by Jamie Gandy
“Is this true?” I question him.
Sebastian shrugs his shoulders a bit sheepishly. “It is only being considered; nothing is decided yet.” He pauses a second before turning the question on me. “What about you? Are you still standing by His Majesty’s side in his business meetings?”
“Unfortunately,” I admit. I glance to the Throne. “I suppose it should not be a shock that he is not here yet.”
“How are you hanging in there?” the sincere concern in Sebastian’s voice causes me to look back at him, our eyes locking.
“By a thread,” I confess. The sound of the door opening to reveal my father walking straight to the Throne. His guards halt at the entrance.
Adir, Liraz and Sebastian bow, and remain bowed until my father commands them to rise. He then motions me to come to stand at his side. I would rather stand by anyone else besides him, but for the sake of the facade I play along. I walk over to the Throne and turn around to face the others.
‘Does he look so emotionless to hide his pain? Or does he seriously not feel the brokenness of mother’s passing?’ I shake the thought away when Liraz steps up. The anger behind his expression quickly peaks my interest.
“I have heard some disturbing news, your Majesty.” He waits a few moments before continuing on. “Is it true that you sacrificed innocent children during a battle with the Northern Kingdom?”
“Where is this coming from?” my father inquires as he calmly leans back against the Throne. “What kind of traitor were you allowing to fill your head with such ridiculous hogwash?”
I swallow back the sudden vile that rises in the pit of my stomach as his cold gaze shifts sideways to me. I merely shake my head at him, but it is obvious that he assumes I am the traitor in question.
“You know I always have to seek out the truth, regardless of where it leads me. That quality is exactly why you entrusted me as one of your spies to begin with.” Liraz takes a step forward. “Knowing you so long has taught me many things, Your Majesty. One of which is the look you get in your eyes when you lie to someone.”
For a drawn-out moment my father says nothing at all, until at length he merely shrugs his shoulders indifferently. As if he is too tired to keep up the lying. “War is ugly, and the only way to win is to become one of the ugly parts of it.”
“Tell me you are not serious!” Adir exclaims furiously. “What madness made you even think that using innocent children as bait would be the answer?”
“Sheath your anger, Sir Adir. Remember who you are talking to!” my father’s own voice now deepens. “They were eventually going to die anyway; everyone does after all.”
My fist clench. “They did not have to die like that!” I finally lose rein to my own rage. “No one deserves to suffer the way they had to! Because of you!”
“Know your place, boy! You know nothing about the necessary sacrifices a King must make to ensure his Kingdom remains strong. Their deaths were not in vain. One day you will learn that!”
“Like hell I will!” I flinch when a sharp pain spikes through my hand, where the hole had been from the Hell’s DragonBlade thorn. I reach for my waist to grab a sword, but there is none.
“Prince?” Sebastian’s voice speaks up when he notices the pain written across my face.
“Confess your crimes to the elders, or I will.” Liraz threatens.
“What kind of fool do you think I am, Liraz? I will not be dethroned by you, or anyone else for that matter. I will not toss everything I have been planning for the likes of you.” He snaps his fingers and the guards still standing by the door advance. “Hang them!”
A storm of fire circles around Sebastian’s arm as he whirls around to face the guards.
“Enough of this!” Adir warns. He clutches his fingers into his palm and quickly snuffs out Sebastian’s flames.
“Why would you stop him!” Liraz’s anger turns on Adir. “He can easily wipe those guards out in an instant!”
“He does not need his elemental power, not now. I want no harm to come to them.” Adir explains. “Zack, Jeffery, Dean, you know we are not your enemies,” he tries to reason with the guards.
“I am sorry, Sir Adir, but our loyalty is to His Majesty above all else.” They withdraw their swords and the man that speaks lunges out the first strike. Sebastian blocks the attack with his own sword. Liraz and Adir lock into combat with the other two guards.
“This is the future of this Kingdom, divided with bloodshed!” I spit out the words. I look down at my hand to see the flesh turning black from the deep hatred rising inside of me. Hatred for this King, my father.
