Please your Majesty. I can't do this to you. I can’t, please, I don't want to defile your flawless form.

“Wait, just kiss me tomorrow when I'm all cleaned up. It would be a waste to take your preki this way” Perfect! If I leave before she wakes I won't disrespect her Majesty.

“And I want that kiss” Said Kinarith.

William knew he had no choice. But the one thing he could do is wait. He walked out to the training grounds and picked up his great sword. He held the blade and began his prayer. He clasped his sword and when he finished his thanks he stood.

As his blade flowed through the air it left a trail of shadows. Dark replicas of where his body once stood. He stepped away from his echo leaving a space between them. They began the dance. Their blades clashed with every motion. They continued the dance till the sun came to end the song.

“See you tomorrow” Said William.

They bowed as the sun cleansed him from this world. William walked back to see the Queen. He brushed his teeth and washed himself. He knocked on her door knowing full well that she was a sleep.

He heard her shift in bed “Come in”.

William was caught off guard. She had almost never been awake this early in the day. William walked it to see her sittin up in bed with messy hair. She looked like a mess. Her dark gray gown loosely fitting her.

“So,” Said Kinarith with crossed arms “you're gonna give me that kiss. I don't want anyone else to take it.”

William walked to her bed and did his very best not to pass out.

“William, kiss m...” He stole the final word from her lips.

She punched him as she turned away trying to hide her smile

“Don't come back till you have them” William bowed and walked to the door.

“I mean it” He walked to the vast walls that God himself praised for their grandeur.

With his very will strengthened the walls. The walls were pure black. Passed their great walls lay a far colder world. During her two hundred years as Queen she had done quite a good job at keeping the wars out of the city.

William looked down at the dead land. The bones of the Corjon. A breed of monster made of magic and a second material unknown to the Empire.

William jumped falling hundreds of feet landing on the bones of his enemies. He smiled recalling the thrill of the fight. His entire battalion were torn limb from limb. Their screams filled his ears as he slaughtered his pray.

William started running at a moderate pace and headed to Jewel Harbor. Hours passed as he ran and the sun began to reach its prime. He slowed as he reached the forest. The trees standing above the clouds. He knew the beasts that dwelled within. He hoped to encounter one strong enough to give him a thrill. William walked now hoping he would encounter something worth his time. The jagged branches held razer thorns ready to cut apart any creature. After his second day of walking he began to notice a lack of life.

A world shaking bello rampaged through the woods. William felt his body tense as his mind recalled the beast. His people overwhelmed by the Masters of the woodlands. Gallows, a offspring of magic and the blood of Gods.

William clasped his blade and made a mad dash to face it. He had grown strong sense then. He knew he could do it. He could slay the fallen God. He reached a clearing and could see miles in every direction. The beasts he feared so lay strewn about like grass in a barn. One seemed to still be living. Half its body had been eaten by flames. It looked up at William.

“Kill me” William was in absolute terror.

He knew of them. They were relentless killing machines. They would never back down. They would fight anything to their dying breath. But never before had they spoken. Never once had legend or myth ever told of them knowing a spoken tongue.

“Please” Spoke the unholy unity between flesh and nature. William knew if he wanted to find out what had done this he would need it alive.

“What did this” William didn't expect his voice to be filled with so much fear.

“It was here. And it hates us.” William picked up the Gallow and walked over the mutilated corpses of its kind.

Something with enough power to do this in its own was among the likes of the old Gods.

William walked feeling more feat as the Gallow began to cry. How could a creature like a Gallow cry. It was unbefitting of its kind. William sent the day walking and the night fearing that the monster to beasts would find him.

Days passed before he reached the harbor. He still carried the Gallow. Hundreds of soldiers froze as they saw this killing machine upon his back.

He found his way to the naval command. Several generals were nowhere to be found.

“You there, I am Nie, right hand of her majesty. I have been sent here to investigate and capture the situation with the missing war ship.”

The woman looked over at William, “Who do you think you are talking to me…”

She notice what he had tried to his back. “Right… let me show you where the ship was”

William follows her to the shipyard and looked around.

“Bring me every guard that was on duty the day of the incident. I need to know exactly what they saw” she nodded and eventually the twenty guards had arrived.

“Tell me everything you saw or heard that night.” Hours passed as he collected every detail that they had.

“Thank you, now each or you will battle me to the death” they froze and looked at William with fear. The ten men and women seemed not to believe what he had said.

“Hurry up and draw your blades. Because of your failure the queen has lost a War ship. You are not worth the food it takes to feed you. Now with haist draw your blades and fight me” They seemed to not believe him.

William connected with the shadows and manifested behind them. He rammed a blade through two of the guards. They screamed and struggled as he twisted his blade.

