Time passed slowly for the two teens. It had only been a few minutes since Eric had finished talking to the man over the radio, yet he felt like he had been standing in the rain for an eternity.
Eric winced, suddenly becoming aware of the pain that encompassed his body. In the spot where Jecht's strange attack had collided with him, pain throbbed repeatedly. Whenever he tried to move overmuch, the pain turned stinging, which told him that he likely had some broken ribs.
Eric turned his head to look at Rose. A quick inspection showed him that she was injured more severely than he was. He could see blood seeping down from between her lips and mixing with the rain, so that it flowed down to mix with the crimson puddles that grew increasingly larger as more and more water filled the courtyard. The rain only grew heavier.
Emotionally, Eric was a wreck. His expression was empty, his gaze haunted. He began to feel detached, almost as if everything he was seeing was happening to someone else. It didn't seem possible that everything that he ever thought was normal could be shattered in less than an hour.
He heard doors opening around him, but he couldn't bring himself to look away from the carnage that spread out before him. He could hear people shouting frantically at him, splashing through the courtyard to reach him. He began to feel lethargic. Even as the newly arrived policemen clutched at his body and tried to move him, Eric didn't react. Not even when they began shouting in his ear did he respond to them.
Before he knew it, strange men in white suits had managed to lever him onto a stretcher, so that he was now facing the sky. Rain pattered on his upturned face, streaming down his cheeks to form puddles on the stretcher. He felt sleepy all of a sudden. Unable to give more than a feeble attempt to stay awake, Eric's eyes closed shut, and soon the voices around him faded away to nothing.
After what seemed like a long time, Eric finally felt himself returning to consciousness. The memory of the incident crashed down upon him, and tears began to slowly ooze out from beneath his closed eyes.
He cracked his eyes open, and immediately wished he hadn't. Bright light streamed down onto him, blinding him. Wincing and gasping at the sudden sensation, Eric covered his eyes with a hand. He felt something tugging on his arm as he moved it.
Once his eyes had adjusted to the light, Eric finally opened them fully to take in his surroundings. He was staring at a white ceiling, with fluorescent lights dotting its surface every few feet. He could hear a rhythmic beeping in the background.
Eric lifted his head and looked down on himself, only to see something not unlike a horror movie. He was lying on a bed, with most of his body tightly wrapped in bandages. He could also feel a pain in his right arm, so he looked so see himself hooked up into an IV. That gave him enough information to deduce that he was in the hospital. It didn't surprise him, considering how much damage he had taken from Jecht.
He let his head fall back into the pillow. He didn't feel as odd as he had earlier, but he couldn't help but feel depressed. This was a different depression than what he normally felt, as this was as a result of the immense loss of life in that cursed school. He began to feel nauseated, images of the dead teens flashing in his mind.
Eric lifted his head again when he heard the door to the room open with a creak. A older man dressed in a stark white lab coat strode into the room, accompanied by a middle-aged woman holding a clipboard. The first thing the man did was say something to the woman in a hushed tone. The woman nodded smartly and started up the computer located on the counter on the opposite side of the room from Eric's bed.
The man positioned himself in front of Eric's bed, gazing at the readings displayed by the many machines that the teen was hooked up to. Eric saw the man nod to himself. He was clearly satisfied. Eric began to grow annoyed when he was shown no attention, so he cleared his throat impatiently. The man's response was instantaneous.
"Good, you're awake," he replied in an offhand tone. Eric's annoyance grew, as it sounded like the man could care less whether he lived or died. "It would have been most unfortunate if you had died."
"…and why is that?" Eric growled softly. He was astonished at the venom in his tone. Usually he was more jovial than this. He guessed that he had been altered more than he thought by the incident. Losing nearly everyone he ever knew tended to do that.
"If you had died, then your father would more than likely demand that your body be returned. That would deprive me the chance of fully examining the rather…unique injuries inflicted on you," the man continued. "Oh, and I should probably introduce myself. I am Dr. Hinter, head researcher from the Magistrate's Court."
Eric's jaw dropped, both in shock at his identity and in disgust at his motivations. Even he had heard of Dr. Hinter. The doctor was one of the most intelligent and influential figures in the government, second only to the Magistrate himself. What was someone this important doing tending to a simple teenager like himself? What was so urgent that it made Dr. Hinter of all people personally travel across the entire country just to see him?
"I see you've heard of me. That saves me some time," the doctor spoke. Eric composed himself, replacing his shocked look with one of disgust. The doctor didn't care about his well-being, only the wounds on his body.
"Why are you here? The Court is all the way in Nieman. That's thousands of miles away," Eric demanded. Normally he would have shown respect to such an important figure, but he really didn't think that mattered right now. Dr. Hinter gave an eerie little chuckle.
"Foolish child. That little spectacle at your school was seen from all over the country. Of course I'd be interested to come myself," the doctor explained in a condescending manner. Eric clamped his mouth shut in annoyance at the way he was treated. Eric wasn't quite sure what the doctor was talking about. He had been unconscious through most of the incident, and all he had seen was the carnage afterwards. Anyhow, that didn't matter. Eric had one pressing question on his mind.
"Where's Rose? Is she all right?" he snapped questions at the doctor, who adopted a look of impatience at the change of subject.
"I'm more interested in what happened. Why don't you tell me exactly what happened in that courtyard?" Dr. Hinter waved aside his questions like they didn't matter. Eric's expression darkened, his brow tightening and his eyes narrowing.
"I'm not telling you shit until I know Rose is okay." Eric knew he was taking a huge risk by defying the doctor. If he so chose, all Dr. Hinter had to do was give one off-hand comment about Eric to the Magistrate, and he would be screwed. The Magistrate ruled the country, and everyone knew it, despite the Senate underneath him that claimed to have the power to overturn his decisions.
