ll.
Only D’zan was untouched by the swarm of shadows. The blade of his greatsword gleamed with a pale light now, and he slashed apart the shadows instead of living men. The Sun God’s blade tore through their substance where all other blades did nothing. D’zan carved a man free of shadows, only to see him subsumed again by a fresh cluster of the devils.
Tyro cried out. D’zan turned to face him. The fangs of a dozen shadows sank deep into Tyro’s body. Their claws tore his armor away so they could dig into his flesh. D’zan swept his blade across the knot of darkness that overwhelmed Tyro, shredding some of the devils. Yet more of them sprouted from beneath the mangled bodies and pulled Tyro lower. Men howled and were torn to bits in every direction.
Tyro’s broadsword fell free of his numb fingers. He lay naked and writhing now among a swarm of feasting shadows. Manslayers rushed at D’zan, who turned to defend himself. Tyro knew the bloodshadows feared nothing but the sunlight and D’zan’s holy blade. It carried the Sun God’s sigil, and they could not touch D’zan while he wielded it. But how long would it be until the Manslayers killed D’zan, now that everyone who did not serve Zyung was being devoured by shadows?
D’zan fought alone, surrounded by the blades of Zyung. This was the last thing Tyro saw as he drowned in a sea of ravening shadows.
You will see them again when you enter the valley of death.
The words rang in his dying head. Tyro knew that his brother would never forgive him, but he hoped Lyrilan would prove a wiser Emperor than himself.
The last drops of blood left his body as his every bone splintered.
I will see them again.
Now.