As Leo gets rushed to a bed in the hospital wing, nurses and healers immediately rushed over to heal him.
As they remove his hand, they saw it.
Burnt flesh.
Disfigurement.
The whole upper right part of his face is burnt off.
Healers try their best with salves, medicine, healing magic.
The wound starts to heal.
You can see the instant relief that lands on Leo’s face.
However, the burnt off skin was not recovering, even with magic.
The doctors, healers and nurses looked at each other in bewilderment.
Healers attempted to dispel any curses that was on there, but nothing worked.
That is where one of the doctors rushed out to the rest of the party.
“Who is with Leo?” The prince and his companions answered.
“What exactly hit him?” the doctor asked.
At this point, the door slammed open.
Headmaster Mensarius walked in along with 3 teachers.
“Prince Kenius, you are here.
I heard about the boy who got burnt.
We just had an incident a while ago.
Let me take a look.” The doctors immediately went into attention and greeted the young prince.
“Your Highness, we-we did not know it was you.” “Stand down.
Unc-Headmaster, by incident, do you mean that fiery devil that was in the sky?” “I see, so you are involved.
Come, lets look at your friend first before you tell me what exactly happened” The headmaster accompanied by the Prince and their companions walked in.
He looked at Leo, and place his hand near the wound, floating just inches above it.
“Interesting, I feel the magical reverberations of hellfire.
A special kind of fire that is cursed.
He will not be able to recover fully, but our healers may be able to alleviate it.
Your friend will not recover his looks, but he will live.” Leo, with his other eye open, greets the headmaster.
“Will I still be able to attend the ceremony?
To get my talents awakened?” “Yes you can, sleep well.
Let the healers do their job.
Come to the ceremony tomorrow at dusk once ready.” Then he turns to look at the Prince and the other two.
“You three, come with me” As they exited the hospital wing, dusk has fallen.
The sky is darkening, and the sun heading down into the horizon.
Stars began populating the skies, an endless sea of glitter.
The group walked and entered the main building, and then headed up to headmaster’s office.
As Headmaster Mensarius sat down on his chair, the other three remain standing in front of his desk.
“Now, Prince Kenius, would you like to tell me what exactly happened?
Why was a flame devil in the skies and how your friend got hurt?” The prince began telling the tale.
How they wanted to go delving one last time, how they met onto 2 skeletal minions that were not ordinary, how they entered a cave and a flame devil was residing there.
The devil spoke of tunnels, speaking of 5 elements, us being heretics and a great flame one.
Then, they were attacked and Leo got injured.
They had run to the tunnels resulting in the flame devil flying up and into the air.
They remain hidden till they saw the epic battle between the headmaster and the flame devil.
The headmaster sighs.
“Prince Kenius, if your father, Prince John, knew about what happened.
He shakes his head and look down.” That is when the headmaster realized, on the prince’s hip, is the family heirloom sword.
“What is that sword doing here?!
Did you take it out of the treasury?!
Oh dear, now your father is going to be pissed.” “Nevertheless, we will hold an inquiry for this after the ceremony is completed.
I will report this to your father as well.” His eyes darted over.
“The two of you can leave first.
Rest up, there is no class tomorrow, but there is the ceremony.
Head back home first” “You, come with me.” The prince sheepishly walked along with the headmaster.
They went outside and boarded a carriage.
The coachmen said “Heading home, sir?” “Yes, to the Obsidian Palace” As the horses began their trot, the carriage is pulled and traveled on the road.
The prince broke the silence.
“Uncle Mensarius, we had no idea that there was a creature of such power there.
We just doing some delving.
See, I even got a sword out of it.” The prince lifted the sword that Jayzee has swiped.
The headmaster was not amused.
“Your Highness, what you did today is extremely reckless.
You are the heir to one of the royal family of the dark faction.
Do you have any idea the repercussions should your life has been forsaken tonight?
The implications that your friends may suffer because of your decisions.
When my sister, your mother, passed, your father was a wreck.
I swore on her grave that I will take care of you and train you up to be a responsible person.
Unlike your father who is only involved in statecraft and left the family to its own devices, I stood in to be a father figure to you.
Instead, you slack off during lessons, and endanger your life after that.
You even took out the royal family’s sword.
If you were to lose it, do you know how much of a scandal and problems it will cause?” The prince hung his head down low.
He knew his mistakes after they were pointed out, but at that point in time, he was having fun.
He was carefree.
He could indulge in delving.
“Later, when I report to your father, own up to your mistakes.
Return the sword back.
Accept any punishment he might give.
Lets also not forget the inquiry from the school about this whole incident.
I really hope you can learn from this and not act so reckless in future.” As the headmaster finishes his words, the carriage just passed the entrance of the royal home.
Shards of Obsidian rock jutted out.
Buildings of grand spectacle adorned the place.
Servants and guards everywhere.
In the center, a great spire reaches out to the heavens.
What seems like souls and spirits seems to orbit and ascend this great tower that disappears beyond the clouds.
The carriage continued its journey, but not to the biggest palace in the center.
It turned and headed to one of the smaller palaces on the right.
As it entered the courtyard, the carriage slowly grinded to a stop.
The headmaster and the prince stepped out of the carriage, before the coachmen drove it away.
Headmaster Mensarius: Remember what I told you in the carriage.
