Chapter Thirty-Two: Mille Voix is Falling Apart
"THE QUEEN HAS BEEN SHOT!" A man shouts as mayhem erupts. None of the queen's citizens rushed to her aid. The queen screams in agony as she was struck by a bolt of some kind. Iolene has never seen such a thing. Iolene lets go of Stein and rushes up onto the podium to aid the Queen. Iolene ripped the queen's sleeve, seeing blood coming from her shoulder. But it was not just blood that seeped out, black draconium glowed with the streams of blood.
Poison... Shit, shit, shit! Iolene thought over and over again. The queen screams as Black draconium is seen dripping from her nose. Avery is quickly dying. "KEEP STILL YOUR MAJESTY!" Iolene placed her hands on the queen's shoulder. Gold draconium lights from her hands healing the poison. The queen relaxes her hectic breathing as the pain is soothed.
"GOLD! GOLD DRACONIUM!" A man shouts pointing at Iolene. Her hands glowed for the world to see, and for a moment the world went silent. As people stared at Iolene with soul-staring eyes. The girl's eyes open wide like a deer, there is no hiding it now. Swarms of people and dragons try to climb up to the platform. Shouting Iolene questions or planning to kill her. Stein and Mali come in full pursuit to protect their little empress. The two reveal their draconium powers to everyone. He and Mali create a gold barrier between Iolene, Avery and the public.
Everyone else from the group is overwhelmed by the sudden crowd push. Trying their hardest not to fight the innocent people they push to try and exit the suffocating position.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE IOLENE!?" Stein shouts furiously at her.
Iolene cries devastatingly. "The queen was dying Stein!" She excuses. The queen places her hand on Iolenes cheek.
"Don't get mad at her Stein. This was inevitable!" Mali shouts at his master as he holds the barrier with ease.
"Let's go..." Avery said crying as Iolene helped her to stand. The Queen's shoulder burned from the poison. Without Iolenes aid she would have died.
Stein and Mali release the barrier as the four flee. The barrier pushes everyone backwards causing them all to fall. Constant, Murray, Marina and Eidith nearby join them as they go straight into an alleyway. With some of the crowd following them in pursuit.
Aaron, Fred, Lei, Stiletto, Duryss, Beau, Lexi and Iymp fight the massive crowd, to keep them at bay. Trying to distract them all so they can have a quick getaway. Lei orders his people to do the same and they abide. Being shocked seeing Iolenes powers themselves. "I knew it! No wonder why you are close to the random girl. She herself is a royal..." Wei chuckles as he happily helps distract the crowd.
It was ten minutes as everyone managed to not kill a single person or dragon. The crowd then is exhausted after the hysteria over the king's death. Using their last efforts to chase Iolene. The crowd once again grouped up.
Lexi turns around as she sees a Black army enter the square. "Oh, my Phoenix..." She said frightened. "WE HAVE TO RUN!" Lexi shouts from the top of her lungs. She pushes a man out of the way to grab Fred's shoulder. The Green Prince turns around as he witnesses the army.
"FUCK!" He shouts as he turns Duryss around. Duryss even having a frightened look roars as loudly as he could. Causing the floor to shake like a small earthquake. Causing everyone to disperse.
The mass crowd panicked as a priest staff is slammed on the floor causing a small earthquake. Everyone notices the other threat quiet and remains still. The army stands in rows of three, all prepared for battle the citizens try and walk away as the army steps forward in unison. Their spears lower as a general rides into the square on his dragon. A black draconium sleek dragon, along with a general wearing draconium armour accompanied by a long dark purple cape. His dragon leapt onto the podium as everyone watched on. "SILENCE!" The general demands, looking down at the corpse of the king hanging motionless.
"By the order of the Shadow Emperor, we are here to uphold law and order!" The general says with authority and calmly. He reveals a parchment holding it high for everyone to see. "Your country is millions of dragons in debt... As from the king's death, it is the people responsible to repay the loans. By international law, this is a legal invasion."
Lexi tuts as she stands next to Aaron. "Legal invasion? Over debts? Get the fuck out... " She whispers in his ear.
"It is a real thing, Lexi..." Lei points out. "When a country amasses so much debt, you have multiple options of how to deal with it. Countries or family estates usually just repay over long lengths of time. Or they repossess whatever you bought. However, in the Black Empire, it is a known fact to try and never borrow from them... They WILL always want it back with triple results and what makes it worse, is that it is in the international charter of treaties. The Black Empire will come and reclaim what is theirs and for them it is legal. The Turquoise Empire is actually in the wrong in the eyes of the law. The King stole mass amounts of money from them, for the country and personal expenses... Now he is dead. They know they will not get it from the queen and other countries will not step in. Because it is the Black Empires' legal right..."
"They were probably counting on him dying..." Aaron says plainly. The soldiers did not arrive until AFTER the king was hanged. They could have intervened at any time. But they didn't...
Lexi shrugs as she completely disagrees. No invasion should be legal. But she rethought as Iolene and her armies will have to invade the gold state and reclaim it.
Aaron, Lexi, Beau, Iymp, Fred and Duryss watch on as the general finishes his speech. Declaring a peaceful transition as they will control all the palace's financial assets. The Mille Voix citizens cry as many collapses at the news. Many leave in leave as they return to their homes.
Until Aaron recognises the Shadow Booster climbing slowly up the platform. Looking roughed up, parts of his armour is severely broken and damaged. The armour on his left arm is shattered as his pale arm can be seen.
"How hell did that happen?" Stiletto says with shock. It is not so easy to destroy magic draconium armour in such a way.
Shadow Booster gets the general's attention. Whispering in his ear. Aaron and Stiletto are curious as to what he is saying.
The general looks at the crowd. "WHO KNOWS OF THIS GOLD HEIR!?" The general changes his tone from soft to angry.
Everyone in the group panicked in their minds. THEY KNOW! Aaron gently grabs Lexi and Lei's arms, as they slowly try and sneak out of the crowd.
"She ran my lord..." An elderly lord says. "If we help you find this girl... Will this be enough to repay the debt?"
The general smirks with a cheeky grin. "Sadly no... However, I will reward fifty thousand gold and a wonderful new castle built in the Black Empire east called the Tower by the Sea. It is a wonderful place that could use a new lady or lord. Dragons can also win this... So good luck!" He says simply. "Look in everywhere! Find me the girl!"
Everyone smiles as they look at each other with eagerness. As the crowd separates into different directions. Dragons and people begin ravaging nearby homes. The search has begun.
Aaron, Beau, Lexi, Iymp, Fred, Stiletto and Duryss. Run away from the crowd of destruction. Immediately heading to Mercer Mansion. Realising they need to leave the country.