Everlasting Flower Part 2

PRINCE SHADOWMIRE LUSTERGROTTO OF THE DROW DOMAIN

Chapter One: The Angel Amongst the Crowd

The cruel whip was stinging my flesh. I could not help but cry out in pain and misery. Falling forward onto the ground, I tried to regain my balance, but the heavy chains prevented it. The stone ground was cold and heartless. All of their eyes looked through me. All of their amused laughs made me cringe. The town pointed at me with leers and in revulsion. Have I not been through enough torture already? When would it stop? Please, someone, anyone… make this horrible nightmare end. Why did this happen to me? What did I do?!

“Disgusting drow!” The elf guard barked at me, to get my attention. I tried to growl at him, but my throat was too dry. Pulling back his whip, he cracked it across my back for what seemed like the millionth time. Yelling, I dared not to show my tears to this horrible brute. He spat heatedly at me, “You come on our territory knowing the consequences if you do so. You’re filthy creation of nature and even more so, you are lower than the dirt itself!”

“You are…” I croaked with a glare on my visage, my voice hoarse, “… just an… arrogant… guard… nothing… more.”

His expression turned into one of rage.

“Insolent parasite!” The guard hissed at me, cracking the whip continuously over and over again, harder than before.

“GRYAHHH!” I howled, the skin on my back ripping and tearing.

Blood oozed over my sides and onto the ground. The pain increased immensely with every blow. More and more of my black blood poured out of me onto the street into a puddle around me. What was left of my clothes were now ripped and ragged. My body was displayed for all to see. My eyelid drooped and I could hardly stay conscious because of the terrible agony I was in because of my wounds. I wanted to welcome the darkness but I knew I must stay awake! I had to focus! I had to try to get away somehow… someway! Everything was becoming so blurry. Was I going to die here in the Elf Empire?

“Well, look here, Timberbellow!” The executioner laughed, walking around me in circles as if he was taunting me. He said, “It seems our disgusting drow here is dying slowly and painfully. Let’s do the drow a favor and end his misery, shall we?”

Strangely, I thought I saw a large figure hovering above the guards and I in the sky. It appeared to be too large to be a bird. It looked as if it was the size of a lion almost. But it had wings… what was that creature? Was I seeing things right? Was it a spirit-like monster to welcome me to the other side? Then it suddenly took off over the crowd. I could have sworn I heard it talk in a high screeching voice. I told myself I was seeing things from the massive loss of blood.

“Yes, let’s do so, Roaringfalls.” The guard snickered as he tossed the executioner his axe, “One less drow in the world is one less problem.”

No! I thought desperately as the executioner neared me, raising the huge machete. I could not move because my left leg was broken. So therefore I could not escape. Looking up at the executioner in horror, I closed my eyes tightly and whined. I don’t want to die!

“Lower your axe! This instant!” A deep, masculine voice ordered firmly from behind the crowd.

Very quickly, the crowd made way for the source of the voice. I watched the two elf guards immediately drop and get down on one of their knees. The executioner and the guard bowed low as two elves dressed in gowns of royalty approached all of us slowly. Behind the royal elves was the creature! What did it look like? What did the elves look like?

My eyesight was so hazy at the moment. My left eye was swollen shut so I could not see out of it. I tried hard to focus my vision and blinked my right eye a few times. Inhaling sharply, I felt like my heart skipped a beat when I laid eyes upon the elf princess. Never had I seen anyone so fair… so beautiful! She must be an angel in disguise as an elf. Her brother was quite handsome and the creature… it was an enormous, auburn gryphon!

“Your highnesses.” The guard said, nodding his head; bowing in a formal manner.

The prince was the first to speak.

“What in the name of great Mother Nature is going on here?!” He demanded sounding very irritated. He then looked at me, his pupils widening in both surprise and abhorrence. His lip curved up into an angry frown, and he said icily as he pointed a single finger at me, “What is this drow doing here?”

“My prince, he was found on our land near the Yazui River.” The executioner reported, “We were seeing to his punishment.”

“May I remind you, Timberbellow and Roaringfalls that any prisoner must be brought before either us or the council before punishment is delivered.” The princess spoke, her voice stern, her eyes an angry azurite, “For this action, you two are being demoted back to tending to the horse stables. You two are no longer members of the guard.”

“B-But, my p-princess-!” The guard tried to protest, but the elf prince cut him short.

“You dare to argue with my wise sister?” He growled, now sounding extremely pissed.

“Rawck!” The gryphon screeched, raising his clawed paw, “My lady master is never wrong! She is very smart and very sweet! Apologize! Rawck, rawck!”

“N-No, my prince. Forgive me, my princess.” The guard quickly replied out of fear, and bowed lower, “I spoke out of term.”

“Another word out of the both of you, and I shall have you exiled.” The prince told them, “You receive one chance if you defy the law of this magnificent empire. Do not make me revoke that single chance.”

The guard and the executioner remained silent and never moved from their bowing position.

“He’s hurt badly…” The princess said softly, taking a step toward me.

