I awoke chained in a prison cell, where they spent a number of days trying to torture Aloree's true name out of me. I saw no evidence that they had learned my true identity as prince of Tarmel, nor Aloree's as princess of Talore, but they may have done no different if they knew.
Then, as I previously told you, I knocked out the guard, escaped with Aloree through the vents, and reached the mana core in the highest tower. I killed the first of the mana core's guards with a slash to the throat as the second, hidden, stabbed me through the abdomen from behind. Before I could bleed out from this fatal blow, I killed the second guard, slicing his blade in twain with my sword Swelfalster before finishing with a slash to his skull. After sending Aloree away with Swelfalster in an escape glider, I took the two swords of the defeated guards, slashed them into the output and feedback terminal of the mana core, and triggered its overload. As my body was hurled away from the explosion, burning in the intensity of the raw mana I had unleashed, my brain went into overdrive and began sending these, my dying words.
As the power of the raw mana I've unleashed burns the last of my body to a crisp and approaches my brain, I take solace that this amount of mana, surging through the Black Citadel's mana conduits, is likely sufficient to destroy the entirety of it. Though likely this be but a vanguard of a larger force, it is a toehold in our lands that must be extinguished.
My brother, as the man who was you, a season ago, I charge you to aid Aloree. Now, I feel my final consciousness fading away. Tell Aloree my last thoughts were of her. Aloree, I love you.
The prior redacted transcript of the dying words of Velwin, Velnin's first brother, was provided by permission of the Royal Family. An attached note assures us that the redacted portions, while likely of great interest to writers of racy historical romances, have little to add to the historical record.
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I held my shield overhead as arrows blackened the sky. The mass slave troops before us, an unstoppable human wave, pushed against the last of my men. My spear had long since been pulled from my hand, stuck into the dead body of one of the defeated slave troops piled one on top of the other around us. Soon, our wall at Dragonclaw Pass would fall, and the forces of the Black Legion would pour into Talore, then Tarmel. Every minute we could buy was one more for our side to prepare, and one more for the Black Legion to run out of the massive quantity of supplies needed to sustain such a large force.
Veltrin paused the playback and turned to speak to his retainers. "Veldin's forces at Dragonclaw Pass have just fallen. Prepare accordingly." He turned back and continued the playback.
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I slashed with my sword at the dagger-equipped slave who had forced his way over the pile of dead enemies before me, then jumped at me. He died in midair, his throat slashed, but his body's momentum bore down upon me, knocking me down and my shield to the side. An arrow fell then, piercing my throat.
I gasped for air as blood flooded my lungs. I pushed the dead body off, raised my shield once more, and slashed blindly as more slave troops pushed forward. My sword was knocked away, and I drew my dagger. I stabbed. I slashed. A knife slashed across my wrist, and my knife hand suddenly dangled uselessly. Still I fought.
Coughing blood, I kicked. I bit. I swung my shield, no longer caring if an arrow fell from above, knowing only that I must fight, must fight on, must buy every second I could. The last of my men fell beside me, backs resting against the wall, fighting as I did, with teeth, with kicks, with the last of their power.
A slave soldier rushed me once more. I pulled my shield down upon his head and bit him as he plunged towards me. He struggled, shoved at my jaw with his left, and plunged a dagger through my heart with his right.
The world went dark. As I died, the last of my strength spent, my life flashed before my eyes and my brain went into overdrive to write these, my dying words.
Let's back up.
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Upon Velwin's final message, the soldiers of Tarmel raced into the former territories of the Black Citadel. Everywhere, there was chaos, as the former capital of the region was no more. Town after town opted to join Tarmel, and leaned on our forces to restore order and fight back the chaos of collapse. Hope was in the hearts of the people for a brighter future, one unencumbered by the terrors brought by the Black Citadel's minions.
I, too, raced in, making a beeline for the former location of the Citadel. By day I raced over the roads in chariot, my retainers on horseback around me. By night, I trained, building the muscles of this new body just raised from stasis. I trained differently than Velwin had. Velwin had learned the sword and the bow, learned to fight 1 on 1 with the blade. And his dying words showed an excellent fighter, able to win as much as 3 on 1... who would inevitably take a wound in the process of winning, and bleed out. I trained to fight sword and shield, spear and shield. I trained to fight in a group with my instructors, each of us covering the other with a shield, each of us moving together. I also trained to fight one on one, in a slower, more ponderous style, not rushing in, moving with precision and patience, using my sword and shield to defend and attack as one unit. Would my life in combat be longer than my brother's? We would see.
I sensed the direction of my blade, sensed it stronger as we grew nearer and nearer. Eventually, we veered away from the path to the Black Citadel, coming to a forest.
With all my men searching for Aloree, I was the first to find her. Of course, I alone could sense the heart of my sword Swelfalster, which I hoped she still carried. Feeling, sensing, I at last spotted her camp. I quickened my pace, and saw the girl from Velwin's recording, golden tresses surrounding a face of pure beauty and sweetness. "Aloree!" I called out.
Aloree jumped up and ran towards me. "Velwin!" she called, face glowing. Suddenly, she stopped, and her face fell. "You are not he. You are not my husband. You are Veldin?"
I nodded wordlessly.