Eros clashed swords with the crimson prince, steel scraping against steel, sparks flying between them. He laughed like a madman, surprising the prince himself.
"Well, I was mistaken little Eros. You're not a lamb, you're the god damn devil!"
The prince matched his laughter, malice spreading from ear to ear. He allowed Eros to win the sword clash, letting his own momentum carry him forward into a knee strike straight into his gut. Eros fell to his knees, gasping for air as he spat out more blood.
"Unfortunately, I have no sympathy for devils. You're just like your ancestors... you need to be exterminated."
The prince slashed underneath Eros' right eye, bloody tears dripping down his face. He took out a handkerchief to wipe the blood off of the tip of his sword, disgusted by the fact that his blade had to touch a slave.
I can't beat him... He's too strong, too quick... I'm losing too much blood...
Eros looked at his mother's lifeless body, she had already bled out. Rage burrowed its way deep into his heart, but it would not be enough to overcome his enemy. No, at this rate, Eros would bleed out and join his mother's lifeless body. He threw his sword into the surrounding inferno, throwing his hands up.
"Is that it? You've already given up? Well, that was no fun... I'm disappointed in you Eros, I thought you'd have your mother's fire in you. I guess I was wrong. You already shared a worthless existence with her, might as well share your worthless fate with her as well."
The mad prince's eyes gleamed with glee, yet his body remained on guard. He was baiting Eros to attack, he wanted this fight to continue for his own amusement.
I won't give him the satisfaction. Not yet anyways...
"Come on slave, is this really the end for you? Tell you what, since you've interested me like your sister, I'll give you a chance to survive here today. Earn your freedom by landing a single strike on me."
"Velvo! Stop playing with the slaves, Saint Charles and I have a war meeting to attend!" The older royalty shouted, standing behind the mad prince. He stroked his crimson beard, stretching in his all red royal clothes. "I don't want to spend any longer with this filth than we need to. Your mother will think I'm out cheating again..."
"Come on Father, has your old age stolen your sense of joy?"
"My old age has stolen my patience for your games. It was tolerable when you were still a child, but you'll be 17 in a few months. You must learn how to properly conduct yourself with royal etiquette as my sole heir. We only came here for the Face of God, do not forget that, Velvo."
Face of God? Sepheros? THE MASK!
"I'm surprised that even in your old age, you still believe in fairy tales, Father. I'm not interested in that mythical mask of yours. You should have brought Stella, she's more interested in that kind of stuff than me." Velvo scoffed at his father's words, irritated by his overshadowing presence. He walked over to Eros' lifeless mother, ripping her head off of her body. "What I'm more interested in... is right here."
Eros gritted his teeth, forcing even more blood to leak through the spaces between his teeth.
THAT BASTARD! I'LL KILL HIM! I'LL RIP OFF HIS HEAD! I'LL MAKE HIM SUFFER EVERY WAKING SECOND!
He smiled sadistically, raising the decapitated head of Eros' mother towards his father, who shot him a disapproving glance.
"Oh what, not satisfied... Father? You know who will be satisfied? That stupid council of boot lickers you keep. You know how long they've been badgering you about this woman? Now we can serve her head on a platter to remind those idiot rebels the price of treachery. And the Artist Association..."
"Careful boy, we don't know if they are behind it yet. To assume is to wage war against them, one we're not quite ready for."
"Oh come on! Are you really afraid of them? The great Divine Emperor Palaxe Volarion is afraid of an association of artists!"
"They're not just artists..." The Divine Emperor replied coldly, his face unreadable.
Loud roars and screams cut their conversation short. There were 7 giant spider-like creatures with the heads of lions sewn onto their faces. They stomped through the miners, impaling their bodies the way one would use a straw to poke a hole in a juice box. The creatures were 30 feet tall, but they were faster than the children. Poor little Abdu, an orphan who was no older than Eros, was grabbed by the spider legs and eaten alive by the lion heads. He screamed out horrifically, pleading for help to his forgotten gods. They did not answer.
