Ye who dare not.

The siege had cracked the walls that evening, and now the slaughter could begin. Apotheosis reveled in the smoke and gloom of the burning town of Eli. All was as it should be, he thought, and strode through the broken and night filled stone gate. An arrow clanged off his dark helmet, ringing like a gong.

"Hah, fight me now will you!" Apotherosis roared, and savored the baritone of his own voice. "You should have done that years ago. You might have stood a chance then."

Nothing salted a slaughter quite like pain and misery, he thought. How twisted fate is to rest the world on this fearful man's shoulders.

"Well then Addan Fletcher, you floppish bowman! I know you had a soft spot for Liana. She and your friends came to stop me two years ago, but my how she moaned for mercy after your friends failed and died. You were destined to stop me, only, you weren't there were you."

Silence was Addan's response.

Apotheosis considered the burning thatch roofs, smoldering wood houses, and broken stone walls of the town before reaching a conclusion. He turned to face his Dark Guard. Another arrow clanged off the back of his helmet. Well, Addan Fletcher was a persistent bastard, time to break his heart.

"LIANA COME HERE, AND SHOW YOURSELF TO ADDAN," He bellowed.

A woman clad in the blacked armor of the Dark Guard stepped forward, and withdrew her helmet. Liana had been fierce, and beautiful, but most of that beauty had been marred, and the fierceness blacked by hatred, and unspeakable acts. She looked into the smoke with vengeance in her heart, and cunning in her eyes. Her face was criss crossed with decorative tattoos, and ritual scaring, her armor was blackened, and her blade slick with blood, but beauty could still be seen under her broken heart, and and painfilled eyes.

"Addan, come out love," Liana said with a lilting celtic voice. "Ya knoo ya cann't win now."

Ah, yes she had him now, Apotheosis thought, nothing is quite like an old flame.

"You monster! What have you done!!" screeched Addan, in a noble tenor from the rooftops, "Liana, run!"

Three arrows zipped into the ranks of the Dark Guard. Suddenly Liana decapitated the Dark Guard next to her, before making a hasty rush to escape.

Perfect, Apotheosis thought, and drew his blade. "After him," He commanded, and Dark Guards poured after them by the dozens through the burning hamlet.

⚜⚜⚜

This is the first segment of a short story, I will be finishing it over the next week or two.

I hope you enjoy it, and feel free to comment about it.