7. Into the Wilds
It was a rare occasion when Eryndor was granted leave to venture beyond the towering walls of the castle. His father, King Altharion, had decided that the young prince would benefit from exposure to the world outside, a world of politics, danger, and the harsh realities that lay beyond the comfort of the royal halls. With his sister Elantha in tow— much to her dismay— they were escorted by a small, trusted group of knights for what was supposed to be a simple diplomatic mission.
Eryndor, naturally, had other ideas.
"Look, Elantha," he said, flashing her one of his trademark mischievous grins as they rode out into the wilderness. "I can't exactly say no to this whole 'royal duty' thing, but who's to say I can't have a little fun along the way?"
Elantha, riding beside him, shot him a pointed glare. "This is serious. The negotiations with the neighboring kingdom are important." Little by little she was growing from her mischievous side.
Eryndor rolled his eyes, his mind already on the nearby forest that stretched out before them. "Yeah, yeah, politics, treaties, alliances. I know. But you're telling me I can't take a detour to the forest? Maybe poke around a bit?"
Her eyes narrowed, but she said nothing, instead directing her attention to their knights. For her, it was all about duty, order, and the expectations placed upon them. Eryndor, on the other hand, had one goal in mind: mischief.
As the royal caravan pressed deeper into the woods, something caught Eryndor's attention— a small glimmer in the trees.
[System Alert: Hidden Path Detected. Task: Explore the Mysterious Path. Reward: +1 Curiosity Point.]
"Well, well," he muttered to himself, pulling at the reins of his horse. "A path I didn't notice before. Let's see where it leads, shall we?"
Elantha turned in her saddle, noticing the shift in his posture. "Eryndor! No. Father will—"
But before she could finish, Eryndor spurred his horse forward, laughing like a child who'd just been handed a forbidden treat. With a few swipes through the underbrush, they were off the main path and heading into the dense woods trying to catch the rogue prince.
The forest grew darker, the trees thicker, and the air heavier with every passing minute. Eryndor's heart raced with excitement, his mischievous grin still plastered across his face as he veered deeper into the woods, completely ignoring his sister's frustrated calls.
Suddenly, the sound of hooves approached from behind them, and Eryndor's ears perked up. But it wasn't the knights.
"Bandits!" Elantha screamed, her voice filled with panic.
Before Eryndor could react, several figures emerged from the trees, armed and masked, their swords drawn with lethal intent. Eryndor's system immediately chimed in:
[New Task: Defend Yourself and Elantha. Reward: +1 Courage Point.]
A bandit leader with a wicked grin approached, his sword raised high. "Hand over your valuables, and you won't get hurt."
Elantha's horse reared, her face pale as she attempted to back away. "We don't have time for this!" she shouted. "Run!"
But Eryndor was already calculating his next move. The once carefree prince, lost in his playful antics, now stood at the edge of something darker, a coldness creeping into his chest. The system had been feeding him tasks, but for the first time, he felt a surge of anger he couldn't control.
"Run?" Eryndor scoffed, his voice cold and cutting. "You think I'll run from a bunch of half-wits with swords?"
Before anyone could stop him, Eryndor twisted in his saddle, his eyes narrowing in concentration. His mana surged through him, his hands glowing with arcane energy. The system hummed in the background, offering another task:
[New Task: Eliminate the Threat Efficiently. Reward: +2 Power Points.]
Without hesitation, he hurled a bolt of magic straight into the leader's chest, knocking him off his horse and into a tree with an audible thud. The bandits hesitated for a moment, but their leader wasn't dead— just incapacitated.
But that was when Eryndor saw it.
One of the bandits lunged toward Elantha, aiming a blade for her exposed side. Everything inside him snapped.
"No!" Eryndor roared, his voice carrying an edge of something far darker than his usual flippancy. His vision blurred as he felt the familiar surge of power from the system, the energy pouring into his body like a dam breaking. Magic crackled wildly around him as the wind picked up, swirling into a vortex of raw force.
The bandit, just inches from Elantha, froze as Eryndor's hand shot out. The air itself twisted, and the bandit's sword was ripped from his grip and sent spiraling into the trees.
Then, with a snap of his fingers, the ground beneath the bandit's feet buckled and cracked, sending him tumbling into a deep fissure that appeared from nowhere. The bandit screamed, disappearing from view.
The other bandits, seeing their comrades dispatched with ease, began to panic. But Eryndor's focus remained sharp, his breath steady despite the fire raging inside him.
[New Task: Dominate the Bandit Leader. Reward: +1 Leadership Point.]
The leader, now recovering, staggered to his feet, reaching for his sword. But Eryndor was already on him. With a flick of his wrist, a thin line of light wrapped around the leader's throat, lifting him off the ground.
Eryndor's voice was ice-cold. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood. But let's see how long that lasts."
The bandits, realizing they were outmatched, fled into the woods, leaving their leader to dangle in the air, helpless. Elantha, wide-eyed and visibly shaken, dismounted her horse and rushed to her brother's side.
"Eryndor..." Her voice was trembling. "What... what did you just do?"
Eryndor slowly lowered the bandit leader, his expression cold, his eyes sharper than Elantha had ever seen them. For the first time, she saw something darker in him, something that hadn't been there before. It wasn't the carefree, reckless boy who loved pranks and magic— this was a side of him she hadn't known existed.
The bandit leader groaned, looking up at Eryndor with terror in his eyes. "Please... mercy... we were just trying to survive..."
Eryndor knelt before him, his voice low and dangerous. "Survive? You tried to kill my sister. I don't care about your survival."
He raised his hand again, and the magic crackled, ready to finish what he'd started. But before he could strike, Elantha stepped forward, placing a hand on his arm.
"Stop," she whispered, her voice firm but shaken. "He's not worth it."
Eryndor looked at her, the fire still flickering in his eyes, before he finally dropped the spell, releasing the bandit leader. The man scurried away, terrified, not daring to look back.
As the tension slowly drained from the air, Eryndor's demeanor softened. He turned to his sister, offering her a rueful smile. "Sorry. I... lost myself for a moment."
Elantha stared at him, her gaze unreadable. "No, Eryndor. This isn't you. You can't just let rage control you like that."
Eryndor felt the weight of her words. He'd always been impulsive, but this time, it felt different. Darker. And the system? It only encouraged him to push harder, to dominate, to seize power with every task. It was a dangerous road to walk.
"I'll try," he said quietly. "I'll try to control it."
But she wasn't convinced just yet. "Eryndor just what was that magic?" There was no way her lazy brother had learned something so mysterious.
He dropped his head and said. "I— I don't know."
But as they made their way back to the castle, the question lingered in his mind: How much longer could he control it before the system—before his darker side—took over completely?