The destiny of a prince

Chapter I

                                                           The death of Queen Merisa

                 A peaceful world in which all races living on the planet were friends, no wars to destroy everything in their path. Two thousand years ago it was not like this.  Two thousand years ago in Val’drem, there did millions of deaths follow a battle, resulting in large destruction of the place, from both sides.                  The army of the five Kings defeated Lucifer’s army, the King of the worlds beneath, who wanted to conquer the world and to build a new Palace and a new army. Each King was Lord of a race. King Corvinus was the King of the human race. The Elves’ king was called The Magnificent Alijar, one of the most powerful kings the Elf kingdom had.  Being five thousand -year-old, no one had ever lived more than he had, especially not a king had, because he was supposed to lead the army.

                  King Ghimli was the King of the dwarves; they were not really participating in the fights, asthey liked to hang out in mines and to find the treasures of the earth. Cities were well hidden in such a way that, if you found a city you had to be a skillful traitor or one of the dwarfs to be under the spell and say all.

                   King Diego was the Lord the mages, this race was not great, but it was very strong, and only the leaders helped others learn the true way to the appropriate magic. The last King of the Dragons, called the Elder, was a very strong race. Each dragon who became King, received the name of Elder.

                     Before the war, the world was very beautiful, green everywhere, peace and quiet. You go for pleasure through the forests full of seven meters high trees, in the evening you could stand on the field by a campfire, looking at the sky and telling stories. Everything was wonderful until Lucifer has declared war on the surface world. For two months, all five races, including humans, elves, dwarves, wizards and dragons were preparing for battle, building armor, swords!, shields, bows and arrows. After two months, the war arrived and all five races together with Lucifer's army had assembled in the Val’drem. Tired and with the armies more than halved, they decided to attack for the last time. From the dragon’s breed remained only four dragons and the king, of the five hundred who had come to fight, from humans’ breed of ten thousand, there were only one thousand left, from five thousand magicians were left only twentieth, from the twenty thousand gnomes were just five hundred, from the elves’ race onlyfour hundred archers and two hundred swordsmen fromtwenty thousand.

                       Lucifer's army was the largest, a hundred thousand of, which were dark elves, magicians who chose the dark side, orcs and Dragons-skeleton. Dragons-skeleton and skeleton were made of little more than the skeleton Dragon skin. Froma hundred thousand they only remained one thousand, they are the only dark elves and Orcs. With one last attack by the Alliance of the five Kings, defeated Lucifer, but before he died, he took with him his five, leaving the Alliance races without Kings.

                        Once the five Kings died and Lucifer has disappeared, the fight was stopped and the army fled into the depths and dark corners of the forests and caves, others returning to their camps, where they were everyone were waiting for them. At hearing the good news, they all began to mourn the loss of those who died on the battlefield. Val’drem became a desolate place where dragons flames burned only continue. The battlefield was full of dead bodies, blood and fire, that no longer was turned off. Val’drem became Val’dul.

                        Each race returned to their land, and soon they began the funeral of the King and those who had lost their lives in battle for them, lighting candles.

                         For two thousand thousand years, all have lived quietly and rebuilttheir lives, forgetting the Alliance with the other races, and blaming each other for the death of the King. Everything has returned to normal, other Kings being chosen over the years.

                         The new King of the people, who had been elected last time, was not worth to be King. The best Knight, Sir Rohan, had poisoned King of the throne.

                          The Queen and the Prince fled and hid in a village far away from Kingdom where Rohan could not find them. Rohan was allied with Lucifer who still lived, but no longer had the power needed to emerge to the surface. When King Corvinus III died, his son was 5 years old. For 13 years, he and his mother lived in a village far away from the kingdom Akerel, a small, very quiet village called Fae, leaving behind all their lives,of Queen and Prince, becoming like any other farmer.

                           Corvin was a man well done, with black hair, Brown eyes, maxim 1,80 cmheight, considering that he  was a pretty good Hunter and a lumberjack adroitly, his body looked as if it were molded from hull for cakes, showing perfectly his shape . His mother, Merisa, was an ordinary woman who had accepted very quickly the country life,had long brown hair and blue eyes, was not very high, and had 1,65 cm.

                          Corvin was gone to cut wood with all the villagers, who were dealing with supplies for the winter, which was going to emerge and lie on their village.

