Chapter 4

  The Kolori palace was a masterpiece of engineering. Akira remembered his last visit to a throne room and gnashed his remaining teeth. Eon’s throne room was ugly compared to this place. Covered in gleaming white marble, the walls shone, hurting his eyes. Glancing up, Akira wondered how the dome overhead didn’t fall. He walked between the beautiful columns with General Saku and glared at the statues of the woman adorning each. The temple was dedicated to Zial, the Kolori goddess of victory, famous for her berserker attacks, leaving nothing in the wake of her passing. She was usually shown as a young, beautiful woman, naked with wings and pointed ears. Akira thought she could have been an elf from the stories if those things had been real.

  He placed his hand to his side where his sword usually was. They wouldn’t let him take it into a meeting with the emperor, and he felt naked without it.

  “I’m grateful that you left the mage in the barracks,” Saku said, hand twitching. “I cannot stress how important it is that we don’t upset His Majesty.”

  Akira wrinkled his nose at the man’s insult. “I thought he wanted to meet her. What do you mean?”

  Saku waved his hands around at the statues. “This is one of the holiest temples of Zial. Here, we can sometimes catch a glimpse of her perfection. Uncontrolled magic pollutes this space by its very presence.” Sweat dripped from his forehead. “The emperor will meet her on a different day.”

  Akira turned to look at some of the statues and hid a smirk. They were more ostentatious than Mel could be, even at her worst.

  It had become a contest for the last three weeks to see if he could get Saku to wipe his head. The General avoided Akira whenever they were camped, preferring to spend time alone. On the march, they moved too quickly for conversation, but in the evening, Saku would retire to his tent, and Akira knew he was washing his head and shaving any stubble that happened to show up.

  However, this attitude towards Mel had to stop. “What did I say about speaking about her like that?” Akira grumbled. “I won’t tolerate her being disparaged by anyone.” I may have hated her and wanted her dead, but that’s my choice and I’m not so sure anymore. Things have changed. I’m not sure if it’s the hero’s path I should be on. Revenge failed. Conqueror could be my destiny. I will decide whether she lives or dies when or if it’s the right time. She saved my life and I owe her that much. No one else gets to decide. Yoruhi would expect that much.

  “I’m terribly sorry.” Saku dry-washed his hands. “It won’t happen again.”

  Akira nodded, and the two continued down the hallway to the throne room. “What do I do when I meet the emperor?” Akira asked, keeping pace with Saku. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been here.”

  “Bow, like this.” Saku stopped walking, put his right foot in front of his left foot by about a pace, and bent forward from the waist. He swept the left arm out and kept his right arm on where his sword would be. He finished with a nod and stood up. “Please be respectful and don’t stare at the emperor in the face.”

  “I see,” Akira was silent as they stood outside the doors to the imperial throne room. “What happens if I look at him?” he asked, smiling. “After all, he wanted me here.”

  General Saku placed his hand on his chest and sucked in his breath. “Please do not kid about that. The last supplicant who appeared before the emperor, and didn’t show the proper respect, had his entire family killed. In addition, everyone who knew him was demoted.”

  “Kolori soldiers already killed my family ten years ago,” Akira said. “Besides, I don’t think he’ll kill himself.”

  Saku stopped walking, but Akira continued moving forward. He reached for the door and took hold of the handle. “Are you coming?”

  “Um, yes. Sorry, Lord Akira.” Saku jogged up and pushed the door open. They stepped inside.

  The room assaulted him with its brilliance. Light shone through the plate glass windows behind the throne and bounced off the white marble. He had to squint to make out the shapes of the people. Even then, they looked like multi-coloured blobs. To the right of the door, there was a trumpet sound announcing his presence, and a voice cried out, — “Presenting the Holy Hero, cousin to his Holiness, Emperor Thanatos the Second, welder of the Blessed Blade of Zial. Akira of the house of Light.” — causing Akira to wince. He hated being reminded of his connection to this jackass. It didn’t matter if his mother had been related to this man’s grandmother, Kolori soldiers had still killed her.

  The blobs started clapping. It was the kind of clap you’d give a child bringing home a pretty stone. Polite, but with no meaning behind it. They didn’t want him here.

  “Welcome, Lord Akira,” came a voice from the blob on the throne. “Approach.”

  Akira stepped forward, looking down to allow his eyes to adjust to the light and kneed as Saku told him to. It was humiliating, but he didn’t have to start a fight here yet. His mother knelt when she presented him here, years ago. Akira still remembered his mother wringing her hands, afraid he might make a mistake. That was the most scared he’d ever seen her. Until the Kolori soldiers invaded his house and killed his sister.

