Hours later. . .
"He will see you now."
The man standing before him said.
This individual who was a knight. One to whom was the first to the Emperor. The Royal Aegis, a fair skinned brown haired male with short hair slicked back messily. His blue orbs for eyes stared at the red haired man with little tolerance for his presence.
"Will he now? Excellent work, Ser Talon. Perhaps now you may let me through?" The far more velvety voice of the two asked. Talon of Mor Vendrel. A man who has been forever loyal to his Empire as per his family legacy requires him to be. He was somewhat tall, a widely built man with a fair amount of muscle by his stature. His face was heart shaped with a few strands of hair across his forehead. His lips remained as a straight line to show his unamused persona by the other's words.
"By your request? No. By Malin's? Yes." Talon replied, turning away from the Savencroner. To whom didn't have the energy to smile or make some witty banter. His yellow orbs for eyes simply trailed down the back of the man before they had closed in that moment as he had held the book firmly to his side. His mind was not quiet. It hasn't been for the day's journey he's experienced. His brows slightly furrowed as his lips slightly contorted a twitch. He was exhausted. He felt drained. So heavy with… Well, something he thought he could be free of. A deep, consuming remorse. If only he did something different. Perhaps stuck by his partner a bit closer. Things could've been different. But, Wrafe learned that the world was simply not meant to be kind to him. It was sometimes unjust. Just as it could be rewarding. And, it could even more unjustly change to a bitter, more dark shade in his life. A lot of things ate away at his heart due to his past. This only made that finally numb feeling burn and hurt viciously. At the cost of a book.
"How ridiculous." He mumbled to himself.
He heard the creaking of the doors to the throne room. Of to where the appearance of the place had unfolded before him. What a rich sight it was. Before him, a long rug of red and gold colored stitches had been laid out. Leading up a stairway where the throne rests. Where the Emperor was. His loyal Aegis standing at the bottom of the stairs with his arms crossed. He was dressed in mostly leather instead of armor, with a gray and black wolf pelt as a cloak with a claymore sword on his back.
"Approach His Majesty." Ser Talon ordered of Wrafe.
Earning a glare from him of his wildly colored eyes. The Savencroner had slowly walked forward, his heeled boots thudding against the floor as he did so. The throne was spiked with steel. As if it was an ocean of metal swirling in a frozen spire of power to represent the Empire. There were two massive banners of the sun on each side with a skeleton head of a dragon high above the Emperor. To whom, had these massive fires a good way away from him seemingly underneath the banners. However, they were simply an illusion and decently far apart. There were knights all around, standing in their royal armor as the second Imperial battalion. Looking far superior to the first. Oh, how brilliant the room looked. Nature seemed to have swarmed in with vines creeping along the ceiling with it consuming some pillars. Amongst the ceiling, these orbs of white and blue light keep the room well lit with sorcery clearly behind it. But, no sorcerer but himself. There, the Emperor sat. Dressed in these rough and worn looking boots with slacks tucked into them and a fine shirt with an oddly designed green coat. With a bear pelt on his back. He was rather… Well, scrawny looking. Short, too. More than Wrafe, who just looked to be the average height for a man of this time with a somewhat thin body. This royal leader was simply a runt of a man. Not a spot of facial hair on his face. Just long curly dark locks with these vibrant green orbs and a silver crown on his head. His facial features were plenty aged and narrow. This runt on the throne had soon sighed, looking down at the Savencroner with selfish relief.
"Did you retrieve what I asked you, boy?" He asked, not having a very powerful voice.
"No, I happened to stumble upon a book of heritage with your lineage within." He sarcastically remarked.
He held up the book with both hands. You could tell he was in no mood for anyone's attitude.
"Watch it, Savencroner." Ser Talon fiercely demanded.
"Or what?" Wrafe asked, raising a brow as he glanced at Talon with a rather smug confidence within his eyes.
Oh, how he could just burn him to ashes and be done with him forever. No sword needed. But, he has to live. Unfortunately. The muscles in Talon's jaw clenched as he had quickly stepped up to him.
"Enough." The Emperor Tyr Malin demanded, raising his hand up as a gesture of his word being the final.
"Bring me the book." He demanded, sternly.
Wrafe and Talon kept their hateful eyes on each other before the redheaded one's lips formed a rather unexpected smile.
