Pointless Test Chapter:
It was summer at the Ice-King's court.
In the purlieu outside the grounds, which basked for miles in the imposing shadow of the Imperial Palace, huge plumes of ice towered above frozen lakes, and scraggly peaks of snow and frost were gingerly caressed by the evanescent rays of light from the distant sun. The beautiful cerulean sky was illuminated, and devoid of any clouds, just as the earth below was devoid of life—only the odd occasional creature, which on earth would have been seen to resemble a penguin, could be found intermittently roaming about, along with a few animals reminiscent of sea lions floating idly in the frigid waters. Even now, during its warmest month, the planet small planet known and feared as Icejin was a nearly inhospitable desert.
And yet, there was activity about. No normal hearths or towns or settlements were to be found in the barren ice world, but in the deep valleys of the planet, where the elevation was low enough to provide some sort of livable clime, the atmosphere was ripe for civilization. At the epicenter of one particular valley, there sprawled a city that was by all measure contradictory to the nature of the land--large, comfortable, advanced, cultured—a truly impressive galactic metropolis, where goods, cargo, and people flowed in and out of at a non-stop pace, pouring in from all over the universe. There were hundreds of markets and enclosed bazaars, theaters, shops and boutiques of every definition, hotels, air and spaceports, skyscrapers, and the like; it was a sight that stunned all who saw it with its beauty and complexity. But nothing in the city was so impressive or sublime than the palace that stood in its center. Its architecture was awe-inspiring—it was composed of several stories and compounds, all surrounded by its own grounds, which was made up of imported and artificially maintained plants and flowers from every corner of the galaxy, rendering it a lush emerald jewel in the midst of a burgeoning super-city.
But it was not merely the edifice itself which impressed, but the persons who resided within…persons whose names were whispered on many planets, in every galaxy and quadrant, sometimes with fear, sometimes with pride, always with respect. They were, in the minds of many, the first family of the entire know universe--if they could not claim they ruled it entirely, than at least they influenced more of it than anyone else! From that palace, from that city, from that insignificant seeming ball of ice on the outskirts of the Andromeda Galaxy, tyrants had extended an empire onto hundreds of planets, and brought unimaginable amounts of power and wealth along with it—all into the hands of the Cold Family.
Inside the impregnable Salyrian marble walls of the palace, a King sat alone in a chamber, decorated in the classical Tuffalian style, blithely sipping fine wine from a crystal glass. The throne that he rested in, the sole piece of furniture in the room, faced a giant circular window that was flanked by two smaller ones. The dim light inside the room was augmented by the glow of the city's lights as they shone through the large panes. The giant, lavender-skinned being inside lowered the glass from his lips, and allowed an insouciant, almost sadistic smile to form on his face as he calculated the extent of his power.
'…Surely, I must be a god. These halcyon days of mirth will never end! I am destined to enjoy this power forever…it's almost unbearable to think, how far I've come…my father was so simple, he didn't even realize the extent of our race's superiority over others—if he had, then surely he would have not have been content with merely scratching out a living on this wretched planet! Hmm, if only he could see me now…his people, his own progeny, stewards of the entire universe! Those Tuffalians coming here was the best thing that ever happened…it was fate! Destiny! Aliens, landing on this planet…they said they needed help from the Sayains, they said they had heard of our fighting prowess, they said they would honor and reward us…father wouldn't let me travel back to the messengers' home planet with them—even when I was young and weak, I could have easily stopped a few pathetic monkeys—so instead we killed the poor fools...'
The king interrupted his musing, once again raising his goblet to his mouth and daintily sipping its mellifluous contents.
'poor father died soon after…the stranger's ship was still unharmed on our planet…I learned its mechanics, and I took it…I journeyed in space for days before reaching the planet Tuffalia, but by then it had already been overrun by the Sayains! Oh, so long ago, so long ago! I remember landing on that pathetic little mud ball, and being accosted by those brutish monkeys—the newly ascended king, Brussles, fresh off his victory over the Tuffles and his unification of the Sayains challenged me—that fight was the first time I realized the insurmountable advantage in power we had over others; it was simply too easy! I left that planet then, and I left those damn Sayains to mourn their pathetic monarch—but after that journey, my destiny was clear to me!'
The beast rose from his throne with a start, with one massive hand held proudly over his armored breast, and the other effetely clutching the wine glass; he strode solemnly towards the observation window. Eyelids closed, he harkened back in his memory, hundreds of years ago, when he had embattled the Sayain King—he remembered how effortlessly he dodged every kick, blocked every punch, and absorbed every blast…and with one swift counterattack, the young Icejin had ended it all—his eyelids opened again, taking in the radiant scenery in his view.
"Now look what I have created…it will stand for all eternity!" he bellowed to himself. Just then a voice came from the intercom near the steel blast door to the observation chamber. " Your Excellency! Urgent news from Lord Frieza!"
"Very well. You may enter." He replied coolly, despite his annoyance at being disturbed. The door to the chamber slid open, revealing one of the elite troops that guarded the Royal Family and had access to the king. "Mmm, Salza, you have news for me?" the king faced the young guard.
"Ay, my lord," he replied after an elegant bow, "Lord Frieza is preparing to leave the planet with some troops. He is requesting your permission for a journey, and also wishes to inquire as to your majesty's intentions."
"Hmm…" King Cold contemplated, apparently bemused, as he stared down at his servant, "tell Frieza he may leave and take whomever he pleases. As for my...intentions...you may tell him that I will not be joining him on the journey, if that's what he means…"
"Yes, my lord, I believe it was…very good then, I will inform Frieza at once." The dapper lieutenant bowed in obeisance again, before turning on his heel to leave. "Oh, Salza…"
"My lord?" he replied, turning once more to face him.
"Where did he say he was going again?" the king asked, his voice ringing with his peculiar cadence.
"A planet called Namek, master. It appears he has found something of interest."
"Oh really? Very well then, you may go." The king dismissed his guard once more, watching as the doors shut again behind him.
'Oh, that Frieza must always busy himself…' The king thought, turning inward again. Of his two children, Frieza had always been the most ambitious…it was he, despite (or perhaps because of) his brother's greater strength, that was the most driven; it was he who had expanded the empire to its great heights. As a reward for his diligence and hard-work, King Cold had been content to let his youngest be the public face of the empire, while Coola was put in control of the more tedious task of behind-the-scenes management, a less than glamorous job to which the camera-shy Icejin had taken to assiduously. King Cold himself rarely had to make any direct decisions any more; the most powerful being in the universe was more than content to get lost in pleasure and idle musing in his middle-age.
Leaning once more towards the window, the giant mused—'Things are in good hands. This empire will last forever…'
His last thoughts left him contented as he exited the observation room, and headed towards the hanging docks to see Frieza off.
Outside, silent dusk was falling, and the imperious sun slowly began to sink beneath the horizon...