Old Bones Lay Here.

Euphoria!

Prince felt it rummage through his body - joined by something else lurking within too.

A thundering pound vibrated from his chest.

A terrifying devouring beast of ice rose from the pits of his stomach.

Prince's hunger eluded him. 

His throat was barbed and flaky.

Liquid Nitrogen ran through the veins on his forehead.

A chill - a shiver, ran through his body, pulsing with tenacity.

Prince was at a loss for words; he silently allowed the convulsing emotions to run their course.

He cracked his neck.

The fog in his mind had partially cleared but in its wake it had left - 

Agony!

Prince's heart was stabbed a million times. Stabbed yet it remained without puncture wounds. It stretched, it twisted, it compressed. 

Such a troublesome heart!

Rip it out of me!

Burn it!

Destroy it!

Punish it!

This heart!

It's no comrade of mine!

A traitorous heart!

His heart pounded with mocking pride but Prince throbbed with fury!

Prince had many words to describe his bastard heart but he bottled them.

His blood was still boiling but his face was expressionless. 

On the other side of this wall lay a man.

Awake? Sleeping? Dangerous?

Prince did not know. All he knew was his stomach twisted more violently every moment he faltered.

A representation of my sorry state.

The bone knife was still in his hand.

Tightening his grip, he cut through the wool like a butcher - a barely large enough hole for himself. The sheared wool fell to the floor and Prince tidily tucked it to the side.

Now that I think about it, I could use the wool for a pillow, or try to improve my bed.

It was not long until Prince reached the bare wall.

He was swift and fueled with cold resolve.

He feverishly clawed for a grasp at the wooden wall - he searched it bare for any vulnerabilities. He did find what he was looking for - he found many. That wall was decaying disgustingly.

Prince's heart was still held in an icy embrace.

Death awaits me! Who have I to fear?

Prince shoved himself into the gap - squeezed against the splintered wood.

Prince frowned.

I hope this man is dying - better yet, maybe I'll be blessed to stumble upon a corpse!

He used the bony blade once more to twist and turn into the gaps leaving echoes similar to that of rats scurrying across polished floors.

Finally!

A hole was made, faint light shimmered through.

Dazzling!

The light was like sweet nectar that Prince had been deprived of.

Slowly, meticulously, carefully, Prince was thorough and dilligent. He continued, the stars that gazed back at him were his humble reward.

A humble reward for a humble man!

He grinned in glee.

But did he have any right to grin?

Fear washed over him.

What if he's awake?

His heart plunged into icy depths once more.

This is so stupid.

He laughed.

A dying man should have no complaints !

A dying man shouldn't be picky !

I will steel my mind and my will become the fuel that fires the forge.

I must do it, let not fear chain me like it has done before !

Yet Prince could feel the icy chains attempt to shackle his wrists.

Glory!

Sweet futility!

Chains made of ice can't hold me!

Laugh!

He laughed !

He laughed some more.

Continue to etch away, let us see what awaits us today!

Is it death or is it nectar?

For somethin sweet, I would love to eat!

Prince etched the wood away as if he was removing flesh from bone.

A little here, a little there.

Vulnerabilities beware !

Prince donned the smile of a man free of greed.

I'm irresistably hillarious aren't I?

A sinister snigger permeated the walls of his dark abyssal mind.

Prince allowed a satisfied smirk to rest on his face.

Unusual! And here I was trying to calm myself down! Nothing but delicious apathy awaits me. Apathy, such a delightful emotion, oh sweet apathy! Bless me forever, be my strength and my pride. Such a useful emotion! The thought of apathy makes me euphoric!

Hilarious!

The wooden wall was about to crack open.

I wonder, has the bastard realised yet. Has he realised there's a rat in the wall? A rat with a knife! Probably not, I took the utmost care in infiltration and progression through this bastard hive. How would he have know? I have an undefeated mastery in stealth!

Prince took a deep breath.

Bastard, fear me! For I am the Prince of Nothing and a harbinger of agony, fear my despise and beg for my mercy.

His eyes tensed, he projected a wide and strong gaze.

The mania seeped from his pupil.

Prince pushed upon the wall, the wood creaked - the first sound to be heard in many a while.

Prince dashed through the hole in a daze of fury and manic impulse.

Such a push he needed. The light was a bit dazzling at first, but Prince quickly adapted, he spun around on the spot clutching his dagger close to his chest, ready to pounce.

No danger awaited Prince, at least not for the moment.

There was no rushing threat, no large man with a will so damning to take both him and Prince to the depths of hell. None of it. Instead Prince was met with a hollow room - nothing but a bed.

A bed which a man lay on.

Prince was especially tense. The blood in his veins pumped with divine will. His muscles twitched like rubber bands being snapped.

Prince's eyes.

His eyes were like that of the offspring of a vulture and tiger.

Such bastard eyes.

Such fitting eyes for a bastard.

Prince stood there for a while - not moving at all.

Fool!

How long are you going to stand there?

Standing for eons!

What fear has gripped you?

Prince remained as still as a statue - he waited, until he couldn't no more.

Like a cat he gracefully swayed his way upon the bed - upon the man.

A broken bed of dark, red lacquer wood - Prince was fixated upon it.

The dark orange light which illuminated it.

For how long would it last?

What it matter to me?

Crawl upon! 

Descend already!

But no! 

Take your time, consumed by fear.

Disappointing fool.

Fast work is the devil's work haven't you heard? 

So why do you beckon me to haste?

Clearly you must be the Devil's spawn.

The short distance between Prince and the man who lay in the bed had become even shorter.

Prince was nearly able to look over into the lacquered cot.

Oh the curiosity, it's killing me - melting me from the inside!

To what will I bless my eyes with pleasure?

His hands twitched, his spine shivered.

Prince could barely just see over the wooden frame.

He saw crippled toes, dirty black and bruised toes.

He edged towards further slowly.

The outline of two legs hidden under a blanket.

Edging further again.

The torso - flat and underwhelming.

Prince's calves were like loaded springs - ready to bounce at any moment .

Prince trembled forward again.

He saw a face.

A ghostly face!

The face of a resigned man!