Aurelithae let out a silent sigh as she stood at the far right edge of the podium listening to the seemingly endless speech of Rhenathorhia. Just like his dear old brother said, the first two hours were relatively interesting as he recounted the heroic tales of all those seeded at the start of past years. Then at the third or fourth hour when it has changed to be about the similarly heroic tales of statesman, less exciting as the tales were mostly about reforms and such instead of slaying vile beasts, corrupted gryphons or wicked practitioners of nekromancy.
This boredom led to her gazing at the elegantly dressed crowd. Her eyes set upon first at the folks of the upper levels, the patricii of the capital whom mostly were comprised of various aevhelii that even included the eastern kin whose faultlessly smooth silver or alabaster skin glistened as the winter light shone through the windows. Yet unlike Mirayroth, they chose to wear the high collared, gaudy tunics, robes and dresses manufactured in the capital or in the western colonies.
Humans of the Trauscian tribe who were native to the isles before the Empire established the capital on it also mingled amongst them on the refined benches of rich oaken kind. While she heard many tales about them fighting against the Undying Legions of the Grim Sovereign. When she first met Isocrates, she thought he too belonged to this tribe of humans, but now looking at their features, she realized how far she was from the truth. They were quite close to appearing aevhen thanks to their sharpened, angular features, prominent, chiseled noses, graceful eyes with an intense hue and silken hair that flowed naturally.
Dwarves who would have remained unseen if not for their skin. As they remained still, she likened them in her mind to statues sculpted from the finest of metals with a luster that rivalled of the finest glass that decorated the windows of the temple and the Radiant Keep. Still she found them somewhat weird appearing as one of them with long scarlet beard opened his mouth and ripples, waves ran through his face rustling the beard.
She also noticed the single pair of Haubrians, easily picked out as even amongst the nobility, their flamboyant attires that seemed to be sewn from the wings of fireflies highlighted their vibrant scales. Scales that differed from hers in shape as they possessed softer edges compared to the harsh draconic ones that she and her kin possessed.
Then her eyes suddenly stopped on a lone figure amongst the crowd of commoners. A pale figure who stood out and she first thought was none other than Mirayroth. Anxiety gnawed at her like a hungry pack of serpents at the thought of him standing in clear sight of all his family. Yet no one seemed to notice his presence and as she sharpened her sight, she realized he was not Mirayroth.
His visage was haunting, gaunt even yet it possessed alluring features like his wide lips frozen in an eerily calm smile. Eyes darker than the night sky lacking in the silvery particles of the Illius. Upon further notice she also realized the aevhen figure wore different robes from Mirayroth, that exposed his chest adorned with pitch black veins that converged onto his throat where they expanded, swallowed even while reaching up towards his chin.
The more she looked at him, the more her anxiety turned into dread at the haunting figure that stood amongst the crowd like a phantom visible only to her. “Everything’s fine?” Without noticing it, her body started shaking and Albron’s disembodied voice ringed in her mind. She gulped deeply as her gaze remained on the figure who raised his slender arms, revealing hands adorned by dark claws as sharp as hers’. His unnaturally long index finger stretched out in front of his lips and he slightly opened them, revealing the gaping darkness that nestled within.
Suddenly her body stopped and all feeling subsides, drained from within her. She felt completely devoid, not even calmness remained within. It felt awfully familiar as the very same sensation crawled its way into her the night before in the Land of Oneiro when Sigi banished the Umvraoth that was ready to kill both of them.
Yet not long after this emptiness found its way into her, a clarity followed that forced the next words to leave her mind and enter Albron’s. “Yes, just wishing for brother’s speech to end.”
Her head perched towards the center of the podium where now his father stood proudly with all his majesty and grace bared against the onlookers whose gazes focused on him. “That was a wonderful speech that we miss not hearing for the past decade. But we had been busy for the reason that you all could live your peaceful lives in our alabaster city without worry, without the need to scramble for food and drinks.” His voice echoed through the vast ceremony hall and even beyond the walls, reaching all the citizens near or far within the boundaries of the capital.
His calm expression turned into a sour, even solemn as he stood there in silence for a few moments, contemplating his next words. “These past few years, decade while were peaceful to you, even maybe serene, for us it was full of toiling, seeking answers where none may lie, seeking what had been stolen from right under our noses almost twelve years ago.”
