UNFINISHED: Prince of Madness

∞ Chapter 14

When the war first broke out, it only concerned the homo sapiens. And yet, the cimmerians had been needlessly dragged in as the dryadalis king turned his forces to destroying any of the sapiens' potential allies. 

It was terrifying, the day the elf-like warriors stormed the city. First, spear-wielding infantry soldiers brought down the city gates, and the second wave of archers set fire to whatever their arrows would reach. The knight who had been tasked with the protection of the youngest member of the royal family watched his people being slayed by the dozen by those green murderers, but was restricted by orders that overruled all else.
He was not allowed to hate, but he hated it. He hated himself above it all, for having stood and done nothing. For the blood that was spilt before him, for the red streams that soon littered the streets. For the sword at his side and the shield in his hand that could have stopped the death.
He suddenly hated his pearl armour, for being so pure and untainted by the fierceness of battle.

He did nothing on the first day the dryadalis attacked the capital. He just listened to the screaming.

The next day, he awoke early and led the young prince through a secret passage round the back of the castle. The king and queen had given orders to evacuate their children from the area, starting with their youngest.
The protector had promised himself that he would not cry. And so there was a sorrowful silence as the pair made their way down the dark and dripping halls, past the walls coated with soot and dried red liquid and skeletons whose heads seemed to follow all who passed. 
The protector led his prince to an underground cavern where the bitter ice-cold was inescapable. Blades of ice hung from the ragged ceiling and patches on the ground were clear as glass. 
There, the protector said goodbye.