Former Prince Alexander – City #143

 

 

It had taken patience, effort and considerable compromise upon his part.

Being of royal blood, his lesser’s often assumed that he knew not of these things. Likely on account of at least on the face of it, having had others to enact them in his place for so long. Yet, being near the bottom of the all too long list for regal succession meant that in actuality, although he had more than most, Prince Alexander was nothing more than an underfunded public relations arm for the business that was Britannia's modern day monarchy. And that being the case, retaining the drudgery of that role would have been his life’s lot had the world not changed some eight odd years ago.

But thankfully for his rising, if embattled star, it had not.

Unlike his piers and relatives, Prince Alexander at barely nineteen years of age, had managed to flee survive where they evidently had not. More remarkable still, he had attained magical powers from something called ‘The Elevation System’ to help him in establishing Britannia's rightful place at the head of the midden heap of monsters into which humanity had been flung.

So it was that after he had finished his frantic fleeing dignified retreat from the monsters that seemed so prevalent in this new world. The soon to be crowned king had set about employing his recently acquired uncommon Apprentice Lord class to [Lesser Forced Conscription] rallying the survivors of his once great nation around himself, so that together they may make a new and better world for first themselves, then the rest of mankind. And aside from the odd assassination disposal of monarchical pretenders, it had been going rather well...That was at least until he had tried to set up camp in The Citadel that some convict bred upstart known as 'Benjamin' had somehow incomprehensibly stolen for himself!

Certainly, the initial exchange could have been handled with more finesse and care, but even with the benefit of hindsight, Prince Alexander equally acknowledged there was likely no reasoning with the spawn descendant of Britannia's deported refuse convicts. Thus, he had recalled his followers from the tyrants misbegotten base of power and instead settling to lie in wait in a nearby Zone so they might ambush valiantly engage the low bred cur when he left the incomparable safety of the unfairly attained construction.

Then, after several months of unbecoming and entirely regrettable living conditions for he and his mind controlled loyal entourage, an opportunity presented itself.

When one of his Initiate Spy's Scouts first reported the emergence of tens of thousands of troops donning the same colored attire, he thought the leather clad boy mad...It was not that it was impossible that so many people survived in these strange lands, rather that from first hand experience, they were reluctant to take up arms unless their own interests were served...If it were not for his [Lesser Forced Conscription] way with words, he doubted he would even have the couple thousand strong forces he had managed to brain wash rally up until that point.

Yet, when he saw with his own improved eye sight that the Initiate Spy Scout had if anything, downplayed the bullshit staggering number of red and orange uniformed individuals, he could not help but feel somehow inadequate. However, after many tense hours of covert surveillance, all notions of his own short comings fell away as the forty thousand something army began to fell the gigantic trees of Alpha Zone #193 in the hundreds and turn them to the purpose of hemming in The Citadel the up start Benjamin had un-merititiously attained, from all sides.

Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Alexander called a metting of him and his two generals in a bid to strategize for all potential opportunities that might arise from the budding and most just siege of what was certain to be the curr Benjamin's last stand.

Prince Alexander was the first to admit that although he had studied battles of old, war and its making was something he was fucking clueless about less than proficient in. So although both the battle hardened generals Harper and Black looked to him to make the final call, the best he could do was go with the option that they themselves thought would yield the greatest benefit and success to his just and noble cause.

When the words of advice had rolled over Alexander while the two now tried and tested leaders of his men finished their gruff bickering on the benefits of how to come out as the last combatant standing. They both agreed that waiting until either of the involved parties had exhausted the others forces and claimed their supposed victory. That would be the opportune time to sweep in and decimate the crippled survivors...Or failing such an advantageous outcome, strike a compact that would undoubtedly be heavily weighted in his Britannia's favor.

Over the course of several weeks Alexander learned that the forces surrounding the Citadel represented the ‘Shakti’. Supposedly the unfair inordinate force they fielded represented but a fraction of their full might, and Alexander allowed himself more then a few moments of gleeful pious introspection that their ire was not directed at his Britannia's righteous cause, but instead at the despotic Benjamin, whom had apparently ostracized them in his foolish pursuit of impossible ideals.

