Royal Grudges

My son,

The voice once again echoes in my head, as I close my eyes, while memories flash before my eyes. The castle near Marseilles, where I grew up away from everyone's eyes, only a small draught of servants to look after me.

The day you were born, the fields of ripe blond wheat bowed their head all together.

My master-at-arms Boemorius, a well-intentioned man but a tough teacher.

The kingdom's forests chanted, for the new master of the land.

Jocco the jester, whose antics had made me smile more than once;

Birds sang a wondrous melody, fish danced, deer and wild boars held a parade.

Lady Flora, who came every week to the castle to bring tributes produced by her family, and whose face was the first I fell in love with;

The commoners celebrated, the nobles rejoiced, for their future king

I remember the faces of every servant who cared for me, every master and guardian I had, every place I had seen of my homeland.

And all together, they whispered your name-

Everyone I ever knew or had in sympathy, now gone. The memory of them is the only thing I have left.

-Aiden.

"Lord Aiden?"

A voice disrupts my thoughts, as once again the blissful memories of my past are cast away, and I find myself sitting on my throne, in this cursed world of talking frogs, my guards standing still as my eyes move to the cause of my irritation.

"Lord Aiden," the azure-skinned frog spoke again, unaware of the anger pending in my mind. "General Rehys's expedition had returned. You were informed immediately just as ordered."

Stupid, useless beast, the thoughts form in my mind as I imagine countless ways to kill him for having interrupted my happy moment. I could grab him and throw out of the tower, or ask my guard to rip him apart, or I could simply squeeze his head until-

No, I tell myself, not yet. I still have use for it.

"Very well," I stood up, my guards readying themselves to accompany me. "Lead me."

This wouldn't be necessary. I know every inch of the Tower, as it changed and expanded through the centuries. I know every passage, every room, every detail up to the smallest of the room. If I wanted, I could walk all the way from the top of the tower to the ground floor and back blindfolded.

That's because it was me who built it, painstakingly, working my muscles to the bone, trying to learn as much as I could and use that knowledge to my benefit, to convert the building I used as my refuge into a stronghold of my power and might, lowering myself to menial work like a peasant.

Yet, I have servants now. And it was a servant's prerogative to lead their lord and master whenever they wanted.

As we left the throne room, my metallic guards walking on my sides, I grinned as I noticed a figure crouched on the floor, intent on wiping off the slime with the help of a rag. The latest addition to my list of servants, once a fierce bandit and assassin, now just a scullery maid who knows its place.

"L-Lord Aiden!" The disgusting crossbreed between a newt and a toad speaks, not even daring to meet my eyes, for she knows what the punishment would be if she dared.

"You still haven't finished with your duty, slime filth?!" I yell back in anger, pointing out at the floor, my guards snapping into a defensive position. One glance, and her life would be forfeited.

"My Lord, I am working to the best of-"

My hand slaps her on the cheek before she can finish her pitiful excuses, her body rolling on the filth, the scar where her tail used to be coming into view.

"I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses, mudlife!" I hiss, grabbing her head once more and glaring into her eyes, blood dripping off her mouth. "If you're not done by today, I'll give you back to Rehys. I am sure his soldiers would love to 'take care' of you once again."

My smile grows, as I see the hybrid shiver. She remembers very well that day, and the humiliations she received. The day she finally broke.

I turn around, for she's not worthy of my attention, my servant and my guards following me, leaving her behind us. Would the fear of being sent again to 'entertain' Rehys's soldiers be enough to make her finish on time?

Maybe, maybe not. But that won't change her fate, I conclude as we proceed to a lower floor of the Tower. As soon as we enter, I am quick to notice that Rehys is already there, waiting, two of his best officers at his side.

"Lord Aiden," his voice is deep, yet respectful as he kneels, his officers quickly imitating him. "We have returned from our expedition, and we brought all the metal we could gather."

"Did The Northern Tower suspect anything?"

"Not at all!" The Toad to his left, a female with long braided hair and wielding a long ax, responds. "We acted based on your information, my Lord, and killed everyone who could have betrayed our presence. No one will find your sanctuary!"

"Very well," I reply with a tone of sufficiency, for I am not bound to treat her with respect. "Show me."

Rehys turned around, moving toward the main balcony, from where I can see everything in my fortress. To my right, the giant volcano and its mine, where new raw metal is extracted day and night. To my left, the factory I built all by myself, and where the mechanical soldiers of my army are built. Their production is still too slow, but for now, it's enough.

And in front of us.

"Twenty-five tons of pure metal, my Lord." Rehys speaks, as my eyes focused on the spider-drawn carriages filled with metallic items he and his men had plundered on my request. "Plus assorted supplies of food and materials-"

"Only twenty-five?!" I yell. "I told you we need a lot of metal! A lot more!"

