"Red Shadows" is a short story by Robert E. Howard, the creator of the iconic Conan the Barbarian character. The story was first published in August 1928, in the magazine Weird Tales, and it features a character named Solomon Kane.
Solomon Kane is a fictional 16th-century Puritan, who is on a never-ending quest to rid the world of evil in all its forms. In "Red Shadows," he is traveling through Europe when he comes across a young woman named Edith who is about to be burned at the stake by a group of religious fanatics. Kane rescues her, but she dies in his arms, leaving him with a burning desire for revenge.
Kane tracks down the leader of the fanatics, a man named Le Loup, and challenges him to a duel. The two men fight, and Kane emerges victorious, but not before sustaining a mortal wound. As he lays dying, he realizes that his quest for revenge has brought him nothing but death and destruction, and he questions the righteousness of his cause.
"Red Shadows" is a classic tale of revenge and the dangers of pursuing it blindly. Howard's writing is powerful and evocative, and his depiction of Solomon Kane is both memorable and haunting. The story has been adapted into various forms, including comics and movies, and it remains a beloved work of fantasy fiction.
