Story:Kings of Strife/Int 5

Intermission Five
The young guard in the steel blue, almost gray armor stood near his post with a lance propped against his shoulder. The Honrisian light pink shoulder cape fell from beneath his left shoulder pauldron. Devoid of a helmet, his head fell carelessly, his chin dripping with saliva as it touched his chest. He stood on the wall before the small-sized stone outpost; far behind that, on the tall rising hill of Honrisian countryside, stood a castle of crystal white stone.

Taoris took a step forward, and the boy jumped awake. His armor was light and form-fitting, and it audibly shifted once he moved. The boy looked to Taoris, his light blond hair shivering in spikes and his dark brown eyes twinkling.

“Who are you?” The guard asked.

“I am Death.”

The guard stepped backwards, lowering his weapon to point it at Taoris. “N-no! I’m not ready! Stay away from me!” His eyes wrinkled with fear and exhaustion.

Taoris stepped forward. ‘Veit,’ he told himself. ‘I am Constantus Veit now.’ In his long red cloak, long enough to completely cover his tall and muscular body and trail on the floor around him, he looked the part of intimidating reaper. He was still the Crimson Death – he always would be cursed with that name – but now, with his hair roughly cut to just below his neck and his bangs trimmed, he did not look like Gin Taoris. He was Constantus Veit. ‘I am Constantus Veit. The Crimson Death.’

“Take me to President Jolynus,” Veit growled. The guard trembled in response even more than he did when presented with his apparent mortality. Veit’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t make me repeat myself. I’m offering you a chance to escape your fate, for a time.”

The soldier’s lance wavered and his half-cape flew beneath him on a gust of wind. “I do not serve her anymore. None of us do.”

“Then who rules from that castle behind you?” Veit shifted his hand, pulling on the hilt of one of his blades and letting the steel ring from beneath his cloak. His intentions were clear. “I do not have time to trifle with you.”

Despite himself, the soldier chuckled. “Never thought Death would come for me with a sword… Always thought it’d be a scythe.” Veit stepped forward, and the young soldier jumped again. “Wait, please! President Jolynus is gone. She was… She vanished, when that castle appeared. We have a new President now.”

Veit paused. Vainia had said nothing about a new President of Honris. “The castle… appeared? And your President vanished?” He stared long and hard at the guard. “Open the gate,” he commanded with a nod of his head. The boy hesitated, but after a moment he lowered his spear and gave three knocks and a whistle to the tall stone opening to the wall’s gate.

Moments later, the gate lurched and started to slowly rise as chains from the other side grinded against metal. The soldier turned, words upon his lips, but only uttered a horrified gasp as Veit rushed forward, red cloak flying backwards from his body at the speed of his movements. Light flashed as Veit’s large claymore escaped its sheath and slashed horizontally, cutting the man in half right below the shoulders, armor and all. His head, both arms, and lower body fell to the ground, spraying red blood onto Veit’s red cloak as they descended.

The gate opened fully once the body hit the ground, and Veit started to walk forward, his blade in hand. That one was worthless, but had helped in his goal, so Veit had made his death quick. The claymore in his left hand dripped with blood as he walked into the outpost, and it became bathed in it once he quickly cut through the two men holding the gate open for him.

The outpost was little more than a short building, devoid of even a tower, and the wall around it. Built into a high shelf of gray rock, behind it lay a long road that curled up the hill and cliff leading to the crystalline castle. The entire island was similar; hills, cliffs, elevated settlements, and deserted roads. Veit had arrived not long ago, and had not met a single civilian in his time traveling from the port city of Hypnos. There were only soldiers and merchants, bartenders and sellswords, and men in dark green cloaks atop the city’s clock tower. They were scarce in information, but this was the first he had heard of President Jolynus disappearing.

Honris’ seat of power was thankfully not far from Hypnos, built long ago on the southernmost tip of Honris’ rocky lands. There were few large cities in this unforgiving country, most of its population content with farming what they could off the tide-licked rocks or toiling endlessly into the dark depths beneath the hills. They seemed to be content with darkness and unfulfilling lands. Veit had never been in this country before, and he could already tell he would not return.

