Prince Edward:
"Ahhh! Come, honorable knight. Show me what your loyalty!" Brad said as flames burst from his feet and propelled himself at Ryan. My protector stood ready to meet the attack head-on.
Boom!
A ball of flames exploded as the two men clashed. The ground cracked under Ryan's feet, but the knight didn't move. Brad quickly jumped backward. The bandit launched his blade forward when his feet hit the ground.
Whoosh!
A giant serpent made from flames appeared around Brad's saber, rushing at my royal knight. Ryan again just stood there raising his long greatsword high in the air. (Mountain Splitter.) I thought as I watched Ryan. I had seen the knight perform the move multiple times before. A white aura engulfed Ryan's blade as he swung it down right as the flaming snake reached him.
Boom!
The snake was cut in half by Ryan's mighty swing. The fiery serpent exploded into two parts, and Ryan's sword left a long deep crater in the earth. Both attacks had canceled each other out.
"Ahhh!" Brad yelled as he appeared to the left of Sir Ryan. I was so focused on the serpent that I didn't see the man move. Before he could attack, Ryan summoned a white hand the size of two men. (Mighty palm.) I thought as I watched the hand attempt to crush Brad.
Flames wrapped around Brad's saber before he struck the white hand, causing another explosion. A figure flew out of the smoke. It was Brad, the man correctly himself in the air as he cackled.
"Let's see how you handle this!" Brad said as he spread his limbs. Several small flame serpents erupted from his body. Dozens of bright orange snakes raced towards Ryan. The royal knight bent his knees before swinging his sword in a circle. He created a small whirlwind of white Ki, blocking all attacks.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The snakes all exploded around the knight. Then Ryan went on the attack. The image of a white bull formed around the royal protector before he charged. To my surprise, Brad didn't try to dodge. Instead, he charged the bull head-on. A large Phoenix appears around Brad, the symbol of house Lancelot. (The Phoenix or the Bull. Who will win?) I thought as the two combatants collided.
BOOM!
The shock wave almost blew me off my feet. I would have been sent flying if not for one of the knights who grabbed ahold of me. Smoke covered the area where the two fights met, making it hard to see who was the victory. I waited for the smoke to clear, holding my breath.
"No." I gasped as the scene became clearer. Brad was standing while Ryan was on his knees, motionless.
"Commander?" One of the knights close to me spoke up. The other men all held their swords and started to move forward.
"Stay where you are." Sir Ryan shouted as he held up his hand. He struggled to his feet while Brad remained unmoving.
"Well done, Royal Protector. Well done." Brad said as he suddenly fell backward and hit the ground with a loud thud. Ryan limped over to Brad. I could see that the knight was in pain be pushed past it.
"So, the time has finally come. I can finally stop running. Brad said as he stared at the night sky.
"You were a worthy opponent. I expected nothing less from a Lancelot. Ryan praised as he lifted his blade.
"Hahaha. It's funny, although I despise you, I'm rather glad it's you that ends my wretched life." Brad said, struggling to speak. I could see a single tear fall from his eye. The sight made my heart ache. I couldn't fathom the amount of both rage and sorrow he must have felt. Sir Ryan said his final goodbyes before plunging his sword down.
"Wait!" I screamed as I broke away from the group. Luckily I managed to stop Ryan before he killed the last remaining Lancelots. I ordered my protector to step back as I approached the two.
"Your highness, be careful!" Ryan said as I got closer to the wounded Brad. I assured my knight that I was okay.
"You better listen to him, little prince. I could slit your throat before he can even make a move." Brad joked.
"True, but you didn't come here to kill me. Did you?" I asked with a smirk. Brad stayed silent, but his eyes told me I was right. From start to finish, the man was only focused on fighting the Royal Protector.
"Why not join me! Together we could clear your family's name." I proposed as I held out my hand to the man. I was risking my life, but something told me he wouldn't hurt me.
"Like I said before. I'm no one's dog. Especially not some weak prince with no backing. I'm also not looking to clear my family's name. I seek revenge!" Brad said as he started to cough up blood.
"Would you be willing to kill your sibling's little prince?" Brad asked with a sinister smile. I only thought about my answer for a second before replying.
"Yes," was all I said. It might have sounded harsh to the people around me. But it was the truth. My brothers were not nice men. As kids, they would torture me relentlessly for being weak. They would sometimes beat me within an inch of my own life. Or lock me away for days on end. Judging by the appearance of the league of darkness, one of them wanted me dead for sure. The league only answers to the royal family. I could honestly say I had no love for either of my brothers.
Brad looked at me in shock. He was not expecting me to answer the way I did. Most people thought of me as some naive little boy who could hurt anyone. The truth was that once I decided to go for the throne, I resolved to do what I had to. I knew the other two princes would just stay quiet as If I took the crown away from them.
"It seems the little cub has finally grown into a lion." Brad announced with a soft chuckle. I watched as the man seemed to be in deep thought.
"So, will you join me?" I asked again after a few minutes. Although I couldn't trust the man completely, I knew we both had the same enemies. I also needed powerful people to back me up.
"What if I refuse," Brad said as he stared daggers at me. I could feel his blood lust. Ryan tensed up behind me, ready to strike at any moment. I was scared, but I didn't dare let it show.
"Then we go our separate ways. I won't kill you out of respect for my uncle Lance." I said as I stood up during the fight between Brad and the royal knight. I finally remembered something, well, someone. A man who would come and visit me often. This was significant because most nobles would ignore me completely, not uncle Lance. I didn't know his real name at the time. He only asked me to call him uncle Lance but now that I got closer to Brad, I could see the resemblance.
Uncle Lance was the head of the house, Lancelot and Brad's father. The man was the only person to ever show me any kindness other than Sir Ryan. How could I harm his son? Although I risked having Brad turn into my enemy, I could bring myself to kill him.
"Hahaha, I have heard that name in Years. My father would have all the children call him. He said that our name sounded too grandiose." Brad said, letting out a hardy laugh.
"Little prince. I'll think about your offer. Hahaha. Brad laughed again before passing out. I thought he might have died, but Ryan reassured me that he was only sleeping. I breathe a sigh of relief. The long night had finally come to an end. (Uncle Lance, rest easy. I make sure to clear your family name.) I thought as I gazed up at the moon.
Uncle Lance: Also known as Daren Lancelot. The man was the last head of the house, Lancelot.