Broken Prince

Prince Errol Tyton watched over the city of Tytos on the last day before its fall. He stared at the gleaming bronze gold towers that twinkled in the light of the moon and stars, the white barn owl statues littered throughout the city streets, his half barn-owl people flying above the city streets, nervousness etched across their faces. Tomorrow none of this would exist.

“ I never thought this day would come.” said a voice that came from behind him.

Errol didn’t have to turn his head to know who it was. Dear old dad Archimedes Tyton III, last king of Tytos. Errol now turned to face him, father’s wizened stare bearing down hard on him. It seemed like the news had aged his already older father ten years. The crows feet at his eyes were made talons by stress and lack of sleep, his usually clean beard a mess by worry. A shame. One of fathers first lessons was about how kings were never supposed to look like their burdens. He supposed no one was perfect.

“ By the look on your face the ambassadors pleas fell on deaf ears.” Errol ventured.

His father sighed and moved to sit next to him. This was going to be a depressing conversation, Errol could feel it in his wings. He scooted over and pulled his wings closer to his body so Archimedes could have room to complain.

“ Our snake allies in Pythion don’t want to risk war with the Eaglemen when they are done with us so they won’t help.” Archimedes started.

“ They are snakes after all, can’t trust them.” Errol added.

“ You can say that again. Then there are the crows,”

“ Never liked the crows.” Errol spit at the mention of their name.

“ They apparently share the same sentiment, our representatives returned with plucked wing feathers. “

“ If we weren’t about to die that would be a cause for a war.” Errol noted.

“ A war we’d win. The only half guarantees we got were from the foxes, and you know how they are, and the woodpeckers.”

“ You could’ve just said we’re doomed. That would’ve been quicker.”

That brought a smile to his fathers face, a rare thing that was to be cherished. Suddenly he began to weep, bitterly and uncontrollably. Reality was dawning on him, cold, cruel, and all consuming. Errol patted his back and began to comfort him. Everyone responded to the end differently. He enjoyed the scenery of the city while father wept. Errol would be here for his father in their last moments.

“ It’s gonna be alright dad. Think about it, within a day there will be no more pain, no hurt, no anything, just peace.”

“ I wanted better for you son, for us, for the realm. You were supposed to rule a land of peace and prosperity, grow old, have children of your own. Not die, not like this.” Archimedes moaned with sorrow.

Errol lowered his head. What was a son supposed to tell his father at a time like this? Errol hugged his dad tighter, melding their emotions, trying his best to take away some of that sorrow. All of his fathers hopes and dreams turned to ashes in his mouth. He would never be able to comprehend it. They stayed connected that way for gods knew how long until the shrill cry of a barn owl interrupted their moment. That was the city's invader alarm, and the eagles should not be here for another day. Errol separated from his fathers grasp and flew into the air, staring at the dome that protected the city.

Flashes of red peppered the dome, showing that there was indeed an attack going on. The eagles were early, and the demise of Tytos with them. Father soon rose with him, hearing the same thing he heard and seeing the red dots on the dome. The shrill warning cry of the barn owl soon became an ear splitting hoot, letting all know that this was no mere drill. Tytoan warriors rose into the air in parliaments of ten, white and brown armor mimicking the wings of their barn owl sigil and ancestor. Errol and his father had no need to change for they were already in their wartime get-up, more ornate versions of what the regular soldiers wore. A silver owl helm adorned their head and golden owl faces lay on their chest, marking them as royals. More warriors came through surging upward, the Royal Guard and the elites, the best that Tytos had to offer eager to kill and defend the city. Errol surged with them, father at his side, going right through the skydome for it was transversible from the Tytoan side and hard as diamond on the outside.

Right as they entered Errol took one last look at his father, the great Archimedes III. Errol was no fool, father would die in this battle, long before he or most of the other warriors did. Men his age did not last long in the chaos of the sky. All he could hope for was he would be nowhere nearby when it happened. Battle commenced.

Errol hissed as he made contact with the screeching eagles. He extended his metal talons and let the mini-machine gun attached to his arm do its thing. Plasma beams leapt from his arm, eviscerating the eagles stupid enough to get in his way. Errol was super accurate, blasting down four or five eagles at a time, leaving nothing but the smell of burnt feathers and birdflesh behind.

