The Final Redemption by Michael Manning (little red riding hood ebook free .txt) 📕

“Who is that big lout of aman?” That was the answer he hadsupplied.

“No. That was the nextday. This day I spied you helping a young page. The boy couldn’thave been more than nine years of age, and he was crying because heworried his squire would beat him. He couldn’t clean the rust fromthe armor he was charged with. Do you remember him?”she had asked.

Dorian had shaken his head,‘no’.

“I do. You were still astranger in my father’s house, and yet you stopped to help him. Thetask was beneath your rank, but you not only showed him how totreat the armor with oil before using the steel wool, you stayedand cleaned half of it yourself. That was when I knew.”

“Knew what?”Dorian had questioned.

Rose had given him herspecial smile then, the smile of a woman who knew the meaning oflove. “People sometimes speak of finding a‘diamond in the rough’, but I had found something even better. Youwere a diamond from the start, polished and perfect.”

A diamond,thought Dorian. Nothingis stronger than that.

The hammering blows seemedto take on a rhythm that matched his heartbeat, or perhaps it wasthe beat of the earth. The difference didn’t seem to matteranymore. Dorian’s eyes were closed, and his chin was down as hefelt the power surging through him. More,I need it all. His body seemed to be onfire, but he ignored the painful heat and focused on onethought. Diamond.

Penny saw a cloud of smoke risingaround her friend’s body as the fallen god pummeled him. At firstshe thought it was dust from the wall, but it was soon apparentthat something else was occurring. A wave of heat rolled outwardfrom him, and a strange hissing sound rose in volume. Withinseconds the cloud obscured his body, and the heat became so greatthat she and Sir Egan were forced to retreat fartherback.

When it began to clear, they werestartled at the change in him, where before there had stood agolem, a stone man, now they saw a being that consisted ofshimmering crystal. Dorian Thornbear lifted his head and stared outwith crystalline blue eyes. His body had become one living diamond,hard and yet somehow flexible at the same time. His opponent’sthundering blows no longer seemed to affect him, other than rockinghis body back and forth.

Moving suddenly he slipped away,dodging the next blow and thrusting forward with his own arm. Longcrystal blades had grown from his fists and he drove them throughhis foe’s torso before wrenching them sideways. Whether it wastheir sharpness or his strength, Dorian seemed to rip them throughthe monster’s tough hide as though it was nothing more thantissue.

Utterly silent, Dorian continued hisassault until the creature caught him with one massive swipe anddashed him sideways. Flying twenty feet to one side, he rolled tohis feet and leapt back toward the fallen god, landing on itsshoulders and tearing great gouges down its back as he descended.It roared and twisted trying to catch him as he reached the ground,but it couldn’t match his speed. Ducking around and through thegiant’s legs, he cut and tore at one of them until itcollapsed.

Once the god was down, the fightdevolved into an extremely once sided brawl, as the crystallinegolem sliced and cut, hacking the beast into ever smaller pieces.It seemed to go on forever, and when it ended, it was with a suddensilence. Dorian Thornbear, or the thing that had once been him,stood stock still, surveying the remains of his still twitchingopponent.

Unsure of herself, Penny approachedhim slowly, holding out one hand. “Dorian? Are you in there?” shecalled tentatively.

His shining form twisted with a blurof light, and one bladed arm lashed outward stopping inches fromher surprised face. She hadn’t moved. Despite her own prodigiousreflexes she hadn’t even been able to blink. Taking a deep breathshe stared into the azure eyes of the diamond golem. “It’s me,Penny. Do you remember, Dorian? We grew up together…”

He looked away then, staring at theground. Two steps and he leaned down, picking up what remained ofhis broken sword, a hilt with a foot and a half of blade protrudingfrom it. Opening his mouth he uttered a low keening cry,“Thhhooorn…”

He’s still inthere, thought Penny, but whether that’s a blessing or a curse I don’t know.Suddenly aware of the passing of time, shemotioned to her childhood friend, “We need to go, Dorian. We haveto help the others. Do you understand?”

Dorian’s corundum head dipped in whatseemed to be acknowledgement, and when she began walking down theramp again he followed. Egan came last, watching both his seniorknight and the courtyard as they retreated.

“Are there more?” asked SirEgan.

The countess nodded, “Those were thefastest, but there were more. I think they cannot be far behind.”She quickened her steps as she spoke, and her eyes darted backfrequently, making certain that Dorian still followed. For all hisbulk, the crystalline golem made surprisingly little noise as hewalked.

Chapter 30

They reached the end of the tunnelafter a few minutes and discovered that the rest of their party hadgone only a short distance along the World Road beforestopping.

“Why did you stop?” started Penny, buther question was lost in the outcry as the others saw the golembehind her. The World Road was well lit by enchanted lights builtinto the ceiling and in that light Dorian’s body shimmered,reflecting and gathering the light like a masterfully cutgem.

Everyone seemed to scramble back,seeking to put extra distance between themselves and the oddcreature following Penny. She held her hands up to calm them, buther words were lost in the immediate chorus ofquestions.

“What’s that?” asked Elise Thornbeareven as Cyhan moved to position his body between her and Ariadneand the strange new being that had followed Penny. The childrenwere asking rapid fire questions, less from fear than simplecuriosity, but one voice cut clearly through the din.

“Penny,” said Ariadne using a sharpvoice of command, “I think you should explain this.”

But someone else saw what was in thegolem’s hand, and her quick mind immediately made the connection.Rose started forward, grief and tragedy written on her face. “Ohgods! No! Dorian! Oh no!” She held their daughter Carissa in onearm, but she moved