《Villain of the Void》 Chapter 1 - The Weak Prince Vaughn screamed from the sudden ache in his stomach, His face moaned with excruciating pain, he could not believe something so vile could exist. ¡°Maid! Maid!¡± He screamed. He had thought that this was an assassination attempt and instead of giving him a painless death, they wanted him to experience hell. He screamed and screamed yet no one came to his aid, maybe they were all against him. This was a plot against him. This is a plot. This is a plot. This is a plot. He repeated again and again in his mind, until it began staining with patches of darkness. His eyes teared as blood seeped from them, his screams ripped at the tissues of his throat until no voice but only his heaving breath and a little grain of hope at the back of his mind remained. As every pore of his body started dripping blood, slowly and slowly, he fell into a deep slumber of darkness, hugging his demise. And only one thought remained. I will kill them all. . . . . . Was it the rage inside him, or his will to live, that the thick sheet of darkness parted as a strong ray of light touched his face, blinding him. Suddenly, he felt cold, his eyes fought to flutter open, his hands numb ¡ª moved, blood rushed through them as if thousands of ants were walking through his veins. He felt weird. Unlike himself. ¡°Prince, Prince. Young Prince ¡ª Young Master¡±, the young prince¡¯s keeper shook this arm vigorously, trying to wake him up. The bed below Vaughn was wet, its sheets muddled around his body and the strong pungent smell of piss made him want to wretch. Slowly he tried opening his eyes awake, only to close them as light pricked his eyes. I am safe. Someone saved me. He thought joyously, before his mind wandered off to the different ways he would kill the people who conspired against him. But before them someone else needed to be dealt with. His hands grasped the wrist that had been bothering him, tightly. Almost with the intention to break it, yet it did not, something very unlike him ¡ªweakness. His body was weak. ¡°You imprudent wench¡±, but not his temper as he glared at the shocked girl in front of him. He had never seen her nor had she tended to him before. Taking a handful of her raven black hair, he twisted it around his hand, earring a jeering scream as she reached to free herself from his hold. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°Maybe a lash or two won¡¯t do for you, how about you gift me those hands instead.¡±, he sneered at the girl, scaring her more. The girl backed away in surprise. ¡±I-I am your keeper.¡± ¡°Liar!¡± He yanked on her hair more, but this time she composed herself immediately before cracking his wrist a smooth chop with her other hand. Gripping his broken wrist with his hands he hissed painfully, A moan of desperation barely escaped his dry mouth. ¡°Y-you. How dare you?¡± Was this her way of trying to catch his attention? He was the Emperor of Elmarst after all. Many women conspired, killed and sold their morals, just for a night with him. ¡±I will come back when you have calmed down.¡± The girl stood up, shoulder¡¯s straight, head up as she left through the large double-wooden doors, not glancing a look back. Enraged by the act, Vaughn grabbed the silver pitcher from his side table and swung it toward the mirror stationed on the wall in front of him. Before the pitcher hit the mirror, Vaughn caught a glance ¡ª of a person sitting on his bed ¡ª a strange person looked back at him from the mirror, a confused look dawned on his face. Curious and confused, Vaughn stood from his bed, hissing from the pain that embedded his every joint and his now broken wrist, he limped towards the broken mirror. Picking up a broken shard carefully in his good hand, Vaughn looked at himself in the mirror. Yet, it wasn¡¯t him. This was the Prince of Bastalia. If some storyteller had entertained him with this story a few days before, he would have hung him by his tongue in the streets of his Capital.. With his shaky hands, he slowly brought his soft and slender hands and touched his weak face. It was marred with several bruises, he touched the scar above his lips tightly, he hissed loudly as the pain spread from his wound. This is reality. He thought to himself. He had neither heard nor ha he seen this happen before. His eyes were shot red as the threads of his mind weaved the truth of his reality, he had somehow transmigrated into this feeble prince¡¯s body. This body was weak ¡ªtoo weak. And from what intel he knew of Bastalia, he knew that the body of the prince he resided in, wasn¡¯t in a great political position either. This man was born of the King of Bastalia and his dead 3rd wife ¡ª a Princess of a small and powerless kingdom. He had seen this prince at many events before, though he had never introduced himself. After all, he was a nobody. With only an empty title to his name, he was of no use to Vaughn. His Brother ¡ª his keeper, often nudged him to charm the powerless, to make use of their hunger for power ¡ªonly if he has listened to his, he thought, he would know something about this prince. . . . He was drowning deep in his thoughts when the wooden doors, decorated with gold embroidery opened wide, revealing the girl who had called herself his keeper. She is going to protect me? The taste was almost bitter in his mouth. Only my brother is worthy of being my keeper and what keeper hurts their own master? He judged the girl with his dark brown eyes, running them from her raven black hair, her black eyes, her buttoned nose, perky lips, slender neck, flat chest, tiny waist, full hips, and long stallion legs. She looked nothing like a warrior, he thought to himself. Mio¡ªhis keeper, cleared her throat as a slight blush creeped her creamy cheeks, ¡°I hope you are feeling well? Doctor Buri said the fall may have left you without any memory.