Chapter 46
From his throne Hasdrubal watched the swirling dancers with detached amusement. He turned to Lethe.
"Shall we dance, my Queen?"
She looked in his direction with a sad expression. She nodded. He held out his hand and she took it. He led her down the dais to the marble floor. All the dancers stopped and moved respectfully to the sides. All bowed before them. They began to move slowly at first, with the King leading.
"How handsome they look together!" said Siren, clasping her hands together.
"Yes," replied Diablos looking vaguely worried.
Siren glanced up to him. "My Lord?"
He shook his head. "It does not matter."
Diablos and Siren joined the monarchs on the dance floor and the other guests gradually followed suit.
"You look exquisite this evening," said Hasdrubal, his face beaming.
"Thank you," said Lethe.
Hasdrubal sighed and gathered a loose lock of her hair in his fingertips. "How I wish I could erase all your sadness my Queen."
Lethe smiled slightly. "You are too kind Hasdrubal."
"I know this is a political alliance," he said dropping his hand on her shoulder, "But I truly believe that love will one day grow between us."
She covered his hand with hers. "I hope so."
He smiled shyly. "I hope you will accept one more gift from me."
She frowned slightly. "What is it?"
"I will give you the world," he said his eyes lighting up brightly.
She tried not to laugh. "How can you do that?"
"You already have Asgard and Golgatha," he replied, "Once we conquer Eboshi, the world will be yours to rule as Empress."
"You're dreaming," she said with a shake of her head.
"For now," he stated undeterred, "But imagine one great Empire holding dominion over all the earth!"
"No Hasdrubal, your gift costs too much," she said looking down.
The King regarded the Queen in puzzled silence.
As they danced past Odin he bowed respectfully to them. Cyrus walked up to him with two goblets of wine.
"Lord Odin," said Cyrus offering a cup.
"Major MacKenzie," said Odin as he took it.
"Colonel now," said Cyrus trying to hide his unease.
Odin had to take an extra gulp of his wine. "I've lost track of your promotions."
Cyrus smiled wryly. "I have too."
They quietly watched the dancers together. Cyrus fidgeted with his lance.
"I consider it an honor to work with you Lord Odin," said Cyrus.
Odin glanced at him his one good eye registering surprise.
"I would give my life for my King," added Cyrus, "But I now have a Queen to die for."
"You want to die too badly Colonel," retorted Odin with dark amusement.
Cyrus let it pass.
"But I appreciate your sentiment," said Odin.
"Do you think.?" began Cyrus.
His question was never finished as the room was engulfed by a roaring sound like a thousand lions tormented in anguish. The great windows along the walls shattered into hundreds of tiny shards that rained down on the crowd. The roof timbers began to shake and splinter. An enormous beast broke though the roof and landed square in the middle of the dance floor, driving everyone to the sides. It roared, blue flames engulfing the tapestries along the walls.
"The Atma Weapon!" exclaimed Gaspar.
Hasdrubal flung himself on top of Lethe as glass and wood rained down on them.
"Save the Queen!" yelled Odin, drawing his sword. He was engulfed in a pale white light and emerged as a towering figure with pale yellow skin and glowing red eyes resting in deep sockets. He was dressed in bulky black armor trimmed in gold and a pair of curved horns protruded from his head.
"Yes, it is the harbinger of your doom!" cried Balthazar.
Hasdrubal looked up, pale with rage.
"Damn you Balthazar!" he bellowed, "What is the meaning of this?"
"Isn't it obvious?" inquired Balthazar walking leisurely toward the Atma Weapon. He rested a hand on its muzzle.
Cyrus leveled his lance at the Magus.
"You're too eager!" said Balthazar holding up a hand, "This is but the beginning!"
"Invasion!" said Melchior with dawning horror.
Balthazar laughed maniacally. "As we speak the cities of Asgard are being laid waste!"
"You bastard!" shouted Diablos.
"After Atma finishes with Tzen, the rest of Golgatha will be next!" said Balthazar with a leer.
"You should not tell them of General Conrad's plans!" roared the Atma Weapon.
"Oh shut up you stupid little beast," replied Balthazar contemptuously.
The Atma Weapon spit out fire that engulfed the Magus. Balthazar screamed in agony as his burning body disintegrated into ash. The Atma Weapon gaped in surprise to see him was standing on the other side of the room.
"You have betrayed Eboshi!" said Atma.
"I only serve Poltergeist," replied Balthazar with a smirk.
He gave the panicked crowd a cheery wave and vanished in a column of white light.
Diablos stepped forward his face darkened in rage.
"I'll take care of Atma," he said his fists trembling.
Carbuncle and Siren joined him.
"Lord Odin, we must return to Styx!" exclaimed Queen Lethe.
Odin whistled and Sleipnir crashed through an open window. Odin climbed on and rode toward Lethe. As he passed he pulled her across his saddle.
"Stop!" called out the Atma Weapon.
Sleipnir dove through the open windowframe. As Lethe glanced back, she saw flames erupt within the hall.
"Don't look back," said Odin snapping the reins.
Lethe clutched tightly to Odin's broad back as the trees and houses flashed past in a blur. She closed her eyes and held onto to him for dear life.