The Divine Emperor watched Abdu get eaten alive, but unlike his psychotic son, there was no pleasure in his scarlet eyes... nor was there any remorse.
"You forget Velvo, those monstrosities you use for your games are only possible due to those artists you so bravely mock. Without their academy, Saint Charles would never be able to create such a terrifying creature. And without their association, you may have found yourself in that slave's position instead. So no, I will not declare war against them unless I have proof of their schemes."
"Pfft... you've lost your edge old man."
"And it seems you've lost memory of your opponent before you..."
"Wha—"
Eros grabbed the hilt of the rusted sword that he had left burning in the inferno, slashing Velvo across his left eye. He screamed in agony, grabbing his eye as the wound immediately cauterized. Eros then took the seething hot tip of his blade, pressing it down against his sliced tongue to cauterize his wound. He laughed deliriously before collapsing to the ground, slightly conscious as his world began to fade around him.
Velvo cursed in between his screams, tears streaming down his right eye. He stared at Eros, imagining what limbs he'd take first.
"YOU LITTLE SHIT! YOU THINK WHAT I DID TO YOUR MOTHER WAS BAD? JUST WAIT UNTIL I—"
"Did you not give your word that if he landed a blow, you'd let him go?"
"WHAT? HE TOOK OUT MY EYE! I DON'T CA—"
"As my sole heir, you must remain a man of honour even when dealing with enemies. The boy is free to go, you will not harm him. Do you understand?"
"FUCK THAT! AN EYE FOR AN EYE!"
The Divine Emperor calmly raised his sword towards his son's throat, stopping him in his tracks.
"I will not let you tarnish our legacy because you lost a game to a slave. How pathetic you truly are... if only you were like your late brother, Jupiter. He was worthy of being an heir, not you. But if you still wish to continue this game, it will end with another Volarion's death."
"But Father, I'm your son, YOUR blood!"
"I can always replace a son, but I cannot replace my honour. As for your eye, I forbid you from healing it once we return to the palace."
"BU—"
"If there's even a shred of a man inside of you, then suffer in silence. Wear it as a constant reminder of the day the boy inside of you died. Understood?"
Silence. Velvo gritted his teeth at his father, gripping his sword hilt.
"Understood, Velvo?"
Velvo looked at Eros who was slowly fading away from the pain and then back to his father, sucking his teeth before loosening his grip.
"Understood, My Lord."
"Good. And because I know you're a sore loser... Xenaris!"
The male soldier flashed in front of them, kneeling to both Volarions.
"Escort this slave out of here. He has earned my respect... and his freedom. He will not be participating in my son's game any longer."
"Yes, My Lord."
"Before you leave, I want a status report. Did you find the Face of God?"
"Yes, My Lord. Kristin-er, I mean, Ms. Lionel found the mask on the corpse of a slave covered in blood and vomit. It seems he was the one who found it. But do you truly believe it was the source of the tremors? We felt it throughout the entire nation. Surely a mask couldn't cause that level of destruction?"
"Our geologists narrowed down the source of the tremors to this location... to this mining settlement. The fact we found the Face of God only further proves my ancestors words. Now be off, Xenaris. Saint Charles will clean up the rest of the settlement."
"Yes, My Lord."
Xenaris picked up Eros, carrying him in his arms as he walked back to the helicopter through the ensuing chaos. His vision was going in and out, but he saw mothers being torn apart, fathers getting swatted away like flies, and children being eaten like candy. Their screams echoed its way into Eros' mind, forcing him to stay awake until there was no more sounds. Nothing except:
"I'm sorry kid... I'm so sorry. Please forgive me..." Xenaris whispered softly into Eros' ears, tears streaming down his cheeks from his hidden face under his helmet. "Just hang in there, please... just survive. I'll get you somewhere safe, even if my brother hates me for it..."
Eros lost consciousness.