At those words, the crowd loosened their gazes and the silence was broken by the soft chatter as the first seeds of light dread slithered into their minds. Terrianis looked at them and as Rhenathorhia and Anguraa moved to silence the crowd, he raised his right hand and stopped them before they could make their second step to the edge.
“Before we indulge you on what we kept a secret from you for so long of your lives, let me preface it with this. There is nothing to be afraid. As long as we stand, our Empire shall stand proud, peace that you know will remain, so does your joy, your tranquility, and our order. This is not a promise, but a fact.” Terrianis’s words were laced in his impenetrable conviction, his unwavering ego, and in his immense power all within the capital felt for a short moment.
Myriad different sensation washed over all those who looked upon Terrianis who was bathed in the light filtering through the mosaic windows as he raised his arms. Even those on the streets, at their homes, work stifled by these sensations. It was like standing in the shadow of a mighty dragon with nothing but a useless tool or utensil that has no chance to penetrate the sturdy scales.
“We won’t dance around anymore. The truth is the Heavenly Father of ours was taken by vile, wicked forces. Our brave praetoriar did their best on that fateful night, but the enemy was well-prepared and took Him from his resting place.” Terrianis who stood proudly moments ago now hunched down gracefully and offered an apologetic bow of his head to the crowd, to the citizens of the capital who could not be present also saw this image burn into their minds.
Then he suddenly strung back into his previous position and his enchanting visage brimmed with confidence, with determination that melted away the fears and doubts of the crowd. “But fear not, we know the enemy and to them We say. You may hide in the shadows, you may try to upend our peace, our order, but we shall not falter, we shall not be weak or foolish. We shall, we will root you out and save the Heavenly Father of ours and bring eternal order, peace and prosperity upon the world!” At those words all within the capital felt the warmth of the Ilius shine upon their soul, the chilling dread completely dissipated as Terrianis spoke with a fervent zeal.
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And as Aurelithae watched, searching for the pale figure that haunted her moments ago, she noticed cloaked figures moving within the crowd at the back. For a moment he recognized one of them and fear and anxiousness took hold within her as a familiar birch bow engraved with northern runes appeared in their hands. Before Terrianis could start the last section of his speech, an arrow grazed past his cheeks, leaving behind a damning mark as it landed in the head of one of his children, one of the clergy of Septurrion clad in glistening azure robes.
“A moving speech Elhyrissiar. But I am afraid he only blessed you with his arrogance, pride.” Ivor’s voice loudly echoed through the ceremonial hall as he stood on the open balcony over the entrance. Terrianis ignored his words as he reached towards the faint scratch that now tainted his once faultless visage.
“Tell me my brothers and sisters. What do you believe in more. Words laced in falsehoods or actions?” He asked and Aurelithae watched calmly while within her spine ached as if icy needles pierced it, her stomach scorching with cold flames. The rest of the cloaked figures moved around the now murmuring crowd frozen in uncertainty.
“I tell you the answer you all know within yourselves. Actions speak louder. And we proved ourselves plenty times while the Empire speaks nothing but lies and empty promises, unaware of their own imminent doom looming over them.” Ivor continued while Terrianis remained still as he felt his body scorching, jumbling his thoughts while his children watched silently from behind.
“Do not fear the change, the chaos that will follow as the new dawn rises over the horizon. The Empire their family built is at its twilight hour, and from its rotting carcass a better world shall bloom.” As he reached the end of his speech the guards finally reached the balcony and fight broke out between them and the cloaked figures.
Wicked golden veins appeared on his body as an erratic laughter escaped his mouth. His eyes now brimmed with madness as the golden veins spread and twisted all over his body while numerous custodiir leapt at him. Yet he continued even as his face was planted into the floor.
“Do you believe we built his Empire on words alone wretch?” Then suddenly he found himself hovering above the now empty benches while facing the eerily calm Terrianis whose measured words were laced with his anger. Ivor’s head turned purple while his own veins started popping out, yet a victorious look remained plastered on his face. But instead of delivering a killing blow, light shone onto Terrianis and an idea birthed itself in his mind.
