Will of a Prince

Chapter 196: Harbinger of the End

Slimo sat on the ground and put his hands on his head.

"Dead? Corrupted? That... that can’t possibly be true."

"I’m afraid to say that it is true. Defeating the Monlo’s, taking their forces and using their lands as our own, only then do we stand a chance."

Lidia was also shell-shocked hearing such devastating news.

"I can’t believe it. Just when I was considering what the other continents would be like too."

Slimo refused to look at his father as he continued talking.

"How many people know? Why are the streets not in a panic? And what about seeing Jacob made you think we were running out of time? How does he play a part in this whole situation? And what allies lied to you about something?"

"So many questions. Give me a moment so I can answer them one at a time for you."

Pelo rubbed his forehead while leaning further into his chair.

"You people, Avala, and a few of my elite royal guards are the only ones who know. I also have a special fighting force who does my dirty work for me. They also know. if anyone else were to find out, I fear there will be mass panic in the streets of our kingdom. Who knows how people would react? As for your other questions, that boy and girl are more than just what they are marked with. Those who have been marked by Annis have a destiny in them that benefited the Epigones agenda in some way. I would ask you to show me their mark, but I am dreadfully aware of what happens when you look at one."

"There are others like them? And you still didn’t answer my question. What does this all mean? What’s his destiny? Who are your allies?"

"Patience. I am getting there. If Jacob was marked, it means he will play a massive role in the Great Calamity that the epigones want to fall upon this world. The Great Calamity will happen when all three continents become corrupted. If you are asking me what Jacob’s job specifically is, I would have to question the Epigones for that. Those very Epigones are the allies I was referring to earlier."

Maria paled hearing the strange man talk. She didn’t know if what they were talking about made sense to her. All her mind was stuck on was making sure Jacob was okay.

"So, you did try to make deals with those freaks. You do realize what they do to people right? They capture those with Zalos and threaten to kill them unless they join their stupid cult."

"I know."

"And you still decided to try and be all nice with them?"

"We needed the manpower. They are a part of our secret military to help us deal with the Monlo Empire."

Slimo started laughing crazily.

"You need to retire! Have you lost your mind?! You’re making a deal with the very people who are trying to end the entire human race!"

"That’s not what they are trying to do."

"Oh, you’re right. My apologies. They are simply trying to do a small bit of mass genocide, but the humans strong enough to survive were allowed to stay. Am I wrong?"

"...we need them, Slimo."

"Not anymore you don’t. We could take on those freaks no problem. We already defeated one of their dumb wardens at one of their prison camps."

Pelo’s face darkened.

"You all defeated a Warden?! How?!"

Maria stepped forward.

"I delt most of the damage, but his transformation was his downfall. We have someone who has a fire Zalo who burned him alive."

"Even so... a warden must have been at least as strong as a spirit. You all can’t be nearly that strong."

"Actually, we’re much stronger now compared to back then."

"There was also twenty of us and only one of him."

Pelo still refused to believe it.

"You must have just gotten lucky. There is simply no possible way."

"OW!"

"What the-?"

Maria and Jacob both rolled to the ground in pain. Smoke appeared from their arms where their marks were. It felt like hot iron was being pressed against their skin. Pelo watched them cautiously.

"Quickly! Use Lizzia’s power to stop it!"

Lidia attempted to put her hands on Maria, but it was as if her power had been completely drained. She had wasted too much energy in the previous altercations.

"Shit. I can’t."

Jacob winced and prayed for the pain to subside as soon as possible.

Just as quickly as it appeared, the pain subsided, leaving Maria and Jacob to pant heavily on the ground next to each other while they stared at the ceiling.

"What the hell was that?"

"They’re close. The Epigones are here."

Pelo looked over at the door. A guard busted through it wearing a dark blue armor set with glimmering specks layering the metal.

"Emperor, one of the prisoners have been taken!"

Pelo stood up from his chair, more curious than alarmed.

"Which one was taken?"

"It was the old man of their group! It was the Epigones, sir. We thought they were here to discuss something with you, but they left us this paper before disappearing."

Jacob’s heart sank to his stomach.

"Doc... no..."

Even though he wanted to sprint out of the doors to find them, even Jacob knew his limits to his body. Not only that, if Doc was teleported somewhere, it was impossible to find out where he went.

