by J D Franx
“But of course, their role,” he answered, “is to serve me.” He laughed again, louder.
Ember snorted. “That just makes this easier,” she said. “Emperor Mero, as the only Fae present in Talohna at this time, I find you guilty of crimes against your own people and against the Fae.”
“You cannot judge me, young Fae,” he growled. “My army will grind this country to dust for your disgraceful behavior—”
“Silence!” Ember hissed. “I am done talking with you, Mero.” She clutched his head between her palms and whispered. “Naolass tongh.” As his brain shut down, Ember closed her eyes and thrust her consciousness into his. Only one thought went with her and she used it to rifle through the Emperor’s memories until she found his very first act of depravity—sixteen-year-old Mero had forced himself on a young noblewoman a year older than he was. She followed the consequences of his actions as the woman’s family brought official charges to Mero’s father. money and favors had kept the family quiet.
Before she could dreamwalk to the next memory, Ember sensed a trace of pleasure that bordered on giddiness. Tracking the emotion took her to the throne room in Ellorya where young Mero had learned the young woman had taken her own life in shame. The pleasure the young Mero felt was depraved and sickening.
Again, and again, she bounced from memory to memory as Mero took advantage of women from all walks of life in both his own countries and others. The destruction in his wake was staggering to her senses and left her with a cold knot in her stomach. Each time, the bastard had no sense of the shame he caused. He had no understanding that his violation of such an intimate act left them hopeless victims. Several were unable to cope, and their lives were cut short by the cruel actions of the man in front of her.
Ember opened her eyes and had to blink several times to clear her tears. “Amaeh Noalass,” she whispered, and Mero slowly blinked his own way back to the real world.
“What did you do?” he barked. “You were in my head! My memories. You have no right to be there—to do that!”
“I have every right,” she snarled. “Crimes against innocent civilians were investigated by the Fae and punishment handed out as recommended or needed. No justice will ever reach you in Ellorya because money and corrupt favors is the only justice your country understands. But not in DormaSai.”
“How dare you?” he growled. “I am the Emperor of Talohna’s most powerful kingdom. You wouldn’t dare—”
“Yes, I would,” she said over him. “For the sake of women everywhere, and unlike the Fae used to do, I will tell you exactly what you will experience for the last moments of your remaining life. For whatever time you have left, you will experience every single second of terror you have inflicted on all the woman you have done this too. You will feel what they felt as if you were them. A small part of who you are will remain—just enough for you to understand. The spell will only end when you die.”
“No… wait… please,” he begged, his eyes widening. “I…
“Naolass relamus kreevic reptasante,” Ember whispered and grabbed Mero’s forehead. His flesh sizzled as a myriad of colours lit up underneath her palm and burned their way into his mind.
“Damn,” Nekrosa whispered.
Ember stepped back and watched Mero’s consciousness convulse its way to somewhere deep within his own memories.
“Are you all right, Ember?” Sephi asked, releasing Mero’s shoulders.
“No,” she replied as tears fell from her cheeks.
“I know,” the Queen said and wrapped her arms around her friend. “But you will be some day.”
Nekrosa ran his fingers through his hair. “If it helps any, Emperor Molester will be dead within an hour. Once Seph’s dagger magic wears off.”
Yrlissa moaned on the library floor as she came around. She sat up just in time to see the last of Mero’s convulsions. “Oh, Ember,” she whispered. “What did you do.”
“Justice, I would say,” Nekrosa replied. “And we have no Darkling to deal with.”
Yrlissa stumbled to her feet and stepped past him for a closer look. “That’s a punishment brand,” she said quietly. “For mass crimes against innocent civilians. Ember, no Fae had cast that spell for hundreds of years before the first war with the Ri’Tek even began. It was ruled inhumane.”
“Good,” she replied. “Then all that is left to do is heal him so that he can live with it for the rest of his long and natural life. Amaeh shalanes.” Pink and blue magic misted from her hands and swirled together as it entered Emperor Mero's body. The magic from Sephi's dagger melted, revealing the raw, bloody wound between the man’s legs. Ember concentrated harder, not wanting to the touch the vile man to make the healing process easier. “Amaeh shalaness!”
