Glimmers of sunlight seeped from afar, heralding the dawn of yet another day, with the golden rays penetrating through the dense forest cover. He stood near the edge of a rivulet, washing his face, while thoughts flew high in the mind of Liam. Next to him was Nyx, the shadowy figure still stretching his body due to the pair of chains that he had recently removed, the glow in his eyes returning.
The youngest prince the sat on the log close by, haunted but determined on his face. "The Princess worships her power over others more than I could ever." Now what will we do? For how will we fight her when she has the control of an entire kingdom?"
He turned to the prince and, with an unrelenting glare that could make anyone high school drop out, pointed an accusatory finger at Liam. "By fighting smart, not hard. Her magic might control her army, but it'll not control everything—not yet. And before we charge back into that castle, we're going to hit her where it hurts."
"Where?" asked the prince.
More like an amused smirk. "Her power base."
Phase 1: Locating the Weak Link
Following the main roads in the wilderness, the three began to move. There was much formulating in Liam's mind as it was slowly building up into his plan, but for it to be executed, they needed allies—and resources. Most of the supporters had either fallen under the dark magic art of the Princess or turned voluntarily, which was the problem.
Nyx floated side by side with Liam spoke decently in soft tone. "I still can't fathom how she, the prince's loyal men, could meet such a fate. Dark magic alone would not bend the angles enough to twist a person that way."
He nodded, his brow furrowed. "More than magic. There is something or someone else behind her powers."
They took hours walking the convoluted hidden forest paths before they showed up in a tiny secret village lost deep in the woods. It was a refuge well known for all outlaws-rebels, mercenaries, and deserters. Liam had heard a few rumors of it from the Tower's guild of information.
The people squinted at them at the approach, weapons clutched very tightly. Liam raised his hands. "We are, not enemies. I am here to find those who have not yet embraced the idea of given kingdom to the rightful heir."
A man stepped forth, tall and rugged; battered was his armor; yet unbending was his stance. "Why should we trust you?"
Liam turned to look back to the youngest son of the king who stepped forward. "Because I'm the youngest son of the king. And if you don't fight now, your land-yours, will consume her darkness." The villages murmured among themselves, and the man finally spoke up, "The Princess has spies everywhere. If what you say is true, we will need proof before risking our lives."
Liam smirked again. "Proof? Don't worry. I'll give you all the proof you need."
Stage 2: The Evasion of the Princess
Liam heard a lot concerning the progression of his mission toward causing the end of the know of the Princess. Her black sorcery begot fear and lies, truth which the people had to see directly.
The intercept was hailed by Louis Nyx and the Prince that night as they struck at the convoy en route to the Castle, before it could reach the castle. Using force, they dropped the guards, stole the supplies and found very crucial intelligence:
Deceit from the Princess has even infiltrated the villages. Farmers are compelled to send grain to the castle in excess, while their families finally starved.The Princess used taboo rites. Among the supplies, Liam found dark tomes- evi-dence of black magic rituals that twist minds and strengthen her power.
"This is it," said Liam, holding up the tome. "We'll use it against her."
Phase 3: Setting the Bait
It was next, the most perilous, but Liam had no alternative. He must make an appearance for the Princess to mistake, then bring her along to err as he held out the bait.
"We will set the word that rebels are gathering in the forest," Liam explained. "Her army will come for us. That's when we expose her magic and turn her forces against her."
The prince hesitated. "What if it doesn't work? What if her soldiers are completely in her thrall?"
Liam stared at him levelly. "Trust me. Fear can gild chains about people, but truth can set them free. They'll see who the real enemy is."
The War of Deceit
It relays out a false message sent to the castle through one of those captured soldiers stating that an enemy base had been found just a day. This resulted in a battalion, under the command of the Princess's armament, raiding the woodlands.
Liam and the youngest prince hid among the villagers, who had been prepped to play their parts.
He stepped into the open area as the magical soldiers arrived. His voice seemed to echo back in that clearing.
"You see?" he called, hoisting one of the black tomes. "Your Princess uses these to control you. Neither loyalty nor entreatment, here."
The soldiers hesitated as their gaze flickered in confusion. For a moment Liam glimpsed the human
struggle beneath the blank faces.
But the Princess's commanders were notmuffled. One of them hissed, "Shut this treason! Just attack!"
Before anything could come of it, Liam shouted again, activating Nyx's shadow-magic. Dark swimming tendrils exploded from the earth to grasp several soldiers.
"Look at yourselves! Your minds are chained. This is her doing!"
The youngest prince stepped forward, his voice clear and resolute. "You are my father's men! Stand with me, and we will break her curse together!"
At that moment, Liam activated the purification talisman, a rare artifact he had acquired from the Tower Store. Blinding light shone forth, shattering the dark enchantments on the soldiers closest. Several soldiers collapsed to their knees, gasping as though waking from a nightmare. "W-What...happened to us?"
Now very much enraged, the commander of the Princess leapt at Liam with a sword whirling about. ducked, slashed across the ribcage, causing him to go sprawling on the floor.
"Your reign ends very soon," hissed Liam before knocking him out.
The once enchanted soldiers looked again at Liam and the prince, their expressions turning slowly from amazed to fully understanding what they had just seen. Gathering their wits, they began to unsheathe their blades, edging closer to their enchanted comrades.
The clearing erupted into chaos; steel plants cut through shadow-to-shadow.
While the battle raged on, Nyx suddenly hissed, "Master! Something's coming!"
He turned just in time to see the unnatural dimness enveloping them, and a chill crept up his spine. Out of the forest loomed a shadowy figure.
It was a sorceress-an agent of the Princess-her presence oozing malice. Her hands stretched in the air, making dark incantation.
Liam's eyes widened. "She is summoning something!"Then, behind her, a huge shadowy monster began to materialize with its glow-red eyes now fixed on Liam."Nyx! Distract her!" Liam barked, drawing his blade.Nyx lunged at the sorceress, dark clashing with dark magic. The youngest prince joined the fight, quickly rallying the soldiers to make a stand.
Liam thrust himself forward, darting through dark energy blasts as he raced to the sorceress. With a furious roar, he leapt, slamming his sword into her chest before she could summon anything.
With that, the sorceress screamed, her magic unraveling in a scintillating explosion. The shadowy beast dissipated, and a silence engulfed the battlefield.Liam stood panting, blade dripping with dark mist, while the other remaining soldiers dropped their weapons, minds finally freed.
The youngest prince approached, his voice trembling in awe. "We did it... we freed them."
Liam nodded, expression stern. "This was only the start. The Princess would not take this calmly."
To be continue...