He burst into the small stone outpost, startling one guard falling asleep in a chair near the door and another standing near the back door with his arms crossed. The claymore in his left hand exploded forward as he threw it at the back door’s guard, and the target’s throat exploded with blood and a scream as the flung claymore smashed right below his adam’s apple. The weapon continued to fly, impaling itself in the hard gray wall and leaving the body twitching and jerking reflexively on the steel.

Not a second after this, Veit spun around with his right hand extended. He caught the sitting guard in the throat with his grip and lifted him forward, slamming him on the wall next to the door he kicked down. The guard gasped and clawed at Veit’s hand, but he was losing strength fast with how strong the choke was.

“Who is in that castle?” Veit loosened his grip enough to allow the guard to breath. “Don’t make me repeat myself, or I’ll claw your throat out and leave you like your friend back there.” The guard’s eyes darted behind the Crimson Death and saw his comrade, blood and vomit trailing from his mouth onto the blade that impaled him.

“T-The new President! Please, spare me!”

Veit’s eyes narrowed and he put his face close to the soldier’s. “Who is this new President? How did they and their castle appear out of nowhere?”

The guard started to violently trmble. “It was a flash of lightning, or something greater, and then the Castle was there! She and her men appeared, and the highest generals defected to her side instantly, and – and – the sea! She had her men come from the sea, too, and they smashed a squad of rebels instantly! We had to do what they said. She said she was the true President. Jolynus was a lie. Please, that’s all I know, let me go, please!”

Veit made a fist with his right hand and crushed the soldier’s throat. That was a relatively painless death, he reasoned, for one who cooperated easily. He let go of the corpse and let it fall to the ground as he turned and started towards the back of the outpost. As he walked by the long-dead impaled soldier, Veit pulled his sword free and spun it, allowing the free blood to fly off its metal before he slammed it back in its sheath.

He stopped a few paces up the road. Only five soldiers at an outpost guarding the President’s castle? They were all weak younglings easily dispatched, as well. He grit his teeth and clenched his jaw. This could easily be chalked up to the weakness of Honris as a whole, or it could be a signal of alarm. Either the real strength was in the castle, or there was nothing in the castle. Veit hoped it was the former, as the latter would end up a waste of his time.

“I hope you’re right about this, Vainia,” Veit growled to himself as he continued walking.

There were no more soldiers along the road, not even any on the cliffs watching. The castle awaited him at the top of the hill, and a medium sized lake was right behind the castle below a significant drop in the rocks. This country was old, and looked as if it were untouched from its founding days. Who knew how long ago that was, or what purpose this part of the world served?

Who could know what any part of the world was, or who created it? The world was large and boundless. Veit had traveled most of it all, and had killed men of every skin tone. Death knolls of every language. But something about this castle, with its crystalline walls and silent ramparts, set him out of his comfort zone.

What was he thinking? He was the Crimson Death. He could not be killed. This was his world, and his blades governed who lived and died. He controlled that. Nobody could take that away from him.

He pushed open the doors to the crystal castle, and once they opened fully, they exploded into hundreds of glass-like shards.

Once the shower of glittering broken crystals fell to the ground, the light from outside reflected off the thousand pieces and lit up the doorway. This allowed Veit to fully see inside to the foyer of the building. All of the walls were made with transparent crystal; they brought the light inside, to bounce off and reflect from each other, and the foyer looked endless. The army within it looked empty.

He counted how many men stood guard within seconds. Five men, all in dark green cloaks that trailed right above their ankles, all holding short swords or rifles. With the reflections from the walls, they stretched on and on until they appeared infinitesimal… but even then, Veit knew he could take them. He would not have to die trying.

They raised their weapons and he was a hair away from pouncing into a whirlwind of blood when a woman’s voice froze them all. “Lower your weapons, all of you.” Veit stopped in place, muscles still alert but momentarily frozen. Both of his claymores were in his hands, ready to shed blood. All of the men in cloaks lowered their weapons and stepped back. Their eyes did not move away from staring at the Crimson Death, but they all parted and allowed the speaker to make herself clear.