The blue and pink magic doubled in intensity. As the wound closed and began to heal, her magic winked out, nearly causing her to fall over. “No! Goddammit!” she cried. “No!”
Yrlissa sighed, not even bothering to hide her relief. “More Elloryan soldiers must be in range We have to leave, now.”
Sephi and Nekrosa grabbed the rest of their belongings from the table. Ember stared at Mero, trembling. She gave herself the well-needed space before finally grabbing numerous throwing blades from the table and rushed to join the others.
“Over here,” Nekrosa muttered. He reached behind one of the library's massive book cases and lowered a lever. Situated against the outside wall, the bookcase slid over to reveal a door in the castle's outer wall. “Gotta love the secret door that Talohna's best assassin knows about.”
“Be grateful I'm the only Broken Blade who does know, King Kohl. Merethyl would've already had you assassinated years ago if she were aware of it.”
“I'm walling this door up the minute we take this castle back. Can't have an assassin with a back door into my home. No offense.” Yrlissa nodded his way but didn't say anything. He opened the door. The squeals of rusted hinges screeched through the library and out into the castle's rear courtyard. Ember led the way out as the others followed.
Stopping short as she stepped into the courtyard, Ember made room for the others. “Apparently, Yrlissa's not the only one who knows about this secret door.” They were surrounded by over two dozen Elloryan knights, soldiers, and two Ancient wizards. One of which she knew all too well.
“Right you are, my dearest Ember,” Sythrnax said. “But we did build this castle, you know. It is so nice to see you, again.”
She sensed Nekrosa and Sephi reach for their magic, but Sythrnax raised his hand. “Do I really have to stuff your mouths with a bloody cloth?” he asked. “I will make it simple. I can sense the moment you even think about touching your magic, King Kohl. Should you do so, a simple gesture from myself and every knight and soldier here will attack. Ember and your assassin will die before your magic can manifest. Am I clear?”
Ember frowned as the King and Queen both released their power, standing down.
“Much better,” Sythrnax replied. His strange purple eyes twinkled with joy.
TRAINING GROUNDS
BLACKVOID CASTLE
The young men training to become DeathDogs in the DormaSain army were the best young up and coming warriors the country had to offer. Even so, they had still been taken by surprise when six battle-hardened Elloryan soldiers entered their training grounds and attacked. The Elloryan swordsmen cut down every DeathDog trainee but one.
Dalen Toth stood alone and faced the four remaining soldiers. Dalen's entire squad of twenty young men had been mercilessly butchered by the older, more seasoned fighters with an almost laughable ease. Though he had managed to kill two of the attackers, it was of little consequence. He was surrounded and cornered in a doorway. His long-winged pike was the only thing separating him from certain death on an Elloryan steel blade. It was a separation that would soon disappear.
The Elloryan unit commander took a step forward and stared down the young pike man who had killed two of his men. His crooked smile beamed as he taunted Dalen.
"Look men, the last of the dead man's little pups. What do ya say, pup? Put the pike down and walk away. Let us into the barracks, and we will spare your life. You have my word."
"Elloryan words are more worthless than the shit that spews from your diseased asshole, you limp-dick cowards. You attacked under the white banner of a peace Conclave. Your actions and those of your spineless emperor are that of a useless chicken-shit."
The Elloryan commander's face flushed with anger, but he chuckled. "You make me laugh, pup. We are here to euthanize all you animals that follow the Dead King. Cowardice has nothing to do with it."
Dalen's face went pale as the commander's words cut short in mid-sentence. His head evaporated in a spray of red mist and crumpled bone while his body collapsed in a heap of mangled armor. A massive blue and black war-hammer swarming with orange markings settled atop the twisted remains.
"Max!" Dalen shouted, the relief in his voice more than clear. Wasting no time, Dalen lunged with his pike and pierced the throat of the nearest Elloryan soldier. A quick twist of the smooth wooden handle opened the doomed man's throat from ear-to-ear. Their commander’s death had proven to be a well-timed distraction.
