Broken

The intruder clenched his teeth as he felt his whole body stiffen,his mind rummaging through different thoughts as the footsteps approached him,much faster now

Think!think fast!he thought,turning his head from side to side but all he could see around him were the sheets pulled over the endless rows of corpses around him.

He cursed his luck and shut his eyes,he was a goner now,it was over for him.

Suddenly a figure appeared next to him,took his hand and they disappeared,to reapear back at the imperial palace,in the knight's quaters.

For the first time,he tried to breathe well,his chest heaving from the whole ordeal he had been through.

His saviour was dressed in the same clothes as he and her face was covered but from the huge breast that projected from her chest he could tell it was a woman.

She was covered in fripju lily as well so he couldn't smell her and she had just come in time.

"I can't believe they sent a non-elementarist,a demon such as yourself to do such a risky job"she said taking off her mask,letting her long black hair fall behind her.It was then he took a good look at her.

He recognized her,Athena,a morph demon and a chief Knight of the imperial palace.

A six-four tall attractive young woman in her twenties with the body built of a warrior.

Through a thickness of eyelash her deep black eyes smoothered and smoky like coal fashioned in a way most men found seductive.Even in the darkness he could still see his reflection through them.

"You saved me,am most grateful". Prince Marcus said.

"Lord Tydor asked me to come get you when he heard the Emperor had gone to a birth house.Did she_"

The man nodded, taking off his mask.

"I did poison her after The general broke the barrier,still don't understand how she made it_I mean she won't make it but the child will.".

Athena put a hand under her chin and lowered her head.

"Dark should have gone,not you he would have finished the job on the spot."

"U mean by attacking her...that will definitely draw attention"

"No dark is a elementarist with all elements and has got many spells,but you_"

She paused and eyed him then completed the words in her head not wanting to say it out.She knew he hated hearing it.

Hated the fact that he was a non-elementasrist.

In delvin most demons were elementarists having at least one out of the four elements but rarely some were born with all four elements and very few with none.

Prince Marcus was one of them,but he was a very skilled swordsman.He was the younger son of Zemah,king of polymus,the third kingdom of the realm,an aged king who had refused handing over his throne to any of his sons.

Marcus was only an inch taller than Athena,his hooded dark brown eyes on a heart-shaped face that somehow managed to make him look feminine except for the blond beards anchored to his chin which matched the color of his hair.

He waited for Athena to say the word, expecting it as usual.

Growing up his peers had mocked him because of the same thing or disability.He called it a disability.But he had heard it countless of times that he had gotten accustomed to it.

Sometimes it depressed him that the king had to hire a good number skilled magicians to teach him a good number of spells.Some of which he could learn and others he couldn't.

"Forget it"he heard Athena say.

"Hopefully Lord Tydor wont end up getting you caught one day.You need to get back"

"It's not too late to get rid of him"Marcus said.

Athena only shook her head.

"You don't understand"

"What exactly?"

"Like I said you need to get back".

She morphed into full amour,held his hand and disappeared with him, taking him back to his quaters.

**********************

Tyran swung the door open and examined the room.His eye caught sight of where the intruder had lain,the sheets now in disarray,with a rumpled part on the bed and it's free end hanging off the edge, touching the floor below.The intruder had escaped

He probably couldn't teleport if not he could have done so earlier.

Someone and rescued him.He had followed the footsteps in the hallway.Probably another trick by his rescuer and found no one.

He slammed the door and walked back up the stairs cursing.

The intruder had probably come for his son, could a sorceror had sent him?

Tyran knew that sorcerors didn't interfer in their affairs.They lived in a secluded city in Urah and only gave warnings and advices to the Emperor and never spread rumors or prophecies.

No doubt someone had discovered something.

He wondered how many people had gotten into Fiona's ward before he arrived and how many knew of his son's abberant nature.

He would have to get rid of them all.

They had probably discovered Fiona had just borne the child and had come for him.

Tyran walked through the hallway having no destination in mind, pondering on the same thoughts over and over again.

The building was ancient and inside unpainted with cracks penetrating through the walls to reveal itself on the outside.

There were lampstands on this side of the building,the same floor where he had first seen the intruder.

The hallway smelt of drugs and the newly born yet not a sound was heard from them.

A place for pregnant women to deliver their children.The demons called it a birth house.

It was the oldest in the district, erected centuries ago due to high occurrence of death and inability of some midwives to combat complications during pregnancy and the poor who couldn't afford paying midwives or healers.

Tyran wondered why Fiona had come here to deliver instead of the imperial palace.

The empress due date to deliver was unknown to him but he was most certain she would have told him earlier before he left for the conference outside the kingdom had it been so close.

He was in a conference with some kings when an eagle delivered a message that his wife was in a birthhouse and delivered.

Tyran had waited for the meeting to conclude, resting assured she wouldn't be harmed because of the barrier he put around her then teleported here with his knight after concluding the meeting.After Fiona recovered he had dozens of questions for her.

Approaching footsteps jogged him out of his avalanche of thoughts.

A woman walked towards him dressed in her work outfit.From his vantage point he could see a tag on her though he couldn't make out what was written. she was the first worker he had seen in the building.

The place was empty and deserted somewhat and rarely ever came by.He did not even seen a single patient either.

On getting to him she sighted the crown on him then bowed,curtsied and walked past him.

The Emperor stopped and turned towards her.

"You there!"he called out.

She stopped and turned to fix her eyes on him.

"Your imperial majesty!"

Tyran studied her.

She was young,four foot three,,her hair rolled into a bun with huge eyes which housed a youthful intense look on a pale and sober face.

She looked stressed out,Probably taking the knight shift Tyran thought.One could always tell by their looks.

"You have the night shift?"

"Yes your imperial majesty"

"Night shift staffs still around?"

"Yes your imperial majesty,it's still midnight"she responded lowering her eyes.

"How do I know the staffs who worked during the day_I mean their names,how do I get them?"

"I'll get them for you".she bowed and hurried in the direction she had come from.

As tyran watched her depart,he sat on a long metal bench next to him.

Through a telepathic link he asked Gerald,his personal knight and the only one who had accompanied him to inquire from the receptionist downstairs If any worker had left the building.

Few minutes later the woman approached him from the stairway carrying a black file.

She handed it over to him,as she turned to leave his next question stopped her.

"The Empress,is she going to be alright?"

She didn't respond at first.When she noticed the Emperor now stood beside her she quickly turned and Tyran looked at her.

Her eyes were red and hands trembled.

Tyran felt blood rush to his head.

Her facial expression had answered his question but still he desired hearing it from her.

He gripped both her shoulders and shook her vehemently.

"Answer me,what happened to my wife!"Tyran yelled out.

"Gone your majesty"

She immediately covered her mouth with her palm as she voiced out the words,tears flowing freely down her face.

The Emperor's heartbeat stopped for a moment.Her words struck him like lightening ripping through a tree.

He let go of her shoulders and quickly held the wall to keep him from collapsing.

The woman bowed and walked away sobbing quietly.

Tyran stood there numb, staring at the same spot the woman had stood,tears flowing freely down his face unto the concrete floor.

Fiona was dead but how?

His suspicions earlier had been correct.She was dying and was hiding it.She didn't even let him heal her.

What had happened to her?he had to find answers,had to see her first.

He wasn't certain yet he had to see her body.

His legs shook as they tried to hold his body weight along with the gruesome news he had just heard.Tyran struggled to keep his feet then walked towards Fiona's ward with the file in one hand.