Dhaval: Prince of Warriors

Prince of Warriors

 

It’s all about him, Dhaval, a feared name, a revered name, a dark Prince the world depends upon.  Not a Prince of monetary wealth or land riches, they mean nothing.  Power, reverence, victory, eroticism, these are his markings and strong marks he bears of each.  His mission is to rid our tattered planet of beasts that over the centuries have devoured its beauty and luster, feasted upon our race.  He lives to bathe in the essence of the beast’s blood.  From cracks in the earth, they spill up, snarling, drooling a deadly acid, hideous creatures that only a god of the underworld could father and love if love can exist in such a place.  Dhaval’s existence is as mysterious as these creatures he stalks.  Where did he come from?  Was he born to us or sent by a god to battle for us?  Who cares, he is here and he has protected us even though there are millions who don’t even know of him, Dhaval, our mysterious Prince of warriors.  But I know.  I have seen his work.  I have seen him battle.  I have seen him toy and taunt his prey before the ultimate kill.  I have seen the gleam in his eyes as he wheels his weapons against an opponent three times his size and bring them face down in a pool of their own blood.  I have seen him breathe in the elixir of their fleeting spirit.  The spirit he sends back to their maker with a message to bring on more and not keep him waiting.  I have seen him grow stronger the longer he fights and the harder he breathes, the more tense his muscles become.  He is more alive when he duels and tastes his reward than any other time.  I know this because I have been his reward, willingly, gratefully, honorably and most of all lovingly.  He has tasted the beat of my heart the waves of my mind, my very essence.  There has been no other to master his skills.  Dhaval, Prince of my heart, has given me memories and inspiration beyond measure.  I adore him.  I follow and observe him as he well knows.  I await him with open arms, to comfort him, soothe him, feed him, bathe him and partake of him, to share in his glorious victory.  To adorn myself his prize and thank him on behalf of the rest of the world.  It is my pleasure beyond words. 

I remember not so long ago a blustery night that the world shook violently.  I knew instantly my Prince would be in his element and death loomed for those creatures seeking human flesh.  My heart soared and soon I found myself standing atop a rocky peak with full view of his battleground.  The earth moaned as her seams crawled in jagged lines and opened up to the force of these demons birthing themselves into our world.  The blustery conditions were soon abated by the heat and steam spewing the creatures forth.  The fires of hell lapped at them like the whips of their maker spurring them on.  Ordering them to devour everything, everyone.  Two, four, and then the fifth one, the largest ones emerged and rose to their haunches, stretching, growling, cracking their bones and joints.  The stench of them sickened me.  But at that moment, I felt a presence near me.  A calming effect it always has on me, a sense of safeness, warmth, a feeling of completeness.  Dhaval.  I felt his hands, his strong warm hands gently envelope my sides, sliding around my waist until he had completely encircled me.  The warmth of his body pressed against my back pushed my excitement to dangerous levels.  I closed my eyes and leaned back into him, resting my head against his armored shoulder, my cheek mingling with the heat of his.  My hands overlapping his at my waist, our fingers entwine in the most sensual way.  The sickening stench, the horrible sounds of his foe were being replaced with the sound of his breathing, the feel of his heartbeat against my back, the scent of his adrenalin.  I wanted that moment to last forever but was broken by his words.

“I must tend my duties, my beloved.  Then I will return to claim my reward.”

Before my eyes could open, he was away and confronting the largest of the creatures.  My heart stilled and my lungs held my breath as I saw this enormous hideous demon tower over Dhaval.  This demon thing with the knotty head of a cantankerous dragon swelled his jowls with deadly acidic saliva, preparing to spew it.  Dhaval was laughing, taunting it, daring it with hand gestures to bring it on.  A smaller version of the demon emerged around the giant and craned his neck downward, his head nearly brushing the ground and sneered at Dhaval.  Just as Dhaval was about to gash the creature’s nostrils with his sword, the giant demon raised his heavy clawed foot and crushed the creature’s head into the ground so hard it created a small crater.  The creature’s head split, expelling what little brains it had between the giant’s talons.  Blood rained out, speckling the ground and Dhaval’s armor.  With his sleeve, he wiped away the drops burning into his cheek as if he were immune to the pain that it surely had to cause.  Dhaval smiled up at the giant and to my amazement, he continued to taunt it with sarcasm.

