23

Destruction and Ferality.

Old Sun puts his hand on Slyfer’s shoulder, trying to draw his attention, but Slyfer’s gaze does not leave his prey, he does not feel the hand and even if he did he wouldn’t care! “Slyfer….. Slyfer listen to me boy, you don’t have to do this the King has already decided, it’s done.” Old Sun’s words finally reach Slyfer and replies, still not moving his gaze that is nailing Pathfinder in place.

“You are wrong, I have to do this. Just look at him old man he has gone insane if I don’t finish this he may hurt someone I care about!” Old Sun looks at Pathfinder the way his face has changed, the cruel lines that weren’t there before that is clearly visible now. Then he looks at Slyfer. “I can’t decide which one looks more insane…..”

The Old man sighs and removes his hand. His voice goes into a whisper his mouth near Slyfer’s ear. “If you do this, you must understand you can’t kill him, he-“ Slyfer starts to laugh sending shivers up Old Sun’s spine. “I can’t promise you that.”

Slyfer laughs again while pointing his finger at his prey. “I am still waiting for your answer….talk dog!” His sudden shout lets Pathfinder come out of his stupor, he had seen Slyfer on the battlefield, he had seen how he ripped wolves and elves apart giving that same laugh he is now, giving that same look that he is now directing at Pathfinder.

The prince feels fear, fear in its purest form. But courage cannot exist without fear. They go hand in hand like a sword and scabbard. That is what starts to grow in Pathfinder’s heart now, his courage, his resolve. In his mind he had taken Slyfer’s condescending behavior for far too long. “It’s time to end it!” Voices start to speak, evil ones like the those in Slyfer only different, these are the voices of hungry wolves, driven crazy by their insatiable appetite. Wolves on the edge of starvation, that are willing to even eat its own, to devour its family, to kill its love.

Hunger is what starts to drive Pathfinder’s courage forward. Hunger for recognition, hunger for a love he cant have, hunger takes over every cell of his body and it drives the words out of his throat like vomit. It makes his voice change like Slyfer’s had countless times before. The voice too, is the same but different. Where Slyfer’s voice is completely dominating making those who hear it, want to submit in fear. Pathfinder’s is filled with ferality, it gives those that hear it a feeling of sickness, dirtiness, uncleanness that makes you want to scrub yourself until your skin comes off!

“We, will fight to the death!” Old Sun finds his voice even though he feels like, he wants to wash himself till he bleeds. “Preposterous, you know the rules it cannot be done! You are a Prince this mere fact already makes it impossible; you are the Kings only heir to the throne!” Seeing Old Sun say this, others also start to interject, shouting and ridiculing at the stupidity of what the prince is trying to do.

Pathfinder growls, a growl of a hungry wolf. His eyes turn to Old Sun staring and it makes Old Sun feel like bugs are crawling all over his skin. “You, old man will not tell me, the Prince what I will and will not do. If you come between me and my food, I will kill you!”

People gasp at this, they all know Old Sun had been in the boy’s life, before he even got adopted. He is like an uncle to the boy many start to whisper to each other about what could happen to the dark elves if someone like him is to take the throne. Someone who so easily turns on their friends and family, how quickly would someone like that not turn against his people?

Old Sun feels betrayed as he hears the words. This whelp he had helped to raise had just threatened his life. He can still remember how his son had taught the boy a little sword fighting in the backyard of his villa. How the twins had come to visit so often to see uncle Sun. “Now he threatens me like our bonds mean nothing, perhaps I should let Slyfer ki- No, what am I thinking!”

Old Sun looks at the finger then at the owner his face starting to reveal signs of anger. “You may be the Prince but you are still a mere bo-“ Before Old Sun can finish his sentence, pathfinder strikes like a venomous snake for the Old man’s throat, aiming to rip it out. Old Sun, a master in hand to hand combat had not even seen it coming!

Pathfinder’s hand is just about to hit when he gets balled over. The tent is filled with a resounding crack! As Slyfer’s shoulder and the Prince’s ribs meet. Pathfinders feet lift from the ground and he and Slyfer keep traveling through the air. They finally stop when they hit the wall of the tent nearly making it collapse, just as it is about to the strong fabric tares and they are deposited outside.

A few noble ladies scream in surprise and some even start to panic!What normal person can survive a hit like that. But then it begins. Like a low rumble in the far of distance that slowly starts to grow it had come to this and now it would begin. The fight between two princes!

