Chapter 32: Caden

　　If you place the Crown atop your head, you can break the curse. . . in exchange, you will lose your own will. Yet you get the chance to save everything.

　　Those were the promises of the Defiant Flame. The reason he left everyone behind. He had embraced the Crown`s power to save the world in exchange for himself. At long last, he would be better. He would no longer be selfish.

　　Darkness enveloped him. It was an oddly calming sensation, where his entire body was swallowed up - and his mind was placed elsewhere. When Caden awoke, he was in an unfamiliar environment. A place of nightmares. He lay on his back, and a bloody orb of fire shone above him. A red sun. The sky was a piercing black, yet everything around him was lit. The floor was of scorched earth, and as he shifted to rise onto his knees, a sword caught his eye, embedded in the land before him. In fact, many swords were scattered about, all standing upright and piercing the ground. The expanse upon which he stood appeared endless, and the tainted horizon obscured any view beyond.

　　Behind him stood a burning throne. An enormous black seat crowned with menacing spikes. Seated upon it. . . was a monster. He was a large man with a flaming skull for a head

　　adorned with black and red plated armor and a horned helmet placed on his lap. A colossal, spiked mallet leaned nearby.

　　Caden recognized the entity immediately. Although his face surprised him. . . he did not think that The Crown himself was not human. Yet, there he was, a burning skull.

　　"Welcome to my domain," said the Crown, his lips unmoving. The words seemed to infiltrate Caden`s very being.

　　"You`re the Crown..." Caden said. "But this isn`t how it`s supposed to be. Wearing the Crown was supposed to give me your power. It was supposed to break the curse."

　　"Human greed is easily manipulated," the Crown said. "You are not acquiring my power, nor can you wield it."

　　"But the Defiant Flame, it said. . ."

　　"The Crown`s offspring are skilled at manipulating others. You, son of ash, have manipulated others with their power as well, haven`t you?"

　　The Crown needs a vessel, said the Flame.

　　"You deceived me," Caden said. "I was misled..."

　　I did not lie. You put on that Crown knowing the risks. I offered you the chance to save everything, son of ash, so take it.

　　"Indeed," said the Crown. "Humans and their desires. It`s so easy to lie to them. I merely exploited your greed for power and strength. Put on the Crown, break the curse, how gullible you were. . ." As the Crown rose, Caden instinctively retreated. He towered at least ten feet tall.

　　"Why can`t I break the curse? I came here to eradicate the blood-red clouds and save our world. You`re supposed to be our ruler! I gave you my body. I sacrificed myself to save the world; isn`t that enough?" Caden shouted. "You stole my humanity! I didn`t even react when my dad was almost killed! You, you took everything from me."

　　"Your sacrifice was simply for you to arrive here. This was the deal we made. You put on that Crown, and now you get to speak with me, and I . . . I get to battle with the Tigress."

　　Luna was in danger. Why must everything be going wrong?

　　"Stop this! We shouldn`t want to fight her!"

　　"And what would you offer me in return?"

　　He had no answers.

　　"If you wish to make a deal with the Crown, you must offer me something of equal value."

　　Caden thought for a moment, something he had not done too often in the past. He needed to stop and think about his decision. The last deal he made backfired, causing him to lose himself.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

　　"I don`t know. . ." he said.

　　"Do you feel that I have wronged you? That you have somehow not gotten enough out of our deal."

　　"Enough! You and this flame, this accursed magic. . . You both manipulated me into coming here!" Caden put his hand over one of the many swords and pulled it from the ground. "I challenge you to a duel. If I win, you let me go and break the curse."

　　"Such a challenge is unnecessary. Perhaps something else should be given. . ." The Crown spoke softly. "Very well, I shall be the first to offer you the truth."

　　Caden relaxed his grip on the sword and took a step back.

　　"You were lied to. It is true, and I apologize, but it was the only way for us to challenge the Tigress. She seeks to destroy Elutia by granting us false freedom, which cannot happen. I am saving the world from her."

　　"You`re wrong!"

　　"You would have agreed with me only a month ago. Do not forget how you hated her."

　　Caden deflated.