"Of course. Your majesty." Wrafe answered, breaking the momentary silence as he slowly stepped forward, passing the Royal Aegis with a little graze to his shoulder before he had headed up the steps.
He then presented the book, bowing his head as he did so. Tyr Malin had raised a brow as he had taken the book with both hands, feeling the old and worn leather before resting it upon his lap and opening it up. His eyes merely scrolled over a list of names. Wrafe stepped to the side, resting his hands behind his back held together before his eyes just fixed forward, not really all too interested in being a part of such a mission any further. He hid tragedy awfully well.
"Mm, excellent work, my Specialist." The Emperor smiled a bit.
He closed the book.
"What of loose ends?" Tyr asked the rather somber sorcerer.
"There are none." Wrafe obliged him with an answer, a quiet one.
"The tone in your voice…" Malin began.
"What is it that causes you such distress?" The Emperor asked, of course only caring for his selfish reasons for his own paranoia and doubt.
The sorcerer didn't even want to answer. Truthfully, it's something he never wanted to discuss again.
"A failure of my own. Nothing that concerns you or your book." The Savencroner finally answered.
The Emperor passed his rather unsure gaze to the other male. The doubt was very clearly written all over his face. With…A glint of something else one simply couldn't explain.
"As you wish." He facetiously mocked the gloomy mage.
All before he simply leaned back in his throne and snapped his fingers.
"Aron! Toss this in the fire, if you will. I have simply been burdened by its evidence for too long." He ordered the knight next to him, to whom had taken the book with the bow of his head before he went off to toss it in the flames in front of the banner.
Then, a rather odd interloper entered the throne room.
"U-Um, Ser Talon?" A meek and very horrified knight walked through the throne room's doors and immediately walked forward, his hands raised defensively.
"What are you doing here? You should be at your post." Talon criticised rightfully.
This was simply no time for visitors or petty visits for even more petty reasons. This was a crucial night.
"Not by choice, Ser…" He answered, seemingly shaking a bit.
Talon's brows furrowed as he stared at his man. His blue eyes scrolled down, eyeing him up and down. Then, he saw the extra pair of legs behind the rather broad man.
"You will be alright, man." Talon stated, his stern face losing all sense of curiosity and agitation.
Now, there was simply him being sure.
"Step out. Only a coward hides behind a man with a dagger to his back." The Royal Aegis demanded, slowly reaching behind him to pull out his claymore of steel. He held it with just one hand.
"Hm… And what is the meaning of this?" The Emperor's head tilted as his brow raised a bit.
He tapped his index, which had a golden ring on it, at the end of his armrest.
Wrafe's brow was to quirk as he gazed down upon the scene. What the hell was this?
"I ask- Nay, I demand. Step out, stranger." Talon stated again.
This time, he stepped forward once, dragging his dusty black boot across the floor as he did so. He raised his claymore up, finally gripping the bottom of the handle with his free hand.
"I'm not a stranger." A woman's voice aired from behind the knight.
"Then who are you?" The Emperor asked, cockily.
Then, she raised her leg up, slamming the bottom of her boot right into the back of the knights knee. He yelped as he crumbled to the floor knelt down. Then, the raven-haired woman was revealed. Her furrowed brows and silver eyes glaring upon The Emperor for but a second before that hateful gaze shifted to Wrafe. As the man knelt, Davina raised her sword onto her shoulder and then lowered a crossbow by her other hand and aimed. Without a second thought, she immediately squeezed the metal handle of the weapon that triggered the arrow to shoot. His eyes widened a bit as his lips parted by the time she shot. The arrow zipped through the air, though it didn't head for the sorcerer whatsoever.
"No!" Talon gave a mighty yell once he processed what he had just seen.
The Emperor, the arrow was zooming right for him. Right for his throat. However… A hand had caught it. The tip of the arrow barely grazed the ruler's neck. The Savencroner's fingers tightly wrapped around it, he remained staring at the Valerian with true shock within his eyes.
"Davina? How are you…-" He said, being cut off by his own bewilderment.
Davina glared at him with much collected hate. The time was finally here. She had then looked down at the knight below her, quickly bashing him over the head with the crossbow to send him into the ground unconscious. She tossed the crossbow aside and stepped over him, lowering her sword as she did so. Her eyes finally landed upon Talon. Who had almost flinched at the sight of his man being brought down. The two glared at each other with familiar looks.
"I thought you said there weren't any, Wrafe." The Emperor remarked, seemingly unfazed by the attempt on his life.
He simply lowered the Nobleman's hand away.
"The joke's on me then." He muttered.
His brows furrowed slightly as he had gone back to the night not too long ago at all. As fast as it happened, he remembered as clear as day. She had been killed. The wounds she sustained, they were impossible to survive. The look in her eyes then, when they were green, it was the end. But… perhaps he mistook it?
"You." Davina spoke, planting a boot forward as she approached him.
"You care about your men." She stated.
"Who are you?" Talon ignored the observation as he slowly approached with his claymore.
The other knights within the room readying their weapons to guard the Emperor. The question made her pause. She didn't move any further. The tip of her blade touched the ground. Then, it dragged against the floor before it barely touched the throat of the unconscious knight behind her.
"I wouldn't." Talon said, quickly urging a step forward.
"Then we have a difference in character." She quipped.
"Step. Aside." She calmly demanded.
Ser Talon knew he could not. For the Emperor's life was simply not one he could bargain for. Which is why his brows furrowed as he felt heated by the stress of the situation. Her brows remained arched as her silver eyed gaze remained on him. Hers was unrelenting. Talon was an equal to that sentiment. Then, an exhausted sigh aired through the room.
"Oh, come now, Ser Talon. Let Wrafe handle his own failures." Tyr Malin suggested, gesturing the Nobleman at his side.
Wrafe scoffed in disdain.
"No. I won't be letting this woman kill anyone." The Royal Aegis stated firmly.
Davina's brows furrowed as her fingers clutched around the sword quite firmly. Her upper lip twitched as she felt this… This unnatural anger flow through her. She frowned a bit before she had made a "Hmph" sound.
"Your loyalty to life is admiral…" She said, drawing the blade away from the knocked out man.
"But it interferes with my desire for justice." She stepped forward.
The blade of hers raised as her boots thudded against the ground. Her armor on her shoulders clanking slightly.
There were no longer words between them. Wrafe's eyes studied the Valerian quite a bit. With deep curiosity. He… wanted to speak. But, he couldn't.
Then, the dark haired woman approached the Aegis. To whom immediately raised his weapon up and spared no further conversation before he raised claymore up to swing it down and behind him before bringing it clashing down onto her. With that, she raised her hand up to quite literally slap the palm of her hand into the blade above her head and redirect it to slam into the ground with a loud noise added onto it. Talon's sheer strength made it cut into the ground. His expression contorted to pure shock as she remained uncut. Soon for her body to twist a little as her sword went under her raised arm that wasn't holding it, immediately swinging it across the air with a damn near impossible speed. He quickly whipped his head back, his somewhat lengthy hair doing the same as his blade scraped from the ground to remain in his hand as he was forced a few steps back. Davina gave him little time to recover before she worked her feet to quickly invade his space and bring the blade of her own crashing down onto the Royal Aegis.
He was quick to swing his own massive sword up to clash into the other with a wicked spark igniting as he brought her blade to do the same as she caused him to do on the first move. With one hand releasing the great sword, Talon swung a brutal back of his fist right into her face. With that, he made contact with her cheek. Davina's head jerked back a little with a grunt before she slowly reeled her head back. Her eyes widened a little in this flare of anger as her teeth clenched together behind her lips as she ripped her blade from the ground and spun in the direction her momentum was going to twirl the blade and quite mercilessly start unleashing this fury of a fighting style unknown to the standard of a usual Imperial soldier. The entire time Davina had been the one stepping forward and colliding her blade with Ser Talon's, eventually coming to a part where she was backing him into the stairs up to the Emperor. Once Talon felt the back of his boot hit the stair, he almost lost his cool. He knew he couldn't allow this to go any further. So, by the next time the Valerian swung her blade. He hit his sword into hers with all his might. With no buckle, he slid it right away and then turned on his heel to spin and give this slash that was incredibly fast across the air with much strength being used. Her body was going forward where there was no jumping out of this. Instead, the Valerian thrust her body forward nearly into his. Moving to where she just barely avoided the sword and she rolled right back onto her feet and then took a leap up the first step before beginning to sprint up it with her boots making these rapid and stunningly fast thuds on the stone of the finely carved steps.
