This is your judgement and your punishment.’ Death gazed upon the condemned for a moment longer, then swept his gaze over all the others, meeting the eyes of each one in turn.
To Einar, it seemed that for a brief moment, when their eyes met, the god gave him a friendly nod. Then Thanatos turned on the spot and walked calmly towards the Gate. Before he crossed the threshold, he glanced over his shoulder once more and vanished.
Once more, the distant roar of the waves and the rustling of leaves swaying in the gentle breeze filled the clearing. The sea breeze carried with it the chill of autumn. No one stirred. No one spoke. Almost nothing in the clearing had changed; only the disfigured legionnaires and the empty, stone altar bore witness to Death’s recent presence.