Dr. Hinter gazed intently at Eric. The teen began to sweat slightly under the man's intense stare. Then, he sighed and threw his hands up in the air. "What an impossible child! I suppose if I'm to get anything out of you…Wanda!" His shout earned the attention of the woman on the computer, who snapped to attention in an instant.
"Yes, doctor?" the woman replied hastily. Eric could see fear in her eyes, and he couldn't blame her. The doctor was definitely a scary…actually, Eric considered him more of the creepy type. The way he was hunched over like that, with the greasy black hair and the glasses…he was not someone Eric wanted to meet in an alley somewhere.
"Find that blasted girl and bring her here. Force her if she resists," Dr. Hinter commanded. Wanda nodded and swiftly left the room. Eric thought he detected a hint of relief on the woman's face right before she passed out of sight.
The doctor pulled up the chair that Wanda had been sitting on and rested upon it himself, pulling out a notepad and pen with a look of glee on his face. Eric grunted and let his head rest back on the pillow. Thankfully, the burns on his chest didn't hurt anymore.
"I'm intrigued to know how you got those wounds. Those burns are similar to those caused by fire, but something isn't right. You would need to have been in contact with the fire for a significant amount of time to have gained a burn like that, but your burn as well as the wreckage seem to have been inflicted by a substance hotter than anything we know, touching you for less than a millisecond. Wait….that doesn't explain how you managed to live through it, or why the wreckage was charred more than you were…" the doctor continued to muse, his words gradually becoming more focused towards himself, rather than Eric. Eric knew what had burnt him. Jecht. Somehow that man had sent powerful waves of energy into his chest. It was like fire, but it hadn't been fire.
His was broken out of his thoughts as Wanda appeared again, accompanied by Eric's favorite redhead. Rose's face lit up with relief and happiness once she saw Eric awake.
"Eric! Oh thank God!" Rose expressed with a sigh of pure relief. She bypassed Dr. Hinter immediately and stood just above Eric. She raised her arms as if to hug him, then realized that he was covered in bandages. Eric began to grin despite himself. "Uh…" Rose moved her arms around awkwardly. "Oh fuck it."
Eric's breath caught in his throat when she leaned down over him. Her slender fingers moved his dark hair away from his forehead, and then she planted a light kiss on his forehead. Eric froze, completely unprepared for an action like that. The contact barely lasted for half a second, and then she was standing back above him, looking rather pleased. She giggled as Eric felt his face heat up; he was sure that he was blushing.
Before Eric could come up with a proper response, Dr. Hinter shoved his way past Rose and stood over him, an annoyed look present on his aging face. "You no longer have any reason to deny me. Tell me everything you know about the incident," the doctor demanded. Rose flashed the doctor a furious look, as the man had literally pushed her aside like she didn't matter.
For some reason, Eric felt strangely defiant towards the doctor. Even though Dr. Hinter was responsible for some of the most revolutionary advances in technology and a high ranking member of the government, Eric didn't want to tell him anything. However, he had given his word, so he did as he was asked. His voice cracked a few times during his narration of the event.
Dr. Hinter absorbed every little detail Eric gave him greedily, writing furiously on a clipboard. To Eric's disgust, the doctor did not look even the slightest bit shocked when told of the death of hundreds of students. Instead, he merely looked intrigued.
"Strange men…time….a sigil…" the doctor murmured to himself while Eric spoke. However, the doctor seemed the most interested in the man that called himself the Emperor. Eric had to answer question after question about the strange man, ranging from minute details to his possible motives.
"Doctor, Eric wouldn't know anything like that. We were unconscious whenever they made that pillar of light," Rose finally interrupted. Dr. Hinter regarded her similar to the way a human regards an insect.
"Did I ask for your input? Remain silent, unless I address you directly," the doctor ordered. Rose just looked offended and indignant. She opened her mouth to respond, but stopped when Eric reached forward and brushed her hand, gaining her attention. Eric caught her gaze and shook his head. Enraging the doctor was a bad idea.
"If only there was some way I could find out more about this man," the doctor growled to himself.
The television screen located in the upper corner of the room, which was currently displaying the possible treatments for a certain type of cancer, suddenly switched channels.
The three in the room looked up towards the TV curiously to see the front of the building that housed the Magistrate's Court.
Sergeant. L Ferlis strode down the wide hallway, accompanied by two soldiers. All of their movements were in tune with one another, showing their discipline and coordination. All of them were dressed in plain black military clothing with the mark of the Magistrate's Court, the falcon resting atop a cracked mountain, emblazoned on their chests.
Ferlis himself possessed an air of command, one gained naturally through many battles. He looked around thirty years of age. His only distinguishing features were his slicked back, brown hair, and the well groomed mustache adorning his upper lip. Clutched in his hand was a envelope, one that he seemed reluctant to relinquish.
The other soldiers in the hallway saluted him smartly as he passed, but Ferlis didn't bother returning them. The envelope in his hand was of the utmost importance. He had no other task in mind other than making sure it ended up in the hands of the Commander General.
Ferlis and his escort took a sharp turn to the right, entering the wing of the building where most high-ranking members of the military kept their offices. Thankfully, Ferlis knew exactly where to go. He directed his feet down through the winding halls of the right wing until he at last stood before the large door at the end of the wing. The words, "Commander General" were engraved on a bronze plaque that rested in the upper half of the door.
Ferlis rapped the door thrice exactly, and then immediately stood at attention, in case the Commander General chose to open the door himself.
"Enter," sounded a firm, clear voice from within the room. Ferlis did so immediately, bringing his escorts with him. He took exactly five steps into the room before again standing at attention. The soldiers behind him did the same.
The Commander General sat erect behind his desk, where he had been looking over a set of maps. Ferlis could see topographic, demographic, and other types of maps that he could not identify. He realized that the Commander General must have been preparing the best plan of attack against their long-time enemy, Perosia. The country that bordered theirs to the north had always been trying to claim their land, though they had always been repulsed.
