Lumeni: Ekpyrosis

Vol II: Deal with the Devil

TW: Violence/Gore

Central Früstia Continent

Ruby Capital Castle

In Frost's Office...

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I have way too much on my plate. At first it was simple, take out Truder and stabilize the nation, but now there is a western force attacking both of us?! I should have accounted for that. My arrogance in our power brought the Ruby Empire to where it is today, and I am not willing to let it fall! But what I am willing to do, is to lose a few battles to win the war.

"Emperor! I brought the prisoner!" Hunter, my main guard, called in before bringing in my most valuable capture yet. Once he was in the room the guard lowered him to his knees, bruised all over. Some of my guards do not understand my idea of hospitality, well, that is paperwork for another time.

"At ease, Hunter, head outside until I give you a call back." I remarked back, just to get me alone with the person in front of me. Once he left, upon hearing the door close, I finally decided to speak to him. "So, you are probably wondering why I called you here today, Former King Shade."

All I got back was silence, he was either too paralyzed in fear or too unwilling to cooperate with me.

"I can understand your hatred, but I have realized that my empire has slightly overextended. That is why I called you here today."

I looked down in pity at this man in front of me, he probably feels horrible about his home, the one I destroyed. How much can I bet that he will just sit there-

"But...why?" Shade quietly spoke, although through much pain. 'I really need to re-train my guards.'

"What do you mean?"

"Why...why now? Why did you finally realize this after you destroyed my home?! WHY AM I THE ONLY ONE WITH NO PLACE LEFT?!" He shouted at me, tears coming out of his eyes as he looked at me with a face of anguish.

What do I say to that? There is no response, he is absolutely right. If I decided to wait to take over his home, this civil war would not have happened. He was literally the last chance I had at maintaining this empire at its' height! But what do I say to him, do I acknowledge his truth, admit that I am a horrible leader? No! What if someone is listening in? That would cause more chaos, I need to think of what I am going to say, where nobody is left at fault.

"That's it huh? You can't say anything after I told you the truth?!" Well, that remark pulled me out of my thoughts, although it was rather harsh. At least I finally have what I am going to say at the forefront of my mind now.

"Oh! Sorry about that, I was thinking of the best way to put this since much as happened since your capture. You see, it was by sheer circumstance that the proof of overextension came to me after I annexed your lands. I was thinking my garrisons were low in the lower Mantios Continent, and now that is proven to me. I should have waited to do anything else and stabilized Mantios first."

Shade just looked down silently, "So, no matter what I would have done, I was always going to be invaded? Even with what you had just acquired?!" he said, words laced with venom.

"No, that is not complete-" I tried to explain before being cut off again.

"You're a prick, scam, and an utter asshole."  Shade said, chuckling between statements, "And that is why you are going to explain to me everything before I kill you."

"Wait, what?" I said confused, before Shade stood up and dropped his shackles, completely unlocked. "How did you-?"

"It is simple once you save the smallest chicken bones from your meals, you should fix that." Shade said, before holding the bone in front of him like a needle. "Also, being able to fake some emotions helps, but I didn't need to this time I am already emotionally unstable!"