　　"I needed you here, and bringing you to me was not an easy task. When you put the Crown on eight years ago, we made a deal. In turn, for Isabel`s life, you were given Heliomantic powers. When we failed to kill the Tigress, and instead Elena took her life, I had to employ a backup plan.

　　"Using his flame, I made Darian compel you to seek vengeance. You needed to be strong, and of course, he wanted that too. But what man would compel a child into seeking bloodshed? I had to push him just a little bit. In fact, he made it quite easy after that. The entire plot with Vance? Genius. And I never lifted a finger. He desperately wants you as a new Crusader.

　　"After you started your journey, I needed to get you back here and place the Crown on your head of your own free will. I compelled Elena to kindle you, and soon after, you were working for her to seek your false justice. You were all so greedy. I gave you one bone, and each of you did everything I asked. The Tigress was the only formidable opponent, yet manipulating her to fall in love with you would get her to do as I wanted. After getting Elena to keep her prisoner, it was so easy for her to fall for the man who would save her. Oh, how the world turns from greed. Pyromancy is such a boon of opportunity."

　　Caden relaxed his entire body. He dropped the sword he was holding and took a step back.

　　"What? You. . . you mean, nothing we did was of our own free will? You compelled us all. . ."

　　"You`re not very bright, are you," the Crown asked. "Pyromancy cannot force you to do anything you wish not to do. It would have never worked if Luna hadn`t loved her sister so much. And if you hadn`t loved yours so much, this wouldn`t have worked. The love of family caused all my plans to follow through. You humans doing horrible things in the name of your messed up sense of justice. I did not force any of you to do anything. I merely pushed you in the right direction."

　　"All of this, everything. . . our whole lives. We were conducted like your plaything for what? So, I would put on the Crown?"

　　"It`s the Tigress!" He shouted. "She plans to eradicate the safety of our home! We must stop her. You know this to be true."

　　"But I don`t want that!" Caden shouted. "Luna is good! She is a kind person and deserves to live! The curse must be broken, and the Sun must return! You. . ." he paused. "You cursed us; you did all of this. You were supposed to protect us!"

　　"I did protect you. The land was cursed to protect you from them."

　　Caden wondered, at that moment, what monstrosity, what creature of malice, what possible thing could exist that would scare even the Crown?

　　He could be lying. . . thought Caden.

　　"The Flame said it was possible and that I would get a chance to break the curse," Caden said. "How?"

　　"Simple. Defeat me."

　　"In a trial of combat?"

　　"In a trial of wit, son of ash."

　　Caden clenched his jaw. "What like a puzzle?"

　　"You could say. But here, let me ask you this. If you want the curse broken, you must give me something of equal value. So, what could you possibly offer for that?"

　　"My life," Caden said quickly. That was his original intention when he put on the Crown.

　　The Crown laughed, a wicked and terrible laugh, yet the skull did not move. "You`re so stupid! That is not going to work. You must be honest with yourself, Caden Arkell. What would you truly sacrifice? Come on! You`re supposed to be the hero, right! Tell me, are you willing to sacrifice the ones you love for the world? All of them? Would you let them all die? Or would you give up the world and sacrifice everything else to save Luna. Tell me, what would a hero do?" His voice grew louder and more animated. All his gestures were more intense, and his voice kept increasing in volume and pitch. "What choice can you make! Let us dance! Let us fight!"

　　Caden needed to decide. He opened his mouth to speak, yet he found that he held no answers.

　　"Exactly!" The Crown threw his arms up, the metal in his armor clanking together. "You`re pathetic! You can`t even make that choice! You want everything! Oh, you`re such a greedy child! I love it!" He sounded frantic and wild. "I love your greed! You want it all! You want yourself; you want Luna to live, and you want the world to be saved! Well, I say flame that! You can`t have it all, Caden! You must choose! Decide! Decide! Decide!"

　　Silence lingered in the air.

　　Nobody in the entire world deserves to get hurt.

　　Isabel`s words echoed through his mind. How could he uphold that virtue? No decision could be made until he met that. He needed to be better. . . and he was truly selfish for desiring so much. He wanted everything, yet every human wished for something. Perhaps the Crown was right. All humans are so full of greed.