The regal carriage's door slowly opened, revealing the majestic visage of the Baharuth Empire's current ruler, Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix, the "Bloody Emperor" himself. The guards posted nearby struggled to maintain order as people began rushingly gathering around him in an endless torrent, each and every one of them struggling to push ahead through the sea of people in order to catch a glimpse of the fabled man that could inspire both awe and terror with but a snap of his fingers.
It wasn't the golden crown that adorned his similar wheat-like hair nor the expensive gowns enveloping his slender body, it was the way he carried himself. Every movement, every single gesture spoke of power and self-assuredness in a way that could not be replicated by any lesser man. His force of present presence, the ease with which he could draw a whole's room attention off to himself, parading it around at his leisure, those were not things that could be taught. He was a man that was born to rule, and nobody was more aware of that than himself.
His cold calculating eyes took in the ensuing crowd as it cheered all around him, a bored smile plastered on his face as he dismissively waved back. His slick features, speaking of both cunningness and ruthlessness, betrayed none of the internal turmoil he was experiencing at the moment. In this cut-throat environment, which he had to admit had played no small part in its cultivation, the slightest sign of weakness could spell disaster.
After obtaining the throne he had so vividly fought for, his first priority had been to consolidate his newly acquired power, resulting in a great purge of all of the nobles that had dared to oppose him. The incident, whose brutality earned him his particular nickname, left behind a great vacuum in the structural integrity and administration of the Empire, a void that he had been scrambling to fill in all by himself ever since. What the Empire needed was a hand who could guide it through the storm, a leader that is more than a mere man; an existence that stood above all others, the pinnacle of what it means to bear the title of 'royalty'. And that was what he was going to become.
As he pondered over his latest headache, his steps boldly carried him through the marbled steps of the Grand Arena. Flanked on all sides, his four Imperial Knights carefully escorted him through towards his private lodge. Clad in the finest armour bearing the imperial sigil, they all advanced with vigilance, their hands never straying too much from the handle of their weapon. The finest of soldiers his army ever produced, taking even two of them to a place as secure as the Colosieum, which laid in the heart of Arwinter, was clear overkill. Their presence here however didn't denote any fear for Jircniv's personal well-being, their purpose was rather to act as a show of strength. For that purpose, the Emperor had wanted to bring in Fludel as well, but the old wizard had been way too absorbed in his latest experiment to bother coming along. Had he been anybody else, Jircniv would have had his head cut off for such a brazen display of disrespect.
His lodge was naturally the best viewing spot in all of the Arena, overlooking both the crowd and the fighting ring from the highest point in the whole building. After making himself comfortable in his special seat, he lethargically started going over a stack of documents. He had already cleared the rest of his schedule for the afternoon, but these were matters he could not delay for any reason whatsoever. That didn't mean though that he had to be excited about them, though. 'Well, with any luck, I should be done with all of this before the match begins. There is also the problem of the meeting... but I suppose the change of pace might turn into an advantage for me" he mused to himself.
Jircniv had never been a huge fan of the Arena. He had always seen the whole thing as a way to entertain the masses, an outlet for them to vent out their more violent excuses. But he had to admit that even for him, a show spearheaded by the Martial Lord was quite an event. Even more so when their opponent was a complete mystery. He had inquired briefly about their identity, but all he found out was that someone had paid an exuberant amount of money to arrange this fight. He could have investigated further, but he found himself too tied up by other matters at the time. He just hoped that this wasn't the case of a pampered rich boy way in over his head, seeking some pointless glory. It would make for a rather short show, in that case.
Realizing he was getting lost in meaningless thoughts, he reluctantly returned his attention to the documents at hand, a small sigh almost escaping his lips before catching himself. Seeing the emperor going through file after file while appearing to barely look at any of them made one of the Knights, the sole woman present, raise a confused eyebrow. The larger man beside her simply flashed an all-knowing smile. As someone who had spent the most time with him, he was the most aware of his liege's true capabilities. Baziwood would swear on everything he owned that in regards to intellect, he knew of no person that could equal the emperor. Just the amount of work he was going through in minutes would normally take five people half an hour to accomplish.
