Warbaden

It was as if I was in a dream, not a good one. Just seeing it in person having lived long enough to witness it let me know that this day would be like no other.

Here was a nardel after all, a soldier that made any melbore look like just another civilian, it was said that if a nardel was in your solar system then you would have a life full of prosperity and happiness, but I'm afraid that would not be my case, maybe in other circumstances that myth would have been a reality but in these definitely not.

I knew it already, I was aware of why he was here, he had made it quite clear from the message he sent, and yet I couldn't help but wonder why, why did a nardel have to come to colonel in person?

A common army soldier would have been more than enough to accomplish the mission, bringing a melbore would have been considered a sin for making him waste his time on something like this, so why, what the hell was a nardel doing here?

I could feel a knot forming in my stomach as guilt gnawed at my insides and I couldn't help but regret my past decisions.

And just when I thought I couldn't take it anymore and would pass out something stopped me in my tracks, it was the first time I had ever experienced anything like this.

Look up.

Said the nardel still holding the last leader of the aslv with his hand, afraid to know what would happen if I didn't do it, I gathered all the willpower I had left to be able to look at that figure one more time.

You aslv gave no compassion or mercy to your own kind, so why do you think I should show mercy to you? Or now you will keep quiet, well who would have thought that you are more like your creations than you like to admit, like father, like son, aren't you?

If only I had turned down that damn job offer I wouldn't be here now, I cursed to myself, I knew it from the beginning, I knew I should never have gotten involved with this organization, but I….

Tell me you shameless fools, do you have enough sense to go around killing people who weren't even born when your stupid conflict of ideals started.

You don't even need to answer that because I already know the answer and it is too disappointing to know the answer.

Do you think I will forgive you just because you have been working for the aslv for less than three months?

The aslv leader's face was still being dragged across the cold floor as a little blood began to spill from his torso from the pressure the nardel's grip was exerting on the man like a hydraulic press.

I will share with you a thought that even morons like you can understand. If you don't respect human rights then don't expect them to respect yours.

Even when the soldier stopped using his authoritarian tone and remained silent it commanded great respect and fear for him at the same time as he continued to walk around the center of the crowd of aslv gathered in the capital of ronel.

And it was at that precise moment that I realized the meaning behind the nardel's words in his message.

The last aslv leader ceased to suffer when the flames that burst from the nardel's hand completely devoured his entire body leaving little more than ashes.

I swallowed in horror at what I assumed would await me next, but I could not accept it, wanting to search for another meaning I could not help but wander in my thoughts and as I desperately searched for any other reason for the nardel to use the word purge, something caught my attention.

Melbore, whispered a man beside me who almost seemed to be on the verge of tears. He even brought melbore soldiers with him, listening back to the same man I could notice his anguish that almost seemed to be soaked into his words for every time he stuttered.

But it wasn't just him everyone present was and I was no exception and if it hadn't been for the imposing six meter figure looking over his shoulder watching and judging all the aslv with a look of disgust, I'm sure this place would be in chaos by now.

I was terrified how could I not be, I could see how the famous super soldiers were making their way through the sea of people gathered in the capital, walking with their heads down as if they were scolded children they got to where the nardel was and immediately knelt down.

I could not help questioning myself if I should continue looking at the nardel in the face when not even a melbore was worthy of doing it, immediately after reaching that conclusion I lowered my head again or I tried to, I could not move my neck no matter how hard I tried I was barely able to lower it a little, each time my anxiety was increasing and my breathing became heavy, I wanted to scream but I could not do it and it was at that moment that he spoke again.

All those present here are responsible for the acts committed by their organization, and unfortunately and shame of humanity that not only includes the civilians but also the melbore that helped the aslv in the past.

I was confused at the words of the nardel, I thought that the melbore here present would be the ones in charge of delivering the same justice that he delivered to the last aslv leader, in that case I…maybe not….

My thoughts were interrupted when I saw an axe in the nardel's left hand, my little moment of tranquility I had before ended as soon as a new idea for the meaning of the message came to my mind.

His plan, will it be to eliminate the strongest defector axis members first? And then…. The weaker ones…. I-I will follow.

Having rendered their service to humanity, fighting against those who wanted to oppose it they will be granted a dignified death as the melbore they are.

I could not understand it, I could not even see it. All the melbore had been cut in half in an instant and somehow they were now turned into ashes although there was no fire consuming their bodies as in the previous occasion, but what amazed me the most was not the fact that even their armors were turned into ashes nor that the nardel had finished with more than five thousand melbore in an instant, What really captured my attention was the absence of the glowing axe that the nardel carried with him, it disappeared as suddenly as it had appeared in the beginning, leaving no sign of its existence, which was strange considering that it reached four meters with ease, and knowing that I wondered if it was true the rumor that they could create dimensions as if it were a child's game. It seems that the rumors are true.

Feeling as if someone was watching me from above I immediately stopped looking for the axe and turned my eyes towards the nardel only to realice that he was staring at me with disappointment or perhaps contempt, although maybe he wasn't looking at me but at someone else, I was in a crowd so maybe I imagined it I thought when I saw most of the people having the same reaction as me.