"Sir, there isn't anything left to plunder from here to Newtopia," Rehys's other subordinate speaks up. "This is all the metal we were able to find. We can't get any else, at least not without-"

"-not without targeting new cities and villages too close to the Northern Tower or Newtopia." Rehys concludes. "And you gave us orders to stay as far as possible from both settlements."

My anger dissipates, and I am forced to concede the point. My strength, while growing, is still too small to face off the Newtopian Guard or the full might of the Toad Army. Aldo may no longer be the warrior he was once, but he can still summon forces much more numerous that I am willing to face right now.

Divide et Impera, this is the lesson, I repeat in my head, paraphrasing the lesson my old master-at-arms taught me, never let your enemy focus their whole force against you. Keep them divided instead, so you can defeat their forces one by one-

My eyes widen, and I feel an idea forming in my head. "Very well. Rehys, you and your men unload all the metal and everything else in the assigned warehouses. I'll be in my study, and I don't want to be disturbed!"

The Toads salute me, as I turn my back and walk away, irritation burning deep. If only I could have the Box already…then my factory could work at full capacity, and I wouldn't need these beasts anymore. And I wouldn't have to play nice ever again.

Yet, I suppress my emotion. For I still have need of his men and knowledge to proceed with the next steps of my plan. I cannot deprive myself of them for the time being.

But soon...

(…)

The Library of the Black Tower. This is my sancta sanctorum, the one room in my fortress where no one can enter but me. I stop in front of the door as a blue light envelops me, checking my blood as only human beings, and no one else, could access it. This one, like many other features of the Black Tower, is one tech I learned from my enemies, as I scavenged their abandoned buildings for anything I could learn and reuse against them. It took me years, decades to learn how to reproduce it, but the results were beyond any of my wildest imagination.

The first door slides behind me, closing again, as a second door open a few instants later, and I'm once again surrounded by all the knowledge I have hoarded, thousands of books I have slowly gathered over five hundred years, each one of them providing me with resources and information I needed to push through my plan. Each book describing subjects and knowledge that had been lost to Amphibia for almost a millennium, carefully archived and conserved in my private collection.

All except one.

I walk to the very center of the room, to a small wooden pedestal, on which lies the tower's most valuable volume. The only book that was written by my own hand.

In the centuries I have been forced to walk this land of talking frog and nightmarish monsters, there is no humiliation that my enemies hadn't forced me to live through. To steal the food to fill my stomach, to hide in decrepit ruins and abandoned homes, to run away and live as a coward. They called me a shadow, a legend, a monster hiding in the deepest, darkest places of the world, a creature of legends, a myth to fool children and gullible frogs.

Fools.

In this book, every wrong is recorded. Every slight against me, every humiliation I swore to avenge, every debt I promised to make even, day after day, page by page, etched in hate. Many names fill these pages: Clan Ponds, Teardrop Islands, Ashee Frodgers, the Caecilian Syndicate, Penny Paddock, Wigbert Ribbiton-

I struggle to contain my anger, as my hands keep flipping through its pages, searching for one particular grudge...

Until I find it.

"The Frosh Baron's Insult," I read aloud, as memories of that day came back to my mind, my teeth gritting in response. "Arisen to the rank of Baron through cunning and subterfuge, the loathsome Baron of Frosh dared to hunt me like a beast for a whole month, forcing me to cease all my plans in the region and leave as soon as I could. To punish him for his insolence, to burn down his precious city and raid his land I swore, so he and all of his progeny could never resurge ever again."

Many years have passed since my last visit to the Barony (again, how can a Toad be considered a noble?), and the region has changed so much since my arrival. Once a fertile and bountiful land of tall, bright cities and precious manufacturers, the centuries have reduced it now to a bare shadow of its past, its residents now living off fishing and by mining the raw minerals of the region to ship them to Newtopia. Not only that, but because the region is so distant and difficult to reach from Newtopia, the local barons have been able to follow in their ancestor's footsteps, becoming increasingly corrupt and greedy over time, exploiting their territory and subjects without consideration, and using the presence of the Western Tower to bloodily suppress any rebellion to their control.

Looks like Providence smiles upon me once again, I think as I feel new determination fill my body, as I close the book, to provide me with an early chance to put one wrong right.

"Lord Aiden!" One of the Toads said panting, his body clearly unable to keep up with the long march, "We can't keep marching without rest! We must stop and set up an encampment for the night."

"Stop?" I repeat, my Scorpileo mount growling under me. "Absolutely not. We must reach our assigned objective before the sun rises again. Or perhaps you prefer the prospective of the enemy finding out about us and launching a preemptive attack?"

"But sir, we already lost many soldiers during the march, and if we keep going by this point-"

The sound of heavy footsteps foreshadowed Rehys' arrival, the huge toad slapping the insubordinate idiot who dared to approach me without permission, his annoying voice falling silent.