“What is happening to you?!” he inquires when he sees my hand. He leans forward to inspect it.
“Prince, you have to snap out of it!!” Sebastian’s voice reaches my ears, drawing my attention beyond my hand to him just as the guard takes his opening and knocks him hard over the back of the head.
“Idiot!” Liraz scolds Sebastian as he blocks the guard’s next attack to keep him from getting another blow in.
Four more guards storm into the Throne Room, with swords in hand. “Take them to the gallows for their tracery!!”
I finally step forward when the guards surround Adir, Liraz and Sebastian. “Step aside!” I order the guards, who do not obey. I glance over my shoulder as thunderous laughter echoes in the room.
“Do you seriously think my men will obey you over the command of the King?” he shakes his head a couple of times in disapproval. “It is good to see you have some backbone. However, your actions will allow you the honor of watching these three get beheaded.”
“I will not let that happen.” I watch as he finally stands up.
“I am curious, what exactly are you going to do to stop me?” He stops a couple of feet in front of me, his eyes glaring down his challenge. “Huh, boy? What strength do you have to make any demands against me?”
“Let them go!” at the sudden sound of order all eyes turn to Hector. His gaze lingers on Sebastian for a few moments. It is this moment of not paying attention that two guards come up from behind him and one of them slams his fist into the back of Hector’s head. Sending him to his knees.
“I am surrounded by maggots who think they can dethrone me…” my father laughs. “Just a pity that they are so eager to go to their deaths.”
“Hector!” I rush forward and am able to reach him just as one of the guards swing his sword to strike down my friend. I catch the blade with my demonic seeping hand and squeeze the steel until it breaks in half. The man stumbles backwards, staring at me in fear. I offer out my other hand to Hector to help him get bsck on his feet.
“Thanks…” He looks down at my hand. “Are you okay?”
I dig my fingers into my palm and shrug my shoulders. “I think it feeds on any evil thoughts and feelings within me,” I quietly admit. I turn to look at my father. “The hatred I feel for him…”
“You have to keep it i…” Hector trails off when a scream comes from behind us. I see Sebastian’s struggle become ten times more desperate against the two men that have him pinned down to the floor. I follow his amber gaze to where a large guard has Catherine locked in his grasp, forcing her into the Throne Room. Followed by two other guards.
“Leave her out of this!” I command. The only response I get is the echoing laughter of my father.
“Looks like you have too many people you care about, son. I thought losing your mother would teach you not to let yourself carry too many emotions for other people. A King cannot love his subjects, if they do not betray you, they will die. A strong King cannot let his judgement be clouded by sorrow.” At the wave of my father’s hand the guard pushes her over to the Throne. “To get men to submit to you, you sometimes have to harm those they care about mo…”
“Get your hands off of her!” the authority in my voice gets the guard’s full attention. Catherine’s capturer shoves her to the floor in front of my father then turns his weapon on me. Surprisingly unafraid of the raging darkn
ess seeping out of my skin. I hold out my hand and briefly close my eyes. ‘Only my wielder can control him. As I said before, I can give you immense power, but it must be you that commands it.’ “Come to me, Hell’s DragonBlade!” The moment the words escape my lips the black demonic legendary sword appears from within the darkness around my hand. I tightly grasp onto the handle, which instantly spears the center of my palm.
“Your fight is with me.” As soon as my hand grips the handle of the sword the darkness instantly wraps around the blade. My new opponent makes the first move as he charges me, slamming the blade of his weapon down hard against mine. If it is not for this demonic strength surging through my arm, I know his repeated blows would have easily overcome me. I remain on the defensive until I see an opening reveal itself to me when he raises his arms above his head to unleash a full-blown swing. Remembering Gideon’s battle with Sebastian during their match months ago, I shift my grip on the handle and slash his left leg. Making the Mountain of a man fall to his knees. A sharp empowering pain surges through my hand as my blade soaks in the man’s blood. Unfortunately, he does not lose his momentum, he takes the opportunity while my defense is lowered to drive the tip of his sword straight through my left arm. The pain brings me to my knees. He pulls his weapon out as he stands back up before kicking me square in the chest, sending me flying through the air and slamming into the wall.
