Fallen Sepulchre

by J D Franx

  “Ember?”

  “Never mind, Yrlissa. Help me get him off the door so we can get out of here.”

  Nekrosa stepped up and wiggled the spear loose. The wizard's body crumpled to the floor as he eased his weapon from the heavy door. Ember helped Yrlissa drag the body aside before heading into the library with the others. Quietly closing the door behind her, Ember turned to discover an Elloryan knight's steel sword touching her nose. Another knight and two Elloryan military swordsmen held the others captive. Yrlissa and Sephi reached for their weapons, and Ember could feel Nekrosa preparing to tap into his magic.

  “I would not advise doing that.” Emperor Mero told them as he emerged from the shadows. A dozen more soldiers appeared with him.

  “Don't, Yrlissa,” Ember said, shaking her head.

  “I suggest you listen, assassin. Captain, remove their weapons and secure them, please. Make double sure the Dead King and his insane wife cannot utter a single word. The Ancients’ pendants don't seem to work when it comes to suppressing their vile magic.”

  “Yes, Emperor.” The captain and one of his men stuffed rags into Nekrosa and Sephi's mouths and secured their placement with a tie around their faces.

  Ember frowned at the sight. No speech meant no magic. She stood still as the Elloryan knights searched everyone, stripped their weapons, and tied their hands behind their backs. With a blade to their throats, there was no good way to resist.

  She winced as the Captain's hand lingered a little too long around her waist and her thighs while he felt for hidden weapons. Hoping to distract the man from his search, she rotated her hips into his hands when they slid along her ass. Looking her up and down, the Captain licked his lips. Ember smiled coyly in response and winked. She pressed into him harder, letting her body rub against his slow enough to make the Captain blush. He tugged at the bindings around her wrists as he clearly tried to compose himself, and Ember smirked, proud of herself. He missed the throwing knives sheathed inside her sleeves thanks to her flirtations.

  The Captain and his knights placed the wide assortment of weapons on one of the library tables and made way for Emperor Mero as he approached.

  Stopping in front of Ember, he grinned. “My future bride-to-be... I'm starting to think that you do not want to marry an emperor. In Ellorya, the Fae are worshiped like gods. Why would you not want that? Everything you could ever want would be yours.” Reaching out, he gently caressed her cheek and guided her closer to him. “And everything I ever wanted would be mine. A perfect arrangement, do you not think, my beautiful Fae?”

  Ember struggled to control her rolling stomach. “I have tried to be polite for months. I have tried too many times to make you see that I am not interested in marrying you or anyone else. My only concern since my husband died is to make sure Talohna doesn't fall into the chaos of war. The Blood Kingdoms have watched helplessly as Cethos is torn apart by civil war, the ArchWizard is still missing, and the Northmen are also on the verge of civil war while fighting back an Orotaq invasion all while you threaten to do the same here! Why can you not see what war here in the south will do to this world?”

  “Because it does not matter, my dear,” he said. Stepping closer, his hand grazed her body as it trailed from her cheek to her waist. “Wars are for making people like us rich and for those below us to wage. Besides, the Ancients will put an end to the all the troubles both here and there, and you and I can enjoy the pleasures this life has to offer like those of real power should.” His hand fell further. Grabbing her ass, he pulled her against him. Ember slipped a knife from her sleeve just as Yrlissa dodged the sword at her throat and leapt to Ember's side.

  “Leave her alone, Mero,” she snapped. Before the assassin could do anything, Mero grabbed her by the throat.

  Turning her sideways, he growled in her ear, “Because you are a friend to my bride-to-be, I will not have you killed right now, but you will not get another warning, elf.” Yrlissa stiffened at the rarely-used racist insult. Ember brushed her fingers against her friend’s hand, quickly pushing the blade into Yrlissa's hand. The assassin took it discreetly.

  “Fair enough, Emperor Mero,” Yrlissa spat, her voice full of disgust.

  “Good,” he said. “Captain, please, make sure this interruption does not happen again. I have a beautiful young Fae to woo.” He laughed lightly as the Captain led Yrlissa back to the others. “Now, Miss Ember, where were we?”

  “You were wasting your breath about marriage proposals, again.”