“We have been expecting you.” The woman stepped forward. “Welcome to my castle. The new President’s Palace.” Her appearance was not something Veit could have expected. A long, wide, and flowing blue coat the same shade as the sky wrapped around her curves in places and flew about her like a cape in others. Her face was beautifully sculpted, chiseled with just the right amount of roundness, and long black hair fell to her back with vitality. She was barefoot, and as she stepped forward, her robe danced about her as if it were alive. After a moment, Veit realized that she was not wearing anything beneath her robe.

“Are you the new president?” He asked. Still keeping his eyes on the armed men around her, he stood up to his full height and lowered his blades, but did not put them away. “I come from Lady Vainia of Shorica. I have business with the President.”

“Yes, I am,” she stated. Her eyes were dark and tempestuous as they looked over her. Veit noticed that her hands were wrapped in her sleeves, and what sounded like metal moved as she did. “Follow me. We have much to talk about.” When she said this, the president turned away and started walking towards an opaque glass door that led further into the castle. Veit followed her, his own red cloak open at the chest and falling in line behind him. The men in green stood and watched him as he walked past them.

“I take it you know why I am here.” Veit followed a pace behind the female president, just far enough behind her that he could swing a sword and cut her in two. The hallway they walked in was wide enough for him to barely hold his blade out, and its walls were also transparent. Hundreds of reflections bounced back onto each other, giving the castle a dimension of infinite visual space.

“I do. Queen Vainia wishes for the help of Honris in attacking Inusia. She knows we, as all other nations, are allied with Inusia. She seeks to undermine that long and powerful alliance.”

“She demands it. Nneoh has already agreed to fight on her side. You will be next.”

“Will we?” The president turned and looked at Veit with half closed eyes. Her very appearance taunted him, daring him to open his heart and show her all his secrets. She was beautiful, he noticed, and had heavy feminine curves. “Just who are you, sir?”

“Constantus Veit. Knight Baron to Queen Nolstuvainia Sestrum. Defender of her eternal realm.” That was what he practiced. The title that Vainia had given onto him. Even now, it didn’t feel like he was giving the full truth. ‘Gin Kama Taoris. The Crimson Death. Murderer, kinslayer, rapist, and drinker of blood.’ That was his real title. He was not noble. He was not a defender of anything. He had not been ashamed of that, ever, until Vainia drafted him into her army. Her future.

The president laughed. She came to another opaque door and opened it with delicate hands. The hallway led them to a large and wide balcony overlooking a cliff behind the castle. Some feet below, the large lake spread wide across the rocky land, and far into the horizon, another cliff was seen. From the balcony they could hear this waterfall cascading down into the ocean below.

“The President’s Palace,” the woman stated grandly as she walked forward. Her pale hands spread into the air ahead of her before settling onto the railing at the end of the large veranda. “Isn’t it gorgeous?”

“It’s unnatural.” Veit mumbled as he stepped forward. He looked at the two green-cloaked men standing guard right outside the doorway with discomfort. This entire situation felt… off. “The guards said it came out of nowhere. And that you did, too.”

She turned around and rested her elbows on the railing. The action moved her coat apart slightly, and her cleavage increased to lewd levels. Her dark eyebrows raised suggestively. “I control Honris. Does Vainia want my cooperation, or not?”

“She does. And she will have it.”

“Perhaps. You’re an aggressive one,” the president noted with a nod of her head.

“I get the job done. Queen Vainia needs results. Will you provide them?”

The president laughed. “You’re not giving me much of a choice, are you?” She turned around and looked back over the lake. The sun was high in the sky and its light glittered on the water, but the air was not hot or oppressively humid. Right on cue, rather, a gust of chilly wind blew from the ocean and tossed the president’s long hair into waves behind her.

“By now, Queen Vainia has taken the fortress at Icarun by force thanks to her Nneonian alliance. You will agree to her terms and provide aid to make sure she lasts through Inusian counterattacks, or there will be consequences.”

“Has she?” Veit saw the president’s eyebrow rise again. “What sort of consequences?”

“You’d rather not know. I’d rather not repeat myself.”

A moment passed, and the president considered this. Veit looked over his shoulder a couple times, but the guards with rifles were patiently biding their time. They showed no aggression towards him, but he did not know how long that would last. This silence irritated him; Veit wanted this over with, and to escape this fantastical location. Either that, or he wanted the lake before him to run red with blood.

