The Onyx Prince

File 8

April - 25/26 - 1979

The beginning of the end.
-The Watcher


File begins:

Gena sat quietly on the stairs and watched as Alex was beaten nearly to death for yet another night. The front door slammed shut, and both her and Alex knew what came next. Mr. Clark would fly into a fit of rage and tear the mountains to shreds with his otherworldly strength.

The beautiful mountains burned each night. She had hid in those mountains when he rampaged through the town, and was only forced to return when the blizzard came. Now she watched as he reigned underserved justice upon them. And upon Alex.

Alex lay on the floor, taking in shallow gasps of air. He was bruised everywhere. Both his eyes were black. Some of his bones were broken. Could he really survive another night?

"Alex!"

The boy turned his head towards the stairs. He smiled weakly.

"It's embarrassing when you watch."

She just shook her head.

"Why won't he teach you anything?"

"He is teaching me. I just don't understand it yet. It's my fault."

Gena jumped down and walked over to where he lay, dying.

"Your father might be crazier than mine."

She placed her hands on Alex, and he felt warm. A sigh of relief escaped his lips as his body healed.

"Why?" was all he could ask.

"I prefer when people owe me."

"Well...what do I owe you?"

"I don't know. I'll figure it out."

The sensation of relief stopped, but Gena kept her hands on his chest.

"One more thing. Magic comes from the soul. That is all it is. The less you understand yourself, the harder magic is. Maybe...that'll help you."

She stood up. There was a reason she hadn't healed him until tonight. Mr. Clark was too unpredictable. But now that Alex was on the verge of death, both their lives were at risk.

Despite her unease, she spared a bright smile for Alex.

"And one last thing. You owe me even more now."

***

In the dead of the night, there was no silence. Mr. Clark's rage would not cease until dawn. The noise kept Alex awake.

He slipped out of bed and walked down the hall, running his fingers over the walls.

He stopped when he felt a single bump. He pressed down, and slid the hidden door of the library open.

He was going to learn magic, and he wasn't going to learn it from Gena.

He grabbed a thick book from the shelves. Its pages were as cold as ice.

He was going to learn magic from Kuroni.

***

"You bastard."

That was the first thing Kuroni shouted when Alex summoned him from the depths of the Prison Tome.

"Be quiet!" he hissed. "There are people sleeping. Well, one person, at least."

The spectral figure glared at him.

"You used me, disrespected me, and left me to rot.'

"You don't like your book?"

"I get bored!"

"Then why did you trap yourself there?"

Kuroni looked sullen.

"None of your business."

Alex agreed. It wasn't his business, and he didn't really care.

"Well, can you help me again?"

Kuroni looked at him aghast.

"You are the most shameless creature of this world."

"Come on, you said you were bored. Will you teach me magic?"

"Will I teach the brat magic? Will I entrust the fool who disrespected the god of fate with more ancient knowledge?"

"It could be fun. I don't know."

Kuroni considered it.

"Actually...yes! Kuroni will teach you magic. For a price, of course."

"What if instead of a price I just don't destroy the Prison Tome?"

"Ha! You don't know how to do such a thing."

Alex, of course, did.

"But don't fret, the price is but a poor old man's request. Take me with you wherever you go...and should you encounter my son, please tell him I wish to speak with him."

"Who's your son?"

"His name is Kuronison. I have to apologize to him for my terrible mistake."

"His name?"

Kuroni gave Alex a strange look.

"No? Regardless, can you do that for me?"

"I mean...sure. I'll try."

Kuroni sighed.

"That's wonderful. The two of us can afford to be patient, but should your life come to its natural end first, would you pass the book along to your children?"

"I mean...sure."

Kuroni smiled.

"Thank you, brat. Don't be insulted, I just can't remember what your real name is anymore. Shall we begin? The first thing you must know is the secret of the soul. All things extraordinary come from the soul, it is the majesty of the universe. You can do great things with your own soul...or you can do terrible things..."

***

Alex closed the Prison Tome as he watched the sun rise through the skylight window of the library. He stayed up all night with Kuroni, learning as much as he could.

He put the book back on its shelf, and turned to leave. But before he could, the air cracked behind him. There, smoldering at the center of the runes which had burned themselves into the wooden floor weeks ago, lay Pig.

"Hey brat."

"Where have you been?" Alex sputtered.

