As Drayvin the Bucelarii, he had fought to protect his family. As the Hunter, the assassin, he had carried the knowledge that he alone could kill the Abiarazi and prevent them from threatening the world. As Hardwell, he bore the burden of protecting Hailen against any threat.
So who was he now? Which version of himself would he be now? None of them, yet all of them, perhaps.
He had a family—the wife and child he’d just discovered, and the boy he’d cared for all these months. The threat of the Abiarazi wasn’t truly ended, and there would always be more like Hailen that needed his protection.
The name he chose didn’t matter. He could be the Hunter, Hardwell, Drayvin, Nasnaz the Great, or any of the myriad of other names and faces he wore over his long life. The only things that mattered were who he chose to be on the inside, and what he chose to do.
Each of the men he’d been had carried burdens. So be it. He would bear all those burdens if it meant a better future. Not just for Hailen, or even for the humans in Enarium, but all of Einan.
That alone made the suffering worth it.
Epilogue
Two months later…
“Sir Danna Esgrimon, Knight of the Order of Piety,” Kiara read aloud. “Faithful Servant. Steadfast Champion. Safe in the Long Keeper’s arms.”
The Hunter nodded. “A nice inscription. Worthy of her.”
He and Kiara stood side by side at the marked tombstone at the head of Sir Danna’s grave in Gleamwater, the village of her birth. It didn’t matter that the grave contained only the knight’s armor—her body lay at rest in a cairn high in the Empty Mountains, standing guard at the gates of Enarium forever more. Her spirit, troubled these last months by her rage at the Hunter, was at peace.
And that’s as good as any of us could hope for.
He glanced at the dark-haired woman beside him. “You sure this is what she wanted? The House of Need in Malandria—”
“Was her home, but she wanted to be laid beside her family, here.”
On Kiara’s instructions, the Hunter had dug Sir Danna’s grave in the shade of an apple tree that grew beside the Eanver River, near the small farm once owned by her father. A thick carpet of grass ran alongside the fast-flowing river, a gentle green that contrasted sharply with the deep blue of the water.
“She saved me.” Tears slipped down Kiara’s cheeks as she crouched beside the headstone and closed her eyes. “I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for her.”
“In a way,” the Hunter said in a quiet voice, “neither would I.” He drew in a deep breath. “When we first met, she told me she saw goodness in me, no matter what I believed to the contrary. I suppose a part of me always wanted to prove those words right.”
“You did.” Kiara stood and turned to him, fixing him with a piercing stare. “What you did in Enarium, saving all those people, saving all of us…” She shook her head. “Don’t let anyone tell you that you’re not good, Hunter. It may take a lot of hard looking to find it, but buried down, deep down, it’s there.”
The Hunter raised an eyebrow, and she gave a wry chuckle. They stood in silence for a long moment, bidding farewell to the fallen Cambionari knight. Finally, they turned and strode away from the bank of the Eanver River, back toward their cart.
Evren looked up at their approach. “About bloody time! Hailen’s been goin’ on for the last ten minutes about how hungry he is. If I have to listen to one more minute of—”
“We’ll get something to eat at the inn, then we’ll get back on the road before noon.” The Hunter glanced at Kiara. “Malandria’s half a day’s ride away.”
Hailen’s eyes brightened. “Yes, I want to eat!” A smile broadened his face and he clapped his little hands. “Hardwell, can I have some of that watered wine, like Evren gave me back in Nysl?”
The Hunter glared at Evren, and the thief threw up his hands in an innocent gesture. The scowl he shot at Hailen proclaimed his guilt loudly.
“We’ll see,” the Hunter said. “Maybe I’ll give you Evren’s share and he can have plain water.”
“Now that’s not fair!” Evren’s voice turned plaintive—a reminder of just how young he truly was. “He asked what it tasted like, and I gave him a sip. It’s not my fault he scarpered the whole cup and emptied it when I turned my back.”
“A few days of drinking nothing but water will teach you to keep a closer eye on him.” The Hunter cocked an eyebrow. “Or, at the very least, your wine.”
