He opened his mouth to scream. He looked up into the pink eyes of death. He felt the breath of the monster on him. It smelled of blood and fresh meat.


“Don’t be foolish, young man,” Fritz von Halstadt said. As he spoke, he put his hand on the hilt of his longsword. He was confident. He was a formidable swordsman and his opponent had only a short stabbing blade. “One shout and I’ll have six Knights of the White Wolf in here. They’ll hand me your head.”

“Perhaps they’ll be interested in the fact that you consort with skaven and keep a ledger of your dealings with them.”

Felix’s words chilled von Halstadt to the bone. He didn’t know whether the grey seer was in the house already or about to arrive He couldn’t risk summoning the knights if that was the case. They were reassuringly anti-mutant but their zeal also extended to dealing with the likes of the skaven.

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, boy!” the magistrate spat. His blade rung as he pulled it from the scabbard.

“I’m afraid I do. You see I saw you in the sewers the other day. I saw you with my own eyes. I nearly didn’t believe them when I saw you again in the Golden Hammer.”

The young man seemed certain. There would be no reasoning with him, he would have to die. Von Halstadt let his blade point to the floor as he moved closer. He let his shoulders slump in defeat.

“How did you know?”

“I’m a sewerjack.”

“You can’t be. Sewerjacks don’t eat at the Golden Hammer. Not in the company of Otto Jaeg…” As he spoke the words, realisation dawned on von Halstadt. Felix Jaeger, Otto Jaeger. The family black sheep. He knew that had been worth looking into.

“What do you want, boy? Money? Preferment? I can arrange for either but it will take time.” He edged ever closer. The young man had relaxed a little, seeing how cowed he had become. Soon it would be time to strike.

“No, I think I want your head.”

Even as Felix spoke, von Halstadt struck, serpent-swift. To his surprise the young man parried his blow. Steel sparked where the blades met. Felix lashed out with his foot catching von Halstadt on the shin. Pain flared in his leg. He only just managed to leap back out of the way as the younger man thrust.