  He noticed the General kneeling next to him in the same manner and seethed. That bald waste should know his place. He needed to be behind Akira.

  “Arise, my cousin,” the emperor said. Akira stood up and placed his hands behind his back. Saku stayed kneeling.

  “I trust you had a safe journey here?” Emperor Thanatos said. He was an older man, thin, with a small chin and in his early fifties. Some grey hair appeared around his temples, giving him a distinguished look. He was clean and dressed in beautiful green and red robes, topped with a violet cape. He was as extravagant as the throne room. To the side stood an older man in armour. He was scowling and glaring at Akira with hatred in his eyes.

  I have to take him out first.

  Behind the throne were some people in deep hoods. Akira couldn’t tell if they were men or women. He’d heard of them; the famous Kolori slave mages. While Zial hated uncontrolled magic, she was pragmatic enough to use it for her purpose. Most of the mages found in the Empire had this fate. It’s what Saku wanted to do with Mel.

  Thanatos’s guard stood around the edges of the room, resplendent in their light brown tunics and gold-inscribed shields.

  “It was uneventful. There were a few skirmishes with The Demon Kings’ men, but nothing of note,” Akira said, meeting the eyes of the emperor. He noticed Saku gesturing for him to lower his head, but Akira ignored him. The emperor had requested Akira. Had wanted him here. There was no way he would supplicant himself to a man he despised. Kneeling was one thing. It never hurt to be polite. Leaving his sword in the dressing room was enough respect.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Emperor Thanatos raised an eyebrow at Akira’s rebellion. The whispers from the people in the room grew louder. They had permeated the room before, but now it was becoming easier to make out individual words.

  “How dare you raise your face to the emperor! You will bow before his holiness!” came a shout from the older soldier standing next to Thanatos. His armour was gleaming, reflecting more sunlight than the marble columns. He was scared and missing half his nose. Those were not the simple scars achieved in duels. They were only awarded in battle. This man was skilled, probably the emperor’s protector. Akira checked the position of the soldiers in the room. He could see the men and they were focused on him, hands on their blades.

  “Why should I do that?” Akira scoffed. “Your emperor wanted me here. If anything, he should be bowing to me.” The gasps that filled the room were music to Akira. He had missed this feeling. This was how he felt before Sam destroyed everything. The hero’s path may have failed, but it still had its benefits.

  Twenty soldiers drew their swords at once. The metallic scrap of their blades sliding against the scabbards echoed in the silent room. “You will pay for such insolence,” Thanatos’ protector vowed. He stepped off the dial where the emperor was sitting and faced Akira. Saku had already moved off to the side and was wiping his head.

  Akira smirked.

  “What’s so funny, fool?” the protector yelled.

  “Rock owes me a gold coin,” Akira chuckled.

  The protector raised his sword and turned to the emperor. “Forgive me, your magnificence. I must teach this scoundrel a lesson,” he said, bowing.

  Thanatos waved his hand and said nothing. Akira could see the hint of a smile on his face.

  “Your eminence,” Akira said, bowing with a flourish at his waist. “Would you like me to keep your soldier alive, or do you mind if I kill him here?”

  “Surprise me,” Thanatos said. “You too, Sir Reginald. I would like you both to survive, but I will make do with one of you.” He leaned back and steepled his fingers, waiting.

  Sir Reginald faced Akira across the throne room. His shiny armour was gleaming. His broadsword gave him another arm’s length on Akira. “May I have a sword?” he asked the emperor.

  “If you can take it,” said Thanatos, gesturing to Sir Reginald.

  Akira scowled. That weasel wanted a show, did he? Raising his arms and crouching, Akira moved into his first stance. Master Jin had taught him many things about the sword, but he also drilled into his student what to do if and when he was without one.

  “Prepare yourself, fool. I will not hold back,” Sir Reginald vowed, stalking forward.

  Akira waited, his face calm. Master Jin was a firm believer in hiding your true prowess behind a fa?ade, even if you wanted to rip a man’s throat out with your teeth.

  Sir Reginald lunged towards Akira with his sword thrust out. Akira dodged to the right and ducked, avoiding the backswing that would have taken his head. He kicked his right foot forward, hitting the protector’s knee, and was rewarded with a loud grunt. Rolling away from the downswing, Akira bounced back to his feet.

  “Stop moving and take your punishment like a man,” Reginald yelled, staggering. That kick to his knee had taken some of the power from his stance. The knee was always the weakest link in any swordsman. If Akira could do that again, he’d be able to drop him. It always worked on Sam.

  Scowling, Akira moved into his second position. He didn’t want to think about that woman. She still made him seethe in anger and one day, he’d see her dead body laid out at his feet.

