“Well, he likes the luxury, obviously,” I said, raising an eyebrow.
“The Frey dynasty are the richest and most powerful. They’ve been here for centuries,” Skit replied.
I walked over to the golden doors, occasionally glancing over my shoulder. The officer and his grunts watched us like hawks but didn’t move a muscle. I pushed through and found myself standing in a breathtakingly superb room. The ceiling was as tall as the main lobby. Golden details adorned every corner, every single element that stood out from the walls. The floor was wooden and lacquered. It had felt the soles of more than one emperor, yet it retained its sheen.
Past a cluster of velvety sofas and armchairs, staring at me in disbelief, was Emperor Tulla. His tunic reached down to his ankles, white silk with gold thread embroidery swirling across his chest and arms. A bejeweled pendant hung from his slender neck, his long, pale gray hair braided down his back. Tulla of the Frey dynasty was in the sunset of his life, but his eyes were young and daring, like two pots of molten amber peering right into my soul.
This Cerixian didn’t need to demand the attention and respect of his people. He had it from the moment he set foot into any room, and this place was no exception. Instinctively, I straightened my back. Skit almost fainted, the poor thing. I had a feeling he’d never been so close to his emperor before.
“What is the meaning of this?” Emperor Tulla croaked.
Behind him, on the tall, black wood desk, was a small mechanical bird. Its belly was wide open, and a message lay unraveled next to it. “I think you already know,” I said, nodding at the bird. I knew it was how they passed messages here, on Cerix.
The emperor measured me from head to toe, seemingly intrigued by the golden shimmer surrounding me. He wasn’t afraid. Merely surprised that I’d had the audacity to barge into his imperial palace like this. In his defense, he didn’t know me very well.
“You must be Lumi, then. The swamp witch,” Emperor Tulla replied, raising his chin slightly —enough to emphasize that he did not, in fact, fear me.
“Your Majesty, I’m sure you know why I’m here,” I said, testing the waters.
He shook his head. “The high chancellor deemed you a threat to this empire and promised he’d brief me soon enough, but he didn’t give me any details. I believe he’s on his way, along with—”
“Let me guess, Nalyon Martell?” I asked, my tone clipped.
He narrowed his eyes at me. “I take it you know more about this than I do.”
“Otherwise, I wouldn’t be here.” I chuckled. “Your Majesty, it’s pretty simple, actually. Your world is growing. The population is thriving, and so, the empire needs additional power for its developing cities and rural areas. Your high chancellor and his sniveling assistant thought it would be a good idea to capture a Hermessi child or two and use them for raw energy.”
All I’d just said came as a surprise to him. His facial expression was genuine.
“I’m sure you must’ve heard tales about Hermessi children by now,” I continued.
“I have. But I thought that’s all they were. Tales.”
The high chancellor and Nalyon Martell joined us, panting as they pointed angry fingers at me. “There she is! Shoot her! Kill her!” Nalyon screeched.
Soldiers came in, once again pointing weapons at Skit and me. This tableau was so repetitive, it tore a frustrated groan out of me. “Oh, for… Your Majesty, these two are plotting to destroy the life of at least one innocent half-Cerixian girl for profits. They will sell the Hermessi child’s energy to the highest bidders across the empire. It’s ridiculous. It’s cruel. It’s unconscionable,” I said.
“Nonsense! Shoot her!” Nalyon replied.
The soldiers, however, hesitated. They knew what I could do. They weren’t suicidal, after all. The emperor raised a hand and motioned for them to leave the room. “Please, enough with the aggression,” he said. “Stand back.”
To the high chancellor and Nalyon’s dismay, the Armed Forces soldiers obeyed without so much as a peep. A second later, only the five of us were left in the room. I was pretty sure I’d have to mop Skit off the floor pretty soon, but I did admire his persistence. Others would’ve run off as if their feet were on fire, by now.
“Your Majesty, don’t listen to her, she’s—”
“Shut up, Martell!” the emperor growled. He could certainly be intimidating, if he wanted to be. Goosebumps tickled my arms and shoulders. Color me impressed.