After Prince Alexander had ceased his gleeful pious introspection and picked himself up off the eye watering-ly expensive [Lesser Mobile Shelter]'s floor from cackling ruminating upon the Initiate Spy's Scouts latest findings, he was almost of a mind to even completely rule out the option of backstabbing the Shakti when they won out of sheer camaraderie...Almost. But, such budding pathetic charitable thoughts evaporated but a day later when the sounds of alarm were heard from the orange and red shirt's defensive palisade by his tasked Initiate Spy’s Scout's, while his heart thundered in his chest at the very notion of his soon to be stolen acquired seat of power.

He and his men had retained just enough distance, to catch glimpses of the ongoing fight down one of the well trodden paths through the Alpha Zone. And truth be told, at first Prince Alexander was unsure if any fight would be taking place at all given that the Initiate Spy's Scouts reported no large outpouring of force toward the Shakti.

It was at that specific and regrettable juncture that the shouting transitioned into bone chilling cries of agony...

Refusing to let go of the prize almost within his grasp, Alexander instructed the now visibly disturbed generals to proceed as planned. To their credit they unflinchingly ordered his forces to fan out at a safe remove and get ready to swoop in and seize the day in his favor.

That was when he heard someone shouting the onset of an uncouthly childish joke.

“KNOCK KNOCK!”

From somewhere within the Shakti’s camp the uncomfortable familiar accent bellowed then, some kind of massive object cannoned through the gargantuan tree trunks not several meters from his position, eviscerating their trunks as it went.

Fortuitously one of his slaves guards had, had the foresight to use her own mail clad body as a shield while she forced him to the ground and giant splinters ricocheted through his surrounding forces. As the screams of the wounded filled his ears, Prince Alexander wondered why the brainwashed loyal woman had not freed him from her full body press. That was when he noticed in alarm that his red health bar had dropped by a third and his [Elevant’s Essential Gear] was now excessively moist.

It was at this compromising juncture Alexander tried to shift and see what was the cause for his bewildering loss of vitality, that the pain from the arm length splinter of tree made itself known...At least after he'd discovered it was lodged through the chest of the woman who’s name he couldn't remember and it shifted in the hole in his shoulder. Then it was his turn to scream.

His memory grew hazy after that. He could vividly vaguely recall the sounds of explosive detonations and being jostled around in a demeaning necessary princess carry before the zone entrance message drew him back to the present:

[You have entered Alpha Zone #194 Level 1 - 20]

When he’d pushed the fussing brainwashed loyal Initiate Cleric away and began the yelling match with his bleeding and bloodied General’s. With the insight that only hindsight could afford, he could acknowledge, at least to himself, that, that this was the lowest point in his role as their ruler. If only to drive home the fact that as loyal as his Generals may seem, doing his bidding most of the time, he was far from having total control over them. And that fact stung the young prince's pride as a leader to the bone.

Alexander had almost buckled to his fear of loosing control of his life again and [Lesser Unwavering Order]'d begged them to rejoin the fight and claim what was rightfully his Britannia's!...But as he would later learn, he owed them further debts thanks as they saved his life on several more occasions that gore filled day...

Licking their wounds in the adjacent zone and having being forced to fend off spawned monsters, it had been two days since the battle that the Generals had deemed it safe enough to show him the results of what they’d fled from.

To this day, former prince Alexander was unable to forget the remnants of the carnage that had taken place.

Whatever had occurred one thing was certain; The Shakti had either fled from suffering heavy losses, or been wiped out completely...And though he was no military man, the amount of body parts protruding from the ground that also housed the smouldering remnants of their once impressive palisade. Prince Alexander was almost certain that it was the later...

After he’d finished emptying his stomach for the third time, he was only mildly surprised when Generals Black and Harper broached no words of dissent after he’d shakily demanded that they were to give up their plans for the Citadel and its pretender of a despot from this point forth and not look back.

Since that rancorous low, Alexander had set about a more skittish cautious tact of marshaling his power at an even further distance from the more mongrel diverse factions that had risen from the old world’s survivors. And after he had managed to do just that and was full and ready to join the fray and ascend to the herculean plateau to ambush save his fellow man from their ill fated T4 quest and inscribe his Britannia's name in the new world’s history books. The tyrant had usurped his Britannia's thunder again!

