Prince Of Darkness

Young Prince

Shadows prance through the halls of a dimly lit castle, wrapping the fancy bejeweled walls in a sheet of obsidian gloom. Something skitters through the hallway at blinding speeds, jolting to the right at the end of the hall and through a door that silently closes behind. Inside is a magnificent golden bed with fancy silken covers and a thick blanket coating a figure in warmth, a figure whose arm is slightly hanging over the side of the bed. A shadow tugs on the arm... No response. It tugs again. A feminine yawn is heard before a pale round face looks over the edge of the tall bed. "Yoji, it's almost midnight!!!" the female spoke while gently rubbing her eyes. The female had long, beautiful white hair, ears like a cat atop her head, and eyes that shone like the sea. "I can't sleep!" a child spoke from the side of the bed, trying to climb up. The child was extraordinary. He had eyes of amber, and his entire body was black with red coloring mixed in now and then. His ears were sharply pointed backward, and he had very sharp crimson teeth with black gums. "Bring Yoji up here, Idainaha, would you?" a deep male voice started, "He can sleep between us! There's plenty of room, and it is warm." the second figure finished. He was the same as the child but with muted colors, a side effect of aging. The female giggled and lifted Yoji, the child, into the bed, sliding him under the cozy blankets between the two. Idainaha wrapped her arms around Yoji and drew him close before the three settled into slumber.

Morning came, and strange noises could be heard down the hall from the bedroom. It was the family of three enjoying a breakfast of unrecognizable animals. It was the royal family. Yoji's father, King Akmol, dawned a silver and deep blue armor. It had a long triangular pauldron that curved over his left shoulder and a rectangular pauldron over the right that bent from the front of his right shoulder to his shoulder blade. A scaly blue cape rested off his back, and a golden sword with a silver edge and a golden, disc-like guard strapped to his side. He sat on a throne at the end of a long silver table. He watched his family and friends eat breakfast, which he did not partake in." Who of the six generals will be in charge of the prince's training?" one of the soldiers, a general at the table, sat beside the king, asked with curiosity. Yoji looked up from stuffing his tiny face with food as the question was asked and the other five generals."All of you have something to offer, from magic to hunting to self-defense. You will all teach Yoji the basics, but he will have to make a name for himself," king Akmol spoke graciously. Yoji had an annoyed look on his face. He wanted to be an adventurer. See the sights, meet the common folk, and have fun. Yet, for all his longing, he was a prince. As a prince, he was forced to learn things like diplomacy, complex physics, and sorcery. There was one thing that Yoji enjoyed above all else: helping his father during missions that took place in other allied kingdoms. He met demon folk, goblin tribes, and even dark elves. 

  Yoji had a bad feeling about one of their diplomatic missions. They were headed to a human kingdom. "Father, I-I'm not sure about this mission," Yoji said. "Why do you say that?" King Akmol stopped by a skinny tree, leaning sideways against the rough bark. The two were in a forest late at night. There was no light but the moon and glowing insects dotting the air. "Well, humans are unpredictable. After all, they were the reason for the first holy war!" Yoji spoke with confidence. Akmol chuckled and scratched one of his horns. "It's more complicated than that," Akmol beckoned Yoji to keep walking with him. "The war for peace, also known as the Holy War, wasn't started by the humans as most believe. Are you ready for a secret, Yoji?" Akmol smiled at his son.

"I promise I won't tell anyone!!" Yoji struggled to keep up with his athletic father. He was just a boy, and his legs burned with exhaustion, yet he pushed onward as would be expected of royalty. "Very well," Akmol spoke before taking in some of the sweet air wafting from the kingdom they were approaching. "The angels, the Red Legion specifically, started the war. Understand, Yoji, Red Legion, believed our species to be atrocities. Fortunately, none of the other angels took a side in the matter. The Red Legion tricked the humans into thinking we were a threat. The humans, in turn, called upon their allies, the Dwarves, High Elves, and Orcs, for aid in battle. Meanwhile, several other species sided with us, as they had been mistreated in the past as well. Goblins were used as test subjects for magic spells, Dark elves were used as slaves, and Dragonkind were forced into darkness by the god that created them. Millions of lives were lost, families were destroyed, and kingdoms were burned to cinders. During one battle, I was the last one left standing, my body broken and my armor coated in blood. It seemed like there was no opposing force left, just bodies. A female warrior had made it through on the opposing side. She was beautiful and strong, but I had to kill her. She wielded a mighty whitestone mace and Whitestone buckler with a red boss in the center. Her armor was snow drake leather, light, durable, and resistant to frost magic. She could easily redirect my sword strikes to the side and counter, but I was too quick. With one dash, my sword cut into the side of her stomach. She fell to her knees, gripping the wound before looking at me not with hostility but with clarity and peace of mind. Dying in battle meant ascendance. "Finish it," the warrior spoke. I dug my sword into the ground. "There is already enough death," I spoke with courage. The anger left her eyes. She understood. No matter who won, the outcome would be the same. We were sent to die by those who could not fight their war. I picked your wounded mother up with what strength I had left and headed home," Akmol patted his son on the head. "Momma was a fighter like you?" Yoji questioned, a grin covering his face. "One of the best," Akmol chuckled. "She doesn't battle much anymore, though, as she has chosen a life of peace and the betterment of our combined kingdoms," the king finished his thoughts. Two knights stationed at the front gates of the foreign kingdom bowed in respect of Akmol, king of shadow, before unbarring the gate and heaving it open. Yoji tried to peer inside the warrior's helmet as he passed, but the visor was lowered, and he couldn't see a face.