Deathstalker 04 - Deathstalker Honor

what he had always known. That while two warriors could hold off an army for a time, they couldn’t do it forever.
    So he did the only thing left to him. He reached out to Ruby with his mind, and their thoughts met and merged. In a moment that was no time at all, they reached deep within themselves, and power blazed up from the back brain, the undermind, up through their altered minds and out into the real world, where it became a wall of searing, consuming fire that surged away from Random and Ruby, burning up everything in its path. Ghost Warriors blackened and shriveled up, as though a part of the sun had come down and touched the earth. Dead flesh was consumed, given peace at last, and Shub tech melted down into pools of smoking liquid metal. Over a hundred Ghost Warriors were consumed in the first few seconds, and still the wall of heat roared on, devouring everything in its path. The army of Ghost Warriors turned to flee, but the wall of fire was faster, and pursued them out across the open plain.
    By the time the flames snapped out, more than half the Shub army had been reduced to blackened husks, scattered across the plain in dark, featureless heaps. The survivors stood ranged before Young Jack Random, who was no longer smiling. Back at the valley entrance, Random and Ruby had fallen to their knees, heads hanging down in exhaustion. They’d put the last of their strength into maintaining that attack, and they had nothing left. The flames they had called up had not injured them, but now the heat radiating back from the scorched valley walls was almost overpowering.
    “Now, that was a good one,” said Ruby, her voice a toneless croak. “Think we could do it again?”
    “Not a chance in hell,” said Random. “But let’s hope Young Jack Random doesn’t know that. God, I feel bad.”
    “Same here. And we didn’t even get most of them. I have a horrible suspicion we may have peaked too early.”
    “We had no choice. They would have overwhelmed us.” “The survivors still might.” Ruby raised her head painfully slowly and looked out over the plain. “Shit. We got maybe half of them. And that smug metal bastard’s still out there. Wonder what he’s waiting for?” “Probably to see how weakened we are.
    On your feet, Ruby. Maybe we can still bluff them.”
    But they couldn’t get up without leaning heavily on each other, and even after they’d forced themselves up onto their trembling legs, their swords still hung limply from their hands.
    “I don’t know if you’ve noticed,” said Ruby. “But our wounds aren’t healing anymore.”
    “I noticed. I think that wall of flame took everything we had. Until we get a chance to rest and recover, we’re tapped out.
    We’re… just human again. Nothing left but our guns and our steel and our good right arms.”
    “Good,” said Ruby. “I always thought that was a more honest way to fight.”
    “There is still… one option,” said Random.
    “Is there, by God?” said Ruby. “I’d love to hear it.” “You get the hell out of here. Run. Make your way back to Vidar while I hold them here as long as I can. Maybe buy you enough time to get some kind of defense organized in the city.”
    “A nice thought,” said Ruby. “But no.”
    “If you stay, we’ll both die. Where’s the sense in that? At least my way, one of us gets to live. Be logical, Ruby.”
    “I am. There are no defenses left to organize at Vidar. And you should know I never ran from a good fight in my life.” She paused. “Everyone has to die somewhere. And I never thought I’d die in bed. Never wanted to. This is as good a way to go as any.”
    “I always wanted to die in bed,” said Random, smiling. “Preferably with a belly full of good brandy and my arm around a beautiful woman. But if I have to go down fighting… I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather be with.” “Oh, Jack, you say the nicest things.”
    They kissed once, unhurriedly, and then turned to look out at the enemy forces on the plain one last time.
    And saw Young Jack Random striding toward them, quite alone, his hands empty of weapons. The rest of the Ghost Warrior army stood still and silent, watching. Random and Ruby looked at each other.
    “What the hell does he think he’s doing?” said Random. “Surely he doesn’t expect us to surrender?”
    “Maybe he wants to surrender,” said Ruby hopefully. The steel machine in its human covering strode across the plain, smiling his interminable