On Jircniv's part, nothing of interest stuck out in the reports. Maybe it was because of the importance of the upcoming meeting that everything else seemed inconsequential in comparison, but the only thing that could even be considered mildly interesting was the update on the new Adventurer party that lately started making waves in the Kingdom, Team Darkness. When he first found out about them, he treated them only as a mild curiosity, but now he felt he needed to reevaluate his opinion. Defeating not only The Wise King of The Forest and two other monsters on the same level, but even a dragon, their value considerably shot up in Jircniv's eyes. If he could somehow entice them to work for the Empire, they would prove the be a great boost to his forces.
As he signed the last of the files regarding the army supply demands, his eyes narrowed towards the last piece of paper left on the table and the source of all his worries. As he idly contemplated how pleasant it would be to rip the offending document apart and let the pieces scatter in the wind, one of his guards spoke up.
"Your Majesty, the guest has arrived."
"Just in time. There should be a couple of minutes left before the fight begins, let them in!" he ordered.
"As you command!"
The heavy door opened to make way for a young woman around the same age as himself, her crimson and golden dress beautifully complimenting her auburn hair, tied in a tight ponytail. She gracefully bowed before the Emperor, her delicate fingers lightly grabbing the helm of her dress.
"Your Majesty, I thank you for the honour of granting me an audience!" Jircniv was not at all impressed by the longly-rehearsed greeting, yet he nonetheless put on his best smile, gesturing for her to the seat across himself."
"I hope your journey has been smooth, Lady Cabelia. Please, make yourself comfortable, I believe we have a lot to discuss."
"Indeed we have. I hope this proves to be a most fruitful endeavour." Came the dignified reply of Bebard's Mayor.
As soon as the woman took her seat, a nearby servant promptly turned up, two golden chalices in one hand and a bottle of expensive wine in the other. The beverage was poured with the utmost expertise, beautifully bringing out the alcohol's flavour to ensure the best possible experience. Which was only to be expected, from his warriors to his gardeners, The Emperor surrounded himself with only the most competent of people.
Cabelia briefly mulled over the cup in her hands, an amused smile creeping on her face.
"Is something the matter?" Jircniv asked.
"No, on the contrary," she reassured him. "I am simply excited for the upcoming match. This is only natural I suppose since it's my first time visiting the Grand Arena. I must say, few architectural buildings could hope to compare to its majesty. Truly, it is deserving its title as a symbol of the Empire."
"Your flattering is not unfounded, I assure you. I can wholeheartedly promise that this will prove to be an unforgettable experience for you. And that is more the reason that we should promptly finish addressing the current issue at hand." Normally Jircniv would be more inclined to entertain some idle chatter, to better ease the conversation towards the more important matters. This time, however, he had to make it clear that there will be no beating around the bush.
"Issue? What issue might you be referring to?"
"I am embarrassed to say that I can't see how I should interpret this document as anything other than an issue." Still smiling, the young ruler ploughed through her bluff, in his hand fluttering the piece of paper on the table. The entire reason for this meeting.
It was a decree informing The Empire of the agreement made at a certain Council Meeting between multiple nations and an invitation to join this newly formed secret coalition. Yet Jircniv could not see it as anything other than a threat to stop the Empire's aggression towards the Re-Estize Kingdom. The multiple sigils that stamped the bottom of the page mockingly taunted him, to the point when he received the document he had half a mind to tear it in half. While he still believed that he had made the right decision to not attend the Council, he could not have predicted such a catastrophic turn of events. Only his insider knowledge of the current state of all the nations gave him some peace of mind: he understood that, as things currently stand, a collaborative effort even remotely on the level described in the decree was but a mere pipe dream. Yet the fact that they have taken on such a clear stance was a problem that could not be ignored.
Jircniv took in once more the sight of the woman sitting opposite to him, who had barely reacted at all to his provocation, still waiting for him to say his piece. The fact that she had been chosen as the delegate made for a message as clear as day. After all, his fondness towards her was not a secret or anything. Intelligent, hardworking, and determined, she was one of the few people he had genuine respect for. She was after all one of the prospective candidates for his marriage, in case he decided to strengthen the connection between the Empire and the City States.
