Today would be the day. The day in which the scum of Muse would perish as a sacrifice to the Beast Rune. It demanded as such. But Luca Blight, crown prince of Highland, demanded it that much more. He stood watching over the city below from the top of Jowston Hill. The sun was rising from its slumber in the west and began bathing the City-States of Jowston in its warmth. Most would find the sight incredibly beautiful, but Luca felt nothing but contempt and disgust. In his eyes, the land should be bathing in flames until every last living thing was destroyed. Soon.
"Your majesty," A messenger broke him from his chaotic thoughts. "The Beast Rune has arrived. Where would your excellency like it placed?"
Luca swung around, his hate filled emerald eyes drilling into the very soul of the messenger. The soldier looked to the ground, the stench of fear was strong. Weaklings. Every last one. Luca let the silence linger, toying with the soldier. He seen the weakling's face twitch and his hand shaking ever so slightly. Eventually, he said: "Place it in the centre of town. Round up the pigs into the streets. Now, leave me." The soldier saluted and ran off. Fear. Such a stupid emotion. He mused, before turning back to his thoughts of death and destruction.
His blood would wake the Beast Rune soon enough. His will would command it to take every last state soul in Muse. When he was a child that was all he had wanted from life. Ever since that day Mayor Darrel had sent scum to ambush the Royal Caravan on its way back to L'Renouille. My father. That useless coward. During the attack, King Agares had fled. He left his only son and heir, Luca, and his own wife, Sarah, at the mercy of the scum. They had certainly not shown any to his mother that day and she was never the same after that. Neither was Luca for that matter. One of the scum had made him watch everything. The thought ignited the burning rage once again. This land must be cleansed. All of it. With that, he strode to the walkway leading down into the city.
"You all know why you are here?" Luca asked, scanning the pitiful faces around him. Not one person looked him in the eyes. "You are here at the behest of your former beloved mayor. That fat oaf got off easy by dying years ago. But it is you, all of you, who shall suffer in his place." A deathly silence followed. He filled it with a manic laugh. "Look at you. Pathetic. Every last one of you State pigs. Cowards, down to the last swine."
"Please. Please spare my family. My son. Please, m'lord." Luca immediately drew his ancestral sword and pointed it at the young man who had dared to speak. No more than a boy, Luca thought.
Again, the smell of fear was infuriating him but he was now in a playful mood. "I will make a deal with you, pig. If you can withstand five blows from my sword, you and your family can walk from here." A mischievous smile spread across his face as he seen hope in the man's blue eyes. Fancies himself as a swordsman. Luca pointed to one of his soldiers and instructed him to throw his sword to the man. He snatched it mid-air but it slipped from his hands and fell to the ground. Clumsily he picked it up. Luca laughed, which encouraged his men join in. The man's face burned red.
"Five blows remember? Are you ready, pig?" Luca asked, spinning his blade. It was thirsty for more State blood. The man nodded and took a defensive stance. With frightening agility, Luca darted towards him and hacked. Unsurprisingly the man decided to take a chance and go for the gap between Luca's breastplate and left shoulder guard. He found it, and Luca seen the hope build again in his eyes.
Luca stumbled back, the sword wedged in his arm pit.
Mutters began circulating the Muse citizens. Luca's soldiers stood were they were. They nearby Beast Rune began flashing. The shadow of death was looming.
Luca regained his stance and then burst in to a laugh so menacing the crowd immediately fell into silence again. The sword dropped from his arm and to the man's surprise, had no blood on it.
"You have balls, pig. I will give you that." He strode towards the man, who backed off. Behind him were his young wife and child, a mere toddler. "Your boy I presume? Come, piglet." The wife began sobbing. Pathetic. The small red haired boy gingerly walked to Luca.
"Please, m'lord. Please take me. Not my son. Please I beg of you." The man said, falling to his knees at Luca's feet.
Luca ignored his pleas. "Come, little piggy. Come and see the big shiny rune crystal." Innocently, the child obeyed. Lured by the chance to see the shining rune.
"Your hand, piggy." Luca took the boy's hand and drew a small blade which was tucked in his left arm guard. Swiftly, he cut the boys palm and he began to cry. Luca forced his hand onto the rune crystal which was now shining brighter than before. "Beast Rune, accept this sacrifice." The man found his courage and jumped towards Luca. Before he could reach him, Luca's sword pierced his right shoulder. Blood sprayed all over Luca's brilliant white armour, and all over the small child. Dark clouds formed above the city and the temperature dropped significantly.
Admittedly, this was not his initial plan. The Beast Rune would almost certainly wipe out his men in the area as well as the pigs. However, he also knew most would still be more loyal to his father than to him. Two problems, one Rune.
The wife had now thrown herself at his leg. Begging. Nothing but filthy begging swine. The husband pleaded through the gargling of blood in his mouth. The child cried hysterically, as Luca continued to hold the boy's hand on the Beast Rune.
A brilliant blue beam of light shot out of the rune and penetrated the dark clouds above. The city of Muse was now bathed in a frighteningly cold blue light. Rumbling, like thunder, filled the air. Cries from the citizens of Muse added to the ghastly atmosphere. Luca could see some of his men backing off in fear.
"Weaklings! Every last one of you! Take them all Beast Rune. Cleanse this foul land!" Luca screamed through the noise.
The blue light manifested into a gargantuan, two headed wolf above Muse. The cries turned to wails now as the wolf howled at the smell flesh touched its nostrils.
Luca stood drinking in the terror unfolding, laughing terribly. He noticed that some of the soldiers had begun running along with the Muse citizens.
It was too late.
The screams turned silent yet they still ran like hens when the fox enters the coup. Blue light from the wolf engulfed them and they began to fade from existence. Luca's heart raced as the petrified faces of his victims filled his eyes. That moment right before death that always made his blood flow that little bit quicker.
It was and would be the only thing that ever satisfied him.