At length the president spoke again. “I have a country to run, now. It is completely under my control. Do you know how easy it is to convince a populace that their land is yours rightfully to rule?” She gave him no time to respond. “I suppose you would. Lady Vainia performed the same sorcery over Shorica.”

“If you’re trying to be clever…”

“No, no! Of course not. I’m trying to be considering. Seven million people, Sir Veit. That is how many people live in Honris. Do you think I’d enjoy sending them all to their deaths?”

“That isn’t what Queen Vainia requests.”

“Oh, but it is. I may give her all the troops she requires, as she pleases, or I may only support her with resources and weapons. Either way, a Honrisian man or woman will die. Either on an Inusian battlefield or in their own homes. Do you and her think Inusia won’t respond with deadly force? Do you not think they have the strongest military in the world?”

Veit’s brow tightened as he frowned. He felt his veins protruding over his temples with impatience. The urge to kill was rising within him; the earlier bloodshed had agitated his bloodlust. “No, I don’t think that. As long as I am in it, Queen Vainia has the mightiest army.”

The president gave a hearty laugh. “You are clearly powerful; I will give you that. Confident, as well. Your answer was no, was it? That is correct. You are wise.” She turned halfway and looked to him with a proud look. Veit found himself constantly reminded of just how beautiful she was… It was almost unworldly.

“Are you going to ally with Queen Vainia, or not?”

“Oh, Veit.” She laughed again, not out of amusement at his words but out of scorn. She looked so full of scorn, Veit realized – every inch of her pale skin radiated it. Scorn and power. That was what made him uncomfortable. “I know who you are, and why you came. I know what happened to Vainia, and it isn’t what you – or her – hoped. Your plans won’t come to fruition.”

“Excuse me? Answer my question. Don’t make me repeat myself.”

“Who can say who orchestrates a tragedy?” More scorn, and more laughs. “I have seen what you will do, and what all will do. We all know, Veit. The world will erupt in war, and the change will come.”

Veit did not respond. He looked over to the two men behind him. They still looked straight forward, and they still had their rifles in their hands. It would be easy to kill them in seconds and dash forward to threaten the president, but what if she had a weapon? What if she escaped? It would make more sense to injure her first before attacking her guards, even if this did end up with him wounded. The damage wouldn’t be too bad, and he could always escape without further trouble if she was taken as a hostage. His mind raced with plans and his hands started to move towards his blade hilts.

The president spoke again. “Do you know who I really am? Do you know what I am a part of? You do. I know the memory isn’t lost in there, not truly. The alliance with Inusia is a bullied one, weight thrown around to justify stagnation. There is more out there. Puppeteers over alliances, dancing upon strings.”

More worthless rambling without concrete answers. Veit whirled around, his stocky muscled arms and the claymores held by then rising into the air, ready for blood. ‘Death,’ he thought to himself with satisfaction at finally taking care of his urges. ‘I am Death.’

He jumped forward, but within two steps the sounds of metal falling to the floor echoed throughout the large balcony. His blades flew through the air and his muscles flexed, but before the large slabs of metal could dig into the throats of the two alarmed guards, a voice echoed through the veranda. All motion stopped once the president spoke again.

Except this was not the president’s voice, not truly. This was someone else. A new woman, one with a more relaxed and sadistic manner. Sinister and strong. She sounded like Vainia. Veit froze before slowly turning towards her after she cleared her throat.

The president looked at him with a finger upon her full lips. Her eyes had changed. Before, they were dark cobalt and barely visible beneath her enticing face and small eyes, almost beady in their incognito appearance. But now they seemed to glow bright golden, and her eyes were wide open with hunger. “You think you can ignore me?” She said. A teasing smile curled on her lips. “Or tell me what I will do with my country? Hah. You are powerful, but to me you are an ant. I will destroy everything that defies me, and take your Queen with it.”

Her arms were resting on the railway, and fat black chains wrapped all around them. The chains went inside her robe and snaked around her feet; from her hands, they trailed down and connected to two long, wicked blue knives.

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