FicWad

Chapter 3 The Emperor of the Impedia Empire

The two elven visitors and the human priest left the temple in very different moods. Hantilia walked besides Brother Isin filled with determination, but it was a determination founded only in the hope to do the best of an impossible situation. Every step they took forward felt like it took them closer to death and despair.

The fact that Brother Isin was very merry, almost bubbling over with joy of given the opportunity to ask questions, didn't make it any easier. It seemed like the priest had always wanted to speak to an H’tlian but his fear for the wild nature outside of Impedia had prevented him from travelling.

Fasroth was following them. Not an single emotion could be read on his face. Hantilia wondered if he was preparing himself for the upcoming meeting or if the topic of his thoughts was her warning about the threat from the mountains.

"You did wake up on Elrochia, right?" Brother Isin asked, interrupting Hantilia's flow of thought. "Were your people the first to gain consciousness?"

"Not the first," Hantilia answered. "A group of dragons found us and took us out of our slumber. The dragons had themselves been awoken by some kind of earth elementals some millennias before. Anyway we were the first group of humanoids that the dragons found."

"Were the dragons searching for you?" Brother Isin asked eagerly.

"No, they were on the way to see lord Fasroth," Hantilia replied. "I don't think either Fasroth or the dragons expected humanoids to turn up at that time."

"Was the case that you didn't know humanoids would come, or was it that you thought they would come later?" Brother Isin asked Fasroth.

"I knew elves, dwarves and humans would come but it was much too early. The signs made it clear that it was not yet the time for humanoids," Fasroth answered absent minded.

"No humanoids," Brother Isin mumbled and stared at Fasroth very confused. He seemed on the way to form a question when he noticed they had arrivied to the Imperial thronehall.

The doors were if possible even more grand than the rest of the imperial palace. Golden signs decorated with diamonds, that told the story how Mar'raz's priests had elected the first emperor after many contests of skill, bravery and wisdom.

In front of the doors stood a dozen knights in shining armour. Present was also a large group of important looking officials and civilians that impatiently waited to be allowed inside.

"Why are all these people here?" Fasroth asked.

"They are to witness the activation of the Thorgiaden," Hantilia answered with a pale face. Brother Isin gave Hantilia a confused stare while Fasroth seemed to accept it as fact without questioning. Suddenly Brother Isin looked up at the crowd.

"I got a vague memory that you could apply for being selected to witness the activation of the device, but I had no idea that it would be today," Brother Isin said.

"/We have no time to wait until the absent minded priest recalls how we can gain access/," Hantilia thought. A smile played over her lips as she moved into the crowd. She pushed the first two aside and the crowd parted for her.

"Who comes unbidden to the hall of the Emperor of Impedia?" the captain of guards asked as Hantilia approached. Hantilia stepped aside so that Fasroth could handle it.

"I am Lord Fasroth of Elrochia," Fasroth said and made a formal bow. "These are my companions, Hantilia of the H'tlians and Brother Isin of Mar'raz temple. We need to speak to the Emperor about a matter of grave concern."

"The emperor is busy watching the final assembly of the Thorgiaden, he accepts no visitors today," the captain answered.

"Thorgiaden is the topic we need to speak to the Emperor about, so it can't wait," Fasroth countered. The captain looked uncertain and his gaze swept over the three visitors.

"Captain, let us through," Brother Isin barked. "I would not be here unless it was important."

The captain almost stumbled backwards from the outburst from the timid looking priest. He looked around uncertain, but then motioned to one of soldiers to walk inside. They were left waiting outside for a while until the soldier returned with a parchment.

"The emperor would normally not accept unexpected visitors but have decided to make an exception since he is interested to meet the famous Fasroth," the captain declared.

They entered the room and found the emperor seated on the grand throne. On both sides elves and humans were making celebration preparations.

The emperor himself was a young man. With interest his blue eyes studied the two elven visitors. Hantilia did meet his gaze.

"/Why do I think about starvation/?" Hantilia wondered surprised. He was a fit man with a lean but strong body. At his side a shining rapier hung but otherwise he was unarmed. He didn't have the elven beauty but was none the less a handsome man with an aura of authority around him. Hantilia could really not put the finger on what had caused her thought.

