There is a kingdom named Rythacon on a world both realities away and close enough to touch. The rulers of this kingdom, as they often are, were evil, despicable beings. They used their knowledge of dark powers to subjugate the lands near theirs, crippling them and levying exorbitant taxes on the people left alive.

  The actions of the King and Queen of Rythacon were not entirely without retribution. A young mother of no other particular consequence cursed the King and Queen as she died, having just watched her family slaughtered in front of her.

  The King and Queen were powerful, and had a deep knowledge of ancient arts. However, even they began to succumb to the curse, faces slowly shattering inward as if under the pressure if an invisible vise. Their most cowardly and craven of magics unable to save them, the King and Queen sought counsel from a being so foul even they went to her only in their final desperation.

  This being was The Apelissa, a beast so putrid and heinous that they very sight of her would cause grown men to vomit right at their feet at the slightest glimpse or whiff of her.

  She had once been a normal woman, but the hatred inside of her heart had begun to seep out of her.

  She had been tall once, but now walked hunched, a dragging shuffle of her misshapen tree trunk shaped legs scuttling her crouched form around. Pustules formed and burst with alarming regularity on her face, causing a small shower of white and green globs to rain from her visage. Her voice squeezed from between what sounded like two rusty rat traps, rats and all. The Apelissas teeth were in her mouth in a way that simply did not make sense, although they said that affliction had followed her from her normal looking youth. Her laugh caused women and small animals to immediately make urine in their pants.

  She eschewed clothing and instead wore stinking hides and rags, tied about her bulbous and unfortunately proportioned frame with bits of old fishing line and ropes. The Apelissas hair writhed and moved on its own, whether infested with vermin or alive in its own right no one was quite sure, just an undulating black and green mat on her head. The scariest part of The Apelissa was its eyes. They were still normal, and if you looked into them you could see who she once was, locked into this monster.

  Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!

  The Apelissa did know a way to save the King and Queen, and following her advice they had a child and passed their curse onto him. The King and Queen were thrilled to have been spared death, though they now had a child they had never wanted. More rightly they had the vessel to their curse.

  They named him Timothy and watched him carefully as he grew, for their curse was in him. They were worried that should he die, the curse would find them again. They were pleased as the curse manifested The King and Queen kept secret the reason for Prince Timothy’s difficulties. When they did happen to see him on accident they were quite clear how disappointed they were in him, insisting his issues must arise from a short coming of his own. Prince Timothy believed them, and this became a part of who he was.

  Then, on Prince Timothy of Rythacons 18th birthday, his face cracked. The curse had been diluted and slowed when it was transferred to him, but it still led to death. No magic in this world or any other was stronger then a mother’s love.

  The King and Queen were secretly delighted at this development. It meant that the curse had well and truly sunk into their son. They felt they no longer needed to keep such a close eye on their progeny, the coming of his 18th birthday had cemented their curse to him irrevocably.

  With that they ordered their son out of the castle and to a small house on the outskirts of town. Prince Timothy was confused at the sudden seeming banishment, but he held no great love for his wicked parents so he left without protest.

  Prince Timothy moved to the small house with his meager belongings, glad to be out from his childhood home and the unsavory beings that often frequented it. Prince Timothy’s neighbors knew who he was, and word of his affliction had arrived here long before he did.

  Prince Timothy filled his days with meaning, walking around the edges of town and through the woods to try and force strength into his battered body. He found various lengths of wood in his travels that he fashioned into various walking canes to help him move about. Aid of any sort had been forbidden by his parents, and he found getting around was much less painful and easy now.

  When Tim passed any townsfolk he kept his head down and stayed as far away as he could. They seemed to feel the same way, as he never happened to cross paths with anyone. Tim was not sure if this was due to the draconian nature of his parents or the disquiet they got peering at him…his deformities.

  Tim’s legs were curved a bit, the left more pronounced from the time it had shattered seven times in a year. When he walked slowly his gait seemed normal. If he had to speed up at all his difficulties became immediately apparent. His stride became uneven, short hops on his left leg and longer strides when his right was planted. The cane helped with this quite a bit.