The Sins of the Serpent | Book 1.5 of TSOT and Prequel of TDH Trilogy

1 | The Bloodthirsty Prince

ACT 1
THE WRATH OF SATHANAS

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Zheng Zixin

There once was a time when I was free from violence. The air smelled clean, the scent of blossoming flowers, the refreshing dew drops on the plants in the morning, and the soft petrichor after a delicate rain shower enveloped me, reminding me what it felt like to be alive.

The first day my father sent me to the battlefield, I was only twelve years old. As much as I pleaded to stay, he refused to budge. He kept insisting it was essential to my character building. To be a good emperor meant being a ruthless warrior in war. No one would dare question my rule if I cemented myself in the role of the bloodthirsty prince of Wuzhen.

Now twenty-five, I'd forgotten what it was like to smell anything other than blood and nightshade. It was easy to become used to when pixie corpses piled high on every side.

I walked past the recent mound of corpses, their black eyes gazing up at the sky, unseeing. Mounds of limbs and torn wings were scattered around and I reveled in the destruction. If it were thirteen years ago, I would have thrown up from the grotesque sight. However, in order to maintain my sanity, I had to shut off my feelings and perform the duties of Wuzhen's bloodthirsty, cold-hearted Crown Prince.

The Dark Court of Iniguthia was a formidable force, using the goal of retribution against their counterpart, the Light Court, as their motivation. It was the duty of Wuzhen to ensure peace would remain between the different factions. Father considered the Dark Court a threat because if they gained too much power, they had the chance to overtake Wuzhen. Today's battle was simply a warning to Iniguthia: remember your place.

"P-pardon me, Taizi Zixin," someone said behind me. I slashed at another pixie that lunged for me before turning to meet the gaze of Sun Fang, a timid water dragon. His black hair was pinned up in a neat bun, even his armor looked freshly shined. If he was a fraction of a fighter like my men, he would have been covered in the sanguine fluid of our enemies.

"What is it? Can't you see I'm busy here?" I replied, annoyed.

"I don't think the Emperor wanted us to kill all the pixies," he said. "Shouldn't we spare the children? They have done nothing wrong."

"He wanted us to neutralize the Dark Court. This is the quickest way to do it. Remember, Sun Fang, the best way to control your enemies is to instill fear. You must strike them down before they find an opportunity to attack. If we were to spare every child, what would happen when it grows to adulthood?"

"I can't say that I know, Taizi."

"They'll seek their parents' killer and want revenge. We will leave no remnants of the villages we've visited. Although they posed no real threat to me, I don't have time to waste on someone's quest for vengeance."

"But they're still children."

I towered over Sun Fang, narrowing my eyes. His worried, troubled gaze reminded me of the innocence I once had. "They're pixies, Sun Fang," I said coldly. "Their age is of no concern to me, nor should it be to you. Do you favor these pixie children over your country?"

He shrunk back, intimidated. "Of course not, Taizi. I didn't mean to question your intentions. I live to serve Wuzhen."

"Good. It would be a shame to have you executed for treason. You're a good subordinate, Sun Fang. Don't forget you are a Wuzhean. Your duty is to the Imperial Family."