Author's Preface
“Call for backup! We need more men! Rally the inner hall-”
SCHINK!
The guard's head dropped onto cold, white marble floors. A face frozen in horror. His long spear clattered to the floor first, and then his body.
A cloaked figure stared at the body for a second, their scimitar dyed red with blood.
“Move,” hissed a seond voice behind, already dashing off down the hall. “Before the next patrol arrives!”
The first figure nodded, and then the pair sped off down the halls.
…
“Please, stop…! I’m not one of them, I merely work here, I have people to feed!”
SLASH.
A dark blade cleaved the woman in two, bisected right across her waist.
This cloaked figure didn’t stop to mourn or to speak. They just moved through the halls, each step itself making minimal noise.
“This day… I’d s-seen it coming long ago… please, I surrender.”
An older man who was dressed in robes of silk and clean linen had his head bowed. His wizened face had high cheekbones, eyes of pure green…
“No survivors. No exceptions.”
And yet another head rolled onto the floor, sitting in the mess of his own blood. Eyes facing the ceiling.
…
Seals made of pure Jiu energy hummed along the walls. Two more cloaked figures were crouched by a larger, complex seal network, studying the lines.
“Alter it there,” commanded the taller figure. “Change the wording, and…”
The shorter figure nodded and went to work. They dabbed their finger in a pool of blood nearby - fresh from a recently slain servantmaid - and drew directly onto the seal.
Pause. Just a moment of waiting, and then…
THRUMMMMM.
The pair gave each other a quick look, and then headed right back down the path they came.
…
Chaos erupted. More blood curdling screams filled the air, as the shroud of hooded warriors headed further into guarded territory…all the while, the heat had grown almost visible, pressing in from every wall.
“AHHH! W-Why?!? Why is it so hot?” screamed a middle-aged woman wearing an emerald green saree, her wrists adorned with jewels. “The seals…?! Our cooling seals are…!”
She turned to the nearest two guards.
“WHAT ARE YOU DOING? Help me! Find who’s changing the seals! Find out what those screams are! Don’t just… just…”
Somehow in her terror, she hadn't noticed it. Not until it was too late.
She saw the bloodied spearheads poking out of each of their chests. The quiet smile of a figure cloaked in black. And then…
Darkness.
“DAMMIT! Give me the situation IMMEDIATELY, Captain!”
An older disgruntled man was shouting at a younger one. Both clad in armor of full Azurite, staffs held in hand. Pacing outside high steel gates.
“It’s bad, General,” came the younger Captain’s hushed voice. His brown eyes quivered. And as he touched the palace gates-
Bwooom…
A dark blue light appeared. A large drawn symbol was etched into the air itself.
The General’s eyes squinted. “Two fold… three fold… fuck!”
His fist slammed against the nearby wall… he didn’t even flinch as the Jiu within burned away at his skin.
“They knew! With the Century Festival of Kings tomorrow, every damn member of the Royal Family is in the palace right now, TRAPPED!”
“Yes, that’s correct sir. Until the one who cast the seal dies, or until one more hour passes…” he shook his head. “We’ll have to hope that those damn Azurite Spears can do their job within.”
General Varshath’s scoffed. “The moment the High King awakens, they’ll have hell to pay! Unless…”
His eyes widened. “Oh no.”
Inside, the sounds of combat had only grown in level.
“Coordinate! They shall NOT pass the Grand Inner Sanctum!”
“YES MA’AM!”
A grey haired woman with wrinkled features, adorned in fine Azurite armor, was ducking behind a fortified table - Jiu seals drawn upon it, glowing a dull brown.
Two guards stood up for a brief moment, aiming their staffs. The energy within the air gathered in a split second.
Whoosh!
The first one shot out large swathes of flames. A sea of fire engulfed another dining table, chairs, and utensil alike.
The second guard’s staff caused a mass of wild winds, amplifying the flames and slicing through the furniture.
