Destined

15. Falling

The heat wedged into every bone of my body had erupted. I collapsed to my knees this time. My breathing erratic while I tried to focus on how to take out these monsters.

"I could help you, but you would have to take my offer." The Corrupted King glowered. He grinned and turned at his heel. "If you join my side, you no longer need to hold back in fear. I can accept what they cannot which is what lies within you, my little wolf prince. You cannot fight a battle you will lose."

Mesmer frowned and Artemis furrowed her brow. They both stand against him and chose to do it of their own will.

"I refuse that offer because the worlds that we want are different. You want a new one, but the one I want still exists." Pushing myself up, I stumbled. "My goal was to heal this world and I will not take part in destroying it."

The Corrupted King sighed. "Stubborn, but I expected that. Would you like to know why my children asked for you to take part in this fight, and it's not a noble reason that I can assure you?"

"Trying to justify what you have done is pointless when I already made my decision."

"Blind as all the others it appears. How about a little story, one I know you would like to hear?"

"I doubt you have any story worth telling."

"Once there was a boy who was loved by his village. However, they came to fear him. You see a rampaging beast attacked his village and he mustered up the courage to defeat the beast. Though the villagers were grateful to be alive, they feared him because that boy could shift into any beast he wished to become." His eyes lit up as he continued the story. "He went around destroying monsters and then grew in strength to deal with criminals too. He went after a king and fell into the trap laid for him. He fought until his end, refusing to give up. He transformed himself into a beast unlike any other and attempted to kill the evil king. Though he fought with all his might, the boy died."

"You think a story will change my mind, you have another thing coming."

The Corrupted King smiled wider. "Oh, I forgot the best part of the story. Not only was the boy trying to kill the evil king, but he also fell for the daughter who led him straight into the trap because she believed her father cared for her in the first place."

Artemis made a fist at her side and I knew who the story was about. "What you did to him, I will never forgive you for."

Her father glanced at her. "You have the habit of leading me to what I desire which is the only reason you are not dead at present."

"Shut up!" I yelled and his eyes shifted from Artemis to me. His monsters also prepared themselves. "People are not pawns, you scourge. Have you forgotten what you have done to me?"

The Corrupted King took a step to the side and he vanished from where I could see him. "Oh, I have not forgotten but you still are naïve." I craned my head to see him grinning behind me. His fist came at me and knocked my jaw. I fell back down and gripped the snow in my fingernails. "I expected you to show me that look again, the one you gave when I snapped that girl's neck."

My body ceased up.

"The hope died in your eyes just for a moment, but it unlocked the beast inside you. You came at me with such a fire in your eyes, but now you let another tame you." He twisted the corner of his lip and glared at Artemis. "How unlike you, little wolf, and here I thought you could stand at my side."

I started laughing. I couldn't stop it from bubbling to the surface.

"Jaiden?" Artemis called my name.