The Child of Ash

PART 1: PROLOGUE

"Please be merciful!" Johan was so competitive he did not listen, and went straight for the prince. The boy blocked feebly. Johan threw his blade aside and slashed him in his weak point: the stomach. There was a scream of pain before Alexander fell to the floor. The sky now turned from a sunny day into a rainy, miserable one. Thunder rumbled in the grey clouds above. Alexander just lay there as rain dripped down on him from above. Suddenly, his father's men all rushed to bring him back inside. There was a small cut across his stomach around three inches long from the fight. A meander of blood came from the isolated wound, spurting out at an alarming rate. The doctors all did their best to stop him bleeding out. His father stood over him, mourning over his son.

"The Dios hath cursed me. My heir is being racked with curses, and plagues as I grow older. I do not have much of a life left to live: it is for him, not me. So I mourn for you my dear son, for it is not fair. There is nothing we can do though. The only way I could ever revive him is with this." Alexander's father unveiled a jewel from his pocket. It shimmered and lit up even the darkest of rooms. Everyone present in the room gasped in shock. Their eyes dazzled in the marvels of the jewel's beautiful appearance. It was more red than the roses placed on the table beside where the patient rested. Aurelius Dimont held it up and then, radiant beams of light channelled into Alexander's body. The boy's eyes turned from green to red. The wounds began to heal themselves as the skin stitched itself back together. Alexander Dimont screamed in pain yet it was the only way to bring him back to life. Aurelius made the jewel stop before concealing it once again.

"Father. You gave me strength. I thought I was to perish and walk among the dead. My strength is sufficient but I want more. It felt good, Father, so very good! Why do you conceal the jewel?"

"The jewel is a dangerous thing. It brings out the worst in you. It has made people bitter. It gives you long term desires with short term fulfilment. The jewel leads you into sin, with no hope of being forgiven. It makes you sour like the limes that grow on trees. But worst of all, it leads you into temptation with false hope." Aurelius refused to give his son any more of its power and stepped out on the balcony. He sent everyone away and enjoyed solitude.

"Father! You are wrong about the jewel. It helped me! I would not be alive if it were not for it. What comes out of your mouth are lies, every single word!" Alexander Dimont protested. In a similar sense to his father, he was stubborn at the best of times. As his words resonated in his father's mind, the lightning strikes became even more frequent. "You said it was the reason you maintained the crown. Where would you be without it?"

Aurelius Dimont had enough of his child, and struck him across the face. His long shaggy beard covered any signs of sympathy that might have been hidden underneath it.

"How difficult is it to understand, child? Not everyone who wears a crown is a king! They can sit on the throne all they like but it will never make them a true king. A true king puts his people before him. I am ashamed to have a child like you!" Regret was the only thing Aurelius felt in the moments to come. A winged creature swooped through the opened doors to the balcony and attacked him. Its long talons pierced through his back. There was a squelch before Aurelius staggered to the floor.

"NO!" The winged creature darted straight at Alexander immediately after he had attacked Aurelius. Alexander ran but stumbled to the floor. His only way of protecting himself was a wooden sword he had kept from the swordfight.

"Where is the jewel?" The demonic voice screeched at him. "Give me what is rightfully mine! Your father was a thief! The jewel belongs to me!"

Aurelius barely managed to stand back up but did anything to protect his child. He limped over to the creature, drew his sword and stabbed it in the middle of its wings. It wailed and turned to face Alexander's father who had the jewel in the other hand. Alexander cowered behind his father while the Dark Being as it was known in the Mortal Tongue attacked.

"Give it to me!"

Aurelius shook his head and slashed at the Dark Being. It fought back with its long nails and kicked the sword from his hands. Then, it charged at Aurelius in the stomach. Aurelius did not scream when the Dark Being stabbed him, he was in shock. The man fell into his son's arms. The jewel dropped on the marble floor of the palace. The Dark Being snatched it and left. Alexander Dimont howled even louder than the wind itself as streams of tears flooded down his face like his eyes were rain clouds.

"You are going to be okay, Father. I promise you. I will take you to the doctors and they will save you. The throne will still be waiting for you, not for me. You cannot die yet, Father, I beg," The survivor clutched his father's corpse, clinging to it lifelessly. His hands were covered in blood forever stained and engrained with it. "HELP!"

It was no use. Aurelius Dimont was on his way out. He took his last few breaths, took his crown off and handed it to his son. Alexander refused again and again until his father spoke his final words:

"Not everyone who wears a crown is a king." Aurelius handed the crown to his son. It was now crimson with blood. That was the last Alexander Dimont saw of his father before he tragically died in his son's own arms.

***

The Emperor pondered in the Royal Gardens, thinking about what his father said to him when he passed. Even when he had died, Aurelius Dimont was ashamed of his son. The memories only made the Emperor even more bitter. He had nobody. His empire would never help, soldiers were not men, only pawns in a game of chess that spanned across whole kingdoms. The world had shown him nothing but pain and suffering.

"Sentries!" His guards came rushing to the Royal Gardens, their armour clanking as they ran down the stairs. "I have a new plan. The Empire shall put the magic people in the camps to death! I want them to face the consequences of their actions. Get Sergeant Victorino to tell the High Council that I want no trade with any kingdoms. We are pulling out of any alliances. Anyone who stands against us is an enemy, and will be killed. Decorate the streets to remind them they are part of an Empire. Eradicate any free will they have. Anyone who rebels shall be put to death! They will all follow the same religion, be mortal and serve us. Long live the Empire! The castle gates shall be shut for the rest of my reign. Young boys shall be taken out of school at eleven years old to be a soldier for the Empire. If they refuse, their families shall be slaughtered. Camps of magic people will be set up across the nation. If you give people freedom, then they will always abuse it. All will be grown in this country and this country alone. There will be no contact with the other nations- it is strictly forbidden. These laws shall be known as the Aevuhan Charter. Get the scribes to write all of this up. Plaster the cities with it. We will instil fear into their hearts: for fear is the only way to win them over. Welcome to the New Age gentleman!" The Emperor cackled as he realised just how powerful he could become. He did not agree but his father was right, not everyone who wears a crown is a king.