KEEL THE DEMONSLAYER

5 - The Campaign of the arms

Book 2

Duke Marlak

Power, in fact, changes people...

I was covered in mud and blood. My hair disheveled and glued to my face. Balcatemi's heat pulsed in my fist; its vibration followed the beating of my heart.

"Damn you cowards! I'll burn you all to the last!" I shouted, cursing the devils who withdrew.

I felt something incredible. My body wasn't fatigued at all! After a long battle, my muscles didn't ache.

I was still thinking about it when tentacles emerged from under a pile of corpses. There was still one of those misshapen monsters hiding unsightly. My blade's response was to burn again. The hot flames sprang up. My legs got tangled and I was violently pulled by the creature. Its huge mouth was filled with serrated hungry teeth, but they wouldn't eat that day. At the last moment before being bitten, I spun the sword and nailed it on the side of his head. The heat boiled the beast's blood, causing a small explosion.

"Seventy-seven! My best number..." I blurted out euphorically.

A strong hand helped me to stand. "Seventy-seven?" he asked.

"The number of beasts I've dispatched back to hell".

The human soldier looked at me incredulously. "You're exaggerating" he suggested.

I took the blade to his chest and threatened "It doesn't cost to add one more!"

Frightened, the soldier stepped back, tripped on the head of a dead demon and began begging "please excuse me, sir elf, I did not mean..."

I felt like striking him, but I controlled the urge "Call me Keel, slayer of demons". I didn't resist and laughed loudly.

Many survivors moaned and tried to stand now that the battle had ceased. They watched me as if I was crazy. Laughing aloud wasn't fit to the situation, after all, thousands died throughout the battlefield now covered with pain and death.

"We won!" I incited them, but few shared my mood. "Won!" I repeated, but it was a celebration without echo.

That was the end of the first battle of the Campaign of the Arms. Hundreds of battles followed as we penetrated the human's Sacred Valley, home of the ancient kingdom of Umm. It was a land of ruins, which became the main base of the hordes of the Duke Zimbros, lord of chaos and deformity. The first three weapons were bonded powerful fire spirits for one reason: Zimbros and his hordes, the most hideous and misshapen, were weak against fire.

The campaign was conducted by three armies. The first, more numerous and formed mostly by men commanded by King Öfinnel, patriarch of one of humanity's long living upper castes, known as Hölmos. He had his kingdom usurped by Duke Zimbros' invasion and was personally determined to take it back. The second army was smaller in number, but had many wizards and some dragons. It was led by my mentor, Raastad. The third army grouped several races, being composed of dwarfs, catmen, lizards and even elves gone astray of their divisions, cities or original groups. This one was led by General Grible, of the golden hammer, a wise dwarven prince, but also a fierce warrior.

I returned the sword to its scabbard and suddenly felt ashamed. All of the thrill was gone and I remembered what happened days before we got to the Sacred Valley.

It was a special occasion when we sighted the Peak of Heaven, a place where the Gods lived. It was so high that one could not see its top from its base. It was dawn and we had overcome the mountain range called Jedhê Isninkri. The night sky was clear, starry, and moonless but as the first sunlight touched the top of the peak it shone like a moon would. It was like a second sun, or even a tenth moon, so close and so bright. It was a rare sight, which could be appreciated for a few moments, and only from a certain distance. Many still slept, but Raastad and some others woke up especially to appreciate the phenomenon. Soon the sun began to light up the rest and the peculiar visual effect gradually faded.