"Only the weak laments, soldier." He speaks, and as he does, everyone within earshot listens to him. "Tell me, did you serve during the Sand Wars? I have and let me tell you something: only the strongest survived it! The ones who could march day and night with little to no rest and who could still fight in battle at every moment. The ones who kept their mouth shut because war is not a playground, but a harsh truth that weeds out the weak, leaving only the strong ones behind."

Knowing that by now he has the attention of every soldier around, Rehys started speaking even louder.

"You think this march is harsh? I was once in command of a small unit under General Yunan, and let me tell you, if she was still in charge, you would have been left behind already! The General never cared about us, never went back to search for those soldiers who couldn't keep up with her. No, they were left for dead among the sands, easy prey for the bugs of the desert! And that's the end you will meet, if you don't learn to keep your mouth shut and let the long walk make you tough!"

"B-boss," the smaller toad replies, his voice trembling as I scoff. "I-I understand sir, even if my feet blister and bleed."

"Pain is just weakness leaving the body," Rehys underlined once more, "and if I need to make real soldiers of a bunch of former bandits like you, you'll do as our Lord and I will say!" Then he turns toward me, looking down. "Lord Aiden, should I punish him?"

"No," I reply, fighting my own inner revulsion every time I see Amphibian scum, "for now, let's focus on reaching our assigned position. With any luck, the spies I've sent should return soon-"

"My Lord!" A voice calls out, the bushes to our right moving as the soldiers stop moving, taking a defensive position, before a small figure rushes out.

"So, you're back," I glare down at Talbert Hasselback, former bandit now errands boy and slave for my army, who I had sent earlier with his brother Judro to spy on our target. "What news do you bring?"

"Sir, the Western Toad garrison doesn't suspect anything. When Judro and I went into the city, we found it was totally defenseless. Your army has a good chance to conquer it in a single strike if you're fast enough."

"And where is that useless waste of space that you call your brother?" I retorted. "Don't tell me that coward decided to ditch it and run away."

"My-my great, magnificent master," Talbert answers, his voice becoming even more pathetic, "You know we would never dare to disappoint you!"

"Then, where is Judro?" Rehys roars, cracking his knuckles. "Our master gave you an order, you had to return together as soon as your mission was done."

"Judro…he got captured!" Talbert replies, "One of those law guys recognized us from an old poster, so he tried to bring us in! I managed to run, but Judro… he won't talk: you know he won't!"

"Of course, because he's such a good brother and he knows that if any of you dare to betray me, it would be over for both of you…and your sister…"

Talbert didn't say anything, for he knew there were no words he could use. What Ruth had been forced through was…criminal in short, yet she was still alive for better or for worse.

"My Lord, what do we do?" Rehys turned around to ask me, "The more we wait, the more we risk that idiot revealing our presence!"

"Then I guess we have no more time to lose," I smirk, some of our soldiers groaning in response. It doesn't matter: even discounting them, my own faithful soldiers are more than enough to accomplish our goal. "Rehys, listen carefully: take a small token of your soldiers, the ones in better shape, and proceed along the abandoned trade routes to the North. Meanwhile, me and my guard will go to city from the main road to Newtopia, where their main defenses will be deployed. I will draw their attention, while you move to secure all access to the Western Tower and destroy any possible way they can use to contact them. The rest of the army will wait here, and will rejoin us as soon-"

"My Lord, that means you would have to fight on the front line without me nor any of my men to watch your back. I won't allow you to put yourself in danger!"

I say nothing, simply looking at him with cold, emotionless eyes. You won't allow it?

"-unless you look at me that way, of course!" Rehys catches himself, bowing respectfully to me. "It will be done as you wish, my Lord!"

(…)

The Barony of Frosh, I think as my eyes once again lay on the city in front of me. The scenery has changed a great deal since the last time I was here. Most of the grand buildings I knew then are gone now. Replace with isolated, weathered ruins, empty relics of their former grandeur. The few buildings I can recognize are the luxurious palace where the Baron still lived, though I find it much dirtier and degraded than I remember, and in the distance, the tall figure of the Western Tower, where a quarter of the Toad Army is stationed.

Could this be the same place I sought refuge for many years, living as a rat, stealing from their opulence? The town where, barely a thousand years ago, so many rich Amphibians walked around adorned in gems?

As I approached the city, with only a few toads accompanying me, it didn't take long for the inhabitants to notice us, as I saw a group of guards deploy on the road, ready to stop us.

"Halt!" One of them, a female toad with a long sword, yells as she points her weapon at us. "You're approaching the Barony of Frosh. Lay down your weapons and state your business."

For a brief moment, I was tempted to laugh, yet admiring how these fools are valiantly standing their ground and forcing us to stop. Maybe not everything I remember is gone? Do the Barony guards still hold pride in their service?

"At ease, soldiers." I reply, doing the best to sound like a newt. "I am in service of King Andrias Leviathan (ugh) of Newtopia, I have urgent business to do at the Western Tower, and I have immunity from the King itself. Let us pass!"

