Chapter One
The Future of a Prince
Many years has it been since the coming of the dragon, and the decent of the
daemon prince unto the world of mortals with his beast of wings and fire.
Multiplied they have, the dragons, into a dominating race about the world, yet
in peace with the beings which surround them. For they are not the only monsters
in this realm, not by far compared to the giant tortoises or the ogres and
goblins, which inhabit homes as humans would.
For the dragons were accepted as a part of the world since that war where an
unknown demon had stricken out and tore down the regions of Hell, which tried to
conquer the world we know. This was a time of prosperity, and in such a time,
little was needed of the first Dragon, or the prince of hell who rode upon him.
"Good day, Karyn," came a rough voice from the recesses of a hooded
cloak as a seemingly young man stepped up to the merchant's post and took hold
of an apple, taking a solid bite from the juicy red fruit before tossing a few
copper coins onto the hard wood as payment for the early morning appetizer. The
lady merchant simply nodded with a bright smile, happy to see that her friend
had not forgotten to stop by on the morning's light to see her.
"Good morning, lord Mire," was her humble greeting to the young boy,
who could have been no older than 17.
The youth pulled back the hood of his cloak, a supple grin played on his lips as
he took another small bite of the apple before speaking. "I've told you too
many times, Karyn, to just call me Raine. Why do you insist on using my royal
title? You know how much I despise it."
The lady merchant, who was a youthful age of 19 herself, nodded slightly and
apologized, but found herself at no loss for excuse. "I'm sorry, lo-I mean
Raine, but I only wished to carry out the law. You know we're forbidden to call
you by anything but your royalty."
"Blast the law, it matters not what you call me. My title does not change
my position nor power over the people."
"And what power would that be, dear friend?"
"The power to command, and the power to charm, dazzle and even coax them
into whatever I wish them to do. Do you not think I have these powers?"
"I believe you have them and more, milord. However, I hear there are those
who would not be quite so willing to follow you. Some outsiders it seems would
rather have your throne to themselves."
The boy gave an unconcerned shrug and took another large chunk of the red fruit.
"Let them try if they wish. The people should know by now that there isn't
a man or party in this land that can bring me to sword-point."
"You are certainly modest, I must say." The girl chuckled before
beginning to sort her fruits neatly into their boxes, still awaiting other
customers, but knowing that none would probably come for another good hour or
so. The prince was always her first sale.
"Yes well, when one holds a throne such as mine he learns to boast and how
to use this to win the favor of the people. And so far, I'd say it has worked,
wouldn't you?"
She nodded an agreeing yes before watching the prince turn and begin to walk
away. "I suppose I'll see you tomorrow," he called back.
"Alright, I'll be waiting for you." She set about to polishing a few
of the apples and continued sorting and neatly stacking the fruits upon her
stand.
Raine made a few more stops at random trading posts on his way back to the
castle before finally reaching the front gate entrance. The guards moved their
spears from their X formation and allowed the prince to pass into the courtyard.
As the prince made his way into the courtyard and toward the castle itself, he
thought he heard a voice about him. However, upon a second listening he heard
nothing and began to resume his walk. A step further than he had gotten on his
last try, he heard it again, this time sure that someone had spoken. He whirled
around, looking to the sky and to the ground, yet seeing no one and nothing
which could make such noises.
"Go-go-go…" a voice echoed through his head. He still turned about
trying to find it. "You can not see me-me-e…" the voice echoed once
more as Raine turned to face the castle, intent now upon simply listening to the
whispering voice. "Leave while you still have the chance-chance-ance. Go
while you can."
"What do you mean? Who are you and what do you want with me? Why should I
go anywhere?!"
Raine listened for a moment, but instead of the wind he heard now a stern voice
behind him. He whirled about once more, and found himself face to face with a
robed wizard. The wizard was dressed in a light blue attire, his beard the
length of his waist and his hair almost the same. "Who are you?" Raine
demanded, his face stern with irritation at the wizard.
"Leave this castle," demanded the robed figure. The warlock raised a
finger toward the castle and pointed toward a window, which Raine recognized as
his own quarters. "Leave or you will die tonight in that tower; within that
room in which you sleep."
"What do you mean? Who on Earth would dare to try and kill me?"
