Far Horizons: Tales of Sci-Fi, Fantasy and Horror. Issue #14 May 2015 | Page 8

Brother,” the voice hissed again. “I want it back.”

I threw my will at Glaucon and the force of it blew
him back through the door of the tower.

He was getting closer. I stepped out of the guard room
and on to the battlement. It had gotten quite dark and
the glow of torches from the court yard below threw
weird shadows everywhere. I looked up at the sky.
Millions of stars burned white hot in the black vault. A
dark silhouette hurled downward toward where I now
stood.

“Come Glaucon, we are leaving,” I informed him. “I
am taking you back with me.”
A tongue of green fire struck the battlement in front of
me throwing debris and dust into the air and knocking
me off of my feet. I pushed myself erect and turned
back towards the direction of the blast. Glaucon stood
on the other side of a rather sizable crevasse.

Glaucon! His impact on the battlement sent a shock
wave in all directions. My hair and cloak blew back in
its wake. My brother rose from a low crouch to stand
with his legs wide. His form was concealed in a voluminous black cloak. Two green points of light glowed
angrily from the depths of his hood.

“You can’t win Glaucon,” I told him. “Not without
destroying half of the castle as you did previously.”
I pointed across the water to the ruins on the far side.
It remained a lingering monument to Glaucon’s maliciousness.

“Greetings, Brother,” he said in a voice that was half
bored and half annoyed.

“That was never my intention,” he said. “I came for
the girl only. But no matter I have become bored with
our little contest. I shall retire for now.”

“Hello,” I answered flatly. “Must you always do that?”

I sensed exhaustion in his voice. In a single move
Glaucon sprang upon the parapet and then looked back
over his shoulder.

“I have no time for idle conversation Maven,” he returned. “Let me have the girl and I will depart.”
“I’m sorry,” I feigned ignorance. “To which girl are
you referring? I believe there are a number of them
here in the castle.”

“Perhaps we can resume this at another time,” he
whispered.

At that very moment, the blade of a pike pole protruded from a spot just below Glaucon’s breast bone.
Apparently, the girl had bested the guard.

I barely caught what he said. His last burst of energy
had drained him. I had one final chance left to stop
him. I caught him in my will before he could escape.

“Here I am, spawn of Hell!” she announced. “Now
die.”

“Fool,” he growled. “How long will you pursue this
pointless quest?”

Glaucon simple broke the blade off of the shaft and
dropped it casually at his feet. He then spun and
launched the girl, spear shaft and all into the court
yard below. She screamed as she fell then went silent.
I looked down and discovered the girl lying in a hay
wagon.

“We’re leaving this place Glaucon,” I said in a deadly
tone.
I gathered my will and launched myself from the
battlement. I hit him in the small of the back with
my shoulder and wrapped my arms about his waist.
The force of my last desperate act propelled us out of
the physical realm and into the maelstrom. I and my
brother were headed home.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t kill her. She is… useful to me,”
he sneered.

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