The toad officer shakes her head "I will need more than the words of an envoy from Newtopia to let you through. Yet, I am sure I can turn a blind eye and allow you and your men to pass unharmed…in exchange for a consistent payout."

The tone in which she said the word 'payout', and the grim expression she and her comrades showed, clearly revealed the meaning behind such words, and as soon as they had risen, my hopes were crushed once again. These guards were nothing at all like the ones I had faced a long time ago and were trying to harass us and force us to pay a consistent bribery, under threat of violence if we didn't pay.

Yet, I wasn't going to let myself be humiliated once again. This time, I was here to settle the score.

I gave a small sign to the Scorpileo, the large creature moving forward slowly, the female toad opening her hand as she expected her money. Yet, as soon as I was close enough, my hands quickly moved to my falchion, and with a sudden movement of my arm, I swiped the air with the weapon, the toad barely hearing a hissing sound before her hand fell to the ground and she started screaming.

I moved forward, while my guards ripped off their disguises and rushed to my support, the Scorpileo biting one of their arm's off with its strong fangs and stung another with its tail, before the guards even had the time to run. None of them were expecting an attack, nor were they prepared for it. They had grown lazy and overconfident of their own petty authority. And the price for their arrogance is paid by blood as my falchion cut heads and limbs, my mechanical soldiers ripping apart their resistance one by one.

I brought ten of them from the Black Tower, eleven if we count the Alfer leading them. I took a big risk with this, for even in such small numbers they represent a good chunk of my military power, and if I were to lose them, I would need a full century to replenish such loss. And yet, the Toads can't even scratch them, while they're ripped apart in the mechanicals' advance.

In a few minutes, the battle is over, and the path forward is open again, my Pikeys taking care to hide or destroy the remains of the toads who tried to bully us. Only one is still alive.

"Please, please!" The female toad from before pathetically begs for her life. "I surrender, don't hurt me-" her voice dies in her throat as one of my Pikeys notices my annoyance and grabs her, ripping her head off her shoulders before throwing it away.

"To think the guards of the Barony once prided themselves on never having yielded in front of an enemy," I shrugged, before turning again to my guards. "Let's proceed. We must be fast and take over the city to stop anyone from warning the nearby Toad Tower. Kill anyone who tries to run!"

"YES, MY PRINCE!" The metallic cold voice of my Alfer says, while kneeling at my feet like a knight giving respect to his lord, its long and sharp sword impaled on the ground. Before it stood up, towering over the much-shorter Pikeys by comparison.

It took me thirty years to build it, and I had to use so many resources and tech that I can't possibly replicate; yet, its limitless strength and power, its impenetrable armor, and its ability to lead the Pikeys make it one of the best resources I have available.

My mechanical soldiers obey, marching forward just like the perfect servants I envisioned them to be. They have no greed or weakness in their body, only obedience toward their Lord. Just a hundred of them would be more than enough to destroy any large settlement like Ribbitville, or Stony Gulch, or-

…Wartwood, the name comes back to me immediately, as the memory bring me back the image of the small, filthy town where my brethren appeared, many months ago, and I remember each one of them: James, the silver-haired Briton; Amelia, the young warrior of Cipango; her cousin Jacob, the Viking brute, and the three maidens who had been accompanying them, Sasha, Anne and Marcy.

The first human girls who, in a thousand years, I could feel a strong attraction toward.

The human girls who I personally met, and who I gave the honor and chance to become my brides.

The first humans to reject my offer. They had chosen to reject me, and instead of welcoming me, they fought me, to protect those frogs who they lived with for so long.

Why? Why would they reject the welcoming of their own man, to instead stick with those mud-spits? And why would they consider them… family?

I shook my head, and as they came, those thoughts left my head. This is no time to waste on idle speculations. My brethren may be lost and confused, but as soon as they see reason, they'll waste no time to join my side. Maybe they will cry a little, when their so-called 'frog families' will be executed, but I am sure their tears will dry and they will forgive me. After all…

…I have nothing but time.

My child, I watch with pride as I see you grow into a champion of justice and righteousness. A paladin for those who can't defend themselves, a shield to protect your people from the vile aggression of bandits and criminals. From the enemies waiting at our borders, for a chance to strike at us. Against the Infidels, whose aim is to destroy everything we have built. But most of all, I feel pride and joy as I watch you become a sword of fairness and impartiality, a weapon of truth and virtue, to strike at the heart of our enemies and fill them with despair, for our kingdom has a new champion to watch over its people.

The encirclement maneuver was a great success: as my soldiers and I make our way toward the center of the city, followed at a fair distance by the rest of the Army of the Hand (named for its banner, representing a toad's hand), Rehys and his soldiers circumvent the local garrison defenses and cut off the routes to the Western Tower, before proceeding to attack the enemies from behind. The Baron's guards, after initial skirmishes, realize they are dealing with a well-trained enemy and flee, throwing weapons and armor in hopes of having their lives saved.

