Chapter Eight
By Untwisted

Reprinted with permission.
Added 07/28/2002.

Six wide eyed men stood watchful over Dajyrad's bed, as a heavily wounded Dulcion applied coat after coat of a thick salve. Then, gently lifting a decanter up to Dajyrad's lips, he forced a liquid between them, and down the warrior's throat.

Slowly, Dajyrad's eyes opened to meet the gaze of his friends. He sat up quickly. "Where is she!" the man demanded, "Where is she!"

Lorik spoke coolly, "She, she is..."

"She did saved me Dajyrad, she sacrificed herself for me," interrupted Dulcion, who was now beginning to tear.

Tears had already begun their way down Dajyrad's face, as he shook his head. He could only sob, "No, no... It can't be. We've. Our. Whole. Life!"

Soon Dajyrad was back in his trance, eyes glazed and body shaking with fear and anger.

It took another few sips of the draught Dulcion had prepared before Dajyrad was awake again.

"Tell me. What happened. Did she die happily?" choked Dajyrad.

Dulcion recalled the previous day's events, "She saved my life Dajyrad. She attacked a band of drudges who had kidnapped me. The drudges flung her aside and it seemed as though they were going to ignore her, but one drudge broke formation and attacked her. She managed to get up though, and bit his leg so viciously the other drudges scrambled to help. They killed her, I could do nothing. I threw a bomb at them, hoping that I would do no harm to the corpse of your friend, but when I retrieved it after the dust had settled it merely evaporated. Her particles ascended to the stars, it was quite beautiful actually. Before she evaporated, or whatever it was she did I took a good look at her, and she did not seem upset or hurt in the least bit. She was a truly good friend."

Later that day the sounds of fury could be heard throughout the town as Dajyrad trained behind the armory. He dismantled every dummy in the yard, and lay waste to every creature in holding. His sadness fed his fury and there was no tiring him.

When all of the armory's practice resources had been spent, Padre and Charon spared with the enraged warrior, having a hard time keeping up.

Rage filled his eyes, and everything took on a crimson hue. He was more alert then he had ever been, more agile, and more ruthless. He had a taste for blood, and a need for death. Nothing could settle his forlorn heart.

As the whole town slept, Dajyrad suited for battle. Dawning his armor, and sharpening his spear, the soldier marched right out of town, heading back toward where he and Padre first met. He did not know what he was doing, nor where he was going, but he knew it was in search of Palyn.