"State your business, sergeant," ordered Commander General Lyrin. Lyrin was, to date, the youngest man to ever be gifted the exalted rank of Commander General, as he was only twenty six, at the most. Ferlis did not judge the man for it, as he had seen first hand how skilled Lyrin was at bolstering the morale of his men, and then using that in conjunction with his brilliant tactics to make short work of his enemy. That had been during the last skirmish with Perosia.
"Urgent message from New Rysal Police Department, sir!" Ferlis snapped out instantly, knowing that Lyrin was not one who enjoyed being kept waiting. Lyrin raised an eyebrow.
"At ease. Bring it to me," the Commander General order. Ferlis relaxed, as did his men, but by no means did he take this as an excuse to speak freely. He walked up to the desk and handed the envelop gingerly to Lyrin, who grasped it with his well callused fingers. The Commander General swiftly ran his finger under the flap of the envelope, ripping it open efficiently. He reached inside and pulled out the contents.
Ferlis had not seen what was in the envelope when he received it, so he was surprised that the only thing inside of it was a small, folded piece of paper and a four gigabyte flash drive. The sergeant expected to be dismissed upon completion of his delivery, but Lyrin gave no order to do so. Instead, the young man started up his computer, and while waiting for it to boot, read the letter. He had only read it for a few moments before his eyes went wide.
"Ferlis, your men are dismissed," Lyrin ordered. Ferlis tried to figure out his motive, but the Commander had no expression on his face other than a passive indifference.
The two escorts that had accompanied him saluted smartly and left the room, shutting it behind them. Now that Lyrin and Ferlis were alone, a look of worry crossed the Commander's face.
"Commander General?" Ferlis pressed curiously, wondering what was so bad that it had even Lyrin worried. More importantly, he wondered why the Commander was trusting him. Certainly they had battled together in the last skirmish, but he didn't' think that the bonds of war counted as trust.
"Take a look at this and tell me what you think," Lyrin commanded, handing the folded piece of paper to Ferlis so that he could read it. Ferlis took the paper and brought it to his eyes.
"To: Commander General Lyrin
From: Captain Morris : NRPD
Subject: Incident in New Rysal
We here at the NRPD trust that you, as the head of our military sector, have the necessary authority to handle this issue. We have determined, at the cost of many casualties, that we simply do not have the manpower or tactical abilities needed to handle this on our own.
Enclosed with this letter is a flash drive containing pieced together footage from the wreckage of the Rysal High School. We have determined through the testimony of survivors that the source of the pillar of light emanated from this area. This is out of our hands, and we place our faith in you."
Ferlis put the letter down with a heavy sigh. Lyrin scanned his face for a reaction, waiting for the sergeant to reply.
"I think we need to take a look at that footage," was Ferlis's only reply. Lyrin nodded and turned on the projector located next to his computer. The image of his computer desktop was displayed on the wall behind him, albeit larger than normal.
Without a word, Lyrin plugged in the flash drive into his computer. Once the machine detected the drive, Lyrin opened it to see one file in AVI format. His computer was thankfully outfitted with software to run such a file type, so all he had to do was click it for it to run.
The video that ran before them was heavily damaged. Every few seconds, several lines of static would distort the image, making it harder to see what was going on. However, they were able to make out the courtyard of the school, where the students were enjoying their lunch as per usual.
Lyrin immediately paused the video the moment something happened that was out of the ordinary. The armored knight that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the courtyard was definitely not normal.
"What do you think?" the Commander questioned. Ferlis gazed hard at the knight until he came up with a line of reasoning.
"That armor is definitely not modern era, yet it matches no known pattern of any medieval armor I've ever seen. As for who he is, the answer could be many things. The students down there like to engage in certain conventions that require dressing up, but I doubt that's it. If it were that simple, we wouldn't be watching this," Ferlis conjectured, while Lyrin listened to him intently.
"Then I will input his profile into our database. I'll just take this screenshot," Lyrin said. With the press of one button, a screenshot was saved and the video resumed.
They were taken by surprise when even more strange figures showed up. Ferlis's comprehension of the situation shown in the video dropped lower and lower, especially when things began happening that he couldn't understand. When he started seeing things explode and instantly get fixed again, he motioned for Lyrin to stop the video.
"This has to be doctored. It is not physically possible to fly, walk through walls, or return things to the way they were before they were destroyed," Ferlis snapped angrily. "Who do the NRPD think they are, joking around like this?! We are the soldiers of the Magister's Court! Not even the normal military would stand for this!"
"Calm yourself, sergeant!" Lyrin cut across his ranting with a wave of his hand. Ferlis gulped and apologized, suddenly breaking out into a sweat. "It is indeed strange to see such phenomenon, but it is foolish and ignorant to dismiss video proof until it has been proven without a doubt that it is falsified. I, for one, do not believe that the NRPD would be foolish enough to attempt to enrage me, as I could end their careers in an instant."
Ferlis knew he wasn't bluffing. The Magistrate held no one in the military in higher regard than Lyrin. If the Commander General wanted someone removed, it happened. If he wanted someone appointed, it happened. When the sergeant said nothing more, Lyrin resumed the video.
Their expressions soon turned from disbelief to utter shock and horror when they observed the students losing their lives to the strange figures that had entered the courtyard. They could do nothing but watch the strange and unbelievable events that occurred afterwards.
The video ended just after the pillar of light erupted from the center of the sigil, when the man calling himself the Emperor murdered the SWAT team that came to investigate.
"Ferlis…." Lyrin began haltingly. The sergeant met the Commander's gaze, and saw within them a burning determination. He recognized that look. Lyrin had worn that same look a long time ago, when he had first proved his mettle during his first battle under Ferlis's command, and in every battle henceforth.
"We cannot ignore this. Prepare to rally the men to deal with this threat immediately."
Ferlis was just about to leave the Commander General's office when the TV in the room switched on, as it usually did during momentous occasions.