None of them gets far.

"Forward, forward!" I shout at the top of my lungs, one of my Pikeys forcefully opening the entrance to a building and allowing several toads to enter and raid it. "We must be quick!"

"Lord Aiden, the city is in our hands!" Rehys joins me, while all around us, buildings are set on fire and destroyed, civilians are found and killed on the spot, the few guards who still attempt to resist are slaughtered. "Only the Baron's Estate is not yet under control, but my soldiers have already surrounded the building."

"The Estate?" I answer, my eyes instantly turning to the great flat-walled palace that dominates the view of the city. I can still feel anger rise inside me the more I look at it, as I remember the opulence I was forced to witness while my stomach starved.

"According to what information we've available, the Baron sealed the gates as soon as we heard we were arriving, and he took a lot of his aristocratic friends with him. A bunch of people tried to get inside to be protected too…but the guard not only refused them sanctuary, but they also even drove them off."

Of course they did, I speak in my mind what is not yet safe for me to say aloud, just like any other Amphibian, the baron and his lackeys are nothing but self-concerned animals whose only survival and well-being they care for is their own. Like the animals you are, you're ready to sell out our own similar if that could get you just another day.

"I see. I guess it's time to pay a visit to them."

"Lord Aiden, we can't waste time with that." Rehys retorted, his eyes wide. "We are here for one reason alone, and that's to gather all the metal we need and leave before the garrison of the Western Tower finds out what's happening and comes to challenge us. Our soldiers made solid progress, that's true, but we're not ready yet to face the Western Army. Assault the estate and vanquish the guards still guarding it will require time and manpower that we can't afford to waste at this moment."

"You're right on this assumption," I reply, looking as the pillage of metals and everything else keeps going on around us. "Still, I wasn't speaking about them, but only of…me."

"Sir, you want to face them alone?"

"Rehys, here are my new orders: My guard will accompany me to the estate and take over from the troops currently guarding it, allowing them to join the rest of our forces. You and your soldiers focus on taking everything that you find useful and prepare them for the transport, I'll deal with the Baron."

"…I understand, my sovereign." Rehys sighs. Is he worried about me? Dumb animal. "I just hope you know what you're doing."

"Of course, Rehys. As I always do."

I give a signal, and my metal soldiers gather back behind me, the Alfer at my right side, Rehys on my left, as we march toward the large estate. It does not take me long to realize how the palace, as well as the city and its inhabitants, have suffered the ominous effect of corruption. The walls, which were once as white as the moon, now look as pale as the skin of a corpse left to rot. The paved paths are now full of dirt, and a strange smell seems to permeate the air around: the bitter smell of decay.

My Pikeys arrange themselves in formation around the building, blocking every escape route, the Alfer in front of the main entrance. Rehys once again turns a glance at me as he walks away followed by his troops, almost as if to wish me luck.

I wait two or three minutes, to make sure he's really gone, then walk toward the main gate, the falchion in my hands, as the first toad guards emerge from their hiding places. They have swords, spears, knives, axes, with which they repeatedly try to attack me, to protect the Baron.

I don't look at them as I open my own path out of their bodies, cutting them into pieces, slashing their heads, hitting them on their chests with my own fists as I hear their bones cracking. As I finally release all the hate on Toads I have kept hidden until now, venting my memories on them.

As I keep marching through the main entrance and inside the large estate, more and more guards rushes to stop me, yet they barely can do better than their fallen comrades, for I don't take any prisoner nor I give them no quarter.

Until I smash through the large gate leading to the inner courtyard, and I find myself surrounded by various Amphibians, some of them newts, most of them Toads, all dressed in luxurious clothes, a small line of the last remaining guards the only thing left between them and me. Judging by what I could see, they weren't too worried that their own city was being ransacked.

Rather, they were partying.

"Oh, looks like we have a surprise guest." A large toad in fancy clothes, a cup of some exotic beverage on his hands, smirks as he looks at me. "Who are you, stranger? You look too tall to be a toad, are you an emissary from Newtopia? Take off your helmet and show us."

"My name and my face are my own, you fat, ugly blob." I hiss, a couple of the closest nobles (and even some of the guards) jerked back in response. "I am here because you and your bloodline have wronged me a long time ago, and I came to settle the score."

"Such a rude stranger we have," The Toad scoffed. "A creature of such low birth and manner is not welcome here. Grovel before me and beg for your life, and maybe I'll let you live!"

"Stand where you are mister, if you don't-" the Toad Guard who tried to grab my arm instantly dies as my metal gloves hit him on his face, his head making a half turn spitting blood before dropping on the ground, the other guards and the nobles gasping in horror at my actions, all their arrogance of a few seconds ago disappearing.

Yes, I waited for centuries to see that expression on your filthy faces of beasts, I think as I raise my sword in a defensive position. For a few seconds, none of the last guards moves. Then, just as I expected, they embrace their weapons, and with a war cry, try to rush toward me.

