Heir to the Empire

24. The Pommel, Quillion & Blade - Ethelston

At the moment.

"Your relationship with the Black Knife Syndicate, how did it work?" Ethelston asked directly.

"Ahh, so that's why you bless me with your presence. Trouble with the locals?" Millendahl eventually looked around, an arrogant smile fixed between a scraggly greying beard and tainted moustache.

Ethelston thought back to the last time he was this angry, and the poor soul that received the brunt of it. For years he had always managed to temper his anger, self-discipline which made him into one of those renowned mercenaries in the realms of men. On rare occasions, that self-discipline was lost, and the results ended up quite messy.

He must not lose control, by any means necessary. Until after he got what he needed.

"Black Knife Syndicate, explain."

Millendahl walked away from the window, his thin frame crept along the wall, taking an apple from the table. He looked squarely at Ethelston as he took a large bite, juice squirting down his beard.

Just bordering on rage, Ethelston forced his way towards his arrogant uncle, taking the chair and launching it across the room. Watching the chair in shock, Millendahl dropped the apple just as Ethelston has his hands around his throat and lifted him high off the ground.

His grip was horrendously tight, and he could not grasp a breath. Clawing away at Ethelston's hands, he attempted all he could to get even one small breath, but to no avail. As his lungs started to burn, his vision dimmed, his last vision was the pure rage and anger on Ethelston's reddened face.

Eventually, Ethelston released him, allowing him to drop on the floor.

Coughing and spluttering, Millendahl struggled to allow the air to return to his lungs, massaging his neck that had been held like a clamp. He took some long deep breaths, few seemed to allow his lungs to work easily, but eventually his wheezing relaxed, and his breathing return.

"How... How could you, " he coughed "how could you do that to your own uncle?" Millendahl eventually managed to comment.

Ethelston walked frantically up and down the room daring not to look at the helpless man on the floor.

"We are family!" Millendahl continued to goad.

Ethelston stopped dead in his tracks. His face scrunched up like an angry lion as he looked directly at Millendahl. "How do you treat your family uncle?"

Millendahl looked to the floor, holding his throat.

"I may have only been a child, but I remember the day well when you sent your men and your hounds to kill me after you sent them to kill my father." Ethelston pointed towards his cowering uncle.

"The Emperor promised me Ravenscourt as long as I assisted in removing the Aex-Igh's. Your father was stupid in his loyalty towards them, and as his heir, I had to remove you, it was nothing personal." Millendahl explained, using the wall to leverage himself back on his feet.

"Nothing personal? Nothing personal? Explain that to my mother who was ripped apart by the dogs in order to allow me to live. I wonder how you would like the sound of a loved one being torn apart, the screams that still fill my nightmares. I supposed having never loved anyone but yourself, you would never experience that suffering." Ethelston yelled a tear glided down his cheek.

Millendahl stood silent.

An unnerving smile gradually appeared on Ethelston's face as he looked directly at his uncle. "You failed though. You failed to kill me, you failed to kill your brother, and most importantly, you failed to kill the one he was protecting."