Evren rolled his eyes and muttered something the Hunter chose not to hear.
The Hunter reached into his cloak and drew out a pair of silver drakes. “Evren, why don’t you run ahead with Hailen to the inn and order us a meal?”
A mischievous glint sparkled in the thief’s eyes as he took the coins. The Hunter had no doubt the youth would order and empty his cup of wine before they arrived.
“Come on, Hailen.” Evren turned to the younger boy with a smile. “Race you there!”
Evren tore off up the street, Hailen following along as fast as his chubby legs could carry him.
The Hunter smiled as he watched them go. The addition of Evren to their little party had done wonders for Hailen, and had helped the young thief as well. He’d taken Hailen under his wing, almost like an older brother, yet Hailen’s simple innocence had helped to bring down the defensive walls Evren had erected. He would never truly be free of the things that had been done to him, but perhaps he could find a way to move forward. Hailen just had that sort of effect on people.
“I know you don’t want to talk about it,” Kiara said in a quiet voice, “but we’ve avoided the topic of Hailen long enough.”
The Hunter sighed. “There hasn’t been one night since leaving Enarium where I didn’t question what the right choice was.” He turned to face her. “When I first brought the boy with me, I told myself it was for his own sake. I couldn’t leave him in the Beggar’s temple, not after what I did to Moradiss and all the others. Then, I convinced myself he could help me hunting demons. After the Advanat, it was all about finding answers and curing the Irrsinnon.”
“You’ve watched him like a hawk.” Kiara raised an eyebrow. “Has there been any hint of the madness at all?”
The Hunter shook his head. “Rothia was as good as her word. That opia draught worked its magick, and he’s been fine ever since. Which makes the decision so much more difficult. I want to do what’s right for the boy, but I don’t know what that is.”
“The life we’ve chosen isn’t fit for a child, especially not one like Hailen.” Kiara leaned against the wagon and folded her arms beneath her breasts. “You swore your oath to Kharna to hunt down the Abiarazi and drag them back to Enarium to sustain him against the Devourer. That has to be your priority—Keeper’s teeth, the future of the whole bloody world hangs in the balance.”
“I know. And there’s no way I can drag Hailen around Einan as I do what needs to be done. I can’t let him grow up watching me kill people, even in the name of saving the world.” The Hunter let out a long breath. “Yet I can’t imagine my life without him in it. It’s only been a few months...”
Kiara shot him a smile. “But the adorable little bastard’s grown on you, hasn’t he? Watcher help me, I can’t imagine life without him either.” She shook her head, her expression disbelieving. “These last weeks on the road have been some of the happiest in my life. Can you believe that? Everything I’ve lived, and traveling with a half-demon assassin, a former Lectern apprentice turned thief, and a kid who doesn’t know how to stop talking has almost made me forget the shit I’ve seen and done.”
“He’s got that way about him.” The Hunter turned to the northeast, toward where he knew Malandria waited. “So what is the right thing to do here? Turn him over to the Beggar Priests, to a life where he’ll be safe and protected? How could I not do that, knowing where my path leads? Yet how could I live without him?”
Kiara sighed and slipped her hand into his. “I wish I could give you an answer, truly. But this is
one decision you have to make on your own.” She stared up into his eyes, and there was no revulsion or disgust as she saw his midnight eyes—the eyes that marked him the offspring of demons, perhaps even tainted by the Destroyer. “Whatever you decide, I stand with you.”
“Are you sure?” He turned toward her, and his brow furrowed. “When I told you of the oath I swore to Kharna, I didn’t mean for it to consume your life as well as mine.” He spoke the words with effort. “You don’t have to help me. You’ve still got a chance for a normal life.”
“Normal?” Kiara’s eyebrows shot up, and she gave a bitter laugh. “My life was never anything close to normal. Normal doesn’t lead to your becoming a Finger of the Bloody Hand. Normal doesn’t send you across the world to chase down a demon.” She shrugged. “But normal be damned. Sir Danna helped me find my purpose: hunting demons. Even if that means I have to put up with you and your brooding, I’ll join you in fulfilling that purpose.”
