1 The Wedding.

It was such a serene wedding. Bliss, love and laughter filled the air, and why not? Zachary Fraser was about the marry the woman of his dreams. Being one of the richest in the known worlds had its benefits, and being with this stunning bride to be only added icing to the cake.

The church was packed to the brim with elites, politicians from different worlds, friends and family that uttered power the moment they took their seat, as if each entrance was met for them and them alone.

The Grand Church of Zephyr itself was extravagant. White marble inlaid with gold and obsidian glyphs that served as magical wards on each pillar sprouting up over the landscape of its property holding the massive building upright.

Its dome standing over 200 feet high and just as wide with the same pattern of gold and obsidian inlays spread across the stonework. With 9 huge pillars holding it upright, it resonated might and power that this world holds so dear.

Built over a cliffside in the world of Zephyr where simply stepping foot on the planet meant that you were someone who could afford it.

Zachary chose it to show off, and simply because he could. It was his day, and his soon to be wife, Renee, was about to step in the room now that everyone was seated. He wanted everything to be perfect, not because he loved her, but because his need to show off. The marriage was just a front to take over her families multi-trillion dollar businesses.

While lost in his thoughts, the music played as his bride entered the room, walking with her father and everyone rose to catch a glimpse of her beauty. She was quite stunning, with raven hair and supple lips and a figure that could rival the gods. It was now that the real show was about to start.

*****

Just a league to the west was a man of no importance to anyone standing in the Grand Church this very moment. How he got through the planet would have been beyond anyone's imagination, let alone that he got this close to the church without setting off any of its wards.

He had an angular face with long matted hair and stubble because he refused to shave entirely. he looked like some average worker off the street minus his violet eyes that seemed to glow even with the sun beating on him.

Just as he was about to light up a smoke, a man in a militaristic uniform with a sword across his back came up to him.

"What is it Tennyson?".

Tennyson stopped as soon as he reached him, saluted. "Preparation is done Sir Caedes. Waiting for your next order."

Caedes laughed with malevolence, "Good, let's burn this shithole to the ground, start the assault and get the strike team in place."

"Yes sir." Tennyson grabbed his mic from his shoulder. "It's a go." Saluted Caedus and walked down the hill to watch their week of labor begin to unfold.

*****

Zachary was just about to kiss his bride when the ground began to shake, within seconds, glass along the magnificent building began to shatter and the foundation began to split apart. The crowd of guests, in a mass of confusion and fear began piling for the door in haste.

"WHAT THE FUCK?" In that instant, a chunk of marble fell from the crippling building and struck his new wife killing her in an instant and showering him with her blood and entrails.

He almost threw up right then and there as he wiped the blood from his eyes if it wasn't for his best man grabbing him. "We have to get out of here Zach!"

The crowd barged through the giant doors like animals as each person was struggling to save to see themselves only to meet the blast of a red beam of intense heat rendering each one coming out to nothing but a flaming mess of flesh.

*****

Caedes heard the screams in the distance and began to laugh. "It serves these fools right", he thought and began walking to the crumbling building.

"Tennyson, bring the cruiser and my knife, we're gonna give Zachariah here a wedding gift."

*****

Zach had no idea what was going on, his wedding day, ruined. His family, friends, either screaming in terror, pain, or crying in disbelief as they were holding a loved one. Burning bodies littered the floor by the door as no one could make it out of the church in time.

His best man was still dragging him to the side passageway just as his body fell to the ground. Blood pooling where his head just was, to nothing but a stump and a severed spinal chord. Zach stopped in his tracks and finally threw up.

Soldiers with swords that glistened in black, with visible shadows falling off like smoke came in to the room lining each person left alive along the main aisle between the broken pews and bodies that lay in them.

He wiped his mouth and stared in disbelief. "What is going on? Why would you do this?" he screamed at the soldiers.

Just then, a man in white walked in the main door. Looking into his eyes, and seeing the purple glance in his direction, made his soul leave his body and he felt his face go pale.

Caedes walked up to him and smiled with the same smile that he did when he first met the son of a bitch ten years ago. "I EARNED THIS EMPIRE YOU FUCK!"

The man in white simply smiled, and slit Zachariah's throat and watched his body fall to the ground and gasp for air as he clutched his throat.

"No, you stole it ten years ago." wiping the knife on his suit. "And today is our ten year anniversary!" He looked at his luitenant, "Tennyson, kill the rest." And smiled while screams and the smell of death filled the air.