¡± ¡°Tell me more.¡± ¡±I am Mio. Your Keeper. You fell off the cliff while you were sent on a mission to take down the mud worm. I found you and brought you to safety.¡± ¡±Like you are supposed to.¡±, Vaughn spoke his words authoritatively. A mud worm? This fucker cannot even fight a mud worm? Vaughn thought angrily. ¡±You are more annoying than ever now, my prince.¡± Mio crossed her arms, she wasn¡¯t backing down and neither was he. They both stared at each other, until Vaughn cracked the silence with a laugh. ¡°I like you. You are strange.¡± , he laughed until his tone changed menacingly as he said his next words. ¡°I could have you killed like this.¡± He snapped his finger. ¡°Yet, you dare to run your mouth.¡± Mio¡¯s face hardened as she processed his words. ¡°I don¡¯t think you are in the political position to lose any more of your allies, my prince.¡± Vaughn knew. He raised his eyebrow at her as he asked her, ¡°The fall. Was it orchastered by someone?¡± ¡°We keepers are not allowed to hold political thoughts, my prince. I must remind you if you are forgetting.¡± She continued, ¡°But Bellator Annik is investigating the possibility.¡± The possibility. Vaughn revived the words in his mind. The possibility. ¡°Who are our allies?¡± ¡±Me and Annik.¡± Fuck me. He cursed under his breath. What could this weak and flimsy prince have done to only have his Keeper and Bellator on his side? Chapter 2 - Three Heavens Many days passed. . . . Vaughn got more angry and agitated. He pissed at night, his body trembled with cold and he often woke up with bruises. Something was amiss, something that he was not noticing. It was shameful enough he was reborn as a bed wetter but him not having any political leverage was even worse. For the last few days in the palace, he had gotten an idea of this prince¡¯s position in the palace. Elio An Bastalia ¡ª the 3rd prince, was a political clown ¡ª often ridiculed in the senate, made fun of, and even disrespected from those below him. The perpetrator- ¡ª The King¡¯s Advisor ¡ªStulo Lon Armedo. He was a snarky middle-aged man, his hair combed away from his head always as his beady eyes dictated the senate from beside the King¡¯s Throne. He was the crown prince¡¯s Uncle after all and no one in the council would dare speak against him. Stulo¡¯s wish was their command. He could show his shit smeared ass and his men¡¯s hands would rise up fighting for who would get to do the honours of wiping his highness''s bottoms. ¡°Elio, I got you these flowers¡­As I thought they would look better on your crown.¡±, Mul whispered as he leaned close to his ear. Mul was Stulo¡¯s favourite son. Unlike him, Mul pretended to be weak, he often showed his sheep-like appeal before he would bare his canines to rip his enemy to shreds. And these days, he has been overly friendly with Elio. He was a man in his early 20¡¯s, with a very feminine looking face and a slim build. Though he could not fight a physical war, winning a war of the minds with him was almost impossible, earning him the title of ¡°Bastalia¡¯s Flower Strategist¡±. No one genuinely knew if he liked you, or he was just using you to discard you later. His Keeper had told him that he and the prince, the body he resided in ¡ªElio, are actually good acquaintances, oftentimes with Mul, much to his father¡¯s dismay having defended Elio in the Senate. Vaughn touched his hand softly and smiled at him, before whispering a light thank you, Afterall, Vaughn did not rule Elmarts¡¯ throne from the age of 12 for nothing. He knew when to make enemies, when to discard them and when to turn a blind eye to them. This time he was going to play Mul¡¯s little game. Let¡¯s hope you win. Vaughn thought as he gazed at Mul¡¯s face softly, a smile branding his face. Because if you lose¡­. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Vaughn shook his head with a kind smile still on his face as he turned his face towards Stulo. ¡°The crops of the south are no longer harvestable, my king.¡± He spoke in his high pitched voice as he ran his sharp nailed hands through his thin, long beard. His eyes now on Elio. ¡±What do you suggest, Stulo?¡± ¡°The people are agitated, my king. And since the 3rd prince failed to slay the mud worm that mutilated their crops, their agitation has turned into anger for the crown.¡± ¡°What are you suggesting, Stulo?¡± ¡±The north is rattled with droughts my lord. There is some news that Vugo Nation may be planning on attacking us from the east very soon.¡± ¡±Stulo?¡± ¡±The prince¡¯s failure has angered the Gods.¡± He nodded towards the council. Various yeas and yups could be heard as the council agreed in haste. ¡±What are you suggesting, Stulo?¡±, This was the 3rd time the king had asked, sensing the change in his voice, Stulo spoke the words he had been rehearsing from the last 3 weeks, planning the prince¡¯s demise. ¡°Since the prince made the mistake¡­.¡± Vaughn¡¯s face tightened as his eyes chilled with darkness, This man would not. ¡°I suggest we have the prince perform the 3 heavens ritual.¡± Vaughn sank back into his seat, his Keeper and Bellator¡¯s faces turned pale from Stulo¡¯s words as fear seeped through their veins. The State of Bastalia, had different ways ¡ª olden even, they believed in the long lost Elmarian Gods, the ones long forgotten in his Empire of Elmarst, they worshiped them and they sacrificed for them. Some would call Vaughn a Tyrannical Emperor but surprisingly in his Kingdom, there was no place for superstitions. Practicing harmful rituals was punishable by death. 