The Wendigo Prince

The Secret Sword

“How do you know everything?” Greraver needs more patience. From then on, the man did not answer his question at all.

The man stood up and headed for a closet in the room. He opened the door and revealed a neatly lined row of Swords. He picked up a sword and closed the cabinet door.

Then the old man sat down in front of Greraver and Dielh. He put the sword on the table. Judging by the color, they made the sword of gold. They carve the sword’s hilt in the shape of a wolf’s head. It was luster indicated that they preserved the sword well.

“I make this sword of one pair. One for the King of the Vain Dominion Kingdom and the other for the Crown Prince of that Kingdom. The king himself ordered this sword for you. I made this sword twenty-one years ago when your mother, Queen Venes, was rumored to be pregnant.”

Greraver’s eyes did not blink looking at the sword. It filled his heart with happiness. It turned out that his father had prepared him to become crown prince. Even when they had just learned of the Queen’s pregnancy.

“So, King Zulniex ordered this sword? Then why didn’t he ever give it to Greraver?” Dielh asked.

“King Zulniex?!” The man shook his head.

The old man’s face suddenly turned very stiff. His eyes looked straight at Greraver. It was as if he was measuring the strength of the young man sitting in front of him. The look in his eyes was sharp as well as cold, showing anger as well as sadness.

“Zulniex is not the King of Vain Dominion Kingdom!” he said.

A sentence that took Dielh and Greraver by surprise. The old man’s statement sounded so presumptuous in their ears. They turned their heads at the same time toward the old man, making sure that the man had not said something wrong.

“What do you mean?” Greraver asked, more and more impatient.

The man again looked at Greraver with a look full of anger and hatred that was directed at who.

“Zulniex is your father’s half-brother. He was the son of the concubine of King Bruxander, your grandfather. He is the father of King Diestian, your father.”

Greraver looked frowned. The old man’s explanation needs to be explained. There were too many things he didn’t know. But they had just gotten to know each other, and Greraver couldn’t trust the old man so easily. He tried to stay calm and waited for the man to explain.

“Your father seems to have figured out the murder plan. Maybe that’s why he ordered a special pair of swords for me. Then leave one in this place. He told me that one day I would have to give you the sword myself. Unfortunately, after your father was killed, they banished me from the kingdom.” The old man explained with a tense face. His eyes were blank as they floated and returned to the past.

“Then, how can you say if you’re looking at the Prince? Greraver never even met anyone.” Dielh asked nervously. All the man’s statements took Dielh by surprise. It turned out that the problem he has been inside the palace was not as simple as he saw it.

The old man raised his hand, giving Greraver the code to stand up. Then he looked at Dielh.

“The mark on the back of his neck. It was a mark only possessed by the heir of the Vain Dominion Kingdom. No one knows about it but me and King Diestian. After taking his sword, King Diestian told me that one day I must give it to the man of his mark. At that time, I believe King Diestian already knew that they would kill him.”

Dielh stood up and observed Greraver’s scruff. He found a golden round mark there. Somehow he had never noticed the mark on Greraver.

Greraver sat back in his chair. His eyes looked straight at the surface of the table. His face hardened, and his teeth rattled. He tried to control the anger that burned his soul.

“I know about the curse. It wasn’t a curse, but it was something King Zulniex intended. He wants all that to happen to you so that he has a reason to imprison you forever and his descendants ascend as Kings. He even forced your mother, Queen Venes, to marry him. Or...”

Greraver looked intently at the old man. Dielh as well. Dielh’s usually friendly and funny face, this time, looked foggy and gloomy. The bitterness of Greraver’s life is his bitterness, too. They waited for the old man to finish his sentence.

“Or, he’ll kill Greraver.”

“Wooooaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!” hearing the old man’s last sentence, Greraver couldn’t control himself anymore.

He roared and raised the table that was in front of them. Threw that table towards the wall and made it shatter into pieces. Instantly Greraver turned into a wendigo. Her curved body endured the pain of the change.

Greraver’s body turned into a monster figure with dark black eyes. The nose was a large hole. A pair of forked horns was on it was head. His face was like a skeletal arrangement of bones, long pointed teeth filling his entire mouth.

Dielh felt surprised and immediately moved away. That Wendigo looked so much scarier than before. It was because of the anger in Dielh’s soul combined with the strength and ferocity of the Wendigo.

The old man also stood up and took a few steps back. The narrow room suddenly fell apart, and the room’s atmosphere became tense and frightening. Wendigo roared loudly, making the floor and walls tremble. Dielh and the old man start to be vigilant in anticipation of any eventuality.

