Ragnarok Blood

Part I: the Revenging Prince

Summary: Igaire is a prince of a rare demon species called Ice Wolves. He falls into a trap set up by someone to kill him, which leads to his mother’s death. Igaire vows to avenge her. He tracks down the murderers to get his sweet revenge, but not everything will go according to his plan. While his siblings are fighting among each other for the throne, some people are starting to notice his actions. What will be Igaire’s ultimate fate? Will it be death or salvation?

A/N: I've lost track of how many times I've revised this chapter... Anyway, Ragnarok Blood contains two parts, but both will be placed under the same story to avoid any confusion.

Chapter One: Igaire Esmont

Igaire Esmont, sixteen years old, sat on the windowsill of his mother's rather spacious bedroom, gazing past the frozen ice pillars hanging down from the top of his window at the world beyond. The land outside the magnificent castle built from ice was covered completely in snow, the same snow that had been falling nonstop in the City of Kedaldale for hundreds and thousands of years. This very city rested in a river valley on the summit of Mount Loamstol, the highest mountain in the continent. The City of Kedaldale may be extraordinarily beautiful, but it must be - if not the most - one of the most lonesome places on Earth, being reclusive from the rest of the world.

Often, just after the brutal tortures by his half-siblings, Igaire wondered about the world outside Kedaldale. He had only seen the world beyond the city from pictures in the books, and he longed to experience it, since it was a life completely different than the one he had now. Through allowing his mind to escape the reality, he was able to find peace and his much needed personal space, but only temporarily.

When facing with a traumatic event, one has the options of either standing up to confront it, or swallowing one's pride and endure whatever hardship that lies in the road ahead. Igaire had taken the more passive approach, not that he lacked the courage to fight back, of course, but he was stuck in a situation where there wasn't anything that he could do.

His misery began many years ago when his elder half-siblings grew jealous of his outstanding performance in academics, fighting, and in pretty much all other subjects. He was close to being a prodigy, which could have been a truly blessed gift - if he were not the youngest son of a monarch.

He was so young, too young and naive to be aware of his siblings' intentions. Now he regretted, all too late, that he had not tried harder to conceal his true intelligence and abilities.

The door slid open and a servant came inside the bedroom, interjecting his thoughts.

"Your highness, the medicine is ready."

The servant was holding with two hands a plate and on top of it a cup filled with red liquid. Igaire glanced at the silver haired woman who was sleeping in the large luxurious bed behind him, before carefully taking the cup with one hand and stalking over to her side.

"Mother, it's time for your medicine," Igaire said as gently shook her. The woman had a weak body and needed someone to take care of her everyday. He did not mind doing it though, as he had already gotten used to this lifestyle a long time ago. Igaire's mother was the king's fifth consort. Igaire understood why his father loved her - she was elegant and extraordinarily beautiful. However, she was delicate and fragile. She had become sickly ever since she married the king and came to live in the royal palace.

Perhaps she was not suited for politics-filled lifestyle in the royal palace, she was better off marrying someone more plain and living outside the palace where she could have more freedom, Igaire thought to himself.

The woman's silvery eyelashes fluttered before opening to reveal a pair of lavender eyes which brightened at seeing Igaire, but darkened in sadness as her eyes traveled from Igaire's bruised face down to his ripped clothes and scraped limbs.

"What? Don't look so surprised. I thought you'd have gotten used to it now."

The woman frowned at Igaire's remark and then made a very weak attempt to sit up from her bed. Igaire instinctively went to help her in the process. Once the woman was in a comfortable position, she peered into the cup at the red liquid, and frowned with distaste.

"It's the same medicine that I've been taking for the past six months."

Igaire sighed heavily.

"Mother I know it's not the sweetest tasting thing in the world, but it's the best medicine that we have in the country. So please, bear with me, will you?" Igaire scooped a spoonful of the red liquid in the cup and brought it to his mother's lips. The woman still looked reluctant, but finally gave in and drank the medicine in the spoon, almost making Igaire smile. He proceeded to feed the rest of the medicine in the cup to his mother.

Once that was done, she inquired, "Did you tell your father what they did to you?"

Igaire helped his mother back into bed.

"I did, but it had the opposite effect. Father did punish them, but it only served to make them angrier. They still continue and it gets worse every time I tell father...but there's no need to worry because light injuries like these aren't enough to kill me."

Shaking her head, the woman grabbed Igaire's hand as he was about to leave and looked at him seriously.

"Listen to me, Igaire. You must get stronger as soon as you can because you and your five siblings will eventually fight for the throne. I'm not so worried about the two princesses, but the other three princes will be difficult to deal with, even for you. Especially the crown prince, Seraph, he seems to regard you as his rival."

"I've actually thought about it a lot recently. I don't particularly want to be king. I just want to survive."

The royal consort reached out to stroke her son's cheek.

"I'm afraid that might not even be possible for you. You stand out too much and it makes you an easy target for others. You're like a bright star shining in the darkness where you don't belong. If you've decided not to fight with your siblings, then I suggest you leave this place immediately."

Igaire looked startled.

"Wait, have you forgotten about our country's iron law? Absolutely no one is allowed to leave Kedaldale because Kedaldale's location must be kept a secret from outsiders. Should anyone break the iron law, they'll be labeled as traitors and the king may give permission to dispose them."

She sighed. Her hand moved to Igaire's and gave it a squeeze.

"No, I haven't. That's why you should leave discreetly."

Igaire blinked, and then his mind began to race. First, they must prepare a week's worth of food to bring with them. Then, they should go to the gates of the city (or country) disguised as civilians. Once there, they might be able to sneak out when the guards are not looking. If they get out of Kedaldale succesfully, it would be a dream come true for him. Igaire smiled.

"Hn... That doesn't sound like a bad idea. You're coming with me, right mother?"

"No Igaire, I'm going to stay here," she answered without looking at him.

Igaire was stunned. He frowned.

"Why? Are you afraid you'll become a burden for me? Mother, I don't mind taking care of you at all!"

"Thank you, Igaire, but I'm fully aware of my own state of health. With my current condition, I'll only be a burden for you. You're so...young. You really shouldn't go out of your way to save an old woman such as me."

Igaire looked like he had something to say, but she continued.

"Besides, it's not like I will be all alone here. Your father will be around and I'd like to be close to him for as long as I can," she finished with a content smile, as if that was what she really wanted.

Igaire inhaled deeply and rubbed his temples in frustration as he tried to think of a way for them to somehow stay together. He knew that his loved ones were so important to him that he would not be able to function right without them. Now thinking back, this woman was the closest person to Igaire during the past sixteen years of his life. Igaire rarely saw his father, but that was no surprise. The man was a king after all. He had many wives and children, and on top of that, he was busy to the point where he practically lived in his office. Igaire had no relatives who were still alive, and he doubted he had any real friends at school. People wanted to be close to him only because his father was the king. Finally making up his mind on what he was going to do, Igaire broke the silence.

"If you're staying, then I am too. There's no way that I'm going to abandon you."

Now, it was his mother's turn to feel shocked.

"What! B-but...that'll put your life in danger!"

Igaire shrugged.

"I guess I'll just have to deal with things as they come."

His mother looked at him as if he had gone mad.

- To be continued -

A/N: I can't say how fast I'll be able to update, but I'll definitely do it ASAP. I have a feeling that this story will be another long one, but I promise you that it will be completed, however long it'll take.