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Stories from the Verse
A Dozen Verses
Chapter 129: Slade 293
Table of Contents
Previous chapter: Kondor 299
Slade could not remember ever having lost a battle. He had been killed by stray shot, ambushed, caught in botches and accidents, and died in battles which his side won in part because of his sacrifice. He didn’t usually lose. Even when that pint-sized killing machine defeated him, their side won. He didn’t lose his battles.
He took a step forward through the snow.
However, he was losing this one. The enemy was impervious to his sword and his blaster; the little bit of magic he knew could not protect him; he could neither escape nor hide. He was losing.
The winter was going to kill him; it was just a matter of time at this point.
Yet he was going to make it work for its victory. He was Sir Robert Elvis Slade, Lord of Slade Manor, Serpent Slayer, Friend and ally of the djinn and of the Caliph of the West Wind, Thrice-honored hero of the Twin Rivers Caliphate, Lord of War, and Twenty-fifth rank competitor in the Throne World primitive weapons division. He would not die easily.
He took another step forward.
He had defeated sparrow warriors, a giant snake, space marines, skilled swordsmen, vampire mages, vampire commandos, nineteenth century soldiers, bandits, little green men, an alien robot, and a list of different kinds of aliens as long as his arm, no, his leg, maybe as long as his lanky body, maybe with Shella standing on his shoulders.
He took another step forward.
Shella. He missed her. This was a lot easier when she was able to create that magic shelter. He probably could have learned that--but he wasn’t a wizard, he was a fighter who dabbled in other kinds of skills. He had her to do the magic. Anyway, if she botched trying to cast it, it must be very difficult in this world, and he would probably have botched sooner.
He raised his foot to take another step forward, and fell on his face in the snow. Too tired to rise, he lay there as the wind blew snow over him. He closed his eyes.
Suddenly it was warm.
As to the old stories that have long been here:
