(****A.N. read Auxillary chapter, the one before this, to understand more of the book if you want to.****)
"one, two, three... one, two, three..." muttered a large man sharpening a greatsword. He gazed down the blade with tired maroon eyes. Taking a blonde hair from his head, he dropped it onto the edge and it was sliced in half. The let out a soft sigh as he sheathed the sword into its scabbard. The man, Aórn, was called to the great hall for an audience with the emperor after he was sent to the monastery of flames. The voice of a servant slithered out behind him "Leave your sword here, his majesty will see you now." Albeit grudgingly, he did as he was told and entered the great hall.
"Oh my old friend Aórn, it's honestly been too long since we've talked like this" exclaimed a stocky man with a blood-red cape that gave him an overwhelming regal aura. "Aye, that is true Emperor Kutsiva.." replied Aórn. "Oh come now, you know we're friends, you may address me as Kutsiva" laughed the emperor as he clasped forearms with Aórn.
"So why did you need me, my lord" questioned Aórn as he followed the walking emperor. "Ah yes, there's a matter I'd like to discuss with you. Please, join me in my study" said Kutsiva. A long muscular arm opened the door for them both then disappeared back behind Kutsiva's back.
The stench of dried blood was stronger in the room than outside. Aórn grimaced slightly from the stench as he went to go sit on the two-seater sofa made of wolf's fur. The emperor sat across from him in a chair made of cow leather and white-flame oak. On the lavish dark walnut desk in front of him sat a piece of red cloth with three lumps underneath it the size of a minotaur's fist.
"Aórn, as you know there's a rebellious little group that calls themselves 'The Lightbringers' after this land's first royal house 'Lighter'. You also know that as of recently they're beginning to become more of a thorn in my side" the emperor said in a serious tone. "Ah, but before I go on, let us have some tea! GREGORY FETCH US SOME TEA" spoke Kutsiva as he put his black boots on the desk next to the cloth.
"Right away sir" whimpered a disheveled Gregory as he sprinted to some other place in the castle. "Yes, I know of all this sir, but wh-" "Silence! You know not to speak unless permitted to! Now, wait for the d*mn tea" boomed Kutsiva. To appease him, Aórn did just that.
The air was thick with tension as they waited for Gregory with their tea. His eyes drifted past the emperor's neutral face to the window leading outside. There was a view of the whole east side of the fire sector which brushed the horizon. The horizon would usually be made of trees, but instead, it was made of several small volcanoes that puffed out grey trails of smoke into the sunsetting sky that had two yellow suns.
The castle was too high to see his family's estate, but he saw what he thought was smoke before Gregory gave him his tea. As the servant made it's way over to the emperor, Kutsiva murmured "you may speak now Aórn." "Thank you my lord. As for what you speak of, yes, I know of it. I know that out of the ten sectors they're rumored to reside outside the borders of the Earth sector in the uncharted lands. Is this why you wanted me here your highness? To talk about a gang of rebels?" questioned Aórn. Well that is one reason I wanted to speak with you.." mused the emperor as he raised his tea to his pale thin lips.
As Aórn waited for Kutsiva to continue, he heard a faint voice in his head that was not his own. "Aórn! You need to get out of there! He's going to arrest you and then publicly execute you! I'm sorry friend, he found out you were helping us... He killed all of your kin.. massacred your family.. and burnt your estate to the ground while you were out at the flame monastery.. Quickly, you must leave and meet me outside the garden. We're going to take you back to HQ" informed the voice. This voice was of course Graham, the leader of The Lightbringers.
Anger and grief flashed in Aórn's eyes as he dropped the cup. "Aórn, are you feeling alright" questioned Kutsiva. "You heartless beast! How could you?" Shouted Aórn as he stood up. "Gregory" said Kutsiva. "Yes my lord" came the voice from behind Aórn. Before he could turn around Gregory kicked Aórn's knees and he fell to the ground. With his hair pulled from behind, Aórn was now facing level with the cloth and the blood stench was worse than ever. Kutsiva sneered and said "I guess your 'friends' finally came to warn you, but alas it's too late for you. Now since you're a traitor and sided with those despicable wretches, you will be publicly executed in front of everyone from the fire sector. Your execution will be broadcasted live in every sector to show that not even you will be spared for committing treason. Oh and I'm sure that you've wondered what's been under the cloth this whole time. Well, it's my gift to you, my most 'trusted' general." Kutsiva threw off the cloth and under it were the heads of his eldest son, daughter, and the head of his beloved wife. Just as he was about to respond, he was knocked out with the last thing he saw being the smile of a demon on The Emperor's face.