The guard brought the letter over to Pelo. He appeared to be hesitant before dropping it in the king’s hands.

"What does it say?"

"Sir, I-... I think you should read it yourself."

Pelo opened the paper and skimmed the pages. The longer he read, the wider his eyes became. He crumpled the paper in his hands and threw it at the fireplace in a fit of rage.

"DAMN IT!"

Pelo breathed heavily as he faced away from everyone in the room.

"What just happened? What did your ’allies’ just do to one of my people?"

Pelo continued to stare into the fire.

"Enemies. Our enemies have taken your friend from us."

"Oh, let me guess: they double-crossed you the very moment they determined you were worthless to them?"

Pelo turned around, his face red with worry.

"That can’t be the reason why! If they are breaking off our alliance, that can only mean one thing!"

Slimo slowly backed off his father noticing the tense expression he held.

"Is everything okay? I don’t like that look on your face."

Pelo began to hyperventilate and pace around the room, running his hands through his hair.

"You’ve doomed us... YOU PEOPLE HAVE DOOMED US!! IT’S ALL THAT GIRL’S FAULT! SHE LED YOU HERE, DIDN’T SHE?! I CAN FEEL IT! HER POWER HAS TO BE TIED WITH THAT IN SOME WAY!"

Pelo suddenly pointed at Maria who was still reeling from the burn on her left arm.

Slimo walked in between him and Maria as he began approaching her. He put a hand on his father’s chest, pushing him back.

"Watch what you say. That’s my daughter you’re talking about."

"She’s common blood. Don’t you see, son? A common blood receiving a power has never been heard about before! Wait... it all makes sense to me now. No. No no no!"

Pelo curled up in a ball and started rolling on the floor. Seeing the Emperor, his own father in such a sorry state scared Slimo to no end. His father had always been ruthless, fearless, and determined to face any threat come his way. What could have possibly been scaring so bad as to make him curl up in a ball on the verge of tears?

"Speak! What’s wrong with you? Why are you acting this way?"

"Don’t you see it?! She’s the Harbinger of the End! The power she wasn’t supposed to receive, the things she’s survived when she shouldn’t have, and now she’s led the only thing the Epigones had been waiting decades to appear right to their feet like a present! We’re doomed!"

Slimo bent down and got in his father’s face and shook him firmly.

"TELL ME WHAT IT IS?! WHAT IS SO SPECIAL ABOUT THAT OLD MAN!!"

Pelo looked at Slimo with empty eyes.

"If he was taken by the Epigones, he must have had a power that heals something, correct?"

Slimo’s heart dropped.

"...Yes, he did have that kind of power. I’ve seen him heal wounds that should not have been possible to heal before. He’s reattached entire arms back before."

Pelo’s eyes looked more hopeless hearing the confirmation of his suspicion.

"His power is more than simply healing. It’s the power to revert the body back to a state it was previously in."

Jacob decided to speak up.

"That can’t be possible. His power feels much more like he was finely controlling every part of my body such that it would heal itself on its own."

"You are naive, boy. His potential explodes far beyond that. Bodies cannot heal by themselves so simply, even from the most powerful of us."

Even though Jacob wanted to argue, he couldn’t. It was not out of the ordinary for powers to have ridiculous amounts of potential.

"So, the Epigones simply gained a powerful healer. So what?"

"They aren’t going to use his restoration powers on the living."

Slimo furrowed his brow. A small flashback of reading Doc’s powers flashed back through his mind. His transformation power allowed him to make an amalgamation of flesh, even from dead things. However, Slimo couldn’t figure out what the Epigones could possibly use that power for.

"So, are they going to create an army of undead people?"

"Not just any people. They are going to revive one person in particular."

Slimo’s brain instantly picked up on the meaning behind his father’s words. He stood up and dashed out of the room as fast as he could. Lidia, Jacob, and Maria were still lost.

"What? Who are they reviving that’s so important? Where is he going?"

Pelo walked over and curled up next to the fire.

"The Epigones are going to revive none other than Zalo himself. However, this won’t be the Zalo you’ve heard stories of. It will be a corrupted version of him. Humanity’s first Providence Deity is mere weeks from being born."