The clash of magic and shadow shook the very foundations of the palace. Kaelen felt the heat of the lightning bolt singing the air just inches from his face as the shadow shield absorbed the brunt of the impact.
"You are a stain upon the history of this kingdom," the High Mage spat while his white robes billowed with raw power.
The old man raised his staff again and the air began to hum with the sound of a thousand angry bees. Bright gold circles appeared in the air and launched dozens of glowing spears made of pure sunlight.
"History is written by those who survive and I have already died once today," Kaelen replied with a chilling smile.
Kaelen dashed forward while his body turned into a flickering blur of dark smoke and solid flesh. He moved between the spears of light with the grace of a predator hunting in the middle of a forest.
The High Mage slammed his staff against the floor and created a shockwave of holy energy to push Kaelen back. The marble floor disintegrated into fine dust as the force of the spell tore through the royal furniture.
"Why do you protect a king who hides like a rat while his city burns?" Kaelen asked while skidding to a halt.
The mage narrowed his eyes and his face grew tight with a mixture of duty and hidden shame. He did not look at the corner where the shadows were still tormenting the captured King Valerius.
"My oath is to the crown and not to the man who wears it," the High Mage declared with a booming voice.
Kaelen let out a short and hollow laugh that carried no warmth or joy at all. He raised his dark sword and the shadows of the fallen Black Falcons began to merge into the blade.
"An oath to a rotten crown is just a fancy way to justify your own cowardice," Kaelen whispered while his eyes glowed.
Kaelen swung his sword and released a wave of black fire that swallowed the golden light in the room. The High Mage cried out in surprise as his magical barrier began to crack and melt under the intense pressure.
The dark flames licked the ceiling and turned the expensive tapestries into heaps of gray ash. Kaelen saw the mage struggling to maintain his footing as the floor beneath him turned into a river of molten stone.
"Your power is unnatural and it smells of the forbidden depths!" the mage screamed while sweat poured down his brow.
The mage pointed his finger and a beam of concentrated fire shot out to pierce Kaelen's shoulder. Kaelen did not flinch or slow down even as the smell of burning cloth and flesh filled his nostrils.
"Pain is an old friend of mine and you will have to do much better than that," Kaelen said through gritted teeth.
Kaelen closed the distance and grabbed the wooden staff of the mage with his bare and blackened hand. The wood began to rot and turn into charcoal the moment his shadow power touched the ancient artifact.
The High Mage looked at his crumbling weapon with an expression of pure and absolute horror. He had spent decades mastering the light only to see it defeated by a man who had returned from the grave.
"Who or what are you truly?" the mage asked with a voice that had lost all its former strength.
Kaelen leaned in close and the shadows around his neck flared up like a dark crown of thorns. He could see his own reflection in the wide and terrified pupils of the old man.
"I am the consequence of your king's betrayal," Kaelen whispered while the darkness swallowed the mage's light.
Kaelen struck the mage's chest with a palm full of shadow energy and sent him flying through the broken wall. The old man fell into the courtyard below and landed among the silent army of the dead.
The King screamed from the corner as he watched his final protector fall like a broken toy. Kaelen turned his attention back to Valerius who was now shaking so hard that his golden jewelry rattled.
"Now there is no one left to hide behind," Kaelen said while walking toward the cowering monarch.
Kaelen grabbed the king by his hair and dragged him toward the balcony that overlooked the entire capital city. The sky was orange with the glow of a thousand fires and the streets were filled with the sound of clashing steel.
"Look at what your greed has brought to your people," Kaelen commanded while forcing the king to see the destruction.
Valerius sobbed and tried to cover his eyes but the shadows held his hands firmly at his sides. He saw his palace guard being slaughtered and his beautiful banners being torn down by the mob.
"The people will never accept a monster like you as their leader!" Valerius shrieked with a desperate and high voice.
Kaelen looked at the burning city and then back at the pathetic man who had once been his commander. He felt the heavy weight of the forbidden curse pulsing in his veins like a second heart.
"I do not want their love because I only need their fear to keep them safe," Kaelen replied coldly.
The shadow soldiers began to gather on the balcony and their dark armor absorbed the light of the fires below. Kaelen raised his sword high and the army of the dead let out a silent and terrifying roar.
Suddenly a massive shadow appeared in the sky and blocked the moon from the view of the people below. A pair of giant red eyes opened in the clouds and a roar that shook the very stars echoed through the valley.
The ancient dragon of the royal prophecy had finally woken up from its long slumber.