3 heavens was one such ritual. Three, The Domini, The Keeper and The Bellator. All were sacrificed to the Temple of Elmarian Gods is a 3 Day Ritual. They believed anyone who did so, ascended to Godhood. For some, it was a matter of spirituality, for some, it was an efficient way to discard political enemies. And knowing Stulo, he knew which was his. Stulo continued as the Senate uproared in whispers, questions and even a few derogatory remarks. Raising his hands up in the air, he signaled the senate to keep calm. ¡°The last time a prince performed the 3 Heavens Ritual, the empire was brought to prosperity. We must thank the Acended Duo Ru Bastalia. As for his sacrifice the great war ended and our lands flourished, our Country strengthened politically and our treasury doubled in gold. If this is not a sign, then I challenge you, What is?¡± No one spoke up. Annik, my Bellator, looked at me, horror dripping from his eyes. Who wasn¡¯t afraid of death? Ask me. ¡°Your Majesty, The Grand Advisor is right. It¡¯s time one of the royals ascended to godhood. After all, who else will the gods be impressed with? If not the purest and most Nobelist blood Bastalia has to offer. The people of the state are agitated. Rumours are that some factions say Prince Elio is the perfect candidate.¡± The one who spoke wielded almost no power, so it was evident that he was trying to get to Stulo¡¯s good side. ¡°Minster Minst is Right!¡± More uproars followed. Everyone knew even if Vaughn wanted to he could not deny, anyone who did was charged with treason for trying to anger the gods and bringing calamities on the Kingdom. Biting his fingernails, Vaughn calculated the situation. A thousand scenarios ran through the strings of his mind, as he carefully read the situation. He has to survive. Afterall, it was the matter of his revenge and he never left anything undone. The King, finally agitated from all the hollering among his senate members, finally raised his hand for silence, but before he could drive the senate further, Vaughn interrupted loudly, silencing everyone in shock. ¡°I would be honoured.¡± He announced. Chapter 3 - Not among us Few days before the unnerving senate meeting that sealed the 3rd prince¡¯s fate, the old man ¡ªStulo, sat at the end of the large wooden table, surrounded by his most trusted men, he eyed the ceramic jug in front of him, his hand folded under his chin as he held his weight against elbows lodged against the edge of the table. ¡°The 3rd Prince ¡ª he may become a problem for us very soon.¡± One of his men spoke up. ¡°We tried getting rid of him at the South Village but we forgot to take out his keeper.¡± He slammed his hand on the table. Bang! ¡°That bitch somehow saved him!¡± His voice bellowed as he eyed his comrades. They nodded, their lips pressed in a thin line. ¡°Father, He is different.¡±, Mul spoke up from his end of the table. He voiced his concern in a monotone. ¡°Different? How?¡± Stulo looked at his son confused. Mul never had the habit of speaking up until he was absolutely sure about something. ¡°Since the incident, I have noticed something. He behaves differently. He talks differently and he very much thinks differently. It''s almost as if that is not him. As if they are not the same person.¡± Mul looked at his hands as he tried making sense to his father. He rubbed his wet fingers slowly, heck! That did not even make sense to him. He would understand if it was some trauma response, but the prince was behaving too out of order. Everyone at the table remained silent. Stulo was the first to break it, ¡°The incident must have left a huge impact on that boy, as far I have heard from the doctor, he does not remember anything.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope you are right.¡± ¡°I have a plan., that might work. But we need to make sure the council agrees.¡± Everyone leaned forward, as slowly the words faded in the background and Mul recalled a scene he had witnessed earlier. . . . ¡°He who transcends time. Prince of unrivalled bladder.¡± The snarky boy announced as his laggies snickered at the remarks he made to Elio¡¯s Face. ¡°The man of wet nights.¡±, he added as he fell to his knees laughing loudly. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. The expression on Elio¡¯s face stiffened into something dark, unsheathing the silver sword of the knight that stood guard beside him as he swung the sword towards the neck of his bully. The Senator¡¯s son barely managed to save himself as he looked at his chopped hair in horror. Mul stood by the entrance of the open corridor as he took in the scene. Every nerve in his body was shocked. Elio does not know how to wield a weapon! His Father made sure of that. The young prince looked different, vastly different from the meek one, his friends had bullied before. He took in the silhouette of the man that stood before him. His head high as the light breeze, rhythmically guided his hair around his face, the silver blade he carried rested titled upside down against his foot as he eyed the man who bullied him in rage. Eyes hungry with bloodlust. This is a monster, he thought as he stumbled. He is unlike himself. Elio eyed the sword again, picking it up before running his hand across it, eying it ¡ªlike a young maiden would eye her pet. So lovingly. Elio looked at the young man again as he suddenly pulled his lips into a tight smile, his eyes forcefully formed crescents creating frowns around his eyes. ¡°By insulting me, you are insulting my royal blood! You are insulting the King!¡± The young man stumbled on his words, he knew he had made a grave mistake. Even though everyone knew Elio¡¯s father was nothing but a puppet ruler in the hands of the Grand advisor. No one can dare challenge his legitimacy, it would cause a civil war.. ¡°My Prince, Forgive me.