  “Right. I guess if I'm wasting my time, there is little to do here then. Are you sure that's your decision? Be warned, though, the alternative is not nearly as enjoyable for you even if it is much more so for me.”

  “I will never marry you, Mero. I'd rather die slowly,” Ember hissed.

  “Fair enough, my dear, but you won't die. No. I was thinking perhaps you'll become a new addition to my harem. Our enjoyment will make for interesting offspring. Do Fae and Human offspring still retain their Fae magic? We would have a pantheon of god-children. Do you not think?”

  “Never.”

  “Yes,” he yelled back, his anger flaring. “And, perhaps, we start right now.” He grabbed her by the hair and shoved her to the library table, pressing her face painfully to the hard wood.

  “Emperor Mero, sir!” the Captain interrupted. Ember hoped the man was among those who worshiped the Fae. “Stop. This isn't right—”

  The Emperor glared over his shoulder but did not stop. “Captain, take your men and secure the far hall.”

  “But, Sir...”

  Ember forced a smile for the Captain to see. It was her attempt to thank him, but she also nodded for him to go before he ended up dead. The least she could do was ensure his safety.

  “Now, Captain! My knights will be enough protection. After all, we are in control of the Dead King's castle. With his mouth stuffed with cotton rags, he and his crazy wife are no threat to anyone.” The Captain hesitated, his conscience clearly bothered him. “If I must give you the order twice, Captain, I will strip you of your rank. Am I clear?”

  “Yes, Emperor. Let's go.”

  Ember struggled as she stared after the Captain. He led his men from the library with an emotionless mask pasted on his face, never looking back at her.

  “Now… where were we, my dear?” Mero asked, lifting Ember's face from the table.

  “You were about to prove how much of a pervert you are.”

  “You are right. I was,” he said and slid his hand up under her evening dress. He slammed her head down on the table, leaving her dazed. The feeling only lasted a moment thanks to her accelerated Fae healing, giving her the chance to continue struggling.

  The rough touch of Mero's hand slipping around her hip to between her thighs set her off. Panic made her heart race. She dropped all her weight on the table’s edge and pushed with everything she had, catching his hand between her hip and the wooden table. The bones in his wrist flexed and it strengthened her resolve. Grinding her hip harder, she could sense his ulnar bone crack. It did not snap, but she knew he was hurting. He smashed her head into the table repeatedly until she finally released him. Swearing under his breath, he moved away to inspect his hand.

  “Fuck!” he nearly shouted as one of his knights offered him a strip of soft leather from one of his bracers to help.

  Waves of nausea overtook her stomach and her head spun uncontrollably. Ember collapsed on the floor and stared at Mero, trying to keep him in her sights. He swam through her dazed vision, though, and she blinked rapidly to clear her head. “What's the matter, love?” she mocked, her voice cracking as she put on a strong front. “Can't handle what you found down there?”

  With everyone watching Emperor Mero for his response, she eased her last throwing knife from her sleeve and balanced the blade on the floor.

  “Hold her down across that table,” Mero ordered, as he wrapped his hand.

  As they turned on her, she scrambled backward with little hope of getting aw
ay. They yanked her from the floor, cutting her bindings as they went. She fought for her life, kicking and screaming. The tactic doubled as a distraction, letting her slide the knife along the floor to Sephi. It was short lived as they tossed her to the table on her stomach, and Ember was unaware if the DormaSain Queen caught her blade but hoped it made its mark. they pushed her face down on the table once more. Each knight held her down by the arms, stretching her while one immobilized her by a fistful of hair.

  The position forced her to stare at Sephi. The Queen gave her a quick nod, letting her know she had the blade. Still, Ember caught sight of the Queen’s lips trembling with a knowing fear.

  Ember shook her head as best she could with hopes Sephi would know not to risk an attack just to save her. As much as she wanted it to end, she would not risk her friend’s life for her dignity. “Your tin cans have done this before,” she muttered. The Emperor stepped behind her and forced her legs apart.