"We forgot about the Magistrate's speech today," Lyrin remarked. "Go, Ferlis. I will watch the speech. Make sure the Magistrate's guard is doubled. Send a platoon to New Rysal and find that man!"
"Sir, yes sir!" Ferlis snapped out, and left the room. Lyrin was left alone in his office, watching the television.
The Magistrate strode up on stage, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of people that had come from all over the country to catch a glimpse of their leader in person. Upon seeing him, the crowd erupted into tumultuous cheers, which the Magistrate took with good grace, smiling and waving at his people.
The Magistrate was in his late forties, though he looked much older due to his short gray hair that was groomed close to his scalp. Minor wrinkles ravaged his face, due more to stress rather than age. Despite his aging appearance, the Magistrate possessed an aura that commanded respect.
Behind the stage stood the Magister's mansion, where he lived in safety with his family and staff, dealing with the affairs of state form within the comforts of his own home. The luxurious structure stood in stark comparison to the other buildings in the city, which appeared run-down and shabby in comparison.
The man who was already standing at the podium quickly switched on the microphone. He hurriedly adjusted the mike so that it did not squeal, and then he spoke into it. "Welcome, citizens of Naturnalis! I am proud to present to you the lifelong leader, Commander-in-Chief, Magistrate Torvan the fourth!"
The announcer's enthusiasm only served to invigorate the crowd further. Magistrate Torvan stepped up to the podium, eagerly grasping the microphone given to him by the announcer. The moment the Magistrate could be seen, the cheers died down, to be replaced by a respectful silence. Torvan's face split into a happy smile as he regarded his people.
"Thank you all for your warm welcome, and for coming out here tonight. I have gathered you all here today to…"
"…address your concerns. I have become aware of the murmurings of discontent present…" Magistrate Torvan continued to address the people.
Eric watched from his hospital bed as the Magistrate spoke. He scoffed derisively, though he made sure it wasn't loud enough for Dr. Hinter to hear. All three of them were watching the television closely. It wasn't often that Torvan himself emerged from his jeweled mansion, so it was interesting enough for him to watch.
Eric had little faith in the leadership after the incident. If their leadership had been more sound, then there would have been more security. With that security, perhaps the Emperor would have never had the ability to infiltrate the school and murder his classmates, and nearly himself as well.
Eric never liked Torvan to begin with. He didn't like the idea that one person could have absolute power over the country. He preferred the time before the first war with Perosia, when the country was ruled by three different branches that were able to keep the others in check. However, while the branches slowly collapsed into debates about what to do about the war, Senator Torvan pushed for emergency powers with such eloquence and charisma, that it was only a matter of time before he was given the title of Magistrate.
"Perhaps this time he will give more funding to the science department…" Dr. Hinter mused to himself as he watched the TV. Eric shot him a disbelieving glance.
"I want you to understand that I have your best interests at heart. I know that there have been complaints concerning the increase in taxes and the implementation of the Conscription Doctrine. However, we should not fight amongst ourselves while our greatest enemy, Perosia, lies on our very doorstep!" Torvan was a master of riling up the crowd. Every face in the crowd was contorted with hatred towards the country to the north.
"They come to take your lands, your families, even your very lives! They are not the kind to show mercy, and if we do not stop them, they will overtake us. I want you to be comforted by my solemn promise that your hard-earned money and young are being used to support the highest of causes: the protection of the future for generations to come!" Torvan's charisma was clearly having an effect on the crowd. The cameramen whose cameras were trained on the Magistrate zoomed and maneuvered closer to get a better angle of the powerful man.
The announcer, who had taken a back seat near the rear of the stage, turned his head idly to scan the crowd, and noticed something odd. The wind was moving oddly, blowing for a few seconds in a random direction, and then becoming completely still. This pattern continued, confusing the announcer. Clouds were gathering above them all faster than he believed possible. The clusters of clouds darkened swiftly and bulged, advertising the presence of a downpour within its misty depths. When the clouds met in the center of their paths, they covered the sun. A shadow fell upon the city.
Unease shot through the announcer for a reason he could not understand. He chose to leave the stage and check around to make sure the security was still in place. He went backstage first, where the Magistrate's personal guard was waiting, decked in full combat suits and armed to the teeth with heavy machine guns.
Satisfied, the announcer inspected the perimeter of the event, making sure every soldier assigned to them was vigilant and on guard.
The announcer was confused. Everything seemed normal, so why did he feel so uneasy?
The soldier on the eastern edge of the event gripped his rifle restlessly. While he enjoyed listening to the Magistrate's speeches, the last thing he wanted was to stand guard. It was his least favorite duty and his captain knew it.
The soldier sighed. That was the last time he'd ever put thistles in his captain's cot. He expected the man to have a better sense of humor than that.
The soldier knew that no one would bother trying to mess up this event. People had tried to assassinate Torvan before, but the Magistrate had always been two steps ahead. His personal guard were equivalent to commando level units, and they had yet to be defeated. He didn't even know why he was here.
He was snapped out of his thoughts when someone approached the event perimeter. The soldier was confused. The entrance was to the south, so what was this person doing here? He was even more confused by the man's attire.
Purple and black robes swirled through the air as the new arrival walked. There was a satisfied half-smile plastered on the man's regal, yet very pale visage. The soldier began to shiver for a reason that eluded him. His hairs began to stand on end, as if electricity was surging through the air. When the man drew nearer, the soldier resolved to do his job.
"Halt! No entry past this point. Relocate to the southern end of the plaza, or turn back!" the soldier declared. He couldn't afford to be lax on security, so he raised his gun and leveled the muzzle until it pointed directly at the new arrival's head.
The man's smirk never left his face, though he did stop. The soldier suddenly broke out into a cold sweat when he saw that the man was holding a bladed staff that was seemingly rotating in midair.
When the man took another step forward, the soldier moved to pull the trigger.
He was dead before he even knew what was happening. The Emperor stepped delicately over the body of the soldier and continued on his way.
