Chapter 22

Hate

Seval awoke with buzzing chatter all around. He blinked several times to clear up his vision, seeing that he was on a wooden podium. A wild crowd of dwarves roared and cheered as a lone dwarf clad in purple and red attire spoke in a foreign tongue. Seval glanced beside him and spotted both Shimmer and Trinity in chains. They had no weapons at all, as Seval soon realized he was unarmed as well.

The lead dwarf suddenly spun around, a hand gesturing past Seval.

"Ahuha the Raven!" he exclaimed, as the crowd fell into a roar of disapproval and hatred. In the seconds that followed, a person held by two guards on each side was marched toward the front of the podium. The black dress and feathers spelled out who it was. Seval couldn't help but stare into them.

"We all be here today to witness the rightful punishment of the ruthless, brutal killer that had ravaged our streets for many nights!" the lead dwarf exclaimed, the crowd booing at the dressed person on display. "She be speaking against us, trying to brainwash us! But we be dwarves! Strong by heart! Smart by brain! We be unstoppable!" The cheering resumed, as a dwarf next to Marien struck her in the back of her legs to send her to her knees. She cried out in pain before being muzzled on the spot. The plan had already backfired. Was there an escape?

"Bring in da other one! Da one that created an illusion that shrouded her true intentions! Bring in da Queen of Lies!" the leader continued, as a similar pattern to Marien occurred. Seval watched the Queen be forced ahead, a bloody cloth wrapped around her mouth. She had went through some beatings, definitely to wear her down. But did it matter? She was still going to die. Her words were rendered incapable.

"Behold! Dwarven powah! All those that face us shall be wiped from the face of dis earth that we made!" the leader announced, throwing up his hands. The crowd fell into loud appraisal, like they were worshipping a god. It only grew louder when the Queen was forced to kneel, her protesting gone unheard. Both the Raven and Queen were sitting side-by-side, their positions and fates the same. One was a known killer as the other was a liar. Both were enemies to the dwarves.

"For da people, we shall do what is necessary! End da voices dat corrupt us at da core! We must return to da old ways where only dwarves roamed these caves! All others are evil and only out for our blood! And for my people, I shall do it now!" The leader went silent, stepping aside. A heavy gauntlet grasped onto the podium, a heavy dwarf being pulled up in full black armor. It was the executioner that Seval had thrown his sword into. How was he still alive?
The executioner walked to the Raven's side, hovering the long axe's blade along her exposed neck. She looked to the sky, silently praying. All the while, Seval watched helplessly. He couldn't do anything. He began to weep. He felt sorrow that it was all his fault. Everything was his fault.

"Aloolah!" the leader yelled, and the executioner swung his axe right through the two kneeling targets' necks. Seval cried, his eyes shut, like he was in a nightmare. The crowd cheered loudly and hungrily. When Seval opened his eyes, he saw two heads roll off. One had its eyes set right on Seval. The black mask fell off. He knew it was Marien. He knew she hated him.

Desperate, he fell onto his knees and heard Shimmer and Trinity get pulled away. They too were decapitated. He watched none of it because he could picture it all in his twisted mind. He cried like a baby, knowing it was all over. In due time, he was forced to his feet. Not able to open his eyes, he felt himself be pulled along. Until he was stopped and forced to kneel.

He peeked open his eyes and saw the crowd. All were laughing and smiling and cheering. They loved the executions. They loved watching a life get torn apart. They loved it all to pieces.

Seval sorrowfully looked aside. The four heads were on their sides, all but one pair of eyes set on him. Hatred. He messed this all up. He was why they were dead. It was his fault.

An axe was pulled high in the air beside him. He heard the whooshing sound clear and loudly in his sore ears. Accepting, he shut his eyes and prepared for death. He wanted forgiveness for all he had done. He wanted peace for those that had died. And for himself, but that was nearly impossible. He would never forgive himself for all those he couldn't save.

But a new feeling rose. It was uncontained, pure, and unstoppable. It was a monstrosity. Utmost power, the type the strongest conquerors possess. It was all in his grasp, his chained hands. He widened his eyes, taken aback by the beauty that only he clutched. It fueled him. It gave him a motivation. He was not the one responsible. It was the dwarves.

Seval slammed the podium below him, his hands reaching for something he knew was there. And he grabbed onto it, holding it close to him like it was the last thing keeping him alive. With the axe swinging at his neck, he stood. The chains withered into dust, the cuffs around his hands burning into ash. He smiled at the crowd, his eyes ablaze in flames.

Rage.

Like a machine, Seval deflected the axe that laid mere inches away from him. He broke it in half, more so little pieces. Now unarmed, the executioner backed away helplessly. Just like Seval. Just like the girl. Just like all the humans that were killed in cold blood. Seval laughed at the attempt and plunged his sword into the executioner not once, not twice, but seven times. There was nothing but blood in Seval's vision. He rose and continued his massacre, a voice guiding him the whole way through: Omni.