Slyfer laughs as he stands up and starts rubbing his shoulder. “You know, you’re right who needs terms.” He bends down picking up the breathless puppy. “What we need is carnage!’ Slyfer throws him with all his strength into the ground. Laughing as Pathfinders body bounces like a ball nearly a meter into the air. Pathfinder wants to find his feet his side feels like it’s been pulverized into a fine meat paste but he hears the voices and they give him strength, the pain starts to fade.

Then he hears it again that deathly laugh then steps striking the ground making it shake. Just as pathfinder’s body is about to touch the ground. Slyfer runs kicking up mud and stones as he does, they hit the tent and some even go through the material showering the inside with mud and debris! Slyfer arrives next to his prey and he pulls his leg back….bang he kicks Pathfinder but the Prince had sensed Slyfer coming and put up his hands to block. Pathfinder flies through the air hits the ground and bounces once his limbs going in all directions he hits the ground again and starts to slide on his side across the ground digging a ditch into it as he goes!

Slyfer laughs again but he stops as Pathfinder stands up. The red eyes widen a bit in surprise. Then his body shakes in ecstasy. “Good, good you don’t die easily. That gives us more time to play! Come wolfy, come boy, come play with master! Haha hahaha.” Pathfinder hears him and it drives him insane! He wants to kill this red eyed bastard so bad it feels like he wants to explooode!

The dark wolves give him power and he uses it to shoot forward turning into a blur in the darkness it causes mud to fly everywhere in his wake. Slyfer sees him coming and launches himself forward creating the same effect. Slyfer lifts his hand and strikes at pathfinder throwing all his power into it. Pathfinder already has his fist out aiming to pound Slyfer’s face into a crater. Their fists meet making their bones shake and bodies tremble the force of it causes mud to shoot out away from them like a wave.Pathfinder is thrown off balance. Slyfer's strength is way out of his league!

Slyfer throws a straight punch but the prince ducks under it, Wooosh it whistles over his head.

Pathfinder quickly kicks out his left leg catching Slyfer on his upper thigh.

The blow is unexpected and Slyfer not prepared, gets rocked to the bone causing his leg to throb with pain and he grunts. Slyfer doesn’t take the blow lying down and sends out his own kick but Pathfinder has been trained since young, in hand to hand combat and now it starts to show!

He throws his arm up, his fist next to his head to protect it and receives the blow. But who is Slyfer? And what had he done the last few days? Pulling the wagon could not have produced, no results, ripping his muscles apart to only regrow could not have all been for nothing! The blow hits and it makes Pathfinders teeth rattle and eyes bulge. His body gets pushed to the right side, his feat leaving the ground as he starts to spin to the right.

Slyfer sees the opening and goes for it, he throws out a right hook and pathfinder barely manages to block in mid-air but again Slyfer's strength training shows itself.

Pathfinder gets blown back like rag doll by the punch. His feet leaves the ground for two seconds then touches down. Pathfinder instantly throws his body forward letting his feet dig into the mud and he comes to a sliding stop. his arms feel numb his chest tight.

Slyfer laughs and launches after him like a rocket, not willing to let him go, enjoying the thrill of battle just too much to even wait for a second! Pathfinder sees the demon with red eyes and he lets out a growl that wakes up half of the camp as he does he begs for more power from the wolves and a faint dark aura starts to form around him, his red tail turns pitch black!

Slyfer arrives and gives a right uppercut aiming for pathfinder’s chin. Having learned his lesson Pathfinder doesn’t block but leans to the side. The hit misses and Pathfinder drops to the ground swinging his right leg in a circular fashion a mere inch above the ground. As it travels it leaves a smear of black aura behind.

It hits Slyfer’s legs and his world turns. He falls on his back mud splattering over him as he does. Using the centrifugal force pathfinder swings his leg completely around while pushing off with his left leg. His foot starts to leave the ground as his back is turned to Slyfer. Pathfinder kicks backwards with his swinging leg and it carries him over, his swing turning into a back-flip. He bends his legs as he spins in the air aiming to fall on Slyfer with his knees, to crush his chest into nothing but dust!

Slyfer tries to roll but the mud makes it difficult. Bam! Pathfinder lands on his chest and it makes Slyfer vomit out the precious air in his lungs. The ground around them cracks and mud is pushed out from under Slyfer as he his planted into it with force. The pain! Glorious pain rushes through Slyfer making him want to roar. Pathfinder sees the eyes still looking at him from beneath unwavering, almost begging for more. He splits his legs and clamps them down on Slyfer’s head and starts to pound at Slyfer’s face. He can’t take it, those eyes, looking down on him; he doesn’t want to see it he wants to destroy it!