And as if this bastard of patently criminal lineage and his callous disregard for his betters was not insulting enough, in one dastardly swoop Benjamin had the audacity to set himself above all others and call himself their 'ruler', not only in name but role as well! Settling to sit in his ill gotten Citadel and adjudicate on his betters like the low born impostor that he so clearly was!...Thus, the former Prince Alexander was once more relegated to slink maneuver on the fringes with his army of some thirty thousand strong. Eventually invading settling in a inhabited misused Settlement to build his power, free of capitulating politicians and their mighty despotic ruler pretender.

Which brought the young prince-ling to the present.

Having strayed from his recently upgraded City #271 to venture here, to City #143 due to one of his Initiate Spy’s Scouts having caught wind of an interesting individual and their even more intriguing plight.

So as he sat in the City’s largest ‘tavern’s’, Alexander asked of the indefatigable General Black once more.

“Are you certain this is where he’ll be?”

Unperturbed by his lieges doubt, Black nodded and assured.

“Of this we are certain mi-lord...Wont be much longer now I should thi-”

Then from across the room there was a bellowed.

“ANNND HOW ABOUT YOOOU KEEP YER MOUTH SHUT UNTIL YOU FUCKING KNOOOW WHAT YOUR TALKING AB-”

Right before the disheveled man earned a punch to his jaw and a scuffle broke out. Reflexively Prince Alexander gripped his sword as he asked with panic caution coloring his voice.

“You failed to mention that this place had it's anti-harm measures turned off general…”

Taking his eyes off the now comically scrabbling men who were more tangled up in their own robes then doing harm to one another, Black offered with only the faintest hint of a smirk.

“At ease sire, it’s only within this fine establishment, or so I’m told, and should one remove more than a quarter of another’s health, the offender will be teleported outside instantly.”

As if on queue there was a flash of light after one of the robed figures drew a dagger and slashed the other across a forearm, earning him the advertised instantaneous removal from the cesspit establishment. Laughter and jeering went up from the inebriated crowd as the injured man screamed.

“AHHHH….I’VE...*Hick*...I’VE BEEN STABBED!...I NEEEED A HEALING!...*Hick*...THIS WOULD NEVVVER OF HAPPENEEED IN THE CITADELLL!!!”

More laughter and jeering went through the onlookers as Black abruptly got to his feet whilst grinning.

“I believe that’s our queue your grace.”

Before turning to one of his entourage and instructing.

“Celina, go and see to the mans arm.”

To which the brainwashed loyal, mail clad and mousy brown haired woman, no more than a couple of months over the age of 18 responded.

“Sir!”

Before doing as instructed. Looking to General Black in horror, Prince Alexander asked in growing dread.

“Y-you can’t mean this is who we're here to meet!...R-right General?”

Turning his unrepentant grin back to his liege he confirmed.

“The very same mi-lord! And though he might'n seem like much right now, we have cross checked his particulars and I can assure you, hes most certainly the one we’re after.”

Eyeing his best second best General dubiously, Alexander allowed.

“If you say so Black, but if this goes awry…”

Grin faltering slightly, he added.

“If you will follow me sire, we shall have him in hand shortly...Though if you will do me the honor and allow me to handle the negotiations I would be most obliged."

Ever seething graciously, the young Prince confirmed.

“Very well man, you shall have point on this.”

Offering a half bow Black signaled to the other of his entourage to follow and they forged a path through the raucous, inebriated and often belligerent throng, to the man being seen to by his their Initiate Cleric Celina.

When they arrived they were greeted by the sight of Celina having to physically intercept the handsy affectionate man in question from getting to gropey friendly. Still apparently in good cheer General black began.

“I see you’ve made the timely acquaintance of our Cleric then young master Jürgen!”

To which the intrusively valiantly grabbing probing attempts of the drunkard's hands ceased and he turned an unsteady gaze upon Black as he queried.

“Dddo I know yooou?”

Clearly glad to be relieved of her indignity duty, Celina got up to stand behind Alexander and Black as the General countered.

“Not that I’m aware of lad...But I believe we may be able to be of assistance to one another...”

Nodding along amiably in only the way the truly inebriated can, Jürgen looked perplexed when he seemed to have caught up with the contents of the other mans speech, leading him to belatedly prompt.

“Annnd what possssible assssistance...*hick*...could you be of to...toooo meeee?...*hick*”

Leading the still smiling Black to retrieve a faintly glowing green [Basic Vapor Potion of Permanent Cure] from his belt to offer.

