by Greg Wilburn
Ghandel screamed after her.
Sylvein pulled out another poisoned dagger and stabbed Daleli in the chest twice. On the third stab, Daleli dropped his sword and grasped her by the neck firmly, lifting her off the ground. He laughed angrily, and the sound drove fear into the choking Limphel. “You stupid bitch! Don’t you know this poison can’t kill me?! I’m immune! You’ll never kill me!” He laughed aloud again, but the sounds dulled as Sylvein’s vision grew dim. Ghandel watched in horror as Daleli crushed Sylvein’s windpipe and snapped her neck, almost tearing her head from her body. Then he tossed her aside and walked slowly towards Ghandel.
Ghandel stood immobilized by fear until Daleli was within striking distance. Then he slashed wildly at Daleli, missing him with each blow. Daleli dropped the sword in his limp hand and subdued Ghandel by kicking him between the legs and punching him in the throat. Ghandel gasped for air as Daleli stood above him. “How?” he asked the gasping Ghandel.
“What?” asked the dumbfounded Ghandel. “Tell me how Juniel died, Ghandel! Tell me how you lost my fiancée, who was entrusted into your care! Tell me?!” commanded Daleli. Through his coughs, Ghandel told the whole story about Juniel’s death, sparing no details. Once he finished, Ghandel whimpered for forgiveness at Daleli’s feet. After a few moments of silence, Ghandel looked up into Daleli’s face.
Daleli’s eyes had clouded over with such anger that it could’ve shattered all the bones in Ghandel’s body. “Now I’ll do to you as you would’ve done to me. I’ll make you feel the anguish that runs through my veins as we speak. You’ll know my pain in losing Juniel, the only one who…..the only one who loved me. You and your Limphelm can go to hell. My allegiance ended the second Juniel was sent into the arms of Ouxtallem in the world below!
I’ll destroy all of you, Limphelm and Mintelm alike! All of you are the same. You’re all disgusting creatures that hide the monsters within you and fake your allegiances and loyalties. Juniel was the only different one. And now that you’ve taken her, I’ll slaughter all of you like the beasts that you are! You’ll all burn in the flames of my hate, and I will stand alone atop your corpses!”
Daleli let a guttural roar leave his throat as the first blow landed square in Ghadel’s face. A second blow followed from his other fist, which had forgotten all the pain from the arrow before. Daleli reveled in the crunching sounds Ghandel’s skull made as his fists smashed through the skin, muscle, and cartilage to find white bones underneath. Ghandel’s muffled squeals and moans fell on deaf ears as Daleli killed the man, beating into the very skull of the Limphel.
Daleli only stopped when his fist found the soft sand that was lying underneath the bone chips, brain matter, and blood he’d fought through. And Daleli left with finality, grabbing his swords and wiping his bloody hands on his tattered uniform. He left the river and headed in the direction of the Limphelm encampment he’d departed from, leaving Ghandel’s corpse perfectly intact, aside from the gaping hole within the male’s head.
He flew with mighty speed, reaching the camp in a mere three days. He neared the encampment a little after nightfall. He only had one objective: to kill all he could.
Daleli snuck in quietly and quickly commenced with killing the entire 47th battalion. He swept through each tent, savagely hacking into necks and heads and hearts while enjoying the sweet fearful deaths that were brought upon them. A few tried to raise the alarm, but Daleli was faster than any living thing, completely dismembering each Limphelm before they could even get a word out.
Finally, after only minutes of heinous massacre, Daleli reached the commander’s tent and entered in angrily, making quite the entrance. Pralm, the only superior present, rose quickly from his parchments and looked in horror at the blood-soaked Daleli. “By Zarem, what have you done, Daleli!? Why are you such?” Daleli let a wide, toothy smile spread across his face. “I was about to ask you and Commander Hanlem the same thing.” He replied, almost laughing.
“What do you mean, Daleli?” Pralm asked nervously, backing away. Daleli threw his sword in Pralm’s direction, which stuck into a large wooden wardrobe near Pralm’s neck. Daleli approached and Pralm put his hands up in defense. “Where is the commander?” Daleli asked quickly, unsheathing his other sword. Pralm called for guards, but that made Daleli laugh aloud as the general stood there shivering. “No one’s coming, Pralm. I killed all your lackeys. And now I’m going to kill you. But first, tell me where Hanlem is. I know it was him that brought all this about. It could be none other than that Limphel bastard! He’s next. Then all of the Limphelm and Mintelm will die by my hands.”