He pounds and pounds but Slyfer has his arms up blocking the blows. He gets a blow through connecting with Slyfer’s cheek causing his head to sink into the mud he lands another and another. Slyfer's head sinks deeper and deeper until the eyes disappear under the mud and Pathfinder can’t see them anymore.

Slyfer blocks but the mud from Pathfinder’s fists, goes into his eyes. Bam! A blow hits him and makes the mud worse as it starts to rise at the sides of his face. Bam, bam two more hits and everything goes black as putrid mud along with his own blood enters his nose and mouth. Slyfer gets frustrated and he nearly changes barely hanging on to his sanity.

Even more blows hit forcing mud down his throat causing pain and his mind to go into a daze.

His lungs start to burn as he needs oxygen. But he cant risk taking a breath unless he wants to drown in mud and blood. He hears his heartbeat start to pound in his ears at first fast but then it starts to slow Slyfer’s limbs start to lose strength. He can’t even count how many times he has been hit!

Pathfinder starts to laugh as he hits over and over and over again. “Is this it?! Is this all you have?” As if to answer Slyfers fist heads towards his face, a wild swing without any power. Pathfinder smacks it away easily. People are watching from afar they had seen the carnage the two had caused as they exchanged blows. They had felt the force of the blows as it traveled through the air they can even feel it now through the ground as Pathfinder pounds at Slyfer unceasingly.

They hear him laugh and what he shouts. Trisha takes two steps forward intending to interfere. But she gets tackled by someone and held down. Elyna holds on desperately to prevent Trisha from running into a fight that could surely cause her certain death. “Let me go, let me go. Slyfeeeer!”

Slyfer barely hears the voice through the mud in his ears. But barely is good enough. Pathfinder starts to laugh louder as Slyfer stops struggling. Then he hears it; Trisha’s pained cry to help Slyfer and it drives him mad. She was his and then this bastard came and took her from him! “Aaaaah! Shut up, you Bitch, you are next!”

The ground suddenly starts to shake causing pathfinder to look around in panic. The dark wolves he had embraced, who had been shouting for him to kill, starts to whimper in fear confusing him even more. Then he senses it, around him is an aura so evil, so malicious it makes his scalp start to tighten. The mud around him starts to float as if caught in space. Then he hears it. The voice of death itself.

“I warned you, I told you what would happen if you threatened her again!” Slyfer’s hand shoots out and grabs Pathfinder around his neck. The hand is hot and burns the skin underneath. Pathfinder’s advanced sense of smell can clearly detect the smell of his own skin burning! What happens next lets his heart sink in despair. The red eyes start to rise from the mud as if ascending from hell and around it are black scales. But that’s not what caused the despair. Two horns protrude from Slyfer’s temples they curve back and then forwards like a bull's on it are what looks like cracks pulsing with blood.

Slyfer had fought the voices in his head he had struggled against them pushing them back. But when he heard what Pathfinder said. Control flew out the window and in its place came a driver bent on only one thing…. Destruction! Slyfer felt himself change like the day he lost control and destroyed Browly’s little bugs.

Now once again there is a bug waiting to be squashed. The demon talks and as it does, smoke billows out of its mouth. It stands up holding Pathfinder aloft with ease. “I warned you maggot, I told you I would burn you alive!” As the demon finishes talking Pathfinders feet start to burn.

He lets out croaks and kicks his legs clawing futilely at Slyfer's arm, as he tries to scream but they all get stuck in his throat as the demon starts to crush his neck.

The people standing and watching can see nothing as a black and evil aura drifts around the two that are fighting so fiercely. A small light appears but it’s as if the aura sucks it up before it reaches them. Trisha, Aldowin and Elyna recognize it instantly. The orc who had touched it that day turned into dust along with the rest of Browly’s army.

“Maim! Kill! Burn!”

The demon does not use its dark powers, killing the maggot so quickly is too good for him. So he burns him as Slyfer had promised he burns him and it enjoys every moment of it! The demon smashes pathfinder into the ground making the earth shake with the force of it mud rolls away in waves forming a crater around them. Ribs crack and an arm breaks the bone sticking out of Pathfinder’s skin. The demon stands up and lets out a roar of glee as he hears more pain filled screams!

