AN: Now for a different perspective in the story.

As always, thank you all for reading thus far. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please do not hesitate to voice them.

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A little east and north of the city proper stood a castle of scorched stone and broken ramparts. All about the walls and courtyard was a celebration like none other. For a new King had been crowned to replace the old one, where he gave many promises and speeches of what is to come. Therefore, they had followed his person and struck down the other and his ilk. However, the war was not over, as the old King still had a Prince that needed to be killed off before this new one was allowed to sit more comfortably upon the ruined and bloodied throne in which he now sat upon.

This new King had dark, brown hair with golden eyes that glittered as though they were a pair of coins in the torchlight. His facial features were as sharp as his mind, and came with a beak-like nose and a pointed chin. Perhaps some ancestor of his was part Avian, as he resembled a bird many a time.

As to his clothing, they were of a common soldier's wear. What with the standard leathers and chainmail tunic worn over such a thing would make anyone believe it was a simple recruit too drunk from the liquor and revelry of the party who sat upon such a thing. However, this one wore an iron circlet with a single large spike running from the centre of his forehead, stretching itself over the top of his head, and connecting to the back of said circlet. This was actually the crown the old King had worn, as he believed to be more of a civil servant rather than a monarch. Therefore, he made sure to live humbly, even if the rest of the castle was with lavish decorum.

In any case, this person who sat upon the throne was named Salazar Hadim, and was a first cousin to the late family. As to why he desired the throne? He believed the family to be far too weak, as they had abstained from joining with the other Human kingdoms in their fight against the Demon Lord and their armies. Of which had been amassing to the west for some time now, and after giving several instances of evidences towards this growing army, the old family had the gall to suggest a peace treaty with the Demons. Of which had already been scheduled in secret, but was found out by the new King.

Which then led to this war with many of the family dead, and a prince rallying together an army of sorts. However, he and his spies had little to go on when it came to the location of such a place. Thus, the moment after he was crowned his first order was to find out where the last of the family had gone. Of which led to several stragglers being caught and executed, their heads offered to Salazar before he had them placed upon pikes to adorn the main gate's portcullis.

At this time, however, he was lazily sitting upon the throne with a leg over the right arm rest, as he leafed through a stack of parchment detailing the expenditure of the army he had led. Of which was a simple thing, as there was a mass of treasure sitting in the vaults below, which was able to pay for the expenses of the army and the rebuilding of the city thrice over. However, this task was given over to the Magister, of whom was deemed missing at this time.

"He's probably performing one of his sickening rituals somewhere in the city below," grumbled a voice before the new monarch. Of whom was a Bear Beastman with shadowed-grey fur, and wore a simple, bronze breastplate which covered the whole of his chest and back, "He'll be found soon enough, just follow the screams of a child or three."

Yes. They knew of this Magister's sickening habits towards children, especially girl-children. It was unfortunate for them, as he was the only one capable of handling the mathematics of such a large scale as this. If they found someone equally competent, then this one would be placed in the other's position, whereas the former would be charged for such crimes against a multitude of children. Then he would tried, found guilty, and executed by having his body strapped naked to a tree where his crotch would be exposed to the world as honey and cream were forced down his throat and upon the body. This would then attract flies, bears, and other hungry scavengers that would be glad to have such a sweet treat.

"In any case," spoke Salazar, who sighed as he set the parchment off to the left, where a table full of other stacks were found, "once he is found, place him in a small room until he is finished with-"

"My Lord," cried out a new voice, of whom was of a common soldier in the same leathers and chainmail as he, but was wearing a leather cap and carrying a short pike and shield. This one then approached and fell to one knee with the weapons and shield lying down upon the ground, "We've found him, my Lord, we've found the Magister."

"Well, there you go, Salazar," grumbled the Beastman once more, "They've probably found him due to a child's screaming. Right?"

The next action left them stunned, as the soldier shook his head quickly, almost losing the cap entirely, "No, my Lord Biron, the Magister's screaming is what caused us to find him."

"What?" roared the new King, of whom jumped to his feet with a glare towards the other, "Explain."