"Oh, you know. I've been around."

Pig looked exhausted, broken, almost.

Alex watched the creature for a moment.

"You look terrible."

"Not at all."

Pig bared its beak in what was probably an attempt at a smile.

"You look like a zombie yourself. By the way, I've been working on something."

"Oh?" Alex asked, trying to seem less curious than he was.

"Yup. I'm getting you a one-way ticket out of Heidenskee."

"How?"

"You'll just walk out the front door! At least, probably. It's not important until it happens."

Alex sighed.

"What if I don't want to leave?"

Pig just stared at him. Then it shook its little head.

"You will. Just wait."

The runes grew brighter again, and Pig looked at him one last time.

"Don't die."

"Wait! Are you really leaving again?"

Then it mumbled something Alex could barely hear, and with another loud crack, it was gone.

And with the bird's sudden exit, Alex couldn't help but feel exhausted. Perhaps neither were getting much sleep.

***

It was a new morning, and Alex got no sleep at all. The entire month, he barely slept. Insomnia and discomfort plagued his bruised body.

Sitting in his armchair, Mr. Clark read cheerfully. Alex watched him with morbid fascination.

"Good morning, Alexander."

"Good morning Mr. Clark."

The old man's bright eyes left the pages of the book to meet Alex's, but the moment they met his, they were suddenly empty. There was absolutely no emotion, no reaction whatsoever to him.

Then Mr. Clark slowly stood up, brushed the mountain dust off himself, and walked out the front door.

Alex paled. Not once this month had the old man left the house in the morning.

Gena cautiously left the guest room to check if she had heard right, or was simply hallucinating. She found Alex standing there, equally confused.

"You look tired, but healthier." she told him.

He smiled at her.

"I'd say thanks, but I owe you for it, so I won't."

They stood around awkwardly. In the distance, they could hear screams and the shredding of tons of solid stone.

Gena shivered.

"He's at it again. Something's changed."

"Yeah," Alex muttered, looking at his newly healed body. "Something has."

He yawned and shook his head like a dog.

"I've got to stay awake. He hates it when I waste the morning, but I'm so tired."

"Want to make some coffee?"

Alex brightened a little.

"Yeah, that'd be great. But let me guess- I'll owe you for this one, too?"

"No...I said "want to make some coffee." So, do you want to make yourself some coffee?"

Alex just shook his head.

"You are the most shameless creature of this world."

She gaped at him.

"What?" he asked her innocently.

"Since when were you so poetic?"

Alex grinned.

"What do you mean? I'm going to go make myself some coffee now."

Gena watched him head for the kitchen.

"Oh," she called after him, "Could you make me a cup too?"

***

As the sun set, Alex stood before Mr. Clark and awaited his fate.

The most terrifying thing about his situation was how friendly Mr. Clark was, only to turn mindlessly cruel when Alex failed.

Tonight was no different.

"Extinguish the candles."

Alex extended his mind to the closest little flame and tried to do...he wasn't sure what. Suffocate it?

After a few seconds of failure, Mr. Clark's smile faded into cold indifference.

"I've been thinking..."

Alex shivered as he continued.

"You were drowning that night. Do you remember?"

Alex nodded. It was the truth, he did remember. The only night he had ever successfully used his magic from within.

"If all it takes is the threat of death for you to spread your wings..."

Mr. Clark raised a glowing hand.

"Then I will give you one more chance. Extinguish the candles, or you die."

Alex numbly nodded. A month ago, he would have tried reasoning with Mr. Clark. But this month had driven both of them mad.

Deep in his heart, Alex knew this was what he deserved. A just punishment for his weakness.

He had barely any spirit left to fight the maddening voice that whispered in his head.

So he raised his hand, and took a deep breath, and armed with the new knowledge Kuroni had shared, he focused on the closest candle.

And miraculously, the flame disappeared.

Alex broke down and laughed wildly at the sight. His concentration broke, and the flame returned. But for a moment, he had done it. All it took was a month of torture at the hands of the only man he trusted.

He looked up at Mr. Clark. His laughter was cut short and he began to step back. What he saw in the old man's eyes was not joy, it was hatred.

"Do you know how spoiled you are?"

Alex winced. Every bit of him wanted to run, except for the bit that knew it was pointless. He simply stood there and waited for the worst.