¡± He gutted the words out in an insincere apology. ¡°Hmm. I am not quite impressed.¡± Elio sighed boringly as he ran his fingers across his silver blade. This cannot be him, Mul thought as he turned his back away from the scene, leaving the 3rd prince and the Senator''s son behind. . . . Now, standing at the head of the Council, Stulo recalled his favourite son¡¯s words. As if they are not the same person. The prince had just announced, ¡°I would be honoured.¡± Everyone looked at him as shock dripped from their eyes. Stulo wanted to be happy, he never expected it to go so easily, but the unsettling feeling in his stomach told him otherwise. What is this boy scheming! The King, as shocked as Stulo, now spoke up. ¡°Prince Elio, Are you sure?¡± Even the King did not believe his cowardly son could be this courageous. ¡°Like I said Father, There is no honour grander than ascending to Godhood. After my ascension, I will make sure to look after the State from the other side.¡± The King, unable to understand further, raised his hand. ¡°The Prince has decided! Start the preparations!¡± The 3 Heavens Ritual was a 3 day ritual. The First day was dedicated to the Acsendor. The Second to the Kingdom and the last to the Elmarian Gods. And According to Bastalia¡¯s traditions, it could only be performed on a Full Moon. So, Stulo needed to suggest the earliest possible date, to accelerate the prince¡¯s disposal. ¡°We had the Old Oracle suggest the best date for the ritual, your majesty¡­¡±, Stulo spoke into the King¡¯s ear, who looked at him expectantly. ¡°They suggested that 2 weeks from now, would be the most auspicious 3 days of the decade¡­.¡± The King sighed, he needed Stulo to remain in power and if the sacrifice of a spare prince was the prince than he was more than willing to pay. Getting up from his golden throne, He announced in front of the whole senate. ¡°Two Weeks from Now, Our Beloved Prince Elio An Bastalia, will have the honour to ascend to Godhood!¡± He raised his hands up in the air as he said Godhood and the Senate cheered. ¡±Ascend my ass! Elio what are you thinking!¡±, Annik whispered into Elio¡¯s ears but Elio did not respond. His eyes were on Stulo ¡ª cold, black and ashy with hunger for revenge. Annik pressed his hand on his back trying to catch his attention, only to back away startled as he took in the madness in his eyes. He only said two words, looking him in the eye as he got up and left from the Senate Hall with his Keeper and him in tow. Chapter 4 - A Sacrificial Lamb Vaughn woke up from his sleep, heaving and taking long breaths. His bed was wet again¡ªangrily he called out ¡°Keeper! Keeper! Get me a pair of new changes! and change these bloody sheets!¡± He was hysterical, never had he felt so helpless, like putty in this shell of a body. The bed sprang and creaked as he jumped out, pacing back and forth. A maid entered the quarters with a new pair of white sleeping robes and sheets. She bowed her head, changed the sheets and took the soiled clothes and left. Vaughn sighed with relief and walked over to his study table. An empty journal laid in the middle, a small lamp glowed on its side ¡ªcasting light upon one half of the desk as the pens and ink laid casted in the dark. Vaughn sat on the cushioned chair and grabbed a pen from the set. Opening the Journal, he stopped ¡ª he tore a page and wrote a sentence and tucked the page inside his inner breast pocket. Today was the first day of the Grand Ritual. Everything was set up ¡ª Stulo made sure of that. The Sacrificial Lamb, The Gods and The Bloody perpetrator. He was pulled out of his thoughts as a group of young maidens made their way into his room, dressed in red and white silken gowns, their mouths covered with black veils and the palm of their hands stained with beet extract, indicated they were the virgins maidens of the Elmarian Halls. They served the Elmarian Gods, though today they were to tend to Vaughn. It was considered an honour afterall. One that will lead them to ascend heavens. One of the maidens stepped forward ¡ª her hallucinating black eyes drew Vaughn in. ¡±We are here to get you ready for today¡¯s ceremony, my lord.¡± Her voice had a charm to itself. The confidence in it told Vaughn, she must be the head maiden, in charge today. Though there were no specific titles among the maidens, subconsciously the power systems were doomed to develop in human relations and right now this woman held the power. Everyone remained silent until the black eyed maid spoke again. ¡°Bring it in¡± The Wooden Doors opened again, now revealing the palace maids, carrying various things on trays forged out of gold. Moving with rhythm and haste in their step, they placed the trays beside the maidens, bowed to Vaughn and closed the doors behind him. ¡°We will get you dressed for the ritual now my prince.¡± She clapped her hands twice, the music of lute and pipa playing in perfect harmony flowed through the cracks of his room, the women reached forward, and undressed his white robes.Stopping when Vaughn raised his hand and took the note from his breast-pocket and called for a guard outside his room. ¡°Take this to my Bellator.¡± The maiden eyed the note in confusion but brushed it off as Vaughn nodded for her to continue. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. The other maiden joined, undressed him of all clothes, bathed him with a mix of turmeric and rose water. His hands were stained with beetroot extract matching the maidens. Every hair from his body was plucked, only the ones on his face and head remained. The lids of his eyes were decorated with ink extracted from gold and only a single petal of rose remained rested on his lips as they covered his face with a red mask, that imitated his face. Vaughn could smell that it was made from sandalwood. Why did they do all that work, if they were just going to cover it later? He thought. His washed body was dawned with gold warrior armour, he was finally ready as the maidens handed him the last piece of his costume. A Polished Silver Sword. Vaughn would have thought it to be ordinary until he took in the 3 large gemstones that decorated its grip. He had seen this sword before, it was often depicted in the paintings of the Prince that performed the ritual. The Maidens retreated as soon as they finished, bowing their heads deeply. The head maiden remained behind to guide him to the Grand Halls. Upon reaching, He was met with the most ridiculous sight of his Keeper and Bellator, both downed in silver armour, their cheeks stained red, and their eyelids patterned with flowery designs. He wanted to laugh at their sour faces but he knew he himself looked ridiculous. Soon, he stood between them, ¡°My-My. Who might these beauties be?¡± Vaughn snickered, trying to lighten up the mood. He needed his two soldiers in sane mind if he needed to execute the plan. ¡°Can I kill him Mio?¡±Annik looked over my shoulder asking Mio, with desperation dripping from his eyes. ¡°No Need, We are dying in 2 days anyways.¡±, this time, Mio laughed with nervousness. ¡°Did you get my letter Annik?¡± ¡±What letter?¡± ¡°Good.¡± Vaughn had taken everything into perspective when he had made this plan and it seemed to be working in the right direction for them. ¡±Listen both of you, after today¡¯s ritual is over. Find a way to sneak into my room.¡± ¡°What more shit are you going to get us into now!?¡± , Annik asked annoyingly. ¡°I got us into this, I will get us out as well.¡±, Vaughn looked straight ahead. He needed these two right now, if he wanted the plan to work. ¡°Well, we are going to die anyways Annik, so might as well give it a try.¡±, Mio was the one to speak now. To Vaughn, she was an odd girl. Sometimes she was courageous, the others a coward. Sometimes she behaved like a clown, the others as the most serious master of the 12 realms. ¡°Only because you are saying so.¡± Their conversation was cut short, when Stulo, now dressed in his finest attire, stood up. The senate followed, they all faced the 3 men and to their surprise bowed deeply as Stulo expressed his finest gratitude for the Trio. Vaughn ran his eyes through the crowd, Mul was not attending. ¡°We bow to the Future God and his warriors and ask him to bring prosperity to Bastalia!¡±Stulo cried in a high pitched voice. It was all a sham, of course. The event continued, the finest foods from the kingdom were served, the most beautiful dancers swayed the entire day in the grand halls as the melodious music flowed through the air, tickling beautiful notes under everyone¡¯s ears. A Portrait of the Trio was made and the scrolls containing the requests from the senators were presented to the future gods. The event finally ended when the moonlight seeped through the grand halls and the constellations painted the emerald sky. When everyone bowed to the Trio and took their leave, Vaughn turned to his soldiers and nodded, ¡°When the Constellation of Kara meets the east tower.¡± And took his leave as his soldiers nodded their heads in sync Chapter 5 - An offering for the Gods The light stream of water flowed with an ethereal melody, Mio and Annik walked stealthy as they hid among the Gorse shrubs, they agreed on hiding there until the constellation of kara was almost over the east tower. The sound of the chirping crickets made the air around them eerie as they stayed hidden in dead silence. Soon the area was clear for a few minutes as the roving patrol changed their section. Taking the chance, Mio and Annik tapped the stonewall under Vaughn¡¯s window, with a swish! A thick rope dropped from his window. Soon they had entered his room, minor shenanigans like this were effortless for warriors like them. After All they have been trained in the art of war since childhood, soon after the title of Bellator and Keeper was granted upon their young bones. ¡°Listen! I think we all should run away.¡± Mio was the first one to begin. Vaughn raised his eyebrow at her suggestion. ¡°Mio, that is not the plan. We will get out of here alive but not without our revenge¡± ¡±Revenge ¡ª Revenge ¡ª- Revenge! What revenge!! You were never like this before Elio! You have never let them get to your head. You always¡ª¡° Mio stopped herself but Vaughn finished the sentence for her. ¡°A chump? An accommodating doormat? A meek bed pisser? What else do you wanna add to the list Annik?¡± Vaughn looked to Annik, who stared at him open mouthed. ¡°I-i¡­¡± ¡°Forget it!¡± This was not the Elio they knew from childhood, the one so shy and weak, who could not even kill a fly without feeling bad for it. The one always in the tuck of his mother, who always started at anything with an endearing gaze. Was he ever capable of this much hate? Have they never known him? Never known what goes inside their dear friends mind? Mio and Annik¡¯s mind¡¯s toiled with despair at the thought. Vaughn continued. ¡°Forget it! I never wanted to do this ever. I would have never thought about revenge ever. But they have now tied my hands. First, they tried to kill me, then they tried to kill you both. Now I can¡¯t stay silent. I must rebel. We must rebel!¡± His fists tightened by his sides as he silently screamed those words at them. ¡±I still don¡¯t understand why you even agreed to this?¡± ¡°Did you think I had a choice? You know it! Yet you still try to blame me!¡± ¡±I¡ªElio..¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡±If you guys don¡¯t want to do it, forget that you ever took vows to protect me, I can sliver my vows with you and make you free men again. Heck! You can take that Mul. Or his bloody father Stulo as your master for all I care!¡± Mio was the one to speak now, ¡°Elio you are not being rational¡­ You are not behaving like yourself¡± ¡°What do I have to give to get you on my plan? We can run, but then we are only delaying our sentences. We will get caught and trust me that man will make sure of that.¡± Vaughn pointed his finger behind him, talking about the man he knows Mio and Annik hate the most. He couldn''t care less about him, but now he had made an enemy out of him. Unfortunately for Stulo, he messed with the right person at the wrong time. That lousy prince would have meekly accepted his dumb fate! ¡°What do you want us to do?¡± Annik spoke as Mio looked at him surprised before turning to Vaughn. ¡°I guess, I have no choice then but I do hope you have a plan¡­¡± . . . . . The Trio spent the entire night building an escape plan. Many looks of surprises were exchanged as they heard their prince talk. They have never seen him so dead bent on getting back at the people that hurt him. When the first ray of sun hit the east tower, both of them left Vaughn¡¯s room with their tasks. It was not going to be easy but the least they could do was give it a try. . . . When the dawn broke, the young maidens from yesterday performed the same rituals and took Vaughn to the Golden Halls of the Palace. His keepers were dawned in the same clothes as yesterday as they were all welcomed by an Elmarian Priest clothed in a silken red robe with golden stole draped around his neck. He strutted forward with a Golden Mug in his hands as the trio stood in the middle of the hall, their swords resting on the ceremonial mount, facing the 3 enormous marbled statues of the Elmarian Gods. Everyone else in the hall, gazed in front of them, in silence. What is this now? Vaughn thought. Mio hugged Vaughn with his right elbow, raising an eyebrow. Vaughn just shrugged it off. ¡°Silence!¡± Annik was the one to whisper now, as his eyes stayed trained forward. ¡°My Prince, Please dip your fingers in this holy concoction. The Keeper and The Bellator will then follow.¡± , the old priest spoke with his aging voice, slowly as he instructed the armoured trio in front of him. Vaughn did as instructed, so did the other two. After the ritual was performed the priest whispered an incantation under his breath and turned to face the statue of the gods and slowly dripped the concoction onto the swords laying in front of him. Turning, he bowed to the statues and then the trio. ¡°The Ritual is complete.¡± Stating that, he turned on his heels and took leave, following him everyone slowly dispersed from the temple. ¡°That¡¯s it?¡± All three of them whispered at the same time. ¡±Well, that gives more time to us.¡± , Vaughn stated as he Slowly turned to face his soldiers, taking off the wooden mask off-his face. His eyes dark with hunger as an innocent smile blossomed on his beautiful face. ¡°Let¡¯s get this started.¡± ¡°My Prince¡­ I am sorry I wasn¡¯t able to join the event yesterday. Father had kept me busy with other tasks.¡±, A voice called from behind. The trio recognized it immediately. Mul. Mul made his way to the trio. An apologetic smile marred his face. ¡°You guys are lucky to become gods. I wish I could join.¡± Mio and Annik¡¯s faces turned sour. ¡°I have a way.¡± Vaughn spoke, Mio and Annik faced him in surprise as the color on Mul¡¯s face faded to ash white. ¡°I-mean , you cannot join us in ascension but you can join us for a drink. What do you say? For old times sake?¡± Vaughn wrapped his arm around Mul¡¯s shoulder and gave him a gentle pull. ¡°I have other tasks to tend to, Father would be very mad if there is even one minor mistake¡± , he said as he slowly unwrapped his arm, giving his head a light shake. ¡±Oh! Com''on, I promise. I will let you off after just 2 drinks.¡± Vaughn said as he crossed his fingers in front of Mul, giving him a cheeky smile. ¡°I will be very sad, afterall we won¡¯t be seeing each other after today!¡± ¡°Okay! Okay! Just one drink though..¡± Mul gave in as he gestured for Vaughn to lead him. Vaughn turned towards his keepers as he gave them a wink. The Plan was in Motion. Chapter 6 - Thick Clouds and Rusted Iron ¡°Have you seen Mul?¡±, a large framed man asked Annik. He was Breto, Mul¡¯s Keeper. He was almost double Annik''s size. In both height and width. A large scar ran from top of his bald head down to his neck¡ªwhich was covered in tattoos. His voice rough and heavy, rumbled Annik¡¯s chest as he spoke, making him anxious. ¡°N-no¡± Annik stuttered as he took in the man that towered over him. ¡°From what I heard, he was last with the 3rd prince, maybe I should go see him.¡± Breto¡¯s bulky frame moved forward, but before he could move any further, Annik stepped in front of him with his hands wide, stopping Breto as he looked at him in confusion, raising his thick eyebrows. ¡°Haha¡­You see, The- The Prince¡­¡± Annik smiled nervously, quickly trying to come up with a good enough excuse. ¡°Ah! Yes! He has retired to bed. You see, tomorrow is a big day for us. It would be great if you don¡¯t disturb him. Well you can unless you want him to unleash his wrath on you after he becomes a God. Then go ahead¡± Annik opened his arm wide in the direction of the door with a nervous smile on his face. In his mind, he was praying that Breto would take the bait. According to what he had heard, Breto was a religious man, the symbol hanging around his neck was somewhat of a proof, but with men like him you could never be sure. ¡°Also, I heard when the Prince and Mul were leaving the halls.. Mul left towards the temple saying that he had some preparations left to do¡­..