If his gun didn’t do the job, his claws finished things off. An eagle man dodged his plasma fire, and headed straight towards him. Errol extended his claws and let the blades extend, skewering the eagle and letting the body slip from the claws. He licked his claws, letting the coppery taste of eagle blood fill his mouth and renew his bloodlust. Onto more killing.

The eagles got their pound of flesh as well. His parliament had been ten at the start of the battle and there might be two of them left. There was far more eagle gold and brown than barn owl white and chestnut. The eagles were cowardly, aiming for the wings rather than fighting them honestly. Several owls plunged to the ground, bullet holes in their wings and screams on their faces. Errol flapped and hissed, drawing attention to himself, daring the bastards to do to him what they had done to so many. They obliged, shrieking as they charged at him. Errol met them head on, spinning and slashing metal claws and firing plasma bolts simultaneously. Such a maneuver would be a death wish for an ordinary soldier, but he was of a different class. Seven eagles dropped dead from the sky.

For the masterpiece in murder he was putting on they were still losing, and worse he had been separated from his father. Without his help Archimedes would be like a chicken with its head cut off. The vanguard had shattered and Errol couldn’t see anyone clearly in the bedlam of the open sky. He dodged a ray of plasma fire before returning his own blow, turning his would-be assassin into a pile of burnt feathers. There was no time for this.

He soared around looking for his father, fighting eagles and skirting his own soldiers on the way. Errol looked for signs, a mass congregation of eagles, a parliament of owls gathered around one place. At first there was nothing but the randomness of battle but Errol started to see flashes of gold and red. Those were the colors of the eagle imperials, and they would not waste their time on small fry. Indeed they were a screeching hive of beak and wing concentrated around a group of Tytoans who paled in comparison.

“ For Tytos!”

That was his fathers voice, loud and shrill. Errol flapped his wings even harder, willing himself to fathers aide but he was cut off by a horde of eagles. Not now, anytime but now. Errol blasted his plasma gun and struck with his claws but the more he killed the more came. Soon he couldn’t even see his father anymore, just brown wings and beaked helms. The soldiers who were nearby noticed his struggles and joined the fray, but things still looked grim. Talon matched talon and plasma matched plasma in a sky lit on fire.

Then it came, the horrendous inevitably, the thing he had expected but would never be ready for. A clarion screech resounded over Tytos, triumphant and terrible.

“ Archimedes is dead!!!!!!! Rend his fledgelings!”

They had already been losing, now they were defeated. The shift in energy was palatable. The parliament shattered with their king, becoming every barn owl for themselves. How dare they disrespect his fathers legacy like this, and so soon after his death.

“ Fight back you cowards!,” Errol screamed tears dripping down his face, “ That man died for you!”

Whether they heard him or not he did not know, but they did what they wanted. Eagles picked off fleeing owls and started to descend towards the city proper. Massacring warriors was not enough, they had to kill children and civilians now too. Errol would not allow that, they had caused enough misery to last a couple lifetimes. He stopped flapping and did a freefall pushing through eagles straight towards where the dome was supposed to be. Except there was a giant gaping hole in what was supposed to be their protection. That meant the eagles were already in.

Errol extended his wings and went from a freefall to a dive, going through the hole and into the city of Tytos proper. Except there wasn’t really much of a city left. Buildings burned and corpses with holes from laser fire covered the streets. Eagles swooped down, slicing his fleeing people into ribbons and destroying everything they could get their filthy claws on. His home was falling to pieces before his very eyes. He landed and unleashed a wave of plasma fire, shredding several of the eagle men. Errol flapped and hooted madly, hoping to draw any survivors' attention to himself. The palace would not have fallen yet, not so soon after the eagles had entered. It was the most fortified area of the city. If there was anywhere he could hope to make a stand and hold out it would be there.

“Follow me to the palace if you wish to live!”

He did this several times hoping that his remaining people heard him. If his own people did not hear him the eagles certainly did. The birds of prey surged towards him and Errol steeled himself for more combat. Plasma bolts streamed from the left and right, tearing into the eagles and silencing their screeches. Men and women in owl shaped helms jumped from the tops of desecrated buildings and congregated all around him. Their faces were sweaty and drooping from the effort of battle and their armor singed from close encounters with plasma fire. They looked every bit like the losing party.