They'll pay. You'll teach them what is right and wrong. You'll punish them accordingly. At the end of it, you will see your love. You will hold her in open arms and love her. Death shall not separate you two, Omni claimed, his voice slithery and soothing. It was impossible to ignore. Impossible to deny.

Seval slaughtered the rest of the defenseless guards, his body coated in their blood, as was his glowing sword. His hungry eyes turned to the fleeing leader who froze in place at being spotted. Seval walked slowly, his stomps loud and startling the crowd for each one. When he reached the leader, he smiled widely. But it soon turned into a frown.

This was the one that killed his friends. The one that ruined his life. If he killed this monster, then he would be satisfied. Surely. Fueled by pure hatred, unbound rage, Seval brought his left fist back and jabbed the dwarf right in the face. The fist bathed in red and purple light penetrated the face all the way through until there was nothing left. With a faint explosion, the dwarf fell dead and lifeless. Seval kept his eyes toward his bloody left fist, all the chaos and hectic screaming but whispers. Only Omni's voice was clear.

All of them. Make them all pay. They witnessed. They cheered. They laughed. None did anything to save your love. They let her die. Show them how much you love her. How much you hate them.

Seval directed his eyes onto the still crowd that dared not move. He watched over them like a tyrant, the tyrant himself. Their lives were in his hands. At last, he could do what was right. Erase them all. Send them to where they belong. Their sins will never be atoned. They didn't directly cause the deaths of those that established the foundation of Seval's life. But they were there, watching it all. They did nothing. All they did was watch a life get crumbled apart at its core.

Now they would see the result. A boy without anyone to turn to, to love. Just thrown to the wolves, alone and left for dead. Yet, that boy overcame the wolves. He pounded and grounded them all. He fought by hair and teeth until there weren't any more wolves to fight. It was just him at the end of it all.

Seval fully faced the cowering crowd before him. Gripping his head intensely, he fanned a finger at them all. None were excluded. Not the women or children, weak or sick. They all watched and did nothing. Nothing. The worst thing a person can do. Pathetic. The type of person that watches and endures deserve death. Brainless sheep was what they were. It was time for a proper shepherd to put them into place. To show them where they belong. Time had run out. If only it could be reversed for Seval to see his friends alive and well. Oh, he dreamed of that moment every second since it had all went down before his helpless eyes. Time only goes forward sadly.

Seval's finger grew shaky by how wrecked he was. The emotions piled up so quickly that he didn't have time to react. Rage, sorrow, desperation, guilt, fear. All came together into one product, one combined result that put Seval in a lost state. He could kill everybody in the blink of an eye. But he was losing form: his finger shook until it dropped, his lips quivered, and his eyes grew watery. As his body convulsed, he dropped onto his knees and clutched his head with both hands after casting his sword aside. Tears fell in a waterfall, a large puddle forming beneath him. He saw his reflection, how desperate he really was. He was alone.

Finish them! You need only yourself! Together we shall cast this land into eternal flames! None will dare stand against us! Nobody! Omni mandated, which made Seval groan in pain by how much his head throbbed. This is vengeance and nothing more. They took your life away and countless others. But you? You have an opportunity to enact justice unlike those that had fallen. Omni's voice decreased right into a whisper, as if it was in Seval's ear. They're calling for you. They want you to do this. What would Marien say? Oh, she's dead. By whom? Look ahead and the light is clear. Do what needs to be done with haste. This will be but a nuisance to your domination of these pests. Do it well and heed your fallen friends' wishes with respect.

Seval's sword flew into his right hand and he plunged it into the podium to stand. He continued to shake, his shoulders heaving in all directions. His breaths were wheezes, a cold, empty air hardening his heart. Beside him, he stared at Marien's unmoving corpse. The seconds passed as he waited for her to stand and attach her head back. She would smile and tell him everything would be alright. But she didn't rise. She was forever dead and lost.

Seval shouted in pure agony, crying out for relief as he leapt from the podium. His left fist collided with those in his path, with his sword slicing and dicing the rest. Screaming filled his ears, a dying wish gone unfulfilled. He laid witness to it all. Desperation, regret, and of course a last apology. Seval would never forgive. Not now or ever. They must learn their mistakes, or they shall forever go unpunished.

With blood dripping from all over his body and sword, Seval finished the last of the crowd. What laid before him was but a heap of mangled bodies. They were all so identical by the blood and shapes. But truthfully that's the respect they deserve. None.

Seval tasted the blood in his mouth, spitting it all out. He hacked and coughed, yet it wouldn't leave. It was stuck inside of him until the end, a constant reminder of this very event. All was done and executed. Perhaps Seval could rest in peace now. If only such a dream could be realized.

"What are you doing down there?" a voice asked Seval, who wildly spun around at the voice. He located a headless body sitting on the edge of the podium, the black feathered dress making it clear who it belonged to. To top it off, Marien's head was being held in the left hand.

Seval was speechless, for any attempt to speak was for naught. He couldn't believe what he was seeing. In wonder, he fell on his knees upon a load of corpses and dropped his sword. His hands reached out for Marien, who just rolled her eyes at him.

