Druss raised himself from the wooden chair, cursing
as his joints creaked. ‘The sun has set,’ whispered
the old warrior, addressing the axe. ‘Now only death
waits and he’s a patient bastard.’ He walked from
.the cabin, gazing out over the distant mountains
His massive frame and grey-black hair mirrored in
,miniature the mountains he surveyed. Proud, strong
ageless and snow-topped, they defied the spring sun
as it strove to deny them their winter peaks of virgin
.snow
Druss soaked in their savage splendour, sucking
in the cool breeze and tasting life, as if for the last
.time
Where are you, Death?’ he called. ‘Where do‘
you hide on this fine day?’ The echoes boomed
,around the valleys . . . DEATH, DEATH, Death
. . . Death . . . DAY, DAY, Day, Day
‘!I am Druss! And I defy you’
A shadow fell across Druss’s eyes, the sun died in
.the heavens and the mountains receded into mist
Pain clamped Druss’s mighty chest, soul deep, and
.he almost fell
Proud mortal!’ hissed a sibilant voice through the‘
veils of agony. ‘I never sought you. You have hunted
me through these long, lonely years. Stay on this
.mountain and I guarantee you two score more years
Your muscles will atrophy, your brain will sink into
dotage. You will bloat, old man, and I will only
.come when you beg it
‘?Or will the huntsman have one more hunt’
Seek me if you will, old warrior. I stand on the‘
’walls of Dros Delnoch
The pain lifted from the old man’s heart. He
staggered once, drew soothing mountain air into his
burning lungs and gazed about him. Birds still sang
in the pine, no clouds obscured the sun and the
mountains stood, tall and proud, as they always had
.done
Druss returned to the cabin and went to a chest
of oak, padlocked at the onset of winter. The key
lay deep in the valley below. He placed his giant
.hands about the lock and began to exert pressure
Muscles writhed on his arms; veins bulged on his
neck and shoulders; and the metal groaned, changed
shape and – split! Druss threw the padlock aside and
opened the chest. Within lay a jerkin of black
leather, the shoulders covered in a skin of shining
steel, and a black leather skull-cap only relieved by a
silver axe flanked by silver skulls. Long black leather
gauntlets came into view, silver-skinned to the
knuckles. Swiftly he dressed, coming finally to the
long leather boots – a present from Abalayn himself
.so many years before
Lastly he reached for Snaga, which seemed to leap
.from the wall to his waiting hand
One last time, Soul brother,’ he told it. ‘Before‘
’.the sun sets
We were at the pass for many days, holding out‘
,against everything they could throw at us. Tribesmen
chariots, infantry, cavalry. But always the
!threat of the Immortals hung over us. Never beaten
Old Druss stood at the centre of our first line, and
as the Immortals marched towards us we froze. You
could feel panic in the air. I wanted to run and I
could see the same feeling reflected on the faces
around me. Then old Druss lifted his axe in the air
.and bellowed at the advancing line. It was wonderful
Magical almost. The spell broke. The fear
passed. He raised his axe for them to see, then he
shouted. I can hear him now: “Come on, you fat
’”!bellied whore-sons! I am Druss, and this is Death
Legend - David Gemmell
