26. Blackthorn Unleashed

A flashback to twenty-nine years before the main narrative, this chapter depicts Dalinar's pivotal battle against Highprince Kalanor during Gavilar's conquest of Alethkar. After a brutal solo rampage through enemy forces and a duel atop a rock spire, Dalinar kills Kalanor and claims his Shards, but then experiences a terrifying moment where the Thrill nearly drives him to murder his own brother Gavilar in order to seize the throne for himself.

The chapter opens with Dalinar preparing for battle while his betrothed Evi performs a prayer ritual according to her foreign religious traditions. Dalinar reflects on their difficult engagement and his frustration with the slow political maneuvering. Gavilar briefs him that Kalanor must die to consolidate their conquest, and Dalinar prepares his Shardplate for combat. As the armies engage, Dalinar enters the battlefield in a controlled manner initially, but once committed, he becomes consumed by the Thrill—a euphoric bloodlust that drives him to massacre hundreds of enemy soldiers single-handedly, killing even some of his own men in the frenzy. Only the voice of his captain Kadash snaps him partially back to awareness. Kalanor, forced to engage as a Shardbearer, flees into a nearby rock formation. The two Shardbearers climb to the summit and duel amid treacherous footing. Dalinar dominates, backing Kalanor to the edge before the highprince slips and dangles helplessly. Kalanor begs for mercy, but Dalinar kills him, striking through his face. After claiming Kalanor's Shards from the corpse, Dalinar's bloodlust returns and intensifies—he slaughters Kalanor's honor guard and then, in a terrifying moment of clarity, realizes he is charging toward his brother Gavilar with intent to kill him. The Thrill has driven him to hunger for the throne itself. Gavilar's genuine smile and greeting snap Dalinar back to horror at what he almost did. Wracked with shame, Dalinar gifts both Shards to Gavilar and swears never to seek kingship, determined to serve his brother absolutely to prevent such darkness from consuming him again.