Looking upward, I saw the gorgeous princess looking at me with her sad, turquoise eyes. I started to panic. Not only was I deeply ashamed and embarrassed, but afraid. What was her brother going to do to me? Was she going to order me to be thrown into the dungeons? Would I be eaten by the minotaurs? Biting my lip, I shifted some of my weight up onto my left arm while lying on the ground. Wheezing, my lungs fought to receive air.

My head was spinning so badly I did not know which way was up or down. I knew I had lost a lot of blood. My right arm was broken, but I could still use my fingers. Feebly, I reached for what remained of my loincloth. I pulled it over my privates trying to hide my nakedness from the princess and everyone else. Attempting to crawl away was no use, so I laid there, hanging my head so my blood-stained hair hung in my face.

I heard a loud whoosh. Staring in disbelief, I watched as the princess threw her cloak over my broken body. Her long, golden hair dangled in front of her like a veil as she moved. She bent down beside of me and slowly reached out to touch me. At first, I flinched, thinking she might slap me or do something more to hurt me. Gently, she brushed my hair out of my face and smiled at me in compassion. The princess traced her soft fingers against the right side of my non-burnt face softly.

She told me sincerely, “Do not be afraid. No one will hurt you anymore.”

I tried to thank her with deepest gratitude but before I could open my mouth to speak, the darkness overcame me. My memories haunted me while I was deep in slumber. I remembered a couple of months ago, a Pure-Blood Vampire visited my realm with a Dirty-Blood, and a large group of Night Beasts and Demons. I allowed them entrance to my kingdom but I told them to speak their business quickly. My kind did not like Night Beasts and we did not side with Demons. They lied, they cheated, and they were not trustworthy.

“Prince Shadowmire, I am Elder Sangel Helgren DeLeviken.” The Pure-Blood Vampire stated, “These are my companions, Gallagher Sidhe and Israfil the Nameless,” He motioned the other vampire beside him and the cloaked demon, “I am here to offer you part in a great war coming up very soon.” His red eyes displayed evil from the depths of the Netherworld; Hell. There was something he was not telling me, this I knew from the start.

“We wish to overthrow the humans and the Above-Worlders.” The Dirty-Blood Vampire standing beside him said with a twisted grin. I am normally not the one to judge but this Dirty-Blood looked hideous! He was covered from head to foot in burns! Part of his jawbone was even visible! In all honesty, he looked more like a skeleton than a vampire.

Then the mysterious Nameless Demon spoke.

“Do you not wish for you and your people to have revenge against the Above-Worlders? More particularly, the elves?” Israfil asked his face not visible from underneath the darkness of his hood.

“We know about your history with them.” Gallagher informed me with a smirk on his face, “With your army and ours put together we could obliterate them till nothing was left of the elves.”

My half-brother, Glowingdire looked at me in excitement.

“Just think, Shadowmire!” He exclaimed, “We could rule over them! Make them pay for abandoning us and throwing us out all those years ago!”

“Do you take me as a fool?!” I growled at the two vampires and the demons, “Night Beasts and Demons are unreliable! You will simply use my army and then toss us aside whenever it is convenient for you! Get out of my domain!”

“But, Shadowmire!” Glowingdire protested greatly, “It is like they said! It is our perfect chance to strike back!”

“Foolish brother!” I barked at him, “You are too power hungry for your own
good. They will use us and then probably kill us. Guards! Get them out of my kingdom!”

A couple of weeks later, I had been hunting out in the forest near my underground kingdom; the Drow Domain. I was alone of course. I had given my bodyguards the day off to enjoy themselves at home with their families. It was there that I was ambushed by Night Beasts and Demons, working for the Elder Sangel and a mysterious demon leader called Israfil. My half-brother, Glowingdire was there as well to my surprise.

I tried my best to fight them off, but there was just too many of them! No matter how much a pleaded with my brother to help me, he simply stood there and watched as they nearly stabbed and beat me to death. One of the demons even took a torch and pressed it to the left side of my face.  I can still remember the look of hate in Glowingdire’s emerald eyes and the wicked grin on his lips when he heard my screams. My twisted brother did not even bat an eye when they tossed me over the side of the cliff. Ironically, I was lucky enough to land in the rushing river and not the sharp rocks below.

Oh, why did this happen to me? I had so much to accomplish! I had so much to offer my people and help them prosper! My new system of order and law was working perfectly for the kingdom. No longer was occupation determined by birth right. Everyone was equal below the monarchy. Everyone was happy and the people got along well. There was hardly any more crime for everyone had a purpose. Everything was meant to be fair for the citizens. My poor people… my dear father… my loving mother… were they all right?

Even when we were smaller, Glowingdire was always trying to best me at anything and everything he could to prove his worth to our father. The day father appointed me to ascend to the throne, Glowingdire was furious. He stormed out of the throne room and refused to speak to anyone. Honestly, I did not know why father choose me. It could not have been because I was the eldest. I was not the pure heir for I was the son of his mistress; Glowingdire was the son of his queen. He always told me he hated me. I was a fool not to believe it. I wanted to believe there was some good in my brother. My hopes were in vain…

My brother… why did he betray me?!