The Storm Monarch shuddered under the oppressive weight of the shadowy presence at the center of the room. The being seemed to meld perfectly with the darkness that suffocated the grandiose room, like the shadows themselves had manifested a human form.
To her side kneeled the other two Monarchs she’d been tasked to work with, and they seemed to enjoy being in the room no more than she did. Which was to say, not at all.
“The Insect Mage?” a disembodied, guttural voice came.
“He’s being transferred to the specified dungeon as we speak, Emperor,” the Storm Monarch answered, her voice holding only the barest hint of the fear within her chest. She’d taken on the mantle of speaking for the three of them, not trusting the imbeciles at her sides to have the decorum required to speak to an Emperor – and a Seven Petal’s Emperor at that – but that didn’t mean she wanted the job. After all, the slightest hint of disrespect could have their heads rolling on the floor, within a fraction of a second.
“Very well,” the inhuman voice came again. “You have fulfilled your purpose; you may remove the seals on your ships.”
The two Monarchs at her side visibly sagged with relief at that, no doubt more than eager to leave this room and put the disgraceful ordeal behind them.
But she had other plans.
“Your Excellency,” she began, still not daring to raise her eyes from the floor. The two beside her froze, shocked that she would risk continuing such a dangerous conversation. “There was another matter that I believe I should report. An incident that took place during the ambush.”
The eyes of the two Monarchs at her side widened in fear and shock, knowing exactly what the Storm Monarch was referring to. They had been explicitly warned by her not to mention it, after all. She’d assured them that she would take care of the matter herself, and ensure that word of their negotiation with the Archbishop never reached the ears of the Seven Petals.
Still, they didn’t dare interrupt just yet.
The being remained silent at her words, but she could tell that she had its attention, and she steeled herself for what was to come: the riskiest part of her play.
“At the beginning of our ambush, the men to my sides let it slip that we weren’t acting of our own volition, but I managed to shut them up before they could spill anything important, and I kept them silent even when the Archbishop offered a hefty sum of gold for more information.” By now, it had become clear to the two men that the woman had crafted a story that would get them both killed, but they still didn't dare to interrupt her. Firstly, because interrupting her ran the risk of angering the Emperor, which would spell certain doom for them. And second, they had hope that the Emperor wouldn’t believe the woman’s blatant lies; she had no proof beyond her word, after all. And only a fool would try to lie so boldly before an Emperor.
“However,” the Storm Monarch continued, “it has come to my attention that on our return trip, the two men conspired to sell the information despite my interdict. I have this on the good authority of my own spies in their crews, and I believe that reporting this matter to Your Excellency bears worth.” With that, the woman concluded her practiced speech, her face the perfect picture of severity and respect.
Her stoic appearance betrayed not a sign of the turmoil that raged within her as the being remained silent. The very prospect of lying to an Emperor was terrifying, but the act itself was beyond anything she’d ever done in her life. Of all the lies she’d ever told, all the plays she’d ever acted out, this one moment topped them all. It would be the crown jewel of her saga; she’d known it from the moment the daring idea had come to her. Having an Emperor deal with two of her biggest rivals with only a slight dose of deception was a stroke of genius, and pulling it off was the culmination of the years she’d spent perfecting her craft.
“I believe,” the being spoke finally, after an agonizing moment of silence. The two words carried with them enough pressure to drive the two Monarchs to their knees. “I made it abundantly clear that I wanted no evidence of the Seven Petal’s involvement with the ambush. Did I not?”
“Your Excellency,” the oldest of the Monarch’s present finally spoke, the desperation he felt clear in his voice. “The blasted wench lies! We did nothing of the sort!”
The being remained silent at the Monarch’s outburst, emboldening the younger man to speak up as well.
“He speaks the truth, Your Excellency,” the man said. “She only wishes to use your strength to get rid of us. She speaks nothing but lies. We followed your commands to the letter.”
The man’s last word hung in the silence that followed, his pleading voice echoing in the dark room.
The silence stretched on for a seemingly infinite moment. It went so long that the Storm Monarch began to doubt if her lies had worked. She adjusted herself ever so slightly and patted her thigh, a small tic that had provided her comfort for longer than she could remember. The small scar that lay there was a proud mark of her commitment and grit; the pain that accompanied the surgery had almost ended her, but the little gem she’d deposited into her own flesh had paid itself off many times over.
And now, as she sat sweating under the scrutiny of an Emperor, she let the presence of the gem calm her beating heart. The gem had never let her down – it was a treasure of immense strength, after all – and she was certain that it wouldn’t this time around either. An artifact as ancient and valuable as the gem, combined with her superb acting skill, would assuredly fool the Emperor, she told herself. She was certain of it – she wouldn’t have taken the risk if she wasn’t, not when she was playing with stakes so high.
Then, suddenly and without warning, the two Monarchs at the side of the woman felt the hard stone under them soften. Before they could understand what was happening, they began to sink into the circular shadow under them like it was a pit of quicksand.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
Immediately, the pain invaded their bodies, and they began to shriek and beg as they sunk lower and lower into the inky depths of the void beneath them. Struggle as they did, and struggle they did, they could not manage to break free of the sticky hold the shadow had on their bodies.
The entire time, the Storm Monarch sat in between the two tortured, dying men, her eyes glued to the ground as she trembled in fear – and just the tiniest hint of elation. She did not mind the pained wailing of the dying men – she’d heard, and caused, far worse herself – but the fear of the moment was unlike anything she’d ever experienced before.