The Hunter scowled. “I don’t brood!”
Kiara rolled her eyes. “Hunter, you are the champion brooder. No one, and I mean no one, can match that look you get on your face when you’re thinking deep thoughts.” She laughed and pointed. “Yes, that’s the face! Like those storm clouds we ran into crossing the Whispering Waste, but way, way more serious.”
The Hunter’s frown deepened to a scowl.
Kiara laughed, a high-pitched sound that echoed with genuine happiness. Then her expression grew serious. “You can’t do this alone, Hunter. You can’t save the world by yourself. You’re going to need help. Hells, I’m a bloody bad-ass and even I’m not enough to help you do what needs to be done. We’re going to need an army.”
The Hunter nodded. “I know.”
He had an idea where to find one, too. The Elivasti in Enarium had been all but wiped out, but at least a few hundred had to have survived on Kara-ket. Perhaps he could convince them to join him—after all, they had made the same vow to their ancestors the Serenii as the Bucelarii had. With the Masters of Agony wiped out and the Abiarazi no longer in control, the violet-eyed Elivasti had the chance to choose what their futures held.
But what is an army without weapons? Once again, he turned back to face Malandria; Malandria, where the Cambionari vaults beneath the House of Need held dozens, perhaps even hundreds of the Im’tasi weapons they’d taken from slain or captured Bucelarii. With Soulhunger and the Sage’s sword, he had two—three, counting the sword he’d taken from the First of the Bloody Hand and hidden atop the Palace of Justice. With all those weapons, we can sustain Kharna in his struggle against the Devourer of Worlds.
People would die. On Einan, people always died. Men, women, even children, lost to war, famine, pestilence, violence, greed, and hatred. How many of them deserved better, deserved to live?
Yet how many of them had earned their reward? Criminals, murderers, rapists, even assassins like him. Noblemen who used their wealth and influence to exploit the innocent and less-fortunate? Kings that sent their soldiers off to wage a war of spite or for profit. Soldiers that pillaged, looted, raped, and despoiled everything in their paths?
Yes, Einan was filled with people that deserved death. The Hunter—and those like Kiara and Evren who joined him—wouldn’t hesitate to kill them. Killing them would erase their stain upon the world, and in the process, save all the others from the Devourer.
The Hunter had gone hunting his past, and in doing so had found his future. A future filled with blood and slaughter, to be certain, yet one with more peace than he’d known during his years in Voramis. The voices in his head had fallen silent. He no longer needed the subconscious imperative to drive him to fulfill his mission. Though he had not yet grown accustomed to the quiet echoing in his mind, he welcomed it. This was what he had longed for all his life, even if he hadn’t known it.
Yet even with the voices gone, he wasn’t alone. He had Kiara and Evren, who had decided to join him in his mission to eradicate the Abiarazi and feed Kharna. Perhaps one day he would have others to aid him as well.
His eyes fixed to the north, and his mind traveled beyond Malandria, across the arid Advanat Desert, over the Empty Mountains, to where he knew Taiana lay in the highest room in the Illumina. Her presence had followed him through the five thousand years he’d roamed Einan, had brought them together in Enarium in time to save the world. Five centuries was a long time, but he would make use of that time. When the Er’hato Tashat came again, he would ensure Kharna had enough power to seal the rift against the Devourer once and for all.
Somehow. He had five hundred years to figure it out. That was time enough to find a way to put an end to the threat—it had to be—and to find his daughter.
He glanced down at his left wrist. Beneath his bracer, he wore the little blue cloth Taiana had used to swaddle their daughter a lifetime ago. It bore Jaia’s scent: raspberries, fresh rain, violets, and wild grass. Just as the knights of legend carried tokens to remind them of their loved ones, he would carry that as a reminder that she was out there. With Soulhunger’s help, he could use it to track her down.
What would he say when he found her? The thought of that encounter left him nervous, but he would face it as he had everything else in his life. Head on, charging straight forward, letting nothing deter him. Even if he had to cross the Frozen Sea or swim down to the sunken continent of Aegeos, he would find her.