Trisha and the rest hear it. Their hearts stop the atmosphere grows colder turning their breaths into vapor. The tiger’s in Trisha start to tell her to retreat. “Slyfer has lost control, girl. You must run! Run as far away as you can. Flee! Trisha fights them she believes in Slyfer. He had been there for her and she will be there for him. Elyna still holds on but the roar makes her lose her strength and Trisha starts to slip out of her grasp!

The demon looks down at the whimpering cur and laughs again watching as Pathfinder tries to crawl away from it. The fire that started on his feet has now reached his knees. He screams in pain and anger at having lost to Slyfer yet again. The wolves who had promised him strength had abandoned him the way he had abandoned his feelings for his friends and family and now he is paying the price.

The wolves had used his jealousy and started to gnaw at his heart making him bitter. At first he too had fought against the darkness inside him like Slyfer had to everyday. But his resolve was weak and as he saw them talk and laugh his bitterness turned into pure hatred. He had then provoked it, provoked Slyfer. He starts to cry out as he hears the steps of the demon coming closer from behind, tears and snot stream down his face. “Heeeelp! Help me, Old Sun, sister help m-“

The demon laughs listening to his agonized screams. Its hand stretches out and grips Pathfinder’s burning leg making the burned skin come off. It squeezes and gets rewarded with more screams of pain as the prince starts to thrash like a bug being pressed down on by a finger.

Slyfer then starts to lift him up swinging the dog over his head, as he does. Pathfinders leg brakes with a pop caused by the force of the swing and then he gets smashed into the ground! More bones break and the screams..... stop.

The demon was looking forward to another swing, more screams, more pain. But pathfinder is quiet, it lifts up the grotesque body inspecting it like you would a juice bottle that you had drank from thirstily only to find its now empty. It lets the leg go and it falls to the ground with a sickening splat. It walks around the limp body then stops and kneels down next to Pathfinder’s head.

The dark aura starts to fade as if being sucked up by something. The people had heard the screams and pleas for help but they couldn’t approach they could only wait, watch and listen. As the aura fades they see a dark figure bent low next to a body it’s hand rests on Pathfinder’s head. Trisha looks up taring her eyes away from the crouched dark figure she knows is Slyfer.

The aura had not been sucked up but simply moved! Above Slyfer is a dark swirling mass of what can only be described as death. Like a dark hole it sucks the life out of the surroundings. If one could see the different energies like the white dragon explained. They would see it all get sucked into this abyss. The energy does not get converted or changed, it simply disappears into nothingness, it gets utterly destroyed! Something the white dragon had said is impossible!

The demon looks up at the swirling mass his hand still on the body's head and lets out a deafening roar that seems to crack the space around it. The roar is long and overpowering. A lot of people pass out immediately when they hear it. Some pee themselves and curl into balls on the floor shaking with fear! The living plants nearby start to wither and die turning black as night and then..... starts to drift with the wind as it turns to ash disappearing forever.

The howl of a wolf follows the roar a howl of pain and fear. Trisha looking at the mass of darkness sees it take form faintly resembling a dragon with seven heads! She looks down to see a wolf of darkness on the ground standing over Pathfinder. It whimpers and cries as the dragon closes in. It grabs the wolf and tares it apart, feeding on it! This time the energy does not disappear. As the dragon feeds it grows to Trisha’s astonishment. Wind picks up whipping at them from where the seven headed dragon is eating. The scent the wind carries is of death!

The dark mass shrinks and disappears by flowing into Slyfer! Trisha sees him as the horns shrink and his scales fade turning back into skin. Some of those that are still able to stand rush over. Trisha does not care who they are, she just wants to find out, if Slyfer is okay. When she reaches him, Slyfer is passed out his clothes ripped to shreds, but there are no wounds! Next to him lies a broken body. Its arms are sticking in unnatural directions. One foot is completely turned around facing the wrong way, away from the body.

The smell of burned skin, fills their nostrils and makes them feel sick. Old Sun bends down hoping for a pulse. He nearly falls over in relief, as he feels it. It’s their but faintly. He turns around to ask someone to go fetch the healers, but only Aldowin and Trisha are behind him.

The rest are passed out, or still..... cowering in fear.

You guys did not expect that!

Some may hate this chapter, others may like it. I tried my best.

Hope you enjoy the chappie!