Vampire Beauty

Task Four- The True Prince

Task Four- The True Prince

His sword was dangling right above her throat. Just one thrust, and she would be dead. The reign of the vampire queen would finally be over.

            She thrashed and struggled, but it was no use. He was stronger than her. How, he had no idea. But she was pinned down by his strength.

            Just as he was going to kill her, a voice emanated from the shadows.

            “No . . . let her live. If you kill her, if you kill the bane of the humans, you will only create more trouble. Do not . . . do not kill her.”

            Aderlard glanced around, alarmed. His grip on the heavy sword began to slip.

            “Who are you?” he shouted into the darkness. “What are you doing here? And what do you mean to not kill Amalia?”

            “Trust me . . . do not kill her. Kill her, and the extinction of humans will be inevitable. It will only be more proof to the own gods that you are afraid of your own creations . . . . Do not kill her.”

            “Who are you?” Aderlard bellowed.

            “Someone . . . someone from the past ages faded away. One of the ones who died, yet survived. The only one who had enough courage to tell you the truth  . . . . Do not kill her. It will be over if you do. Everything you’ve known . . . over.”

            Aderlard trembled. Everything around him had stilled. The princess was no longer moving, but her bulging eyes and heaving chest showed that she was still alive. However, she was not struggling against his grip. What was going on? Who was this creature?

            The sword began to slip more and more as his hands became sweatier. He held onto it tighter, half afraid that what the shadow said was true. Would it really be over if he killed Amalia, the bane of the humans? But how so?

            “Don’t!” the shadow roared as the sword slipped more and more. “Fool! Kill her and you will all die!”

            Aderlard said nothing. Sweat dripped off his forehead, falling to the ground in droplets. He had come this far to kill the princess, to end her reign over the humans, and now the shadow was telling him this?

            “You are the chosen one . . . the gods have seen to that. The man of bravery, wit, and kindness. However, if you kill her now, it will only prove to them that humankind is too cruel to reign. To kill your own creations . . . I see now. We were wrong. We were all wrong.”

            “But we are killing our own bane!” Aderlard cried out. “It is the vampires that have been cruel, not us –“

            “Idiot,” the voice hissed. Aderlard recoiled. “How do you think vampires were created in the first place? Out of thin air?”

            “Well –“

            “Even magic came from somewhere. It was one of the first of the many creations of Life, the deepest form of power and existence. It is buried and hidden away from human –“

            Suddenly, the shadow let out a low growl, and a high-pitched scream echoed around the infinite darkness. Shivers traveled down Aderlard’s back.