The outlaw leader couldn’t take any more and he shouted, “Get him and hold him for me but don’t kill him. I will kill him myself and it will be a slow and painful death for him. Get Him!”
The outlaws dispersed and split into two groups each one circling around the pond and racing towards the man in black who just stood there watching them come with a smile on his face.
As the riders circled around the pond Nightfall watched them and raised both of his hands into the air with his arms outstretched and held outwards about chest high. He had his palms facing the riders on both sides of the pond as they neared. His left palm was towards the riders coming around the pond on his left side. His right palm was facing the outlaws circling the pond and coming towards him on his right side.
The outlaw leader watched his men slowly riding around the pond and he couldn’t help but notice that the man dressed in all black was still smiling and not showing any signs of fear at all. He was still smiling and he had raised his hands up and they were glowing!
As the riders came near Nightfall said two words that made his throat tingle as he said them and a bright red flame shot out from both of his palms and engulfed the outlaw riders in icy cold searing flames of burning death. He then moved his hands slowly together to catch all of the riders that were still circling around the pond. Within just a few seconds all forty five outlaws were dead. They were blasted off of their mounts and fell into the high dark green grass engulfed in red cold flames of death.
The outlaw leader saw all of his men destroyed in seconds by a magical flame shot from the stranger’s hands. He was afraid of no man alive but magic was another thing. He spit towards the man and black and turned his horse and spurred it forwards. He had to get away!
Nightfall laughed and pointed a hand at the fleeing outlaw. He had expected the outlaw to turn and try and get away. Nightfall said a single word of power and the horse stopped in mid stride and stood frozen in the tall green grass. Nightfall laughed and walked across the top of pond. He was walking across an invisible magical bridge but it looked like he was really walking across the calm water.
The outlaw screamed in fear and in frustration trying to get the horse to move. It wouldn’t budge and then he looked and saw the man dressed in all black laugh and then he started to walk across the water.
The outlaw screamed in fear and then he jumped off of his horse and started to run away as fast as his legs would carry him. He only got a couple of yards away when he became cold and then his legs and body froze and he couldn’t move. He couldn’t even turn his head and watch Nightfall cross the pond and walk in his direction.
Nightfall crossed the pond and laughed. It felt so good to be able to use his power again. He looked and saw his horse still frozen in place. He walked towards it and when he stood right next to it he took hold of the reins and said a word releasing the poor horse from the spell. The horse bucked out of fear and tried to get away but Nightfall with his supernatural strength held it secured as he spoke softly to it calming it down. It didn’t take but a few minutes and then the horse was calm and knew its new master.
Nightfall spoke reassuringly and softly to his new horse and then he looked at the outlaw. The man couldn’t move until Nightfall would let him move.
Nightfall dropped the reins and said, “Stay!” to the horse. Then seeing the horse obey he walked towards the outlaw.
Nightfall walked to where the outlaw was standing. He looked at the man and said a word freeing the man from the spell that had frozen him in place.
Once free from the spell the man completed the step that he was about to take when the magic had hit him. He tripped and fell flat on his face. He rolled over and looked up to see the man in all black standing by his side and looking down at him with an evil grin on his face.
Nightfall said, “Stay still. If you make one move to try and get way or if you reach for one of your weapons I will kill you just like I killed all of your men. Do you understand?”
The outlaw nodded and didn’t move.
Nightfall said, “Now get up and tell me where I am and which way is it to Tharn? Do not try anything or you will pay for it in a very painful way. Do you understand?”
The outlaw nodded and said, “I understand.”
“Get up!” Nightfall said.
The outlaw slowly got back up to his feet. He was shaking in fear. He looked at Nightfall and knew that it would be a miracle if he lived much longer.
Nightfall said, “What way is it to Tharn and about how long would it take to get there?”
The outlaw turned slightly and pointed. He said, “It will take you about six day’s ride to get there.”
Nightfall looked to where the man was pointing. He knew roughly where he was now. To the north and a little to the west lay Tharn. That meant that Pritant was way to the south and the west about seven day’s ride away. He knew exactly where he was now.
Nightfall smiled and looked at the outlaw and said, “Did you enjoy watching your men all burn up in magical flames?”
The outlaw had tears in his eyes as he answered, “No.”
Nightfall asked, “Do you want to live?”
The outlaw nodded his head and said, “Aye I want to live. Please show me mercy and let me go. I am sorry for how I talked to you. Please show me mercy, please.”
Nightfall asked, “I see that you have a sword and at least one dagger. Are you fluent in their use?”
The outlaw nodded and said, “I am reasonably good with the sword and maybe even a little better with the dagger.”
Nightfall said, “I will show you mercy against my better judgment. I will give you a chance to fight for your life and I won’t use any magic. If you disarm me or somehow kill me then you are free to go. You know what happens if you lose.”
The outlaw sighed and thought that perhaps he might get lucky somehow and walk away with his life.
Nightfall saw the look of hope in the man’s eyes and he laughed. He was having so much fun. He said, “Attack me whenever you are ready.” He then turned around and looked the other way.
