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Chapter 32: Advent Chaos

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The residential district had seen better days. Homes were smoldering piles of rubble. Places, where children would spend their days learning, were barely recognizable. Civilians were the first ones evacuated when the Ophidia dropped firebombs from above. But as Idris and others searched through the district, it was clear that not everyone made it to the escape tunnels.

Human remains were found beneath the walls they called home; flames still consumed others that attempted to flee.

Of course, what he witnessed after Catalyst destroyed Haggard was far worse. Idris still wondered if the Ophidia attack was a simple act of karma.

And with the abrupt sound of small cannon fire flaring up again, fate wasn’t done with Midaharia yet. Idris hastily left the search and recovery crew behind.

Would they even have time to bury their dead?

And Emperor Taimoor?

Soaked with blood, a sheet covered the emperor’s body as they carried him out of the compound. His neck was cleanly severed all the way to through bone. Whoever managed to decapitate him must have taken his head with them.

Those guarding his door claim no one slipped by them. They only entered his room once the Ophidia attacked. By then, the deed had been done.

Badr lowered a knee as he passed under the compound’s grand archers for the last time. Traditionally, burying the dead was done within twenty-four hours after one’s death. A specific ritual of cleaning and wrapping the body would usually happen prior. If the assault on the capital continued, they might have to skip the formalities.

A guard lowered his head as the emperor’s body passed then approached Badr. “General, I have news.”

His gaze still on the emperor’s body, Badr failed to acknowledge the guard’s presence.“The moment we find the one responsible for murdering Emperor Taimoor, I will execute him myself!”

The guard raised his voice. “General Badr.”

“What is it?” Badr asked, shifting his focus to the guard.

“Our scouts have returned from the battlefield.”

“Is Lahan with them?”

“No, sir. He wasn’t found. The area was littered with dead soldiers, both ours and Ahrman, but Lahan wasn’t among them.”

“Then, he was taken prisoner.” Badr parted the guard’s side. “Where are the returning soldiers? I want to hear what they have to say.”

“General, I'm telling you, there were no returning soldiers. As far as the scouts could tell, both sides were massacred.”

Ahrman empire capital city of Parigrah

Not since the capital was under siege during a seventeen-year war with Midaharia six generations ago had its wall seen so much activity. Ahrman soldiers moved large artillery weapons into place and watched each corner of the horizon. A new enemy was coming but from where?

The little information the royal guard passed on included Lieutenant Alba murdering the king, and now he was heading to Parigrah to challenge the crown. But some who knew the lieutenant found that hard to believe.

“Alba summoned an army of giant skeletons?” asked an Ahrman brigadier general, his commanding voice laced with disbelief. Dark blue eyes rolled dismissively under the shadow of his polished dark visor on his peak hat. The empire's flag rested on the square shoulders of his green uniform. “Why would he..?”

“Ask him yourself when you see if, Grant,” Sisten interrupted, studying their surroundings. There was no sign of movement; living or dead. "If I don't strangle him first."

While the royal guard's duty was to the crown, protecting the citizens of the capital fell on the army and the officers that commanded them. Alba was once one of those officers. Together he and Grant responded to natural disasters, attempted coups, and brief military flareups between the empire and the Midharians.

It would take more than just second-hand accounts to convince Grant that the best man at his wedding was a traitor to the throne.

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As if the capital didn’t have enough problems.

There were rumors that one of the royal guards defecting to Alba’s side and a slippery enemy had already infiltrated the city’s walls. However, the arrival of a new day appeared to have chased them back into the shadows, for now.

For the soldiers that weren’t positioned to defend the wall, moving an entire population out of harm's way was a challenge. If an attack was coming from any direction, was there a right route to evacuate?

The king and queen were usually the first ones out of the city during wartimes, but Queen Katherine refused to leave until the last family had made it out.

From the roof of the royal estate, the queen watched her people scramble for their lives. Long and sheer, her royal gown was caught by the winds of a chariot’s blades. The king, her husband, was dead, yet she couldn’t squeeze one tear from her green eyes. She wouldn’t until she saw his body.

That’s what she told all that asked.

King Lisador’s promiscuous ways were the death of their marriage long ago. It was her duty as queen to keep quiet about such matters and demonstrate a strong union for the people, even if it wasn’t.

“Your highness?” a woman beckoned, her long auburn hair secured in a ponytail abused by the wind. “Are you ready?”

