It looks like the others haven't made it yet, so I guess I'll just tell the two of you. I found the evidence that the mages left behind, they wrote their marks on the bodies of the imperials they murdered.” Lykan said,
“The imperials were murdered in their own city? There's no way!” Hylix asked.
“This way.”
They followed Lykan as they traveled north, until they arrived at a set of mountains where the ruins of the fortress remained. They stared in horror in front of the whole imperial line who sat before them, whose severed heads were hammered through spears. Both the emperor, Lord Polarus Lamech and the empress, Lady Jael Lamech. Their son, and grandchildren.
“They burnt their city to the ground and made them watch.” Hylix said.
“I thought the imperial families were supposed to be the strongest force in a galaxy?” Agnis asked, Solrin shoved his head to the ground, “Excuse this dumbass, your majesty. It’s a mental illness of talking before he thinks!”
“You’re right. The empire's strongest forces have always rested at the capital. With Khaos’s economy being bone dry, I'd wager that Khaos has lost half of its fighting force from this loss.” Lykan replied, they stood like statues after hearing his words.
“The empire has been a financial wreck for centuries, it seems even until the end, they couldn't climb out of the hole they dug themselves.” The chairman said,
“What is an Apollyon, chairman? When I look at them, they remind me of home, these people are the same as us.. How am I supposed to live, knowing that we could be wiped away like we were nothing?!” Agnis said,
“Ive stuck by Lykans side for many centuries because he is the smartest man i know, he would never let something like that happen i guarantee you. Many generations ago, Khaos shined brighter than anyone, it was the pillar we all leaned on. But that light soon burned them down, They were chewing through more resources than they could supply, and soon enough, they had nothing left. Khaos was destined to fall because they destroyed themselves.” …
Orpheus signaled ahead, “Look at their bodies, look to me like they have mage sigils carved on them.”
“Magic sigils always appear when a mage casts a spell, but these, It's like they burned them onto their chests.” Lykan said. Their wounds from the carvings had festered, their skin around it was purple and swollen from bruising.
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
“Chair guy, what's a magic sigil? And what's a mage? Because that shit is freaking me out!” Solrin whispered,
“Mages are a fascinating bunch, a mage is a being from the Celestial Realm who uses a variation of the five sacred powers called ‘Magic’. Our studies show that mages call upon a living energy known as ‘mana’ and transform it into a physical force through what they call a ‘magic sigil’. It appears to function quite similarly to the way our inner cores do.” The chairman replied, the sound of Lykans voice shocked them back to reality, “Broken limbs, they have bruises and cuts all covering their bodies. They struggled before they died. They were being toyed with..” Lykan said.
Hylix fumed, “I'll kill them all! It's obvious a mage left signs, so how the hell do we find them!?” Mist began to flow down Lykans body as he shielded himself with his hand, as he shoved Agnis and Solrin to the side,
“Hylix, calm down before I cool you off! You’re an emperor now, so start acting like one!” Lykan said.
“Answer my question!” Hylix yelled, his body brightened like the sun, the heat from his body began melting the rocks he stood on. Lykan leapt forward and grabbed him by the neck with a gauntlet of ice. Hylix desperately tried to escape his grasp, but Lykans chilling energy swallowed him whole. In seconds, Lykan quelled Hylix’s body like sinking hot steel in water.
“Last fucking warning.” He threatened,
“Screw this place! Figure it out yourselves!” Hylix unfolded his wings, and rocketed away. Lykan took a deep breath,
Orpheus raised a brow in disbelief, “Ha! Is he really leaving? That's the emperor of Pyrole!?”
“He's a child, you know that. When his parents died, he stuck me with training his dumbass, and that kid never fucking learns.. But Hylix is the leader that Odin chose.”
“Shit, If I were a mage and saw that we were this pathetic, I would attack us too.”...
The 4 of them heard a loud boom crack across the sky, as a shadow loomed over them, it was a giant star ship. The massive ship filled their entire sky, but it was easy to see that the ship was in rough shape. The outer steel walls were covered in rust, its paint saturated of all its color, the sound of its backfiring engines cracked across the sky as it stood in place.
“The hell? This is Lykan of Cryosis, whose galleon is this?” Lykan spoke to the relay,
“This ship is here on my order, Lykan. Did you really think you were the first ones here?”
“Ezareth?! Why are you giving orders on an Apollyon galleon?”
“Does everything need a reason? How about mutual agreement, that good enough? I have a few of the Apollyon's high kings here, get on, we need to talk.” Ezareth ended. …
To be continued…