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"IMMA GET YOU PAID!"
lol
😂😂💀
* * *
Something is not right. Commander Austin can feel it. He has this feeling for a while now as he led his troops in patrolling the borders. It may seem like things are going according to plan, but there is this one tiny little nagging feeling in his gut that something isn't quite right.
The borders surrounding Arcade city was filled with the imperial army, all in their shiny gold and blue armor. Those in command had longer capes with various intricate linings that indicates their official ranks and kingdoms of origin, while everybody else only has the standard-issue imperial military garb. Everybody was moving according to their designated positions, on the look out and ready for anything.
Reports came in that the empress has arrived in the imperial city and immediately went on her way inside the castle. No time was wasted soon after she gave several specific instructions. Instead of wrecking havoc on their way in, Lauren insisted on sneaking through the temple, opening the sky for the griffins by use of magic. There was no need for destruction when there's a way to avoid that.
She can achieve retracting the protective barrier by being on the spot where one focal point of all magic within the castle is located, while someone else goes to manually unlock mechanisms that will allow the imperial troops on land to get in.
Majority of the council worried it was too risky. Especially when there's only one other person who can accompany her.
But she reassured everybody it was the best option. The castle is very well equipped with the empire's finest and most efficient weaponry. Its defensive structure was perfectly made to shield everyone inside from any and all forms of attack. Only Lauren knows the full structure and capacity of the entire place.
It was a reasonable choice the council agreed on.
A choice that Commander Austin agreed to with everybody else back in Oakridge.
It was a sound plan. It should go well. Especially when him and his troops didn't find anything suspicious across the borders or encountered any sneak attacks. Especially when Lucy the elf assured him just now that she and her team caught nothing suspicious as well as they patrolled from the air. But the feeling is there.
Ominous and bothersome . . .
But just as they are all about to carry on, Lucy stops.
"What's wrong?"
"A vision . . ."
"What did you see?"
Worry and urgency was evident in her tone, "We must get to the empress, commander. She is in danger!"
That gut feeling of commander Austin has is once again correct.
* * *
He trusts Lauren completely but he can't help doubting that Camila person.
Along with every other horsemen in massive military formation, Shawn was given the command to lead all the imperial troops on land, pledges from all the other kingdoms standing united under his command. It didn't matter if a lord from a kingdom had higher status or rank than him, or some general had seen through many other battles. Everybody on the ground answered to him and must follow his lead until the empress revokes that authority.
He arrived with the troops in record time. He wasn't worried about the plan. He knows that the empress will execute it to the dot no matter what. It's Camila he was really concerned about. He doesn't know her and he doesn't trust what he doesn't know. He tried to find any references to Camila and her friends in the limited time he had but found nothing. It really bothers him.
However, empress Lauren fully trusts this Camila person and her friends. It's clearer than crystal water that the two of them have something deeply personal going on. Perhaps his prejudice lies on that fact. Lauren is his friend and he only wants the best for her and the future of the empire. He just honestly thinks that Camila isn't right for her on that regard.
He'd really like to speak his mind about the matter. They are all in a precarious moment, who knows where betrayal comes from. Nobody thought it would come from Bunloaf, a once unassuming and humble county from the south, yet Brad managed to fool them all.
Who knows what this person who just came out of nowhere is capable of.
But then, he had a massive imperial troops on his command, his responsibility. In that very second, that is his task and he should focus on that.
Anytime now, the empress and that canola person will have all points of entry open for them.
The imperial forces lined up according to their kingdoms of origin. As the appointed leader, Shaen was up front with his selected second-in-commands that consists of two lieutenants from each Arcadian kingdom, as well as a phalanx of warriors behind him, flanked on both sides by the centaurs of Clifden. He dispatched his lieutenants to direct the troops to take positions on the castle's every entry on the ground, ready to get inside once it is opened. He had given the command to assemble the ladders and battering rams, as well as the catapults, just in case. He was prepared, he had everybody else prepared.
But no amount of preparedness is enough for what was about to come their way . . .
* * *
It was like a portal. Some kind of magic portal.
According to Lauren, it was created by the first emperor as a way to connect the sacred and resilient temple of Arcade city to the imperial castle. A means of secret passage for the imperial ruler to a spiritual commune.
As leadership and strife came hand in hand with change of time, the passage became a means of refuge and escape.
There was an actual physical route, but Lauren opted the one with magic because it is more efficient since they are time pressed at the moment. Who knows what crazy shit Alejandro has done to the imperial family's home and the people in it.