"No, stop her!" Talon yelled to his men.
The knights were already surrounding Tyr and Wrafe, the Savencroner's eyes narrowing in great fear. Though, it wasn't for his life or the Emperor's.
The dark haired woman came upon her first target. A man with a spear and shield. She only kept running, worrying her opponent even more. The spear was thrust dead center at her chest only covered by leather. She turned her body to the side, grabbing right under the spear with one hand just barely behind the blade as she brought her palm to slam into the other far end by the knight's hand to cause it to snap! Then, she walked up a step while turning her body around to send it swinging directly into him, violently bashing the wooden end of the spear into the side of his head that was guarded by the helmet. The spear snapped in half again before he crumbled to the ground, rolling down the stairs where Talon was running after her. He almost got to her, but she dropped the spear and suddenly had the knights shield. She took it while he was unconscious, now having her sword as well as she only proceeded upwards.
She startled the Savencroner. To where his hands arranged from holding each other behind his own back to resting at his side as he quickly stepped forward, reaching his hand out as a gesture.
"Davina, stop!" He urged, in stress of having to intervene.
This sort of conflict left him torn. Though, the reason for this was specifically unknown to even the Emperor. She only charged further. Wrafe watched as two came to collide with the woman who truly didn't appear to have much muscle with such an agile body. But, when she raised her shield up to take the blunt force of two swords hitting it. She only bashed them out of the way to then slam the shield into the helmet of one Knight while she thrust her shoulder into the other to simply knock him out of the way. One fell, yet another unconscious as the other simply rolled down the stairs with the wind knocked out of him.
Then, she didn't even bother with the others who tried to make after her. She ran up the stairs and passed them, Talon falling behind as she ran and ran. There wasn't anything going to stop this woman. Her aim wasn't even for the Nobleman. She only sprinted up at the Emperor, to whom didn't even flinch as she did. As she got closer, her lips parted to show her teeth gritting together as she had her face change to a truly angered expression as she readied her sword behind her. This anger, this rage, it was something no man could ever be brought to. You no longer saw reason. You no longer felt the need to spare all in your way and simply go after your targets. You just had to kill. Like a beast. It was now, Davina of Valeira charged and was but a yard away from the great ruler. She then yelled with her vocals distorting to another's nearly as she brought her blade to thrust forward aiming right for the Emperor's throat.
"Captain…" The man's voice aired.
Everything paused. The knights, frozen in fear for their ruler's life. Talon, stunned in place with his hand held out as his breathing was led to heavy panting. Davina, stopped in her tracks as the tip of the blade was an inch away from the Emperor's throat. His face didn't change aside from a brow raise. Wrafe, he had a firm hold on one of her wrists and some of the blade. This blood began to trail from his fingers and drip onto the Royal's boot. His face contained frustration. Agitation. And, true shock at coming face to face with Davina. To whom, turned her head to him, looking up at the Savencroner with her silver orbs for eyes to glare into his bright yellow ones with their black pupils. His brows furrowed a bit as he grunted from her trying to push forward further. He winced in pain as he stayed on his ground.
"How are you alive? What have you become?" He asked, in seeing the lifely green color from her eyes being just… Gone.
The way he spoke. Hell, him just speaking sent her anger to flow even further. This crave for violence and causing these two individuals harm was enough to drive anyone mad with bloodlust. You could tell, in her very eyes, she was no longer present. She leaned forward, getting real close to him as she did.
"Justice." She hissed with a determined voice.
A twisted morality, to boot.
Wrafe's expression rested as it was. He had to make a hard choice.
"Kill her." The Emperor ordered.
There wasn't much of a need for the push. He didn't much care for it either. He just knew between the Captain and what he knew of his side of this, he knew she had to go.
"I'm sorry." He mumbled, his face contorting to a more stern one as he winced more as he forcefully pushed her back. Her boots slid a little before she dug them into the ground further. He had the blade away from Tyr's throat, thankfully. Then, he quickly released the blade and spoke a spell as he planted a hand against her torso.
"Auki skirra." With that, the Valerian was blasted backwards.