Idiots.

I rest for a second, as I wait for them to reach me, before I counter-strike, the blade of my falchion cutting the first one in two halves, the toad barely had any seconds before realizing he's dead as I move on his companions, cutting a female toad's arms and punching her in the stomach, my blade then moving to free a spear-wielding toad's head from his shoulders.

There was a time, many centuries ago, when I thought toads were monsters, brutes just like the ogres and giants of the legends, monsters of low intelligence but inhumane strength, who ate children alive before using their bones as toothpicks. And I was afraid of them, hiding and staying silent whenever I couldn't flee, running as fast as I could when I couldn't hide.

But that was a long time ago. And my days of running' and hiding' are over.

"Now," I glance at the Baron and his fellows, the beasts trembling in fear, some even trying to hide behind the tables of the banquet, fresh toad blood dripping from my blade to the ground as I move toward them. "Get on your knees, beg for your pathetic life, and maybe I'll give you a painless death!"

"Y-you…" the Baron gasped, as he struggles to put up a facade of defiance, even as I can see terror in his eyes. "Do you have any idea who you're messing with? I am the Baron of Frosh, the ruler of the region! King Andrias himself entrusted me to enforce his will in his name. I don't care who you may be, you are dead, peasant. Do you hear me? Dead!"

I can't restrain myself as my right hand punches him on the face, the mechanism in my armor giving me the strength to break several teeth out of his mouth. The fat toad falls onto the ground, struggling to get back on his feet as I take the chance to punch and kick him, again and again.

The other nobles don't even try to escape or to attack me , only gasping in horror as I keep beating him down. Their lifestyles are so pampered, they can't even take care of themselves without someone else doing it for them.

Not like me.

"Y-you think you're that smart and bad, just because you managed to invade my palace, after coming into my city and razing it to the ground?" The Baron yelps in a failed attempt to regain his composure, crawling away on the ground as I stop beating him for a second. "Criminals in this world used to have things they believed in. Honor. Respect. Loyalty. They knew their place, and never let their ego lead them to the path of self-ruin! Frog, newt or toad, what in frog's name are you? What do you believe? What-"

I kick him on the jaw, and I hear a cracking sound, before my hands move to my helmet and I raise the visor, letting them see my face in full glory. I take pleasure into seeing the horror in their faces, the dread in their eyes, as I smile back at them.

"I believe that only true intelligent beings, and not animals, are supposed to be in charge. That no matter how rich or influential you toads, newts or frogs may claim to be, nothing will change the fact that you are beasts, filthy animals unable to build greatness. And that all those wrongs…need to be put to right."

I sneer, grabbing his already-damaged jaws with my right hand and pulling it, ripping it from his body, the toads and newts screaming as I shove my other hand in his chest, ripping his so-called heart and holding it in my hand, showing it to him before squashing it like an insect.

"My name is Prince Aiden, Lord of the Black Tower, commander of the Army of the Hand." I hiss again as I glare to the remaining nobles, "Prince of the kingdom of Burgundy, heir of King Rudolph III the Pious. Son of a lost father, Child of a gone world. For many years I suffered, while you lived in luxuries. And now, I shall have my revenge!"

"W-wait! I am a rich, powerful newt! I can give you anything you desire!" One of them, a newt, begs, once again a fool to believe he can barter his way out of justice. "Please, spare me! I'll give you anything you-everything-"

My hands grab him by the throat, and I begin to squeeze the breath out of his body.

It's time for all Amphibians to learn the truth.

"You don't have anything that I want!" I yell back, as I delightfully watch his eyes go empty, his movements becoming scarcer. "Except…"

Through the throat I am holding, I feel his heartbeat become dim… and then, silent.

I am not trapped in this world with you.

"…your life." I drop his now lifeless body to the ground, looking for my next victim-

You are trapped here with me.

Remember, my son: countless are the duties of a monarch. Our duty is to be an example to the people, to guide and inspire them in their darkest times, to give them hope in times of uncertainty and terror, ruling with wisdom and foresight. And in my heart I know that you will never abuse the power you have been given, and that you will always remain true to the ideals and code under which you were forged…

"I have to admit, it's quite surprising to see how many things the Baron and his family had managed to embezzle in the years," Rehys speaks in a cold voice, devoid of any friendship, as the Pikeys keep walking in and out the great estate, carrying out precious metal I need for my plan, but also luxurious cloths and fine wood, medicines, dried goods and food, the toads dividing each thing and loading it on the carriages we've seized. "Frog, I knew he was corrupt, but…to this point? The Baron was supposed to watch over such things and guarantee they couldn't happen!"

"Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?"

"My Lord?"

"That's an old sentence my… teacher often used to say during a lesson, it literally means 'who watches the watchmen?" I reply, careful not to say too much in front of him. "It usually refers to the impossibility to enforce law when the guardians who are supposed to watch over the corruptible can be corrupted as well."

