Deathstalker 08 - Deathstalker Coda

been waiting for you. Enjoy your stay. There’s no way out.
    And trapped inside a mind that made no sense at all, all Alicia VomAcht Deathstalker could do was scream and scream and scream.
    Joy called to the others to bring them back, and pointed at the empty shell of Alicia’s body lying still and helpless at his feet. They all looked at him.
    “She tried to possess me,” said Joy. “But there’s a lot more to me than meets the eye.”
    “We always thought so,” said Crow Jane.
    “I am large, I contain multitudes,” Joy said happily. “What’s one more voice in my head?”
    Diana Vertue studied his thoughts for a moment, winced, and then nodded. “She’ll never find a way out of that. Take him back to New Hope, and the oversoul can watch over Joy until he dies; and make sure she dies with him.”
    “Sounds like a plan to me,” said Crow Jane.
    Carrion gestured sharply at the empty body on the floor, and it burst into consuming flames. It burnt up unnaturally quickly, reduced in moments to nothing more than a pile of ashes. Carrion looked at the others.
    “Just in case.”
    “Is that it?” said Jesamine. “Is it all finally over?”
    “Not quite yet,” said Lewis. “Where is Finn? And where is Douglas?”

    Finn Durandal was back in the court, sitting on his throne again, when Douglas Campbell walked back in. Once he’d seen Alicia was no longer a threat, he knew he was free to settle old business. He’d seen Finn was missing, and knew where he’d be. He walked slowly across the cracked and broken court, his footsteps loud in the quiet. He stopped at the foot of the steps leading up to the throne, and Finn smiled down on him.
    “I knew you’d come alone, Douglas. I told you—this is our moment. No one else belongs here.” He rose up from his throne, and descended the steps unhurriedly to stand before Douglas. “We have unfinished business, you and I. One last duel, one last contest to finally decide which of us is the better.”
    They drew their swords, and slowly began to circle each other.
    “I have to kill you, Finn,” said Douglas.
    “And I have to kill you, Douglas.”
    “For all the people you had killed.”
    “And for all the people I have yet to kill.”
    “Were we ever really friends, Finn?” said Douglas.
    Finn considered the question seriously. “I wanted us to be friends. But I don’t think I have it in me, to be anyone’s friend. We’re born alone and we die alone, so really all you can seriously hope to do . . . is see how many people you can take with you. We did have some good times together, didn’t we, Douglas?”
    “Yes, we did. Good-bye, Finn.”
    “Good-bye, Douglas.”
    They surged towards each other, driving sparks from their clashing swords, as they dueled back and forth across the empty court. They were both excellent swordsmen, and experienced fighters. They stamped and lunged, cut and hacked, and never even came close to touching each other. They both knew each other’s style intimately, from their times as partners in the Paragons. Their swords rose and fell, and their breathing grew short and hard. They were both sweating heavily, putting all their strength into every blow. Finn should have had the advantage. Douglas had exhausted himself fighting thralls before he ever got to the court. But in the end, Douglas had spent all his life fighting, while Finn . . . had allowed himself to get soft. Their blades slammed together one last time, and Douglas twisted the sword right out of Finn’s hand. It fell to the floor, and the sound seemed to echo on and on in the empty court. Douglas and Finn stood looking at each other, struggling for breath, looking into each other’s eyes. And then Douglas just ran Finn through, with one swift, professional thrust.
    He watched Finn crumple silently to the floor. A part of him had wanted to beat Finn to death with his bare hands. For what he’d done to William, and so many others. But he didn’t. Because he was King, and he was supposed to be better than that. When he was sure Finn was dead, Douglas cut Finn’s head off. Because that was what you did, with monsters. He left the body and head behind him, and ascended the dais steps slowly and tiredly. It had been a long day. He sank onto the throne, and laid his bloody sword across his thighs. He looked down at what remained of the man who had once been the greatest Paragon of all time.
    “I was always your friend, Finn, even if you were never really mine.