Chapter 2 Ritual

This is why we exist. This exact moment when we sacrifice ourselves for our Holy King is the reason we are bred so carefully and nurtured our entire lives by the Magi. Talk about being blessed! — Prince Eater #34

FIVE DAYS LATER, ARENA OUTSIDE TARA CITADEL

Jon and Ethan had stood beside the Ritual columns since First Sun that morning, keeping what was known as the Vigil of Brothers. Eleven-year-old Seán was too young to stand beside them, and although Gunnar was old enough at sixteen years, Holy King Harrison forbade both of his younger sons to participate in the Vigil or to attend the Ritual itself. Despite that disappointment, however, Jon and Ethan were honored to witness Reggie become the Holy Prince.

When trumpets announced the impending entrance of Prince Reginald The Chosen, Jon and Ethan left their stations and moved at a steady, graceful pace to the royal loge where Holy King Harrison was being settled into an ornate chair. The king was dressed in full royal attire, including the diamond and sapphire crown, however, their father’s face sagged, his eyes were unfocused, and the weight of horns on his back seemed to bend him forward painfully.

Since Ethan was the presumptive heir to Prince Reginald’s titles, Harrison insisted that he dress in the formal uniform of an honorary commander of the Kings Soldiers, and wear the array of medals awarded to Reginald over the years. Ethan was surprised since Reggie had worn them on his chest when he entered the Tara Citadel, and after thinking a moment, Ethan had refused his father’s command, insisting that he would not usurp Reggie. Harrison started to object, but then bit back his retort and merely nodded his head.

As a compromise, the two princes dressed in royal silks with ornamental daggers at their waists, and Ethan carried the medals in a gleaming onyx case. Jon stood quietly while Ethan arranged Reggie’s medals on a velvet display cushion at the front, center of the loge, and then the two mounted the steps at the rear of the loge and took their seats on each side of Holy King Harrison.

Jon teetered nervously on the edge of his seat in silent trepidation as his brother entered the arena heavily garbed in the shimmering, illusion cloak that revealed only his bound wrists which were attached to a velvet rope lead. The lead was necessary because now that he was insubstantiated, the Chosen was blind and could easily be hurt. The lead was a compromise that allowed the Chosen the opportunity to walk with confidence in front of the assembly.

Jon’s eyes scanned the crowd and a sense of relief flooded through him when he located Alec in his role as a Royal Archer assigned to a mundane, mid-level station in the stands with the crowd.

As Novitiate Ainsley removed the illusion cloak and adjusted the Ritual Mask, Jon wondered why she was crying. He had no time to dwell on the question because the velvet lead had been removed from Prince Reginald’s hands and magi were shackling his wrists and ankles spread between the two columns in the center of the Ritual Arena. Reggie’s left arm twisted oddly and was heavily bandaged, so the magi were forced to readjust the chain on that side of the column so that the prince’s damaged hand could rest lower than the other. Reggie faced the gate to the Prince Eaters’ pen and the Most Revered and her magi prayed in a semi-circle around him. Although he was meant to be praying also, instead Jon stared at the mask on Reggie’s face. It was stained with tears.

“Isn’t he supposed to not feel anything?” Jon asked his father.

Holy King Harrison sat with his vacant eyes unfocused. When he didn’t answer, Jon turned to Ethan and tried again, “I thought he was not supposed to be able to feel pain or be sad, or angry. That the magi were supposed to prepare him first.”

“They are,” Ethan agreed without taking his gaze from Reggie. He leaned forward intensely. “This is wrong. This isn’t what’s been described or what we, as princes, are told to prepare for. Father, what’s going on?”

Holy King Harrison continued to sit silently without acknowledging his sons’ questions.

“We need to help him,” Jon begged.

“I don’t know how,” Ethan said. “I want to, but I don’t know what to do. If he doesn’t go through with this, they’ll have the Royal Archers execute him.”

“If he does go through with it, the animals will kill him,” Jon countered.

“Father?” Ethan asked as he reached out one hand, carefully avoiding Holy King Harrison’s horns, and touched his father’s shoulder. “Father, this isn’t right. You need to stop the ceremony and find out what’s gone wrong.”

Holy King Harrison ignored his sons.

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Jon stood and he also stretched his hand out to get the king’s attention. As he did so, the gate to the Prince Eaters pen exploded into pieces, and the beasts stampeded toward Reggie. The Most Revered and magi turned and ran to the stone buildings erected for their protection behind the Chosen while Prince Reginald fought against his bonds.

“He isn’t insubstantiated!” Ethan abruptly cried out in alarm. “He’s still real!”

Jon, too, suddenly understood the danger. Since Reggie was standing and the Prince Eaters’ heads were low-slung, the beasts would never be able to spear their horns through Reginald’s chest and midsection as called for in the Ritual. Catapulting to his feet Jon yelled, “They’ve planned it. We have to help him! They’re going to kill him. Ethan! Look at how it’s set up. They want him to die.”

Even as Jon shouted the warning, the lead animal pushed one of its horns through Reggie’s leg, twisted its head, and wrenched the leg from Reginald’s body. Reggie screamed as his blood spurted from the stump. A second beast speared its horn into Reggie’s other leg and repeated the savage amputation.