The outlaw watched the man dressed in all black turn away from him and showing him his back in contemp. The outlaw ripped the sword out of its sheath and swung at the man in black’s right shoulder with an overhead chop.
Nightfall moved like lightning, turning and twisting away and reaching out with his star metal sword. It knocked the sword out of the outlaw’s grasp and moved downwards and into his chest in a shower of blood and tiny bits of white bone.
The outlaw looked down at the dark blue blade that had punctured his chest. He watched his life blood squirting out of the wound and watering the tall grass. Then he shut his eyes and fell down in death.
Nightfall laughed in pleasure. He put his booted foot upon the outlaw’s chest and pulled his blade free. He quickly wiped it clean on the dirty shirt of the outlaw and then he put it away.
He shouted in joy at how good it was to be out of the No Land and fully alive again. He looked at his new horse and said, “Now we will go to Tharn. I have unfinished business there.”
Chapter 12
Nightfall looked to the south and saw all forty-five of the outlaw’s horses had finally stopped running away in fright and they had all herded together about three hundred yards away. They looked calm and indecisive not knowing what they should do. They appeared to be waiting for orders.
Nightfall knew that they would be all right and sooner or later they would trot on back to whatever the outlaws called home. Wouldn’t whoever lived there be surprised to see the horses without their riders? Nightfall laughed.
Nightfall then walked over to where his new horse was waiting patiently. Nightfall looked through the bags of supplies that were tied on the back and smiled. Besides food for the horse there were also supplies for him. He took out some of the fresh urth jerky and a small wedge of spicy cheese and ate. The food, although a simple fare tasted delicious to him. It felt good to finally eat again.
Nightfall then drain
ed the water pouch and quenched his thirst. He fed the stallion a mixture of oats and chopped hay and then he led it over to the pond so that it could quench its thirst.
He brushed down the animal after it had drunk its fill. “What are you named my new friend? I think that I will rename you Night in honor of the unicorn that I used to own. I don’t know what ever happened to him but for now you are mine.”
The horse was looking at Nightfall as he talked. He neighed as if in response to what Nightfall was saying.
Nightfall mounted up after he had refilled the water pouch and topped off all of the other ones and then he looked back to where the other horses were. They had left the spot where they had stopped at and now they were heading almost straight south at a steady trot. They were probably going home.
Nightfall spurred Night on and he started his journey towards Tharn. It felt good to ride again. Riding his new horse was similar to riding his unicorn but it was so much slower that it was almost sad. His unicorn could reach a speed so high that it would become just a blur to anyone that was watching. At full speed it could even run across water. He liked his new horse though and it was definitely better and faster than walking.
On the grass lands most people owned horses. The horses come in all sorts of different colors and combinations like bay, brown, black, Dappled, Buckskin, Calico, Chesnutt, and other colors and variations. All normal unicorns are always colored a pure white.
Unicorns are slightly larger and stronger than a horse is and they can run a little faster and for a longer time.
Nightfall’s unicorn wasn’t a normal unicorn. It was a gift from Cobran the High Lord of Darkness and it was a supernatural unicorn that was larger and stronger than a normal unicorn was. It could reach speeds that were beyond belief. It was also colored the deepest black and only one other unicorn was colored the same way. Midnight was Zardgesha’s unicorn. It unlike the other known supernatural large unicorns was colored the deepest black. All of the other magical over sized unicorns were colored the purest white like the smaller normal unicorns were.
The care and grooming of a horse was the same as it was for a unicorn normal or not.
He didn’t force the horse to its greatest speed; he just let it find its own pace that it was comfortable with that it could keep up for hours.
Three days later Nightfall saw a small group of outlaws off to his east. There were only about ten of them. He took a small detour and went and killed them all. He enjoyed their screams of terror and pain as he destroyed them with magical bright red flames of death. Hearing their screams as they died painfully made him laugh. He hated outlaws and vowed that some day he would kill them all.
Two days later he saw another group of outlaws and he did the same thing. Twelve outlaws met their death that afternoon and Nightfall laughed again.
He was still about a day or so away from Tharn from where he had wiped out the small outlaw band. He camped a little way away from the carnage that he had brought upon the helpless band of outlaw scum and set up camp. He decided to let his horse rest for the remainder of the day. Once he took care of his horse he sat down in the grass and ate a small meal of spicy cheese and some cold urth sausage. He washed it all down with warm water.
Nightfall was enjoying his freedom from the No Land. He absolutely loved using his powerful magic again and he loved killing people and hearing their cries of fear and pain. It was like music to his ears. He couldn’t wait to get to Tharn though and enjoy a nice warm meal and a cold glass of his favorite red wine.
Early in the evening the next day Nightfall rode through the open gate and entered Tharn. He rode slowly down the crowded street working his way through the many people out having fun or doing their business.
Quite a few people in the crowd recognized the man dressed in all black and shouted, “Nightfall is back! Nightfall is back!”
Nightfall smiled and rode on. He was headed to Starns Stables to find lodging for his new horse. He had dealt with the stables before and he knew that they were very good at taking care of horses and unicorns. He knew that Night would be safe and secure there.