His daughter.
“Come,” he said, gripping Kiara’s hand tighter. “Let’s get to the inn before Evren drinks his way through those coins.”
“Or, Keeper forbid, Hailen does.”
The sound of her laughter warmed the Hunter’s heart. He still didn’t know how he felt about Kiara. He couldn’t deny his attraction—on a physical, intellectual, even an emotional level—which had begun when he met her long ago in The Iron Arms in Voramis. He would carry his love for Taiana until he saw his wife’s face again, but his feelings would far outlive Kiara’s short human lifespan. Perhaps, as he’d made space in his heart for Farida, Bardin, Master Eldor, Hailen, and all the others, he had room for her as well. One more part of his future that remained shrouded in uncertainty, yet he had time enough to explore it.
A long life had its gifts as well as its burdens, I suppose.
As he walked beside Kiara, he found his free hand absentmindedly fingering the scars on his flesh. He still didn’t fully understand why some of his scars disappeared and some remained—perhaps it had something to do with his body repairing the scars when he shifted his form, yet the deaths of the Abiarazi and Bucelarii imprinted on his mind remained marked on his flesh. Either way, he found he no longer dreaded the scars.
They served as a reminder of the responsibility he'd accepted. Every new mark proved that he’d helped to avert the end of the world.
For the first time in his memory, the Hunter had a true purpose. Not just survival or existence, but something to live for. His story was far from ending; the future held something to fight for, something to hope for.
It was the best sort of future a man like him—half-demon, half-human, outcast and killer—could ever want.
Afterword from the Author:
When I set about writing the Hero of Darkness series, I knew I wanted the Hunter’s main story arc—from the discovery of demons in Voramis to the revelations of the gods and Serenii and the real threat to Einan—to be concluded in six epic books.
I could not be happier with how the story ended.
It felt right for the Hunter to walk away from his experiences changed, yet very much the same person in all certain ways. He is still the same driven, determined, often ruthless man who will not hesitate to kill those he believed deserves it. Yet, by opening his heart to Farida, Bardin, Hailen, Kiara, Evren, and all the others along his journey, he is a better man for it.
So, when I typed “The End” on Darkblade Savior, I knew his story wasn’t truly finished.
He learned the gods don’t exist, but that they’re really Serenii. How will that discover
y shape not only his worldview, but that of the rest of Einan?
He learned that there is an evil force of chaos seeking to destroy the world. How can he stop it without sacrificing a million innocent people?
He discovered that he swore an oath to Kharna to help stop the Devourer of Worlds. How will he fulfill that oath?
He found his wife, only to lose her again. How will that affect him moving forward—both in his relationship with the humans around him and his actions to be ready when she is freed from the Chamber of Sustenance in 500 years?
I could end the story on the hopeful note—he’s determined to save the world, and he’s not doing it alone—but I don’t feel ready to say goodbye to the character and his unique mission.
So I won’t…
The Hunter’s journey WILL continue!
Darkblade Justice (Hero of Darkness Book 7) continues the Hunter’s adventure and finally delivers a proper crossover with Ilanna from the Queen of Thieves series.
It sets in motions the events that lead into Heirs of Destiny, a series that follows Evren, Hailen, and other characters both new and introduced in the Queen of Thieves stories. After all, such strong young men deserve a tale of their own, don’t they?
Darkblade Justice will also show a bit of what has happened after the events of Darkblade Savior and the end of this journey from Voramis to Enarium. From Darkblade Justice, begins a new phase in the Hunter’s life and mission to save the world.
Darkblade Justice
(Hero of Darkness Book 7)
A tide of slain children. A hunt for a faceless killer. A clash of shadows and steel.
The Hunter of Voramis stalks a demon wearing human form. The discovery of a child slaughtered in a bloody ritual sets him on a path to hunt down the killers—and a collision course with the criminals that rule the Praamian underworld: the Night Guild.
Darkblade Savior Page 38