Apr 1 • Writing Prompts
My March 2026 Writing Prompt Response
Hadrian gripped the blade tightly. The steel still felt heavy in his youthful hands. He held it outstretched, the point resting on the kneeling prisoner's neck.
"The tithe," the boy said calmly, his words devoid of emotion.
The prisoner tilted his head and spat on the ground. "What tithe? You've bled us dry! There's nothing left to take! We don't even have dregs left after the last collection!"
"And why should that matter to us?" Hadrian smiled cruelly. His eyes wander upwards, meeting his father's stern gaze. The Dark Lord Averaxx, clad in black steel armor, sat from on high, acting as arbiter over the trial. The Dark Lord's features softened at his protege's recognition. "If you failed to meet the tithe's requirement, well, you know what that means."
The prisoner chuckled. "What ever happened to your conscience, boy? How old are you? Ten? Eleven? And yet you've carved such bloody swathes across this world. You--"
Hadrian pressed the blade into the man's throat. Light rivulets of blood began dribbling down. "Silence. If I wanted your opinion, I would have asked for it."
The prisoner exhaled slowly. "Your undoing will be a sight to behold. I can't believe you sold your soul for this rotten existence." The man felt the blade pressing deeper into his throat. He knew his time had come. "You'll burn for this. Forever."
Hadrian glanced up at the Dark Lord. Averaxx nodded. The boy ran the sword through the peasant's throat. He collapsed with a shallow gurgle. Hadrian flicked the blade, scattering some of the running blood onto the stone floor.
"Wulff, send a brigade to Elthrin. Tell them to seize all the livestock, and raid the houses for valuables," Hadrian commanded to the pallid man with an eyepatch standing next to Averaxx. "But tell them to spare the villagers. They can still be useful." He paused and furrowed his brow in contemplation. "On second thought, massacre them all. I doubt any would take kindly to having their property seized, and the last thing we need is unrest while the Kingdom of Luthre amasses troops on our border."
"Young master," the general questioned with his rasping, aged voice, "don't you think that's a little hasty? Elthrin is a useful part of our empire. I fear that losing it could have unforeseen consequences."
"The destruction of a single village will not bring our empire to ruin," Hadrian sneered with a dismissive wave of his hand. "They failed so they need to be made examples of lest the rest of our land begin to view us as weak. I gave you an order. I expect you to follow it."
Averaxx simply nodded. Wulff's face contorted into a grimace as he wordlessly left the room, his tattered brown cloak flapping behind him. Hadrian knew that Wulff resented being ordered around by a child, yet that was general's station. With the chief warrior's departure, Hadrian found himself alone with his father.
"They said you would be my undoing," Averaxx suddenly said. His booming, bass voice filled the throne room, "yet here you are, my greatest achievement."
Hadrian cocked his head to the side. "I'm not sure I follow, father. How could I possibly be your undoing?"
Averaxx snickered. "The Gray Seers saw a future, one they wrote down in prophecy. One I'm sure you've heard."
Hadrian closed his eyes as he thought back to one of his father's history lessons. "The Shadow shall rise in the West. Its wrath will darken the world. But from the North shall rise the best. An orphaned youth of black hair curled. The boy will become a man. The man will silence the shadow's plan." He opened his green eyes. "Are you saying I'm the boy?"
"Aye," Averaxx said cooly. "I found you when you were a babe, rotting away in the basement of some nameless orphanage, and I rescued you. I brought you here where I raised you as my very son. And that's what you are. My son." The Dark Lord's normally sharp and warlike features melted as he smiled at the boy in front of him.
"I love you, father."
"I love you too, son."
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My March 2026 Writing Prompt Response
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