The Emperor would've normally gone to his throne to sulk after an embarrassment of that magnitude, but he was far too furious to even sit down. Instead, he left the Edge of Madness and teleported somewhere he knew he would be alone - a nondescript gateway in the Melmond Fens. In Cosmos' realm, far enough away that he wouldn't be seen and laughed at by Chaos' warriors.
He needed some manikins to destroy anyway.
Unfortunately, when he entered the gateway, there wasn't a single manikin in there. It was only a single-floor gateway. He made a poor choice. No matter, he could summon them to him, if he wanted. The gateway looked like a cross, with slanted feet off the end of the long leg. he called four manikins, one on each arm of the cross and one to each foot.
They don't attack Chaos warriors, but he wished they would. He was so angry, he wanted to fight them, and he wanted to break them. He wanted to stab his staff through their crystal hearts, over and over again, and imagine they were the real Chaos warriors. He wanted to rip their crystal skin with his bare hands, he wanted and watch the lights die in their already-dead eyes.
He didn't even have to break stride for the first one. It was a drab grey in color; a lower level, weak, pathetic copy of Kain Highwind. The Emperor lifted his staff with his power and hurled it to the side, watching as it frisbeed through the air with so much force that it stabbed straight through Kain's stomach. Chunks of crystals broke off and scattered, and the Emperor ripped it out while Kain crumpled to the ground.
The manikins were all gone within minutes, and he still had rage to spare. He touched the Stigma of Chaos stone and was teleported to his destination, the Realm of Darkness, to wallow in his fury. He paced angrily, dragging his staff along the ground behind him so hard, he left a trail of sparks in his wake.
"Rrgh!" he growled through his clenched teeth. "How dare they mock me?! How DARE they?!" He called a purple bomb to his hand and hurled it at the nearest pillar, not realizing how close he was in his anger. The explosion roared in his ears and knocked all other sound away, and the force blew his hair back. He cried out, staggering back, and quickly touched a hand to his ears to deafen the ringing. Rocks rained down around him, and he was showered in pellets and stones.
Stupid. Stupid, stupid!
"Those idiots don't even know who they're dealing with," he said to himself. "I have already achieved divinity twice in my lifetime. I have conquered the uppermost reaches of Heaven down to the deepest, fieriest pit of Hell and everything in between. Including the humans' pathetic realm! And yet they treat me like I am nothing! Ha! I am more powerful than six of them together!"
If they didn't know his power, they would soon. "They will bow to me if it's the last thing I do."
The ringing was starting to die down. He could start to make out the natural sounds of the realm. The rush of air that seemed to be constant despite the lack of breeze, the charged hum of the red bands for sliding, floating in the air-
And clacking. He heard clacking. Like wood hitting together.
Someone was here. Cosmos or Chaos, he didn't care. He would end them.
"Where are you, you pathetic coward?" he yelled, sweeping his staff threateningly. The silence went unbroken, and he quickly tried to pick up on the presence near him. He was still a bit disoriented from the explosion, and this wasn't his world. It was the Cloud of Darkness'. His power of perception quickly diminished, seemingly sucked into the grey void in the center.
"You should know that I am in an extremely foul mood! Show yourself, wretched warrior, or face my power! Whoever dare challenges me, the Emperor Mateus of Palamecia-"
The threat died on his lips as a woman emerged from behind a column near the center of the room. Though she was no woman like the Emperor had ever seen before. If a sneer wouldn't have been on his face, his jaw would've surely hung open. Instead, his sneer dropped, long forgotten in her presence.
She had the face of a goddess, as though beautifully sculpted by the Maker himself. Slender face with a sharp, contoured jawline. She had thick, rosy pink lips, arced into a slight frown - though he was certain that in their natural position they were shaped perfectly. She had a long, sharp nose, and her wide, piercing green eyes had deep, rich green as well as flecks of pastel and vibrant emerald greens. They rooted him to the spot, catching him in her spells. She had the thickest, most pale yellow hair, subdued down the length of it by ties, and it caught the light perfectly; her body, her face, her entire being tugged at him, drawing him closer and closer, until he melted beneath her emerald gaze.
She was a succubus, a perfect Lilith, ebbing away at his willpower until he was completely vulnerable.
