Suddenly, an arm crawled up from the crevice, then, a second arm – longer, leaner, crowned with talon-like fingers – slithered out of the chasm. It was followed by a head.
Or something like it.
Bone-white and eyeless, it rose slowly from the darkness, its face split in an eternal grin, its flesh brittle and thin like wax stretched over a skull. The thing moved with jerks and cracks, like every step threatened to snap its own spine. Behind it, more shapes moved.
They were not alone.
The warriors who still stood unsheathed their weapons. One fired a bolt from a crossbow. It struck the creature's shoulder with a thud but did nothing more than make it turn, grinning wider. Another warrior swung his blade, but he was too slow.
The creature pounced.
Snow exploded. Blood sprayed the white canvas.
The tall figure moved at last.
