The Emerald Legend (Book 1)

Chapter Thirty-One: The Thorn Chain

Korvon found himself once more within the shackled room, hanging above the ground while iron cuffs found their place upon his wrists. In front of him stood a rather jaded Zagazel. He stood close, with hatred shining black within his already onyx eyes.

No words had been spoken as of yet; the Wraith King just stared at the hanging prince. He watched as Korvon's blood dripped from his wounds. "Do you take me for a fool?" the king asked, tilting his head to one side but never taking his eyes away from the heir to Gai.

Korvon slowly lifted his gaze with the little energy he had left.

"I take you as a coward." He spoke with a daring tone which only angered Zagazel further. The Wraith King picked up his thorn dagger and pierced through Korvon's scarred flesh once more. Korvon bit back the urge to scream and clenched his teeth down to rid himself of the pain.

"You will regret those words, pitiful prince." Zagazel twisted his dagger releasing a silent scream from Korvon's lips. "For your kind has brought plague upon the Za'ehrat. Never have I desired blood more than I do the blood of your house."

Zagazel ripped his dagger from Korvon's body and tasted the blood upon his blade. The prince let out shallow gasps of pain as his insides began to recollect themselves. He looked upon the King of Wraiths once more. "Why do you hold such grudges?" Korvon asked, wondering what his family must have done to spark such hatred in these creatures. But his question seemed to ignite a frantic anger within Zagazel.

"Are you daft?" The Wraith King spat. "Do you not know of what your house has done!?" His venomous voice rang throughout the corridor.

"Agurut Magandel struck the life of the leader of all the dybbuk of Ganash." The Wraith King's eyes sparked with fury at the loss of his great leader.

"Muhada Asillan," Korvon whispered realizing that these wraiths had been under the command of the greatest evil the world had ever known. His grandfather, with the help of an ascended wizard, gave his own life to destroy him.

"You dare not speak his name!" Zagazel howled as he stabbed into Korvon three times over, twisting his dagger up with his final sting. Korvon let out a shout of pain from the shock of each jab.

"You will learn your place when speaking the Master's name!" Zagazel spat and turned away from the prince, leaving his dagger pierced upon his flesh. Korvon gasped for air; each inhale was like swallowing the thorns of a rose.

"He has earned no right to such a title. For he was a master of nothing but death," Korvon spat blood onto the ground when reminded of the horrors Muhada had caused upon all of the lands.

As Zagazel turned slowly to face the prince, his expression was unreadable, yet, somehow, Korvon felt a darkness, so evil, brewing within the boney frame of the Wraith King.

"Are you so eager for death?" He hissed past his arrangement of finely pointed teeth.

"I have faced a thousand deaths," Korvon spoke referring to the thousands of stabs he'd received from the taskmaster and Zagazel. "Any other form of demise you hold for me, shall be endured." He spoke with a definitive conviction, knowing he was ready to face death.

"Such nauseating pride," Zagazel roared while reaching for his dagger. He quickly removed the blade and struck Korvon in a place he hadn't expected. It drove itself directly into the beating drum of the prince's heart. He looked down and watched as the blade slid past his shattered ribs piercing further into the center of his body.

His face went pale, as his breath escaped his lips a final time. He felt as his fingertips grew cold and the room became ever silent. His vision blurred and pain coursed through him.