"There's something wrong about you Alexander," he continued. "You have an avatar to teach you sorcery, yet you go behind my back and learn from others."

"You knew?"

"Of course I know. I never taught you about your soul."

"I didn't want to disappoint you any longer."

"Well you have."

Alex watched Mr. Clark take a step closer.

"I won't kill you. Instead, I'm going to kill whoever taught you that. And I have a feeling I know who it was. That insufferable girl living under my roof, who daydreams about escaping and leaving you here with me. The girl that was supposed to like you, but I sense no affection from at all. The girl who lied to the Avatar of Justice."

Alex was frozen in fear. Hiding on the stairs, Gena was, too.

Gena caught Alex's eye and mouthed:

"Save me."

Alex closed his eyes so he wouldn't give her away.

So this was what he owed her for healing his injuries. An impossible favor.

Alex's limp body was pulled off the ground as Mr. Clark held him in the air by his throat.

"I feel the lies. Lies, lies. Insidious lies. Were you going to lie to me too, Alexander?"

Alex shook his head no.

"Another lie."

Gena was gone, at least. He wasn't sure where she had fled to hide, but he hoped it was somewhere really good. But it wouldn't be good enough.

"I can sense your lies. But I can do more than that. I can force the truth out of you."

Mr. Clark's eyes glowed yellow and his voice filled Alex's head.

"Where are they?"

Alex suddenly could not think of anything to say, except for the truth. Where are they?

"The library."

Mr. Clark dropped Alex in disgust.

"You're even more disappointing than my wildest fears. To think you'd disobey me and show that girl the library."

Alex cowered. But deep inside him, hopefully deeper than Mr. Clark's piercing eyes could see, he was full of dark satisfaction.

Mr. Clark gave him a swift kick before disappearing with impossible speed. He burst into the library moments later.

"Where are you hiding, Gena Killmenter?" he screamed as he tore the room apart. "I know you're in here! Your fake boyfriend told me."

His rampage continued.

"I wonder why you came to Eldora. Did you not know your mother was dead?"

Alex heard quiet sobs coming from the guest room as he climbed the stairs. For her sake, he'd pretend he hadn't heard that.

The old man stopped in the center of the room and looked around slowly.

"No...it's empty."

Alex stood in the doorway, head lowered towards the floor.

"They're here."

Mr. Clark twitched as he felt Alex was telling the truth, but was unable to sense her presence.

"What trick are you playing on me?"

"None."

Mr. Clark scowled.

"You're twisting the truth."

Finally, Alex looked up.

"Yes."

He was compelled to admit it, after all.

But that didn't stop him from saying what was coming next.

"There's something else I never told you about. It's beneath your feet."

Mr. Clark looked down and saw the runes burned into the wood.

"These are..."

"The truth." Alex said coldly.

The old man's eyes widened behind his glasses in recognition.

"Apertio?"

With a crack, Mr. Clark was gone, and the portal was aflame with black light once more.

Alex stared grimly at the circle as the reality of what he had done hit him. A few confused tears welled in his eyes. But he held them down, because what other choice did he have?

There was another crack, and Pig came tumbling out.

"Hell!" it screamed. "That damn avatar found me."

The two made eye contact, Alex surprised, and Pig seemingly terrified.

Alex spoke first.

"Pig, you owe me a favor. Destroy that circle."

Pig only spared a second to gawk at Alex.

"Idiot. I would've done that anyway."

And he did. Pig obliterated the floor in the blink of an eye. Alex stared at the smoldering hole that was once the library floor in horror.

Pig snickered.

"Oops, I revealed a few of my tricks. But you have to break an egg...you have to break a few eggs... uh, omelet."

"... So, is he trapped?"

"I can't be sure. But he can bring you down there with him!"

What little color was left in Alex's face left without a trace.

"Really?"

"Sure, from the Orchard of Destruction, he could summon you. So...try to stay awake tonight."

Pig winked at him.

"This nightmare isn't over yet. But before the bastard has the chance to ruin our deal, I'll finish working on that ticket out of Heidenksee. Have you changed your mind?"

Alex just shook his head yes, silently agreeing with Pig. He wanted to get the hell out of here.

Pig melted into a formless inky mass and smiled at him with his hideous square teeth and disembodied lips.

"This is going to be so much fun."

End of file.