The fact that she was the one leisurely sipping from the wine at this table told him that the so-called 'Coalition' didn't seek to antagonize the Baharuth Empire, but was genuinely looking to establish a working relationship. Which meant he had more cards to play.
"You must understand, my lady, how it must have felt to suddenly be comforted with such an unheard-of proposal, with only the minimal of explanation gathered."
"Mere paper would have made for a poor picture of the whole landscape at hand, my role here is to help you with any confusions you might have," Jircnive was not surprised that she had an answer ready for anything he might say. He was the same, after all.
"This 'Coalition' is made with the goal to unite all the major powers as equal towards a looming threat that promises to spell disaster over the world." He summarised the situation, to which she instinctively nodded. "This is certainly, a most noble and righteous sentiment. On paper, at least. The way I see it, on the other hand, reality tends to often not measure up to the ideal."
"How so?"
"Well, first of all, I believe that, following this agreement, the Empire stands the most to lose. Our military is among our most precious resources, and we would be forced to both lend out a large portion of our soldiers and stopping the war with the Kingdom would greatly diminish our influence, to the point that we would not be able to protest if any, let's say, less than favourable trading opportunities were to be imposed upon us."
"So you believe this is all a plot to weaken the Empire and to profit off of its loses?" she poignantly asked. In response, Jircniv stopped to take a small sip of his drink, before rebutting the statement.
"I wouldn't go so far as to say that, certainly not. But it does not showcase the Coalition in a great light, either. If you allow me to be blunt, I see no benefit in complying with any of the demands listed here, safe for a vague and ominous message speaking of a danger whose existence I have so far seen no proof of."
The two of them were now making no attempts at hiding the prying looks they were shooting at each other, both carefully examining the other in the hopes of gaining the slightest advantage. Jircniv knew that, of the two, he was the superior player, yet that did not mean he could allow himself to relax in any capacity.
"It was to my knowledge that V contacted you towards that purpose. "
Tshct. Inadvertently clicking his tongue, the emperor's eyes did narrow perceptibly at the mention of that name.
"No matter how much wisdom one might possess, it means nothing if there is no distinguishing truth and lies from his tongue." It wasn't that the man hadn't proved useful to him in the past, but he wanted to avoid contact with him as much as possible. V was an endless well of information and advice, so much so that if one was to reach too deep to collect it, they might drown. It was more of a feeling, something in his gut telling him that that person was dangerous, a suspicion that was more than aroused the last time he had met him together with Fludel.
"So what Your Majesty needs is irrefutable, undeniable proof of the need for the Coalition?" she asked
"If you could, beyond a shadow of a doubt, prove that my Empire is currently in imminent danger, I could be persuaded to entertain the idea. Nonetheless, until then I will continue to look at these demands as threats towards the stability and prosperity of my nation." Jircniv's tone left no room for disagreement. That was his reply, and no one could make him budge on it. Kistra made no attempt to.
" I assure you, we will not impose any sort of sanction upon the Empire, except for an exclusion from the new trading agreements settled between the confirmed members." Cabelia leaned forward a bit, her emerald eyes staring straight into the ruler's red pupils. "I understand your reticence, many of the people present at the meeting, myself included, displayed some reticence towards accepting such a far-fetched idea. Some are still not convinced to this day. But are you not worried that if the enemy does make itself known, by that time it would be too late to do anything?"
"Are you implying that my Empire is that weak? That I am that weak?" he harshly asked, his cup now long forgotten on the table.
"I wouldn't imagine it." She quickly assured him. "But you must admit there is merit to the idea of being prepared and..." Whatever else she had wanted to say was drowned out by the deafening of the cheering crowd. Jircniv did his best to suppress a smile.
"My apologies, it appears our conversation is being cut short. I suppose you have no objections to continuing this discussion after the show?"
"Of course not, Your Majesty." The question had been mostly rhetorical, not allowing for any other answer.
"Ladies and gentlemen. Good people of the Empire!" the announcer's voice, amplified with the help of a magic item, resounded through every wall of the Collosieum, overpowering the anticipating crowd. "As you all know, today is a very special day. For the first time this year, we shall be privy to the greatest spectacle this arena has to offer." He briefly paused, letting his statement be punctuated by the crowd's excitement.