The two remaining invaders froze with indecision and were crushed under the sideways swing of Max's massive hammer. The broken bodies spun through the air like twisted marionettes before what was left splattered against the arena wall. The mangled armor and broken bodies dropped to the dirt surrounded by the stillness of death.
"Dalen?" Max spat with disbelief. “Fuck me, boy! Twenty of you lazy bastards, and you're the one who survives? You have gotta be the bastard son of the goddess of luck and her boy toy.”
Dalen saluted. “Yes, Max, sir! If you think so, Sir!”
“We've already lost too many men. Follow me. BlackVoid Castle is full of Elloryan soldiers and so is the city and maybe even the rest of the country. Don't hesitate, dumbass, I won't wait for you."
"Yes, Sir. I won't let you down, Sir."
"Shut up and follow me. And stop kissing my ass. Worry about your own fucking backside," Max barked as he left the training arena. He went straight for the castle to look for Ember and DormaSai's king and queen.
Fury boiled Max's blood at the sheer cowardice of the sneak attack. Racing out the door to the castle's main staircase, Max and Dalen stopped short at the carnage that lay before them.
“Gods, Max. What's wrong with these Elloryans?” Dalen asked, as both men stared openly. The bodies of slaughtered servants had toppled side-by-side with those of nobles from DormaSai's ruling families.
“Mero's taking no chances,” Max replied. “The orders must be to kill anyone in the way.”
“Why? You don't invade a country and kill civilians.”
“Unless you're not planning to stay,” Max stated. “Fuck. He's after something. Come on, Dalen. We need to get to the upper tier of the castle. There's too many to fight. The ramparts by the barbican above the inner courtyard will give us cover to even the odds by bow.”
Chapter Twelve
“A brave man and a foolish man never fear the consequences of their actions because the fool acts with only himself in mind and the brave acts because of those on his mind. Only during the final act of a man’s life will he learn whether a brave soul or the soul of a fool resides within...”
Duchess Kathryn Akyyr’s interrupted graduation speech, 5026. Corynth Chapel of Cortina
BLACKVOID CASTLE
DRAE’KAHN, DORMASAI
The Elloryan attack commander prodded Ember in the back with his steel sword. The steel blade punctured her flesh, but the wound closed even as the blade slid from her skin. Alongside Yrlissa, Nekrosa, and Sephi, Ember was forced to march back to the castle’s elegant courtyard.
As they walked beneath the final barbican into the castle's spacious inner bailey, Ember searched around for Max, but he was nowhere to be seen. However, the Vikress and her three hooded companions waited for them. They were accompanied by a handful of Elloryan knights.
Even though they were likely headed for their own execution, Ember leaned toward the Elvehn assassin chained by her side.
"Ellorya's Emperor seems to be missing," she said loud enough for everyone to hear.
"So it seems. I wonder what could ever have happened to him?” Yrlissa replied, her voice light and airy with a laudable sense of mockery.
“Maybe he fell,” Sephi added, mocking concern as a pout crept onto her lips. “Oh, and worse? Maybe he can't get his fat ass up now.”
“Actually,” Yrlissa replied. “I bet the fat fuck stroked out. Probably long before he bled out." Yrlissa retorted. It was clear none of them cared if they were overheard.
With a smile that tugged at the corners of her mask, the Vikress stared at the captives. "I like your suggestion better, Mistress Ember. If he is missing we will find him," she crooned.
“I'm sure you do.” Yrlissa snorted. “But my version is closer to the truth.”
"It is what it is,” the Vikress said. She turned her attention back to Ember. “I'm so glad to see you were rescued before these heathens absconded with you, Mistress Ember. You need not worry about them anymore. We will execute them all here and now, so you can return to Ellorya. We do have your wedding to plan after all." She held her hand out and nodded to the Elloryan Captain from the library. “Please, proceed with the execution, Captain.”
