Eastern Moonrise Empire-
His sleep was dreamless. The night was quiet. Still... He woke with a deep and uneasy feeling. The second his mind
came to wakefulness and he experienced the unpleasant feeling he knew. Something was wrong. Opening his eyes
and staring at the white ceiling he thinks back on the nights events. Training to be his brother's adviser his schedule
was archery, swordplay, philosophy, economics, military tactics, medicine, and agriculture. From sun up to sun
down preparing to be the best Royal Aide for his brother, the future king, was the single focus of his life. After that it
was dinner with a minor noble to keep familiarity with lower nobility and finally a few moments for himself which
consisted of drinks with the ruffs down at Dock's End and picking up a petite little whore from Shelly's. All very
normal. Vividly recalling Shelly's Moonlight Consortium a warm smile spreads across his face. "Aahhh Shelly's" he
thinks as the unpleasant feeling temporarily flees from his mind. After turning 18 this year his father had rented
out the large and private establishment, and he had camped out there for 10 days. Good food, strong liqour, and
clean girls. Each one inspected every week, mind you, guaranteed clean and, of course, beautiful.
With pleasant memories filling his mind Elethan stretches out spread eagle, his arms and legs reaching left and
right. Even like this there could be another one of him stretched out just the same on either side and they still
wouldn't touch each other or reach the edge of the bed. Thinking this with a smile, his eyes suddenly widen and he
turns his head left and right.
"The whore" he says quietly to himself. Of course. That must have been his uneasy feeling. She wasn't in his bed. What was her name again? Korin?... Karin? The fading look of curiosity on his face seems to signify that it doesn't really matter that much. Anyway she probably left in the night. Under normal circumstances a person would be worried that her fingers might have been a bit sticky on the way out the door but not Elethan. Thinking of his guards using her late departure as an excuse to "search" her and then having their own fun made Elethan smirk a bit.
"Ah.. well. Can't be helped i suppose. Not like they'd ever be able to afford such a fine woman on their own." he voices into the darkness of the room smiling.
Just then, as if in answer to his comment, a high pitched, boyish voice spoke back from the area of his giant 3 meter wide balcony windows. "Oh... I don't know... I've noticed most commoner guards to be quite thrifty with their pay. In but a few months they could save up the gold if they chose to, i think." the voice spoke in a casual tone. Not threatening but not weak, like it had been part of a conversation and it was only natural to respond.
Elethan froze. His mind spinning quickly into panic but not quite. Feelings before thoughts flashed through his mind. Shock, fear, subtle anger, quickly replaced with understanding. This person wasn't here to kill him. Only a professional assassin would be able to come to his room without the whole palace going bat shit crazy and professional assassins don't warn their targets of their presence... ever. "So..." he thinks his breathing and heart rate slowly calming from the shock "He's an extremely skilled person that doesn't want me dead. Otherwise I'd be dead already."
Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly he deliberately sits up in his bed, with no sudden or quick movements, and looks toward the direction of the voice. The moment his gaze lands on the person before him he knows. This will forever be the most vivid memory I will ever have.
A boy stands there... perhaps 12. The room itself is nearly pitch black but the boy stands out as if possessed of an inner light. He stands there as if cast in bright day light, clearly seen, while the rest of the room remains in the grip of a moonless night. Shirtless, long dark grey hair, midnight black tight fitting pants and boots, and where the ring of color should be in his eyes there is only black. Not just black but void... empty... as if the inner parts of his eye were dug out and replaced with a light devouring hole that has no bottom. All this being startling enough there was also his wings... yes wings. Growing from his back, moving and twitching in a way that would be impossible to fake, were transparent wings. Each hair of each feather made from some glass like substance that was both supple and brittle at the same time. As the boy took a step further toward the bed these wings gave off a whisper quiet tinkling reinforcing the idea they are made of some unidentified fine crystal.
"But, then again, a common guard probably has a different point of view than you, right?" the boy says smiling and striding forward. *tinkle *tinkle He stands at the end of the bed.
"I suppose it's just a matter of perspective.." says the boy spinning sideways to showcase his wings.
After spinning sideways, lifting his nose, and tapping his chin for a second clearly acting out the fact that he's thinking he says "After all for many of them living through the day is quite the achievement... Let alone saving for months just to get a high priced whore."
Watching this whole performance Elethan's mind is spinning. From the second he caught sight of this boy he felt it. Before he saw the boy... nothing. Just a normal night. Dark, perhaps, but normal. After... the pressure. The pressure of a far exalted existence. The One before him could destroy him... destroy the city... destroy the kingdom... perhaps even the world. Who knew? Unending power wrapped in a delicate and gentle frame. All thoughts of assassins or unappreciative nobles flew from his mind and he was only left with one question. What could this God want with him?
"Heheheh... Speechless. Very good! That's the correct response!" says the boy clapping and smiling broadly with his whole face. "Now then, since you are properly awed, this exalted messenger will now transmit his message!"
"Wait, wait... messenger?" asks Elethan suddenly.
The boy freezes with his hands outstretched, his eyes swiveling back to land on Elethan. Slowly his hands drop and a small grimace becomes fixed on his face. Crossing his arms, he begins tapping his foot as if impatient.
"That's right." says the boy raising one eyebrow
"Messenger of who?" asks Elethan his mind slowly starting to work properly again.