"I ask only for your continued support and faith in the trying future…" Eric, Rose, and the doctor continued to watch the Magistrate's talk.
Eric noticed the incoming storm that was fast converging upon the stage where the Magistrate stood. It was coming awfully fast.
"I hope he manages to wrap up his speech before it starts to rain," he commented. He shifted in his bed until he was comfortable again.
"Oh yeah, that would suck for him if those fancy clothes got all drenched," Rose pointed out humorously. Eric let himself smile, the expression seeming foreign to his lips.
When Dr. Hinter irritably hissed at them, Eric and Rose lapsed into silence, returning their attention to the television.
Eric noticed the man who had announced the Magistrate's arrival walk backstage for some reason. He thought that was odd. He was sure the announcer was supposed to take over the microphone after the speech was over, so why was he leaving?
The announcer soon returned. The closer the camera got to the stage, the more defined his expression became. He seemed troubled, almost as if something was not going right with the event.
When the storm clouds finally reached the square where the stage was situated, the shadow that fell over them caused even Eric to feel a little uneasy.
That unease was even more compounded when the last person he expected to see again walked onto the stage as if he owned it. Eric shot up in the bed, his eyes becoming as wide as dinner plates. The force of his movement tore the IV out of his arm, and the machines monitoring his heart rate began to sound off.
With a confident smile, the Emperor glided across the stage towards the Magistrate, his body literally floating at least an inch above the ground, so that the tips of his toes just barely scraped the wooden surface.
"It's him!" Eric shouted in shock. Rose let out a gasp and retreated towards the back of the room, where Eric was. The doctor only looked intrigued.
"Interesting. Let us see what unfolds, then," Dr. Hinter declared calmly.
"Now that you have heard the reasoning behind my arguments, I wish to propose the implementation of a brand new pol…a brand….new…" Torvan launched into the next facet of his speech, but even he faltered and stopped talking when the Emperor glided towards him. The crowd's eyes were all fixed upon the new arrival. The millions of people that had gathered for the event then exhibited an atmosphere of curiosity and trepidation.
The Emperor slowly extended his free hand, opening his fingers to reveal a flattened palm. The microphone that was clenched in Torvan's hand slipped out of his grip, much to his shock and wonderment, and floated through the air. The Emperor grasped the small object for a moment, and then he allowed it to hang in the air just in front of his mouth.
"If you'll allow me to interrupt," he spoke calmly, his smooth and majestic voice projecting throughout the clearing. His words caused a stir to pass through the crowd.
"Sir, I must ask you to leave the stage immediately. This is a very important event," the announcer stepped up and whispered to the Emperor, who did not even give him the courtesy of looking at him. Instead, when the announcer attempted to take the microphone away, he found himself completely unable to move, or even to open his mouth.
"Allow me to introduce myself, ladies and gentlemen. I am Mateus. It appears to me that the purpose of this event is to address the fallibilities in the current leader observed by the commoners, correct?" the Emperor gave a slight, mocking bow after he gave his name, feigning courtesy, yet the aura of malice that he exhibited could be felt by all. He did not wait for an answer to his question before continuing. Even as Mateus spoke, the Magistrate could be seen frantically giving orders to his men through a radio.
"Perhaps it is time for you to consider the possibility that your leadership should not be improved, but instead replaced," Mateus continued, the smile on his face widening. A troubled murmur passed through the crowd. Behind the Emperor, the Magistrate's personal guard emerged from backstage with their weapons in hand. Mateus paid them no mind.
"I propose a change in government," came the Emperor's tumultuous proclamation. At this Torvan adopted an enraged expression. The Magistrate stepped up to Mateus.
"How dare you interrupt this momentous ceremony to spread your slander and lies! I command that you remove yourself from the stage, else my guards will ensure that you do!" Torvan snapped. The Emperor gave the Magistrate a haughty look, and then turned to view the soldiers that were aiming their rifles at him.
Mateus's eyes flashed ominously, and then the weapons in their hands melted into liquid metal and streamed into the air. The soldiers were so taken aback by the phenomenon, that they could do little more than gape at the liquid mass of metal that hung suspended in midair.
With a snap of his fingers, the mass of metal fragmented into several smaller segments – one for each of the soldiers. Then, the metal zoomed towards each soldier, bearing their bodies backwards into the nearest wall and solidifying there.
"I hereby proclaim myself Emperor of this land, as I am the only man in existence fit to rule a kingdom such as this," Mateus said immediately after he had incapacitated the soldiers. Torvan's eyes were bulging, and his face was red. He took a step back, but the Emperor had already turned his black gaze upon his, the killing intent evident in his dark eyes.
"There can only be one ruler, and I am he!" The Emperor pointed his hand out towards the Magistrate. Torvan had only a moment to contemplate the meaning of this gesture before a powerful blast of magic power burst forth from Mateus' hand. Torvan was hit directly in the torso and propelled across the stage and into the crowd, which split outwards to avoid being hit.
Torvan hit the ground hard, and did not rise again. There was a few moments of stunned silence as blood seeped out from the Magistrate's corpse. Then chaos broke loose.
The Emperor gazed across his new subjects with veiled amusement as they began running amok in panic. Their screams did little more than amuse him.
The soldiers that had been contracted to form a perimeter around the event had heard the commotion. Mateus watched them stream into the plaza, threading their way through the innocents that were fleeing for their lives. Then, the Emperor turned his gaze towards the cameraman. Although he was shaking up a storm, the man was diligently filming everything that occurred.
Intrigued, Mateus floated over to the man, who visibly paled at his proximity. Despite his fear, the man refused to move.
"What is that device?" the Emperor questioned curiously, indicated the camera behind which the man stood. The cameraman jumped in shock at being addressed. Halting and mumbled words tumbled out of the man's voice in his haste to respond.