“You had your chance to die with honor” he was able to decapitate them before they could get it their blades.

“Get me a small ship, I'm going after them. And keep in mind that you will be held responsible for your lack of supervision” William was looking dead into the eyes of the commander.

She nodded and ran to find a boat. William looked at the Gallow and notice it looked vaguely more Noah like.

“So, what attacked?” Asked William.

It seemed afraid of the question. “To your kind it is nothing. To my own it is ash. Speak the name of death and you shall in brace it.”

“Stop speaking in riddles” Said William. He almost had enough.

“Your ship is ready” Said the commander.

William picked up the Gallow and walked into the boat. The crew within seemed to know what they were doing.

William never like ships. He sat down prayed then did his best to fall asleep. When he woke he could hear screaming.

“Pirates!” Yelled the crew.

William rolled his eyes and walked to the deck. A ship about five time larger than his own was closing in on them. William lifted his blade and what looked like electricity began to dance around his body. A bolt of lightning scorched the ship and cut the mast in half.

“Keep going,” Said William. “Idiots” he walked back to his bed, prayed, trained, ate and woke at dawn. He walk to the deck and smiled at the land mass.

“Do, do you have water?” Asked the Gallow.

“Even if I did why would I give you any?”

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“Maybe because you won't find out that did that to my people if you don't”

“Maybe my interest in what did that has died out. Maybe,” William grabbed the face of the creature slightly squeezing its light pink lips making them pucker. “I would prefer to sell you to someone that has a fancy for monsters”

“You want to know what it looked like?” Asked the thing.

“Fine, it's a good place to start”

“It was shaped like me” Said the thing.

“So a woman did this?” William began to think of the people he knew that could do this. Far too many came to mind.

“It had a blade, one I suspect to be that of her highest Majesty” William took a knee and gave a short prayer to honor her name.

“Do you recall anything else. If it is her blade it could mean war”

“Only one way to find out. Once you do whatever you are doing, find my people. This is not the first time it has attacked. And if the stories are true it won't be the last”

“When did your kind learn to speak?”

“Well, when we would attack and kill your cities we picked up on the noise you made and eventually we learned it to improve how quickly we could kill you. When your people would yell orders we would listen.”

“It's strange, I never expected your kind to be capable of speech.”

“I never thought your kind would be able to keep your mouths shut, your people never stop talking.”

“I bet you would make good firewood”

“You wouldn't even be good fertilizer”

“Termites wouldn't eat you if they were starving”

“I’m afraid of you but only because I'm afraid of your diseases!”

“I should have left you to die!”

“It would have been more enjoyable than being around you!” William turned and walked away from it.

He took a stand at the front of the ship “Stupid tree”

“I can hear you!” “Stupid tree!”

William inhaled deeply and cursed under his breath. He needed that thing to tell him everything. If something truly had one of the elder blades it was his duty to rative it.

“So can I get some water?” Yelled the thing.

“Fine! Just shut up already” William took a flask form one of the sailors and walked over to the thing.

“Here” Said William handing the thing the flask.

“Thanks” She spit out the liquid the moment it entered her mouth.

“What! I gave you want you wanted didn't I”

“That was not water!”

“Well that's too bad, that's all you get” William waited until they docked.

He picked his captive up and walked to the town. He walked passed the hundreds of people that reeked of fish.

Passed the massive fish on hooks. He walked to the closest training post and sat the Gallow on the table. “What would you give me for this thing?”

“I'm not a thing” Yelled the Gallow.

“What exactly do you mean” Asked the woman running the shop.

“This,” Said William smacking the head of the Gallow. “What can I get for it”

“Women can't be sold to slavery”

“But it's not a woman…” William wanted to yell but he was too well mannered to yell at the well educated.

“Yes I am,” Said the Gallow with a smirk. “And my husband here no longer wants me because of my injury” It began to cry.

“How dare you!” Yelled the shop owner.

“Because of you this woman is crying. Guards!” Yelled the woman.

The guards walked up behind William and asked the thing what happened.

“My husband…”

“I'm not her husband!” Said William with anger in his tone.

“Silence! Tell us, what did he do”

“Because I got injured, he, he doesn't want to be with me anymore” She wiped her tears away.

“You monster” Said the shopkeeper.

After a few minutes of getting yelled at they stopped.

“Now tell her you will never leave her or disobey her as long as you live, in the name of the God Eater, and she who is above.” The high priestess had arrived to bind them.

“I will never leave her or disobey her as long as you are here.”

“Say it right!” He did his best not to kill them all.

“I will never leave you or disobey you as long as you live”

“With meaning” Said the priestess.

He took a deep breath and looked into her eyes. “I will never leave you or disobey you as long as you live. I will love you, fight for you and live to make you happy” William felt sick to his stomach.