  “They have, my dear. Not all my harem girls take to their duties right away,” he told her. He bent over to nuzzle her ear and the smell of him washed over her, making her stomach turn. She tried to shift away to no avail. “Neither did young noblewoman when I was younger. Most women need to be properly trained, and it seems you do as well. It is so much easier now that I have tin cans to do the hard work for me.” He confessed in her ear.

  Ember fought harder but knew she was no match for the two knights. The longer she struggled, the more exhausted and hopeless she grew. “You touch me, you disgusting pig and I'll break something a lot more important to you than your hand!” she threatened.

  “I highly doubt that, little Miss Fae,” Mero said as he pushed her dress up over her hips and draped it over her exposed flesh. “The only thing that will be broken, is you.” The Emperor opened his robe, and the rustle it made as it hit the floor sent her heart racing wildly. His good hand rubbed her hip almost fondly and she shivered.

  Out of the corner of her eye, she caught a flash of movement. Fear and worry surged through her but were quickly replaced with relief as she understood what she was seeing. A smile overtook her lips with the emotion. Mero’s erection pushed against the back of her leg and his fat belly settled on the small of her back as he nuzzled her neck, again. “See?” he said, licking her ear and drawing the affection out. “I knew you'd change your mind. You're already smiling.”

  Shifting to stare over her shoulder, she said, “Of course, I'm smiling, Mero. You're about to die, and you don’t even know it.”

  Distracted by her, he never saw the other three captives move. Her hands came free as Sephi and Yrlissa each stabbed a knight in the neck, sliding Ember's throwing blades past the gaps in their armor. Nekrosa yanked Emperor Mero back and snaked his arm around the naked man's throat in a rough choke hold.

  Ember turned and, after several attempts, managed to pull her dress back down over her legs as she shook uncontrollably. Acting on impulse, she snatched up one of Sephi's blue-bladed ice daggers from the table and rushed the Emperor, swinging it madly. It severed Mero's manhood and half of its companions. The blade’s magic flashed blue and froze the wound shut while Mero’s missing body parts fell to the floor with a resounding smack.

  “By the Gods,” Nekrosa exclaimed almost painfully and stepped back, releasing the Emperor. Mero stood on the tips of his toes and trembled. The frosted blade tumbled from Ember’s numb fingers as she tried to back away. She lost her footing, falling over herself as her body was out of her control. Tremors and quakes raced up and down her body as the full weight of the situation crashed down on her. Scrambling backward, she put as much distance between her and Mero until her back hit a wall. Her chest heaved with quick sobs, and she pulled her knees to her chest, but kept her eyes glued to Mero.

  Emperor Mero shrieked, but she barely registered the sound.

  Sephi stepped forward, untying the leather strap around her mouth and spitting out the cloth gag. In a hurry to help Ember, her and Nekrosa had foregone helping themselves. Now that she could, Sephi took the opportunity to ram the ball into Mero's mouth to muffle his screams.

  “Sit here, you fat bastard,” Yrlissa snarled as she shoved the emperor into a chair. She knelt beside Ember and gently rested a hand on her shoulder.

  “Don’t touch me!” Ember shrieked, slapping Yrlissa’s hand away. “Leave me alone!”

  Sephi glanced at Yrlissa. “Give her a few minutes, will you? Go keep an eye on the hallway.”

  “A few minutes is all we have,” Yrlissa persisted. “She needs to get up.”

  “And I said give her a damn minute,” Sephi ordered, putting her body between Yrlissa and Ember. “She needs it.”

  “I can hear you, both. I’m fine,” Ember whispered and lifted her head as if to prove her point. Rearranging her dress, she pulled it down to her ankles where it belonged and took a deep breath. “Help me up, Sephi, please.”

  Ember stood but barely. Her legs trembled, and she still struggled to keep her feet under her. “Find those Ancient amulets and destroy them. I want my magic back, please,” she whispered. Turning toward Emperor Mero, she stared at the man but said nothing more.

  “Ember?” Yrlissa asked. “Look at me? Please?”

  “What?” she answered. Her voice held a cold edge of defiance, but her eyes never moved from the emperor.

  “Hey...” Yrlissa touched Ember's chin, and she flinched. pulling away before finally shifting her glare to the assassin.

  “You're all right, it's over,” Yrlissa added. “He'll bleed out once the magic from Sephi's dagger melts. We have to leave, Ember.”