"Neplu" speaks the boy. One word. Said simply and matter of factly, as if that wasn't the volcano erupting, earth quaking, world shattering answer that it was. Immediately scenes flash through Elethan's mind. Scenes from his life. Times he'd bowed at Neplu's alter. Times he'd seen his father kneel in reverence and prayer. Times he'd called out Neplu's name for strength in a duel. Times he'd called out Neplu's name for strength as he was about to cum. Neplu was not just his God, not just his father's God, Neplu was Lord Of The Night... Protecter of the kingdom and God to all who called The Eastern or Western Moonrise Empire their home.
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
Without even being consciously aware of it Elethan was out of his bed and kneeling prostrate on the floor. On his knees bowing so low his forehead was mere inches from the ground he smiled as his mind finally caught up to his actions. Whatever the reason was, whether it be a life time of living in the court or his lifetime of worshiping Neplu, something had clicked inside him which led him to quickly get out of his bed and, with both knees, kneel in front of this heavenly messenger without him even thinking about it. "Thank the GODS!!" he thought. Sitting in bed dumbfounded in the face of Neplu's messenger was just about all he could think to do until then. But now with his head bowed and on his knees the pressure his mind felt was greatly lessened. He could think. Such a simple thing but so much better than before.
"Before you start pondering on the nature of you situation perhaps you'd like to hear my message..." spoke the boy
With the sinking feeling that everything he had done so far from the moment he awoke to now had been planned or predicted in some way, Elethan spoke again. "Please, exalted messenger. What message does Neplu have for this insignificant prince?"
"Tomorrow you will be king." the messenger says simply.
It took only a moment for these words to register with Elethan. He was the second son of his father King Kennethan Mordred. There was only one way for him to be king tomorrow. The message was straight forward. Tonight his father and brother would die, or perhaps disappear without a trace, there was no other way. Following that thought there was only one reason a king and heir would die in the same night. "Assassins" he whispered.
"Heheheh... master said you were smart! That's exactly right. Assassins have come!" said the boy clapping and smiling again. His holes-for-eyes making the whole thing look unnatural and unnerving.
Looking at the unnerving little boy Elethan's eye begins to twitch. Something's not right. Being a diligent student of philosophy and logic, as well as mathematics and science, he realizes something is missing from this equation. Motive. That's it. There's no point. "If my father and brother are both dead then I will become king with or without this message from Neplu. Surely a mortal such as me can't understand the will and whim of the Gods but if Neplu wishes me to know these events before hand there must be something He wants me to do." thinks Elethan.
Heart pounding hard in his ears Elethan asks "What does Neplu wish of His servant?" wanting to put an end to the charade.
"Heheheh... Smart and even smarter still!" claps the boy smiling. "It is just so, Neplu requires an act of faith in order to grant you the right to be king."
This is it. Elethan's heart drops. Neplu was never the most lenient of Gods. With Glory comes Death of your enemies. With the lofty heights of victory comes the lowliness of the defeated. In short, with Neplu, all things come at a cost, even if you are not the one to bare it.
"I understand." speaks Elethan with reverence. "What act of faith will Neplu task me to perform?"
"It's simple." says the boy with a mischievous grin. "You must kill you brother... Tonight."
Thinking it through Elethan began to understand. "We're too young." he thought "Our ages too close together." It had been a known fact throughout the Eastern Empire for a decade that Elethan was far superior to his brother Aremus. Already slightly taller and more muscular, Elethan also had a quick mind and an easy going nature that caused him to be seen as approachable. Charismatic, with long dark hair and pale blue eyes, even his looks were on another level compared to his chubby, self serving, overly prideful brother. The king was young still, with the first vestiges of grey just barely beginning to show in his beard, so most of the court nobles, instructors, even the citizenry believed Aremus still had time to grow into his own before he would need to worry about the throne. But now that time would not be given. Assassins were coming... or rather had come. Tomorrow his brother would wake as king with a far more talented younger brother standing next to him. Even the slow witted Aremus would be able to clearly see the natural progression of these events.
"You understand, of course..." questions the boy in a low tone "Your father is dead already. There's no saving him."
Elethan shakes his head and his eyes look down in guilt. "What a useless shit of a son i am." he thinks. Saving his father had not even crossed his mind.
"Aremus is dense but even he can see your a better fit as king." continues the boy "He will have you killed at the very first opportunity. But take heart! The Great God Neplu has seen fit to offer you His protection and council."
Elethan looks back up with tears in his eyes at the dark angel of a boy who is now standing over him.
"Take this" the boy says in a very serious tone while flinging a thin bladed dagger to stick tip down next to Elethan. "Pay the blood price for your kingdom and Neplu will reward you." After that he turns and flies tinkling to the windows throwing them open, clearly about to depart.
Abruptly stopping he turns quickly back and says in a giggling voice "Oh, I almost forgot. There is a boy in the capital. A young noble of a minor house. Corbin Hargrave is his name. Neplu has blessed him as His champion and councils you to foster and develop this boy. He will become a great asset for you in the coming days. And lastly keep our meeting and the things I have told you secret, even from Se-.. I mean Corbin."
After that he turns and disappears through the balcony window, the quiet tinkling growing distant. Remaining there on his knees for some minutes, Elethan has a look of numb shock on his face. After some time his eyes slowly drift down to land on the dagger still stuck into the floorboards to his right. A fierce look begins to settle on his face as he stares at the dagger until finally he reaches out to grasp the handle. Weapon in hand he stands and turns toward the door to his large and lavish room. Standing there staring at the door his mind is swirling with thoughts of his father, thoughts of becoming king, which he had never planned to do, and thoughts of how he will clean up after the events of tonight. His fierce look begins to change subtly, over time transforming his naturally good looks into a face of grim determination. Quietly he speaks to the empty room "The Blood Price." then immediately strides through his door, into the hall, and points his feet in the direction of his brother's room.