Chapter 5: War With The Emperor
Terror walked the street of Gully, with his hood up. he has being following Aidan who wore mufti, and also covered a hood.
"what is he doing in a place where if caught would be killed, well I have to keep following to see what's up his sleeve", he said following quietly.
Then immediately, Aidan took a turn to a lone alley, Terror followed closely. Then Aidan immediately snatched Terror by the collar
"Why are you following me" Aidan asked with anger in his voice.
"well, for one you owe me, for two, dude it has been months since you failed, give it a rest" he said.
"when I have your money I will give it to you, but what I'm doing here is none of your concern"Aidan said releasing him and leaving the alley.
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Cirius landed in the front gate of the city of Gully with an evil smile on his face, Veticus by his side.
"yet we meet again", he said, Cirius since that little ritual that occurred in the cave hasn't been the same, he was as large as Sixteen very muscular men combine, the pupil in his eyes were no longer black but replaced with the color red, he had fangs, and right now no armor fitted his body, so he wore a cloth under and a chain mail covered from his waist down to his knee region. and hanging from his neck to his chest region is the amulet, which bore a golden color skull.
"Things have changed, they no longer have one city wall but two, this is going to be interesting",
after saying this he looked up,the archers have spotted him, they shot arrows his way, but it bounced off his chest. he smiled and charged forward. with one leap he reached the top of the tower, the archers tried to run, but he was to fast picking them up and barging them together. then the third one he picked him up, bitting down on his head. looking across to the other tower, Veticus has incinerated everyone in the tower.
Looking down he saw a dispatch rider, on his horse going to inform the Emperor.
"Go and let them know of my coming" he said with a smirk on his face.
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Sitting on a chair in the garden close to the fountain is Gilhelm and his daughter, they were playing a game of chess, Vera loved it because it was a game of strategy, she love playing it with her father.
"wow, you are really good, no doubt you will make a great empress someday" he said.
Vera looked up with pride, she loves spending time with her father, because he was more jovial and an easy person to relate with.
"I do not want to be empress" she said.
"why, do you say that?"Gilhelm asked.
"because that can only be if you are dead, and I don't want that" she said a bit sober.
"Well I can't live forever you know, but I will live long, and maybe even see my grandchildren" he Said not sure of his words, being an Emperor is risky, with many dangers, no one knows how long they will live. Running in is a guard.
"My lord you are wanted in the throne" he said. Gilhelm hate when they interrupt him when his spending time with his daughter.
"What is it now"Gilhelm asked in a tired tone.
"My lord, a dispatch rider came in from the city gates" he said.
"That can only mean danger" Gilhelm thought to himself, "ok, my little fairy, dad will be back and we will continue I promise" he said kissing her on the forehead to take away the frown from her face, before exiting the garden with the guard by his side.
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"what is he doing here, I don't like this" Rolm said
"he failed before, he will fail again" said Paula, then an echo of footstep can be heard it was Emperor Gilhelm entering the throne room, they all stood up as he climbed the stairs up to the throne and sat down
"What is the matter" Gilhelm asked.
"A dispatch rider, came in today to inform us that Cirius attacks the city again with a sorceress by his side" Morgan said.
"Then they should just arrest him" Gilhelm said.
"That's the point, the rider said, his not the same, he has changed, his more like a monster, and the archer's arrows seem to just bounce of his chest" Rolm informed Gilhelm.
"Prepare my soldiers, it's time for me and Cirius to meet, I'm done running" Gilhelm said.
"My lord let Grim and I handle this" Dandier pleaded.
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Running forward he crashed through the second gates of the city, Cirius drew out his sword and he swing it at the soldier charging towards him, the soldier raised his sword high to block the blow, but Cirius sword was just to powerful, it shattered the soldier's sword, splitting the soldier in half. the rest of the soldiers charging towards Cirius from the back did not see Veticus at the far corner, with a wave of her hands the soldiers started attacking one another till all were dead.
"Seems you aren't tired of failing", General Grim said atop his horse with Dandier on top a different horse. But truly he was shocked. Cirius did change, to an enormous and scary monster.
"So that's the Sorceress" Dandier said.
"Vacate the city" Grim told his captain who relayed the message to his foot soldiers.
Standing far and smiling is Cirius, and Veticus appeared by his side.
