Far Horizons: Tales of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror. Issue #14 May 2015 | страница 67

axe-wielding bandit called forth.

Davaldion’s blades clashed with the glaive and for
the first time Davaldion found himself being forced to
retreat.

“Then please come and punish me,” he retorted.
The bandit was cowed by the challenge and Davaldion
laughed.
“What is the meaning of this, Davaldion?” a deep
voice cried out as the large muscular figure of Ragnor came into view, his large glaive held firmly in his
hand.
“What can I say, I had a change of heart and decided
to work for the other side,” came Davaldion’s flippant
response.

Leaving him the opportunity he needed to finish his
foe, Davldrion moved to finish the fallen Ragnor.
But as he did so the very shadows seemed to rise up
against him, and Davaldion knew that his time was
over, for the darkness looks after its own and Davaldion had turned his back on his previous master.

Ragnor’s tone grew deadly. “You will die slowly for
what you have done.”
“Will that be from the conversation or do you have
something more interesting planned?”

“You backed the wrong side, Davaldion,” Ragnor
gloated from the floor as tendrils of darkness burst
from the shadows, impaling Davaldion and lifting him
from the ground.

“Enough! Kill him!” Ragnor roared.
But enough was the reputation of Davaldion that none
dared step forward to meet his blades.

Blood flew from his mouth as he felt the all familiar
cold of the dark entering his body, but Davaldion had
one last act of defiance. With the last of his strength
he threw his sword at the gloating Ragnor where it
impaled him through the mouth.

“You cowards.” Ragnor brought his glaive to bear on
the nearest bandit, rending him in two. “Kill him.”
“To the death,” Davaldion told himself as the bandits
and mercenaries charged.

His defiance, however, cost him dearly, and he found
himself crashing to the ground as the tendrils moved
around his limbs and pulled his body tight.

Again the twin blades of Davaldion swung free and
the first five of his assailants fell immediately and,
though they were quickly replaced, the following
fighters were not so sure of their numbers. A sixth fell
quickly followed by a seventh and an eighth. Throats
were cut, limbs were severed, bodies were impaled
and still he carried on.

“You were wrong to side with the light, Davaldion,”
the disembodied voice called, “the followers of light
will only find death within this world.”

“I am death incarnate!” Davaldion roared as his blades
swung round, beheading another target, “is there no
one among you up to the task of ending me?”
Ragnor suddenly leapt into the fray, his glaive spinning in a cruel arc cutting down one of his own men.

But Davaldion was not so easily defeated. He quickly
changed his footing and after weaving past Ragnor’s
next blow he moved to his side, striking a quick glancing blow against the giant man’s shoulder, who quickly reversed a sweeping blow behind him. But Davaldion was already moving to attack his intended target
and his blades quickly cut through Ragnor’s tendons
causing him to fall to his knees.

“On the contrary,” Davaldion grimaced, “I will be
waiting at the gates for what’s left of you once she’s
finished with you and then we will see what’s waiting
for us beyond this world.”
“We shall see,” and with that the tendrils of darkness
tore the body of Davaldion apart.

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