Prince Don Ark Rubeus III, second in line to the throne stood before his father, Emperor Don Ark Rubeus II, holding his broken arm with his face full of blood. His father a Tier 1 Alpha class mage took out the anger on the young fifteen-year-old boy. After the emperor heard about the failed execution he couldn't help but lash out. He has tried everything to crush the spirits of those demons but they just keep coming back and his stupid son dared suggest letting those demons live. An insult like that would never go unpunished.
"I don't understand why any of us hate demons. We have persecuted them for centuries, they deserve a chance to live and as emperor, you need to give them hope. They are your people too." The young prince said.
" Those creatures stain my perfect empire. I will make sure to kill them all. You need to follow orders boy. Either join the Imperial mages and kill them or relinquish your crown and be hunted as one of them." The emperor sneered. He left the training room leaving his son to make his decision. He is the Emperor, a god among those filthy pests he doesn't need a reason to kill anyone deemed unworthy to be in his empire.
The young prince dragged himself back to his room to nurse his wounds, all his life his father treated him like a nuisance. He did not feel right to just kill the citizens of his empire. His father had clearly lost his mind and he needed to leave before he got killed off next. His older sister inherited the same lunacy and ruthlessness as his father so he was all on his own. He wanted to save those oppressed but he didn't know how. One this was for sure though, he needed to get stronger, powerful enough to kill his father.
"From this day I abandon the name Rubeus until I become strong enough to take this empire from my father." He declared to himself. He packed a few necessary items, some money, and clothes. He stored all he needed in his bracelet enchanted with spatial magic. It had a lot of room so he filled it up the best he could. He snuck out of the palace and went into hiding. That is the last the people would hear of their prince Don Ark Rubeus III.
A few days after the prince went missing, the Emperor held a press conference and declared that the prince is a traitor who abandoned his people and is to be killed on sight. This caused huge unrest within the empire but since the Emperor is known to be all-knowing and benevolent the public believed him and was also on the lookout for the prince. The bounty on his head was ten million balks, that kind of money is enough for a noble family to live off for several generations. Every bounty hunter took up arms to look for him. Surviving would prove difficult for the prince, but he had to live for the sake of freedom for all demons and oppressed races.
Underground
Karina was watching the news and saw the news about the emperor's son. It was unfortunate to see that his cruelty extended to his family as well.
" Who is that?" A timid voice asked. The little girl they rescued passed out almost immediately after they got to the hideout and has been asleep for a few days. The grief and exhaustion must have gotten to her.
" Hey, I am glad you are awake. That kid on the news is the prince of the empire Don Ark Rubeus III. He has just been banished and declared an enemy of the empire. Enough about that how are you feeling?"
The girl chuckled," I don't know. I want to avenge my parents, you guys are strong right? Please train me."
"All in due time. All of us have a bone to pick with the empire, we've lost a lot of friends and family along the way. They kill us off whenever they want and make a spectacle of our deaths. It is disgusting. What is your name?"
"I am Yeji Von Luitz."
"That's a beautiful name, I am Karina Oberon. Your father's family were probably nobles in the past. Sadly that doesn't matter much these days. Demonkind stood above others centuries before. Most of our history has been lost because so many of us have died but we live in peace with humans once. We traded, learned together, and created the magic you see today but one day the humans decided to attack our kingdom and it was a massacre despite the fact that our magic was powerful, we lost terribly. Those who survived tried the best they could to recover but our king was dead and most of the nobility was killed off. All the demons who were left scattered and did our best to stay alive in the hopes that one day we will get our kingdom back. We've been fighting since then."
Yeji quietly listened to the story, only it was real life. Demons have been suffering for a long and waiting for salvation. It made her more sure of herself she needed to make a better place for all of them and the only way to do that is to be strong. There's not much room for anything else.
"Karina, do you think we will get our freedom?"
"I believe we will, maybe not today or tomorrow but someday. But I will give it all I've got while I'm still alive and I'm sure my friends will do the same. If I die in this fight, you will keep on fighting and if you don't win, the next generation will pick up where we left off. It might seem like a never-ending cycle but it will end one day, as long as one demon keeps fighting we won't have to run forever."
"Thank you, for saving me. I will join the fight and when I get strong enough we will take back our kingdom. I wanna see it for myself. I want my parents to know the life they have given me did something for them. I want them to see me fighting for our freedom and I want to win."
"That's a good attitude to have kid." Karina smiled.