The Memoir of Prince Xentros Zentavion

The Memoir of Prince Xentros Zentavion

March 2, the year 1000: This is the first time I’ve written a journal, but after today’s events I can’t help but feel like I need to write this somewhere. It feels like I have faded from existence almost, as it’s been over a year since my incident with the centaurs. Nothing of consequence has occurred since then, and life has been relatively peaceful. That isn’t all I’ve done, however. I have been searching endlessly now, looking for a cure for my cursed eyes. Today, my quest has come to a resolution, though it is not completed. I have found, through consultations with great magicians and divines from each of the kingdoms that, while as a whole curses are removable, mine is not.

Let me explain how the curse came to be;
When I was 15, close to 5 years ago now, I was approached by a mysterious wizard who presented me with a deal. Should I be able to take on and beat a marauding group of 25 centaurs, I would be granted the strength and speed of one of their best warriors. The drawback if I lost, however, was that the wizard would place a curse on me, one that was the mark of a demon. Seeing this as an opportunity to gain strength to better defend my kingdom, and the deed itself was to protect my kingdom, I accepted his proposal. I had never faced more than one before in my life, however with the help of my closest friend Sheila, it was akin to a walk in the park. I figured I’d be able to do this and save the people of Illian from ever finding out about such an event, as we have coexisted with centaurs since the Divine Rebirth.
I was mistaken. Defeating even a single enraged centaur was difficult enough, but being unable to separate any of them from their traveling companions, I was stuck fighting them all simultaneously.
The wizard saved me, but at the cost of the lives of the centaurs. I would have preferred he let me die than to see all of those creatures killed, but I was grateful he saved me none-the-less.

The curse itself was placed on me shortly after the wizard saved me. He explained how the centaurs were under the influence of a demon, apparently a servant of Archdaemon who was trying to infiltrate our world from wherever he was. Breaking the hold it had on the centaurs could only be done by incapacitating them, while killing them would bring about the demons power manifesting at a greater rate in the closest person to their death’s other than the killer’s. The wizard told me of his inability to hold back, and that he could only kill, thus why he sought out my help. At the resolution of his speech. a red mist began forming over the corpses of the wild creatures. A mist that slowly moved towards me, stunning me in place as it entered through my nose, eyes, and mouth. My body began to blaze with heat from the new energy coursing through it, though it was a power i was unfamiliar with and one that was not pleasant.

I found that, with the curse, my senses were heightened, and I could kind of feel the negative emotions in the air if they were strong enough. With these new senses, however, came a greater cost: the voice. It started out as a whisper, something I thought i was imagining. It grew louder as time went by, resulting in there being times where it is all i can hear. It tells me to do these awful things; shoving, stealing, and even worse- murder and treason. Battling the voice isn’t always possible, sometimes it takes the help of those around me, and other times I can’t quell it on my own. The few cases where it has taken over me, I’ve found myself close to injuring those same people that help me to suppress it. It’s these times when i feel the weakest. I am unable to help my friends, and am in fact harming them.

This is the curse I bear. I have a better perception of my reality, seeing further and hearing the slightest of sounds at a distance superior to those around me. But it brings with it an unknown. A demon’s voice and his power of manipulation. An infliction of my darkest fears coming to life. I am trapped with this pain, unable to weaken it, and with no known way to stop it. Everyday's a struggle to not turn on those around me, but it is my hope that, regardless that there is no cure now, I will someday be able to rid the world of this curse, and remove all traces of demons from the world.

March 3, 1000: Hello again. This doesn’t feel any less awkward the second time around. I meant to write about how I have been training since my encounter with the centaurs. I’ve been honing my skills in magic predominantly. While in Arcadia I sought help on developing my Holy magic. Through grueling effort I discovered that they were guarded about revealing their secrets to magic, but luckily they took a liking to me and my determination and helped me out. I think what truly swayed their decisions was my sincerity when I said that I wanted to bring about a truly peaceful Terra. Whatever it was, I made a great deal more friends, and learned how to utilize holy magic more effectively. It’s still my weakest element, but I am now far more comfortable using it from day-to-day.

I’ve also gotten better with some weapons, such as a staff and spear. Hands down my favorite non-magical achievement has to be learning how to shoot a bow though. It is so exhilarating watch the projectile arrow sore through the air until it impacts with it’s target. I can’t wait to begin infusing magic into the arrows and testing the results… It makes me happy.