Turning her head Hantilia looked at Fasroth, wondering why he had not spoken yet. Fasroth was looking at an object located in the far end of thronehall. No description had been given of the Thorgiaden but there was no doubt this was it.

In crystal and metal the device seemed to rise out from the floor. Nothing hinted of its destructive nature but something about it made it look unreal to Hantilia's eyes. Her people, the Ht'lians, could see the flow of magic unaided while other peoples needed to use spells to detect magic. The Thorgiaden was magic, but it looked like a different kind of magic than she ever had seen before.

"Honoured emperor, We have come to urge you to dismantle the Thorgiaden before it is to late," Fasroth declared.

"What for?" the Emperor asked back. "An elf who has not joined the research done here at the centre of civilized world comes dressed as a beggar and tell us our greatest scientific achievement should be dismantled."

"My skills and knowledge may be barely known here in Impedia," Fasroth said. "Still don't assume my council to be unwise from rumours you have heard."

"Well said, do pledge why the Thorgiaden must be undone then," the Emperor stated.

"You don't understand the danger. The device could be used to as a horrible weapon, but even the mechanics of the power generation itself is dangerous," Fasroth said.

"Weapon?" the Empreror asked smiling, shaking his head.

"No people should be forced to endure the temptation from having such a weapon," Hantilia commented.

"What is out there that we possibly could want?" the Emperor asked,"we don't want any conquest."

"You words are hard to fit with the fact that your researchers have developed so many warlike effects," Hantilia said. "Why would a peaceful nation need battle magic like the Crel Gala, the big fire, if you don't intend to do war?"

"Even if the whole world gathered they would not stand a chance against my glorious kingdom," the emperor stated. "Still the possession of the magic will make the barbarians think twice from attacking us and thus we will keep the knowledge."

"Don't be too sure about the rest of the world being chance less," Hantilia mumbled and around her the air fizzled as magic energy surrounded her.

"Hantilia, don't use your powers! The emperor must be made to see our point by logic," Fasroth ordered just as the Emperor got up.

"You summon the magic without a spell to guide it. Why do such dangerous and tiresome use of magic," the emperor asked. A look of curiosity passing over his face.

"It seems like it is a natural talent of the H'tlians," Brother Isin commented. The emperor’s gaze turned over to the priest.

"Why have you followed these two here?" the emperor asked with a dry voice. Contempt played over his face as he studied the slightly fat priest.

"They have a point that deserves to be thought over before the Thorgiaden is used," Brother Isin replied. "We have made the device impossible to operate without the right knowledge but there is one aspect that has been neglected," Brother Isin said and turned towards Fasroth.

"The problem is the mountains where Thorgiaden gets its powers, its not a very safe place. A couple of thousand years ago I felt unknown evil hiding there when the elves woke up. My fear is that much use of the Thorgiaden or improper operation of the device will release energies that can set this evil loose," Fasroth said.

"If I understand you correctly you are saying that the danger is twofold. The Thorgiaden could be used as a weapon, but even worse, peaceful use could release unknown evil from the mountains," the Emperor said and Fasroth nodded.

"So what do you propose?" the Emperor asked.

"Primarily that the device not be used until we have examined the mountains and found it is safe. Secondly that the Thorgiaden is dismantled since it is a dangerous weapon," Fasroth said.

"Even if I grant the first one it will takes months to do what you requested," the Emperor commented.

"Is Impedia to poor to afford the wait?" Fasroth asked.

"Priest of Mar'raz what do you suggest I do?" the Emperor asked Brother Isin.

"I have not prayed to Mar'raz about the matter but it is always better to avoid a mistake than try to mend it afterwards," Brother Isin answered.

"Good, because you will join these two and my trusted advisor Ozgoth when they investigate the matter," the Emperor ordered.

Brother Isin raised his hands to his head, trembling in panic as he registered the emperor's words.

"No, my emperor, don't condemn me. I can't stand leaving Impedion," brother Isin mumbled as he sunk down on his knees in despair.

"A wise decision, emperor. What made up your mind?" Fasroth asked.

