Monster Legends: Inevitable Betrayals

Cruel Temptation

"Korruptus, shall we prepare our defenses?" 

In the highest tower of the ancient light kingdom, a leader stood high to face his kingdom. His armor was white with gold edges, accompanied by a silver cape that billowed in the wind that surrounded the area. He wore a large mask that obscured his face, only revealing his large turquoise eyes and wrinkled royal blue skin underneath, making him appear much older than he actually was. 

In reality, Korruptus was a young leader, surrounded by wiser monsters that guided most of his movements. He was chosen to be leader by his father, who automatically gave him the position after he fell ill one night. He had the bravery and power set to be a strong leader, but with all of his restrictions and protection, he could never showcase his true ambition. 

"I'm uncertain, Wickah, give me a moment," he replied, dismissing his advisor who had just been newly appointed for the position. Her usual youthful smile was replaced with a frown, knowing that she couldn't hide anything from Korruptus any longer. 

"Sire, the enemy is too strong, they are going to break down the gates and slaughter everyone inside. We need to evacuate," advised the young Wickah, uncertain what Korruptus would respond with. The second royal advisor, Tabora, had suggested that everyone could group up in one castle and attack from there, but Wickah disagreed, as that would put them in a dangerous situation. 

"No, we can beat them, I know we will!" he exclaimed, dismissing every word that she said. "I've decided, call for the generals to strike!" 

The light kingdom had a very strong army, but it was incredibly weak compared to other groups, most notably Warmaster Barbael's army, which he had assembled to take care of anyone that got too powerful for their own good. Barbael's favorite general was Heiss, a fiery ape-like creature that was known to demolish anything in his path. 

"You don't understand, Korruptus, this is no ordinary army. This is Heiss, leader of a thousand demons and the head of Barbael's regime!" argued Wickah, fearful that the troops would burst through at any minute. 

"With enough determination, we can accomplish anything," countered Korruptus, slipping on his pair of battle gloves, which helped control his unstable abilities. "Stay in the tower, Wickah, make sure everyone stays safe." 

Korruptus exited his throne room and stomped down the endless staircases, which lead down to the barracks and an exit to the outside world. He twisted open the door to find his soldiers waiting for him, dressed in sparkly colors and had swords sheathed on their belts. 

"Sire, do we head into battle?" one of them asked, with a golden cape that was similar to his leader's. Before Korruptus could reply, a loud crash could be heard from outside, signifying that the enemy had broken down the gates. 

"They're inside the kingdom now, we don't have a choice," answered Korruptus, motioning for one of the higher ranked soldiers to unlatch the heavily secured door that blocked others from entering the building. "This will not be another place for them to destroy, I'll make sure of it." 

When the doors finally loosened, the soldiers slowly marched outside, expecting to find hundreds of fiery demons roaming the streets. Instead, they found no enemies, but a burning landscape that would make a Warmaster gasp. 

The cottages were burnt to a crisp, leaving no valuables behind in their wake. Massive towers had been torn apart, and the pathways were covered in dust and blood. Korruptus was overcome with disbelief at the sight of it all, as there was no way in his mind that Heiss' army could have already left the scene. Their destructive abilities were unmatched, but they had seemingly just broken down the gates.