“We will follow you my liege, till we see the misty gates of Tytos’s halls.” One of them said.

You won't have to follow me for very long, Errol thought to himself. Grunts and murmurs were the only responses that unnecessarily enthusiastic answer got. got. Errol had a feeling that they were not as enthused as this fellow was but they were still his soldiers under his command. They would listen if he commanded it.

“ Go in parliaments of five and gather as many people as you can. Meet me at the palace when you feel you have enough. Me and,” Errol pointed to the closest three,” You four will head to the palace to make sure everything goes smoothly. Go.”

They went to do as he commanded and Errol hopped into the sky, his selected four joining him. Errol took the lead, clearing a path through dozens of eagles single handedly. He spun and slashed, letting metal claws and plasma bolts rending flesh and ripping souls. His chosen four killed what he couldn’t, their aim deadly accurate. Nothing less would be expected of a Tytoan warrior. Eagles dropped like flies at their charge and Errol could get a better view of the surrounding sky. The palace loomed ahead of them, eyes in barn owl shaped towers ablaze. That meant the defenders were still alive. Errol descended, blasting the eagles trying to break down the door.

The eagles switched their focus to their assailants and the palace defenders took full advantage of the switch. Plasma fire ricochet from the palace hitting the now distracted eagles in the back. Now was their chance. Errol pushed for the gate, knocking it with all his might to get the attention of the people inside.

“ This is Errol Albazion Tyton, your Lord and Prince! Let me in. ” He banged it even harder.

He wasn’t sure if they heard him or his obnoxious knocking, but the slow screeching of the doors opening gave him the answer he needed. It opened enough for a Tytonian to fly wings folded single file. They streamed through the gate, him and his four and just as quickly as they opened they shut close. Ragged ashen faced defenders greeted them, ushering his group deeper into the palace. He followed behind them, barking out orders as he followed.

“ Any citizens and soldiers that try to get in allow it. We will hold the palace until we can’t hold it any longer.”

“ Let’s see what the Captain of the Guard has to say about that.” A tall soldier replied to him.

Errol raised an eyebrow. Since when did the Captain of the Guard have authority equal to his own? That would be rectified soon. The war room where he would expect the captain to be was in the middle of the palace and probably the most important room left in Tytos. They were soon there and a man in still pristine armor was chatting with several people at once. Strixos, Captain of the Guard. Safe and sound while others died, just like him.

“ I am going to turn this palace into a refuge for the survivors. I don’t care what it takes or who dies, we are going to do it. Spread the news.” Errol ordered.

Strixos looked ready to argue but Errol stared him down, a look that should have silenced him. Unwisely Strixos continued.

“Sire, I do not think that is the wisest idea.”

“ And why not?” Errol’s voice shook the room.

On second thought that may not have been his voice. There was a very noticeable tremor that affected the room, the statues and paintings on the wall shaking. A crack appeared on the wall above and dust poured like rain upon him.

“ Since when do sky cities have earthquakes?” Errol thought aloud.

A look of revelation spread across Strixos face and Errol's face soon had the same look. Horrible understanding. The eagles must have reached the gravity belt in the lowest chamber of the city. Already? Merely touching it would make Tytos shake like a dog after a bath, destroying it would turn Tytos from a famed sky city to ground bound ruin. Another tremor made itself known, far more ferocious than the last one and Errol tried to run, slipping and stumbling over himself as the ground itself moved. Finally he fell, but he chose the wrong time to fall. A piece of the ceiling collapsed and fell on the one body part it shouldn’t have landed on. His wings. His beautiful chestnut brown and white wings.

Errol screamed as he heard the noticeable crunch sound, his wing bones shattering. Even if he survived there would be no more flying for weeks. The ground shook once more and then this time Errol knew for certain. He could feel the shift in his bones when it happened, the change in gravity. The gravity belt was destroyed. Tytos was falling. Errol soared without wings, crashing into what was left of the ceiling above as the floor rose. He could barely move, barely breathe, and soon black crept in from the corner of his eyes. He saw no more.