“Your strength is impressive, Your Highness.” The mountain remarks as he stalks forward until he is standing over me.
“Kage, get up!” I cough out blood, as blood pours from my wound. The sound of Catherine’s followed scream as my father glides the blade of a dagger across her throat, stopping her from screaming.
“Get your hands off of her!” The roaring, thunderous voice of Sebastian draws all of our attention to him seconds before a furious storm of flames shoot out from him. Setting all the guards surrounding him, Adir and Liraz on fire. The men, now screaming in terror and fear desperately try to put out the fire. Sebastian rises to his feet and picks up his sword, which instantly is set ablaze.
Surprisingly, my father is unafraid of the raging flames.The Mountain turns his focus off of me to face Sebastian. “Is it your turn?” he smirks. Suddenly the Mountain’s arms, body and legs turn to osmium, and the steel around his weapon thickens into the same metal. “Bring it, boy!”
Hector appears at my side. “Are you okay?”
“I am not dead yet.” I cough out more blood.
“Do not worry, I can heal your wound.” The voice of the Hell’s DragonBlade echoes in my mind. “You just have to accept the darkness completely inside of you.”
‘Do I have the option? If I accept the darkness into my heart will I turn into someone like my father?’ I cough out more blood. My head is swirling with dizziness from the amount of blood I am losing. I struggle to breathe through the pain. I can hear Catherine scream again in fear. In this state I am completely helpless. “Alright… I accept… now heal me.”
“Be patient as I do the rest.”
The pain grows worse as I feel internal pulling, ripping, grinding as the darkness spreads through my entire body. It hurts so bad tears stream down my face, tears from the breaking of my heart. Tears from the image of my mother’s lifeless body in my arms. I cry over all the memories, as they become engulfed in pitch blackness.
“Brother, watch out!” Hector charges from his spot next to me towards Sebastian to throw a wave of water at the Mountain to stop him from crashing his fists down on Sebastian’s head.
I force myself to look towards them as they team up, attacking our enemy with vengeance. Yet, their attempts are in vain against the invincible osmium armor. Adir and Liraz both step in to help.
The fog begins to clear in my mind, the pain slowly subsiding. I take several deep breaths. ‘Stay in control!’ I silently command myself. I look down at my shoulder, where the wound had just been, now it is laced with black veins underneath the new skin. ‘Incredible…’ I rise to my feet and feel a rush of new energy and power pulsing through me. I swing the Hell’s DragonBlade towards the Mountain and a blast of dark matter soars through the air and makes contact, sending the Mountain flying against the wall. I can see a chip in his armor. “I summon you, from the abyss.” Out from the haze a massive creature emerges. His head is crowned with a Lion’s mane and face, with a lion’s body covered in tan scales, a scorpion stinger as a tail, claws that are part dragon, part lion. Two black scaled dragon wings stretch out high above its body. Dragon fangs reveal themselves as he roars out in hunger. “Get him.”
Sebastian, Hector, Adir and Liraz all get out of the path of my new companion. As he distracts the Mountain I turn to my father and walk straight up to the Throne. His hands are shaking, making the blade dance across Catherine’s throat. I do not stop moving forward until I am standing directly in front of my cousin. I grab my father’s wrist and squeeze it until the dagger clincts against the floor. His eyes are filled with an ocean’s amount of fear. “Catherine, go to Adir. All of you get out of here… “She should fear me, yet when I look into her eyes I see only sadness and love. She reaches out her hand to touch my shoulder that is now completely healed. She moves past me and runs over to Adir and the others.