"I-i-it's a c-camera, s-sir. It is showing w-whatever h-happens here to the rest of the country." Mateus's smile returned. With an approving nod, the Emperor turned the other direction and faced the incoming soldiers.
"Indeed? Then carry on. All of the country shall see the might of their new ruler." The cameraman's sigh of relief was enough to cause Mateus's mood to lift even more. He would start off his reign of terror with a massacre.
The soldiers did not even give Mateus the offer of surrender, immediately opening fire with their rifles. Even as they fired, they could feel raw power crackling through the air around them. Time appeared to slow down for the soldiers, even to the point where their very bullets were visible. They traveled sluggishly through the air, leaving a visible distortion in the air behind them. Even as they watched, the bullets melted to liquid, and then evaporated to gaseous metal before even reaching Mateus.
The Emperor's laughter boomed across the plaza, striking fear into the hearts of the men that opposed him. Lightning lanced through the dark clouds above, the very atmosphere reacting to the incredible power possessed by the Emperor.
The soldiers cried out and covered their eyes as lightning flashed directly in the clearing. When they were able to see again, they were shocked to see one of their own burnt and blackened, having been incinerated by the powerful electricity. The Emperor's hand was extended, which hinted that it had been he who had summoned the killing bolt.
"Take cover!" one of the soldiers cried out. The speaker looked like the others, except for the yellow colored band on his shoulder that indicated his rank. At his command, the soldiers broke ranks and rushed for the nearest solid structure, whether it be a wall, concession stand, or even a fountain. From there, they began blind firing at the Emperor.
Mateus didn't even flinch when the bullets dissolved in front of him into nothing. When the last bullet of the volley reached him, he plucked it out of the air with two fingers, inspecting the item he now held. "How interesting. You use small pieces of metal to target vital structures in the human body. Quite clever, but useless to me." Mateus crushed the metal flat between his fingers without seeming to use any effort.
He ignored the soldiers that were still firing at him, as each bullet merely impacted with his barrier of pure heat and dissolved. Instead, he beheld the Magister's mansion that towered over the plaza. He curled his lip into a sneer. What stood before him was not to his liking at all.
The ground cracked under Mateus's feet, and what looked to be molten rock seeped from within. Even as the lava pooled around his feet, he showed no sign of pain nor did he try to move. Sparks then erupted from the cracked earth, flying around his body, giving him a hellish aura. Mateus smiled again, believing the aura to be fitting for what he was about to do.
A larger crack appeared above him. This time, with a snap of Mateus's fingers, the crack began to lengthen, spidering across the ground towards the mansion. As the crack widened, a hellish red glow could be seen emanating from within.
The soldiers ceased fire and began to watch the spectacle with trepidation, wondering what new devilry would emerge from the crack.
The crack shot under the mansion, and began undermine its foundation. The entire mansion began tilting, as the land it rested upon was now twisting and writhing underneath it, like a bed of snakes. The crack widened and widened, and soon one whole edge of the mansion crumbled into the gap.
The soldiers were horrified. They all knew that the Magister's family and staff lived within, and it was clear that if they weren't able to evacuate in time, then they would all plummet to their deaths.
The Emperor swept his hand to the right. With a deafening crack, the fissure suddenly widened to the point where it could encompass even one of the military's aircraft carriers. The Magister's mansion, no longer having any ground upon which to stand, tumbled end over end into the glowing abyss, disintegrating into rubble as it fell.
A roaring inferno erupted from the abyss, illuminating the plaza with a bloody red light. The Emperor viewed his creation with an unreadable expression. He waited patiently, though for what no one could tell.
The soldiers spotted something crawling out of the fissure. An incredibly broad and muscled arm colored a deep red shot out of the inferno and clamped onto the edge of the fissure, its thick fingers shattering the ground where they impacted. Black nails as sharp and as broad as steak knives dug into the earth, providing its owner with a firm handhold.
The being continued to lift itself up, another arm joining the first. Its head followed next. Its horrendous visage caused the soldiers to recoil in horror. Its face resembled that of a feral lion, yet it was furless and its red skin was stretched taught across its skull. Glowing yellow eyes slitted like a cat's rested just below its thick brow. Instead of a mane, a series of tiny spikes started on the tip of its snout and stretched over the back of its head and down its back, lengthening into vicious barbs as it did so.
The creature roared, and then it used the ground as leverage to fling itself out of the abyss. It soared high in the air before landing on its broad feet, smashing the ground further at its point of impact. It stood taller than even the Emperor, though he showed no sign of being intimidated by its presence. Instead, satisfaction crossed Mateus's face.
"My lord," the being rumbled in a rough deep voice. Mateus inclined his head slightly in acknowledgement of the title. "It has been too long since we were summoned last."
"My loyal Overseer, commander of my armies. An infestation of insects is plaguing the site of my future fortress. Take care of them for me, if you would," the Emperor commanding, waving his hand idly at the soldiers. Many of the soldiers had already fled, losing heart at the sight of the monstrosity that stood before the Emperor, yet some still stood, determination stamped upon their faces.
"Steady men…the Commander General's reinforcements will soon be here," the captain called to his men. Worried murmurs ran through the ranks, though they were barely heard due to the roaring sound of the flames.
The Overseer, for that is what the beast was named, allowed a vicious smile to cross its feline face. A warhammer crafted out of a solid black material, similar in texture to obsidian yet harder than any known substance materialized in his massive hand.
"It would be my pleasure."
The beast roared out his challenge to the soldiers, shaking their resolve. Then, the Overseer took a step forward. Then another. The earth shook each time his broad feet would slam into the ground.
Behind the beast, more figures crawled from the abyss. Unlike the Overseer, each of the new figures were the same size as humans, albeit a bit larger than the average. They were dressed in black armor and cloaked in shadow, revealing their true nature as demonic entities. Their ruby eyes glowed with malice. Hundreds of these shadow warriors crawled from the fissure and marched forward in perfect ranks. For weapons, they carried dark shields and long black broadswords that curved at the tip and barbed along the back edge.