"Oh, well, I guess that's…quite a logical thing to say." Rehys admits, scratching the back of his head. In hand-to-hand combat, he's powerful, and his long experience in The Toad Army means he has a basic grasp of strategy; yet he's completely lacking critical thought.

But of course, critical thought is something only real intelligent beings are gifted with.

"Still, I am having a hard time to imagine something like this could happen. For his own guards to betray him and kill him alongside with the other nobles, trying to bargain such massacre for their own lives? I don't blame you for putting those crazies down."

"Thanks for your appreciation, Rehys. After all, you're my most faithful and trusted subordinate," at least, until I have no further need of you.

"Lord Aiden! Commander Rehys!" One of the Toads rushes in, a scared expression on her face. "The scouts report movement of toad soldiers coming from the Western Tower, approaching the town. We have two hours, maybe three before they arrive!"

"Then we must hurry!" Rehys's eyes widen, making sign for his direct subordinates to stop everything and listen to him. "Ok, looks like our time here is over. Gutu," he pointed at the female toad with a long ax, "I want you to spread the word to the others to stop with the pillaging and gather everything they've found back at the carriages. They will slow us down enough as they are, so we need to move them out as fast as possible!"

"Understood, boss!" She saluted.

"And tell those idiots that if one of them forgets about the time and remains here, we won't come back to look out for them: Yunan never came back to look after us!"

"No, she never did," the female toad said with a tone almost of disgust, amusing me with her reaction. I could only guess that, however, such a newt general acted with them; it wasn't a pleasant experience.

"Shiun," Rehys now looked at another subordinate of his, a male toad with light armor and twin maces, whose hair resembled a ponytail. "You and your soldiers are the rearguard. You must watch over the approaching Western Tower's army and set up traps to slow them down. Take as many spiders and raiders as you can, you'll need speed for this mission!"

"At your orders, commander Rehys!"

"Lord Aiden," he addressed to me once again, "we will begin to move shortly."

"What about the cover story?" I interrogated him, "Did you do everything I told you?"

"Yes, My Lord. Once the Toad Army arrive in town, they will find the signs that the Baron had been killed and the city ransacked by bandits. We even prepared some fake evidence to lead them to believe we retreated northward, to make them lose our traces."

"L-Lord Aiden?" A voice speaks up, as another Amphibian bumps into me, carrying a small chest full of plundered wealth in his hands.

"Judro," I turn around, glaring to the small former bandit as he pathetically limps in front of me, "so, you are still alive."

"T-that's thanks to you, master!" He tries to sweet-talk to me, ignoring how much this only proves how much of a lowlife he and any other Amphibians can be. "When your men attacked, I-I was able to get out and hide while you could take everything you wanted. Even I took some, but just a token for you, I mean-"

"Enough blabbing," Rehys looks down on him. "The Western Army had been sighted. We have just a couple of hours to leave! Did you do what you and your brother were instructed to do?"

"You mean 'set up the city as it has been ransacked by bandits' by drawing the Hasselback symbol everywhere? Of course I did, master! I mean, I haven't seen Talbert since the whole thing started, but I'm sure he did his part too. Only…are you really sure the cover will work? I mean, of course it will work, it was your doing after all, but…wouldn't it be better to leave some more concrete evidence to mislead Captain Beatrix?"

"Good idea," I say, eyeing him. Unlike the gangs that Rehys unified under his command, the surviving Hasselback aren't of any use to me. And while I did offer them the chance to live as my servants, if they remembered their place, their survival is not needed for my further plans.

In short, they're expendables.

"M-my Lord, why are you looking at me like-"

But the greatest obligation of a sovereign is not to simply protect the kingdom from any enemy, nor to rule it with wisdom and intelligence. No, my son, the greatest work of a monarch is to stir the hearts of your people, to watch over them like a shepherd watches over his herd, to gain their trust and gratitude through your actions. For trust is the most precious possession of all: it must be earned slowly, yet it can be squandered fast, and sometimes, I can't be earned ever again.

As the first shadows of evening fell on the horizon, the Army of the Hand marched eastward, while behind them, the flames of the devastation inflicted on Frosh Baronage were still visible in the distance.

A long march lay ahead of us before we could return to the Black Tower, yet this time no one seemed to complain: the reason for this was the wagons ahead of the soldiers, on which were loaded the loot greedily accumulated in those hours of raiding. In addition to the metal we had come for, there was enough food and drink to feed the entire army for a week or more; medicines; weapons and armor to fill our arsenal, and so on. Alone, among many jubilant toads Talbert Hasselback walked mournfully, wondering where Judro had gone and why he was missing.

We had taken what we needed, the debt I was owned was settled, and we've managed to leave before the Western Tower army could interfere. It had been a risky move, but once again, victory had smiled on me.

Victory? Is that what you call this?