"There are too many details here that none have mentioned. My advisors should have noticed the details you have spoken about and brought them to my attention even if they are all insignificant," the Emperor said. He was on the way to continue when his gaze moved over to Hantilia. Her face had turned deadly pale. Her jaws clenched as she moved into her combat stance.

"What is the matter, the emperor is at our side," Fasroth said puzzled as he too noticed her combat stance.

"It doesn't matter. It is a trap," Hantilia whispered back, her voice cold without any emotions.

"Emperor you can't condemn me to be sent unto the wilderness," Brother Isin pledged, ignoring the exchange between Hantilia and Fasroth.

Fasroth seemed on the way to snap back at Brother Isin when he suddenly looked at Hantilia a second time.

"We must run for our lives," Fasroth cried out.

"In my own palace. What could possibly hurt us here?" the Emperor asked but he didn't get any answer.

Fasroth's body was lifted up from the floor. A tip of a sword extended out from his breastcage. The metal of the sword was black, glowing with a red hue. Behind Fasroth a man clothed in a blue robe stood holding the sword. A wide smile filled his face.

"Great Mar'raz, What are you doing?" brother Isin cried out.

"/Can it really be the magic god Mar'raz/?" Hantilia wondered as she moved sideways, trying to get a clear view of the man holding the sword.

The man twisted the sword a last time, and then Fasroth's body collapsed on the floor. He made no visible signs of life as it crashed down on the floor.

"What is the meaning of this, stranger! Know that you have insulted me since the elf was greeted as an visitor to my thronehall," the Emperor called out.

"Have you not seen a god face to face before?" the man asked turned towards the Emperor.

Hantilia made sure she didn't look at Fasroth's body on the floor. Her gaze locked on the man holding the sword. He was dressed in a blue robe that didn't show any signs of travel. No beauty marks could be seen on his body. Long blond hair was in perfect order. His blue eyes was fixed on the emperor.

"Why did you kill him," Hantilia whispered, her voice sounded so detached from emotion that she even surprised herself. Something urged her to not attack even while he was standing in range of her strike.

"He wanted my precious Thorgiaden dismantled," the man answered, turning towards her.

Suddenly he was looking at her, his eyes blue but yet burning like fires. Hantilia stumbled backwards caught in the power of his gaze, but she refused to lower her gaze even while her mind seemed to burn from the eye contact. Slowly she realized that the tide of massive power that flowed in her direction didn't do her any real harm. Around her she heard screams of pain but she refused to join them. Determination filled her, she would not give in to the monstrous pain no matter what. The assault ended as suddenly as it has started.

"Ht'lian!" the man spat. Perhaps some of the arrogance was gone from his posture.

"/In what ways does my race matter/?" Hantilia wondered. She looked around and noticed that the people that had been standing close to her were on the floor. Happily they were praising Mar'raz's greatness. Only she, the emperor and Brother Isin was left standing in front of the blue clothed man.

"Great master, stop this madness at once," Brother Isin pledged.

"Out of my way," the man barked and the priest was down on the floor screaming. His bones turned to liquid. His body collapsed under its own weight. Hantilia didn't need to watch the corpse to know that the merry priest was dead.

"/It is Mar'raz. Had he been a dupe the real Mar'raz would have prevented such magic to affect one of his priests/," Hantilia observed in strangely calm way.

"It was you all the time," Hantilia said. "You influenced the researchers and the priests to develop more warlike spells."

"Mar'raz, god or not, you are a fool if you think you can wrest my empire from me this easy," the Emperor said as he stood up in front of his throne. In his hand he had his shining rapier and in front of himself he had formed a golden magic shield.

"No, run!" Hantilia exclaimed as the Emperor stepped forward. The emperor gave her a surprised glance and opened his mouth to speak. Instead there come a horrible scream as the priests that had been working close to Thorgiaden burned him alive with a fireball. The shield being directed towards the mad god did no good except to protect Mar'raz from the flames. The screams of the emperor ended with an unsettling silence and a horrible smell.

"Thus the glory of Impedion rises beyond limits as the god takes the throne," Mar'raz declared.

"What kind of monster to god are you?" Hantilia spat. Her magic shield raised in all directions. She didn't want to repeat the Emperor's mistake.