Their tide did not slow, adding more and more warriors to the Emperor's army. Mateus levitated above his army, so that he could watch the ensuing battle personally.
When the Overseer took another step forward, the captain acted. "Open fire!" he commanded desperately. Their rifles barked repeatedly, sending hot metal flying through the air towards the approaching army. All they received for their efforts were the sound of metal ricocheting off of armor. Their advance did not halt. As for the Overseer himself, each time a bullet would hit him, he would hiss in annoyance, but they never pierced his skin in the slightest.
Finally, the Overseer reached the first soldier, who was hidden behind a wooden concession stand, his back pressed to its surface and blind firing over the top. The beast snarled once and held his hammer in both hands. With a roar, the Overseer swung the weapon in a mighty overhead arc. The flat of the hammer shattered the concession stand like matchsticks and moved on to smash into the soldier's head. There was a sickening crunch, and the man's skull caved in like it was made of flypaper.
The beast turned his body, bringing his hammer around in front of him horizontally. It slammed into a stone pillar that hid another soldier behind it. Even so, the pillar broke into pieces and the hammer passed right through it, colliding with the soldier's torso. The soldier was borne completely off the ground and sent all the way to the other side of the plaza, shards of his ribs driving through his vital organs and sticking out the other side.
"H-he's a monster!" another soldier cried, and he pulled the pin on a grenade. He tossed the explosive through the air powerfully, only for the Overseer to growl and snatch it out of the air. The beast crushed it in his hands before it could detonate, rendering the object useless. Then, the Overseer opened his jaws. The soldier that had tossed the grenade could only watch as a stream of vivid purple flames coursed over the beast's jaws and incinerated him.
The shadow warriors reached the ranks of the soldiers next, their weapons held high.
"Retreat! Fall back to point Alpha!" the captain shouted frantically as he broke cover. He reloaded his rifle and unloaded it into the ranks of the dark warriors, aiming for their joints, such as under the arm or at their neck, where their weak points seemed to be. He managed to fell one before another reached him, swinging its sword without a sound. He ceased fire and fended off the strike with the flat of his rifle. He was shocked when the dark blade passed right through his rifle, slicing it in half. Unnerved, the captain backpedaled, pulling out his sidearm and shooting the warrior in the eye.
"HQ, this is Captain Raul! Where are those reinforcements!?" he barked into his radio. As soon as he did so, he yelped and threw himself to the floor, narrowly avoiding the Overseer's hammer. Raul rolled to the right to avoid the beast's follow up attack, and then fired his pistol directly into the monster's left eye.
That seemed to have an effect on the beast. It recoiled sharply and hissed angrily, clamping a hand to the affected eye. Raul didn't push his luck and he turned tail and ran along with the scattered remnants of his men. Wherever he looked, the shadow warriors were cutting down his men like wheat before the scythe, taking nary a casualty in return. To his shock, Raul spotted the very warriors that he shot standing back up as if they had never been hurt.
"HQ!" Raul roared, leaping over a stone partition and fleeing to the outpost that the military referred to as point Alpha.
"This is Commander General Lyrin speaking. Air support incoming, stay alive," was the response. Raul's eyes widened when he recognized the name. The Commander General himself was speaking! Raul's spirits lifted when he heard that air support was on its way.
The remainder of the soldiers joined Raul. He was shocked to see that out of the entire perimeter, only twenty men remained. He then glanced out of the window of the building to see the warriors approaching at the same steady pace, the Overseer leading them. Raul began snapping out commands rapidly, as he had not the time to dawdle.
"I want heavy weapons brought here from the storeroom. Ford, barricade the entrance with whatever you can find. Hoffman, set get on that 50. Cal! Go!" The man scattered to do his bidding. The one called Hoffman deployed a powerful fifty caliber machine gun at the windows, and immediately began pumping rounds into the oncoming forces. To Raul's relief, he could see the weapon smashing through the armor of the enemy and dealing some real damage.
A soldier ran up to Raul, shouted something loudly, and pressed a powerful rocket launcher into his hand. Raul thanked the soldier and placed his pistol down in favor of the launcher. He placed it upon his shoulder and flicked open the sights. The HUD flickered on with a quiet beep.
Raul oriented the crosshairs onto the approaching form of the Overseer, which looked like something out of a horror movie due to the evil glint in his eyes. Once he had a lock, he pulled the trigger. The launcher roared and propelled him backwards ever so slightly as it dispensed its lethal payload.
The Overseer spotted the incoming missile. Without even halting his momentum, he batted it away like it was nothing. The rocket, knocked off course, instead impacted with a group of the dark warriors and exploded. Bits of black armor fragmented from the explosion, and to Raul's satisfaction, the affected warriors were left broken on the ground, unmoving. It bothered him that the Overseer hadn't been affected, but at least he had dealt some damage.
"This is Captain Marhess of the Winged Brigade. Awaiting targets," Raul's radios sparked to life. The soldiers around the captain cheered upon hearing the arrival of their reinforcements.
Raul grabbed the radio swiftly and barked into it. "Roger that Winged Brigade. Targets marked by green smoke." With that, Raul grabbed a smoke grenade from his belt and flung it across the street at the Overseer, who caught it and crushed it. Fortunately, crushing the grenade did not prevent it from releasing its payload of thick green smoke. On Raul's command, other green smoke grenades were tossed into the ranks of the enemy, marking targets for the incoming air support.
"Targets locked on. Allied forces, clear the marked areas," the radio barked again. Raul released another rocket into the enemy ranks, dealing significant damage.
"We're outnumbered!" Hoffman cried out, even as he pumped more rounds into the soldiers with the powerful mounted machine gun. Raul was about to respond when flame from the Overseer incinerated the poor soldier.
"Somebody man that gun!" Raul snapped. Immediately after giving the order, he heard the sound of aircraft streaking through the air above them.