Jon seized the short wall fronting the royal loge and vaulted into the arena. Ethan’s feet hit the arena’s dirt only seconds after Jon’s. The two of them drew ornamental hunting knives from the jeweled scabbards at their waists as they ran toward their brother. Reggie’s masked face tipped toward them, and he yelled before a spasm of pain took him again, “No! Ethan, No! She’ll kill you. She wants Jon —"

Ethan ignored his brother’s terrified shouts. His longer legs quickly outdistanced Jon, and as soon as Ethan got close to the animals, he jumped, landed on one of the beasts’ backs, and plunged the hunting knife between its shoulder blades. The Prince Eater bucked and twisted trying to dislodge Ethan and remove the biting pain from its back. As Ethan twisted the knife deeper into the savage animal, a second Prince Eater hooked him around his waist and flung Ethan into the air.

The Commander of the Magi Soldiers, holding his bludgeon menacingly, stepped directly into the path of Jon’s advance. Something stung Jon’s back sharply and he felt his knees buckle. He was quickly surrounded by Magi Soldiers, who used wooden quarterstaffs to pin him against the ground.

“You should have followed directions and stayed with your father,” The Most Revered said bitterly as she stepped between the soldiers, looked Jon squarely in the eyes, and twisted two rings of decorative bracelets that ran from her wrist up her forearm, stopping just short of her elbow. Sizzling Holy Lightning zinged from her bracelet into Jon’s body. He fought against the current but lost consciousness as his body jerked and seized. Moments before the darkness completely took him, he heard Ethan’s screams mingle with Reggie’s.

From the spectator stands, Alec watched in horror as the beasts ripped Reggie and Ethan apart. The ravenous animals tore at legs, arms, stomachs, and necks, chewing and swallowing the princes in the middle of the Ritual Arena.

Ava Most Revered kept Jon subdued, and as the animals came closer the Magi Soldiers formed a barricade in front of her rather than protecting Jon who lay unconscious in the dirt. Alec rushed down the steps of the stands, ducked underneath the halberds of the Kings Soldiers who were trying to control the crowd, and raced into the Ritual Arena. As Armored Grays swarmed hot and angry into the area, two Magi Soldiers ran toward Alec to prevent him from reaching Jon. The Grays formed an impenetrable line of protection around Alec and raced with him to Jon.

Ava and her magi retreated from the Ritual Arena when she saw the Grays, but she turned back when she realized that the Grays had engaged her Magi Soldiers and were beating them away from Prince Jon. She walked back into the battle and raised her bracelets to aim more Holy Lightning at Jon even though he was already unresponsive, his eyes closed, and breathing shallow. The Grays Commander slid his longsword into its scabbard and calmly stepped between Ava and her intended victim. Reaching behind his back, he drew a long rod, similar to a quarterstaff, but made of silver and molded to a sharp point on one end. Holding it tightly in his gauntleted right hand, he raised his arm higher than his head and plunged the sharp tip of the silver staff deeply into the ground. The Holy Lightning slammed into his armor, crackled around the plate metal, and then traveled down the silver staff into the ground.

Dumbfounded at the sight, Alec hesitated, but then shook himself and lifted his crossbow to place a bolt between the eyes of an animal sniffing at Jon. Stepping into the crossbow stirrup, he reloaded as quickly as the bow allowed, ran several more steps, and then lodged a bolt into the next beast. When he reached Jon, he straddled the prince, loading and shooting bolt after bolt at the charging animals. While most of the Royal Archers sprayed the beasts with quarrels from the stands to protect the spectators, Archer O’Leary and two other Royal Archers ran to Alec and stood courageously beside him.

“Cover me,” Alec solicited.

“We’ve got it,” O’Leary agreed.

Alec hooked his crossbow onto his back, pulled one foot from across Jon’s body, and then quickly scooped his friend into his arms and ran toward the royal loge. As he did, several of the Kings Guards left their positions in front of the king and raced onto the field to surround the prince. Alec was disconcerted to see a healer he didn’t recognize examining the king curiously, but when he came close the healer instructed, “This way, follow me. Once we get to safety, I’ll look the prince over.”

Alec moved to follow the healer, but two of the Kings Guards barred the path and ordered, “Give him to us. You have no business in the royal residences.”

Alec had no choice.

He stared for long seconds at where they disappeared with Prince Jon, and then reluctantly turned to survey the arena. The remaining Prince Eaters were once again corralled in the pen and Magi Soldiers were installing a new gate. The Most Revered was nowhere to be seen. Prince Reginald’s hands were still locked in the shackles and the Grays Commander was removing the prince’s insignia ring from what remained of Reggie’s fingers. Scattered between the dead beasts littering the Ritual Arena were ripped articles of royal clothing, one of Reggie’s handless arms, half of a foot, and a portion of Ethan’s head and face. There were other leftover pieces Alec couldn’t bear to identify. Rubbing his eyes as if they hurt, he sniffed, straightened his shoulders, and joined the other Royal Archers headed to their barracks.

©2022 Vera S. Scott