He raised his left hand and gestured to Aurelithae who quivered softly like a frightened pet who just got caught in the act. “Finish him off.” Terrianis said with much indifference and Aurelithae’s legs froze with a chilling burn.
**
Augermil and Nawfal hurried entered the wide street leading straight towards the temple. The two wrestled against the panicking horde of citizens covered in ash and blood of their own. Flames of wicked golden rose in the distance whence they ran, pairing with the all too familiar sound of metal clashing against metal.
As soon as they were in the clear, far behind the dispersed crowd, the two drawn their golden ornated spathas and with graceful movements, cut two robed figures straight into two at their waist. Yet it mattered little to the figures who continued crawling towards them while warped hissing left the confines of their blood soaked mouths. Their end only came when the two penetrated their heads, upon which their bodies wrapped in dark, ragged robes shattered like diamonds.
“We’ll finish them off here. Hurry inside!” Nawfal said while two more cloaked figures crawled forth from the mosaic floor that spread across the square. “Aim for their heads!” Augermil shouted after his blade effortlessly cut horizontally through one of the cloaked figures head who then immediately burst into thousands of shattered, transparent gems.
Four figures hoped to stop the unstoppable, each met their similar demise by careful, well-aimed strikes while Augermil also kept his distance from them upon their bodies exploding. The small diamonds, strange gems even proved sturdy enough to scrape his decorated, richly made segmented armors’ plates. Even the silken with perfectly smooth surface – without a single crease appearing on it as he moved gracefully, gallantly – got torn by the flying pieces.
After the last of them fell, he stood by at the door only for a moment that felt like an eternity to him as he mustered his strength. He did not underestimate his brother, but seeing a battle unfold on the streets of the capital filled him with doubt for the first time in thousands of years. Then at last, he pushed the door with so much might it almost fell out from its place, and the few nearby gasped in terror, but calmed down upon witnessing his darkly radiant form.
Before he could speak though, the words stopped witnessing the crowd at the center. With fatherly worry, he cut through the crowd that remained eerily calm contrary to what events unfolded outside the boundaries of the temple, and even within as he noticed fresh corpses on the ground wearing the same dark ragged garments. Relief followed when his eyes focused on Aurelithae with a calm expression standing in front of the last assailant within, with Terianis behind her, watching with calm anger in his eyes.
**
Aurelithae stood there only for a moment, yet she felt it as if an eternity passed by. A calm expression rested upon her enchanting visage even as myriad different gazes pierced her at the center. Even the Illius’s light now focused itself onto her small, frail form embroidered in the finest of silks produced through arkhaine means.
While from the outside she seemed calm, even collected, on the inside she was in turmoil with herself. One part of her searched for a way to grant mercy to Ivor, to find a reason that outweighs his sins against her family, her father. The other part knew there were no way, no word that could reason with her father, the sins committed by Ivor were too heavy, the only thing she could do was to grant a swift and painless death to Ivor, whose visage was tainted by madness.
“Let me help little one.” The disembodied voice she heard a few years ago echoed within her mind once more, and time truly froze around her. She felt the cold touch of invisible hands upon her arms and legs. Within a moment, she found herself in front of Ivor who seemed to not focus on her, but look beyond. As she touched his forehead with her thumb, she felt the unexpected smoothness of it.
As she looked at him from close distance, she noticed how much more refined he looked compared to the day before. Almost enchanting unfit for a human as she took in every detail of his face starting from his eyes that now had a more almond shape, his nose appeared more symmetrical compared to before, the cracks on his lips were no more. And his pupils carried a tingent of gold that seemed familiar to her.
“Do not weep for him. In death he shall reborn in a more majestic form.” The voice now sounded directly from her right, and carried the stench of graves. She felt the cold nekrotic matter course through her arkhaine veins, her mind unconsciously molded the proper inscriptions she had no prior knowledge of while also combined them with the minor aspect of flame.
She watched in calm horror as Ivor’s body lit up in dark golden flames, his eyes melted and rotted at the same time while his blackened tooth fell out one by one while the eerie flames still clung to them. Even her tears evaporated, the mist dissipated as she watched Ivor’s charred body collapse into a pile of dark, glistening ash.
Beyond the final mark of Ivor’s existence, she glared into Augermil’s worried eyes and strangely found them calming as a storm began its rage in her heart and mind.