“Ah, now what did you go and do that for?  That’s my job.  Wonder how your daddy will feel about you killing your mommy’s favorite?  Come on, try and step on me.  I’ll make you look like an elephant trying to stomp on a mouse.  Come on, you ugly…….”

Then something happened that even Dhaval didn’t expect.  It spoke.  Never had one spoken before, not in a language we could understand.  Dhaval actually stepped back and stared up at it.  The words were clearly spoken even though they were throaty.

“I have no mother or father.  This death lying before you is incarnate.  Look closely, you will see the resemblance to yourself.”

Dhaval laughed heartily, “Look at what?  There is nothing but a greasy spot thanks to your overkill.  How is it you can speak and your cousins can only sound like they’re strangling on their own tongue?”

The creature eased down on his haunches as though he were getting comfortable to continue a friendly chat.  Even Dhaval seemed at ease, yet I knew better.  He was always at ready.  The demon smoothed down the scales of his left leg with a sharp talon as he spoke.

“How is it I know who you really are and you don’t know me?”

Dhaval studied it for a moment and then I saw, for the first time, an emotion spread over his face that I thought him incapable of.  Fear, or maybe it was just surprise.  In any case, I knew he had just realized something that he evidently thought impossible.  I felt fear flooding me.  I wanted to go to him.  I wanted to do something, anything, to help him.  But what could I do?  I heard Dhaval’s voice speak lowly, “why have you come?  Oh wait, let me guess, you’re tired of all your failures finally and the ole adage, ‘if you want something done right, do it yourself’ has brought you out of hiding.  Right?”

This time the demon laughed.  It was the most skin-crawling sound I had ever heard in my life.

“Hiding.  Come now, V, you know neither of us hide.  You have your tactics and I have mine.  It has been timeless.  However, time comes to an end today.  For you.”

Dhaval didn’t laugh or even chuckle this time.  He stepped forward, looking up at it, “I’ve waited for this moment for all my existence.  Before I end you, tell me, what did bring you out?  Why now?”

I felt a chill creep down my spine as the demon turned his head and glared at me with his red eyes.  My eyes fell to Dhaval, who was looking back at me.  I saw a change in his eyes.  They went from their beautiful deep brown to black.  It frightened me more than the lustful look in the demon’s eyes.  Dhaval spoke in a tone I had never heard from him.

“Ordinarily, I would say I’m sorry but you can’t have her.  But I’m not sorry.  I would never be sorry for you, V.  Not even while I’m watching you take your last rotten breath.” 

He said the letter ‘V’ in such a way that I wondered why they called each other that.  It obviously meant something to both of them.

And with that, an instant later, the dust was stirred up into an enormous cloud and all I could hear was growling and grunting, the sound of metal against scale and what sounded like talons screeching across armor.  I wondered how my Prince could possibly defeat this demon unlike any demons he had confronted before.  What if he didn’t?  What if my Prince of Warriors is destroyed?  Should I run away, save myself?  Surely, I will be next.  I strained to see through the dust as I prayed to every god I had ever heard of and most certainly the one God that I trusted.  Tears washed my face.  My heart choked me.  I waited, still calling on God to help him.  Suddenly, all was quiet.  Nothing stirred but the dust settling.  I wanted to call out to him but knew that no words would be able to escape my mouth.  My heart was in the way.  My hands wrenched in my gown.  The clouds in the sky opened and the evening sun shined down.  I watched in amazement as the earth’s wound closed.  I saw movement.  The remaining smaller creatures were crawling back into the earth as the crack closed over them.  Where was Dhaval?  Where was the giant demon?  Coldness surrounded me as the winds kicked up again, blowing away the remaining dust.  I saw the demon.  I saw him.  Dhaval.  My Prince of warriors. 

Author's Note

Wondering if this should be the one I choose for publishing?

Reviews

[Shep]

This was an excellent story. loved the pace and the detail. love the two characters duking it out to see who was going to win and loved the length of the story. I think you should publish this one. Awesome all around. Pleases be kind and return the love.