He pushed his horse into a gallop, leaving the rest of the party temporarily trailing in his wake.

For a time it looked as though The Unknown’s idea had paid off. Hirad could see the dogs heading away from them, their handlers following more leisurely on horseback. He spurred his horse on, glanced behind him again, and suddenly the beasts were so much nearer and closing with appalling speed. They were huge, four feet high at the shoulder, and their howls and barks tore at the air and stung the ear.

‘Unknown!’ called Hirad. ‘We can’t outrun them. Look.’

The big warrior turned, looked and immediately wheeled his horse to a stop. ‘Everyone dismount!’ he ordered.

‘Ilkar, Denser, take the horses and let them loose if they are what the dogs want.’

‘They won’t be,’ said Denser. ‘If the Wesmen are here, we’re in bigger trouble than I thought. I’m going to try something. Only disturb me if you have to.’

‘What—’ began Ilkar.

‘Don’t ask,’ said Denser, and he turned his eyes to the skies and spread his arms wide.

‘We’ll have to protect him,’ said Hirad. The four fighting men formed a loose semicircle in front of Denser, the rhythmic tap of The Unknown’s sword on the ground a metronome for Hirad’s heartbeat. Behind them, Ilkar slapped at Denser’s horse and it trotted away with the others. The elf took up station to Denser’s rear, his sword ready, as the first of a dozen Destranas tore into the waiting quartet and the Wesmen, four of them, galloped up.

Fangs bared and flecked with foam, a huge dog leapt at Hirad’s head. Surprised by the distance and speed of the jump, the barbarian swayed reflexively aside and put his sword arm across his face. The animal caught the side of his head and both tumbled to the ground.

The Unknown, his blade before him, took a squat stance and waited as a black Destrana, tongue lolling, sped towards him. As it closed, he shifted his weight forwards and, anticipating a jump, flicked his sword upwards and took the animal under the jaw, skewering its brain. He moved aside and dragged his weapon clear, the dead weight dropping to the floor.

Hirad had been lucky and had fallen on top of the dog. Reacting instantly, he clamped a hand on the dog’s throat as it struggled to get its paws underneath itself. He dropped his sword, snatched a dagger from his belt and plunged it again and again into the exposed chest, blood jetting on to his armour. The next beast slammed straight into his back.

Talan and Richmond moved together as three animals slowed and paced towards their prey. Neither side seemed sure how to attack or defend, and in the ensuing pause, Denser’s spell came to awesome fruition.

The Dark Mage brought his arms together and crossed them, fists clenched and held at either shoulder. He opened his eyes wide, saw six dogs waiting and circling, pointed the index finger of his left hand in their direction and said one quiet word.

‘HellFire.’

Ilkar swore and flung himself to the ground.

Columns of fire screamed down from the sky, six of them, each striking a Destrana square on the top of the skull. Howls of animal terror and pain split the air as the beasts were transformed to flame, dying even as they stumbled and tripped. The three dogs circling Talan and Richmond turned and fled, but one ignored the mayhem behind it and grabbed Hirad’s back, bowling him over in the dirt.

The barbarian’s knife sprang from his hand. He was defenceless. He rolled over on to his back, shouting as the wound low down on his spine ground into the earth. The dog leapt forwards, lashing a claw across his chest, splitting the leather and drawing blood. Hirad scrabbled backwards but there was no escape. The Destrana loomed over him, saliva dripping in his face.

Grabbing a handful of dirt, Hirad flung it into the dog’s eyes. Distracted for a moment, the animal shook its head to clear its vision and The Unknown split its neck with a downward strike, the blade exiting the body and plunging into the ground scant inches from Hirad.

Silence. The wind blew up dust and bent the sparse weed. In front of Ilkar, Denser slumped to his knees, breathing hard as sweat poured down his face and his limbs shook. Talan and Richmond ran over to where Hirad still lay on the ground. The Unknown cleaned his sword before walking over to retrieve the barbarian’s weapons.