Errol awoke in a ruin of dust and rubble, feeling dirty as a pig in the muck. He tried to lift his wings but felt a horrid ache that made his back shudder. Oh right, they were broken. Flying was out of the question, how about walking? Turning his head slightly Errol noticed that his legs were buried under at least two feet of rubble. Looked like two feet, felt like a ton. That would take quite a while to get off of him. A loud screeching took him out of his thoughts and back to the horror of his situation. The eagles were still here.

He heard plasma fire, screaming, and then nothing. That screaming had sounded like that of a young woman, one far too young to serve in the army. Too shrill to be that of an eagle as well. The eagles were killing survivors. Of course they were killing survivors, they were eagles, that's what they did. That exacerbated things. Most of his body was still covered in rubble so his mobility was limited. If it came down to fighting he was also disadvantaged as his wings were lost, and his feet would probably be numb from being under rubble. Errol just had to pray the eagles were not as good at seeking as they were at killing.

The screeches and screaming continued as the eagles did their work, the sounds getting closer and closer to him. Errol worked quickly, ignoring the pain in his wings and arms, using these limbs to remove the rubble that entrapped him. His hands were bruised and bloody, and by the end of it he thought he would never be able to stretch his wings again. The eagles were directly above him now, their annoying screeches resonating even louder then before. Where would a 6 foot 2, broken winged, good looking owl man hide in a ruined palace? Errol snapped his fingers, an idea coming to his head. The palace had secret passages that lead to safe rooms scattered throughout the building. His father, owl gods rest his soul, had made him memorize these locations in the far more likely event of an assassination attempt than a city annihilation.

He had been in the war room before being knocked out, and if his knowledge of the palace blueprints was correct the nearest hideout would be at the exit that led to the third hallway. It was harder now since everything was rubble, but Errol had always possessed a good sense of direction. He went left a few feet and saw wooden splinters sticking out from under rock. What was left of the door. That meant the secret entrance was right underneath his feet. The scraping of metal talons on marble told him he was running out of time. The eagles would be right on his head soon enough.

Errol started to dig so fast you would’ve thought he was descended from digging owls not barn owls. Rubble flew from his hands as hard and fast as he once had, revealing more and more of a secret floor exit. Errol moved the last of the rubble out of the way and moved the hidden wooden exit out of his way. He opened it and realized he was damned. There had been a fatal miscalculation on his part. The underground had been made to secure quick escapes into open air, meaning that when the sky city fell down the underground was destroyed with it. Now he could hear the eagles' voices distinctly, hearing the orders that were being given out.

“ Check this room out now, break the wall down now.”

Errol rushed through a huge amount of options before settling on what seemed to be the least insane. He kept digging unearthing loads of rubble and crawling in, using his wings to bring the rubble back in over him. He had to flatten his already broken wings completely on his back to fit, and did not have enough space to roll over. The eagles broke through right as he fit himself in completely, the wall crashing down. Immediately they started digging, clearing the rubble he had set back over the floor in search of survivors. Errol had made sure to put the heaviest rocks under the wooden entrance, to deter the eagles from searching there. Surely somebody under several huge boulders would not have survived, they would think. He hoped that's what they would think.

He had to give them credit they were thorough. Several minutes must have past by and they were still not done. A pile of rubble a few feet ahead of him moved and he saw an eagle talon attachment scraping the rubble directly in front of him. It got closer and closer, stopping only centimeters away from his face. If the eagle man twitched Errol would need an eye patch. He didn’t dare move, breathe, or even sweat. He waited, hoping against hope that the eagle would backpedal and be on his way, that they would dig no further, that they preferred killing in battle to scavenging. The divinities were finally on his side. The eagle stopped and said in a commanding voice.

“ No one left living is here, just dust and rubble. Let's clear the rest of the palace out. We've wasted enough time killing dirt covered filth.”

He heard flapping and squawking and then nothing. They were gone. Errol heaved out a sigh. For now he would relax until the eagles were done combing the palace ruin. Not like there anything else for him to do. Errol once again closed his eyes, this time of his own free will.

When Errol awoke he heard no noise. Steadying himself he crawled towards where the eagle had made a hole and back into the ruined world of the palace. He walked through the palace and dared to peak out of a broken window but saw no red and gold flashing outside. He was home free. Errol continued down the broken down hallways and left through a hole into the wall into the sunlight, into a future that promised nothing.