Prince Of Beasts

Andre’s eyes were swollen from the cold of the harsh winter storm, but as painful as it was to watch he could not tear his eyes away. Two enormous beasts roaring out in pain before him as they tore into each other’s fur-covered flesh. Andre tried to pick his tiny body off the ground, but his left leg was stuck within a thorn bush. After slipping over a icy puddle formed near the bent gates of the royal gardens.

“Guards, anyone please” he screamed out. Voice drowned by the raging winds. His mother warned him not to step out the castle at this time, beasts randomly appearing across the kingdoms. He just had to sneak out and get away, curiosity and impulsiveness flowed from his veins through his heart. He could not live without testing the limits, but from his latest excursion it seemed the limits had no problem testing him back.

The two beasts stopped momentarily mouths gaping with drool flowing down from their giant tusks. Dark brown fur shining and jetting out from their body in every direction as if gelled. Bodies towered above him like monumental statues, sharpened elongated claws stuck out of their hand shaped paws. Goat-like square pupils fixated on the brilliant red blood flowing down the child’s legs like running streams. One was a few feet taller than the other, and had no problem using this advantage to push the other to the ground as they made their way over to him snarling with anger. Andre frantically trying to yank his leg free as the wound began to freeze in the winds. Bits of skin exposed to the weather as the spines of the bush scrape across. Instinctually yelping out in pain. The beast ran over shaking the ground with its weight as they made their way to him. They began to lift one of their feet over his body, the size shadowing over Andre’s torso. He closed his eyes and whimpered under his breath.

“Please” he winced in one last attempt. He expected pain or silence, but instead he felt tiny cold droplets fall onto his face. The beast’s leg had fallen limp to his side, as the smaller creature’s cinder black claws impaled its abdomen like fallen icicles. Yanking them out as the other creature fell to their side. Lying in a puddle of bloodstained snow, lifeless. Andre opened his eyes in confusion, only to find the walking nightmare before him. But he noticed something, very subtle in the creature’s face. Different than it was seconds ago as if slowly changing. Tiny patches of pale skin exposed close to the cheeks, and eyes turned to something close to human. He saw something in them before the creature disappeared back through the path of broken gates and guard bodies.

Something began to boil in Andres that day, as the remaining guards and royal servants ran out to fetch him and gaze upon the mangled mess before them. A gnawing curiosity inside him telling him these monsters may be less random than they seem.

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As Andres began to grow into a beautiful olive-skinned young man, the kingdoms around saw it as an opportunity to form an alliance. The number of creature attacks increasing throughout years, numerous families torn apart with members missing or found dead. Nothing brings people closer together than a common enemy. Andres was not so sure however that is what they were. They were dangerous of course but he saw something in that creature’s eyes that seemed to just want to be free. He kept this mostly inside now however, as every attempt for alternative solutions or research were dismissed as quick as the Queen could raise her hand. To her it was all deviltry, and that did not belong in the kingdom of Crymar.

Andres made his way out from his sleeping chambers, down the stairs to the Grand Hall. His gold embroidered cape clung to his white blazer and pants as he raced down the stairs. Lines of royal princesses from different kingdoms along with guards and other royal dignitaries and translators greeted him as he came upon the opened imposing double doors.

“Happy to make your acquaintance,” he said eyes darting around for potential exits before bowing with his signature smile. One lady caught his attention, however. Long straight black hair laying against her pale skin with a billowing gold floral trimmed gown gently tracing the ground behind. Still her beauty was not what caused him to hesitate, it was her eyes. Now stern and unwavering, but unmistakably the same. His eyes were stuck on her, and she seemed to notice as she quickly made her way to him.

“Huang Huiyin from the neighboring kingdom of Azuhire, I believe it would do you well to remember it once you regain the mental capacity to do so” He then noticed he was just standing there, mouth agape.

“My apologies, princess, it seems I’ve lost my manners, but have we meet before?” it was not farfetched, Azuhire and Crymar had relatively good standing being politically allied and so close together. Still, he knew they had never once meet in that way. Grasping to the thin hope there was truly some humanity in the creature that day.