Nightfall finally arrived at the stables. The stables were immaculately clean and well lit just as he had remembered. The stable hands were busy taking care of the unicorns and horses that they already had in their care. Some were grooming and brushing down the animals. Some were cleaning stalls and others were feeding the equines a mixture of oats, barley, and chopped hay.
Nightfall walked in holding the reins and leading his new horse. A large bull of a man dressed in brown pants and high boots with a leather apron turned and saw Nightfall enter. Rollan had long black greasy hair pulled back and tied into a pony tail. A long shaggy dark beard reached down to his massive chest. He was bare from the waist up revealing a large muscular chest and thick arms all covered with coarse dark hair. His large protruding stomach hung over his brown leather apron. He recognized Nightfall immediately and walked towards him.
Rollan looked at Nightfall as he neared. Nightfall was wearing black tight fitting pants with black leather boots that reached nearly to his knees. He wore a black long sleeved shirt and leather vest that were open to the navel revealing a large muscular chest. The size and musculature of his arms was apparent through the thin shirt. He was armed with sword and a long dagger each in matching black sheaths. He had long black hair hanging loose and wild and piercing dark blue eyes. A thin neatly trimmed mustache neatly above his smiling mouth offset the grin making him look like a very dangerous man.
Rollan saw that Nightfall was dressed as he always was, in all black. Rollan couldn’t help but notice the ragged hole surrounded by a huge stain of dark dried blood. He said, “Are you injured? Do you need help?”
Nightfall smiled and said, “It is an old wound and it is already healed but thank you for your concern. I am here simply to place my new horse into you capable care.”
Rollan looked past Nightfall and at the horse behind him. It was a beautiful black stallion that looked like it was very well cared for. He looked back at Nightfall and said, “It will be a pleasure to take him in. We will take good care of him for you. How long do you think that you will be leaving him in our care?”
Nightfall thought for a minute and then he said, “I am not really sure. It could be a day or two or a year. I don’t really know yet but I want you to watch over him for me when I need you to.”
Rollan nodded and said, “We will do as you say.”
Nightfall then handed the reins to Rollan and gave him a couple of golden quints. He said, “This should more than cover everything and there will be more to come once I go to my place and change and clean up.”
Rollan walked the horse into the back when Nightfall turned around and walked out.
Nightfall thought about going to his lair beneath the palace to clean up and change his shirt and then he decided against it. His lair used to be the home of Manum a powerful mage that is now dead. He really didn’t care how he looked he just wanted to drink some sweet red wine. When walking towards the Red Cup he thought of Forerger and smiled. He knew that he would probably be there. He vowed that this would be Forerger’s last night alive.
As Nightfall was walking towards the Red Cup a lot of people that he passed recognized him and some of the braver ones said hello. The women all smiled at him and couldn’t help but turn and watch him as he walked on.
Nightfall finally arrived at the Red Cup. Without any hesitation he opened the door and walked in. The place was busy just like he remembered it. Loud and boisterous singing and arguments were heard through the drunken laughing and swearing. All of the discord was like music to his ears. He felt like he had just come home.
He looked straight ahead and saw Leena sitting at his table. She was all alone and she didn’t look very happy. She didn’t see him come in. Then he looked towards the bar area and he smiled. Forerger was sitting on a stool by the bar and drinking some cheap ale. He didn’t see Nightfall come in.
Nightf
all thought for a moment and then he walked towards the traitor by the bar. He walked straight towards him pushing people out of the way. People that he pushed at first swore and were about to hit him or worse until they saw who it was and then they ran away as fast as they could. They knew Nightfall and it didn’t pay to antagonize him in any way if they wanted to live.
Forerger never noticed that Nightfall was standing right behind him. He was too busy talking with someone and all of his attention was on that man.
The man that Forerger was talking to happened to notice Nightfall and he immediately got up and left. He knew that Nightfall used to talk to Forerger and he thought that it would be better to find another place to drink.
Forerger turned and watched the man quickly get up and off of his stool and hurry away. He couldn’t figure out what was wrong. The man left right in the middle of what Forerger was saying. Then Forerger saw Nightfall just as he sat down next to him on the now open stool.
Forerger was shocked to see the man dressed in all black still alive. He became very afraid and briefly thought about trying to run away but he knew that there was no place to run where he would be safe. He tried to calm down and look natural; maybe Nightfall didn’t know that he had betrayed him, he hoped.
Nightfall smiled and said, “You seem surprised to see me. How have you been my friend?”
Forerger swallowed and softly said, “I have been all right. I was just surprised to see you again. You haven’t been here for almost three years now. I thought that you were on some important business of your own and you might never come back. I am glad to see you again.”
The bartender handed Nightfall a large icy cold mug of sweet red wine. He had remembered what Nightfall liked to drink.
Nightfall gave the bartender a golden quint and said, “Thank you.” He then took a very long drink as he stared at Forerger.
Forerger saw that look and he became more afraid. He had seen that look many times and knew that he was in trouble. He had to quickly come up with some kind of a lie and story to cover up what he had done.
The Sword of Vengeance (The Chronicles of Bruk the Barbarian Book 4) Page 9