[WP] The last king of a country ravaged by monsters and beasts. What will he do for his last hundred people?

No one knew how the portal opened.

It was about 50 feet in diameter and formed in the middle of a farmers field one day. Bright flames and dark smoke poured out from the earth, and from the heat and haze came forth unspeakable horrors.

The first few villages which stood in the horde's path stood no chance. The creatures had no moral standing, nor did they have any reservation. The bodies of the slain were torn limb from limb before they even reached the ground.

A few managed to escape these villages to warn about the coming destruction, but initially their claims were met with skepticism. It wasn't until the horizon began to burn with a faint red glow that the citizens of the kingdom began to worry.

Every night, the horizon became brighter and brighter as the flames from the portal grew stronger. The creature army, now in the millions, moved with destructive efficiency. Many kings went to war against the horde, but none returned home.

Soon, the kingdom itself had fallen, leaving only a few hundred people walled up in the castle. Thankfully, the monsters and beasts liked to enjoy their meals, otherwise their focus would have been turned towards the survivors.

The castle was surviving off of the flesh and blood of it's fallen brethren.

King Amadeus sat alone in his throne room, knowing that the time was short before the monsters scaled the walls.

Suddenly, a bright light filled the throne room. Amadeus shielded his eyes. A beautiful woman, who was dressed in pure white, materialized in the room.

"What do you want." The king said sorely.

The mysterious woman stood expressionless. "I have come to see you. Has your wish been to your liking?"

The King drew his sword and pointed it at the woman. "You witch! You didn't tell me that this would happen! There is no one left alive except housed in these castle walls! Why has this happened?"

The woman waved her hand and the sword in the kings hand suddenly grew white hot. He dropped it and grabbed his hand in pain.

"You asked me for youth. For beauty. I gave you this gift......for a price." She said coldly.

"You said that my kingdom would reflect who I was! Beautiful! Young! Why isn't my kingdom reflecting who I am?" The king shouted.

"When you became king, I offered you a wish. However, I said that whatever you wished for would also be manifested in your people."

"Why then is there death? Destruction? I asked for youth and beauty! You lied to me!"

The woman shook her head. "You lied to yourself Amadeus. Just like yourself, your kingdom has become vastly beautiful and bright. But, the darkness of vanity and pride has poisoned your soul beyond repair. You are dead from the inside, like a beautiful day during a drought."

The king felt his heart drop in his chest. The realization of his selfish request soon became apparent. But there was no way to change it.

He ran before the woman and fell to his knees. "Please! I beg of you. Reverse this curse upon the land! Take away my youth and beauty. Restore the land for what it truly is. I can't bear to see anyone else suffer for my mistake!"

The woman reached out and touched Amadeus. "My dear King. I will indeed grant you this request."

"Oh thank you! Thank you! I will rule with a new heart from now on!" The king said earnestly.

"Hear this. Your kingdom will survive after today. But you will be consumed by the very thing that you desire."

The woman suddenly vanished. The king ran to the window and saw a dark cloud sweeping across the dark horde. As it passed, the horde vanished in a mist. In it's place, the kingdom revealed itself to be whole and intact.

"It was just a dream! It wasn't true!" The king shouted triumphantly.

He suddenly remember his wish. Running to the mirror on the wall, Amadeus checked to see if his beauty was still there. However, he was shocked to find that his skin and face was even more beautiful than before. It was soft as silk.

"Amadeus. You have learned your lesson and are the most beautiful and wise king to ever..."

He suddenly stopped. His skin was becoming so fresh and smooth that it began to run down his face. He let out a scream as his flesh began to melt like butter, shimmering in the light as it dripped onto the floor.

Soon, all that was left of the vain king was a shiny puddle of silky skin. His vanity and pride had consumed him whole, and for generations to come, both young and old would speak of the vain King Amadeus and how he made a foolish choice.

/r/WritingPrompts Thread