Tyrant of the Ruined Sun

The once erased markings returned to her lithe form, while the ends of her green tinged hair, that now crept past her waist, began to subtly sway despite the lack of wind, and her eyes became terrifyingly serpentine.

"Come." She said with a voice that dripped of authority just as like a viper’s maw drips of venom, while slowly raising her right arm in an inviting gesture.

For a second there was utter silence, but then the tortured scream of Morgana ripped through the air, shattering the previous stillness.

"Sister?!" Eleonora and Sophia roared in fright, rushing to her side, but Valdour and I were before them, barring their path within the blink of an eye.

"What are you doing?!" They angerly questioned. "Out of our way!"

"Just wait." I said, half turning my head back to the writhing Morgana, feeling the pull of divine power at work, and wanting to see it’s efforts.

"What do you..." They roared out, their powers already circulating through them, ready to burst out of them like an overflowing river, yet before they could, the one voice they could never interrupt sounded right next to their ears.

"Look." Maximillian said calmly, his eyes fixed beyond them, as he placed his palms on his restless wives’ shoulders.

And at his words, everyone who was momentarily distracted by the two’s outburst returned their attention back to the War Dragon’s second wing, and the newly christened daughter of the Poison God at work; only to behold a truly shocking scene.

The War Dragon’s second wife was far from the limp form she had been trapped in for the past several months, as her back was arched so much, the crown of her head was pressed against the plush mattresses beneath her, while her mouth was agape in a voicelessly scream, and her eyes glazed over and heavily ladened with unshed tears, while an odd, odourless, colourless, viscous liquid, that we wouldn’t have easily seen if not for the traces of blood within it, crawled out of her skin, like worms from the earth after rainfall.

And then, as though those same worms had suddenly sprouted wings, they began to levitate a hair’s width from her pale and sickly skin, before then taking to the air, rushing and coalescing like loosed arrows in the middle of Seraphina’s open palm, and Morgana’s body fell back to the bed like a doll who’s strings had been cut.

"My dear!"

"Sister?!"

Maximillian and his wives pushed past us and zipped to her side, swarming around her half in burning fear and alarm, and half in addictive, forceful hope and prayer.

"Morgana!" Maximillian said. "Can you hear me love? How do you feel?"

For a moment she did not reply, her eyes remaining in their unfocused form, bringing forth horrific thoughts, as such times often do, but then a subtle power began to purr, first shaking the air around the fallen queen, but then the whole room began to follow, and we could all tell what manner of eruption was about to occur, as Maximillian’s melancholic face finally broke into a fierce smile, roaring in triumph as though he’d just claimed the the greatest victory of his life. "Morgana!"

*BOOOOOOM*

A veritable explosion.

The once subdued power of the famed and feared second wing of the War Dragon erupted from her fragile form like a long dead water geyser breaking through the obstructing stone and rushing at last to freedom.

"HAHAHAHAHA!" Maximillian roared in laughter, as the entire palace began to quake, while I held my Eve close, using my full might to blunt the force of projected aura still leaking towards us.

And had it not been for Abraham and Valdour already shielding us from the brunt of it all, we would’ve been hurled across the room like scraps of paper in gale storm.

Yet the second Mercenary Queen was not yet done, as her small body continued to howl in a vortex of no longer inhibited power, before she finally fully opened her eyes, now glowing with blinding light.

And though it is such a simple thing, one children learn and master within a year, to the family of four, it was a thing of such preciousness, they could never compare another to it, for the mighty Morgana had risen.

She stood, without aid and without grimacing in trying to conceal pain.

Eleonora vanished in a blur of light, before appearing a second later with a magnificent spear in hand, and joyfully handed it to the woman still wrapped in a miniaturized typhoon.

Morgana took hold of her beloved weapon like a mother would do her child, and as though reflecting her sudden peaceful expression, her rampant aura began to recede like the ocean after a storm, returning to her side with an utterly tamed gait, as it then began to wrap around her like a gentle mantle.

And though she remained diminished and unkempt after such a long sickness, the fierceness that characterized the dragon’s second wife had returned to her with a vengeance, standing there like a victorious spear, unflinching, unbent and poised to challenge the very heavens.

Maximillian was upon her a second later, embracing her with crushing force, and though his back was towards us, I suspected the mighty War Dragon had allowed a couple of tears to trace his face at that moment.

We all decided to commence a silent retreat then, allowing the long since pained family a moment of peace.

"Excellent work Seraphina." I sincerely said, as we made our way out of their palace, and back into my own, where I hungered for some well earned peace and my now completed family’s company.

***

The next few days were ones that felt like they belonged to another, for they were filled with such joy.

I spent the early mornings strolling through the gardens with my mother and Eve.

While the middays were occupied by my brothers, Cyrus and Nizam, along with my closest friends, Horus, Leonid and Hasdrubal, sparring, learning or simply speaking with one another.

The afternoons were for my youngest siblings, happily spending quiet moments with Alisar, or wrangling with the infinite energy of the two rascals, who’s ever growing talent for trouble seemed to be just as expansive as their limitless stamina.

