The Chalk Prince (Kaebedo)

Chapter XIV: "I'll Protect You"

The queen spiraled into madness. She was power hungry, itching for the feel of the dark magic coursing through her veins. She created things with this magic, from little trinkets to live animals.

If she could make a living, breathing human being, then she had the potential to make much greater things.

Krein watched his mother from the sidelines. He wanted to help her come back from her madness, but he was scared.

He was too cowardly to even knock on her door late at night to see if she would come to bed. He missed her greatly.

One night, she headed into the mountains, Krein following close behind her. She did not know he was there. He only wanted to keep his mother safe.

She found a clearing of flat rock and began to draw a summoning circle, much like the one she made for Krein.

She chanted over and over to summon something. It was going to be big. It was going to be dangerous.

A tall figure began to form in the circle. It had wings and large horns atop its head.

It reached out to the queen with long, sharp talons. It was going to kill her.

Krein to her from behind the tree he was hiding behind. He called her name to catch her attention. She looked at him, shocked and terrified. But the ritual was not done just yet.

From the queen's terrified state, dark magic flowed out of her, eating up her soul. It powered the ritual circle, which had become red and black with magic.

Krein tried to touch it, to somehow stop it, but was burnt when he got too close.

The form in the summoning circle changed. From the form of a demon to something much, much, larger.

This too had wings, and it's body was lizard-like.

"Krein go away! It will hurt you!" The queen yelled, pushing him back from the monster.

"Mother, no! I cannot let you die." Krein said back. He grabbed onto her arm and forced her away from the creature.

The scaled beast roared at them, an ear piercing screech so loud it could it could break glass.

The animal howled and flapped it's giant wings. It began running towards them, a hungry look in its beady eyes.

"Krein run!" The queen screamed as it picked her up with its big talons and took off into the air.

"Mother! No no, come back!" The prince cried out, trying to reach for his mother. His tries were futile, though, as the scaled creature was already flying towards the peak of the mountain.

-

Albedo woke up to another nightmare. Kaeya was beside him, much to the blond's relief.

He shook the captain awake and earned a grunt and a yawn from him.

"'Bedo?" Kaeya breathed, rubbing his tired eyes. He turned around to face the boy who was sitting up, looking at him with a frightened face.

"Kaeya..." Albedo's voice felt tight as he tried holding back tears. He missed his mother, even if she had discarded him like it was nothing. Like he was nothing.

It hurt his heart to think about the day she told him to get lost. Then Varka had taken him and pierced his arm with a weird looking bottle. When he woke up, something inside of him screamed. Burn something. Burn everything. Kill. Kill. Kill.