“You do love me!” Said the thing hugging him.

“Thank you all for setting my husband right” Said the thing.

“My love,” They all seemed to think it was the cutest thing ever “can you take me for a walk”

William knew he had to comply. If her didn't, they would inform Kinarith of his actions. Even if they were lying.

“Of course” Said William.

He cradled her and walked as if carrying his dearly beloved.

“Take me to see the forest” Said the thing. William knew he had to obey. They walked out together and out of view.

“So what exactly do you want?” Asked William.

“First things first, you are going to treat me like you would treat your Queen. If you don't, I'll tell everyone you were abusing me.”

“You're smarter than you look. But not smart enough.” William lounged forward and she caught the blade. William pushed her through a tree. William took a deep breath and created echos.

“Stop, stop it! You're hurting me!” Yelled the thing William cover her mouth and could feel her smile. He moved his hands and looked into her eyes.

“You are going to respect me. Do that again and you will regret it. Now, as an apology, help me come up with a name”

William wanted to run but knew she would be able to find him.

“Fine” He felt like he was being violated. To his people the act of giving a name was one of the most intimate actions anyone could do.

“And don't try and make any stupid names, but keep in mind that if I don't like the name you give me, I will say you tried to violate my name”

“Fine,” William looked into his memories and found what he was looking for.

“Nirith”

“I know that title” Said the thing.

“How” William did expect anyone to know it. “She attempted to find peace between my people and your kind.”

“What else do you know about her?” William was curious as to how much she knew about his people.

“Your kind killed her for this. For attempting to bring peace.”

“She was my grandmother.” William placed his blade back where it belonged.

“This is goodbye” William took a step away.

“Don't you dare think you can be free that easily. You're going to help me find and kill whatever did that to my people” Said the thing.

“So what title will you chose?” Said William.

“Kora”

“I'm still gonna leave you alone” William had this as his true intention.

“Need I remind you that if you leave me here. I'll start yelling”

“I hate you” William picked it up and walked away.

“So, where you from” Said Kora.

“That doesn't matter. If I'm going to take you with me you are going to do a few things for me”

“I am not dealing with any of your special needs” Kora had a strange expression on her face.

How did she know I have special needs. Maybe it doesn't know I need an hour to pray everyday.

“What are you talking about?” Asked William.

“I know your kind has your special alone time” Kora crossed her arms as she spoke.

It's too late… well, might as well ask it if it would like to pray with me.

“Kora, might I ask you to do something?”

“Maybe, what you want?”

“Would you care to join me during my special alone time?”

“Wow, um, I'm not into that kind of stuff.”

“That's fine.” Said William.

“So who are you looking for exactly?”

“Eight people, they stole a war ship” William had to keep in mind that he could not come home.

Her words were his law.

“Just wondering but have you ever seen one of the grand divines?” William placed his hands together and gave a short prayer.

“Yes, I saw one during a grand council”

“What are they like?”

“Terrifying, I spoke out of term and Elizium nearly killed me. She broke my arms and legs. To top it off she didn't even touch me.”

“How long did it take you to recover.”

“About a month” William had Kora like a backpack.

“Yes!” Said Kora with joy.

“What is it?” Asked William.

“My legs are growing back, I can see a little stub” Kora looked closely and smiled at the tiny nub of a leaf.

William looked at a small creek and felt a bit of hunger. He placed his hand in the creek and killed everything in the water. The fish floated to the surface and he picked them out of the water.

“Do you eat?”

“No, I take energy from the sun, and occasionally I absorb minerals from water.”

William looked up and could see a messenger wasp flying to him. It landed and had a note.

“William, be a dear and wipe out the town of Sorkren. They haven't paid taxes in there years. I forgot about it but I remembered this morning. So kill everyone but the kids. I will have people their tomorrow to replace the dead. Best of luck. Feel free to use cleansing light” William set Kora down and looked at the town.

Hallowed be his name, eternal be his will. Forgive me for the sins of my ways.

“Where are you going?” Asked Kora.

“Nowhere, I'm going to pray for forgiveness” William prayed till night came again.

Kora sat in water and did as plants do. When night finally came he stood. William walked into the town and found a good place to start. William looked at the women that stood within the tavern.

“What do you want” Said one guard.

“Come on, leave him alone he hasn't done anything wrong”

“You right” William incinerated everyone in the tavern and walked to the next location.

William knocked in the door of the home of the captain of the guard and waited. The door opened and she looked at William. The blade in her chest burned her flesh. William walked in and could see her family.

“Who are you?” Asked her husband. His head fell off his shoulders and hit the floor.

His children screamed as William walked away. A guard charged at William. William clasped his hand around the guard's throat and ripped his head off. William walked through the town until only the cries of children could be heard.