Solomon felt no pain or sorrow, in fact, he felt nothing at all. The great rumbling and crashing that had filled his ears in the final moments his heart pumped its last was gone. He was in perfect silence. He tried to move his hands but they would not follow his commands, nor would his feet and legs. It seemed odd to him that they would disobey him so. His body did not feel broken, yet he did not truly feel as though he was weighed down by such an earthly constraint any longer. 

A brilliant white light suddenly burst upon him and Kane looked down to see his body lying twisted and broken beneath him. His head was at an impossible angle, his limbs so badly contorted that he knew there was no way he could have survived the castles collapse.

"So this is death." He said to no one in particular. He felt as though it should have meant more to him, but he felt no anger, not even sadness, at leaving the world of the living behind. 

"No, my son, this is the beginning." The voice was oddly familiar. It had a soft lilt to it, almost sing song, and it was most certainly female. Solomon raised his gaze toward the light and saw a human form begin to take shape. He fell to his knees as it to revealed itself to be the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. 

"Mother..." His voice was a rasp, an impossibly weak sound in his own ears, but the woman smiled. Her hair was as golden as the sun itself, her skin as flawless as newly carved marble, her eyes as bright and blue as the finest sapphires. For the first time in his life he felt a lump in his throat as he tried to reach out to her. She took a knee in front of him and smiled into his face, reaching down and drawing his hands up so that she might kiss them.

In an instant he felt something surge through him. Perhaps it was the gift of life but in his heart, Solomon Kane knew that he was dead. This was the end. His time on earth had come to a close and he would be lost to history. It was time to let go.

"No, Solomon. It is time to come home." She spoke without moving her lips, the words echoing throughout his mind as he stood with her. Her touch was gentle, almost a caress, the like of which he had never experienced before in all his life. He slowly became aware of a great pair of pearly white gates opening behind her and more figures appearing amid the light.

Solomon realized that he knew their names, recognized their faces. They were his siblings. The Chosen Children of God. He felt tears begin to coarse down his cheeks even as a choir of angels, unnoticed until this moment, began to sing, their high voices piercing his very soul and causing him to weep.

"Welcome brother." The figures spoke, gently urging him toward the great gate. For a moment he hesitated, his heart hammering in his chest.

"I am not worthy." He began to shake his head, the tears soaking his beard and vanishing as they struck the unseen floor at his feet. "Not worthy."

"You are Solomon Kane, the Vampire Slayer. The Left Hand of God." The voices all spoke in unison and in that moment all doubt fell away from him and, with his mothers hand clutched in his own, he stepped through the gate and into history.

[center]POSTSCRIPT[/center]
[i]And so ended the Saga of Solomon Kane: A Land Under Shadow. The rule of the Vampire Princes had been broken and men were free once again to rule their own affairs. Thousands had died, and thousands more would perish in the days of trouble and turmoil to come. A great pestilence would sweep the land, laying waste to the living, and sowing the seeds for the tales yet to come, for our story does not end here, dear friend, oh no. 

Evil still abounds so we must look to new men and women to take up the sword and fight for the glory of god.  [/i]



[center][h3]THE END[/h3][/center]