  “No,” she said softly. “He has to pay for what he did. It is what’s right.”

  “Stop, Ember, please,” Yrlissa whispered and moved closer. “I know what you're thinking, but you cannot. Fight the desire to make him suffer. If you give in to what you are feeling, it is a long road back—if you ever manage to find it. Your mind is twisting your Fae sense of justice into revenge, but the Fae cannot act on those feelings.”

  “I... don't... care. I am tired of listening to you. You betrayed me in the worst possible way. Your words mean nothing to me. What happened here today does not change that. Help the others locate those amulets and get the hell out of my face,” she said, the icy edge to voice never wavered. She pushed her former friend away.

  “Ember, stop.” Yrlissa tried one more time. “If you do this it will send you down a dark path. The Fae cannot act on feelings of revenge until they're much older—if ever. It is how Darklings are formed.”

  “She is right about that, hun,” Sephi added in as she returned from checking Mero's clothes and a knight’s body. Two Ancient amulets hung from her hand by their leather ties. “You know me well enough to know I won't stop what you're planning to do but calm yourself first.”

  “No,” Ember countered. “I am going to tear his brain apart, piece-by-piece, until nothing remains but a slobbering, dickless fool, and then I am going to heal the wound between the fat fuck's legs, so he can live out his life as a drooling idiot.”

  Nekrosa bent over to check the last knight for an amulet, clearly uncomfortable with the conversation. “Thank the Void’s black ass, this guy's clean. No amulet. As long as the Elloryan captain took his men to the far hall as ordered, we should be good if you smash those.”

  “Smash them?” Sephi asked, getting an adamant nod from Ember.

  “Please, don't do this, Ember,” Yrlissa begged. “It will change you.”

  “Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe if Kael had changed—been what everyone in Talohna wanted him to be so badly—he’d still fucking be here,” she snapped. Ember turned her attention back to Emperor Mero as he whimpered in the chair.

  Sephi grabbed her other dagger from the table. “Oh, babies, I missed you,” she whispered and wiped Mero’s blood off the first before kissing both daggers on the handles. Hammering the butts against the amulets shattered them, and the powerful magic-silencing effect vanished.

  “Hold him still
,” Ember ordered with no emotion. Nekrosa and Sephi held the Emperor down in the chair.

  “Ember. Please,” Yrlissa began.

  Anger rolled through her unlike any she had ever experienced, and she whirled on her heels to face Yrlissa. “No!” she yelled. “Naolass tongh.” Her arm shot out and magic blasted Yrlissa in the chest. The assassin’s eyes rolled back in her head, and she collapsed to the floor unconscious.

  “Shit,” Nekrosa let out, and Ember glared at him. He put his hands up in immediate defense. “No complaints from me! Just… she is gonna be pissed when she wakes up.”

  “Tough,” she grumbled and focused on Mero. “Hold him still.”

  Nekrosa pressed down on Mero’s shoulders as he and Sephi held the Emperor tight.

  Ember rested her hands on the arms of his chair. She snapped her fingers in Mero’s face but got no response. “Tongh aidora,” she whispered. Wisps of blue and green mist drifted from her fingers, and she pushed the magic down into the Emperor’s wound. The variation of the spell she had used on Yrlissa to deaden her mind would also take Mero’s pain, making him coherent once, again.

  It worked surprisingly fast and the Emperor sighed as the pain faded. “You healed me,” he said. “I knew you would come around—”

  “You are a fool, Mero,” Ember cut him off, her tone harder than steel. “I did not heal you. I numbed the nerves around your wound, so you can understand and comprehend what I am about to do to you.”

  “Ember,” Sephi whispered. “We cannot handle you if you go Darkling here.”

  She looked at her friend. “The more you listen to Yrlissa, the worse off we will be, do you understand that?” Sephi nodded. “You like to rape and abuse women, don’t you, Mero,”

  He laughed. “Just until they learn their role.”

  “You are not a coward, Mero,” Nekrosa said. “I’ll give you that.” The Emperor blew him a kiss over his shoulder.

  Ember grabbed his chin and forced him to face her. “Their role?” she demanded.