But then…
That same tall cloaked figure muttered something. Stepped out with their hand held out.
Bright red flames danced around the tattered room, until they all were drained right into the palm of their hand. Snuffed out.
The figure smiled. Perfect white teeth shone bright. Pearly whites, incredibly straight.
“What the hell are they… it’s… it’s gone!” the gray haired woman’s eyes widened. “Shit! It’s them! It’s-“
SCHINK.
Three bodies cleaved into two neat pieces each.
Two more cloaked figures walking in from behind cover.
And one large glaive dripping fresh red blood. The blood on the glaive sizzled into vapor a second later.
“… we continue. The Throne Room is not but a few more minutes from us.”
“Impressive as always! I love your work.” The figure on the right actually clapped, blood still on their palms.
The tall one didn’t look back. “Less talking. Throne Room’s close.”
“Killjoy. But you’re right, I suppose. Queenie should be there.”
“Q-Queen Al-Rashid! Please, evacuate! You must not die here! Please do not-”
RIIIIP.
“Please, do!” the shorter cloaked figure unwrapped an urumi from his waist, the sword-whip cracked through the air, immediately lacerating the servant’s throat. She fell and rolled down the marble stairs, sputtering blood, her gaze never leaving the regal woman upon the throne.
Queen Al-Rashid didn’t speak. Hazel eyes burning, she ripped two gilded daggers from her hips and flung them. Her ceremonial blade was already in hand before they left her fingers.
“Not bad, Queenie. But…”
The urumi cracked through the air again, to hit the daggers out of the air - but small portals teleported the weapons through the air.
Instead, they pierced his hands.
“AHHH!”
Queen Al-Rashid smirked in triumph, as more portals appeared. Behind her, behind the assassins…
But the others didn’t falter. The tall one with his giant glaive crouched.
“Gather. Invoke, Invoke, Invoke…”
The sweltering heat, amplified by the alteration of the cooling seals, had increased even further. Sweat was running down the Queen’s brow as she held her position on high ground…
“Suffocate.”
Queen Al-Rashid started to gasp - clutching at her throat. “Y-you…”
The soles of her feet began to singe. The air was contaminated, carbon dioxide releasing from the superheated marble.
Pillars of lava began to burst all around the throne room, encasing them in a circle of fiery death.
“When… h-he gets here… the King will…!”
“Yes. We’ve been waiting..”
The final figure who hadn’t spoken until now - gripped the spear in his arms, tossing it like a javelin.
It was too late.
The spear took her clean through the chest. She stayed upright for a heartbeat longer, then folded.
The three figures paid her no mind. They ignored the royal corpse, already turning around to the grand doors at the entrance…
Which were already opening.
And standing there was just one figure.
Dark brown hair, wavy bangs covering his tired face. Two pits of emerald green fury. A single pitch-black staff hung from one hand, the air around it already beginning to warp and twist reality.
He didn’t look at the three cloaked shapes at first.
He looked only at her.
When he finally raised his head, the air in the throne room changed. The lava pillars reduced the mere bonfires in an instant. The crushing heat bent sideways, as if the palace itself had flinched.
Two of the cloaked figures took an involuntary step back.
“You touched her.”
The High King’s voice came out low and ruined.
And only silence answered his broken words.
Then the tallest of the three slowly rolled his shoulders, glaive still dripping, and smiled with those perfect white teeth.
“Your turn… Titan.”
Somewhere else in the vast nation of Solara… on the same sweltering hot day, under the same blue sky…
A strong old warrior sat with his back to the wall, counting coins. Two young men were asleep not far from him, close together.
It was quiet. Only the deep sounds of sleeping mercenaries could be heard.
… the man opened his eyes. Silver hair falling like waves. And his head turned, eyes gazing off in the distance, towards where the Royal Capital lies. Expression unreadable.
“So it begins,” he muttered to himself.
He let the brothers sleep. For now.