Heir to the Empire

29. Light the Pyre - Erdudvyl

As the crowd grew larger, her hatred for humans grew stronger, why would she risk everything for one of them?

She remembered back to the times she had spent with Loldirr. Their frustrations, their laughing, their crying. The time Loldirr hugged her on learning all Erdudvyl had sacrificed in order to follow Loldirr here.

Loldirr is the Elemental Sorceress, she is the rightful Empress of the Isovine Empire. This woman had shown compassion, mercy, fortitude and strength. Loldirr had also shown passion, justice and righteousness, she didn't just deserve Erdudvyl's loyalty, she deserved Erdudvyl's life.

The drums sounded loud, thumping with the rhythm of the steps of the Halbadiers that escorted Loldirr into the courtyard. Loldirr was barefoot and still in her nightgown, yet somehow, despite all she had endured, she still looked full of pride.

The crowd roared as she approached. Shouting abuse and hurling insults towards the redhead that tried to keep her head held high.

If only the people knew who she was, would they allow this to happen, would they abuse her, or would they attempt to rescue her?

Erdudvyl wondered if their approach had been all wrong. Would it have been better to reach the masses, to gather momentum among the locals before attempting to overthrow the Emperor, or would that have caused a massacre of biblical proportions?

The crowd were starting to get more aggressive, trying to push their way through the Halbadiers to reach the red-haired woman with who they knew nothing about but wanted to see killed so desperately.

It was at this time that Erdudvyl spotted the Emperor and Nimue on the Battlements to watch the execution. They were not interested in the events below, as the guards struggled to push back the restless crowd, they were not interested in the poor helpless woman being led to her death. They just focused on the balcony where Erdudvyl sat, wanting to watch the levels of helplessness that Erdudvyl was feeling.

Desperately trying to remain emotionless, Erdudvyl struggled to hold the tears back as she watched the masses hurl untold abuse at Loldirr. As Loldirr was lifted up to the scaffold, she knew this was the last time she could attempt to phase to the angry mob below.

Watching as Loldirr attempted to wriggle from the grasp of the guards below, but to no avail, Erdudvyl watched as the executioner forced Loldirr back against the large piece of wood sticking up from the ground. She watched as the rope was thrown around her friend and tightened behind her back. Erdudvyl winced as she could just about see the anguish on Loldirr's face as the rope was pulled tight, causing burn marks on her skin and drastically reducing the blood flow to her fingers. She watched as the Executioner slapped Loldirr for no reason but to stir the crowd into a greater frenzy.

She closed her eyes and focused as the rope was used to bound Loldirr's feet.

With the last parts of the pyre being built around Loldirr's feet, the crowd started to roar ferociously. Their anger and resentment seemed to fuel Erdudvyl's desperation, her breathing became panicked, her focus was starting to dwindle.

Erdudvyl had to succeed, this had to happen now.

She tried to focus on nothing but her breathing, but her concentration was easily broken by the booming voice of Emperor Arnaud III.

"Here stands a traitor of the Empire, " the Emperor bellowed "let this be a lesson to all who dare threaten the Isovine Empire. Those who wish to see the Empire burn will burn in its place."

The crowd's roar seemed to crescendo exponentially, it was a roar that Erdudvyl had never before heard or comprehended. The anger was irrational, the lust for death unparalleled. She had to phase. It was now or never.

With all her concentration, focusing on the point where she wanted to be, to be by the side of her friend staring death in the face.

A breeze drifted around Erdudvyl, it flowed around her like calm water, making every nerve in her body relax. The breeze started to become more tumultuous, buffetting her aggressively as if she was being pushed in multiple directions. Her head felt light and floating, her whole body then started to feel it too, causing a pure feeling of ecstasy. Aggression and calm simultaneously caressing her body were exhilarating, and the more aggression she felt, the more calm she received.

It was happening, she was phasing, she had to focus on that feeling. There was nothing around her now, no balcony, no angry mob, no Lionmane, just floating in an endless void yet feeling like she was being buffeted around like a ragdoll, and then it stopped, so suddenly.

Opening her eyes, she smiled at the realisation that she had successfully phased. The smile grew to despair as she took in her surroundings.

It was the same balcony, the same tower, the same castle, yet she had simply moved a metre from her original position.

Her heart sank as she looked towards the flaming torch in the executioner's hand, as he edged towards the pyre with Loldirr wriggling to set herself free. She felt like death as the crowd called for it, she wanted to embrace it as the Emperor raised his hand for the order to be given.

She watched in agony as the executioner eagerly threw the torch into the pyre causing it to enthusiastically ignite.