Shadows of Commorragh, Part 7

Yrule's Gambit

Yrule scanned the ruins, looking for signs of his quarry. For a fleeting moment, his eyes lingered on Khaine's statue.
He found it entertaining that the creature he was hunting had chosen such a place to hide. Not that it made any difference to him, but he was sure that a heathen such as Daisan Verkhosian would have taken an issue with that. After all, Daisan's pet ur-ghul was carrying a tiny spec of the Drachon's skin, safely esconced inside it by the dark craft of the Haemonculi.
All of this, Yrule had been told by Daisan's gyrinx. If he could get hold of the only thing granting eternal life to Daisan, the Void Phoenixes' place in Commorragh would have been secured, and with quite good 'patronage' to boost.
A sudden movement in the shadows dragged Yrule away from his musings. He drew his sword and prepared for the final leg of the hunt.

The ur-ghuls lurked at the edges of the temple, blind faces turning around, nostrils rythmically flaring.

Yrule flew on the platform overlooking Khaine's statue, not even attempting to hide himself. He knew Daisan's pet must have learned a trick or two in its service to the Drukhari and would not come out of hiding until forced to.

As he had expected, one of his quarry's pack mates rushed snarling to the feet of the platform.

Yrule landed gracefully on the sacrificial platform in front of Khaine's statue. Two more troglodytes came at him, one racking his armour with its filthy claws.

The Thanarch pushed the creature aside and swooped forward. He skirted too close around the crumbled statuary outside the temple, slashing his thigh on the ragged stone.

But the wound turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Lured by the scent of blood, the beast he was looking for charged at Yrule.

The creature ignored Yrule's cuts, its bloodlust making it insensible to pain. Yet, it could not land a single telling blow. Its pack, meanwhile, approached.

They fell on Yrule at once, as frenzied as their leader. The Thanarch dodged and parried, until he found an opening. His wings damaged and armour torn, he launged for the pack leader.

Yrule's blade cut deep through the ur-ghul's side. The beast screamed wildly as its black blood gushed out. It bowled over Yrule and rushed for the darkness at the far side of the temple, its pack following close behind.
Yrule made to pursue them, but his wounded leg collapsed under his weight.
His wings useless, he cursed through gritted teeth as the ur-ghuls vanished in a crack leading to the darkness underneath Low Commorragh.