“Grrrr!!!” The Wendigo growled as he approached Dielh, standing in the corner.

“Hi, Gre! Can you do better this time? We are waiting for food from the beautiful girl. Don’t let her get scared when she sees this form of you, okay!” Dielh joked while putting on a stupid face.

In response, the Wendigo growled even stronger. In the figure of Wendigo, Greraver unrecognized anyone. He could only recognize the hunger in him. Gluttony demanded to be satisfied immediately. A never-ending desire to eat. He could only recognize flesh and blood!

Dielh’s hand slowly searched for the antidote fruit in his pocket. Before they left the forest, Dielh filled his pockets with fruit that could make the Wendigo in pain.

In a second, the Wendigo leaped towards Dielh.

“Woahhhhh!”

Reflexively, Dielh threw the fruit at the Wendigo. The Wendigo failed to touch Dielh and fell to the ground. He felt pain because of the fruit throw that hit his body.

“Grrrrrr...” the Wendigo growled.

Then he stood up again and prepared to attack Dielh. This time, he looked even angrier than before. The Wendigo showed it was a sharp claw, which made Dielh feel threatened. He jumped towards Dielh!

Dielh threw the fruit at the Wendigo again. Again, the Wendigo fell!

“Gggrrrrrr!!! Woaaaaa!!!” the Wendigo roared in pain.

The old man standing in the other corner watched everything that happened between Greraver and Dielh.

“I almost died, and you are just quiet?! He changed because he was angry at what you said! You’re telling the truth or not; we don’t even know!” Dielh shouted at the old man.

The Wendigo whimpered and lay on the floor. Several times he tried to stand up but failed. The fruit that was thrown away had a great effect on him.

“Throw some more fruit at him!” exclaimed the old man.

“W-what?! Are you crazy?! He could die in pain!” Dielh refused the man’s orders.

All the fruit marks that land on Wendigo’s body would leave a bruised trail on Greraver’s body. Dielh saw the bruises on Greraver’s body after they came out of the forest.

“Throw it!” the old man continued to give orders to Dielh.

“But...”

Suddenly, the Wendigo got up and tried to pounce on Dielh as fast as lightning.

“Wooooooo!!!!” Dielh shouted in surprise. He threw the fruit at the Wendigo in a row. The Wendigo again fell, and this time changed in the figure of Greraver changed.

The old man, who had just been silent, immediately approached and hugged Greraver. Lay the young man’s body on a long chair in the corner. Greraver’s face looked pale. Sweat soaked his face.

Greraver’s eyes were closed, but he was conscious. Now and then, he sounds sick. On his body were visible bruises, blue and round in some places. The bruise appeared due to the throwing of the fruit performed by Dielh.

Dielh rushed closer. He felt guilty for hurting his best friend.

“Is he okay?” Dielh asked the old man.

They stood near the lying Greraver while observing his state.

“Not as good as we expected. If Greraver wanted to take the throne of his kingdom, then the first thing he had to do was protect himself. He must be able to control the monster within him.” The old man’s words sounded promising and difficult to get through.

“Is it doable? For fifteen years, he was in this state.” Dielh sounded doubtful about Greraver’s ability to regain his position.

“Your job is to convince and encourage him, no doubt his abilities. Greraver was born as the successor to the throne of the Vain Dominion kingdom. He must have great power and could snatch his destiny back.” The old man saw Greraver’s face brighten again. He continued, “Greraver needs to find his true strength within himself.”

“I’m sorry,” Dielh said softly, realizing he had said the wrong words.

“You will also go through the stages with Greraver. You have to save your family.”

The eyes suddenly widened. Dielh didn’t understand what this old man’s words meant. During this time, Dielh lived with his father, a Vain Dominion Kingdom war general. According to the father’s story, the mother and her two brothers had long been dead. Dielh never questioned anything. His father loved Dielh more than enough and made him not need anyone.

But this old man just said something that didn’t make sense.

“What do you mean?” asked Dielh with a serious face. About family and loved ones, Dielh stopped being stupid. He was just being stupid to entertain the lonely Greraver in the Royal Tower.

“Your mother and two brothers are still alive. Zulniex has captured them somewhere. Only then will your father fulfill all his orders. Your father was a war general who was very loyal to King Diestian. But his family’s life is at stake if he refuses Zulniex’s wishes after King Diestian dies. Your father, General Vigolous, had to do everything for you. Even for your life.”

Dielh eyes were red and shiny with anger. Now he and Greraver had a common enemy. His body trembled as it heard all the information. He looked at Greraver. His chest moved up and down quickly due to the hunting breath. Anger filled Dielh. His friend must be king!