Love's Curse

Chapter 1: Pride's Fool

Once upon a time, in a different dimension, another time and warped place, there existed a planet that was full of magic, treachery, and extraordinary heroics. Into this world our adventure begins....

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The crowds erupted in cheers as their beloved Prince Aries rode into their great city. In his wake his royal guards followed, many injured but still heads held high in strong pride. They had conquered yet another warring rival, their prince was a true strength for them. His only bad point was his arrogance as of late. They had defeated so many aggressors and rebels that he was becoming more overconfident by the battle. Many feared that soon there would be an enemy that he would underestimate too much and suffer a loss he could not afford to take.

The crowds parted before him to reveal an ambassador sitting on the steps. She came from the province that had just been defeated in battle. They had taken heavy losses and she wished for peace so that no more blood would be shed. The Prince knew her to be a shrewd ambassador, commonly known for causing a distraction while her troops snuck into a city and took their enemies by surprise.

He slid off his mount and waved to his adoring subjects before turning and addressing the Ambassador. "Speak crone. I will make a decision within this time so as not to give you any chance of bringing in your forces. Yes, I know of your treachery and your ambassador status is the only thing that prevents me from slaying you at this very moment." Aries stood firm before her with his arms crossed awaiting her answer.

Her eyes narrowed. Zitomira was not happy that her people had been defeated but she would teach this arrogant prince and his people a lesson they would never forget.

He looked down at Zitomira and acted like he was losing his patience. "Well if you have nothing to say to me, perhaps I should simply eradicate your people from the face of the planet?" He walked towards a large spire in the center of the plaza, the light glinting off the length of the central energy rod. The spire was easy to recognize as a weapon of war, one that should only be used as a last resort and never for the genocide of a defeated people. It was called 'The Hammer of the Gods' with good reason. It had the ability to create lightning storms at any location within the power range with catastrophic results for the victims.

Zitomira's eyes widened. "If you do that I will see you cursed for all time, you arrogant whelp!" she snarled and struggled against her bonds. They might not have been able to do much to her but they had bound her to keep her from killing their beloved prince.

"Oh really Zitomira? You are old and helpless now. Your powers mean nothing to my royal blood. You are a mere peasant with a talent for distraction. Your bloodthirsty horde will be exterminated so they may not rape another land. You have bitten off more than you could chew this time." The Prince slid his arm into the control panel, feeling the sensors connect to his limbs as he activated the power flow. Along the length of the spire energy began to crackle, up and down, like a beast chained to a collar.

The crowd began to sing holy praise as they watched the spire charge. "All we need is Lightning, with power and might. Striking down the prophets of false!"

The prince smirked at Zitomira and threw her a look that showed he considered her less than dirt and shouted to the crowd as he initiated the firing sequence, "HALLELUJAH!"

Energy erupted skywards, curving slowly towards the homeland of Zitomira's people. The survivors would be vaporized with the force of the blast, their evil purged from the world.

"No!" Zitomira's anguished cry was lost in the triumphant roar of the crowd. Her knees buckled and she sank to the ground sobbing. Her heart began boiling with anger and evil. He was a beast! A cruel, spiteful beast!

Aries slowly removed his arms as he heard the distant explosion from the horizon. Still smirking he held his arms up for silence and slowly approached her. "Now that you are the last of your kind Zitomira, the last of the barbaric bandits who have terrorized countless people's for centuries, I will deal the ultimate punishment."

He was standing close to her now, hand out stretched to cast the teleportation spell that would send her far from these lands. "You are hereby BANISHED from these lands, should you ever return you will be put down and your people will be lost to the mists of time. Go, and learn from what has happened this day. Rebuild your people and pray that they turn out differently." He closed his eyes and began to speak the spell.

Zitomira saw her chance. She muttered a quick spell, felt her bonds break and leaped on him. She clapped her hands on both his arms. "I hereby curse you, o mighty Prince Aries! You shall become a beast in truth. You will be scorned and feared. I curse your true shape and twist it into a visage of fear and loathing. I curse you!" she shouted.

He screamed as her power flowed through his body, mixing and morphing it and his essence. His form began to ripple and change as wings formed on his back. His hands grew into long sharp claws and his face contorted to a vile fang filled vision of despair. The horrified screams of the general populace was deafening as pandemonium broke out.

Zitomira cackled, her voice full of madness. "You will remain cursed until the essence of your other half recognizes you in truth. She must discover the truth on her own. If this never occurs you will live and die as a beast!"

Those words were her last as her face contorted in agony when Aries drove a clawed arm through her mid section. Her eyes widened but instead of shock there was only acceptance as she drew her final breath and died.

Aries, now turned beast, roared and spread his wings heading sky wards towards his palace.