Chapter 23: The Wolf At The Door

The Throne Room, The Province Of Medina.....

   Lycidas of Medina and Tenius The Vile, clashed once the determined prince entered the throne room. Steel met steel as they attempted to best one another in the heat of combat as the lesser warrior fought to preserve both his unjust rule and his life in the wake of the superior warrior coming to claim his head at the end of the battle. The thought of one so twisted as to murder their kin to obtain power being in charge of a kingdom he respected, made Lycidas sick with disgust as he swung his blade rapidly meeting the chosen weapon of his foe in succession. Tenuis had heard the stories of Lycidas' ferocious combat prowess. He'd been fool enough to slay his father and obtain the crown via force, but he wasn't fool enough to underestimate the brute strength and skill of such a veteran warrior let alone one being the second Prince Of The Kingdom Of Medina.

Tenuis the Vile was not to be outdone so easily however as he'd risked everything to take the chance to seize power for himself and he wasn't going to go down without at least some aspect of a fight. Lycidas anticipated this and was more than willing to go toe to toe with him. Once more the clashing of steel rang out in the throne room that once belonged to King Milkus of Nestra.

The fighting on the outside seemed to shake the castle to its very foundations as fire and smoke filled the courtyard. Due to Lycidas' advancement, his men followed suit determined to get the victory in honor of their favorite prince and restore the order in Nestra as King Milkus would have wished for it to be.

Lycidas was poised in his attack as his focus intensified while Tenuis attempted to bolster his own will once more matching steel with steel in a bid to buy himself time. He was no fool, he'd heard the stories of what Lycidas of Medina was capable of, and the longer he engaged him directly the less he'd have a chance for an escape to regroup with the bulk of his armies.

A low growl erupted from the deep in the throat of Lycidas as he glared at the sight of his intended prey, Tenuis had never seen such poise and concentration during battle, and if he'd not been the overall target he might have even been impressed. The world around them seemed to slow until only the sound of their mutual heartbeats and intake of breaths could be picked up via the keen ears of the Prince of Medina.

Lycidas' muscles twitched from the increased amount of tension as he readied his blade for yet another charge, but this time his keen eyes had seen an opening in his opponent's defenses. Tenuis had been lacking in his stance where his wrists were concerned and as a result, a weakness was found and exploited by the more experienced fighter.

The Second Prince of Medina could hear the blood rushing through the veins of his opponent as well as the labored breaths that indicated he'd been reaching the end of his capacity to endure the battle for as long as he had. The fear that coursed through him via the heat of battle was almost palpable due to the incessant drumming of his heartbeat. Lycidas' face twisted into a slow wolfish grin as his ears perked and his body launched in the direction of Tenius The Vile.

A resounding crackling filled both their ears as Tenuis suddenly felt the stinging sensation of his flesh being split open via a swift blow from Lycidas' blade. His torn flesh oozed the telltale crimson of blood as he stepped back dropping a bit of it onto the cold stone floor of the throne room. Blood began to burst from the mouth of the would-be king and vile kingslayer as he stumbled in the wake of the harmful attack.

Lycidas didn't let up slashing and stabbing in rapid succession as he advanced backing Tenuis into a corner. The vile kinslayer dropped his heavy weapons causing them to clank as they hit the ground and he stumbled toward the throne. Tenuis smirked as more blood oozed from his twisted pale lips as he glared over at Lycidas.

"You think you've done something here?" he asked bitterly. "I'm not the only kingslayer this province will ever see."

Lycidas glared at him as he watched the vile man slowly bleed out while perched upon his deceased father's throne.

"I've seen the witches....they speak of blood...rivers of blood that will submerge these very lands in darkness and death and all by the hand of a Prince of Medina." chuckled Tenuis still evidently embittered about being bested in combat. "You, Lycidas....will be the scourge that drenches the two kingdoms in blood...born of the blood moon....the bloody hunter himself incarnate....you will be the destruction of Medina and Nestra right along with it."

"Lies drip from your mouth like your vile blood Kinsley," growled Lycidas in annoyance.

"Has he told you?" asked Tenuis with an arched brow. "Has your dear father told you that he was planning to murder you...he'd had talks with Milkus now and again about the future and how to deal with you should the worst come to pass...they were allied due to the fear of what you'd become...but I have given you liberation....a liberation you so richly deserve....you will be the one they call "Kinslayer" in the coming days and this land will be soaked in blood because of you."

Tenuis laughed rather manicically till his last breath collapsing into the seat of his father's throne before his body doubled over and fell onto the ground his blood pooling at the feet of Lycidas who had been staring at him without words as the last of his speech replayed in his ears. He pushed it aside not wishing to believe that his father would attempt to murder him least of all due to some superstition surrounding his birth. The fact that King Milkus had been supposedly in on it was unnerving as he'd always respected the old man.

Having had enough, Lycidas simply pushed the words of an embittered dying man out of his mind as he exited the throne room the trail of blood seeming to follow him as it slid beneath the main doors and oozed into the cracks and crevices of the stone floor.

{"Kinslayer."} replayed in his mind as he went forth to rejoin his men before their march upon the rest of Tenuis' forces that threatened the other provinces.

Tenuis The Vile had been the only Kinslayer Lycidas had ever known and now he was finally dead, his father avenged and his kingdom in disarray.