From the glowing hall of the imperial temple, the empress and the bandit now find themselves in the middle of an empty sitting room; there are no windows but there was a fireplace, paintings depicting Lauren's relatives, presumably, lined the walls and the furniture consists only of a single couch and a coffee table. There was no door in sight but there was one bookshelf in the corner.
"Remember, on the south and the north gates, you must pull all the red levers all the way up; the north and south gates, push all the yellow levers down,"
Lauren hands over a small parchment with a clear description of the quickest route to the garrison quarters where all mechanisms for the gates are. It is where she should go the moment they leave that room, which was a passage behind the bookshelf.
Camila was reluctant to leave Lauren alone to go and remove the magical invisible barrier that covers the entirety of the castle grounds from above. But the plan was for them to go separately so she can unlock the castle's four massive gates at the same time as the empress lifts the magic off of their heads.
"Try not to get killed okay? I trust you with this because I know you can do it. You know them well and I know the entire castle best. Let's work simultaneously so we can finally put an end to this terror. But most importantly, that whatever you do, don't engage in any fighting and risk getting caught . . . Or killed," It's pretty clear that Lauren herself was reluctant as well, considering that not too long ago, she almost lost Camila in one tiny serpentina cut.
"I won't. I promise, I'll open the gates for you before I go kill the bastard—"
"Camz . . ."
"Alright, alright . . . Fine, you won't have my hands get dirty with his filthy blood and let the official Arcadian law do it's job of ending him, blah blah blah . . . But really, are you going to be okay on your own?"
The empress smiles at her, "Like I said, I know this castle, I know all the shortcuts and passages. I'll be fine on my own for the next fifteen minutes and I know you will be too," she kisses Camila firmly on the mouth, it was more for her own reassurance than the bandit's, "Meet you at the great hall in fifteen minutes?"
"Meet you there in fifteen, my love,"
Fifteen minutes later and indeed they meet at the threshold of the great hall. But instead of fighting together against one enemy, Camila and Lauren battled against each other . . .
There was no trouble for the bandit as she went to open the gates. The plan on her side went smoothly well despite every lever she had to pull or push were as big as a broadsword and heavier than life itself. Despite that, it all went a bit suspiciously too well for her. She was able to reach the garrison quarters without any serpentina noticing her to execute her task. She sensed something wasn't quite right but she cannot slow down, her fiancée is counting on her. And indeed, when all the gates were opened, something went wrong the moment the imperial troops marched their way inside the castle grounds.
Meanwhile, Lauren took a little bit of time. One, because the tragic memory of the last time she was home was giving her that lost feeling, a painful nostalgia, a reminder that she is now an orphan. And worse, she didn't get to say a proper goodbye to her parents; who knows what Brad actually did to the remains of her father and mother.
Then second, all the shortcuts she knows about were mostly guarded by vicious-looking serpentina brutes. Except for one where she finds her dear friend prince Zayn, tied and gagged and being dragged by one serpentina bandit. The two were going further away, as if they were avoiding getting noticed by the crowd of serpentina bandits.
The empress got herself a little detour in an attempt to free her friend. Only to find out that, Jelena, the serpentina bandit dragging Zayn was actually helping him escape. For what reasons, the empress didn't get to find out because then Jelena told her that the Astorians amongst the imperial army will betray them. They have been under influence for a while now cast by Alejandro using the Arcadian artifact known as the rod of Asclepius.
She must warn the first person she finds and that was Hailee, who was already waiting for her signal from above with the rest of the griffin-riding warriors of Arcadia. Reluctantly, she allows Jelena to lead Zayn out of the castle inconspicuously despite his insistence of help. It was imperative that the only heir of Javaad is safe from all of this. After hugging him goodbye for the moment, she rushed to where she needs to be.
An oak tree, a central living figure where the magic surrounding the castle is the strongest.
Empress Lauren sneaks up to it, up to the center of it where the branches meet the trunk, surrounded by lush green leaves and slumbering fireflies. She breathes in the life of the tree then breathes out a silent incantation. The invisible magical barrier starts retracting, and as it does, she taps a tree branch several times. Colors flicker and glow bright as the sleeping fireflies wake up.
That was the signal for Hailee.
The queen of Oakridge now knows it's time to rain down on the castle grounds. She now knows as well that they have been betrayed.
Lauren then rushes to the great hall to meet Camila. A huge fight already broke out everywhere she looks. The Astorians started attacking their fellow imperial troops the moment they started marching inside the castle grounds. She even had to defend herself several times on her way to the great hall.
And when she did, she finds her love standing next to Alejandro. Her eyes were no longer that rich russet color it used to have, that deep soulful brown Lauren loves so much was gone.