“Might I explain?” The high chancellor tried next.
“No, you may not. I’m not done listening to Miss Lumi here,” the emperor replied, then shifted his focus to me. “Please, continue.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you, Your Majesty. I’m about to reveal important information I’ve come across because I trust you will do the right thing and leave them be. I do not wish to see GASP’s wrath coming down on Cerix for this…”
“You would do that? Assault an entire planet?” The emperor frowned.
I nodded. “To protect innocent creatures? Yes, Your Majesty. And we have what it takes to obliterate an entire civilization if we have to. However, we prefer reasoning with the people. Violence is always the one scenario we do our best to avoid, as a federation of multiple planets from this universe and beyond.”
The emperor thought about it for a moment, then sighed. “I understand. Rest assured, you can trust me. I’ve led my people with honesty and integrity, and if there are elements within my government that employ other, more nefarious methods, they will be dealt with accordingly.”
The high chancellor and his assistant lost a few shades of color from their faces. The emperor was subtle to a limit, and they could probably sense the trouble they’d gotten themselves into. Serves them right.
“Alright, then,” I said. “There are at least two Hermessi children that I know of, born here, on Cerix. Their fathers, natural elements which you’ve all worshipped in the past, occupied the bodies of Cerixian males and bonded with females. From these unions, special children were born. It’s true that they carry tremendous amounts of energy in them. Their souls are powerful. We don’t know much about them—frankly, until yesterday, we didn’t even know they existed,” I explained. “Nalyon Martell here kidnapped one of these girls, a loyal servant to the empire, with the intent to enslave her and drain her body of energy to power up entire cities. He is to make a fortune out of it. He claims it’s his path to glory. And the high chancellor agrees. I, for one, think they’re both insane and evil beyond repair, because they fail to understand the damage they’d be doing to the Hermessi girl in question. They would eventually kill her. And for what? Instead of investing in clean power sources, or asking me for help, now that I’m here, they choose hostility toward me and my associates.”
“Your associates. You mean those GASP fellows,” the emperor replied.
I nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty. We are dealing with a serious problem regarding the Hermessi, and it has already taken too many lives in the process. We came here to investigate and save people, not to get tangled in Cerixian politics and corruption. We have better things to do with our time than to linger in your prisons.”
“Wait, wait… The GASP crew that arrived the other day is in prison?” Emperor Tulla was close to having a stroke with how angry he became. He glowered at Nalyon Martell. “What the hell did you do, you fool? I specifically instructed that the foreigners be looked after. Not jailed!”
“If I may, Your Majesty—”
“No, you may not!” the emperor snarled. “Is it true?” he asked the high chancellor. “Are you hunting Hermessi children?”
The pause that followed was hilariously awkward, as far as I was concerned. Just from observing his body language, I knew that Emperor Tulla was going to blow a fuse over this. Not only had he not been informed of Figgen and Martell’s machinations, he was outraged that they’d even thought of doing such a thing.
“Yes, Your Majesty, but you must understand that—” t
he high chancellor tried to explain, but the emperor raised a hand to silence him.
“Don’t you dare,” he said. “We have engineers dedicated to developing more powerful wind turbines and water mills. We’ve got teams placed around the Thousand Waterfalls, south of the Rose Domain, to draw power from them. There are at least three other energy projects that I’m currently aware of, each of them perfectly capable of sustaining the population growth, and you went ahead and kidnapped a girl? Are you kidding me?”
The high chancellor opened his mouth to reply, but the emperor wasn’t done. He’d only paused for breath.
“You should be ashamed of yourself. I know you didn’t like any of the projects I allowed through because they took too long, but come on, Dellon… How could you even think about draining a girl dry like this? Who told you it would be a good idea?”
Though I doubted he was aware of himself, the high chancellor briefly looked at Nalyon Martell, who was seconds away from soiling his pants and was no longer able to look the emperor in the eyes.