From his throne Hasdrubal watched the swirling dancers with detached amusement. He turned to Lethe.
"Shall we dance, my Queen?"
She looked in his direction with a sad expression. She nodded. He held out his hand and she took it. He led her down the dais to the marble floor. All the dancers stopped and moved respectfully to the sides. All bowed before them. They began to move slowly at first, with the King leading.
"How handsome they look together!" said Siren, clasping her hands together.
"Yes," replied Diablos looking vaguely worried.
Siren glanced up to him. "My Lord?"
He shook his head. "It does not matter."
Diablos and Siren joined the monarchs on the dance floor and the other guests gradually followed suit.
"You look exquisite this evening," said Hasdrubal, his face beaming.
"Thank you," said Lethe.
Hasdrubal sighed and gathered a loose lock of her hair in his fingertips. "How I wish I could erase all your sadness my Queen."
Lethe smiled slightly. "You are too kind Hasdrubal."
"I know this is a political alliance," he said dropping his hand on her shoulder, "But I truly believe that love will one day grow between us."
She covered his hand with hers. "I hope so."
He smiled shyly. "I hope you will accept one more gift from me."
She frowned slightly. "What is it?"
"I will give you the world," he said his eyes lighting up brightly.
She tried not to laugh. "How can you do that?"
"You already have Asgard and Golgatha," he replied, "Once we conquer Eboshi, the world will be yours to rule as Empress."
"You're dreaming," she said with a shake of her head.
"For now," he stated undeterred, "But imagine one great Empire holding dominion over all the earth!"
"No Hasdrubal, your gift costs too much," she said looking down.
The King regarded the Queen in puzzled silence.
As they danced past Odin he bowed respectfully to them. Cyrus walked up to him with two goblets of wine.
"Lord Odin," said Cyrus offering a cup.
"Major MacKenzie," said Odin as he took it.
"Colonel now," said Cyrus trying to hide his unease.
Odin had to take an extra gulp of his wine. "I've lost track of your promotions."
Cyrus smiled wryly. "I have too."
They quietly watched the dancers together. Cyrus fidgeted with his lance.
"I consider it an honor to work with you Lord Odin," said Cyrus.
Odin glanced at him his one good eye registering surprise.
"I would give my life for my King," added Cyrus, "But I now have a Queen to die for."
"You want to die too badly Colonel," retorted Odin with dark amusement.
Cyrus let it pass.
"But I appreciate your sentiment," said Odin.
"Do you think.?" began Cyrus.
His question was never finished as the room was engulfed by a roaring sound like a thousand lions tormented in anguish. The great windows along the walls shattered into hundreds of tiny shards that rained down on the crowd. The roof timbers began to shake and splinter. An enormous beast broke though the roof and landed square in the middle of the dance floor, driving everyone to the sides. It roared, blue flames engulfing the tapestries along the walls.
"The Atma Weapon!" exclaimed Gaspar.
Hasdrubal flung himself on top of Lethe as glass and wood rained down on them.
"Save the Queen!" yelled Odin, drawing his sword. He was engulfed in a pale white light and emerged as a towering figure with pale yellow skin and glowing red eyes resting in deep sockets. He was dressed in bulky black armor trimmed in gold and a pair of curved horns protruded from his head.
"Yes, it is the harbinger of your doom!" cried Balthazar.
Hasdrubal looked up, pale with rage.
"Damn you Balthazar!" he bellowed, "What is the meaning of this?"
"Isn't it obvious?" inquired Balthazar walking leisurely toward the Atma Weapon. He rested a hand on its muzzle.
Cyrus leveled his lance at the Magus.
"You're too eager!" said Balthazar holding up a hand, "This is but the beginning!"
"Invasion!" said Melchior with dawning horror.
Balthazar laughed maniacally. "As we speak the cities of Asgard are being laid waste!"
"You bastard!" shouted Diablos.
"After Atma finishes with Tzen, the rest of Golgatha will be next!" said Balthazar with a leer.
"You should not tell them of General Conrad's plans!" roared the Atma Weapon.
"Oh shut up you stupid little beast," replied Balthazar contemptuously.
The Atma Weapon spit out fire that engulfed the Magus. Balthazar screamed in agony as his burning body disintegrated into ash. The Atma Weapon gaped in surprise to see him was standing on the other side of the room.
"You have betrayed Eboshi!" said Atma.
"I only serve Poltergeist," replied Balthazar with a smirk.
He gave the panicked crowd a cheery wave and vanished in a column of white light.
Diablos stepped forward his face darkened in rage.
"I'll take care of Atma," he said his fists trembling.
Carbuncle and Siren joined him.
"Lord Odin, we must return to Styx!" exclaimed Queen Lethe.
Odin whistled and Sleipnir crashed through an open window. Odin climbed on and rode toward Lethe. As he passed he pulled her across his saddle.
"Stop!" called out the Atma Weapon.
Sleipnir dove through the open windowframe. As Lethe glanced back, she saw flames erupt within the hall.
"Don't look back," said Odin snapping the reins.
Lethe clutched tightly to Odin's broad back as the trees and houses flashed past in a blur. She closed her eyes and held onto to him for dear life.