Everyone in Irkalla knew that the prince was demon-touched. 

The heinous rumor began where most do, in the Church of the Eternal in the capital city of Anglafalla. 

The prince of the realm was brought before the priests a week after his birth, as is tradition for any new babe in the Irkallan royal family. Swaddled in the deep blacks and reds of his house, he was pink-cheeked and healthy, a vibrant babe with his mother’s nose and his late father’s pronounced chin.  

He was welcomed warmly. Hopes were high that this next generation would have a deeper bond with the church, and thus a more direct line between the church and the throne could be established, but it would be a wish quickly snatched away. 

That fateful day, his mother, the good dowager Queen Marienne, passed the babe into the arms of one of the priests, who brought the princeling to the dais and the delicate golden bowl of holy water placed atop it. There, he dipped his wrinkled fingers into the tepid liquid and brought them to the child’s head. Ancient words of blessing floated from his mouth as the priest traced the sacred crescents on the babe’s skin.  

But as soon as the holy water made contact, it sizzled, a small cloud of steam rising up from where the priest's fingers had lain.  

To the horror of the Queen and the priests, the babe began to laugh gleefully as the rest of the water boiled off his skin, and he continued to laugh during the rest of the trip back to his crib in the castle.  

Priests are not known for having loose tongues, but the deacons watching the ceremony from the pews were not so tight-lipped. The very next day, the seeds for the prince’s demon ties were sewn among the common folk who frequented the church. 

After, away from the prying eyes of the court and the holy men, the prince was given the name Gabriel Eligor, the first of his name, and the heir apparent of the Irkallan throne.  

He would never again return to the Church of the Eternal. 

A few months later, a serving girl found the infant Grabriel chewing on an object in his room. Concerned that it was not one of his toys, she rushed to remove it from his grasp, only to scream out in horror when she saw luminescent feathers sticking out between his teeth.  

The prince had somehow acquired one of the messenger hummingbirds and shoved it fully into his mouth. 

The poor girl ran out screaming, her skirts covered in tiny splatters of the creature's blood. She sent for a folk healer who struggled to free the corpse from Gabriel’s hold. The man had to remove the bird piece by piece, with Gabriel giggling during the entire encounter.  

Later that day, the entire court was a buzz with the news of the prince’s unusual appetite, with the final nail in the coffin being the quiet removal of the servant girl, who was seen leaving the castle with a hefty coin purse. 

From then on, no one doubted that something was terribly wrong with the princeling.  

Then, at the age of three, Gabriel began vanishing from the castle grounds. 

The first time, the entire court was in a panic. Despite the rumors, Gabriel was the only living heir to the late king. As such, the initial culprit was kidnapping. A prince of the realm would fetch a hefty price from the crown and would cause utter chaos in the line of succession.  

Others who fully bought into the demon influence upon the prince began to wonder if it was a demon possessing him that forced him out of the castle, or even worse, that the prince was a demon himself, and had used unholy powers to walk through the walls.  

He was found hours after his vanishing, unharmed, sat atop a wheat barrel in the city square. The common folk had thought him to be an abandoned child, so no one alerted the city guards until a royal guard from the castle recognized the prince’s bright blonde hair and freshly washed clothes. 

 None of the theories among the court were to be answered. Instead, they only grew as month after month, and year after year, Gabriel Eligor would vanish, leaving his wet nurses, his guards, and his mother the Queen in a state of confusion, fear, and paranoia.  

” by the common folk. It was all for a good laugh at the local taverns, but for the court, the church, and the High Council, the prince’s abilities and demonic symptoms were becoming worrisome. 

Two years after the first vanishing, a new disappearing act swept the court up in a gossiping frenzy. 

“They’ve sent out twelve of the royal guard! Did they find him?” 

“I’ve heard from my servant that they discovered him on the other side of the city wall...apparently alone with some

“Communing with his demon no doubt.” 

“That doesn’t require half of the royal guard though...it’s something else this time.” 

The whispers hushed as the massive doors of the throne room were pushed open, revealing two royal guards in their red armor and silver cloaks. They marched purposefully through the long, arched space, parting the lords and ladies to reach the stone platform which seated the Irkallan throne.  

It was an old thing. Nothing large or magnificent like the castle that housed it. The throne gave off a slick sheen, like the cracked rock that made up the chair had been dunked in oil. 

Queen Marienne sat atop it, her white knuckles flexing over the armrests while her black and red skirts flowed effortlessly into a pool around her feet.  

“Your Grace, I have come bearing news on the prince’s situation,” one of the guards said. 

The Queen leaned forward. “Approach the throne, commander O’Connell.”  

The commander of the royal guard bowed and then stepped up onto the platform with the Queen, lowering his voice. “I’m afraid we are unable to bring the prince home.”  

The Queen sighed, closing her dark eyes briefly. “What is it this time? Another farmer? A traveler? 

“He is safe...as can be in his current location,” O’Connell assured her. “The problem, however, is that there is...an 

 barring the men’s way to the prince.”  

“Speak plainly. I highly doubt it’s worse than what the sheep of the court have come up with.”  

O’Connell paused, swallowing before responding. “It’s...it’s a dragon, my Queen.” 

Horror washed over the Queen’s features, her skin paling and her knuckles tightening to the point of nearly bursting through the skin of her hands. Several of the lords and ladies who had inched closer to the dais to eavesdrop retreated at the sight.  

 “In the eastern woods, your grace. We found him sitting under the beast’s shadow.”  

The Queen rose, her skirts falling in place around her legs. “Take me there.” 

 The court noticed the Queen standing up from her throne. Many began to whisper again in earnest. 

The second guard who still stood at the bottom of the platform raised his brow at the Queen’s command, looking to O’Connell who looked like he wanted to shove the Queen back into her seat.  

“My Queen, it’s too dangerous. Let the men-”  

, Commander. Dragon or no, I will have him safely returned to me. Unless you think you and your men will do the job instead?”  

The commander lowered his head in shame. He did not have the heart to out his men on feelings that at this point he believed were valid. Most were not willing to risk their lives for a prince they believed to be tainted by evil. 

And so, the Queen swept out of the throne room, followed by the two royal guardsmen and three of her personal guardsmen. She ordered her handmaidens to bring her a set of her most fire-resistant armor and to have a fresh horse prepared for the journey to the wall.  

Sony a7II with Jupiter m21 - f4, 200mm vintage prime lens. From southern Finland. Local meadows and forests.

Olli Kilpi

Marten Newhall

Maddy Baker

Kyle Wilson

The Demon Beneath the Dragon's Shadow

A Prequel

Everyone in Irkalla knew that the prince was demon-touched. 



The heinous rumor began where most do, in the Church of the Eternal in the capital city of Anglafalla. 



The Demon Beneath the Dragon's Shadow

A Prequel

This is an Exclusive Story for supporters of Amanda Starks

About the Creator

Amanda Starks

Comments (1)

Upgrade to see comments and join the conversation

Keep reading

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners | Love, Death, and Cyberpunk

The Demon Beneath the Dragon's Shadow

A Prequel

This is an Exclusive Story for supporters of .css-13w9qce-Text{display:inline-block;color:var(--text-accent);}Amanda Starks

About the Creator

Amanda Starks

Comments (1)

Upgrade to see comments and join the conversation

Keep reading

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners | Love, Death, and Cyberpunk

This is an Exclusive Story for supporters of Amanda Starks