Emperor Tulla scoffed. “You, Martell? You’re the high chancellor’s assistant. That means you bring him a hot drink, you transfer his messages, and you make sure the Cerixian governmental bodies do what he passes into law. Is there a law about torturing Hermessi children that I’m not aware of? Last I checked, they were the stuff of legends.”
“No, Your Majesty, but if you’d just—”
“Just what? Listen? I’m sure you would’ve told me all about this before you even started looking for a Hermessi child, had you thought you were doing the right thing,” the emperor replied. “But you didn’t. You went behind my back. You betrayed the empire. Hermessi children are true miracles, and instead of coming to me with this, you decided to exploit and destroy them for profits!”
“Your Majesty, he allowed it!” Nalyon moaned, pointing a finger at the high chancellor.
“And there it is.” I chuckled. “The weasels turn on each other.”
“How dare you?!” the high chancellor’s indignation bordered on the cheap dramatic. “I’ve never—”
“Enough!” The emperor’s voice thundered across the room, silencing them both. I heard Skit giggle by my side. “This is unacceptable. Who is the girl?” he asked me.
“I believe her name is Inalia, of the—”
“Foreign Outreach branch, yes. I know her. A good Cerixian. Loyal and studious, noble and kind.” The emperor sighed, then threw the high chancellor a sickened glance. “You were going to sentence that innocent creature to a life of pain and indented servitude… and a slow death, for glory and fortunes? Dellon, you disappoint me.”
“Your Majesty, please, I—”
“No. Enough, I said,” the emperor retorted, then rang a small bell he kept on the desk behind him. In less than ten seconds, a dozen guards had rejoined us. “Take Nalyon Martell and Dellon Figgen into arrest, until further notice,” he commanded. “As of today, they are both stripped of their titles and authority. Their actions could have plunged the entire planet into an all-out war with this GASP federation. It would’ve destroyed us! Send a message across the empire; make sure everyone knows. Halt all their legal and administrative processes until I nominate a council to assess what moves forward and what is rolled back. Am I clear?”
One of the Armed Forces soldiers nodded. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
The high chancellor and his assistant didn’t stand a chance. They tried to protest the emperor’s decision, but the soldiers were quick to immobilize them and drag them out of the room. They were in for a world of pain, if my assessment of the emperor was correct.
A minute passed in silence, as he stared at the now-closed gilded doors. This was an abrupt change, even though he’d been the one to cause it. He’d made the right decision, of course, but he was now tasked with finding a replacement for both positions Dellon Figgen and Nalyon Martell had left behind. It couldn’t be easy. I allowed the shimmering bubble to dissipate. It was just the three of us now, and I had the spell ready if I needed it again.
“I’ll have to select a new high chancellor and assistant,” he finally spoke. “In the meantime, their responsibilities will be given to those immediately beneath them in rank.”
“I’m sure you won’t have a problem with this,” I replied. “After all, you’ve got a beautiful and thriving empire here.”
“Yes, well, despite this recent and devastating fault, Dellon was actually a competent leader,” the emperor grumbled. “But such cruelty and murderous ways cannot be tolerated, under any circumstances. Anyway, I will make sure that the Hermessi children will not come to any harm. The Cerixian Empire is their home, not their prison.”
I nodded slowly, appreciating the clarity in his line of thought. He didn’t hesitate to root the evil out as soon as he became aware of it. It spoke nicely of our future diplomatic relations.
“Your Majesty, I fully appreciate your intervention,” I said. “I’m sure our worlds will build a strong and lasting relationship, going forward.”
“I hope so! Now, moving on. I will make sure that the Cerixian Empire complies with all of GASP’s demands. I understand you’re in need of assistance,” the emperor replied. I took a minute to fill him in on everything that had been discussed among GASP officers until then, including our determination to capture and, if needed, eliminate the cult members. He listened, patiently, occasionally breaking into a cold sweat—especially when I mentioned the Hermessi’s involvement. He wasn’t comfortable with any of it.
“Your Majesty, are you a believer?” I asked.
He nodded. “I worship. Yes. But this… this is unexpected, to say the least. Some might even find it hard to believe, that the Hermessi would want to harm us in such devious ways.”