She was sure the Emperor did what he did for that exact reason, but it mattered little. She’d endured far worse stains to her dignity before, and when the ordeal was over, she’d have two massive swathes of space ripe for the picking. And with the resources she’d be able to get her hands on with the riches that would follow her acquisition of their territories, the realm of the Emperors would only be a matter of time.
The ordeal lasted all of five minutes, but it felt much longer to the Storm Monarch, and certainly much longer to the two men, who suffered in that time exactly the amount of physical pain they’d ever caused anyone else in their lifetimes; which was not a small amount, by any stretch of the imagination.
But eventually, their screams died out as they were dragged into the void, vanishing from where they had sat without a trace. The woman couldn’t help but chuckle to herself at the situation. Thousands of years of painstaking effort, of blood, sweat, and tears, and it had vanished just like that. That was the power wielded by Emperors; the thought made her giddy with anticipation.
“Now then,” the being began as the two Monarchs disappeared. “Moving on to you, little girl.”
The Storm Monarch readied herself for whatever was to come; the hard part was over, after all. All she had to do now was to get away as quickly and smoothly as possible.
“I have something I’d like to ask, and I would be delighted if you would grace me with an answer,” the being continued, ignoring the change in the woman’s heart rate at the sudden turn in his tone. Obviously, this was beyond the scope of her calculations.
“Of course, Your Excellency,” the woman answered with as steady of a voice as she could manage. “I’d happily answer any questions you may have, if I am able.”
“Splendid. Now, what I was wondering was this: what could possibly embolden a mere Monarch to attempt to lie to me?”
The Storm Monarch froze in place immediately at the being’s words. A million thoughts raced through her head at that moment, but one thought quickly drowned out the rest.
It was over.
She was done. All her plans, everything she had ever worked towards, it was all over.
Still, that didn’t mean she resigned herself to her fate. She’d never done so in the past, and she wouldn’t today either. Her entire body tensed as she steeled herself, ready to run at the first chance she got. And if she didn’t get a chance, then she would throw every possible thing she had at the Emperor. It would be futile, she was well aware, but she wasn’t going to go down without a fight.
At her silence, the Emperor continued with his questioning. “Could it be that adorable little gem you’ve got stowed away in your thigh? The Veil, I believe, is what the mortals call it, if memory serves. Though, it has been a few hundred millennia since I’ve heard of it, so perhaps it goes by another name these days.”
The woman hung her head as the Emperor spoke. She realized then just how badly she’d underestimated the being before her. She’d known the gem was ancient, but even her most generous guess would have placed it at a few hundred thousand years old. To think that it was at least a hundred millennia old was mind-boggling, even for a mage who’d lived as long as she had. And the added fact that the Emperor had been alive long enough to recognize it from so long ago only furthered her embarrassment at the fact that she’d believed that it would be enough to fool the being.
“Well, its current name is of no importance. The name it was christened with, however – the name I bestowed upon it – is far more accurate. The Heavenly Body Stone, I’d called it. It has far more potential than a mere veil, but I suppose mortals cannot be expected to fully comprehend such a precious stone. Such a stone,” the being paused for a second, and the Storm Monarch felt a strange tug at her thigh. Before she could understand what was happening, the stone buried within her flesh suddenly, and painfully, ejected itself from her leg, flying over to the Emperor while she fell on her side. Her body was wracked with waves of intense pain, far beyond anything she’d ever felt before.
But the Emperor paid no heed to the woman. “Such a stone,” he repeated in an almost wistful voice, “could never be used to its fullest by children like yourself.” The Emperor studied the bloody little golden gem for another second before waving it away and turning his attention back to the woman on the floor.
“Your audacious plan would have worked, girl, but for a single miscalculation. Even at your level, the stone would have the power to hide you from the senses of an Emperor, but you see…I am no mere Emperor, child. I am far above such a realm. Far above any hierarchy of strength you’ve ever heard of. The Heavenly Body Stone, as powerful as it is, could never have hidden you from my senses, even if it was supplied with more power than it could handle.”
The woman on the floor barely registered the being’s words, trapped in the haze of the pain that had settled over her.
The being, noticing that the woman was no longer paying attention to the conversation, simply beckoned a servant out of the shadows with a wave of his hand.
“For returning me the gift of the Stone,” the being spoke to the woman again, his voice taking on a booming note that forced the woman to listen. “I will spare you the punishment of the Void. I have even granted your wish of dealing with your rivals, and I will grant you dominion of both of their territories, as well as your own territory. But as payment for your crimes, for the next two thousand five hundred and twenty-seven years, you will serve me as a sealed Mage.” With his verdict made, the being motioned to the servant once more. “Mark her.”
Hearing those two words, the Storm Monarch paled, terror painting her face. Within the second, wings burst out of the woman’s back as she took flight, ignoring the pain coursing through her as she burst through the massive doors behind her, her body transforming into her true form as she flew: the form of the sleek Storm Falcon.
The being watched the woman flee motionlessly, not bothering to try and stop her. Instead, the servant at his side, an elderly man with a neat white goatee, sped after her with wings of coalesced darkness.
With that matter taken care of, the being allowed himself a rare smile, breaking the stony expression he usually carried. After all, today was a day worth celebrating. He’d finally gotten his hands on the elusive Insect Mage. He was so close to obtaining the key, and once he did, the 80th floor would be all but his. All that remained in his plan was to extract the information he needed. And he had just the tool he needed to do that.