Illuminating the Dark Prince

A Gift from a God

~Valarendrik~

My mother's heinous display of despotism sliced into my soul like a venomous blade of unfathomable torment, leaving me writhing in the deepest sorrow I had ever known. An anguished scream poured from my broken spirit as the black veil of hellish smoke dissipated around us, revealing Azathoth's living room once more. I gripped my head in blinding despair, claws digging deeply into my scalp while the crown wildly squirmed with my misery. Rivulets of blackened blood trickled down my face while I fell forward onto my knees and let out another gut-wrenching abyssal scream. The walls began to tremble and cracks violently webbed across the stonework. Picture frames and other fragile objects fell and shattered on the floor.

"Oh, shit. Not my house again..." Azathoth quickly grabbed my upper arm and teleported us away, leaving William behind to wobble in the rumbling room.

Black smoke clouded my vision once more, giving way to a lush field beside a steep seaside cliff. Heavy silver raindrops pelted down upon my tearful face as though the sullen grey skies shared in my sorrow. Meanwhile, the dark temperamental waves seemed to roar with the acidic anguish engulfing my heart as they violently crashed against the sharp formidable cliffs. The ground loudly cracked along with my sanity, splitting the drenched grass, soil, and stone beneath my knees. Pieces of rock exploded and floated up, chaotically whirling all around as the sheer might and depth of my suffering drowned my soul deeper than any raging ocean. And despite my unbridled display of power, I was still unable to stand on my feet, remaining crumpled to the ground like the utterly broken man I was.

I have lost everything...

My drenched hair twisted around my head and even the salted air I sucked into my dead lungs felt scathingly painful. Azathoth had staggered back from the intense force of my emotional breakdown, shielding his face with a wing to protect himself from the white lightning frenziedly crackling all around me. His long soaked hair whipped in the furious winds while electric bolts shot up into the sky, illuminating the oppressive veil of the storm. His boots sank into the slippery ground, becoming coated with thick mud as he attempted to take a few steps toward me. The waves of the sea ominously lifted like a title wave high above the cliff, whirling wildly in the air before chaotically crashing back down. Even the raindrops began twisting and turning, falling in unnatural pathways from the clouds to the soil. 

"Valarendrik!" Azathoth's bellowing voice barely pierced the whirling cacophony of despair within my mind. My clawed hands trembled as I held them out before myself, unable to handle what had just happened. "Val!" He braved the lightning storm churning around me, flapping his wings to ward off the sparks. My chest heaved and my whole body shook as his arms desperately wrapped around my shoulders in a side-embrace. "I'm so sorry, Valarendrik... I'm so sorry, my friend." The dark strands of his hair coiled upon the ground while he mournfully hung his head next to my shoulder. 

His grievous voice reached my ears with far more impact than his shouting had. The lightning faded and the stones floating around us gently returned to the ground. I could not find any words to say. My mouth hung agape, allowing the rainwater to cascade down my face and trickle from the pointed tips of my teeth. The black rivers of my tears washed away in murky grey streams, fading as they fell to the grassy puddles below. I struggled to truly fathom what had just occurred. And yet, the image of my mother slaughtering my dear companion and the sound of his dying screams continued to vividly replay within my mind like some sort of heinous torture session. 

I could not bear the thought of never seeing him again. Of never lovingly stroking his face or scolding him for eating too many pieces of caedis fruit. My chest physically hurt and my ribs rattled as I thought about all our adventures. All the places we had ridden together. All the times he had been nothing but a faithful steed and dear friend... That time he ate an unguarded pair of Azathoth's pants and remained incapacitated for an entire week due to the stomach ache they caused, groaning and naying in misery... And now he was gone. Guilt and regret began to mercilessly gnaw at my soul, tearing away every last scrap of my dignity.