“If I have to sit on another chariot,” the queen muttered, weary of the flying transports. She had only just returned from her six-week vacation by chariot. “What’s stopping them from shooting that thing out of the sky?”

“You must leave the capital, your highness. This is the fastest way.”

“Are you coming with me, Jericha?”

“Yes, of course.” Jericha’s modest physique hid her three months of training on Khalina island. Her duties as an escort included accompanying the queen during her lavish globe-trotting vacations and listening to her complaints about the king. This was the first time Jericha was tasked with ensuring the queen’s safe departure from an unforeseen enemy.

The chariot’s propellers churned faster as a menacing storm cloud approached. Lower to the ground than most, the tube-shaped cloud rolled across the horizon without end. Its dark grey structure appeared taller than the stone walls surrounding the city.

“We need to disembark now, your highness! I don’t like the way that storm cloud looks!”

“If you say so,” the queen said, releasing the tension in her shoulders.

Within the royal estate’s walls, the door to Lieutenant Alba's personal quarters was wide open. Papers and books laid scattered over his neatly made bed. His attention divided between a large open window and the door, Breuke skimmed through the Lieutenant’s private notes.

There must be an explanation for his sudden madness, the power he possessed, and a way to break his hold on Tasha.

Hand sketched images of the Rebirths’ symbols filled another book. Rebirths were a popular subject with him. His writings were of a man obsessed with the magical runes. When Rebirths weren’t the topic, Aiden and the Khalina Prophecy was. As the much talked about ‘Rebirth Destroyer’, the young Midaharian was prophesied to bring about damnation.

Breuke turned his attention to another book across the room on the lieutenant's dresser; his journal. He flipped to the most recent entries.

Night terrors have plagued my rest as of late, Alba wrote. I’ve been having visions of a strange rune.

I’ve requested guards outside of my door at night. Someone has been doing a deficient job at stalking me ever since I left that fishing village.

Woke up during the night. Someone left an unidentified rune on my bed. Palace guards are feigning ignorance. I will have a word with the king about this incompetence!

Been in my room all day studying this new rune. I swear I can hear it speaking to me, calling itself Damnation. I was right! Damnation is a Rebirth, and I’m holding it in my hands!

His final entry made no sense. A cu Ecutcmgst. Fsk hgvv nloil ul tsh. What could that mean?!

“A rune called Damnation?” Breuke said to himself, flipping the page for more information. The rest of Alba’s journal was devoid of words, only a sketched image of a burning runic symbol remained. As Breuke examined the symbol closer, the natural light in the room eroded. Through the window, he could see darkness gradually overtaking the blue sky.

His body jumped in place as the door slammed shut.

“You do realize that this is a gross invasion of privacy,” Alba said, standing behind the royal guard.

“No..” Breuke said, his breath clutched in his chest. How did he keep appearing out of nowhere?! One touch was all he needed for his evil intent to take over. He’d seen it happen with Tasha and it frightened him motionless.

Alba rested his hand on the royal guard’s shoulder. “Let’s go see the queen off, shall we Breuke?”

“STAY BACK!” Breuke yelled, propelling himself through the window. A spout of water carried him to Jericha’s position on the roof. “He’s here!” said Breuke, his voice gripped with fear. “Alba’s here!”

Jericha hurried the queen onto the chariot, taking a moment to slip something into her hand. “The king rejected this. I’m giving it to you, your highness.”

“What is it?”

“Just hold on to it! Take her up!” Jericha ordered the pilot.

“You’re not coming?!” the queen shouted as the chariot lifted. Jericha saluted the queen then rushed to join Breuke.

“There’s no place in my ranks for cowards, Breuke,” Alba said, landing nearby.

“You have some nerve showing your face here, traitor!” Jericha said, unsheathing her short swords.

"Orlcw ms ul ykvzko," Alba spoke, grinning menacingly as day turned to night. The cloud had completed its journey over the capital. Shadow creatures leaped from their hiding spots and continued their quest for carnage.

Throughout the capital’s walls, wispy clouds twirled a thin path to the ground. Upon dispersal, soldiers found themselves on the defensive against skeletal figures with piercing red eyes.

Jericha and Breuke quickly found themselves surrounded by the unholy enemy. Their numbers continued to mount as Alba laughed wickedly, his body peppering into the sinister cloud.