“Things will be easier to understand once you drink this lad…”

Exultant joy took over the prone and bloody mans face as he amended.

“A drinnnk? For meeee?...*hick*… You shouldnnnn’t have!”

Then he quickly displayed startling dexterity by swiping the gently shimmering vial and popping the cork to down it in one.

Signalling to some of their entourage to help the man to his feet, Black procured a trio of seats from some very assaulted generous patrons and sat the man down opposite Alexander and the now seated Black.

It took but a few moments for the mans torpor to fully dissipate, though when it did it left in its place a scowling and blood painted young man of a decidedly serious bearing, who demanded testily.

“You better have the manamotes to get me drunk again or we are going to have a conversation that you are not going to enjoy…”

Smirking, Black countered.

“Well at least now we know your not a mid-wit all the time...”

Anger suffused the other mans face before the General scoffed and continued.

“Easy lad, we just want to have a proper conversation without our Celina having to break your thumbs before she has to heal you again…”

Jürgen broke from his scowl to give an uncomfortable grimace to the lady in question and amended.

“Apologies Celina, you have not found me at my best… If it wasn’t for that monster Toni would still be here and I wouldn’t be so...So wretched…”

Remaining unmoved by the pathetic candid admission, Celina *hmph*ed and turned her head away, which led the robed young man to resume his scowling focus on Black and continue.

“Out with it then…Who do you want me to kill...”

Barking a laugh, Black countered.

“Not exactly the job we had in mind for you lad, well at least not yet...”

Recognition flickered in the youths haunted eyes as he clicked his fingers to exclaim.

“That’s where I know you from! Your one of the fan-...Groups that freak kicked out of his overgrown mushroom!”

Alexander bristled beside and opened his mouth to correct the drunkard mercenary, but expression sobering, Black put a calming hand on the princes forearm to rejoin.

“We’re much more than a group now boy, besides...We heard you aren't fairing so well yourself these days and thought to extend an offer of em-”

Abruptly the robed and bedraggled mercenary rose for his seat as he flatly countered.

“Not. Interested.”

And made to go before two of their plate clad Initiate Knight's stepped in to block his path.

Which led the General to amend.

“Look lad we’re trying to be polite here, truly we are...But there are other, more uncomfortable ways we can go about this if you’d like…”

Slumping slightly he turned back to face the seated pair and pathetically countered.

“Just get the beating over and done with already would you...I don’t have many manamotes anyway, so yo-”

But the generals jovial laughter curtailed his defeated whining before the mirthful man rebuked.

“You really don’t know your own worth do you boy?…”

Leading the scowl to return to the haggard youths face before he furthered.

“I really did mean it when I said we have something to both our benefit on offer lad...But it is more centered around the Citadel and your knowledge of the goings on in there, rather than your skills in magical homicide.”

Straightening a little Jürgen amended while retaking his abandoned seat.

“You have my attention.”

Grinning once more Black began.

“We would like to hire you as a consu-”

Before an American accent with a distinctly Latin twang cut in.

“Well if it isn't my favorite collection of headless chickens!...Mind if I join you guys?”

As one, those gathered turned unfriendly gazes on the short and smiling intruder, while the now stone faced General proffered.

“This is a private meeting young lady now if you would be so kind as to le-”

Snorting the intruder rejoined.

“And miss out on the team up of the idiot Prince Alexander with the one and only ex-deputy shit-head to the Australian Abomination, Jürgen?...Not for all the manam-”

Alexander almost failed to track the speed at which his General moved to put his deathly sharp blade to the robed woman’s throat as he instructed.

“I would pick your next words very carefully girl, or they will be your last...”

Unfazed by the sharp implement or his obvious threat, she turned her attention the Prince and queried.

“Hey Prince retard? Mind calling off your guard dog so we can have a conversation?...Maybe at the same time we can go about regrowing your balls too?...”

Eyes narrowed to slits, before Alexander could give his own thoughts, Black half whispered.

“And what makes you think his lordship has time to waste on an upstart piece of skirt like you?”

Grinning from ear to ear, the clearly homicidal confident woman supplied.

“Because I’m Michelle Fucking Rodriguez, and I’m here to help you donkey fuckers kill that piece of shit Benjamin!”