Powerful missiles launched by the aircraft bombarded the enemy ranks. Section upon section of the dark warriors were annihilated by the onslaught, and even the Overseer was lost from sight by the resulting explosions.
"Suck on that, spawn of hell!" a soldier near Raul cheered. The captain didn't discourage him. They needed all the morale they could get.
"They're getting too close!"
"We can't hold them!"
"Captain?!"
Raul cursed and threw his empty rocket launcher to the side. He went for his pistol, but thankfully another passing soldier handed him a powerful heavy machine gun. The captain felt the weight with satisfaction. He hefted it and leveled it out the window, directly at the Overseer. "Fall back! We'll be crushed if we're caught here!"
Raul roared and pulled the trigger. He nearly winded himself when the powerful weapon kicked into his chest and sprayed a large amount of projectiles from its muzzle. The Overseer growled and lifted his hammer, the bullets bouncing off of his hide, leaving nothing more than small welts behind.
"MOVE!" Raul screamed hoarsely, abandoning his position by the windows. His soldiers followed him, alerted by his urgency, and not a moment too soon. The Overseer smashed through the wall of the building like paper with his hammer. The Raul cursed as a piece of the resulting debris soared over his shoulder, tearing into his shoulder. The debris or the Overseer annihilated a few of the men, but the rest managed to follow Raul out the back door.
Raul was shocked to see that the Winged Brigade had broken off its assault and were instead defending themselves against other air units. They were unlike any air unit Raul had ever seen.
"D-dragons?!" Raul stammered. That was exactly what he was seeing. Dragons as large as aircraft that possessed dark red scales and powerful wings and talons were clashing with the aircraft in midair. Raul watched as one of the demonic dragons slammed into one of the planes, tearing it to shreds with its powerful claws and incinerating the pilot with claws. Another plane zoomed nearby and unloaded a heavy machine gun into the dragon; the bullets easily perforated it, which Raul was happy to see.
"Our air support is shot. We have to retreat!" Raul called, and then he recoiled with shock when he saw that all that was left of his men were five soldiers, each of them injured.
Emperor Mateus watched from his position in front of the fissure. He appeared satisfied that his forces had massacred the enemy. It had been so long since he had held such power over his situation, and he loved it.
Hundreds of dead, both demonic, human, and civilian covered the plaza, the stones running red with blood. The only human left alive in the clearing was the cameraman, who was still filming live to the rest of the country despite everything. The man was hyperventilating, his clothing drenched in sweat.
The Emperor approached the camera, his calm visage filling TV sets all over the country. "Tell me, what is the name of this country?"
"Mercadia, my lord," the man managed to get out, wisely attaching a title to the imposing man in front of him. Mateus nodded.
"Citizens of Mercadia, I stand before you as your Emperor. Your old government has fallen, and it is only a matter of time before your military falls as well," Mateus began, addressing his words to the rest of the country. "I shall seamlessly integrate into your system, albeit with a few minor alterations. All bodies of national authority are hereby abolished. Your taxes now come to me. You can expect my soldiers to assume control of each of your cities within the month. Attempt to resist, and you will be felled just like your previous ruler."
The Emperor then turned away from the camera. "Come with me. You will become the liaison between me and my subjects." The cameraman gulped and carried the camera after Mateus, still filming.
"Wait." Mateus ordered once they stood before the giant fissure. The Emperor raised his hand, and the glow emanating from the crack turned a magenta color, mixed with a tinge of cyan. "Show the country the ascent of my fortress."
The cameraman focused his camera on the fissure, from which even more demons from hell crawled. However, he noticed something else coming up.
A large piece of crystal that was colored magenta and cyan shot up into the air. Another one followed. The man's eyes bugged out as a huge amount of crystals erupted from the abyss, colliding and intertwining with one another in midair to form larger and larger structures.
As he watched, the stream of crystals began to form a vague shape of a building that floated at least a hundred feet off of the ground.
Soon, a massive fortress hung suspended in midair over the abyss. Its walls and parapets were covered in a hexagonal pattern. Its gates were large and fortified, by both a set of crystalline doors and a wicked portcullis. Magenta steps made of crystal slowly formed, until it reached the Emperor's feet. An elegant winding staircase now led to the gates of the fortress. Mateus gazed up at the edifice with utter triumph stamped onto his face
"Behold, my subjects. This…is Pandemonium."
Done! Finally! I had such a case of writer's block during the hospital scene. I thought I'd never finish this scene. However, after I started listening to the Hell Chapter soundtrack from Bleach, the words just started flowing. When the demons came out of hell, the full version of Incantation was playing. How fitting, don't you agree?
In case anyone is wondering, the Emperor made a deal with the devil in Final Fantasy II in order to gain command of his forces. However, when the devil came to collect, the Emperor killed him and assumed his mantle as the Lord of Hell, which is why he was able to summon demons from hell to fight the soldiers. The same goes for Pandemonium. In the game, it was explained as being the Castle of Hell, where the Lord of Hell resides.
So the war begins. I loved that fight scene there. The Overseer is a character of mine that I used back when I used to play D&D, so I was ecstatic that I was able to use him here. Oh hell yeah, I'll be drawing upon all sorts of original characters that I made in the past to serve as generals for either the Emperor's or Terraform's army. Terraform hasn't been introduced yet, though.
Fadedsolitude28: I'm glad you liked it. There will be lots of dark bits, since the entire story is mostly villain centric. I may have the heroes of Cosmos come through if enough people ask me…oh who am I kidding barely anyone reviews my story lol.
Justyoumi: While your idea would have had merit if I hadn't planned ahead, Eric and Rose are believed later because…the Emperor fucking murders the country leader on live television. As for the villains, each one had their motives for fusing, which I will probably get into next chapter. As for Jecht, he is civil because he was never technically a villain.
Keelah Se'lai
The Proud Quarian,
Terran34