Orion's Death

Perhaps the reason was to make him feel despair, the werewolf assassin didn't immediately kill Orion Darkwood with the same agility and ferociousness that it had used to kill his men. It stood before the crown prince as if to make him realize what exactly had come to take his life.

“By the Maker! W-what are you? Your Highness, stand behind me!” gasped Weber.

Perhaps it was out of fright and a sense of duty of having served the prince as a boy that made the elderly valet say those words without realizing that he wasn't armed or equipped to protect anyone, not even himself.

Nevertheless, it was after a few moments of initial shock before Weber realized this point. But it was too late as at this moment, the werewolf swiped its claws and slashed his throat hence killing him.

Though Orion was also shocked and frightened by such a thing as a giant wolf-like creature in front of him, something he had never seen before but only read about in myths. But the death of his valet who had been with him since childhood jolted him out of his reverie. And although he was angry, Orion retained his noble air and said with a bit of bravado.

“I do not know what devil had sent you here, foul beast! But if you have come here for my life, know that I would not give it up so easily no matter how outmatched I am.”

Being born a noble and having served as a soldier, Orion quickly gained control of his emotions though still afraid, he maintained a calm appearance outwardly. Then, he drew out his M1911 pistol which he had already readied after also smelling the metallic scent of blood in the air minutes before, and roared, “Well. Come on then! Let this over with.”

Growl!

All that came out from the crown prince's adversaries jaws was a growling that sounded like it was accepting his challenge. 

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Orion fired the eight rounds of ammo from his pistol but that only barely scratched the werewolf assassin. Then something shocking happened that made Orion further shocked. The wounds he had inflicted with the M1911 pistol did not affect the creature and had instantly healed at a rate that was impossible to believe. Being someone trained in using pistols, Orion knew that it only took four bullets from an M1911 pistol to kill a man.

But this creature before him took all eight rounds and was still standing and even healed the injuries within the blink of an eye. How is that possible? What is it made of? Nevertheless, he had no time to begin analyzing all the extraordinary physiological makeup of werewolves, after all this wolf-like creature that stood before him right now came to take his life. And if he could not even deal significant damage to the creature. How was he to survive? That is if he could even kill the werewolf assassin.

Running out of options, and desperately trying to survive. Orion withdrew his longsword out of his sheath from his waist; he had decided to use this elegant weapon after witnessing how useless firearms were against the creature. With a frightening force behind his strike fueled with all strength that would have decapitated any ordinary man or at least imbalanced a skillful swordsman if he had chosen to bear the brunt of the attack rather than dodging it.

He would put all his efforts behind this strike to behead the werewolf. Alas, what he faced was not an ordinary man or skilled swordsman but a werewolf with claws that can easily cut through steel like a hot knife through butter. The werewolf, seemingly bored, also made a move at this moment and struck out with its right claws.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment before the weapons of the two adversaries clashed. 

Alas, the superior adversary won and the claws of the werewolf driven by its supernatural strength of over 200 tons easily broke the sword in two and with its powerful momentum tore through the chest of Orion Darkwood.

This one move sealed his fate, as it didn't just tear apart the flesh and tissues in his chest but also broke his left rib cage down to the right. Completely severing his aorta, blood gushed out almost instantly like a geyser pouring out hot water and steam and the tall and imposing prince fell to the floor.

Thud!

Though it took his life instantly, the last few moments before his heart stopped. In that fleeting moment, he thought to himself in regret, ‘So this is the end. Such a shame! And I thought I would be the one to lead my people to seize their freedom. Alas, fate was just too cruel and it sent a monster to take my life.’

‘My destiny is quite unfortunate,’ Orion continued to mock himself, ‘I knew I would die a violent death like any great revolutionary who stood up to an oppressor but never did I think that it would be at the hands of a monster. How unfortunate!’

For someone with such lofty ideals for freedom, and possessing the desire to see his people freed from the grip of a tyrannical nation. Perhaps, he would be too unwilling to die but sometimes not everything always goes according to plan.

As he lay in a pool of his blood, Orion Darkwood thought back to the time he had chosen this path of opposing Modena and fighting for freedom. Born into a wealthy household that had ruled Eleftheria for over a thousand years, Orion knew he would never lack anything from the moment he was born down to the day he would die.

But being born in such a chaotic period with five nations screaming under the weight of oppression of one superpower for over five centuries. As a young boy, Orion always wondered why as a member of the Royal family, they weren't doing more to alleviate the people's suffering.

Though he had always asked his father this question, the reply he got was that it is best to guard their interests first and leave the masses to fend for themselves because they are not truly the rulers of Eleftheria as they had been before the Paramount War.

It was only when he was older and had started to take part in political matters that he learned that his family are only figureheads and it was another superpower that called the shots and dictated how they lived their lives.