"And not only that, but his Majesty himself, Jircniv Rune Farlord El-Nix, has done us all the great honour of attending this event." In response, Jircniv got up from his seat and approached the balcony, gracefully waving at the spectators. If the audience had been loud before, now they outright exploded, prompting a small smile to appear on the emperor's part. Following his most recent decrees, his popularity was the highest it has ever been.
"Thank you, Your Majesty! Now, the moment you have all been waiting for! The greatest fighter in the history of the Imperial Arena, a true monster amongst monsters. The undefeatable. The unstoppable. Give it up for THE EIGHTH GENERATION'S MARTIAL LORD!"
The northern gate of the stadium slowly opened, revealing the monstrous form of a behemoth clad head to toe in plate armour, not a single feature visible under the mass of steel. The large warrior had no patience to wait for the doors to open completely, preferring to force his way in, his monstrous arms bending the iron as if he was clay. His barging in, as well as the earth-shattering roar that followed, were just another part of the show, something to get the crowd's blood pumping, which was accomplished to great success.
In reality, his slow, almost tired approach betrayed the champion's disinterest in the whole debacle. Slaves, green Workers who hadn't even learned to wield a sword properly, some two-bit monsters, that was the quality of the opponents he had been receiving for quite a while now. What he wanted was a true warrior that he could truly test his steel against, not some weaklings who crumpled at the mere swing of his weapon. And he had no reason to believe this time was going to be any different. Just another show, just another job.
"What ferocity! Once again, the Martial Lord proves why it is so deserving of his title." As expected, the crowd was eating every second of the performance. " I know you're all wondering, 'Can anybody even stand before his overpowering might?'. Well, fear not, for it's time for his long-awaited opponent to make his appearence. On the other side of the ring, we have the...uhhh" the announcer seemed to stumble in his words for a bit, his eyes disbelievingly glued to the piece of paper in his hand. Pausing to dress his voice a bit, he resumed the introduction, although it was clear to see that his heart was no longer as into it. "Debuting for the first time in the Baharuth Empire, the rising star, of the... idol industry? Am I reading this right? Ah, alright then! The greatest up-and-coming performer to ever grace this stadium, a true messenger of love who shall amaze the ignorant masses with her boundless beauty and talent. Please give it up, I suppose, for Elizabeth Báthory!"
If following that speech left every single person in the audience dumbfounded, then what followed made every single living being in the vicinity drop their jaw in pure disbelief. Some strange music suddenly started being blasted from the southern entrance of the arena, a booming tune so completely alien to everything they ever heard that their mind was unable to begin processing it. Then a young girl danced in, wearing a large frilly dress full of ribbons, with pink and light blue accents, and a similarly-coloured top hat twice the size of her head, making her entrance in an explosion of glitter and confetti. Following behind were two women wearing similar hats and a pair of identical t-shirts with a cute drawing of their mistress on it. They somehow managed to look even more lost than everybody else, aimlessly fluttering around some light sticks with the name "Lizzie" signed on them. The vacant look in their eyes as their mistress ran around waving and blowing kisses at the crowd made them look as if they were reevaluating some life choices.
"How is everybody doing tonight?" she asked, even though it was the middle of the day. She was speaking into a small device strapped to her neck, and the sound was amplified by the black boxes behind her, putting even the announcer's volume to shame. "Are you ready for the greatest show ever?" Even though nobody could muster a sound in response, the magenta-haired girl didn't get discouraged one bit. On the contrary, the lack of reaction seemed to only rile her further, eager to capture the hearts of the audience at any cost.
Back in his royal lounge, Jircniv did his best to close his similarly open mouth. To his side, he could feel Kistra struggling to do the same. He was aware that he was currently making quite an unsightly expression, but honestly, for the moment he couldn't care less. There was only one thing that he wanted to say right then, to shout it to the world from the bottom of his soul for all to hear.
"WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING?"
Author's notes:
Went skiing this weekend, I really enjoyed it. Also went back to the place that made the best Calzone I've ever tasted in my life. Overall, it was a pretty good week.