The Emperor

"Frelser?"

"Let's keep looking," I shook my head.

There was no doubt that anyone within the keep was dead. Nobody could survive that, not even me. I picked my way around, passing through the remains of the garden. The trees, what was left of them, were blackened, broken trunks. The leaves had been blown off, before the roots ripped free. All the shrubs and flowers were gone. There were stones here too.

Mareridt kept to my side as we followed around to the far side where the goblins were. If there were survivors within the walls, this would be the most likely place to find them. Anyone underground, unless the tunnels collapsed, would have been spared most of the blast. I just had to find it first.

That was going to be the hard part, because with all the rubble, it was going to be hard to find a random hole leading under the wall. Mareridt and I split up, keeping within visual range of one another as we picked our way through. I climbed over a small boulder, before walking around a large section. It looked like a section of the roof from the crenellations that were still partially intact. But what was on the other side made me freeze.

"You," I growled.

Eterisk nodded slowly, before placing her hand on a large boulder. I felt my blood freeze and rushed over. It was tipped on one end, propped up on the other. And I could see a body within.

"W-who's there?" I heard Ally's voice.

"Ally!" I cried.

"Frelser?" She called weakly.

I looked at Eterisk and saw the small nod she sent my way. I shifted around as I heard Mareridt coming to join me. There was no way to get her out without moving the rubble first. So I started there. I shifted the smaller rocks, tossing them aside so they wouldn't fall on her. I was desperate to get her out. When Mareridt joined me, we worked together shifting some of the larger rocks. Until finally there was just the one.

Ally was far enough back that neither of us could reach her. She was also pinned by something and wasn't making much sense when I asked her questions. I knew there was something wrong, and the only way I could see to help, would be if I could lift the large stone from above her.

"Help me lift," I growled.

Mareridt moved around to one side, and I got on the other. It was huge, and I could barely get my arms around it. The two of us took a deep breath, before planting out legs. Lifting, I felt the stone shift for just a moment. Ally let out a soft whimper, before Mareridt sagged. Without her help, there was nothing I could do, and I slumped. Unfortunately, whatever movement we caused, set Ally off and she let out a wailing cry.

I trembled in rage. Not at Mareridt. But at the helplessness of the situation. They had attacked my home while I was away. My loved ones were dead or injured. Ally was only the first. I had no knowledge of where the rest had gone. The army I had won was coming, but it would still take them some time, even if they left as soon as I did.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!"

Eterisk stumbled back after seeing the blue light flicker. I surged with anger and felt myself growing. I took hold of the stone and with a scream of defiance I hauled it off the ground. Below, I saw her. Half her face was a blackened mess, painted with dust and gore. She was completely bald on that side and her eye was swollen shut. But it was her legs. They were gone. Smashed flat under the rubble, and barely recognisable for what they were. I could see the agony in her face even as she reached one hand towards me. Three of her fingers were twisted in the wrong direction. But that was still better than the mangled mess of her other hand.

"They took her," Ally whimpered. "They took Eila."

I didn't hear the howl that escaped my own lips. But I felt it. My body grew and my armour felt tight. I felt it crack as my cuirass split in half, falling from my torso. My pauldrons came next. The rest of it barely held on, but every join and seam was bent and straining.

I spun on my heel and hurled the massive stone, watching it vanish into the dusty sky. The momentum made me stagger for a moment, before I looked down at Ally. I bent to take her in my arms, when I heard the thump of the stone impact that ground. And I froze as I heard screaming and shouting from the same direction.

"... Stay..." I snarled.

Ally stared at me with a single, tear streaked eye and nodded as Mareridt gave me a worried look. But for the first time, I was looking down on her, and she nodded to me.

With a low growl, I turned towards the screaming and started to move. Climbing over the stones and rubble as quickly as I could, I found the wall not far from where I found Ally. Hoisting myself over it, I broke into a jog. The shouting and orders were getting closer. I could hear them preparing for an attack. They were scared, and rightly so.