It has become dull gray. Blank and empty.
She knew right then and there that the lord of serpents has done something to her Camz.
Alejandro smiles wickedly at her, raises the golden staff that once belonged to the empire and points it towards her.
He only had one word for Camila.
"Kill . . ."
* * *
"I can't see anything,"
"The barrier is invisible. You can't see it but if you try to fly your way down the castle with the ill intent of attacking, you and your griffin will disintegrate into dust,"
Hailee replies.
"Then, how do we know if its good to go? I don't think we can hover here for forever y'all," Ally asks.
She has been keeping a bit of a small talk with the Oakridge queen. Surprisingly enough, both of them felt easy and comfortable about it despite the short time they have spent with each other and the obvious difference in their status.
"We drop your little ass down, of course," Simona quips.
Hailee chuckles. Dinah and Normani too. Usually, the short one has a quick reply to Simona's every jab at her. But right now, she doesn't care if it means hearing Hailee's laugh. Even if it was at her expense.
"We wouldn't want you turning into dust miss Ally . . . the empress and I have a signal," Hailee tells the short one, "We used to have it when were kids and we try to sneak around guards or handmaidens, it was a really good distraction. You'll see soon enough, I'm looking at it right now actually,"
Simona and the lionhearts followed Hailee's line of vision but all they can see was a mass of green leaves from the various trees, lined and kept trimmed. It led to the maze garden of flowers and a man-made lake was located dead center of the imperial castle's open court.
They were positioned by the west wing side of the castle. However, the thousands of griffin riders were spread out, circled around the entire area above the castle. Ready to zoom in onto the ground once Hailee brings down her hand signal for everybody.
Neither Simona or the lionhearts can pinpoint what it is exactly Hailee was looking at.
They can see the rushed activity down below. The serpentinas inside seems like they won't go down without a big fight against this massive imperial troops that are about to stampede on them. There are only a handful of them compared to the legion of Arcadian warriors, but they sure seem to be prepared to battle to the death down there.
It took several more minutes before Simona spotted Lauren, sneaking her way in a proverbial den full snakes. Even for an old woman, her sight is as sharp as an eagle's. It only takes to know what to look for, or in this case, who to look out for. She swore to herself that she won't allow anything bad happen to Lauren, and it has always been easy for her to recognize the girl. She swears by Michael's name that she will protect his daughter, by her last breath she will see through her ascension as the one true empress of this empire.
She has had some reservations about their plan but her faith in the young empress is far more great than her doubts.
Simona and the lionhearts are still trying to decipher what exactly Hailee was looking at when the old woman caught sight of the empress quickly climbing a large oak tree by the footbridge over the man-made lake. Lauren disappears under the lush leaves and only then Hailee raises her left hand, preparing her signal for all the griffin riders.
Then, they see it. At first glance, it only looks like a subtle, nonsensical flickering fairy lights of different colors with no particular pattern, but Hailee was counting quietly. There was a pattern to the colors and a specific number of flickering that corresponds to a message.
Only Hailee can understand what it meant and when she does, her eyes widen in horror.
"Oh no,"
Simona whips her head to the Oakridge queen and back to where Lauren is, "What is it?"
The fairy lights turned out to be a sparkle of multicolored fireflies as they all flew southward. Hailee knew exactly what it means and she drops her left hand as the go signal. Then she yells for everyone to hear.
"Astorians are in alliance with the serpents! They have betrayed us!!"
There wasn't time to ponder whether Hailee's claim was due to her barely resolved rift with the kingdom of Astoria or not. As the majority of the griffin-ridden troops from Masedovia and Oakridge rained down on the imperial castle grounds, a good number of them were knocked out by the sudden turn of the Astorians flying amongst them.
Similar event was happening on the ground. Only it was worse because most of Astoria's soldiers are among the phalanx marching towards the castle. Even though the gates had been opened wide, it took a while for the imperial troops to barge in and apprehend the bandits inside because Astorians who were once standing alongside everybody else started attacking their fellow Arcadians.
Astoria was only one kingdom, but their actions has taken everyone off guard. Especially when their queen swore absolute fealty and submission to the empress.
Shawn was struggling, fighting back against the serpentinas and his own people. But he has one track mind and only one priority. He steered his horse, and alongside the ever loyal lord Agaso and the centaurs, they galloped towards the glorious Arcadian castle.
The same priority that runs in Hailee's mind. And most definitely Simona's only mission to accomplish in her life.
And that is to protect the empress of Arcadia at any cost . . .
