10 Chapter 10: Enemies On All Sides

"I..could ask you the same question" Prince said to the mysterious man, "Keep your voice down! Do you want us to get caught!"

"Hmph! I the great Silvio Would never be caught by-"

"Did you hear something?" A guard said, opening a window below them.

Prince and Silvio stood in silence as a guard directly below them looked leaned his ear outside trying to detect the source of the commotion.

"Must have been the wind!" A guard said, closing the window.

"Ehem, Would never be caught by such foolish guards! I ask you again before we interlock blades! What are you doing up on this roof!"

"I'm seriously not in the mood for this…" Prince said

"Just answer his question! We cannot afford to fight here! This man is far above your current level!

"What! What do you mean?"

"I sense three artifacts from him!"

"Three!" Prince remarked "From this weird guy?"

"If you will not answer, I shall have at you!" Silvio yelled spinning his rapier around him like it was weightless.

"The first artwork! St. Anthony's Torment!"

From out of Silvio's blade, a large vortex of paint and ink exploded out in a vortex. Prince raised his arms to block the attack but it didn't strike him directly. Forming a cone around him, it surrounded him in the greenish paint.

Within moments the green blotches turned into a swarm of demons attacking him relentlessly.

Prince slashed and wacked at the demons but they just remade themselves out of the paint.

"You haven't learned any attack artes yet! You are not equipped to fight this man!" Pedro yelled

"Yes my demons! Remove that hideous mask from this ugly man's face!"

The demons ripped off Princes mask, revealing the red eyed devil beneath it.

Silvio placed his hands on his lips, impressed by his find. With one swipe of his sword he dispelled the demons, allowing Prince to catch his breath.

"You… your actually quite handsome!" Silvio remarked "Not as much as I of course, but you are certainly not ugly! I am sorry for attacking you, a man such as yourself shouldn't have his face injured" Silvio said

"Just… who the hell are you?" Prince asked

" I asked first! Who are you! And what are you doing on this roof!"

"I… I am unsure of who I am… but I am here because I just murdered the Baron here… I'm trying to make an escape."

"OH? Is that all? Well then I'm sorry for all that! I saw you coming from my lady's window… I Thought you were sleeping with her"

"What? You don't care that I just murdered someone?"

"As long as they were ugly it is of no consequence to me, I must say, that Burgess fellow wasn't much a looker… Well, I will be on my way to my lady's room now" He said walking off.

"Let's do this dance again sometime, maybe you'll be able to show me some new moves."

"What a strange guy" Prince said making his escape

"What a formidable man as well, he hadn't even begun to use his power, its best we avoid his type for now until you are stronger" Pedro said

"What! What do you mean we're through!" Silvio yelled

"I have found a man I love more than you! I'm sorry Silvio" Alicia said

"This man… does he have black hair?"

"...." Alicia blushed looking away

"So it was him! He was sleeping with you! That devli! I should have known from the red eyes!

"Silvio stop this nonsense!"

"Beautiful faced ugly mask man! Know this! Silvio Duke of Luxembourg, son of Giacano of Italy will hunt you down to the ends of the earth and win back this lady's heart!"

"Silvio! I haven't seen you in months! Besides, aren't you married now!" Alicia said.

"This heart is not a container! It is an endless ocean! And there is room for many lovers on this voyage across the seas! My love has no bounds! I will romance all of the beautiful ladys of this world! I alone will be the body of water connecting all those hearts together!"

"Oh Prince… I miss you already! Rescue me from this crazy Italian!" She pleaded

"So… the boys name is Prince?" Solvio said smiling

January 2, 1613, 2 am

Prince arrived at the Den of Wolves exhausted from his journey. Coming in from the roof where no one would see him enter, he ran into someone patiently awaiting him.

"Prince! You've returned!" Lindor joyously cried "Were you successful?"

Prince paused briefly looking around the rooftops. The night was quiet, only the sounds of the wind were heard as he stood across from Lindor. After a brief check of his surroundings Prince gritted his teeth, and began tightening his fists.

"So… you knew all along didn't you?" Prince answered

"Knew what my boy?" Lindor said grinning

"You used me… to kill my uncle… I was unsure if it was an accident… but based on this response… you really did know didn't you?"

"Response? I'm sorry Prince are you imagining things? Maybe you need some rest."

"Lindor" Prince grunted, scowling at the man's pathetic attempt to mislead him. "Do you really think I can't see your men positioned around me with these eyes!"

Lindor stroked his beard going into his stance. "Well then that's certainly something isn't it." He said, shaking his head.

"I knew I couldn't fool those eyes." Lindor said, snapping his fingers. Prince began to hear the sound of dozens of footsteps surrounding him on the roof. "But who knew my precaution would result in you knowing the truth. I figured it was a 75% chance you came back angry. Guess I was wrong."

"Yes Lindor! You were very wrong this time!" Prince yelled viciously

"Men! Light your torches!!" Lindor instructed.

Lindors men came from all corners of the roofs holding giant torches and lanterns fully illuminating the rooftop.

"Your powers are weakened in the light! And there's nowhere to hide! This is why I never taught you to attack use artes! I knew this day would come!"

Prince looked around at the people he had called comrades for the last two years, all swarmed around him hungry for his blood. Letting out a deep sigh, he dropped his sword to his side.

"Lindor…" Prince said "I'm not in the mood to fight"

"Then run! And I will alert Godefroi and tell him about your identity!"

"To think you would stoop so low, I wouldn't do that if I were you."

"Why not?"

"Because then I'd have to let Godefroi in on your little secret."

"My.. secret?"

"About you assisting Baron Burgess in usurping the crown"

"Ha! Who in the hell would believe that! I have no intention of"

"My very paranoid uncle would. Especially when I tell him the Duke of Champagne who hired you to kill Burgess, is manipulating things behind the scenes."

Lindor's eyes grew wide with astonishment. "The Duke is… I see…"

"Let me leave" Prince said. "My soul… is tired of fighting"

"You win for now boy" Lindor said "But I will always be watching you don't forget that!"

"Why? Why did you use me? You could have killed him using other means… Was the time we spent together all a lie?"

"What do your eyes see?" Lindor said

Prince looked into the eyes of his once close friend. Surrounded by an army of weapons and torches, Lindor stood far back from him, safely anticipating his end. It was almost as if Lindor wanted to stay away from him, almost like, he was afraid.

"My eyes, see fear…I became too strong, to important over these last two years, and if you did not take this chance to kill me-"

"You would one day dispose of me if it meant getting to Godefroi! Am I wrong Prince?" Lindor said jabbing his sword at Prince. Animosity filled his eyes, as he dastardly jabbed at Prince, accusing him of such dark intentions.

"Yes, you are," Prince answered. "Or should I say, you were"

"What?"

"I have one rule that stops me from becoming Godefroi" Prince answered. "It's a rule I came up with during those 30 days in that cell."

"What rule is that?"

"I refuse to betray anyone I consider to be family."

"You and I are no kin you said it yourself!" Lindor yelled

"I let you pat me on the head," Prince said shaking his head "I'll be damned if I don't consider you to be family!" Prince said walking away.

"You… You can't say that! After all that's happened!" Lindor said tightening his fist.

"Yes Lindor, I can, I won't make the same mistake twice. I won't let my vision of who you are be clouded by my own anger." Prince said

"But do be on your gaurd, I've already killed one family member. Doing it a second time won't be nearly as hard."