Chapter 50: Chapter 50
Colter
Kingdom of Havocc
His veins were on fire, leaving traces all over his body as the poison coursed through him. Colter tried to endure the pain but his mind was already screaming. The last thing he knew was that he was attacked after leaving Vida’s apartment. It was quite a battle but he was caught off guard. Hence why he was in this sticky situation right now.
“It hurts” Colter thought as the fire continued to burn inside him, his brain was slowly losing itself and his heart was slowing down. “Vida…” Colter thought as his thoughts flickered in and out of existence, “I’m sorry… I think I fucked up”
Then there was a snap, it was as if something inside of him changed. He found himself in darkness and there was voice that seemed to guide him on.
“You are my son” the voice told him.
“I am your son…?” Colter repeated in the darkness of his mind, “I am your son.”
“Open your heart to me, my son” the voice continued and Colter accepted it like a child.
Dark energies flowed into him, it was a torrent of pain and a maelstrom of evil. In the darkness he roared in pain as he absorbed the aura and essences being forced into his body. He felt everything change, his mind was gone, memories faded into nothing and replaced with new things.
His memories as a child prince, his rough childhood with his father, how he had loved the common people of Howard, how he had trained with Vergil, how he always preferred to ride on horseback rather than flying, how his mother had doted on him, how he saw Vida in his dreams for the first time, how he made love to her, how he crossed the portal for her, everything that he had experienced in his life.
Extinguished.
---
And now, the prince opened his eyes. He did not recognize his surroundings, he had been lying on an altar of sorts, he sat up, swung his legs to the side and stepped onto the floor. Colter Howard was no longer there. It was someone else.
His hair, the exquisite brown hair had turned into black with flecks of ash. His eyes, the perfect emerald eyes that always glowed with wonder were replayed by crimson that seemed to emanate bloodlust, even the whites of his eyes had darkened considerably giving them a sinister look.
His tanned color was now gone, it had gone pale and various red markings that resembled scars ran all over his body. It was quite a look, a haunting look that would terrify anyone who would see him now.
His mark glowed an evil red, pulsating with each beat of his heart. No more was the good prince of Howard, what replaced him was something evil, something different. A prince of Havocc.
He glanced to the side and saw a figure sitting majestically on a throne, it was a man who was smiling at him contentedly. The man beckoned him to speak and so Colter spoke his first words as a new being: “Father…”
It was a raspy sound that differed vastly from how Colter once sounded, the kindness was gone, replaced by pure malice. It was what the poison did to his body and soul, it replaced all his memories with new ones.
A weak and frail looking creature suddenly closed in on him, on its hand was a chest plate with a cloak,
“My prince” the creature said adoringly, handing him the armor.
“Foolish” Colter said darkly, taking the piece from the creature’s hand, “Be gone!” he roared and landed a fist into the servant’s chest. As his hand found its way into the creature’s chest, flames erupted from his victim’s back. A burning hole had appeared, incinerating the poor servant’s insides.
Colter’s flame stayed but even it looked different, it was laced with black flames of corruption. He took off his arm from the now dead servant’s body, clicking his tongue in disgust as the charred remains fell to the floor before dissolving into ash.
“Weaklings have no right to stand before me.”
Dyron was clapping at this display of power and hatred; he had hated the fact that Colter killed unnecessarily but realized that it was a show of his new found ruthlessness.
“Bravo, my son!” Dyron said sweetly, as Colter put on his new outfit, “What do you feel about the Kingdom of Howard?”
An aura of flames suddenly burst around Colter, it was still as evil as the flames he had conjured earlier, it created an immense heat that made every single one of Dyron’s sweat badly.
“Foolish cretins” Colter announced at the mention of his former home, “I shall put them to the sword, I will tear down their walls, I will burn down their homes and I will rip apart their hearts. They shall know of my power and my existence.” Colter’s flames grew hotter and larger, forcing some of the minions to step backward in fear.
The scars that crawled around his body glowed violently, Colter’s crimson eyes widened as his aura of fire turned into a pillar that shot straight into the sky, punching a hole through Dyron’s roof. The very room shook as he continued to speak:
“A bunch of cowards hiding behind their walls, led by a weak king who has business being a monarch. I will burn his life out while he sits in his throne.” The anger, the hatred mixed in with the lingering resentment at his former father boiled within the angry prince “They will all die for going against us. I will run them through with my blade and make them choke at the taste of their own blood. When I am finished with them, there will be no longer a Kingdom of Howard, there will only be cinders and rubble from whence their palace once stood.”
With that, the aura of flames around Colter disappeared. His hatred seemingly quenched for now as he had aired out his anger towards the kingdom of Howard.
---
King Dyron
Kingdom of Havocc
“My beloved friends and allies” Dyron now spoke in front of his terrified audience, Colter’s show of power had rattled the courage out of them, “With that, we are ready to strike while Howard is in a state of chaos”
Regaining their courage and bloodlust, the creatures let out a mighty howl that shook the palace. Dyron spread his arms in his usual fashion, basking in their anger, their rage, their taste for Ecanus blood.
“Joyous day!” the King said sweetly, smiling maliciously as his men’s war cries intoxicated him, “Oh joyous day, my son, Prince Colter Havocc will also serve as one of the field commanders for this battle.” He turned to look at the prince who simply waved his hand in acknowledgement, also being thrilled by the violent cheers of these creatures.
“Muster all the divisions of Havocc, call back every force we have deployed all around the kingdom. We will strike at their borders soon. When they see what I see right now, they will urinate themselves in fear. These foolish Ecanus will see their folly, they will realize that what they see is death and despair. For what are we but simple messengers of death. We will take from them what is ours, by force and by blood. And by fire!” he added, as Colter grinned evilly.
“Take your arms, friends and beloved allies. Rouse every citizen of my kingdom and take to arms. The time is nigh, the streets shall flood with their blood, you shall feast on their flesh and they will die knowing that it was us who will be taking their lives. Their men will be eviscerated, their wives will be made into slaves and food while they watch their children be eaten in front of them.”
It was quite an eerie sight, seeing a hodgepodge of monsters cheering at this sheer violence, the palace rumbled at the sheer tenacity of their stomps and footsteps as they walked away cheering and roaring Dyron’s name. These monsters now leave to gather their weapons, call their allies and muster into one devastating fighting force that will send even the greatest of armies into mortal peril.
He had at last realized his dreams, King Dyron who had longed to take over the Kingdom of Howard now stands in the middle of it all, his eyes ominous and his mouth forever pasted in a sadistic grin. Colter stood by his side, prepared to also take the lives of what he once considered his people.
In this moment, to anyone who might be looking in, there was a lacking of hope. Evil has seemingly triumphed as they managed to gather their forces and even take the greatest asset their enemy has.
King Dyron jeered at the impending doom that will now befall the Kingdom of Howard, “Let them sleep, let them rest, let them eat and let them enjoy these last days of peace. King Dyron Havocc stands triumphant”