“No apologies needed, people say I have an intimidating gate” she said never once breaking eye contact, as Andres reached out for her hand. Inviting her for a walk.

“Well, intimidation is just another iteration of power, and with these monsters wreaking havoc Crymar could use nothing more” Andre tried to study her expression as he said this, for any break in her demeanor. Although she maintained her stoic nature standing by his side, he saw something in her eye. A familiar empathetic pain, the thing he did not understand at the time of his youth.

She suddenly began grabbing her sides. The panic building inside her showing on the surface of her face, like the shell breaking off a hatching chick.

“I have to get away,” she whispered to herself, as if the command itself would force her body to move.

“Was it something I said-” Andres could not finish his sentence, as before him in the courtyard Huiyin fell to the floor writhing in pain. Claws breaking through her golden silk gloves, imbedding themselves in the dirt.

“Run” she said breath heaving “I don’t know if I can save you this time.” Andre was filled with a weird mix of fear and excitement. He did not dare move away; This was finally his chance to prove the truth he saw. Is seeing before his very eyes. As her body began to morph, bones beginning to unnaturally bend backwards, and grow out on the ground.

Her screams of pain, turned into deafening howls as her jaw unhinged and her teeth began to curl up and out of it. He heard the stampeding of feet behind him, guards and curious royals clashing as they were trying to escort them back into the safety of the palace walls. Arrows flying out behind him, as they rained over Huiyin, clinging to her fur like acupuncture needles.

“Cease Fire” he said rapidly turning his head around in the direction of the soldiers with crossbows. Shooting from both higher in the castle atop balconies, and in a line of dozens of men and women on the ground before him both kneeling and standing. A militia appearing within seconds, no hesitancy in sight.

“We cannot Queen’s orders” The commander of the guards yelled out in the chaos. He heard Huiyin whimpering in pain as she continued to be pelted with arrows from all directions, until parts of her body were barely visible, and she began flailing onto the ground.

“You’ll start a war, that’s the princess of Azuhire” the commanders’ sharp cheekbones and older battered features, only reflected the coldness found within his dark brown eyes.

“Not anymore” Andres felt the blood rush to his ears and head, as his teeth began to grind into itself. He saw no surprise in the guards’ eyes as they continued to shoot down at Huiyin’s writhing body, catching his mother amid some soldiers in a castle balcony. He wondered how many innocent people were killed without remorse, if even a princess was seen as nothing, but a threat sent from the bowls of hell.

He ran out into the fire without thinking, to agile for any of the men to grab or restrain him. An arrow catching the hem of his pants, tearing at the fabric revealing the healed scar wounds left by the thorns. Another striking him in the shoulder before the men finally ceased fire. Crumbling before her, on his knees as blood stained the snow on the ground. Slowing spidering out into the white itself. Andre lay his hands on her chest and head; he could feel the breath leaving through the tiny amount of empty space left on her skin. Her body now a pincushion, their eyes locking one last time.

The deep gentle light within them fading, as her body began to slowly shrink down to its original size. Bones cracking back into place as best they could. Several arrows falling to the ground, no longer having a place to stay imbedded. Others sunken deeper in her throat and ribs. The murmurs of the crowd now encompassing him, fading into a buzzing ring. He gently closed her eyes as he whispered to her-

“I’m sorry I never got to save you in return, but I promise not a single soul will suffer like you again.” Focus now returning to the overwhelming pain coming from his shoulder, as blood ran down the back and front of his attire. Making his garments themselves appeared dyed a vibrant ruby. Guards roughly grabbing him by the back, yanking him into the castle. For once he did not fight back, he was not planning a great escape, or thinking of any smooth sounding words to be his saving grace. The world around him becoming a blur of motion indistinguishable from each other. Royal physicians running in to treat his wounds, his vison beginning to blacken and fade. The last thing he remembered hearing was a voice, not loud or overpowering. So far sounding, he felt he could almost miss it. But he recognized it all to well as it whispered back to him.

“Show me, little prince, show me there’s humanity left in the world after all.”