“Nevertheless, the facts point to it.”
“They do.” He sighed, then smiled at me. “You have our full support. I will confer with our generals today, and make sure the Armed Forces assist you to the best of their abilities.”
“Your Majesty, that is much appreciated,” I replied, then pressed the call button on my earpiece. “Taeral, get the crew over to the emperor’s palace. We all need to talk.”
“Roger that.” Taeral’s voice came through, crystal clear.
The emperor seemed confused. “Who were you talking to?”
“My team. They’re on their way. I haven’t given you all the details of our mission so far, and they’re the best ones to do it. Besides, Inalia is with them.”
“Ah, yes, good. The girl deserves an apology on behalf of the Cerixian Empire,” he said, then took a seat behind his desk. He leaned back into the chair, looking exhausted. “You know, it’s hard to be me.”
I laughed. “I can imagine, Your Majesty.”
“And I must admit, this whole Hermessi ritual and death cults thing… It’s terrifying.”
His brow furrowed. I sympathized with his concern. Up until now, their biggest worry had been how to build an energy supply system that could sustain their growing population. Now, they had murderous fanatics and natural elemental entities looking to screw them over.
“But to every problem, there is a solution,” I said in a bid to reassure him. “And where there isn’t, we make one.”
I wasn’t entirely sure I was speaking truth, this time. We’d used the Hermessi against Ta’Zan because we’d known them to be the most powerful beings in existence—older than time itself. How the hell could we stop them, if they’d basically created the conditions that made us?
Taeral
It was time to get a move on. Lumi had succeeded in her mission with the Cerixian emperor, and we were now cleared of any wrongdoing. Inalia and Eira were to be left alone, as well, and I found myself genuinely relieved and seconds away from smiling. Despite the turmoil and bucketloads of weird that were constantly chucked at us, we were making some progress.
I teleported the entire crew to the imperial palace, after Inalia showed it to me from the rooftop. Riza and Herakles held on to the
parchments they’d rescued from the now-defunct library. We found Emperor Tulla in his lounge room, with Lumi and a Cerixian soldier I hadn’t seen before.
After the initial surprise of our appearance, the emperor smiled.
“Welcome,” he said, comfortable behind his massive desk. “It is an honor to have you all here, and, please, accept my apologies on behalf of the Cerixian people for the behavior of Nalyon Martell and the former high chancellor, Dellon Figgen.”
“No apology needed, Your Majesty,” I replied, then bowed curtly. “Those with devious minds will weave the craftiest of lies to get what they want. We are simply grateful that everything was cleared up, and that two of your most loyal citizens are no longer in danger.”
The emperor nodded slowly, his gaze lighting up at the sight of Inalia and Eira. “Come closer, ladies.”
Both were understandably reluctant—especially Eira. She’d managed to keep herself under the radar for much longer, after all. I gave her a friendly nudge and a reassuring smile. It was time for her to acknowledge her origins and stop being afraid of what others might think.
Eira and Inalia bowed before the emperor, who offered a nod in return.
“Your Majesty, it is an honor to meet you,” Inalia murmured.
“Likewise, my child,” he replied, then looked at Eira. “And you, Miss Dorres, your reputation precedes you. I admit, I didn’t even think that Hermessi-Cerixian offspring were possible, but, given the both of you standing here today, I suppose the universe works in mysterious ways.”
“Please, forgive our secrecy regarding this,” Eira managed.
“Nothing to forgive. You are rare and precious, and you will be treated as such. It will be made into law. I’m going to write the edict myself,” the emperor said.
Inalia sighed. “If I may, Your Majesty… I think I speak for both Eira and myself when I say that we don’t want to be treated differently from other Cerixians.” She looked at Eira for a moment, who flashed a half-smile. “We only ask that our fundamental rights as citizens of this empire be respected. I don’t want to be plugged into anything in order to light up some posh neighborhood’s streets, if you know what I mean.”
A Shade of Vampire 70: A Breed of Elements Page 15