A Warrior's Redemption

  *****

  Sebastian had watched his grandnephew and the sweet little girl leave in the carriage and then he had seen his passion flower for the last time, as she had left with Rugar. Then he had seen them, the dark ones. They had found him after all.

  They came closer towards his home, like wary dogs finding their way through an unknown lair. Let them come, Sebastian thought to himself. His work here was finished. He had served his God, country and family well. Now he would go out equally well.

  He could hear doors being opened as they made their way into the house and began to search through it. None of his servants were home because he had sent them all away. He had been expecting the dark ones to pay him a visit. Sebastian turned away from the window and moved back to his desk. He sat down in his timeworn seat to wait. He didn’t have to wait long.

  The door of the study opened with a soft click and they slipped inside the room like the harbingers of darkness that they were.

  “Where are the servants?” one of the cloaked figures asked.

  “I didn’t think I’d have to spell out the obvious to you minions of darkness, but as you can plainly see they are gone.”

  “We will find them and find out all that they know of you and your traitorous activities. They will die slowly and painfully just as you will. They will tell us every….”

  Sebastian held up his hand, cutting the speaker off midsentence, “Yes, yes, I know. You guys really are long winded on the whole pain and suffering aspect of life. Could your fixation on pain and misery be related to some eternal fate of yours, I wonder. As for telling you anything, all I have to say is, ‘Go to hell!’”

  Sebastian flared a match with one hand and moved a statue of a rearing stallion on the corner of his desk a quarter of a turn with the other hand. There was a loud whooshing noise and then the room and its contents exploded into a fireball of flame, which engulfed the room and soon the entire house.