"Hope your Emperor is not going to run away like he did last time, it was cowardly of him" Cirius said smiling
"Now, now, that's not a fair odd, you hold a few hundred soldiers just for the two of us, well let's even that odd" Veticus said, then with poise, she gently placed her hands on the floor and chanted a very strange language and immediately, the ground in front of her gave way, and out came, creatures from the earth, they were like walking dead, but fast and had claws. then in few minute they gathered around Veticus and Cirius.
"What is this, this is worst than I thought" Dandier thought to himself.
"Charge and spare no one" Grim yelled and his men hesitant, but charged, it was to much for them, for the creatures were fast and their claws to the skin was deadly.
"What should we do, she is a dark priestess, which means her power is directly drawn from a dark god, she won't run out of magical energy or mana quickly", Dandier looked at Grim finishing his statement.
Grim charged towards Cirius when he found an opening, he drew out his sword, and slashed very hard, but Cirius caught the sword mid air and gave him a powerful kick to his belly, sending a good hundred paces back, it was so powerful he passed out all through the battle.
Dandier shot out fireballs out of his hand, towards those creatures making it easy for the soldiers to fight, then unexpectedly Veticus appeared at his back unbeknownst to him, and blasting him with a black orb from her hands, it was a direct hit, making him fall off his horse.
Cirius came up to her side smiling
"Well you are better than an army" he said to her smiling.
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Aidan was in a tavern right now drinking an ale, but with his hood up. he came to meet a man that works as a cook in the castle, for Gilhelm, he threatened the man that if he doesn't play along he will kill him and his family. right now it was getting late, and he got pissed.
"So he really doesn't care about his family". he thought to himself.
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"My lord the battle isn't favouring us, general Grim passed out along with Dandier" the foot soldier came to inform Gilhelm the outcome of the battle at the town square.
"Prepare for a castle defence, I'm not running away again" Gilhelm replied with finality in his voice.
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Grim got up with a splitting headache and the whole street was deserted, things were burning down and all his soldiers were on the floor dead, and at the far corner was Dandier on the floor, he ran towards him and picked his head up, and tapping to check if his still out.
"Seems like I'm getting to old for this" Dandier said smiling.
"Thank God you are alive, stay here I don't want anything to happen to you or better yet find a healer, let me go back to the castle and protect the Emperor" he said, before he ran to his horse and galloped, off to the castle.
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Terror came out of the tavern following Aidan closely, Who looked frustrated.
"I said stop following me" Aidan said. But then he stopped talking, looking forward, is the city in wreckage. "Come along, Terror let's check this out, maybe I might give you your balance then, so you will stop following me" He said, both of them ran to the stable taking out horses and started riding towards the castle.
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Standing outside the castle wall is Cirius with Veticus by his side.
"COME OUT LET'S FIGHT GILHELM, AND STOP HIDING LIKE A COWARD" Cirius yelled in a deep reverberating voice.
Coming outside with his men is Gilhelm, he was shocked on seeing Cirius, for he has really changed.
"RELEASE", he ordered the archers atop the city wall. and arrow rained down on Cirius as before, only this time he spread his hand and welcomed it, and as before it bounced of his chest.
"Is that all you've got" after saying this he charged hitting soldiers with his fist, and scattering their defense, they were like children compared to him and his strength. with time he had made a path way leading to the Emperor, he kept charging, looking intently towards Gilhelm, and out of nowhere captain Millan charged at him hitting him from the side with horse and his sword drawn, but it did not shake Cirius, it just pissed him. he lifted up Millan together with the horse and threw 200 paces back, crashing into the Emperor's men, Millan passed out. But Gilhelm used that chance, he used his shield and flogged, Cirius across the face, and Cirius did feel the pain, but he didn't flinch, or show he was affected by it.
"I might die here today, but you will never be a true Emperor" he said, and immediately Cirius lifted him up, Gilhelm resisted swinging his sword vigorously and barging Cirius face with his shield, then Cirius felt a powerful blow, across his face making him let go of Gilhelm, looking to his side it was none other than Grim.
"MY LORD, RUN" Grim yelled, before being lifted up by Cirius, and hitting him on the floor, breaking through his armor into his chest region and pulling out his heart, before everyone eye, he threw it to the floor and using his foot to smash it.
Gilhelm sat there on the floor, with tears streaming down his eyes.
"What have you done", Standing up with rage, he charged Cirius, all of his soldiers joined in the fighting, with grief in their heart for their now late general.
Veticus from far was witnessing the battle, and when she saw soldier coming at Cirius from his rear she shot out flames from her hands.