                          −I think I gathered enough wood for today. What does Corvin say?

                          −Yes ... but it is not enough to have a worry-free winter. You will have to come back two more days.

                          −Yes it is true, but enough for today. In a few hours it will get dark, and our women will worry and the food will cool down, said Marc.

                           −Yes, let us load the wood that we have cut and hit the road, we have a long road home.

                            In just under the two hours they had arrived in the village, where they began to unload the wood and arrange it  in the barn. Considering that the village was not great, all the villagers gathered their winter supplies , the largest in the village barn, then each shall take the necessary supplies for a week and they brought in their ownn barn. After finishing, the  villagers left for  their homes, because the night had spread  over the village. Corvin finally arrived home, were Merisa was waiting for him with the food on the table.

                             −Good evening, mother!

                            −Good evening, my son. How was today? Any  problems?

                             −No, I had not any problems. A couple of days and we will be ready to enter the winter as it should be.

                             −Good! We will get over this winter too... let us eat something, and then put yourself to sleep, you have a great day tomorrow again.

                             −You are right. What did you prepare?

                             −Rabbit Stew, your favorite, said smiling Merisa.

                             −Yes. Suddenly, both of them sit down at the table and began to eat, while Corvin was telling the story of how the day went.

                             The next morning, after breakfast, he departed for the entrance of the village where he met Marc and the other villagers, from the depths of the forest, wood splitters, to cutters. After six hours of continuous work, they stopped to rest a little and eat something before theywent back to work. They had no idea that within a few hundred meters, a small army made up of 12 soldiers, rather 12 Orcs, was patrolling, heading towards them. The orcs were ready for battle, were bound for the village of Fae.

                             −Let's go back to work again to finish for today and let us go back to our homes, said Marc.                 

                              −Yes. That 's right ……

                             −What is going on? Marc asks Corvin.

                            −Something is not right, and this smell that came just now ... as if someone had died. I am going to check something, stay close.

                             −Well, but be careful, I do not want to go to your mother with bad news.

                             −I will!Ok! I will return immediately, do not to finish everything without me.

                             And then Corvin headed  to the place where the strange smell  was coming from , walking slowly with the axe in his right hand, raising it very powerfully to be able to throw without problems, in case if someone would appear  in front of him. A few hundred yards stopped and stuck with his back against a tree, having heard a bustle. Turning to face the tree behind it, that was leaning and looking forward, slowly saw the army of Orcs.  Quickly returned to Marc and the others.

                            −We are in danger! Behind me are 12 orcsbound for us and if they follow the same direction, their stop will be our village.

                            −Impossible, the orcs were not revealed for 2000 years old, the boy is tired and has not seen well. 

                             −Shut Up, Igor! Corvin is never wrong. You have to stop them before they reach the village.

                             −And what do you do? Igor screamed at to Marc, We would be slaughtered very quickly. We’re just some farmers, we aren't soldiers.

                             −Are you somehow seeing soldiers hanging around? I was thinking the same, if you do not want, you can leave, I will remain and I will try to stop them myself, said Corvin…after that he raised the axe and wanted to leave.

                            −Wait Corvin…I will come with you, I will not let you alone, and we know that forest better than anyone does. We will make a trap for them! Who comes with us?

                            Igor and the other two villagers, joined them, agreeing with laying the trap. With the help of the solid tree’s branches, they made spears, so they can be useful to save their lives and the village.

                            Approaching the trap, one of the orcs fell to the ground due to the spear that Corvin threw  him in the chest.  Then the remaining orcs have howled with rageat the same time preparing for battle with swords and bows they had in handy.

                             The fight began with every orc that fell  to the ground, Corvin and the others had a chance to get there arm’s and to use them against them. Igor and Marc were wounded, and the other two villagers killed. There remained two orcs, one of them attacked Igor and the other on Marc. Corvin was too far to reach Igor and Marc, so he picked up the axe in his right hand and threw it toward the orcwho attacked Marc, hitting him in the head, even at the same time when the orcwas getting ready to stab him with his sword in Marc's belly.  The second orc killed Igor and was moving towards Corvin.