  Distracted, he took his eyes off the protector for an instant. Sir Reginald rushed in to attack, his sword a blur. Akira avoided this swing as well but felt the swish of it passing. He needed to focus on the man in front of him, not a ghost.

  “Pay attention, boy. Their distraction is your victory,” Master Jin would say. Akira refocused on Reginald. His patterns were clear. The protector went for the thrust, trusting his arm’s strength and sword length to compensate for his lack of skill.

  “I will see you dead,” Reginald said. “Your lack of focus is a further stain on this throne room.” The protector raised his sword again and charged. Akira noticed that he’d shifted the foot he had used the first time. Coming in under the swing, Akira used the palm of his hand to ram his chin. Staggering the older man, Akira grabbed Reginald’s sword and wrenched it from his hands. Spinning around, Akira turned it and hit Sir Reginald on the side of his head with the flat of the blade. The emperor said he didn’t care if either of them died, but spilling blood here wouldn’t be in his best interests. Besides, he could always kill the man later.

  The protector dropped to the ground; his hands spread out in front of him. Akira stood and bowed to his opponent. When he straightened, he looked at the rest of the soldiers standing in the circle around the two men. They hadn’t moved. The rest of the colourfully dressed peacocks behind them were pointing to Akira. However, no one was talking. Even the whispers had stopped.

  “Why didn’t you kill him?” Emperor Thanatos’s voice broke the silence. “You had him dead to rights.”

  Turning to face the emperor, Akira nodded to his distant relative and pointed to Sir Reginald. “It is unfair to attack a man while he is down. I’m sure Sir Reginald, as a man of honour, would agree with me. In addition, I’m sure Zial, blessed be her name, would hate to have more blood spilled in her temple.” Akira turned back to the man on the floor. Sir Reginald had sat up and was rubbing the side of the head where Akira had beaned him. “Your sword, sir.” Holding the weapon, hilt first to the man on the floor, Akira knelt and supplicated himself to the older soldier.

  “Why are you being so polite now?” Thanatos said, raising an eyebrow. “Just a moment ago, I was ready to order your execution.”

  The protector stood up and took his sword from Akira. “Answer your emperor!” He placed the sword on Akira’s neck.

  “Before, I needed to establish my position in this court. I am an outsider. My blood is only loosely tied to your holiness,” he said, his head still down. “Even though you called me here, I could feel most of you mistrusted me for my connection to Relancia and my skills. Now both are not in question.” Akira could already hear the whispers passing between the soldiers and nobles standing in the throne room. Sir Reginald was the most skilled fighter here, being the emperor’s protector, and Akira had taken him down easily.

  Akira locked eyes with the emperor and bowed. “My life is in your hands.” The whispers stopped and Akira could feel the entire throne room holding its breath, waiting for Thanatos’ decision.

  The silence was broken only by Sir Reginald’s heavy breathing. The man was getting old and the soldiers around the emperor knew it.

  “Arise,” Thanatos said, breaking the tension. “You have proven your skill, despite rumours of your recent setbacks in the Demon lands.”

  Standing, Akira watched Sir Reginald sheath his sword and step back beside the emperor. His face was iron, but Akira knew the older soldier would hate him for the humiliation. Akira had no choice.

  Cheers broke out among the rest of the assembled nobles. Akira nodded and gave a small smile, closing his eyes.

  I needed this. I missed this. Since Sam had destroyed his teeth, he refused to show his face publicly. He took a deep breath and opened his eyes.

  “May I ask, why have you summoned me here, your eminence?”

  Thanatos stood and raised his arms to the assembled audience. The soldiers and nobles in the room all stopped their applause and bowed. Akira raised an eyebrow and continued to stand. He’d seen this before, the last time he was here when the emperor would call on Zial.

  “Mighty Zial has asked for your assistance in taking down the corrupt king in Relancia. His abuse of nature is an affront to the peace-loving citizens of Kolori.”

  Abuse of nature? “What do you mean, your eminence?” Akira asked. What had changed since he was last in Relancia?

  Thanatos lowered his hands and turned towards Akira. “We are aware of King Eon’s connection to another world and are concerned that the influence is unhealthy. That connection needs to be controlled by one tied to nature, not one looking for profit. As it stands, the common folk are getting ideas beyond their station. This imbalance needs to be put down.”

  Akira nodded and understood. Thanatos wanted to control the trade with London. That man, Robert, might be amicable to a change of guard. If nothing else, heading back there with a stronger force may allow Akira to get closer to taking Sam’s head.

  “I agree, your eminence, and I will assist you in any way I can,” Akira replied, bowing along with the rest of the people in the room.