I came out of the dust with a roar and the men before me froze as I charged ahead. They looked confused. Expecting an army capable of firing a siege weapon, no doubt. But that was far from my mind as I leaped over the front lines. I landed on three men, feeling their bones crushed beneath by boots. I took a fourth by the leg and spun, swinging them like a mace.

The screams doubled down as men were battered away. I reversed the swing, taking down several more, before the man's leg came off in my grip. His body tumbled out of view and I charged ahead. There was no finesse to this fight. I saw a man's terror stricken expression as he tried to back away. He had a bandage wrapped around his shoulder while he attempted to ward me off with a blade.

I smacked it aside with my gauntlet and took his face in my hand. The bones of his jaw shattered in my grip as I ignored his screams. I pulled back my fist, before driving it into his chest as I released. His body tumbled into those behind him, taking down several more. It gave me a clear path to advance my one-monster onslaught. Those on the ground I crushed beneath my boots as those ahead were forced to deal with my wrath.

Now and then I spotted an elf. Most of them were injured and missing parts of their armour. I could only think the humans picked them up while the elfs killed the rest. This was what remained behind after the explosion destroyed everything. Most were upright and capable of fighting. Others were wounded and only set on fleeing my wrath. Those who fled I ignored for now, while those who found, died in my hands.

The soldiers pressed in close, trying to crush me in place while they brought in heavier armed troops. I could see spears being passed forward, and I howled my rage. I grabbed the first shield in reach and yanked the holder towards me. The man screamed in pain as I broke his arm from the strength of my pull, before he choked silent as I picked him up by the throat. With my human shield, I charged the spears coming towards me and watched the agonal pulses of his eyes as he felt them pierce his back.

A horn blew in the distance as I found myself trapped on all sides by spears. I spun around, knocking men over, forcing them to climb over their own wounded and dying. The spears were still coming though, and I quickly found myself trapped within. I was beyond rational thought, only seeing more enemies to kill. I took a bite out of the face of the one in my hand and tore his arm off to use as a club.

I felt a lance of pain in my side and spun on the man holding the spear. He was my first target as I bludgeoned him with his comrade's armoured limb. He went down in a heap, while another stepped forward. It became a game of movement. Every time I turned, they stabbed me in the back. Every time I swung, they aimed for my side. They peppered me with dozens of bleeding wounds, but I refused to stop. The more I was hurt, the more I bled, the angrier I got. With anger, came more size and brutality. My arms became trunks and each time I took hold of a human, they came apart with ease.

Despite their strength in numbers and my ailing wounds. I could see the absolute horror etched in their faces as I tore them limb from limb. Like a bear tearing apart a beehive, they fought back, but I was doing tremendous amounts of damage.

A whistle int he air reached my ears a moment before a stabbing pinch crashed into my gut. An elfin arrow was sticking out of me as I looked down. I looked over and saw a band of elfs with a second letting loose. I raised my hand and caught the arrow in my forearm rather than my throat. They were my next target.

Rushing towards them, I ignored the spears that entered my flesh. The wounds hurt, but not as much as losing my wives did. It only fueled my anger, and whatever power this was that kept me going. I pushed aside the humans as the elf realised I was coming directly for them. One darted out and took a shot that caught me in the shoulder before I reached the first. He was drawing one of their strange glass-like blades. In the confines of the men, he was having trouble though. As it came free of its sheath, I forced it back towards him, impaling the elf on his own sword.

I ignored his choked screams as I picked him up overhead. And with a roar, I hurled him at his squad, taking down several more. Another arrow flew at me, grazing my shoulder and I burst forward. Instead of tackling, I raised my boot and kicked the elf in the torso. His chest caved as his body crumpled over my boot. I had a moment of satisfaction as his face twisted with shock, before his momentum caught up and his body tumbled away knocking several more to the ground.

I heard more whistles and covered my head as dozens of arrows rained down around us. I felt two more pinpricks thump into my back and I snarled as I turned toward the shooters. But I couldn't see where they were coming from. There was chaos now, not just where I was, but everywhere. The dust still blocked the sky but I could make out the edge of the army I was single-handedly warring against. And even as I watched, I saw a horse appear. I couldn't make out who it was, but I saw them slam into the rows of men and elfs.