“What have you become, Daleli? You half-breed monster! You should’ve been killed the first time we saw you!” Pram said, pulling his hands to his side and staring intently into Daleli’s glowing eyes. “Never you mind what I am! I’m nothing more than a dog in your eyes, but this very dog will be everyone’s undoing!” Daleli said as he pressed his blade against Pralm’s chest. Then he made a stab through Pralm’s arm, which pinned him to the large wardrobe in the room. He withdrew the other sword he’d thrown and placed it against Pralm’s chest. “I’m not going to ask again, Limphel! Tell me where Hanlem is or it’s your legs this time!”
Pralm tried to keep a resolve against the all too real threat, but as Daleli slowly tortured him, delivering first on his promise to take his legs, Pralm quickly revealed the bigger picture of the war as seen through King Fareldan’s eyes.
“You have to know something, Daleli. Commander Hanlem is actually the illegitimate brother of King Fareldan. No one knows about it except for King Fareldan’s father, King Fareldan, Queen Isabeia, Hanlem, Hanlem’s wife, and myself. You see, I’m actually an appointed guard to Hanlem and have been since birth. King Fareldan summoned him four days after you’d gone because something big is going on in the warfront. There are….” Pralm was lost for a second as he coughed blood from his mouth.
Daleli slapped him hard, forcing him to continue speaking. Pralm continued as the life quickly drained from his body. “There are talks of peace. Between the Limphelm and Mentilm. King Fareldan summoned Hanlem and others so they could meet and speak of a peace. Both parties know that if a peace isn’t reached now, the war will intensify and there will be no end in sight until one party finally destroys the other.
The kings of both nations are to meet with their most advanced warriors and trusted advisors. Last I heard, there will be a party of sixty-four in total, thirty-two from each side. There’s no way you can kill them all, half-breed! No one male, neither Limphelm or Mintelm alike, can topple the world!”
“If that’s the case, Pralm, it’s a grand blessing that I am neither. Now tell me where the meeting is so I can be on my way!” Daleli said as he twisted the sword he had sheathed in Pralm’s stomach deeper. Pralm moaned weakly as he neared death.
Before breathing his last, Pralm disclosed that the underground city of Dimraen was where the peace negotiations would take place. It was a neutral zone in the war, and the city hidden within the crystal mines of Vathreel would serve as the perfect place for talks to be held. Daleli withdrew the blade from Pralm’s stomach and decapitated the male with one fell swoop. Then he took his leave in the direction of Dimraen, hidden away under the cover of night.
Daleli knew he wouldn’t have much time if he wanted to make it to the peace negotiations. He flew once again with unbelievable speed, reaching the entrance to the mines in only two days, which would normally take six by foot. He threw himself into the mines, traversing every danger and obstacle that would seek to stop his advance. He passed through the mines in a half-day, coming to the city gates of Dimraen as dusk swept into the mines and encased them in darkness.
He climbed the gates after killing one of the guards there, sneaking into the city undetected. He leapt between rooftops, staying hidden from sight. As he neared the large tower in the heart of the city where the meeting would be held, he was stopped for a moment by the majesty of the city around him.
The city of Dimraen was
famous for two reasons: It was well known for being the home of great craftsmen that made swords of legendary name, and it was also known as the City of Endlesss Stars.
It was referred to by that name because the shining minerals that were endwelled in the rock above the city shone as bright as night stars in the dank blackness of the mines. Daleli realized that he’d been so consumed with his hate that he hadn’t bothered to admire the beauty above him, smiling upon the deep darkness below. He stayed there for a prolonged time thinking about Juniel and how she would have loved being there with him for their first time.
But as he stood there, letting his resolve soften at the thought of Juniel and what she would say to stop the rampage, he became angry. He felt her weakening him, and he began to hate her and the memory she left behind in his heart. And in that prolonged period of self-doubt for her sake, Daleli slowly worked within himself, hollowing out his heart and soul, leaving nothing left but the insatiable hatred he’d come to know since his birth. Juniel and the only happiness he’d ever experienced in his existence were discarded into the abyss, never to return.
Near the end of his transformation, he let the final cord