"What the-" I gasped as I looked around, the Scorpileo growling under me as it felt my weight shift. Had I actually heard that?

You may have settled one of your grudges, the voice spoke to me again, as I realized the whisper was inside my head, yet once again you had to flee to avoid another confrontation. So many things have changed in a thousand years, yet at the same time, something never did.

"Silence," I whispered as I tried to suppress those treacherous thoughts, "I couldn't face the Toad Army, not yet. The troops of Captain Beatrix are not like the ones of Captain Grimes, they're all professional soldiers. Rehys' soldiers are not disciplined enough to face them head-on, and I need time and occasion to prepare my real army."

So, you're just stealing what you need and running away from the fight like a bandit? Have you fallen so low you've become the same thing you despised as you trained to be a knight?

"I'm not a bandit," I hiss, instinctively gritting my teeth, feeling the anger inside me growing.

How long are you going to keep lying to yourself? The voice now sounded mocking, as I feel like I'm starting to recognize it. If your father could see you now-

My father is gone.

My house in which I was born and raised is gone.

The lands that I loved is gone.

The people who I cared for are long gone.

It was her fault to take everything away from me, to kidnap me from my own world and trap me in this one, where bugs can be big as horses, where frogs speak like humans, and a cast of dragons rule over them all.

If I close my eyes, I can still remember the very first day I ended up trapped in this world. Hiding in a small cave to protect myself from the rain, the cold wind cutting through my skin, my stomach grumbling as hunger tortures me from the inside, unable even to sleep due to standing on watch against the large bugs-

I shook my head. I am no longer the scared boy I once was. I was alone back then, but not anymore. Rehys is nothing more than a brute, but he's a useful pawn, at least for now, until the moment I can get the Box. Until I can access to the power imbued into it. Until I can get a real army to impose my will, and I won't need these filthy freaks anymore.

The people of this land… they all forgot what they did to me, but I'll make them remember. I'll show that Plantar idiot how big the debt his family own me is, for stealing my future, for taking me from my world, for forcing me to live in this nightmare. And so will all the other frogs, and toads and newts, and the axolotl and the olms, for forcing me to run and hide like a street rat, to live like a beggar, to-

I stop, as I can once again see clearly through my hate. As once again I remember what my plan is.

"No," I whisper as I look afar, in direction of Newtopia, "I don't care that I was forced to live like a rat to survive, that everyone hated me and kept me afar, that I was alone for so long. No, they will be judged for their true crimes, to dare to steal the role only humans could fill, to stand on two legs and talk like them to believe themselves to be master of all Creation rather than abominations. To lay waste and destruction on countless worlds, like they planned to do to Earth. They shall know no remorse, no mercy."

"My name is Aiden, of the House of the Rudolphins," I say as I look toward the setting sun, a gorgeous sight for those who can appreciate such a beauty. A fitting finale for the success of this day, and the harbinger of many more to come, "and they will pay for what they've done."

I am telling you this for when my hair will grow white and my head won't be able to sustain the weight of the crown, when my days will come to an end, and I'll have to leave the land of the livings…

A few nights later, I am once again walking through the walls of the Black Tower, a cup of red wine in my right hand, as I march toward the door of the Library.

Outside the tower, large fires rise skyward. With my permission, Rehys gave orders to distribute fresh food and drink both to celebrate the victory over the Baron, and to boost morale for future training. The smell of barbecued bugs, the music and songs played by several drunken toads at once…it brings me back to memories of my past, long before I found the place that would later become my tower, when I lived on the road and learned to hunt and cook my own food. Rehys even proposed that I join him and his warriors, to make a speech about today's event and celebrate the success of our raid.

I declined, and instead I ate my own food alone, before coming here. I still have one work to do, before retiring in my quarters.

As the door opened once again, I approached the small pedestal where the Book of Grudges lay still, opened on the page I left it, the Frosh Baron's Insult still plain for everyone to see.

Silently, I sit down, placing the cup to my left, taking one pen and a batch of red ink. I look over the page for a few seconds before striking down the grudge with my pen, the contents of its page no more needed now that the debt had been settled.

One wrong had been put right.

I wait for the time the ink needs to dry before scrolling through the pages once again, countless grudges still waiting for their payback. So many families, bloodlines, cities, and institutions who have wronged me, and who own me satisfaction. So many insults to avenge.

But the Book of Grudges…

I feel my anger rising once again, as I'm remembered of how much suffering I went through, how many humiliations I had to endure, how much pain I have silently recorded, waiting for one day to give it back.

…remains full.

I take another sip of wine, from the cup on my left. It's a cup I have from over a millennia, and just like the tower and almost everything else, is something I did a long time ago.

A cup I've dug, in the skull of the very first frog whose life I've ended.

"Tell me, Pietari," I grin, almost mocking the frog whose skull only serves to carry my drinks, "where are your friends and your master now?"

…you shall be King.