I rounded on them, ready to take this new fight, before the horse changed direction. It came straight for me, and I could see the rider swinging a sword, taking men down with each strike. They broke, scattering and I braced to take down the horse, when the owner shouted something. Instead of charging past to take me down, he lifted his sword in salute as he charged past.

Only for me to recognise Colum as he continued on his way through the ranks. A second horse raced past a moment later and I turned to watch the death around me. I had cut a swath of destruction through the area. But this was on another level. The horses charged through without slowing or stopping. Only changing direction at the last moment to avoid me as they clearly knew who I was. I didn't see a single elf on horseback, mostly humans. But there were a few familiar faces that rushed past. A fetz I recognised from the light troops. An orc who remained behind because of an injury. They, along with Colum's loyalist men, swarmed over the troops.

They cut down the elfs and the humans with impunity. It also put the enemy into a difficult position. The only space free for them to go without being cut down, was closer to me. Which in turn meant I was surrounded, very quickly, by dozens of men and elfs begging for mercy while throwing down their arms. But I had no time for that here. Taking the first elf before me, I lifted his screaming body to my mouth and bit deeply into his ribs. As I pulled away, mouth filled with bones and meat, the others threw themselves into harm to escape.

I was still eating the elf when the chaos died down. I sat upon the corpse of a headless horse. A spell that hadn't affected me had struck the creature. The rider was pretending like it did not horrify him, what I was doing. Even after the elf's whimpers finally fell quiet. Those who still lived and were no longer a threat, watched, or refused to watch as the case may be, in silence. My thoughts were on Ally, Eila and Chit, and I had no desire to speak with anyone about any other subject.

So it was to my fury, I could hear shouting and arguing approach me through the dust.

"NO! Please!?"

"Shut it!" Another snapped.

I turned my head and watched a small crowd approaching. I didn't recognise the men coming towards me. Nor did I recognise their prisoner. I just knew they were an elf, and leading him was Colum, who had a grimace on his face.

I dropped my meal on the ground and hauled myself upright. Colum's eyes went wide, seeing me much larger than he remembered. I had no firm clues about how it worked. But I knew that until I calmed, it was likely I would remain this size.

"Oh, gods please don't let him eat me!" The elf struggled.

I snarled and stepped around Colum. The elf squealed in terror as I took him by the arm. The soldiers holding him released as I hauled the elf to eye level.

"Frelser, he's an officer."

"They taste the same," I snarled. But then I paused. "Officer?"

"Yes, my King."

I narrowed my eyes on the terrified elf. "Eila?"

"...gone..."

I grabbed his other arm and pulled outward. The elf cringed and tried to fight against me.

"SHE'S BEEN SENT TO KING CHEJLY!"

I released the elf to collapse painfully on the ground and turned my attention to Colum. "Get me a map."

Colum for the elfs benefit, already had one. It was rolled up in a tube on the saddle of his horse that was nearby. He pulled it free and returned. I rolled it and looked at the layout of the land for a moment. It wasn't the first map I'd seen, but this was... not what I expected. It had been drawn up like there were three empires. Human's to the North, elfs to the South with my land spreading out to the West, with a small sliver between the two.

He had marked various points out for obvious tactical reasons. I now knew that Hjem was being scouted from the elfin side, along with the path that Colum took to arrive in the forest he had. It gave me a decent overview of the situation, and unless things had drastically changed. It also showed a blatant flaw in their plans. Chejly had pushed straight through without first securing his hold on the surrounding land. He was in charge, sure. But nothing was defended. Or at least, not defended enough to matter.

I looked down at the elf who was whimpering as he rubbed his shoulders. "Is this map still accurate?"

I bent down to show him, and he looked over it for a time. Then he nodded, "Mostly. Some of those areas supplied men for this attack."

I nodded slowly, before slamming him face first into the ground, crushing his skull in an instant. His body spasmed as the surrounding men cringed. I stood up and turned about. "I need your fastest rider sent to Hjem. Tell them I need Queen Ita."

