Dark Soul Silenced - Part One Read Online Free

horror he'd seen in her eyes.  He knew he'd carry that image with him forever.  He wished he could see her again, apologise to her.
    He remembered falling under the spell of the darkness but now understood it was a catalyst.  A necessary step to becoming what he was now, whatever that might be.
    He could still remember very little of what had started this journey, of what happened when the wolves had slunk away from the clearing without attacking him.  As for his life before the ambush, he had only fragments.  Fleeting images.  And then, suddenly, one clear memory.  His name.  Daniel.  He almost wept at recovering that vital piece of himself, at the familiar feel of the word.
    Suddenly he had a sense of something being very wrong.  Daniel sensed fear, anger.  He stood, turned.  It was coming from the beach to the south.  He could see figures, a good mile away and maybe more.
    The feeling strengthened.  He ran, covering the distance as fast as a racing horse could but moving silently, quickly finding himself approaching a group of armed men who were surrounding a family.  It only took Daniel a moment to be sure these were bandits, and the family were their victims.
    He arrived just as the leader of the bandits lashed out with his sword, deeply cutting the surrounded man's leg before driving the sword into the man's stomach and dragging it clear again.
    Grinning the leader said “I've been wanting to test it out.  Thank you for giving me the chance.”
    This had to be stopped and Daniel knew he had to do it.
    “That wasn't very friendly, was it?” he said.  Then he stepped forward into the ring of thugs.
     
     
    Kerant stood shocked, sword forgotten.  How had this intruder got so close without being noticed?  Suddenly a simple robbery, and the chance to gain a woman for a while, had turned complicated.  Was the man alone?  Looking around it seemed so.  Better to make sure though.
    “Wolfgang, Stephen… make sure he's alone,” he barked out.
    “ Oh I am,” said the man, smiling gently.
    “ Good!” Kerant replied, thrusting with the sword as he spoke.  He'd always been fast with a blade, in the army he'd been amongst the best swordsman.  Turning outlaw had only sharpened those skills.  His thrust was fast, with no warning tells.  The stranger had no chance, the sword would punch through his stomach and out his back taking a chunk out of his backbone on the way.  A wound sure to disable any opponent.
    Except it didn't.  Impossibly the man had moved, stepping around the blow then in towards Kerant.  He was gently resting his hands on the elbow and shoulder of Kerant's sword arm to prevent a further blow.
    Kerant's experience kicked in despite his surprise.  He shoved at his opponents hands to push the stranger off-balance, but the stranger seemed to flow around him, stepping in even closer.  Kerant attempted a brutal head butt, again the stranger moved effortlessly out of the way and stepped back.
    Kerant was angry now.  This man was making him look stupid in front of his men.  It was time to end it.  He caught Wolfgang's eye, nodded slightly.  Wolfgang raised his crossbow slowly, at the same time Kerant swung the sword in a flat arc.  Not at his opponent.  He swung at the wounded man sitting trying to staunch his bleeding.  Two birds with one stone Kerant thought.  Finish the wounded man and distract the stranger.
    To Kerant's amazement the stranger stepped forward raising his bare arm to block the blade.  If the arm wasn't taken off cleanly it would be broken badly.  Kerant was more than happy with either prospect.
    The sword impacted the stranger's arm and the shock nearly made Kerant drop it.  It felt like he'd hit a steel post.  The stranger hadn't even flinched, the blow hadn’t moved his arm and he showed no signs of injury.
    Things were going wrong quickly, and they got worse.  Wolfgang shot the crossbow.  Somehow the stranger caught the bolt as it flew.  Then his