Immediately, he knew he wanted her for himself. He would get her.
When he regained his senses, he looked her over once more before he spoke. "M-my lady, what manner of creature are you that you should have such beauty?" he asked, stepping closer. She was the most beautiful thing he'd ever laid eyes on-
The woman took a step back, her features shifting from gentle curiosity to instant caution. Her frown deepened, and he stepped back as well, being careful not to warn her off.
"My apologies if I alarmed you before," he said, sweeping into a low bow. "Pray tell, what is your name?"
She hesitated, but after a moment returned a shallow curtsey out of politeness. She was familiar with etiquette. Perhaps she was royalty?
"Rosa," she said.
"Rosa," he repeated, like ecstasy on his tongue. "It is not often that one comes across a woman so beautiful in any dimension, let alone this one," he said. Slowly stepping towards her like he was approaching a wild animal. Never breaking his gaze from her eyes. He didn't want to scare her, and he knew she was dangerous if she wanted to be. He could practically see her power, her pink aura, whirling around her like it was the sunset stretching over land. It was intoxicating, that power. If he could but make it his own. Make her his own.
Again, the alarm returned to her eyes and her hand touched an arrow in her quiver. "No closer," she warned him. "Who are you?"
He could not scare her away. Would not. She was too beautiful for him to let slip. Too enticing.
Ah, what if he was able to combine her powers with his? "Just imagine the power we could have together. She could bring any man to his knees in less than ten seconds, and I can ravage whole kingdoms in almost the same time." His fists clenched at the thought of it, already imagining it was his fists crushing his enemies, but when his hands chafed on metal, he looked down and remembered he was holding his staff. It was probably scaring her. He flicked his eyes back to hers and cocked his head towards his staff, slowing bending his knees and putting it down with a sharp clang. "I am Mateus, Emperor of Palamecia, my dear," he said, stepping towards her again.
Her eyebrows furrowed, and her eyes trailed up and down his entire body. A change came over her, and the Emperor watched as the light faded from her eyes for just a moment. She looked confused. "Ah . . . you won't remember me. I am not from your world, my lady." He couldn't be sure if that was what was wrong, but he'd been in this realm long enough to know what a new warrior looked like and what an experienced one looked like. She was new.
Rosa's eyes flared, alerted by his voice, and she shuddered violently, withdrawing from him another step. For a moment he nearly reconsidered his advance. She was intoxicating, but she could probably slip away from him in an instant, and leave him longing. Before he could make a decision, her liquid honey voice melted through his senses.
"And what side of the conflict are you on?" she questioned, muddling his temporary flash of morality.
"As if it isn't obvious," the Emperor thought. He swallowed, trying to keep his expression calm. "My allegiances matter not," he said. He took step after careful step, and she allowed him to come within conversation distance. He could practically reach out and touch her! Did he dare? It would break all propriety, and very well may startle her off. But he had to have her. He had to touch her, and feel her fair, smooth skin under his hands. If she left, at least he would know.
"You, however, must be on Cosmos' side," he said. He reached out and drew a clawed finger down her right arm. Her exposed arm.
She lightly hopped back, and he grasped at air. "Enough! You're with Chaos, are you not?" She drew an arrow and placed it on the bow. Didn't nock it, just held it in her draw hand.
The Emperor's outstretched hand clenched to a fist. If he could only draw her to him, instead of warding her off . . . Didn't she see how interested he was in her? Didn't she want to know what he could offer her? He peered back into her face, and when his eyes locked back onto hers, it sent a jolt through his chest and straight through his soul, where he was sure she was peering. "Tell me, Rosa, how one as beautiful as you . . ." He teleported, reappearing right behind her. He swept a clawed hand through the ends of her hair, like silk through his fingers. He finished, " . . . gets called to such a conflict?" She whirled around but he was gone, back to her other side. Good. He would make her chase him.
"I don't believe I owe you any answers!" she said, backing away from the Emperor. She was only talking tough. The Emperor knew she had no answers. It frustrated him.
Maybe he could try another tactic. "You carry yourself as one of noble blood. Obviously royalty. Something in common between us."
"I've nothing in common with a warrior of Chaos," she countered evenly, sensing the change in his tone. Her fingers twitched on the arrow.
