Crimson

Chapter Forty-Nine

"What are we to do now?" Zilterra called out to Baron Richtol as he read the official marshaling summons.

"We have no choice, we must go!" Baron Richtol spat.

Glancing through his porthole, he watched as the Legionnaires beneath his vantage point moved about in a hurry. Some heading to the training yards, others quickly sprinting to their next point of duty. Anger swelled within his chest as he saw the future of his power dwindle to nothing.

"What doesth thisth lasth part mean?" Zilterra asked curiously, his speech impediment clear as the beacons of plasma surrounding the room as his orbs moved over an opened scroll spread over the Baron's workplace.

Rummaging through his vials of sangre, Baron Richtol's voice strained as his rage boiled to the surface, "It means we're finished! All of this!" He motioned towards the legionnaires, "Gone." He said softly, nearly in a sob.

Continuing to rummage for full vials of crimson, he shook many gently to hear the swishing contents within before finding his prize. Taking a deep draft of the precious fluid, the Baron closed his orbs as he was taken away to ecstasy.

Rage returned to him as he reminded himself of his loss. The vial shook in his talons as he seethed. Drawing it upward, he bellowed before sending it crashing to the ground, "Lost! All of it! Gone. The Imperial Legate has taken everything away from me! Now I am dust like the former Seeress."

"My lord?" Zilterra asked orbing the Baron.

His orbs became slits as he scrutinized his leader before him. Irritation billowed like smoke within him. Seeing someone, he followed becoming so vulnerable nauseated him. Zilterra's mind moved to ripping the scales of the Baron, one by one. Meeting out the discomfort, which blazed deep within him.

Continuing to wallow in his own selfishness, Baron Richtol mumbled, "I should have never killed her."

Zilterra's orbs widened as he heard those words. A predatory smile etched across his face as he leaned in, hoping to hear more.

"All is lost. I can't even go to the wisest among us for council any longer." The Baron said in barely a whisper.

"My Lord?" Zilterra asked greedily picking apart pieces of this succulent secret.

Awoken from his revelry, Baron Richtol made to speak, opening his mouth while nothing followed. Glancing downward, his orbs met the floor as they moved about piecing together the next words to say.

Grabbing a tightly bound scroll, Richtol examined his marking before tossing it to the feet of a confused Zilterra. Silently, he glanced down at it before returning his gaze to the Baron who gestured irritated for him to pick it up.

Keeping his orbs upon the Baron, Zilterra bent down to pick up the scroll while saying, "What isth thith?"

"Your new orders." The Baron said standing, heading over to his crimson supply, his bloated body shaking the ground with each step.

Slowly opening the scroll, Zilterra's orbs swiftly scan the text, engulfing its meaning as one tasting the powerful essence of sangre for the first time. His orbs widened as he neared the end while the downtrodden Baron glanced on before pouring himself a small draft of crimson from a newly found container.

"What say you?" The Baron inquired.

"M-my Lord? How could thisth be? I don't thsee how I could even take on thisth role." Zilterra said masking his elation with meekness.

Gesturing in annoyance, the Baron said petulantly mocking Zilterra, "How could thisth be?" Shifting his tone to sharpness, the Baron urged, "Do you want it or not? Perhaps I could ask one of the other San. The more qualified and respected San to take up this mantle." He ruthlessly teased.

Flatly, Zilterra said, "No. I accthept." His orbs honed in on the Baron as he neared an open porthole.

His outline darkened as the light of the terra god poured into the room. Zilterra slowly moved toward the Baron as he smiled softly. His biolight steadied as he moved ever closer to the leader of the fledgling legionnaires.

Softly, he said, "What did you mean when you thsaid you shouldn't have killed her?"

"Huh?! Er, What business do you have in this?" The Baron said coughing up some flecks of crimson, which went down his throat uncomfortably.

"My Lord, I don't mean any dithsrespect. I merely dethsired to help bring some thsolace to you." Zilterra said, measuring a full cup of soothing care while continuing to close the distance sneakily, stealthily as a predator nearing their prey.

Glancing down upon his legionnaires, the Baron said flatly, "Your speech is an abomination! I detest how you sound!" He bellowed in his office as his voice reverberated through the stone walls. After a few moments, his body sunk a little while sullenly continuing, "What does it all matter. We are doomed after all. Fodder sent to the permanent deathstate. That is your path." The Baron said pointing toward the Nordac, where the legion moved towards. "They are yours now, Sagami Zilterra." Richtol said letting the statement land. Continuing, he said, "Now go, lead them to disaster." Taking another draft of sangre, Richtol turned to see Zilterra a breath away. "What...is the meaning of this? Move aside, Zilterra."

Ignoring this, Zilterra inquired with hard orbs containing an intensity burning through the Baron, "The her you meant earlier. Wasth that the Thseeress?"

"Move ASIDE." Richtol ordered as his biolight flickered nervously.

The hardness in Zilterra's orbs washed over the Baron. Not the orbs of an Ak-Wo, no, his orbs appeared detached, cold, absent empathy, lacking any semblance of connection to anyone. A cold chill shot through Richtol's scales.

Reaching out his talons to the Baron's chest, Sagami Zilterra traced an unknown symbol upon it while continuing to ignore the Baron's commands. Slowly, his orbs met the gaze of Richtol as he swam in his terror, his agony.

Smiling, Zilterra took his time to speak, saying, "It wasth her, huh? Glad to thsee you were able to get thsome life fluid on your scaleths." Leaning in so he could hear his words in their totality, "Now it is my turn to bathe in life fluid. Thstarting with your own."

"What? How?" Richtol said before shaking his head, regaining a semblance of himself, "Stand down! You have no power here."

"No." Zilterra responded flatly.

"You dare?!" Baron Richtol bellowed.

"Of coursthe." Zilterra said holding up his promotion scroll. "You allowed me to dare, you bloated fool."

Pushing hard against the Baron's chest, Zilterra heaved with the totality of his strength as he pushed the weakened form of the Baron through his porthole. Cradling him, the warm air flowed passed him as his orbs and biolight exuded the greatest of horrors. Above him, the smile of Zilterra shone in the porthole as it shrank in size while the Baron plummeted to his crashing end.

Glancing down, Zilterra's smile faded as he spat at the sprawled corpse of Richtol. Crashing upon a hall of gloom, many Legionnaires quickly examined the crash site as Zilterra watched above.

With his talons clenched around his promotion scroll, the newly promoted, Sagami Zilterra spat, "Pitiful fool."

Moving away from the porthole as well as the commotion brewing beneath him, Zilterra turned triumphantly as he marched his way to the Nordac. His smile widened as his mind moved toward the raw power he held with this scroll.

"Time to enact some changes." He thought to himself as his lighting mechanism flurried in a frenzy of joy.

Zilterra's mind passed over the images of his former peers. The training san. Imagining their faces as they discovered the new path of leadership as well as his ability to meet out pain and torment for those who questioned his standing, his stomachs leapt as he quickened his pace.

Walking into the light of the terra god, the boom boom boom of the Nordac swelled his audioles as he closed his orbs, silently swallowing the energy of the light around him. Taking in his newfound presence, his unquestionable power.  

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