The Broken Prince

[Jayphynph 279]

 

The Marring of Matthias Julius Keen

Issued on the 2nd of Sigismund’s End in the Year of our Lord 2019.

 

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Spoiler

Darkness is a canvas

Matthias Keen was not a stranger to the dark corners that linger in one’s mind. Yet, as he found himself crippled and scarred in the Hyspian clinic, with nothing but time to think, he began to form a greater appreciation for the depths of darkness he was capable of.

 

As was habit by now, the young Keen had found himself in Hyspia, taking in the sunset by the foot of the Royal Palace. Tidings had reached him earlier that day; Hyspia was to be declared a Kingdom. While not participating in the celebrations, he could not help but smile softly at his friends’ newfound status. Yet, as the day ended and the Hyspians returned to their beds to rest, he found himself alone in the dark. Or at least he wished he was…

 

A lone, armoured rider approached him as he took in the night sky and brilliant stars. He introduced himself only as Aldwin of Ildon, asking Matthias where he was from and projecting a largely friendly demeanor behind his helmet. Yet, Matthias could not help but feel dread. For Alwin of Ildon was clearly not of Holy origin. Matthias sighed, as the rider demanded his possessions and, realising he could not win the fight, decided the small purse in his pocket was not worth the trouble. This creature, however, was not after worldly possessions; rather, he desired Keen’s soul, offering to trade for it.

 

 

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1. A sudden spar

Naturally, such a preposterous offer was immediately denied. Noting the stranger’s spear and what looked to be a mace, as well as his heavy armour, Matthias decided to strike first. He drew forth his longsword, lunging at Alwin before he could react. He tried to shimmy his blade through any gaps in the armour, but to his dismay only succeeded in denting the chestplate. As Alwin reached for his spear, Matthias now slammed his sword into its outreached shoulder, drawing a bit of blood. His initial success was, however, short lived; Alwin swung his spear toward the unarmoured Matthias, in such a manner to bring him off balance, forcing Keen to reset his position. Having lost his momentum, he now fell into the long-ranged weapon’s optimal range.

“I never truly die!”

The creature’s hushed voice was echoed by a thousand screams emanating faintly, but ever so loudly, from its chestplate. 

The screams stunned Matthias for a moment too long; he had never encountered such a creature before, and his surprise would prove fatal, for Alwin now slashed his spear upwards, violently ripping a tear into Keen’s cheek, splitting his face open. He wobbled for a moment, delicately touching the wound, which by now was oozing blood, staining his clothes a deep Gules.

Matthias fell to his knees, wearily leaning against the hillside.

“At least I didn’t go down without a fight,” he somberly chuckled. “Do what you must.”

With this, Alwin of Ildon brought down a heavy elbow toward Keen’s head, knocking him cold instantly.

 

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2. The mind’s crypt

 

Matthias realised to his horror that his life was now in the hands of this darkspawn. The blood seeping from the gash in his cheek slowly dyed the surrounding lawn, and Matthias Keen felt himself be lifted. What he did not know was that a piece of his soul was at this very moment being sapped from deep within him. The spirit of Matthias’ soul looked down upon his body in disbelief. Looking around, the landscape of the Hyspian capital had changed; warm, vibrant colours looked desaturated and dull, and save for his own body, nobody was to be seen.

 

A feeling began to creep up on him, one he had not felt for over a decade. The sun set once more over Hyspia, clouded by dark creatures, thousands of them overwhelming Nueva Vida. They all melted, twisted, screamed in unison, forming one cosmic force. He stared into the void in disbelief, a thousand red eyes meeting his gaze; mocking him.

 

The darkness only got closer. It crept up around him, until naught but a black nothingness did block his vision. Matthias breathed heavily, before feeling the nothing encroaching even more. He tried screaming for help, flailing around, yelling mindlessly, but nothing worked. His mouth was filled by the darkness then his throat, his lungs, and before long Keen’s entire body was nothing but darkness pressing against his organs. He tried to scream once more, but realised that he could not make a sound. Not that it would have mattered, for no one was around to save him. There he drifted, floated for what felt like a hundred years, merging evermore with the darkness.

 

There, the thousand eyed demon, ever vicious and mocking, now held absolute authority.

 

“You failed,” it laughed. “You failed them all.”

 

The voice had no humanity, no empathy, no discerning features. It felt as though it came from every direction at once, consuming him whole. Pictures of bygone memories began to flood before Matthias’ eyes at a rapid pace. Madame Heylise, Lorelei the Younger of Enswerp, his father, his mother, his friend Amarantha. He attempted to scream out to them, pleading for help, but they just stood still looking at him, appearing in flashes everywhere and nowhere before disappearing just as quickly, for darkness is a canvas which the mind never fails to paint upon. 

 

He felt tears stream down his face, the ever present feeling of hopelessness draining his very spirit, growing stronger by the second.

 

 

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3. Awakening

 

Until he didn’t. Slowly, by some miracle, the pressure upon his innards faded, the grip around his throat and limbs loosening. Suddenly, he began to see again. His body now lay in the clinic, being tended to by a frantic, yet controlled, Anacleta Leomonte. He tried calling out to her, and in shock noted the lips of his body mirroring his own.

 

“Anacleta? How?”

 

“Don’t move. And drink this,” she replied.

 

Matthias helplessly looked on as his limp body was raised by the Leomonte, before practically shoving a pain relief potion down his throat. As the liquid entered Keen’s gut, the darkness began to subside once more.

 

“YOU FAILED THEM!”

 

The demon was now no more than an inch from his face, all thousand eyes fixed directly upon him. It laughed viciously as Matthias’ soul was forced back into his body. He awoke with a scream, and although Anacleta barely flinched, the cry could be heard resonating across the entire capital.

 

 

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4. Aftermath

 

The rest of the day was but a blur for the young Keen. He had heard something about templars or shamans, but was not in a state to process. As such, he found himself with nothing but time to think. Think about his place in Hyspia, in Ivöria, his homeland, in the world at large. And his place within his own mind. What Matthias’ did not yet know was that these waking nightmares were not going to stop anytime soon.

 

He would find himself with a sickly malaise for a whole year, a large painful malflame burn on his back, and a large, deep scar on his face. He arose from the gurney, using a cane to support himself as he walked into the town square. He looked to the palace with furrowed brows and a worried demeanor. His emotions were at once a jumbled mess, and entirely clear. He knew what he wanted. He knew his place in the world.