Chapter 17
Armed, only with a ghostblade
While Anthony the Blue and Alec son of Ozma were finally reunited with Lady Glinda the Good and the rest of Anthony's family like friends, the Emperor was, shall we say, displeased. Having cast aside the dark armor he had worn up to now, he now wore a mystical looking black robe that was ragged, and torn and appeared as if decaying towards the bottom. He expose now his skull head and skeletal hands, which normally only the jackal Moon was able to show. The Jackal Moon in Oz, was the one omen everyone could agree on. Visible to all, not just special ones, it was only in the night sky when things in Oz became sour. In these days of death, and loss, pain and agony, and darkness, the jackal Moon was quite busy, and so was visible every night thus far. Looking like a wolf's face on the green tinged full moon, it dominated the sky with a ferocious and ancient reputation.
Shelltergard Thropp also was wearing a different crown now. With no gems at all, and made of a material so heavy, it made marks on his forehead. The tall blackened metal spikes that circled the headpiece of the crown, were now scorched with not flaming, but burning tips, billowing smoke from his headpiece. His robe was accompanied by an equally mystic cape, very wide, and very long. His shoulders were topped with skulls missing a bottom jaw, and around his neck was the glowing blue Amulet of Death. Bael, the leader of the snake-like Dragons, along with all the rest were gathered in the Black Halls, together with a new army of the Emperor's making, Zompires. Undead like Zombies, yet highly attuned to necromancy, or blood magic as Vampires are. A deadly combination, and a terrifying physical form. The leader of the Zompires was a man of nobility. A Lord in the House of Thropp, and a well feared blend in magic and torture. His name was immaterial. Any who dared speak his name were then burned from the inside out, and liquidated to their death. He was simply refered to as Haediiz.
"How on Oz, DID THIS HAPPEN! I TOLD YOU ALL TO KILL GLINDA THE GOOD! YOU ALL SWORE YOU WOULD DEFEAT HIM! ARMED ONLY WITH A GHOSTBLADE, HE MADE A FOOL OF MY ARMY! HOW? HOW COULD YOU STAND BY AND LET THAT HAPPEN?" The Emperor's entire head lit in flame as his voice multiplied in number, and echoed throughout the shaking halls. With every sentence he levitated closer to Haediiz, and Bael.
"Sire, we were," Bael hissed, trying to explain to his master.
"THAT BLONDE HEADED, BLOOD SUCKING WENCH, NEED I REMIND YOU OF WHY WE ARE HERE IN THE FIRST PLACE? SHE MURDERED MY FAMILY! MY SISTERS! MY MOTHER! MY FATHER! EVEN MY BLASTED STEPFATHER! AND! TRIED TO KILL ME! MY ENTIRE FAMILY HAS BEEN RUBBED OUT! DESTROYED! EVERY SINGLE MEMBER ELIMINATED! AND NOW, THAT WRETCHED LITTLE BUBBLE FAIRY, HAS COME BACK! YOU!" He looked now at Bael in particular.
"You were the only one old enough, to know this. And the only one, DAMNED ENOUGH TO RETURN! ENOUGH!" The Emperor roared and blew a hole in the roof of the palace, dropping rubble of burnt wood and black marble dangerously close to Bael.
"SILENCE ALL OF YOU FUCKING USELESS WORMS SHEATH YOUR SLIMY TWISTED TONGUES!
Listen to me, listen well. For this is your very, last, chance." The Emperor was now whispering his orders, while caressing the head of the Amulet almost in a loving way.
"Kill, Anthony. DO NOT WASTE TIME ON GLINDA OR THE OTHERS AS IT APPEARS YOU HAVE LOST YOUR BALLS! No, this time, ignore all of them, but Anthony. Tear the flesh from his bone. Rip him limb, from limb. Pluck out his eyes, and smash them! Bite his very veins still pumping with blood! The chosen ones, will prophecise no more. TOO LONG HAVE I BEEN MERCILOUSLY SLAUGHTERED AND EXPECTED GENERATION UPON GENERATION TO LIVE WITH IT! NO MORE! BRING ME THE SON OF OZMA, AND THE SPINE OF ANTHONY! DO NOT WASTE MY TIME, DO NOT DARE RETURN TO ME IF THIS TASK IS NOT COMPLETE! DO WHAT YOU LIKE WITH THE OTHERS, BUT BRING ME THAT BOY AND THAT SPINE, I WANT THOSE MOST OF ALL! NOW RIDE! GO!" The Emperor clapped his hands together and banished all of them out of his Castle in an exploding magical teleportation orb. When it blew, the Zompires and Dragons were in the former area of Oz known as Quadling. Anthony and his troops had already moved from there with Lady Glinda to her disguised castle in Kiamo Ko in the Vinkus. Remembering that her old palace would have been too risky. Once the Emperor was alone, he fell to his knees.
"Do not fail me. Prove to me their prophesy is folly. Bring me his spine, dripping, with blood, and hope." The Emperor of the Black City in Oz, had further cursed himself, he was now the equal to his older sister Elphaba Almira Thropp, the Wicked Witch of the West, in terms of curses, hexes, and black magic spells. That is why his appearance was altered, he was now too magically powerful to need armor.
There was some truth to what Shelltergard Thropp the Emperor of Oz was fearing. And it was also what Glinda had intended to explain in private to the Earthlings. The Prophesy and the Price.