Chapter 71

A/n: The word count requirements changed! I don’t know if my older books will be altered, but this one and the Bull’s Beloved got impacted. Sorry!
Tyson
Mother, my sister, my aunt, and my cousin delt with the princess, while I delt with the ruckus I caused.
I stared at the ceiling in my office. My anger made my blood boil… but All this was my fault… I could feel my veins decay and reform a little stronger each time… Eventually, I will be immune to myself, but at the moment I lamented my actions…
All of it.
The fight.
The reputation of the mortal.
…. Everyone commenting on my ‘horse cock’.
Lady Moon damn it… I had enough of that one in high school.
“Greetings.” Said my uncle’s head general Eskaal. He kneeled, bending the knee and bowing his head. I had a feeling I shouldn’t look into his mind.
I did anyway because of genuine curiosity… and I *instantly* regretted it… He allowed me… It seemed he left himself open like that on purpose.
What-is-he-doing?-I-wonder-how-fast-he-can-process-this.-Surely-he-probably-knows-he-shouldn’t-pry-into-a-man’s-mind-that-has-the-ablilty-to-think-multiple-thoughts-at-the-same-time….Great.-He’s-looking-like-his-head-hurts!-I’m-so-sorry!
“Rise General Eskaal.” I said with a migraine the size of my castle…. That’s what I get for treating him like a mortal… It was disrespectful to look.
The Beast Prince is a dark skinned beast elf, however the only ‘beastly’ thing about him is how he can turn humans against each other… He is the son of King Rau…. but unlike his title, Eskaal is not some strong burly wild man. He’s handsome like any other elf, and he does not really deal with wild mythological animals….
His bread and butter during the war was using humans to kill each other, cause massive plagues like the Black Death, toppling countries with conspiracy and so on.
All he needed was 24 hours, and whatever country the masters picked would be destabilized to the point of nonexistence. His plots and ploys killed more people than *any* other General… as he may not be the strongest… but he is the smartest.
He’s even responsible for the extinction of the beaverkin. He got tired of their building, and the rats cheated him… so he made a special plague to kill all rodent shifters…. It spread to humans…. Thus, the Black Death killed so many, that even today we’ve only seen ratkin about 6 or 7 decades ago…. And only in Bison City… They are the last of their entire species….
“What could you possibly want with me?” I asked.
I watched him closely. His magic is *greater* than any caster other than Xaxas…. The Beast Prince spoke so fast I couldn’t understand the spell or the language, but a red portal appeared with runes I’d never seen before… It wasn’t as red as the Realm King’s, but that was his patron, and the source of his magic…
Eskaal was made my uncle’s high priest, however there are no temples dedicated to the Judge.
He bowed. “I cannot hear one so high, but I am here at the behest of ones higher.”
“Then what do *they* want… Am I to be beheaded.” I stood casually. I’d deserve it.
He chuckled. “Hardly anything like this. I wanted to personally take you with me. As a Former Crown Prince to a new King, allow me this favor to repay.”
“I’ll try to convince whomever you owe, but it’s up to them to determine if they’re compensated.” I followed Eskaal.
We teleported to an eerily tranquil place.
There was only grass…. And a nearly endless salt flat was behind us…
It was still..... but something was wrong.
That salt and beach was once an ocean…
“Why are there so many graves… This isn’t Urth, is it?” I asked.
This place was so still, because there were no trees…. No water…. Only grass and graves…. But no people. A sandy beach was behind us, but in front were millions upon millions of headstones.
Someone had to dig these, but where are they?
“Ah, your first time.” He smiled. “This is, or rather *was* Tearth…. Close your eyes.”
I did.
I could feel the souls who wondered this empty world…
Nothing was here, not even the animals… What happened… and why did they want me to see this world’s fall?
Why did I cry blood tears for them… How ashamed I was, yet I’ve done nothing to them…
“Do you see the vision little master?” Asked Eskaal.
“They suffer… how they suffer.” I said looking at blood covered hands, but they were not my own.
“Their king thought he was doing right too, however… his zeal for perfection killed all life here…even the bugs and deep ocean fish. It’s all salt.” He pointed… as far as the eye could see, that ocean was dry. “He and the Cult of the Sun summoned the literal rays of Arviel to cleanse their world… and the Lord of Light did it, because they asked so sincerely. The grass is from the single tear he shed.”
Many held hands as they died… there was nothing you could do.
How can you stop the power of the sun? This planet was scorched, killing its earth titan instantly… It’s why Arviel shed a tear as well, since this one looked kind of like Lia, her name was Lua….
And titans are Rare… since they can be so big.
She wasn’t a wife, he only has one… but he had children by her…
Arviel killed his bastard demigod children for his humans, but Eskaal seemed unmoved.
He picked a little grass, and I could smell the salt…. Boats littered the dead ocean, but I didn’t know if they were empty.
“I don’t …. Why do I see this.”
“Because we’re here to reap the last man. King Lionheart’s reward for ‘cleansing’ this world, was to make a headstone for every soul lost… every animal… every tree… even every blade of grass has a monument to commemorate that the land was either a city or forest…” Said Eskaal. “It took him 7 million years.”
With a blink I was taken to the only living man alive here… Lionheart was Old, white haired but his blue eyes remained defiant. If I had to say he looked like anyone, he kind of looked like Rodrick, the Man King.
“Reap him.” Said Eskaal.
“I will not resist.” King Lionheart bowed his head. “I can tell… I can tell all my kin are with the Light, but I cannot go.”
“This is Death’s nephew. He tasked me with training the fledgling. I’ll take the soul to the Judge, but you must reap him.” The Beast Prince said this as if he knew how to as well….
He is *the* smartest person on my homeworld…. He probably knows, but can’t practice…
Mortals are not allowed this particular gift.
“Alright.” I pulled the soul out the body. He didn’t fight me at all… and I did eat a little off him, any years he had left had he stayed mortal, so about 6 years.
I felt guilty… I know why I was sent here…
“I understand. Tell Uncle Xaxas and Asanguis thank you… I had my head up my ass.”
“You really don’t.” Said Eskaal. “Without the old master’s touch, even without your true status as a general, you could do this to your world on accident.”
“What.” I said blinking twice.
“You are a Reaper… Rare… more rare than any other power in this world. It just isn’t given to mortals, though you are a demigod. It is the *only* reason why you have it…. I’ve killed I think 4 worlds now? It’s boring. Predictable. But *you and your blood excite me.* I cannot wait to see you shine.”
I think he said that as a bit of reassurance as well… I am a dark creature… These claws are made for destruction, but with it must come temperance…. And a lot less zeal…
I was taken home and I KNOW he purposefully put me in front of Willow. Mother, Nixxia, Grace and Harmony tried comforting her earlier, but she was alone now.
I couldn’t dodge her, so I let her bump into me.
“Sorry… I didn’t see you.” She said sadly, heading back to her room.
“No… I owe you an apology.” I said bowing to her. No one saw, but even if they did, I wouldn’t care… I must right this wrong…. “I formally apologize to you, the little mate of my dear brother… I see my folly…” I looked away.
I couldn’t even look at her.
I know she would not even consider this an apology.
She didn’t, but she was polite.
“Apologize to Kaizen. I’m just his pet human.” She said a little bitterly, but I kind of expected to be cursed out… “Sorry; his sentence cuts the connection… I didn’t m-”
“I understand.”
I wanted to leave so bad that I ended up in my room instantly. I didn’t want her to even remember this, but I didn’t throw anymore magic that I know of… I might have though… Shit.
That makes me even *worse.*
Maybe I’ll try later… like next year… next century.
At best if I did she’s going to think it on purpose…