But although that helped me to keep calm I could not stop the cold sweat that ran down my skin as if I was sick, and as much as I tried to keep my composure I could not stop the thought of the nardel staring at me as if he was looking specifically at me somehow, despite all the people gathered in the capital.

And come to think of it, how was it that I could hear and see the nardel so clearly, being so far away from it and without any kind of amplifier to help my senses? I had not thought about it before because of my initial fear of seeing a nardel in person but it was almost as if my brain was reproducing all the actions of the giant as scenes that were passing in the best quality through all my senses, as if I was in the first row observing all the events.

I will now proceed to explain what I meant by purging the aslv and with it what will happen to their future destinies.

A little hope began to rise in me, maybe I could continue to live and maybe get forgiveness from the nardel, I… I can fix my current situation.

I am more than aware that not everyone here has tortured or murdered any human being and also that many who did were forced to do so in order not to be considered traitors unlike many of their peers who gladly enjoyed doing their designated work.

That is why not all those who have committed homicide will be punished in the same way, let's start with those who loved to do their job, all those who killed other human beings for pleasure will be executed first thing tomorrow morning.

A part of the audience could not stand the words that the nardel had just said and instead of keeping silent as all the aslv had done so far, they started to shout, some of them were moaning and uttering all kinds of curses that I was not able to distinguish at all.

Just a look from the nardel was enough for the whole audience to be in a sepulchral silence again.

You are so scared to die now aren't you, but you weren't when you killed innocents for a stupid way of thinking nor when you sent your dogs to do your job, so if any of you hypocrites mind the quick death I offer you I can also provide you with the same way of dying that you gave to the dorf and their descendants.

What's the matter, no one has anything else to say about it, well then I'll continue.

Both those who did not enjoy murdering and those who did not attempt against the life of another human being but did not warn the government of Derit of the misdeed that the Aslv had committed in the past, even though they did not know that this misdeed was still in force to this day, all of you without exception will make a journey to obtain Derit's forgiveness and to be considered as human beings again.

On this journey you will have to expand the domains of humanity and you will also have to obtain resources that are equivalent to the damage you caused against our species, supplies capable of benefiting humanity. Your journey will not end until each and every one of you has truly achieved redemption, and if you are able to survive until that time comes, you will be able to return as citizens of humanity.

They should not despair nor should they want to appear to be something they have not yet reached because only I will know when the time will come for them to truly change and straighten their lives towards the correct path that our species offers.

Lastly the melbore who stood idly by when the war between the dorf and the aslv began, all the melbore who did nothing but watch as their brothers supported the aslv in a conflict that was none of their business, and who made no attempt to stop or warn of the aslv homesteading, all of you will be the guides on the journey that will lead the aslv to their redemption.

That said, you should know that all of your family members who are minors or who depend on you because of any disability, will become the responsibility of the government of Derit who will be in charge of providing them with what they need so that they can be able to be part of our society.

And don't worry if you try to escape it doesn't matter, no matter how far you go and how well you hide I will find you and believe me when I say that you don't want me to find you, so I hope that all of you will voluntarily arrive on time to your next whereabouts.

The trip will begin tomorrow three hours after the execution of the sadistic aslv, you must report one hour before the start of the trip without any personal belongings except for your clothing.

Use the time you have left wisely, say goodbye to your families and friends as you may never see them again. That is much more than you deserve is something you did not want to offer to those you eliminated, enjoy this small token of mercy, it is the only thing you will receive after you leave.

Saying this the nardel disappeared along with all the melbore that were floating in the sky around it.

I thought there would be a riot everywhere now that the nardel was gone but instead I was surprised to see how everyone who had gathered in the capital left in an orderly and silent manner, as if everyone here had already accepted their fate resigning themselves to their destiny.

Walking I started to make a simulation in my head of what I would tell my mother, what should be the words to explain her what was happening, for a moment I had the idea of contacting my brother but after a while I decided better not to do it, I did not want to hear what he would have to say, I already knew it and I did not want that conversation I had in my head to become true, it was enough to disappoint only my mother.

I finally arrived at the apartment I had been renting for the last few months, I didn't want to do it but I finally got up the courage and called my mother.

Rafael, what's up son, you never talk to me this early in the morning.

M-mom I ….

Did something happen?

S-sorry I won't be able to come back next week as we had agreed, I eh….

What, and why couldn't you be worrying me, why do you keep quiet?

I-I shouldn't have taken this job, I knew something this good couldn't be real b-but I just had to keep a secret and my pay would be as good as a soldier's and I, I …. But my greed got the better of my sense of justice and my morality put together.

What do you mean by that son? You're starting to scare me.

And somehow I managed to say everything that had happened in a very different way compared to what I had planned.

I couldn't help but start sobbing and when I realized tears were rolling uncontrollably down my cheeks unable to do anything to stop them I finished speaking.

Mom I'm sorry, sorry for ….

Mom?

And it was at that moment that I realized that my mother had ended the call.