The Kings Son

Chapter 37

Lee ran down the hall, his frustration growing, the healer living within the castle walls was nowhere to be found, he already checked the man's room and found it empty. Lee stopped and opened every door he came across in his mad search, his bitterness only grew as the halls and corridors of his home began to fill with servants and guards trying to find answers as to where all the loud commotion was coming from.

Having heard echoes reverberating all throughout the castle with what sounded like monsters fighting, Lee knew the demon was involved. For his dying brother's sake, he pushed his curiosity aside and kept to his task. Seeing a guard rushing down the hall he reached out grabbing the man by the arm and pulled him to a stop "Have you seen Lenus the healer on your way through the halls?"

The guard shook his head rapidly, "No your Highness, I've been trying to make my way into the Great Hall but all the doors are locked tight," by the look on the man's face Lee could tell he was shaken up. "I even tried to chop through one and broke my axe, it's like they were sealed with some kind of magic, it ain't natural."

Lee took a deep breath to steady himself, he pulled the man in close so no one else could hear, "I need you to forget about the Great Hall for now," he whispered. "Oliver's been stabbed, he's dying, we don't have much time and don't want to cause a panic, but I need you to go down to the first floor and look for Lenus, you find him you drag him away from whatever he's doing and bring him to Oliver's room you got it?" Falling over himself while saluting, the guard rushed towards the nearest staircase.

Praying there was still time to save Oliver, Lee continued on his life saving mission, stopping to ask people as he went, he was rewarded with more frustrating answers involving the words no and haven't seen him. His hope all but gone, Lee raced around a sharp corner when out of nowhere a large black hole opened up on the floor before him. Waving his arms and bending at the waist he came to a stop on his tippy toes trying to keep from falling in, he felt something strike him across the butt causing him to tip forward and plunge into darkness.

Starting to scream, Lee felt all the air explode from his lungs as he landed hard on a carpeted floor, clutching at his stomach as he tried to take in some air, he looked up and found himself lying in front of the door leading to Oliver's bedchamber. He jumped at the sound of someone's voice beside him. "Is this the room of the dying Prince?"

Finally able to take a breath, Lee was only able to groan. He felt something jab him sharply in the side, "Is this it or not?" Only able to lay there gasping Lee nodded, he felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach by a horse, he heard the voice once more. "You wait here, the effects of the portal will wear off soon." The door leading to Oliver's room opened, before slamming shut once more.

Damnation's claws threw sparks as they struck stone keeping him from landing on his face, spinning around he had just enough time to watch the portal with which he'd come flying out of, completely close. Lifting his head, the demon screamed and cursed, his hatred pouring out causing the air around him to simmer and glow in a ghastly light. His lips drew back in a snarl revealing yellow fangs as a voice sounded behind him. "Back so soon?"

The large chamber Damnation stood in was pitch black, but his eyes accustomed to the darkest parts of hell could see as if the sun itself lit the room, slowly he turned, his acidic saliva dripping on the floor. "What cruel joke is this?" he snarled, "I had them lying before me, ready to be devoured, ready to die and YOU open a tear through space and steal me away from my prize?"

Resting on his throne, nonchalantly the man tapped a bored finger against the side of his face, the demon advanced menacingly its hooves clicking across the stones. The evil man's eyes glowed dangerously as derision dripped from his bored tone "I can assure you Demon Lord, you passed through no portal of mine." Damnation watched the glowing eyes narrow as the man sat forward. "I could care less what you do or who you kill as long as you accomplished the task I sent you there for," Sitting back and placing his hands in his lap the man took on a cheery tone. "Did you kill him?"