Princess Of The Skulls - Chapter 77: Chapter 77
You are reading Princess Of The Skulls, Chapter 77: Chapter 77. Read more chapters of Princess Of The Skulls.
The courtyard had become a battlefield unlike anything in recorded history. As I led my army of spirits through the castle's main gates, I watched living soldiers freeze in terror at the sight of their fallen comrades marching alongside their enemies' ghosts in perfect unity.
Lord Cassius sat atop his war horse at the center of his forces, his face a mask of fury and disbelief. The demonic influences surrounding him were more visible now, twisting reality around his position like heat waves. When he saw me approaching, his expression shifted to something between recognition and horror.
"So the little princess has finally embraced her heritage," he called out, his voice carrying supernatural amplification. "Your mother would be proud to see what you've become."
"My mother died trying to prevent this," I replied, my voice echoing with the power of the dead. "But her sacrifice only delayed the inevitable."
Behind me, my living allies took positions among the spirit warriors. Kael moved with lethal grace, his enhanced abilities allowing him to strike at both physical and supernatural targets. Aldric commanded a small force of Guardian-touched soldiers, their transformed nature making them capable of fighting enemies from multiple dimensions.
Master Dorian had positioned himself at the rear, weaving protective spells that would shield our forces from the worst of the demonic influences. But I could feel his concern through our connection—the power I was wielding was beyond anything he had encountered, and he wasn't certain it could be controlled.
"Attack!" Lord Cassius commanded, and his forces surged forward.
The collision was spectacular. My spirit army met the living soldiers with the fury of those who had been denied rest, while the demonic entities among Cassius's forces revealed their true nature, transforming into creatures of shadow and flame.
I moved through the battle like a force of nature, the skull relics around my neck blazing with power as I channeled the fury of generations of the dead. Every enemy that fell rose again moments later as one of my soldiers, their loyalty transferred to me in the moment of death.
But as the battle raged, I began to sense something else—a presence that felt familiar yet wrong, approaching from the castle behind us.
"Seraphina!" Kael's warning came just as I turned to see Father emerging from the great hall, but he was no longer the man I had confronted minutes earlier. Dark energy surrounded him, and his eyes held the same otherworldly gleam that I recognized in my reflection.
"You forced my hand," he said, his voice carrying harmonics that made the air itself recoil. "I had hoped to spare you this knowledge, but you've chosen a path that leaves me no alternative."
Through my enhanced perception, I could see the truth of what he had become. The guilt and manipulation I had sensed were real, but they masked something far more dangerous—Father wasn't just a king who had made terrible choices. He was something else entirely, something that had been masquerading as human for decades.
"What are you?" I demanded, calling my spirit warriors to form a protective circle around me.
"I am what you will become if you continue down this path," he replied, raising his hands as dark power began to manifest around him. "I am the last Skull King, the one who chose to bind his nature rather than let it destroy the world. And now, to save everyone else from your power, I must break those bindings."
The revelation hit me like a physical blow. Father wasn't my father at all—he was the ancient ruler whose bloodline I carried, the one who had supposedly died centuries ago. He had been alive all this time, guiding events from the shadows, trying to prevent another like himself from rising.
"You're the one the prophecies warned about," I realized. "The Skull King, who chose exile over destruction."
"And you are my heir in more ways than you know," he said. "Your mother was the descendant of the human family I loved enough to try to become mortal for. When she discovered the truth about my nature, she tried to find a way to break the cycle. Her death was necessary."
Around us, the battle between the living and the dead, human and demon, continued with increasing intensity.
But the real conflict was now between Father and me—two beings of impossible power, separated by centuries but connected by blood and destiny.
"I won't become what you were," I declared, gathering my strength for what I knew would be the most the important battle of my life.
"You already have," he replied sadly. "The only question now is whether you'll learn to control it, or whether I'll have to destroy you to protect the world."
As he spoke, I felt the ancient power within him fully awakening, and I realized that everything I had experienced so far was merely preparation for this moment.
Lord Cassius sat atop his war horse at the center of his forces, his face a mask of fury and disbelief. The demonic influences surrounding him were more visible now, twisting reality around his position like heat waves. When he saw me approaching, his expression shifted to something between recognition and horror.
"So the little princess has finally embraced her heritage," he called out, his voice carrying supernatural amplification. "Your mother would be proud to see what you've become."
"My mother died trying to prevent this," I replied, my voice echoing with the power of the dead. "But her sacrifice only delayed the inevitable."
Behind me, my living allies took positions among the spirit warriors. Kael moved with lethal grace, his enhanced abilities allowing him to strike at both physical and supernatural targets. Aldric commanded a small force of Guardian-touched soldiers, their transformed nature making them capable of fighting enemies from multiple dimensions.
Master Dorian had positioned himself at the rear, weaving protective spells that would shield our forces from the worst of the demonic influences. But I could feel his concern through our connection—the power I was wielding was beyond anything he had encountered, and he wasn't certain it could be controlled.
"Attack!" Lord Cassius commanded, and his forces surged forward.
The collision was spectacular. My spirit army met the living soldiers with the fury of those who had been denied rest, while the demonic entities among Cassius's forces revealed their true nature, transforming into creatures of shadow and flame.
I moved through the battle like a force of nature, the skull relics around my neck blazing with power as I channeled the fury of generations of the dead. Every enemy that fell rose again moments later as one of my soldiers, their loyalty transferred to me in the moment of death.
But as the battle raged, I began to sense something else—a presence that felt familiar yet wrong, approaching from the castle behind us.
"Seraphina!" Kael's warning came just as I turned to see Father emerging from the great hall, but he was no longer the man I had confronted minutes earlier. Dark energy surrounded him, and his eyes held the same otherworldly gleam that I recognized in my reflection.
"You forced my hand," he said, his voice carrying harmonics that made the air itself recoil. "I had hoped to spare you this knowledge, but you've chosen a path that leaves me no alternative."
Through my enhanced perception, I could see the truth of what he had become. The guilt and manipulation I had sensed were real, but they masked something far more dangerous—Father wasn't just a king who had made terrible choices. He was something else entirely, something that had been masquerading as human for decades.
"What are you?" I demanded, calling my spirit warriors to form a protective circle around me.
"I am what you will become if you continue down this path," he replied, raising his hands as dark power began to manifest around him. "I am the last Skull King, the one who chose to bind his nature rather than let it destroy the world. And now, to save everyone else from your power, I must break those bindings."
The revelation hit me like a physical blow. Father wasn't my father at all—he was the ancient ruler whose bloodline I carried, the one who had supposedly died centuries ago. He had been alive all this time, guiding events from the shadows, trying to prevent another like himself from rising.
"You're the one the prophecies warned about," I realized. "The Skull King, who chose exile over destruction."
"And you are my heir in more ways than you know," he said. "Your mother was the descendant of the human family I loved enough to try to become mortal for. When she discovered the truth about my nature, she tried to find a way to break the cycle. Her death was necessary."
Around us, the battle between the living and the dead, human and demon, continued with increasing intensity.
But the real conflict was now between Father and me—two beings of impossible power, separated by centuries but connected by blood and destiny.
"I won't become what you were," I declared, gathering my strength for what I knew would be the most the important battle of my life.
"You already have," he replied sadly. "The only question now is whether you'll learn to control it, or whether I'll have to destroy you to protect the world."
As he spoke, I felt the ancient power within him fully awakening, and I realized that everything I had experienced so far was merely preparation for this moment.
End of Princess Of The Skulls Chapter 77. Continue reading Chapter 78 or return to Princess Of The Skulls book page.