Bragi was irresistibly reminded of two dogs he’d seen the other day in Bartonburg, their ears tall and tails high, eyes fixed on each other, growling so deeply that they couldn’t even be heard. Their owners had barely managed to drag them away from each other. But there were no owners here, just two free men — growling so deeply that they couldn’t even be heard.

Well, three free men, but Bragi had never felt so much like a spare part in his life.

He took another subtle step back, but this time from the strangers, not the thing. And upon doing so he inadvertently moved a little too close to it. It began to glow, humming with something like electrical energy, and then from its base crawled four horrifying spider-like legs. It lifted itself up on them. Bragi backed away quickly, quickly, quickly as the thing clacked towards him, shaking but mobile on its spindly legs, and with his heart in his throat he drew his wand — but the only incantation that came to mind was help.