                             Corvin had no plan to hang, to be killed so he raised a sword down and took to flee towards the orc … to set foot on a log, which was in front of him and jumped towards the orc, who did not have how to defend him because the sun was in his eyes. Corvin took advantage of the opportunity, passed the sword through the orc’s head, takinga part of the head, killing him….then straightened to Marc.

                            −Marc, are you well?

                            −Not too good. You will need to run away towards the village and to prepare for battle, said Marc, coughing blood.

                             −I will not leave you here. Wait to pull out the sword, I am going to put something on it and then we both go to the village, to warn them.

                            −We do not have time! Leave me here, anyway I am dead within minutes …I have lost too much blood. Go Corvin, save the village...

                           −No orc has escaped,we do not have to hurry to get to the village and you will live…

                           −Oh no, they were just a spy, they will return and destroy all! I do not know why they showed after so long but it is no good. Do what I say and go!

                           Marc died, while remaining with his eyes open to the sun that whirling to enter among the tree branches. Corvin closed his eyes and began to bury his friends.

                           After completing the ritual, he picked up an axe and a sword and headed for the village, hoping with all his heart not to arrive too late, to have time to save his mother and his friends from the village, but especially his mother... After 2 hours of treadmill get finally near the village where he can clearly see, but it was too late …the village was burning, with smoke and flames, he could no longer hear or see any villager, than a few orcs who sought among thing villagers.

                            Burning with rage, Corvin grabs the sword in his left hand while the right hand axe, patrolling towards the village to attack the orcs and kill them, but he realized that if he would continue he would be dead because he was alone and they were five. Therefore, he stops to calm down a bit and then it slipped easily into the village, without anyone noticing it.

                          Coming from the back of a house, Corvin grabs the sword and cut off the head of the orc that lies just behind him, falling to the ground. He hid the corpse without being seen then headed home.  

                         Arriving in front of the house, he saw the door cut off and thrown away, the flames burning the roof. The thought was to seek Merisa, who was lying on the floor in a puddle of blood …barely breathing.  Run quickly towards her, he picked her up in his arms and tries to speak to her.

                       −Mom! Hold on mom, I will take you from here and go to the nearest village, you willget well.

                       −No. We both know well that I cannot last no longer, I can die with the quietly I raised a son as  brave and beautiful as you, said Merisa, with a smile on her lips and with her right hand touching his cheek.

                       −Don't talk so, you will be well … you will see...

                       −My son, listen to me! Wedo not have much time, go near the fireplace and search under the wood that is moving on the right, pick up a box from there. 

                      −Ok. I will go now, hang on.

                       Corvin did as she said, he walk there and picked up the box, after that he turned to his mother who was waiting for him leaning on the wall.

                      −Good! Now take the box and go as far away from here as you can, and when you will be safely open, it and you will understand everything. I am sorry that I have hidden so many; I hope you will forgive me and you will understand why I did that. I am proud of you…now it is time for me to join your father, closing her eyes and ceasing to breathe.

                       Corvin burst out crying, squeezing her in his arms, at the same time howling in pain. Not much time was passing and the remaining four orcs alive, barge in to his house.

                        −Ooo, It seems that we have a survivor, said one of the orcs with a slightly gruff but at the same time, those who heard them coming .    

                         −All of you will pay for all you have done, said Corvinwith an irrepressible rage...Who sent you?

                         −It does not matter, you will like the others, said the second orc, whothrew himself to kill him.

                          However, he did not reach too far because Corvin throw the ax inthe his forehead and kill him on the spot, falling down like a log. 

                          −I ask you once and if you do not answer, I will no longer wait for the emperor's guards... who sent you?

                          −Your Emperor… He served on the Lord Lucifer. This world is doomed, says the first orc who began to laugh.

                          −No! He defends us, he would not do such a thing.

                           Then Corvin picked up his sword and attacked the three orcs, on the first kill it quickly but with the other two had the loader, because they were stronger than others were. One of them grabs on it Corvin and threw him through the window.

                           Fallen  to the ground, Corvingets  up as fast as he could, put his hand on a fork and heads it  towards the orcwho just approached him very quickly …  Unable to stop and to forbid it, he walked straight into it, but he didn’t give up so easily. The orc raised his sword and attempted to cut Corvin, he managed to abstain, throwing himself on the right side next to a body of a villager who was holding a hatchet.