"No,” Ember barked at the Captain, hoping his reaction in the library would be repeated. He sighed and it was a heavy sound. Ember knew instantly the man struggled to see her being mistreated. “You know full well they didn't take me against my will, Captain.” She turned to the Vikress. “Even if you did have Mero for a groom, Illara, you'll be hard pressed to have a wedding when the marriage can't be consummated.”
“Worry not my dear. We will find out where Emperor Mero is, and we shall all return to Ellorya together.”
Yrlissa laughed. “Good luck with that plan. Emperor Molester will never return to reality if he didn’t already bleed out.”
“A minor setback, Yrlissa. I will resurrect him from the dead if I need to. Or Ember will marry his replacement. Either option will suffice. You really should know that by now.” Turning to Ember she added, “Even a dead man can consummate a marriage with the help of my magic.”
“Not the one you have in mind,” Ember scoffed, shivering at the prospect.
“Why, Ember, my dear,” Yrlissa said, smiling. “I do believe the Vikress thinks we're joking.”
Ember shrugged her shoulders and stared at the Vikress, but it was Sephi who answered.
“She'll get it when they find the cockless wonder—”
“—enough!” Vikress Illara hollered, her patience clearly tested. “Captain? I asked you to proceed with the execution. I will not ask again.” As if struggling to obey, the Elloryan Captain wiped his sweaty forehead as Ember continued to argue.
“If you execute them, our people will be in a permanent state of war," she growled, pulling against her guard.
The Vikress shook her head at the idle threat. "So, now you do speak for your people, do you, young one? You are a people and race of one, my dear, Ember. I have been to war against your race. The Fae were formidable when they numbered in the hundreds of thousands, but you alone? A newborn? My dear, you are not a threat. You are nothing but a political tool and a figurehead who will return with me to Ellorya and remain at my side so the Elloryan people can worship you as Emperor Mero had hoped they would. Until a new emperor is chosen and your marriage can proceed. If—and when—the rest of your people do show up in Talohna, they will also swear their allegiance to the Ancients, or they will die, all of them this time."
With a violent twist, Ember tried to free herself from the hooded Ancient holding her neck. "No. They won't, and you won't find me so easy to control either," she hissed, as her breath rushed through her clenched teeth.
The Vikress scoffed. Ember could hear the genuine mirth in her voice. "Just because you believ
e something, dosa, does not make it a universal truth. The Ancients have already accomplished what we came to DormaSai to do, especially if Emperor Mero is dead. We can put a true ruler on his throne. Once the necromancer king and his queen are executed; our plan is complete. They die now," she said calmly, her strange purple eyes never left Ember's as she spoke.
"Commander," the Vikress continued, raising her voice. "Seeing as how our Elloryan Captain cannot follow orders, begin the execution yourself. Now!"
“At once,” Sythrnax replied as he bowed.
Knowing Sythrnax owed her no loyalty like the captain, Ember wasted no time. Snapping her head back fast, she struck her guard in the mouth. The velvet mask offered no protection, his nose crumpled and lips split against her skull. The inside of his mouth filled with blood as broken teeth sliced his cheeks and gums, choking him long enough for her to break free.
Yrlissa also lashed out. Reaching back, she snatched her captor's hood and wrenched the handful of cloth forward as she dropped to her knees. The warrior spilled over her back and landed in a crumpled pile at the Vikress' feet. With no access to their magic, the attempt was a futile protest and nothing more. The two masked women beside the Ancient Vikress raised their hands and the crystal stones sown into their gloves pulsed with vibrant blue light. Ember and Yrlissa moaned as foreign magic assaulted both their body and senses. Collapsing to the dirt, they were forced into submission.
The Vikress approached, kneeling before them as they heaved in the dirt and grass. "I admire your determination, but your magic and martial skills are that of inbred insects. The people of Talohna call us the Ancients out of adoration, but the truth is that our existence, our magic, and our knowledge is just that ancient. We walked this world when your kind wallowed in caves, too stupid to be more than a pest… a dosa. You are the Lesser races for a reason," she explained, her voice calm. Standing, the Vikress turned to Sythrnax. "Commander! I gave you an order of execution for the king and queen! Why am I repeating myself so often this day? Carry it out. Now."