Davina had been met with this blue and white aura of a wall emit from his hand and just knocked her back quite harshly. She went far beyond the stairs. Her back slammed into the ground with a grunt coming from her. She rolled onto her stomach, her sword sliding to the side as she was already beginning to push herself up to her knees. Sitting up, she looked up with her glare directing to Wrafe. To whom slowly lowered his hand. You have to kill him, is the only thought that ran through her mind. She looked down and slapped her hand onto the grip of her sword to pluck it from the ground as she stood up. Talon immediately drew his blade to her.
"Don't." Wrafe said to him.
The Aegis paused in his footsteps towards her.
"Why?" He asked, quite frustrated with the order.
The sorcerer's eyes lowered to Talon for a moment, soon to raise his other hand and simply gesture it into a circular motion with a slow pace. A spark of fire ignited a bit away from the crazed Valerian as it began to trail around her. Her enraged eyes followed it to her being surrounded by these orange and red flames rising around as she stood up straight in her stance. Her lips parted a bit as her head tilted, her silver eyes directing back to the Savencroner who stared down at her with a rather unreadable look.
"I won't stop." Davina said, raising her voice over the crackling fire.
"I know. Unfortunately." Wrafe replied.
His hand was still held up, his fingers now slowly curling.
The swirling cyclone of fire had slowly risen above her head to where the last thing she saw were his fiery colored eyes. Davina's fingers only tightened around the handle of her sword as she had then slowly been engulfed by the flames. He closed his eyes as he had shut his fist with his fingers clenching shut quite tightly. He averted his head to the side as his eyes opened halfway. You could see the muscles in his jaw clenching a bit. It was truly a nightmarish night now. Just being in the presence of a… Of a friend turned foe and brought to have to contain her with a fate so brutal. It was obvious she was no longer human. He felt that this would bring peace to the wayward soul permanently.
Then, the whole room was met with a force of something that was nothing but utter, pure and untapped power. The spiraling fire suddenly exploded outwards and twirled around to rise up to the ceiling as the burning figure was revealed to be there, yelling in this unholy rage as her entire figure nearly changed. Talon was knocked back into the stairs, Wrafe fell onto his back from the sheer force as all the knights present were just forced to the ground. The Emperor, his eyes widened a bit as he simply felt a little jerk in his seat.
"You will not kill me!" The distorted woman's voice did nothing but give this guttural scream that was the most mighty yell she had ever given.
Her fists were tightly clenched as the fire swirled around her, thinly. You could see her head being brought back as it slowly lowered, her lips parted to show her teeth clenched together as her black hair remained undamaged and whipped upwards in the air.
"I have lived NOTHING but a life of pure terror and anguish, I will never die! Ever!" She shouted.
As she spoke, her head turned a bit simply out of a passionate reaction to being put to death, again. As she spoke, Wrafe saw as one corner of her mouth bled quite a bit while one side of her jaw burned and reddened severely. Her armor on her shoulders began to tint as some other parts of her neck began to burn as well.
"I won't die. Not now. I will not die until I have you and every wretched fucking soul kneeling down…" She stepped forward, her eyes bleeding with the emerald color of pure power.
"With the pain…" She took another step, every burn on her body beginning to reverse and shrink to where there was not a single blemish on her, the blood disappearing as the fire began to change color to swirl from the bottom with the shade of green burning all the way up into the red.
"You all undeniably deserve." She said lowly.
As she began walking forward at quite a fast pace, Wrafe recovered a little. He held his chest a bit as he rose to one knee, putting his other hand on it as he gazed down upon the approaching warrior.
"How is she doing this?" The Emperor asked, still seated with audible curiosity in his voice.
"I don't know… She's no mage. Yet, all of this…" He couldn't explain it as he stood up next to the Emperor, looking down to see Ser Talon not moving.
"Of course. Damsel…" He facetiously mocked as he quickly stepped in front of the Emperor.
He eyed the woman down. Her chest… Right in the center, this ancient looking amulet with the jewel bleeding this color matching her power. He knew for certain she didn't have that before.
"That necklace." Tyr stated.
"Yes. I know." He answered. He then turned and reached back, ripping the Emperor's sword from his sheath before he had begun to descend down the stairs.
Now, it was time to see if Wrafe of Savencrone could survive the unnatural power of Davina of Valeria.
The Revenant.