“He wants us all to get out of here…”
I tune out her words and turn my attention back to my father. “I wish I could kill you right now and set everything you have done wrong right… fortunately for you I cannot harm you beyond this.” I release his wrist and clutch my hand around his throat. “Mother deserved better than all the loathsome things you have done. You should feel the pain of losing her… your eyes should be filled with sadness and mystery from her being gone… but all I see inside of you is a frightened man who cannot stand on his own two feet. “ I shake my head.
“Your Highness let him go. You cannot let yourself fall to his level… you have to keep the power of darkness at bay... “ Adir gently rests his hand on my shoulder as he steps up from behind me. I glance at him, noticing that the others are all thankfully gone.
‘Good, they actually listened to me.’ I smile at the thought before my eyes meet the gaze of my Knight. “I wish that was possible, Adir. However, I already made a pact with the devil…” I motion towards the demonic creature chowing down on the Mountain. “Sometimes we have to sacrifice a piece of ourselves for the greater good, right?”
“This is not the greater good, Your Highness. That weapon uprooted an entire Kingdom centuries ago. You cannot be the vessel that lets it seep its darkness into Kallai again…” It is within his eyes that I see what true sorrow, pain and agony looks like. I wonder if it mirrors inside of me. I swallow hard. “I believe in you, and your strength, Your Highness. Do not be the one that overcomes evil with evil… overcome it with good.”
I release my father from my grasp and watch him fall to the ground, struggling to gasp air into his lungs. “I am sorry Adir, but it is too late for good to overthrow evil.” I force a small smile as I look down at the spewing darkness that continues to ooze from the Hell’s DragonBlade. “One day I will set this Kingdom on the path it needs to go down to become strong again. I will make sure that never again will a child be killed in battle…. I will protect them from that fate. Until then... “ I reach out my hand to touch Adir’s face. “You have to forget…”
“What are yo…” his words trail off as the haze crawls off my fingers and shifts into a small shadowed salamander. It wraps around Adir’s head, suffocating him within a mist until he eventually collapses. I catch him in my arms and carefully lay him along the floor.
“Forgive me,” I whisper quietly.
“Stop!!!” my father begs, but I ignore him. The shadowed creature leaps off of Adir and lands on my father, who frantically tries to knock it off.
“Do not worry, you will remember one thing. The death of my mother. You will remember the kind of pain Adir experienced. Fake as it will be for you. You will be seen as a kind and loving husband who grieves his Queen�
��s death.” I wait until he too becomes unconscious before the shadow salamander returns to me. “Go to my sister and Gideon and make sure they forget. Do not let them remember anything concerning how my mother died. Make them believe she did succumb to the Plague Wipe their memory of Sebastian, Hector and Catherine… and Ziv ...” I clench my fist at the overwhelming regret that bombards me. ‘I have no choice…’ I try reasoning with myself. I watch as the shadow disappears before I turn to the Lion mutant. “Return to once you came.” When the massive feline vanishes, I wave my hand in a motion across the Throne Room and instantly everything returns to normal. I look down at Adir and touch his shoulder. “Take him to his chambers.” The darkness surrounds the Knight, and when it fades, he is gone. “As for you, I will send the guards to find you drunk with sorrow.” I mutter towards my father. I crouch down next to his body and tug the King’s brooch off his robe and stuff it in my pocket.
“This is why I chose you, Prince. You have exactly what it takes to wield me.”
Chapter Thirty-Two:
♞ Sebastian Ari: ♞
It is not until we reach the courtyard that we finally come to a stop long enough to try and catch our breaths.
“Do you think he will be okay?” Catherine’s question is full of concern.
“He will be just fine,” Hector reassures her. His gemstone green eyes look from her over to me. Silently he breaks the distance between us and wraps his arms around me, giving me the biggest hug. “You are an idiot!” he mumbles against the fabric of my clothing.
I wrap my arms around his back. “I know… and I am sorry for being one...” We slowly release each other. “It does not change a thing though; I hope you know that. You are my brother, and nothing on this earth can ever change that.”
His eyes shift from me to Liraz and back again. “You look just like him. I guess I should have known that you were too ugly to actually be my brother,” he teasingly remarks.