¡± Breto just stared at him. After a long second, he nodded his head and left in the other direction mumbling a thank you. ¡°Phew!¡± Annik sighed in relief. He had hoped the Prince¡¯s plan of intoxicating Mul and finding out about the security arrangements would work. I have to go see Mio. He thought as he headed towards where Mio was supposed to be after completing her task. . . . In the Prince¡¯s quarters, Vaughn had completed his task. He sat sipping on the fermented rice wine in solace. Complete silence and bliss of revenge. His eyes trained forward to his reflection in the mirror stationed across the stoned wall. Tomorrow was a big day after all, all of them. . . . ?? the day has come¡­ A man to become a God We sing thy praises¡­ We sing thy praises¡­. A song chimed playfully through the air, the thin ray¡¯s of the rising sun, pierced through Vaughn¡¯s lids, making him flutter his eyes open in annoyance. He had slept at the table. His head was aching from the alcohol he had downed in the evening, his back aching and his hands sore. His entire room smelled of Rusted Iron. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. The old voice continued to sing in the background, the priests would be at his door at any second now. ¡°Shut up old man!¡±, he yelled groggily as he slowly got up. Vaughn limped towards his bed slowly, pulling off the sheets and throwing them onto the table as they covered the table as its surroundings. Changing into his white robes that the maids had handed him last night, he left through his golden wooden gates for the last time. He stopped in his steps, he turned around and took in a good look at the place he had called home for the past few week¡¯s. His eyes ran past his cozy and warm bed to his expensive gold artifacts decorating his otherwise dreadful room to his art that laid at the centre of his room. Sighing. He closed the door with a thwap! Behind him. ¡°Prince! Prince!¡± Every voice called for him as he walked down the hall is white cotton robe. His eyes vacant of any thought as walked slowly on his step. Everyone was dressed in their finest attire. Silk robes, gold makeup, expensive metals, diamonds and rare gemstones dawned on their body. Each one looked more spectacular than the other. He finally reached the Grand Halls. His Keeper and Bellator were already there. Both also in white robes. Everyone was present. The King decorated in his finest armour, the 1st prince and the 2nd prince, who had not attended the previous ceremonies, The scouring Grand Advisor, His minions and every other minor member of the Senate. Not Mul. The Ceremony proceeded with the priestess, undressing the Trio to the eyes of the spectator¡¯s. Vaughn stood proud, with his head straight, but the other two looked like they wanted to disappear as they stood barren in the halls. The Priestesses garbed them in the same attire as the last ceremonies. Vaughn noted that the music and the old man signing still had not stopped, though he could not find the source of the song, anywhere in the crowd. The song seeped through the cracks of the marble walls as the lute kept playing, and the man kept singing¡­ ¡°We are ready for the march¡±, the head priest announced to the crowd as the priestess had finished dressing the trio. ¡°I am scared-d Vaughn¡­¡± Mio stuttered as she side eyed Vaughn. ¡°Well, that makes the two of us.¡±, Vaugh said from under his mask, chuckling. ¡°You are finding this funny? I am about to shit my pants?¡±, Annik said from beside him. ¡°Well we already have a bedwetter, a pant shitter next¡­ Mio?! Would you like to take the title of bombardeos fart keeper? I heard you are a smelly girl¡­¡± Vaughn snicked from underneath his mask. ¡°You wanna die?¡± ¡°You were never funny.¡± Annik added. Their whispering turned to silence of shock, as the priestess brought forward a thick rope. ¡°Wait¡­¡± ¡°What the ¡­¡± ¡°Are you kidding me!?¡± ¡°Which one of you made that shitty plan?¡± This time Vaughn spoke up. He was the one who made the plan. ¡°Why are they tying us up? This is going to ruin the plan.¡±, Annik whispered. ¡°What is this about?¡± Vaughn asked out loud in an authoritative voice. ¡°During the last ritual, we ran into some discrepancies with the candidates, this is to prevent that.¡± The priestess spoke in a monotone. ¡°Are you saying we are going to run away from our duty?!¡±, Vaughn said angrily as the priestess flinched at his tone. Well, this was exactly what they were going to do. ¡°This is a disgrace. I ask the king, why are the future gods being tied up like some petty criminals? I refuse to take part in this ritual if we are to be tied up like some petty criminals during the entire procession!¡± Vaughn asked turning towards the King in the crowd. The King raised his hand, ¡°The Prince is right. No tying!¡± The trio breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Until the procession is over!¡± The king ended. The trio gasped for breath in unison. Chapter 7 - Not the same The three of them were carried from the Grand Halls to the Temple of Elmarian Gods located at the outskirts of the Bastalian Capital. The Journey was supposed to take up almost the entire day as they were to take the procession for the people of the capital to see and bless. The Trio rode a palanquin carved out of gold and silver, decorated with rare gemstones as elaborate carvings of elegant and beautiful flowers adorned the dreaded carriage. The Grand procession moved through the celebrating streets like a river of color, with the banners of Bastalia fluttering in the breeze and their golden palanquin glistening under the warm sun. The rhythmic beat of the drums echoed through the people lined streets, who tossed flowers and sang songs as the palanquin passed them. Young children ran alongside the horses and guards surrounding the Palanquin¡ªbumping into incoming people, laughing and waving at the horses. The sweet smell of sweets and foods tickled the senses of the Trio as all sat silently inside, looking at each other¡ªtheir eyes and lips almost pouting in disappointment. Vaughn peeked outside the palaquin¡¯s curtains catching a glimpse of the celebrating streets, rolling his eyes, he closed the curtains to look at his team. ¡°Well¡­..