Raine's was now angrier than ever, agitated at the spell-caster who he thought
was making a threat upon his life.
"Those who wish to kill you. You have heard of them?" Raine nodded
slightly, giving the wizard the go-ahead to continue. "They will come when
the moon is full in the sky and take your life if they find you in your bed. I
ask that you leave, or this place will soon leave you homeless."
"How on Earth would anyone kill me? Do you know who I am, old man?"
The young man was full of pride, and would not admit nor accept that anyone in
all the lands could match his skill with weaponry.
"Yes, Raine, I know well who you are. Lord Mire, prince of the land of
Marenthas. Son to King and Queen Mire, and heir, if alive, to the throne of the
kingdom. Yet this is only who you think you are, dear boy. I know of your true
identity, something that even you aren't aware of. You have a destiny which is
very important to this world that we know." The wizard waved a hand around
him motioning more toward the entire world than their immediate surroundings.
"You know nothing of me if you believe that I will die on this night. No
one can kill me, old wizard, no one in this kingdom, nor this world that you
speak of. I will remain in my kingdom and live to rule these people-"
"And a just ruler you would be," the old wizard interrupted.
"However, this would only be accomplished if you were to live through this
night. And this, boy is doubtful indeed. However, I cannot force you to leave.
If stay you must, then I shall go. However, if you are so lucky as to live,
expect to see me again my boy, for even if you live, this home will no longer be
where you lay your head under the stars and the moon." With that and a gust
of wind the aged warlock disappeared from sight of the prince.
The prince turned, swinging the back of his cloak into the air as he did so,
allowing it to flutter down slowly as he continued toward the castle. His pride
was ever with him as he made his way to the seer, hoping that maybe she could
show him what meaning these events held.
He entered the chamber of the seer and took a seat in a large wooden chair, the
soft padding beneath him providing as much comfort as possible, although the
area itself made things quite uneasy. The room's décor consisted of paintings
of the blackness that is the void and strange golden substances with jewels and
runes of all sorts. Archaic items from around the world, collected into one
single room, worth a fortune, but never leaving the eyes of the foreboding
prophet.
"Be weary, young prince," the old women spoke as she stepped toward
the table upon which rested her ball of crystalline glass. "There are those
who would aspire to end your life. But you already knew that, for you have been
warned by one whom even I can not match in the world of the magical arts."
"That-" the prince began, only to be interrupted by the aged voice of
the seer.
"-old man with the long beard and the light blue robes and hat. Yes he is
the one of which I speak, and you would be wise to listen to him, my prince. He
knows more than I do of things that are to come, and the destinies of man. He
would not have come to see you if you hadn't a special purpose in the world's
future."
The prince began to speak again, only to be interrupted once more. "He told
me-"
"-things that only you need to hear. Tell no one what he spoke to you of,
for those who want your life at an end will hear if you speak of these
matters."
"Should I do as he says and leave the castle?"
"That is your decision to make. I have a feeling that even the old man can
be wrong on occasion, and I also have a feeling this could be one of them.
However, know that if you stay or if you go, as long as you live your destiny is
still the same. You will have to leave eventually."
"Then I will spend my night here, in the castle, and I will tell them of my
leave."
"You must tell no one, my prince, for as I've said, if you tell, those who
wish to end your life would hear as well, and that is a chance that we can not
take. You must sleep in silence and leave in silence. And when you leave, you
must take no one with you."
The prince bowed before turning and walking toward the door to exit. "I
will do as you say, wise seer. I thank you for your kind advice, and in whatever
is to come, I hope that you will come through unharmed, for you have served me
well in the few years of my life." He stepped through the door, allowing it
to remain open to show that the seer was available for questioning by another if
they wished to ask her of advice in matters.
As she watched the prince leave the seer glanced at the crystalline ball before
her with a sad gaze. "My prince, you must live through this night. Myris
has something planned for you, and it is a deed that you must perform, for if
not, I fear that this world may be doomed." She closed her eyes and waved
her hands over the crystal ball, which showed an image of the prince walking
through the corridors, sending him a blessing to make it through the night.
Perhaps it would be the last gift she'd ever give the boy whom she'd watched
rise from a small prince to a great warrior. "Farewell, my prince…"