"If my soldiers had half of your vigour, I would’ve conquered Solis Luxuria by now." I commented one evening, much to the amusement of my family.

And finally the late night hours were either the time for my quiet contemplation and divine training; or spent in long pleasant talks with my Eve, who had wasted no more time starting her criminal empire. Already she had founded a couple of underground fighting rings and another three illegal gambling dens.

And though I had offered my aid more than once, she accepted none of it, even rejecting the Hyacinth Moon Inns I had originally promised her, claiming that she would build her own information networks; though she did agree to utilize some information my Shade Corps had long collected about the leading figures in my empire’s underbelly, claiming that it would simply speed up the process.

Yet as all things are, this time of joy also came to an end, as I returned to the mundane day to day practices of running an empire, with the rude wakeup call beginning one night during one of my late night discussion with Eve.

"My liege, the garbagemen have arrived and are asking for an audience." Kira’s voice sounded out from behind my door.

I frowned for a moment, before saying "Let them in. And have Darius and Isaac join them."

"Yes sire." She replied, rushing to call the two.

"Garbagemen?" Eve asked incredulously, obviously bewildered who these ’garbagemen’ are, to dare ask to meet with me so late in the night, and why I would ever agree, while also demanding the presence of my Grand Vizier and Shade Corps Commander.

"Leaders of the re-established Noble Faction, now newly rechristened as the Eastern Faction." I quickly answered her question, as she refastened her eye cover.

"The re-established Noble Faction? Your uncle’s...?" She began, but I cut her off, knowing what she wanted to ask.

"Yes." I said. "My uncle’s old faction, or at least it echoes the same talking points he used to found it, but now under new, more intelligent management." I finished with a wicked smile.

"But why?" She asked, confused as to why I would allow a similar cancer to fester in my lands once again.

"Even poison, when used correctly, can have it’s uses my lady." The voice of Isaac, who had just appeared next us with Darius, echoed out in explanation.

"Though the name Noble Faction has been irreversibly tainted thanks to Zadkiel’s rebellion, and it has to be known by a different name nowadays, that form of political entity, whether we like it or not, is a needed precaution that the empire can not live without." Darius began. "For you see, ambition and greed are a vital component of human hearts, something that could never be extracted or extinguished, so why not predict it, constrict it, and finally utilize it? That is our purpose with the new faction, who the foolish nobles believe is their gateway to greater power and riches, a cesspit to collect, manage and if needed, flush away, the noble worlds filth."

"The Garbagemen." She whisperingly said, nodding in understanding.

"Exactly." Darius smiled as well.

A moment later, the door was knocked upon again, and in entered three hooded figures, two male and one female.

"We greet the emperor." They said in unison.

"My love, this lord Horatio Hurr, Master of the Eastern Faction. Lady Sabrina Sajn, his right hand woman and High Priest Vafadar, head priest to the temple in Appathus. Lady and gentlemen, this is Eve, my wife to be."

Vafadar was actually a new High Priest in comparison to the others of his station, as he only climbed to said position after we took the city in the last war three years ago and identified him as the middle ranking clergyman who sent that poor unfortunate soul to tell us of the east’s conspiracy, before he was found dead by the Archpriest’s men.

"We greet her imperial majesty, the empress." The said again in unison, removing their hoods as one, revealing the white, balding head of Horatio, the stunning beauty of lady Sabrina and the thin, grey head of Vafadar.

"What brings you here so late at night, and without any prior notice no less?" I asked, since as per protocol, considering the secrecy of their mission, they had to be extraordinarily careful when they had to do anything in regards to me and my faction, let alone coming to meet me without notifying anyone before hand.

"My emperor, we know we are wrong, but the situation could not be trusted to the time, mouths and hands of others." Horatio grimly declared.

"They believe us here to petition your majesty’s government to prolong the tax exemption you offered to the east after the war." Sabrina added immediately after.

"What happened?" I quickly asked.

"The east is roiling once again with the hidden machinations of unseen hands." Vafadar said.

"Letters." Began Horatio. "Dozens of them, all bearing the claim that the devastation of the east and the loss and pain suffered by all the nobles was mostly your fault sire, as you had failed to protect them have been sent to nearly every lord in the east."

"Some even urge the noble houses to refuse paying your majesty’s taxes, and instead use them to fund their own militaries, since only they could be trusted to guard their own interests and lives." Lady Sajn continued, taking from her inner cloak a thick stack of papers and presenting them to us.

"Nerva?" Isaac immediately theorized, since he was the one to vanguard the previous civil war and make a fool out of him and his Shade Corps.

"Impossible." Darius quickly disagreed. "They are mere weeks away from launching their grand war on the Western Kingdoms, they would have no energy, and no mind to mess with us during this time, as that would be the hight foolishness as well."

"The Heretics then?" I said out loud.

"No." Vafadar shook his head. "I do not believe the Heretics to be the ones behind this, sire."

"Then who?" I asked, looking at the kneeling three.

"We-We suspect the eastern hegemon sire. The Yue Dynasty." Horatio blurted out.