Dawn of the Silvoran: The Rise of Rhayne Silves

Prologue: Dawn's Early Light

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The day of the First Bloodstone Prince's Birthday was used to celebrate both completing his Coming-of-Age Trials and the day of his birth. However, a Jow-Shin Assassin was sent from the Fen-Laou Nation to assassinate the Bloodstone Family. The assassin had infiltrated the East-Arc Reono Palace, and slipped a triple-part poison into the Royal Bloodstone Family's food, drinks, and cake.

The King and Queen ate and drank plenty of all three, while the Prince and his two siblings ate only a little, the younger two having already snuck in snacks earlier. The eldest son was full, having eaten most of the main courses, due to hunger from the trials, rather than sugary confections. His siblings were being partially 'punished for not cleaning off their plates', and only allowed a single bite of their oldest brother's cake.

All too soon, the poison started taking its effects, killing the King and Queen, and making the three younger siblings sick. Though the Royal Husband and Wife died, the three siblings survived. However, they were kept separate for the time being, rumored to have also 'died'. The Prince and his guard then counter-attacked the Assassin, and the Assassin was dealt a nasty head wound...

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A young, but sickly, Skogan Prince sat on his chair in the medical bay wrapped in a blanket, suffering harsh shakes. Even his tail lay limp across the back of the seat he was parked on. Agudner nurses, Shaman Doctors, and Attendants rushed to and fro, worrying over his two siblings in the next room, and worried no further less than the Young Prince.

An Agudner Doctor came out of the room. "Well, we got to them in time. During the search, it was a good thing the poisons were found among the Fen-Laou 'Chef's herbs and spices, and that such was brought immediately to me. The antidote wasn't easy to figure out, but it's at least administered. There's not too terribly much poison in their system, so they'll be alright," the Doctor said, while the younger brother of the Prince wretched into a canister, making the Doctor cringe. "It's... just going to be a long period of time before they recover."

A beaten and wounded Fen-Laou prisoner was then unceremoniously dragged in. The guards stood surrounding the unconscious captive Jow-Shin Assassin, carried in a state of a mere wisp of a Fen-Laou, rather than the would-be killer of the entire Royal Bloodstone Family. He was barely propped up on his knees before the sickly prince.

"Captured ...alive... as you desired, Sire," the Captain of the Guard said. "My apologies for his state, but he resisted arrest."

"Good," The young Prince responded, shivering.

The Captain began to unsheathe his sword, kneeling before the Young Prince. "Your parents have always been good to me, so I want to kill him myself. However, they were your parents, and my purpose is to protect you. I failed to do that. Thus, I'll offer my sword for you to kill him yourself, and then punish me, Sire." He presented his sword while on his bent knee.

"No. I won't punish you. None of us saw this coming, and the Fen-Laou is responsible for all this. But... mere death won't be enough for this Jow-Shin Assassin," the Young Prince answered. "He needs a much more severe punishment, something that all the traitorous Fen-Laou can bear witness to."

One of the Agudner attendants then asked, "Why not just throw him in a dungeon cell for all he matters, Sire?! You still have your own health to worry about, not to mention your own kin. You're all still suffering from the effects of the poisons! If not, then what do you think would be wise to do, your lordship?"