"You'll never reach me like that. Do you not have any sense of direction?" Marien remarked, annoyed. Her body crossed its legs together, an arm folded beneath the one holding the head up.

Seval's lips were cracked and dry. It took him many minutes in constant reaching out before standing up. He walked slowly to the podium, his boots smushing whatever mangled bodies were in his path. When he arrived at the foot of the podium, he offered a hand to Marien, who didn't move a muscle.

"I'm up here? Can't you see that?" she asked, confused. Seval nodded robotically and went to climb the podium. But at last, he was pulled down by a wave of hands that tugged at his legs. He clawed at the surface, for Marien, but he was taken beneath the corpses. The light soon faded into complete darkness. He felt more alone than ever.

"Hello?" a voice buzzed through Seval's ears, faint and distorted. He forced his eyes open, seeing Marien's head above with her hair pouring down. She looked slightly worried, but then it turned impatient and irritated.

"What have you been doing? Time is not on our side, you know," Marien continued, and stood up to leave Seval's vision. He rubbed his throbbing head, sitting upright on the blanket he was positioned upon. Everything was a blur last night. The last thing he remembered was climbing a wall. Yet something of a gut instinct almost told him an important event took place. He didn't know the details or what happened; he just knew it was essential.

The room was productive, with everybody doing their own thing. Shimmer and Trinity were both clad in their respective armor, each testing out cuffs by stretching and pulling them. The Queen was speaking to herself, most likely preparing a speech of sorts. And Marien had left the room for whatever reason. Seval was eager for her return, but for now he sat around and waited. He had nothing to do.

An outcast, Seval searched for something that he could do. He wasn't the one swaying the dwarves, the actually important part, nor was he slipping in the speakers for the plan to work. What even was he? Not an escort, speaker, or fighter. He was just . . . a spectator, merely like the dwarves. Hopefully a role would be given to him. Otherwise, he would just be useless, and he hated being like that.

Time flew by as Seval thought for his own plan. Maybe he could be another escort or speaker. Some demonstrations perhaps. Or he could replace Marien and have his neck exposed. Anything but nothing was fine for him.

Boredom got the best of Seval, who rushed over to the front of the room where everybody was. He eavesdropped on Shimmer and Trinity, but they grew silent at his presence. So he stepped over to the Queen. She was still practicing her lines, not really caring about Seval being right in front of her.

"What are you going to say?" he asked, which startled Natáshia into glaring at him.

"Nothing that you need to know." She dismissed him with a flick of the wrist. "Now leave me be. I need to get this right or we'll be as good as dead." As she returned to reciting lines she had burned into her mind for the past hour or so, Seval stepped aside, dejected. He returned to the back of the room and sat down, his arms crossed, like a brat. Many episodes as such were shared between Marien and him, a quite common occurrence. They both hated things not going their way.

Psst . . . Seval. Come closer, Omni called out from aside, so Seval cocked his head in that direction. It was in his lap, just waiting to be used.

What? Seval asked, impatient. Omni flashed to a shade of red, a clear indicator of anger.

My wisdom is to be valued! I'll have your head on a pole if you keep this foolish charade up! Omni calmed down with his voice returning to normal. You'll have indeed an important role today. It's nothing you'd expect or dream of having. Instead, it just comes to you. There is no preparing. No calculations to correct mistakes. You just have to do it. I'm certain that the girl told you earlier because I know she has some sense in the world. Unlike you.

Important? Tell me! I want to know! Seval demanded, and shook the dull sword. Omni was definitely not a fan.

Now that I think about it, I will have your head upon a pole! Your life will flash before your pathetic eyes as your dying wish goes unheard! I'll lay witness to all your suffering, for I shall be the conductor! The strategy was quite effective in silencing Seval, who was all too frightful at the threats.

Okay. Anything but that, Seval said, unnerved.

I do advise you on remembering the little vision you had earlier. It's a good outline on what's going to happen, Omni remarked, now calmed down. Seval drew a blank on the advice.

What vision? Omni sighed in irritation at the obnoxious question.

Nevermind. Good luck is all I have to say then.

With Omni going silent, Seval shook the sword for more information. None came. He was very nervous and wished he knew about the vision Omni spoke of. This just seemed like something he had to wing.

The clicks of heels echoed down the hallway and into the room, catching Seval's attention. He eagerly peeked over the table hiding him in wait for the owner. When the clicks grew louder, he grew even more excited. Everybody else had their attention toward the door as well.

A figure--easily identified as the Raven--clad in a black-feathered dress trotted inside. The Raven stopped at the door, her arms crossed with her black fingernails gripping her dress, nervous at the attention. Her dark auburn swept over her open shoulders, tidy and formal. Black socks ran from underneath her black, shiny heels up to where her dress stopped, about where her shins were. Underneath the black mask reminiscent of a raven, amber eyes darted around the room in complete embarrassment.

"What? Don't look at me like that."