Soul Reaver staggers in a bloody haze, many bones shattered and broken. He bleeds from numerous wounds. His opponent lies dead, carved apart by Blooddrinker, which lies on the ground several metres away.

Soul Reaver feels a sudden chilling splash, as if he were envelped by water... and somewhat further away, he sees Asaki pitch over, and fall into an icy lake.

A sudden surge of energy burns through him as his power returns, The Calling having run its course. However, it will take time for his body to heal fully, and the souls within him are resting more quietly now... no longer roused to battle, they glimmer like hot coals, waiting for the wind that will stir them into life again.

"Asaki..."

Soul Reaver, his body still badly hurt, though once again benefiting from his regenerative powers, painfully begins to drag himself over to the waters of the lake.

And then he hears the sound of massive chains rattling. He turns his head to see the temple doors open, and a mass of armoured figures pour from the opening. Their inhumanly precise movements betray their true nature... they are Thousand Sons.

In moments, several have surrounded the wounded warrior, lowering their bolter guns to point at his head.

Soul Reaver sees Blooddrinker nearby... he need only reach for it, and it would return...

But no. If he were to arm himself now, they would realise that he is still ready to fight. Better to take them by surprise.

Soul Reaver waits, as his bones knit together, his flesh regrows within his wounds. His injuries are still heavy, but they also lull the Thousand Sons into a false sense of security. What danger is a badly wounded fighter to them?

Then, faster than even their inhuman bodies can react, Soul Reaver has leapt several metres into the air, a trail of dust following him. They aim their guns upward, firing at the warrior... but he has already cast a protective spell. The bullets strike a sphere of pure white that ripples with every impact... the bolter shells ricocheting off madly in every direction.

Soul Reaver grunts as he lands on his fractured legs in the middle of a mass of Thousand Sons marines. A backhand swing with his guantleted hand smashes into the helmet of the nearest marine, throwing him backwards into several of his brethren. His steel-shod boot slams into the midriff of another marine, doubling him over. A two-handed downswing sends him sprawling into the dust.

Soul Reaver does not pause to give his opponents the advantage of numbers. Instead, breathes the words for another spell. He gestures his hand upwards, and a massive explosion of fire roars from Soul Reaver's hand. Somehow, the explosion is focused into a narrow channel, not much wider than a man. The ground trembles with its passing.

The Thousand Sons near the edge of the blast are hurled aside with awesome force, crashing headlong into the serried ranks of their brethren. Some of the more unfortunate marines are caught in the middle of the flames, their flailing bodies soon enveloped by the raging inferno.

The flames clear, leaving a clear opening through the ranks of the Thousand Sons. Smoking, melted piles of metal mark the final resting places of some of their number.

Soul Reaver runs down the short stretch of blackened ground, towards the lake. The Thousand Sons react by firing spells and weapons of their own... but Soul Reaver dodges and weaves, his magical barrier deflecting those attacks his tortured body cannot avoid.

Asaki floats near the edge of the lake, and Soul Reaver leaps into the icy water near her. Bolter shells splash into the water all around him.

Soul Reaver hefts Asaki beneath his right arm, and shoots upwards from the water. In mid-air, still flying away from the marines, he turns around, and gestures towards the ground below.

Blooddrinker leaps into the air and returns to its master.

"A parting gift from Soul Reaver, chaos-spawn!"

Soul Reaver hurls Blooddrinker back down at the massed horde of Thousand Sons. It spins like a red, vertical disk, curving upwards in an unnatural fashion.

The sword flies straight through the Thousand Sons, flying in a straight line, just above the ground. It eventually emerges from the back of the horde again, curving upwards, and flies back into Soul Reaver's waiting hands.

Then, a straight line of Thousand Sons marines literally explode, having been cut in half by the sword's passage.

Soul Reaver flies to the other side of the lake, eventually landing heavily on the far bank. His tired body objects to its constant abuse, and his use of magic in making his escape is beginning to take its toll. Without the burning power of the souls within him, he needs some rest.

He carfully puts down Asaki, and chants a healing spell. A soft blue glow suffuses his hand, held slightly above Asaki's chest.

"Wake up..."