- For the other comic titled "The Bright Side", see The Bright Side (333).
Durkon is trapped in Malack's coils, trying to think of a way out of the situation. As Malack drains his blood, Durkon bargains for his friends, and finally accepts his fate.
Cast
- Belkar Bitterleaf (dominated) ◀ ▶
- Durkon Thundershield ◀ ▶
- Mr. Scruffy ◀ ▶
- Malack (as vampire) ◀ ▶
Transcript
- Panel 1
Malack feasts on Durkon's blood, "slllrpp!"
Durkon: Get yer fangs outta me, ye treacherous snake!
Durkon: Aaarch!
- Panel 2
Durkon sees Belkar and Mr. Scruffy across the room.
Durkon: Belkar! Belkar, ye damned fool, break tha charm! I c'n still release ye from tha paralysis if'n ye just fight 'is domination!
- Panel 3
Mr. Scruffy paws at Belkar, who's eyes remain red spirals, indicating Domination.
- Panel 4
Durkon: Och, ne'er mind. Na yer fault, lad.
Durkon: 'Twere silly o' me ta be countin' on ye ta begin with.
- Panel 5
Durkon: Och, Thor…I guess yer na listenin' either, but it's OK. I know this's part o' yer plan, right?
Durkon: I hope this's part o' yer plan.
- Panel 6
Durkon struggles, but Malack only coils tighter, holding Durkon's head with his arms.
Durkon: Gnnnnrgh!
Durkon: GRRRNH!
- Panel 7
Durkon: Malack! Listen ta me.
Durkon: I know ye dinnae owe me anythin' anymore, but if'n ye e'er really cared aboot any o' it—if'n it weren't just some villain trick ta sabotage me spell…
- Panel 8
Durkon: —then let me friends go. Dinnae kill them too.
Durkon: Tha's me last request. Tha's all tha matters.
- Panel 9
Durkon: Thar young an' mostly a gods-awful mess inside, but they got too much worth livin' fer still.
Durkon: More'n me, at least.
- Panel 10
Durkon: I'm na worried aboot me anymore, see…na really…
- Panel 11
Durkon: …I get ta go home.
- Panel 12
Malack releases his bite. Durkon is dead. He has a smile on his face.
Trivia
- In the earlier comic with the same title, #333, Durkon learned from the Oracle that he will return to the Dwarven Lands "posthumously". Durkon sheds tears of joy, knowing that his body will be buried in his home country. He utters the line "I get to go home", which he repeats verbatim (including shedding a tear as well) in this comic as he realizes the conditions of the prophesy are now fulfilled. There are further parallels between the two strips: in the 9th panel of #333, Durkon says he feared he'd be eaten by some monster, and in this strip, Malack has been named a monster by Durkon, and then has his fangs into him.
- Following his death in this strip, Durkon would not be revived until "Enough Diamonds Already", 272 strips from now.