Ruler Of Iron And Flesh

Alaric felt cold and scared all morning. He said that he must have bumped it in his sleep to Eli, but he knew better. The bruising he received was from a much more dangerous source, one that can harm him in his dreams.

He could still clearly see the empty dark eyes of the man-creature before him. The Demon King couldn't even remember his name.

Alaric overheard the a.d.u.l.ts talking somedays about how the Demon King caused some terrible destruction, but he felt sympathy for the King instead of anger.

Alaric shook his head; he didn't understand it.

He and Eli were walking towards their next class when a certain familiar figure popped out from around the corner with his two goons.

Finn had a bandage wrapped around his jaw, but could still have a lopsided and idiotic grin.

Finn laughed, "why do you have all the bruising around your neck Alaric? Did Eli make you his bitch?"

His cronies laughed, and Alaric g.r.o.a.n.e.d in his mind. He didn't want to have to deal with this right now.

"Please, move to the side, Finn."

Finn mocked him, "'oh, please, move my gracious king after I kiss your feet in awe!' Is the proper way to ask me, dipshit."

Finn's two cronies stepped off to the side and stood behind Eli. One of them put a hand on Eli's shoulder, "I think we should move over there, off to the side."

Eli was stiff and shaking, and obeyed the cronies, stepping off to the side."

Eli smirked once more and got close to Alaric, looking down on him, "I think I owe you some payback for the match we had. Only, this time, you are just going to sit there and take it, or else your friend might get hurt."

Alaric looked back at Eli, who was still shaking.

Alaric didn't want to look weak in front of the bully, so he closed his eyes and braced himself.

Finn laughed and conjured a knife in his hands, "that's more like it! Remember what I told you about telling anyone."

Finn teased Alaric, gently grazing the knifepoint over different parts of his body until he cut a long gash across Alaric's c.h.e.s.t.

Alaric g.r.o.a.n.e.d but fought to keep himself from making any noise.

Finn chuckled and continued cutting long marks all across his body: one across his forehead, several on his back, some on his arms and legs.

Finn's cronies were shifting back and forth, fidgeting. One said, "Hey, man. I think that's enough. We might get in trouble."

Finn looked towards them, "shut up! We won't get in trouble as long as they don't say anything."

Alaric was bleeding from a dozen more cuts across his body, and Eli was quietly crying in the corner.

Alaric wanted to cry out in pain himself, but he couldn't show weakness.

Suddenly, something snapped and changed within him.

He saw that figure from his dreams once again, but this time, the figure was standing in the middle of a destroyed city.

He was laughing, gripping a person's neck with his b.a.r.e hands.

'That person's in an exosuit?! And he's grabbing him like that?!' Alaric thought.

The figure snapped the person's neck and tossed the body aside. Then he roared, and the entire earth shook.

Alaric's vision stopped, but his mind changed as he heard a quiet voice in the back of his mind say, 'I am the heir! I am the one who shakes the earth! I am the Prince!'

Finn was moving closer and was about to make another gash on Alaric's body when Alaric stretched out his hand in a blur and grabbed Finn's neck.

Finn gasped for air but managed to squeak out, "you're a brave idiot, aren't you?"

Finn stabbed at Alaric's gut with the knife, but it didn't penetrate.

His eyebrows shot towards the ceiling, and he began trembling when he realized his knife wasn't stabbing into Alaric anywhere.

He looked up and saw Alaric's glowing red eyes. Alaric spoke, but it wasn't his voice, "do you wish to die? I will be a generous ruler and grant your wish if you so d.e.s.i.r.e."

Finn tried to struggle out of Alaric's grip, but couldn't even budge one of his fingers.

"Death it is then."

He paused when he heard a familiar voice shout, "stop!!!"

Burt came barrelling through the academy halls and stepped in between the boys. The two cronies ran away, but Eli stayed.

Burt grabbed Alaric's head in his hands, "hey Alaric! Don't forget who you are or who your friends are. I'm your friend, remember?"

Alaric's eyes returned to normal, "Burt?"

Alaric looked down at his body, and every single wound he accrued has healed, leaving numerous scars around his body. He took the bandage off his cheek, and there was a scar from the bottom of his cheek to his eye from the wound he got earlier.

Finn was lying passed out on the ground, not moving a muscle.

Burt breathed out a sigh of relief and pat Alaric's head.

Eli asked, "Mr. Burt, do you know what happened?"

Burt glanced at Eli with sad eyes, "sadly, I do. For now, Finn is going to be expelled from the academy, shame forever running with his name. Eli, please take Alaric to the medical room."

Eli nodded and began walking the dazed Alaric out to the nurse.

Burt was furious with Finn but dragged him to a different medical room in the facility.

He then left the academy altogether, 'I need to speak to the Queen and Janae about this.'