Antagonist
Chapter 1: Pain
March 27th 3017
It seems almost a dream that six months ago our world was a peaceful one, but then he came. Riding in with his Shinda Knights he destroyed every one of our armies leaving pain and hatred in his wake. Back then we would have never thought the Sancti Alliance would fall before his might. For us it was another attempt by Hamacha to overthrow Pura Ante Deum; we all thought they would be stopped just like any other time. Needless to say it did not go well. The new king, Kami-Sama Akuma, was as smart as he was ruthless and even though we tried our best our entire nation was taken over in six months. Even now they are pillaging the small village we managed to form in the wake of his destruction. They are burning the house next door and if possible I wanted to leave something behind, to let history know we tried.
The bright sunshine falls on my skin making me uncomfortably warm. But I can't deny that it is a beautiful day. The birds chirping singing their mating calls in a cloudless sky. A gentle breeze blows past offering a moment of solace from the burning sun and the scent of burning bodies.
"It is a wonderful day for a slaughter."
I chuckle to myself as I survey the devastation. These idiots think they have some sort of chance against me? They dare to start a revolution and think that I would come in kill the innocent with the guilty? They must not know I am only pleased to do so.
"My Lord, we have finished clearing out the scum. This doesn't seem to be their main base of operations. Imogene was nowhere to be found; he must have gotten word of our arrival and departed before we arrived. The coward."
The soldier spits at the earth beneath his feet at the mention of that pathetic man's name. The others behind him nod in agreement with his sentiments. I can't blame him for the way he feels but I must assert myself here I love making examples.
"Two things: that coward could kill you with a pen, and second…"
The next moment my sword is piercing his wind pipe and spine sprouting out the back like a crimson weed.
"Never spit in my presence. Do those of that still live understand?"
I grin as the men nod in agreement, no one even blinking for fear of being killed.
"Well now that's done let's check out this 'base of operations' shall we?"
Dismounting as quickly as I killed the idiot at my feet I begin a quick stride toward an unappealing shack of a home. Obviously they wouldn't want to stand out, so cliché.
I walk through the gaping hole where the door used to before my men rammed it down. Then I follow the descending steps to an underground room about three times the size of the small home. It probably used to be a wine cellar recently remodeled by the rodents and rats of my empire.
I do a quick survey of the room realizing that the fool had been right. There were signs of many armed men being here but they had long since fled. I grind my teeth in frustration but then I hear something that makes me smile.
"Sh. I think there may be more fun to be had here."
I creep silently toward the big oak table in the middle of the room and the sound gets louder although it is barely a whisper. It's the faint sounds of a girl crying and someone else trying to calm her. With a quick twist I flip the table over revealing a trap door.
"Who was the soldier who surveyed this room? Answer me quickly."
"The soldier you killed sire."
I nod. Probably not true but I'll let it go since whoever had done it is very smart and blamed a dead man. His current display of intelligence made up for his past blunder. Fear definitely motivates men the best.
Leaving the pointless thoughts to hang in the air I lift the door revealing a young man and woman holding onto each other. I smile.
This is going to be fun.
I remove my helmet and let my silver locks of hair fall free wiping the bangs that blocked my vision from my eyes.
"Hello there little mice. How are you?"
The boy is in his late teens and the girl as well. They have the same characteristics of their former nation, long noses, dark curly hair, and deep dark eyes.
"Please sir I beg you spare us. We mean you no harm. Just please let us go."
So the boy does have a tongue. Test of courage passed.
"Before we get on to who lives or dies who might that be you're with?"
His eyes were pleading but he still replies.
"She is my betrothed."
Perfect.
"So do you love her? Does she mean everything to you? Will you sacrifice everything to save her?"
He swallows.
"Yes sir I do and I will. I swear it on my father's grave I will do whatever it takes."
"And do you girl feel the same for him."
She glances between him and me deciding her best answer. This one is a survivor, thinking before she speaks. Contemplating whether to lie or tell the truth.
"Y-yes I do my lord."
I nod accepting her answer.
"Well then you are both in luck. I just happen to have an opening in my army. The position just freed up what? Ten minutes ago? Perfect timing. You join my ranks and I'll let her go free. Do we have a deal?"
The boy looks at me in disbelief, a trace of hope glints in his eyes. The girl buries her face in his as she embraces him. My men stifle laughter as this couple grasps what they think is hope.
"Yes I'll do it."
Loyalty test passed.
She looks up and kisses him deeply as thanks for her life. As soon as their lips break I cleave her head from her shoulders spouting blood all over her lover. His face distorts in a fit of rage as he clings the dead body.
"Why!?"
He cries out to no one in particular like a beast.
"Listen to me boy and listen closely this will all make sense."
He stops screaming but he breaths like he's run a marathon and tears mix with the blood on his cheeks dripping of his face into the stump of the headless body.
"Good. First she has been your downfall from the start. Her crying and carrying on are what got you caught. Second you answered honestly and truthfully. She, worrying about her own life, knowing that I am a hidoi person she probably wanted to relate to my side and say she didn't so she could survive. Could I be wrong? Maybe."
He just stares at me eyes glazed over. He is seeing the darkness of truth.
"And the clincher, what sealed her death? The fact that she thought a kiss would be payment for the things you were going to suffer so she could live here or where ever she chose to. She'd leave you to commit sins that would make you hate yourself as time passed. Tell me, why didn't she beg you not to? If the situation had been reversed what would you have done?"
He slumps down further in the hole no longer holding the corpse.
"I hate you."
I shake my head.
"No you don't. You hate her, for all the things she was willing to let you go through. You hate her because she didn't have the same love for you as you had for her. You hate her because she lied. All she had to do was tell the truth, say she wasn't happy with you and it would have been no big deal. This world is all about self-preservation boy. People will keep you around as long as it benefits them. Take my hand and join me. I only want you with me as a body to help me keep control and you only want to join in order to kill me or kill others who have happiness something you have been denied. This is for your self-preservation."
He reaches up and grabs my hand, the blood in between our palms the signature for our pact.
"What's your name?"
"Cicero my lord."
I smile. Nothing brings me more joy than darkening a pure heart. The days of happiness are at a close.