"Shall we kill her, master?" one of the priests close to the Thorgiaden asked.

"Fool there is no use, she is eternal," Mar'raz answered. Hantilia flinched at the unexpected remark that reminded her of Fasroth earlier comment about that phrase but she did not loose her battle stance.

"I think I got a fitting idea," Mar'raz said. "We need a field test of the Thorgiaden. Hit her with everything we've got and we will really test her immortality."

"What do you mean? Why this slaughter?" Hantilia asked.

She looked around trying to determine if she should run or not. Fasroth had said the weapon would be able to strike any point above or below ground. Thus she could not outrun the attack, but the mad god blocked the access to the device itself so to stay seemed an equally poor choice.

The Thorgiaden had started to glow as the people there were busy operating its complex controls.

"Bend to my will and you will be saved!" Mar'raz commanded and raised his hand.

"Never," Hantilia answered as she felt his magic touch her magic forcefield. It brought horrible pain washing over Hantilia's body, but she refused to give up.

The assault was broken when the floors of the throne room started to quake. Hantilia crouched confused, wondering why the mad god has stopped trying to affect her. She looked up and saw an equally surprised Mar'raz standing some distance away.

"What is happening?" Mar'raz called out towards his men around the Thorgiaden.

"Thorgiaden's power use is stable but something really huge power-wise is coming this way," a frightened man answered and then bolted toward the doors.

"Quick, is it one of my servants from the mountains?" Mar'raz asked thrilled. From his hand a red flame flew, catching the running man halfway over the hall. The man twisted and fell down screaming moments before the east wall came tumbling down.

A lizard slightly larger than a horse had bursted through the massive wall.

"What creature..." Mar'raz had time to cry before the lizard came rushing towards him.

Blue energy covered the lizard, and screaming Mar'raz threw his red flames into the jaws of the beast. It made no difference as the beast simply absorbed the flames and caught the gods body in its claws. Powerful jaws and teeth tore through flesh that seemed to loose it substance where it touched the lizard.

"/Raw magic fire is bleeding out of the wounds/," Hantilia observed, still in the same cold detached manner as before.

"Hit the lizard with the Thorgiaden," a servant to Mar'raz called out. Hantilia moved fast as she suddenly understood she could use the confusion to reach Fasroth.

Fasroth's body was completely still; the sword had left a large hole through the whole upper body.

Hantilia looked up. The air around the lizard did glow. She closed her eyes and formed a magic shield around her and Fasroth's body. The impact was deafening. Magic power flowed from the middle of the room and washed over her shield. She managed to hold the shield together only for a few instants but suddenly the flow of force was gone.

Hantilia shook her head. She was covered in dirt and stones. Below her she could feel Fasroth's still body. The massive impact had trusted her protective shell into the wall and covered them with stones. With effort she pushed the stones away. Just a couple of steps closer and she would have been fried by the mighty force released.

The centre of the room had been blown completely clean and a large hole of melted stone could be seen in the middle. If the servants of the mad god had tried to create any protective shields it had not been enough. Their broken forms lay scattered around the controls of the Thorgiaden.

"/I wish I could destroy the cursed weapon but the hall will be flooded with soldiers before I am finished/," Hantilia observed.

Suddenly she looked up and saw moisture assembling in the middle of the room.

"What?" she mumbled but received no answer.

The moisture twisted and formed itself into some kind of strange body. It twisted around changing form rapidly as the vibrations started again. Gradually the body changed from moisture to solid body.

Finally it had formed itself into a large snake in the same colour as the lizard. The snake hung levitating in air and then moved forward and wrapped itself around the Thorgiaden. When it became still the vibrations ended.

"I don't know your name beast, but you have my sincere thanks," Hantilia said and made a deep formal bow.

In the background she could hear people outside the huge doors of thronehall trying to force them open. She bent down and picked up Fasroth's body.

"/Did you really bring me here to carry your dead body away from here/?" she wondered and used magic energy to give her the needed boost to jump through the hole that the lizard had created high up on the wall.

She flew through the hole, noticing soldiers in the corridor below. They did not matter. She didn't need to pause and consider; landing and attacking before they even registered she was there.