¡± Annik rubbed his eyes as his lips curled up, he rubbed his eyes with his left hand tightly to try and vanish the incoming laughter of despair. Mio looked the most scared out of the trio. They did not speak the entire way to the temple after. Soon they reached the Grand Temple of Elmarian Gods. It resembled a cave carved out of red stone, with its outside lit up with wooden torches. There were no gates to the temple. The Trio were tied and taken to the entrance of the erie temple. As they moved along the passage to the centre of the temple, Vaughn took notice of various carvings and paintings on its walls. A Farmer, A man in tattered robes, A woman presenting her child with her two hands, A dragon rising behind the mountains, A snake with a crown of flowers framing around its head as if they were held behind her ears. A scared grunt diverted Vaughn¡¯s attention to Mio. He leaned forward, whispering ¡°Trust.¡± Mio nodded as she continued staring at her tied hands. ¡°I think Mul must have told everyone of our plan by now¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, He cannot.¡± Vaughn smirked as he remembered. . . . In the Palace, Stulo was overjoyed. Finally one more thorn from his side was plucked. Next will be the 2nd prince and then the 1st. Many people in the Senate thought he was clearing the way for the 1st prince, after all he was the prince¡¯s uncle. Ha! Mul scoffed at the thought. He was only loyal to himself and when he died, it would be Mul, who would rule the State of Bastalia. As if just remembering Mul, he called for Breto. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Breto! Send Mul to my Quarters!¡± He yelled for Breto who looked disoriented with confusion. ¡°I am unable to find Mul since last night, Sir..¡± Confused, Stulo faced Breto. Breto continued, ¡°I was told he was at the temple, I spent the entire night searching for him, I thought he may have arrived back at the palace, but I am still to find him¡­.¡± Stulo¡¯s eyes chilled. Mul was a weak muscled man, unable to defend himself, angrily he punched Breto in the stomach. UGH! Pulling on Breto¡¯s collar he demanded ¡°I thought you were his keeper?! You know right, if something happened to him¡­.you will be burned in the pyre too?!¡± He ended his last sentence as menace dripped from his words. ¡°I-I my lord.. ¡° ¡±Everyone! Guards! Look for Mul!¡± The guards and maids of the palace turned it upside down, searching for Mul frantically. Stulo sent some men towards the procession and some towards the grand halls. ¡°Who was he last with Breto?¡± ¡°I saw him going somewhere with the 3rd Prince, my lord.¡± ¡±And you did not think about following them?¡± ¡±It was master Mul who did not want me guarding him.¡± Upon hearing, Stulo marched towards the prince¡¯s quarters as Mul¡¯s words replayed in his mind. As if they are not the same. His heart drummed with anxiety as chills flooded his veins with every step he took towards the door. He was about to push the doors wide open, when Breto stopped him. ¡°Sir, you must not. It is a Gods room now, We cannot enter it..¡± He urged Stulo to stop, who pushed him back with an angry grunt. ¡°Move!¡± He said menacingly as he pushed the doors to the prince¡¯s quarters wide open. His legs trembled as they became jelly, bringing a shaking hand to his mouth he instructed Breto towards the center of the room. He pointed towards it as his eyes welled with tears. A note lay pinned with a sharp knife to the wooden table in the middle of the prince¡¯s room but that was not what caught his breath in a hitch. It was the bundle beside it, resembling a figure, covered with white sheets ¡ª the sheets which were slowly speckering with blood red spots from some parts. Trembling he moved towards it as he slowly removed the cloth off the figure. His heart almost burst as his breath came to a halt. His ears rang as the whistles went off in his head. Breto took a few steps back as he took in the person in front of them. Mul, his face all battered, stabbed around his cheeks and eyes various times with a knife. His eyes were dead and his lips busted. Falling on his knees, Stulo held Mul¡¯s body close to his chest as he wailed out loud. The sound of his cries echoed in the stone walled chamber. ¡°My Son! My Son! My Son!¡± Stulo wailed as he kept repeating the same sentence again and again. To console the wailing advisor, Breto¡ª who was also now lightly sobbing, put his hands on the advisor¡¯s shoulders. ¡°You!!!¡± The advisor screamed at Breto. ¡°You were supposed to protect him! You will pay with your life! I won¡¯t leave you alive!¡± In a fit of anger and madness, Stulo pulled the knife out of the table and tried swinging it towards Breto. Breto in reflex dodged the advisor¡¯s attacks, who grew frustrated and fell to his knees. An ear piercing scream escaped from his throat as he fell to his fours wailing loudly looking at nothing in particular. In an attempt to calm the Advisor, he searched around the room when his eyes suddenly fell to the note. A smile formed on his face as he thought, His master was going to heaven. I don¡¯t want to miss my friend in heaven - Elio.