Kingdom of Fantasy: The Prince From the Dark

Chapter 20 - Reawakened

Three Years Later...

There was nothing to be seen but the purest of blackness, like the view of having tightly shut eyes when slumbering in a dreamless sleep. There was barely any sound to be picked up, which made the surroundings very hollow and lifeless. The sensations of pins and needles coursed through the dormant body that was hibernating within the empty chasm, starting at the extremities, then flowing to the core, reaching into a reactivating Soul. Dim lights began to appear, and the tranquil, yet empty echoes of a barren chasm could be detected. The lights then began to form into shapes that could not be distinguished yet, but the colors of the surroundings were all darkened, making the view look black and red. The blurry objects gradually became more distinguishable as the time passed. The sleeping figure, now active, repositioned himself from lying down on his side to kneeling on his knees to scan the obscure scenery around him.

What mess has Mel gotten me into now?

The Fallen Prince then slowly lifted himself up, and stretched his back. Even after not having the chance to eat anything during the time of his dreamless deactivation, he did not mind the agony left from his hunger. He took a glance at the gold bracelet on one of his thin arms given to him by King Regal, the cause of his sleep. He noticed that the crimson jewel on the piece of enchanted jewelry was cracked. The dark veins on the underside of his bony wrist, which had the bracelet clamped onto him were easily seen, in contrast to his pale skin. He reached out his other arm to touch the round red jewel, realizing it was loose. As he touched it, the gem popped out of the trinket, rolling onto the stony floor. He then reached into his robe, and took out the cornflower-blue star-shaped item that Regal must have carelessly neglected from the time he was relentlessly attacked in the Crystal Castle. As he looked around again, it took him a short while to realize he was surrounded by four deep grey stone statues, with spectacularly familiar appearances. Three of the sculptures resemble sitting dogs wearing some kind of accessories on their heads and bodies. The fourth statue was a large dragon with twisted horns and tattered wings. He hid the cerulean star back in his pitch black robes, and he reached out one hand to scoop the red pearl that was dropped onto the ground.

What's this? He thought, rolling the round stone in his hand. He noticed a minor crack on one side of the pearl, appearing as if a small bolt of lightning was marked onto it. I wonder what good it will do if I break it.

With a glowing red saber summoned in one of his hands, Avalon threw the gem into the air, and at the right time, he reached out his hand to swing the saber he held. And at the right time, the piercing blade clashed with the gem in mid-air. With such force exerted onto the pearl, it glowed a soft scarlet light, and gave off sparks, before it could shatter into nothing but black dust that would slowly disintegrate and blend into the air. After waiting for a small moment to check the surroundings, the statues around him began to crack, with light the same color as the one that the pearl had before shattering. The cracks on them closely resembled a mix between a spiderweb and bolts of lightning. Bursts of intense magic began to consume the stone sculptures as the lights gleamed brighter. Then, the glowing objects began to move, as if they were meant to be animated. Despite all of what was going on at once, Avalon remained calm, bearing a neutral, yet cautious expression. The luminous color of the blazing sculptures eventually faded away, until it was realized that they were not made of stone, but living matter. Now the Fallen Prince was accompanied by a trio of armored hounds and a black dragon. One of the dogs bolted towards the Wizard, ready to deliver a gleeful pounce of affection.

"Avalon!" The dog barked enthusiastically with his pink fleshy tongue sticking out of his mouth, standing on his hind legs to hug his master, "I missed you!"

As the animal made contact with Avalon, he gently nudged the dog aside, then silenced it without having to use his voice. The dog answered that command, even though it was not verbal. The two other hounds, and the large coal-black dragon, stayed in place for a little while, before finally making the decision to slowly step towards Avalon. Another dog, but with an observable scar on one side of her face, observed a light in a not so far distance, then strode towards the Fallen Prince to make a statement.