"Perhaps more than you think. I can show you, if you'd like. You have power, and so do I. Yours glows bright around you like a sun is behind you. I bet you don't even know your full potential, but if you allow me, I can show you." Maybe he could entice her to him. He reached out to her, the corners of his mouth upturning into the slightest ghost of a smile. He stared into her eyes, and withstanding the ferocity of her glare took everything he had. Everything ounce of his willpower was spent resisting the urge to shy away from her and that power. A perfect queen, one of such beauty and power, on the arm of the conqueror of worlds. They would be invincible. If she could catch his eye, make him this captivated, he could only imagine what she could do to whole kingdoms, entire armies of men twice as susceptible.
The fingers of her left hand tightened around her bow, too, and something glinted in the light, catching the Emperor's eye. He broke eye contact with her and stared down at her hand, where the glint came from. "What?"
She turned to run, and for a moment the Emperor could only watch as the wind blew her hair back. He had to catch her - he still had a chance. He teleported after her, materializing directly in front of her. She ran straight into his arms and he caught her, trapping her bow between the two of them. Rosa stabbed the arrow tip right for his abdomen, but he caught her wrist. The Emperor snaked a hand around her back and held her still, glaring at her left hand, still clenched around her bow. She was wearing a ring. A ring on her left hand ring finger. Rosa struggled, pushing away from him, so he let her retreat but snatched her wrist and spread her fingers to inspect it.
It was massive, even by his standards. A circular diamond of outlandish proportions, set on a two-layered square, diamond, rose gold bearing. The band was also set with tiny diamonds and criss-crossed around her finger. The bridge underneath had an intricate design - a small diamond set directly underneath, with studded swirls trailing away from it. There was another ring as well, a plain rose gold with no stones. On her left. hand. ring. finger.
"A wedding band?!" No! No, no! Only he was entitled to brandish a woman like her! He alone should have her charms, her raw power, her beauty, her being! "Aaah, I see now!" he said angrily. "Refusing me and my obvious power and riches because you're already taken! I should've known-"
"N-no!" she stammered, trying to pull away. "I-I'm not! Let go of me!"
"Oh, you're not? Then what's this?" He shook her wrist hard.
"I don't- please let go!" He could tell that she was doing everything gin her power to stay calm. He only had one more chance to convince her before she panicked.
"Do you not see the potential we have, Rosa?!" he asked. He gripped her wrists tighter. "Your beauty, and your power matched with mine! Why, whole realms would be on their knees before our might! You and I, ruling together as two of noble blood should: with crushing authority! Monarchs of the entire world-"
"You are a tyrant!" she cried, ripping her wrists free. Before he could blink she had her bow aimed and an arrow notched and drawn. "I fight for Cosmos! You are manipulative and cruel, as to be expected from one of Chaos! I already know that I am nothing but an object for you, a target for acquisition. In what world would you even dream that I would join you? You claim to have power but all I see is a desperate man, trying to gain an advantage of some sort with empty words in pitiful attempts. You have no real power!" Her bow creaked under its pressure, but Rosa held the string taut, unflinching. She was physically strong, too. The Emperor could see the muscles in her arm, clenched and taut but unwavering.
No real power? No! He was the only one in this godforsaken world with real power. She was not refusing him. He wouldn't allow it! He wouldn't allow her to humiliate him, not after what he just went through in front of the Chaos warriors. He was through being embarrassed. She had killed his mood. He could feel the fire in his eyes and in his soul slowly dulling to a dim spark. The Emperor wanted to reply to her. He wanted to be sweet, he wanted to keep her interested in him, but all he cold feel was his resurfacing rage. He didn't know how else to respond. This was unacceptable.
His jaw opened, closed, and opened again as he tried to come up with a crushing retort. " . . . I am Mateus, sovereign of Palamecia. None refuse me. None refuse me! Not HER." He got what he wanted, or there was hell to pay.
Fine. He would make her pay.
"Hmph! 'Real power'?" he hissed. He would show this wretch what happened when he was refused. He swept his hand to the side and his staff drew to him from where he lay it down for her. "Allow me to show you what real power is!"
Don't forget to leave a review if you have time! I've been told this chapter's a good one, and I like to think it is! :)
I got a CuriousCat! Keyblader41996! Ask me anything about Petal!