"It's best to show you, Lord Salazar," spoke yet another new voice, of whom was a young female with dark hair and luminous, green eyes. She wore a snow-white, silk robe and carried a staff of jet-black wood which was just as tall as she was, "Magister Hadu is in the infirmary, and we of the Medic Corps request the presence of our newly appointed King."

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"Show me," growled the other, "Show me what happened to our Magister."

"Then, if you would?" she directed the King and his Beastman towards a room a floor above their persons, and towards the guard barracks.

Once they arrived, they noted the room was heavily scented with expensive perfumes and incense to ward off the smells of the outside world, as well as the patients under the care of this "Medic Corps". This area was once for the servants of the castle, which many are still residences of, but had been dwindled down to a skeleton crew, as the fighting a few turns earlier had killed off most of their number. The rest, on the other hand, were heavily watched from the rest of the army. This was so, as a few had already tried to poison many of the higher ups, which caused more than half to be executed whilst the rest were too scared to do much of anything.

The room they entered was common within the castle; bare stone with nary a decoration about the walls and floor. There was, however, a few drawings near the doorway, which gave rise to the belief that this area once had children bored enough to draw upon the stone. Though, there was evidence of its removal, the drawing was still there, which depicted of a few individuals with a house inside a forest. Near the house was a large rock which looked to be in the shape of a sword.

Yes. Many would believe the rock was a simple sword, but to those of whom had ventured into the forest behind the castle would know that there is a cabin with a large boulder near it. Upon the northern face of said boulder, carved into its surface, was a common short sword. Of course, Salazar knew of such a place, as he and the eldest daughter of the later monarch once journeyed to such a place with a few others. Where they used the location as a hunting lodge, as they ventured forth to hunt game and the like.

What is more, this was the first place he and Lord Biron went to after the destruction of the city, and found the daughter he had hunted with. Whereupon he did rape her repeatedly throughout the night, even letting his close companion have a turn or three. Once the dawn came, however, they did slit her throat and hung her body against a low hanging branch for scavengers to come and feast upon her body.

Now, however, the new King was bade to come forward towards a bed in the centre of the room so that he may witness what had occurred with his Magister. Of which he noted that the Human was naked, and that his limp member was coated in a thin layer of dried blood. What is more, even though he was breathing, he was rather unresponsive.

This led to the female who had bade him to follow her person to direct Salazar's gaze towards the Magister's eyes. Whereupon his own grew wide with shock, as the one before him had the face and eyes of fear after witnessing something horrific.

"How is this possible?" he asked, not at all sure what was occurring at this time.

To which the female shrugged, "We do not know, King Salazar, but by all rights he should be dead."

"What do you mean?" inquired the now curious Beastman called Lord Biron.

"When you are this frightened," she pointed towards the Magister's eyes, "your body tends to seize up to the point where every muscle in your body is frozen. Not to mention the amount of stress within your body would lead to your heart's speed to increase. This would then lead to palpitations, if you've not calmed down by then, then hyperventilation, and finally death.

"This?" she points towards the large body atop the bed, "This I do not know. For it is something I've never heard of."

"What do you mean, woman?" growled the new monarch, of whom was not at all amused by the avoidance of the question.

To which she sighed and gestured once more towards the other, "Someone laid a heavy curse upon your Magister, sirs. One that, even if dispelled, would lead to his death. However, the curse is keeping him alive, and is doing something to his mind to keep him in a constant terror."

"Is there a way to remove it?"

Her head shook from side to side slowly, "No, as we've tried everything within our power to do so" she paused after this, as though an odd thought danced teasingly in front of her person, "It is as though God had come down and given such a curse to one such as he. For it contains something divine within its structure. Which is quite odd, as the Church was reported to have fled from the city a day before the attack commenced."

"So you're telling us someone from the Church cursed our Magister?" Both Lord Biron and Salazar growled at this revelation, as they turned away from the female in order to stare down upon the body of the magister with anger and pity.

Of which caused the other to speak up once more, "No, King Salazar, that is not what I am saying." The pair then turned back towards her, their eyes glimmering with confusion as she continued with, "I believe whoever did this to him had some sort of divine help, and whoever it is, is very dangerous. In that he, or she, could either be a wondrous ally, or a terrible enemy which will make you wish you were never born."