Accept it.
And learn.
As they entered, servants announced their arrival.
“The Prince and the Headmaster has arrived” As they enter, a great hall came into view and on the end, perched above a platform, a small throne.
Sitting on it, is Prince Kenius’s Father, Prince John.
Both kneel and greeted the Prince.
“Rise.” “Your Highness, I wish to report on something today.” “Very well, speak” Headmaster Mensarius then reported to the details.
The flame devil, the battle, the capture and their plans to interrogate it.
“However, I have another thing to report.” As he continues and mentioned the Prince involvement in the whole incident, you could see veins bulging on the temples of Prince John’s head.
Blood flushes his face as it turns red with anger.
When Mensarius mentioned about the sword being taken, the Prince slammed one hand onto his throne and stood up.
He raised his hand and some form of magic appeared.
Prince Kenius felt a tugging at his hip.
The sword flew out of its scabbard and into the hands of Prince John.
“You stole the royal sword.
You endangered your own life by going delving without powers.
You even implicated other sons who is disfigured because of you?!” Prince John swing the sword and a dark energy was released from the blade and slice up the ground at the side of Prince Kenius.
“Did you know why we are princes and not kings?
There has only been one dark sovereign in history that is human.
The king’s seal needs to appear on them before they are recognized as the true sovereign of the dark faction.
Instead, we have a council consisting of various races and combinations that rule this land.
One race one vote one voice.
By toying with your life, are you saying that the human race should lose its only heir, and let the undead, werebeasts, shadows and others take our spot?!
That is why no one stays in the central palace.
A balance of power between the races of the dark faction.
I have been working, day and night, to advance our race’s position and yet my son, foolishly throws his life away.
If you seek death, I shall grant it to you.” He raised the royal sword again, charging it with energies.
Prince Kenius reaches for the other blade hilt, the one that Jayzee got for him, in preparation for deflecting the slash.
“My Lord!
Do not make such a hasty decision.
Tomorrow is the ceremony.
Let him take part first and see where you can put him to learn!” Mensarius stepped in front of Prince Kenius, using his body as a shield.
“My Brother, Brother-in-law.
You see this useless fool?
His recklessness?
So many years and no change.
I put him in your school, expecting to let him grow, instead of teaching him myself in the art of statecraft and this is what I get?” “My Lord, Your Highness.
Please.
Listen to reason.
The ceremony is tomorrow.
Lets see what talent he awakens first.
Who knows, he may be sent to the front lines and it gives him the opportunity to grow and mature from there.” The Prince lowered his sword.
“Spoken like an educator indeed.
Very well, we will see the results tomorrow.
Your punishment will be decided then.
Also, my son, if you draw your sword towards me, its a crime to bare your sword against your Lord, I will not give your chances.
Both of you, dismissed” Prince John then lowered himself back on his seat, with one hand to his head, nursing a headache that his fool of a son has given him.
Prince Kenius, rushed back into his room.
Mensarius followed behind.
When he reached his room, the young prince screamed in anger.
Kicking furniture.
Unleashing his rage.
Mensarius stood at the doorway, looking at the insanity that is being on displayed.
However, he did not utter a single word.
When the Prince finally calmed down, the headmaster asked: “Had enough?” “Why does he always do this?
I am his son, his heir.
Its like he can sacrifice me at any time to further his political ambitions.
For the race this, for the race that.
I have friends who are of different races and they are all ok?!
I swear he has not been a father for the longest time, yet he think he can judge me on the things I did?” “Firstly, the things you did were stupid.
Although his reaction could be smaller, your father had every right to react the way he did.” Mensarius mutters under his breath.
“Secondly, yes, he could have sacrifice you, but he has not.
You are his son, and one of the future rulers that represents the race of humans in the dark faction.
He needs you but you keep disappointing him, with random acts that you did.” “Lastly, friends in school and the different races in the council are of two different matters.
When it comes to politics, each being fights for themselves.
The worse thing in the world, is nature of a being.
It causes people, undead, shadows, werebeasts, and more to deny other beings to advance their own cause.
Selfishness.
The first thing to always do is to protect yourself.
Then you can defend others.
Example, your selfishness to delve cause your friend to be disfigured for life.
If you had protect yourself from the risks of delving, your friend may not be in the hospital wing now.” Prince Kenius sat on his bed, in contemplation.
“Uncle, I had nothing to do with it.
It was the circumstances that resulted in this tragedy.” “Yet, it was because of you wanting to delve that caused this chain of events to happen.
Reflect upon yourself first.
Then think about your friends and what was the worse case scenario.
Alright, you have a big day tomorrow, the ceremony at dusk.
Go and wash up and head to bed.” Mensarius turned around to leave, when he heard.
“Uncle, I am sorry.” Mensarius said “It is good you are sorry, but I am not the one who needs that apology.
Your maturity and your father and your friends needs it more.
Rest well.” As the headmaster headed off, Prince Kenius sat at his bed, holding the sheathed ornate sword.
As he looked at it, memories of the events of today played out in his head.
One word came to mind.
Regret He put the sword on desk and headed to bed.
Thank you everyone for your support.
If you like it, I appreciate some comments to let me know.
If you do not like it, I also appreciate some comments to let me know where I can do better.
Thank you once again.