Path of Exile Talent Competition

“When a man loses his heart, he is no longer a man.”

These words raced through the mind of the Karui as he stood before the fortress alone, one man lost in a nightmare filled with fury and flames. All that he saw around him was evidence that everything he knew about the Karui in Wraeclast was a lie. With a sense of anticipation, he walked into the heart of that terrible fortress.

A towering figure stood alone in the centre of the arena, his eyes burning with fury. There was no mistaking the axe he wielded. This was Kaom. The once great king of the Karui. Every song that was sang of him was false. He was a murderer. Someone who had slain his own kin and allowed Kitava to corrupt him to the very core of his being. In spite of knowing his terrible crimes, the lone Karui did not feel any sense of disgust towards Kaom. Instead, a different emotion swelled up inside him. A terrible sense of melancholy. He could not help but pity the figure before him. Kaom had surely been lost for hundreds of years in this fiery nightmare.

Did Kaom fail the Way, or did the Way fail Kaom? That was what the Karui could not conclude. Before the burning parody of the once great king, he felt his own belief in the Way wavering. He knew that Kitava was clawing at the back of his mind, trying to find a crack to seep through. He knew that he could not afford to waver.

The Karui was strong, a powerful man even among his own people. Exile had also taught him many harsh lessons, but he was hard pressed against such a monstrous opponent. In life, Kaom was a giant of a man, and Kitava had remade him into a smoldering titan. Flames erupted from the edges of the arena, small droplets of lava pelting the Karui in the face. The stinging pain is nothing compared to the fire of Kaom’s axe, however. It seared his flesh and cut through his armour, causing him to grit his teeth in agony. His wounds healed quickly, but the pain still lingered in every blow he took.

His own axe struck Kaom in the shoulder, boiling blood splattering on his face. Such a blow would be enough to kill most men, but Kaom did not even seem to notice it. He swung his deadly axe as if he had not even been injured. More of the Karui’s blood spilled, evaporating into the air and nearly choking him with the smell of copper. He is forced to back off as his wounds heal. The fury of the Karui king was no thing of myth.

His one saving grace, however, was that Kaom was slower than him, nor did he seem to heal. Bit by bit, he chipped away at Kaom’s hard exterior, breaking open his stone-like flesh. In time, the Karui had gradually weakened Kaom’s leg. With one vicious blow, he slammed his axe blade into the opening he made. It was enough. Like splitting a rock, the fracture in Kaom’s leg went all the way through, causing the limp to fall off. Unable to support his weight, Kaom collapse.

In that moment, as Kaom sprawled on the floor of the arena, his flaming eyes were sent on the Karui. It was in that moment that the battle would be decided. Both of them knew this. Whoever drew blood next would be the victor. The Karui hesitated in that moment, unsure if he could win. Kaom immediately sensed his hesitation.

He grabbed the hilt of his axe, and swung it in a lethal arc. The karui barely managed to dodge in time. With all of the might he could muster, he brought his axe down on Kaom’s head. Its sharp edge screeched as it made contact, sending sparks flying through the arena. The Karui did not relent. He put every ounce of strength behind his blow. He heard the sound of something cracking open. His axe blade was firmly lodged in Kaom’s skill. His blow had landed true.

The once roaring arena grew silent. The lava no longer spat raging balls of magma, nor did embers rain down from the sky. Kaom grew cold and still, the unnatural flames slowly dying. As Kaom slumped over lifelessly, the karui just quietly stood there, gazing upon the corpse. Most of his people would be gladly die a warrior’s death. He wondered if Kaom desired such an end.

“When a man loses his heart, he is no longer a man.”

The karui repeated this to himself, his words echoing in the silent arena. The Way would not take Kaom’s tortured soul. He knew this very well. The best the Karui could hope for was that any trace of Kaom was well and truly gone from this world, no longer tormented by the black spirit. Perhaps now, he is at peace.

In the depths of that cursed mountain, the great tragedy of Kaom’s end was hidden away for hundreds of years. Now only the Karui truly knew what had become of him. He knew the nightmare was not over, but for now, all he wished to do was reflect. He quietly sat before Kaom’s smoldering body, the only mourner for the once great king.