                             Then he picked up hatchet and threw it in the orc head, hurt runs towards him by taking hold of the swords and in the next moment, the right hand of the last orc who was holding a sword, according to attack was cut off, falling a few inches on the earth. Then Corvin cut his head before he called others.

                             Tired and hurt, Corvin raised slowly,  went  back into the house,  picked up the box and went away, setting  fire to burn the whole house …he was heading towards the woods, going towards the next village of thinking that will find a home where he will be able to rest and he could take care of wounds. Going through the forest injured, only the light on his feet, he caught sight faraway of a cottage that looked inhabited.

                            At the cottage’s gate, a woman comes  out to meet him. Seeing her, Corvin falls down to the ground making her hurry towards him. After two days staying in the woman’s cottage, Corvin wakes up and tries to get up, falling back on the bed …the right arm and middle was hurting him.

                          −Sit quiet in bed, you have not recovered yet, said the stranger.

                           −Who are you?

                          −My name is Margaret … you fell at my gate, and I and my son Jhon we brought you into the house to take care of your wounds.

                          −Thank you! Nevertheless, how long was I here?

                          −For two days, you lost too much blood...  can you tell us how you came up with these wounds, what is your name?

                          −My name is Corvin, I lived in a village somewhere distant, I was in the woods with four friends to cut wood and then we felt a strong nasty smell far away coming increasingly towards us. Soon we realized those were orcs and I've laid a trap but the trap has failed, all have died except for me, so I run to the village which was the destination of the orcs but I got too late because was burning and  was guarded few of them …

                              −Orcs? Impossible! They have not shown up for many years.

                                −Yes … I attacked those remaining in the village and I hoped that my mother was still alive, but it was too late. All I know is that the orcs attacked due to an order from the king. 

                                −Which King? Jhon said and he entering in the room. 

                                 −Rohan. I do not know if that is true but it is said that he served the Lucifer and wants to help him rise to the surface once again. 

                                  −Rohan? Our king? Impossible, said Jhon with a loud voice. He’s  kind of villain but is not allied  with Lucifer, who died 2000 years ago, along with all the other kings of the alliance. 

                                   −Apparently not dead just retired and stayed hidden until now. Where are my things? 0

                                   −The clothes were destroyed so we give you new ones and the ones found near you when you fell. 

                                  −Thanks for everything! Now I should go, said Corvin trying to get up … Margaret put his  hand on it and it stretches back. 

                                   −Your going to stay here until you restore. Here is your box, but the axe is going to be put   safe until you restore. 

                                  −Ok. I am not going to stay a lot here…. 

                                   −You will going to stay, as it is necessary until you restore. I am not letting you go until you are completely redone. Do you understand? 

                                −You do not understand … if I sit a lot here, I will be found and we will all be killed, yelled Corvin at the woman that hosted him. 

                                −Do not worry, we will not get here. Jhon went to put the traps on to give us a sign that we are attacked. We are forest guards and we are used to danger. You should stay quiet and seewhat is in the box. 

                               −Sure, said Corvin and it stretched back to bed.

                                Corvin opens the box, where there is a letter and a dagger on which was engraved the royal sign. With Rohan's rule, the sign had been changed and the dagger was the only thing that can prove that he is the rightful king. Corvin put aside the dagger, not having any idea what's up with it  and picked up the letter  folded in three and sealed with wax, by loosening it gently so as not to break. Corvin put the box aside and open the letter beginning to read:

                             “Dear son, if you are reading this letter it means that I have been betrayed by the man closest to the Royal family's trust, Rohan, and he killed me…. he really wanted my throne but if he saw that it cannot be, he put me as aide, killing me. I’m sorry, If you are reading this letter it means that you have been found and will not stand still until he kill you and your mother, and the Kingdom is in distress. I am not asking to revenge your mother, and me in the event that happened what is worse, I just want to give down Rohan and to stop the war.

                           Rohan wants to bring back Lucifer to life! I know that it is a lot what I am asking but if you turn on this road look for Blackscar III and show him the dagger, he will know what to do then.

                            P.S. And do not forget, I will keep watching you and always love you my son. Good Luck! “

                          Having read the letter, he put it aside and closed his eyes, thinking what he had  to do...one thing was for sure, inside of him boiled the desire for revenge….