With my orders set, I turned back to the keep. My anger had fuelled my one man war. I just hoped that it wasn't to the detriment of my injured wife. It took me far longer to return, than it did to leave in the first place. But I found Mareridt and Ally more or less where I had left them. Mareridt had laid down beside my curvaceous elf and Ally was in a fitful sleep, within the arms of my beautiful nightmare.

"Colum's men told me you were fine," Mareridt whispered as I slumped down beside them.

I nodded slowly, watching over both of them with anger in my heart.

***

Every bump and jostle hurt. It was a long time before I could rationalise what was going on around me. The explosion sent me flying. I hit something hard, and other things hit me. The heat washed over me like an open flame. Everything felt cold, and that was despite being wrapped in several blankets.

Every time I moaned or spoke, someone pressed a bowl to my lips and forced me to drink a foul tasting concoction. I recognised the scent from my father's healers. They gave it to the victims of burns. It helped to keep them hydrated, and to keep infection back. It usually worked, but it would disfigure me for life. At least, that was my original assessment.

As time went on and I regained more of my memories and thoughts. I decided it didn't matter how I looked. Frelser would continue to love me, anyway. My great brute of a husband wouldn't care a lick for my scars. Though... He would blame himself for them. It would eat at him. Which meant that I would ask Ita to heal them. The less he saw of me in this condition the better. And even then, it would be likely we would move far out into the wastes. I'd encourage him to build us a home in the mountains somewhere. Where we could raise our children.

"I suppose it would hurt."

I turned my head. The skin on my neck ached and burned as I did. But I came face to face with an older woman. She was missing an ear and one of her eyes was clouded. She was tough, grizzled and by far the oldest elf I had ever laid eyes on. Older still than many men my father associated with before Frelser kicked in the front gate.

"Who are you?" I croaked.

"Don't talk dear," she shook her head as she lifted that bowl again.

"Why are you helping me?"

"We all have our orders," she sighed. "Come on now. I'd rather not force you."

Rather than argue, I opened my mouth and accepted the foul tasting concoction. Swallowing it down, I noticed movement above. It was the first time I had paid attention to my surroundings. It was a covered wagon. Not by a sheet, this was a converted goods wagon. It was built rugged with rafters above to store equipment above our heads.

She gave me more of that liquid as I looked around for what caught my eye. The old elf made a small tutting noise, and I turned my head to look at her.

"Even in my old age, I'm smart enough to ignore the things I'm not really seeing."

"How do you know what's real then?"

She smiled, before sitting back, taking the bowl with her. Part of me was glad about that. It really was a horrible concoction. But it was also good for me in my current state. Without it though, I looked back up into the rafters. And there, where I thought I had spotted the movement. Were a set of eyes and a toothy smile. I did not know how Chessta had gotten in here. Her mother was probably furious with her. But then again. If Chessta was here, that meant Sessa wasn't far off. And that meant the flock knew where I was.

"So," I started again. "Where are we going?"

Chapter Thirteen - Sessa

I could smell her. The ungrateful, sneaky, disobedient little monster that was my daughter. I had never been so proud in my life. Nor had I ever been so furious. The only emotion I had rivalling this was the day I met Husband. I only wish I could have fought even harder. To cement my place as his first wife. But... That was not to be. Eila, dear, sweet, Eila had that honour. Perhaps after all this I would challenge her again.

But that required I rescue her first. Her and my unruly daughter. I soft call from up ahead caught my attention. I looked up and saw the way Hestha fluttered her wings. Since Frelser's return, I had taken the flock under my control once more. And we had set off the moment I realised Chessta was missing.

I knew husband would not wait behind. But the others were injured, missing and spread out. I could move the flock much faster than he could. Even with the beautiful nightmare wife, he could not keep up with us in the sky.

"Hestha, have you found her?"

"Yes!" She cried, beating her wings to regain her speed after waiting for me to catch up.

I snarled to myself. That beautiful daughter of mine would spend the next month sitting on her father's shoulder for this. But that didn't make me any less proud of her. She was a drarskk through and through, despite her calm disposition. Her behaviour still confused me. She hadn't tried to kill a single member of the flock. But she had no problems hunting and killing prey. Even if she occasionally shared. It was all so very strange.