* * *
He relished in the pandemonium happening around him.
He never thought he could ever wield the rod of Asclepius, yet here he is. Xavier had a strong attachment to the artifact that he made sure only he could use it. But since his death, his power over it waned and Alejandro carefully kept the golden staff to himself until such time he can actually hold it, use it.
And now, the perfect moment has arrived for him to wield his mentor's favored weapon. Well, it wasn't really a weapon but more like an instrument intended to amplify medicinal properties of certain potions. It was supposed to heal people.
But Xavier thwarted its purpose. Instead of making medicinal concoctions, he used it to brew the most deadly poisons imaginable.
Also, the banished prince of Arcadia really did inspire Alejandro. So well that other than intending to use the ancient artifact for crimes, he also defiled it with all the faerie blood he acquired in all of his kills. Including the blood of the last faerie monarch who birthed that disappointing excuse of a daughter of his.
Stupid faeries . . .
At least now, he can reap the fruit of his hardwork training that little bitch and keeping her mother alive. Now, she can finally serve her only purpose. And that is to be his weapon to end the oh-so-righteous noble imperial house of Jauregui.
There was a specific reason why he kept Sinu alive all those years. It took a lot of time to twist and alter the magical properties of the rod of Asclepius. As long as the time he needed to plot this particular moment of seizing the imperial castle. And it required a lot of noble faerie blood to accomplish that and a lot more coerced witches and wizards to do the dirty job. He could have used his daughter's blood but he deemed it wasn't pure enough, thanks to his contribution on that.
But Camila's skill as a fighter is the most impeccable that he has seen over the years and he definitely used that to his advantage.
Besides, word has it that the emperor's daughter is also an impeccable fighter herself.
He'd love to see which one is a better murderer, the heir of emperor Michael or his own flesh and blood, the heir of the mighty lord of serpents.
But really, he just loves to see people die morbidly.
He watched as his serpents battle the imperial army. He watched as the stupid, tight-assed Astorians mindlessly attack their own people. He wanted to laugh at how stupid they had been, he only had to pillage one of their towns and contaminate their water system with his special brew. A concoction that was infused with the cursed properties of the rod of Asclepius which allows them to do his bidding, some form of mind control over them.
It wasn't Brad who sent the Astorians to Oakridge. It was all him. All he had to do was wave the golden staff to a general's face who drank the contaminated water and bam, he goes to follow his orders to go along with Bunloaf and attack Oakridge where he was most certain the empress will be hiding.
And just about two minutes ago, he did the exact same thing to Camila. He took her free will and replaced it with his.
Although his daughter didn't have a sip of that water, her mother's blood runs in her veins. Noble blood that tarnished the magical artifact. One word of incantation is all it took and he now have Camila murdering the empress Lauren several yards away from his view.
A wonderful view that is now being blocked by the clowns standing before him. Heaving deep breaths as they all had to go through a massive breakout of fighting to get to him.
The Oakridge queen and that scrawny excuse of an imperial guard, a big joke of a commander, both of whom he heard take direct orders from the young empress Lauren to take the rod of Asclepius from him.
And of course, there was also his favorite comic relief of them all, the lionbutts.
"Drop the rod of Asclepius! It is over!" The Oakridge queen demands.
How dare this stupid bitch yell at him like that.
"We have you surrounded, Alejandro, there's no way out for you anymore," And another bitch clown speaks.
"Fancy seeing you here, goldilocks," He greets the tallest member of the lionbutts, "How's thieving going on for you lion fellas?"
That scrawny thing and the Oakridge bitch exchanged glances.
"Much better than your dead snakes, asshole,"
Alejandro rises up from the imperial throne and stares down the people below him, standing so tensely at the bottom steps of his throne. In one blinding swing, he had every single one of them scrambling from the ground, stunned at the unbelievable strength and speed of his strike.
He's no magical being at all, but the gallons of faerie blood he consumed over the years most definitely has magic. It gave him the strength no one expects from an average middle-aged person like him.
He was quick and strong. Ally and Normani was immediately thrown off despite both of their collective efforts. The same went with Hailee and Shawn. They are obviously no match for him.
Now the lord of serpents is currently exchanging blow after hard blow of swords with both Simona and Dinah. He doesn't know where the old woman gets her strength, but it was clear that she has had training and experience in the way she battled him. The tall one on the other hand, he kind of expects it because afterall, she is half faerie. Daughter of a faerie prince. There is an untapped power inside of her that she never fully realized she has. Alejandro will not be stupid enough to trigger that.
He knows he must end her once and for all. Because other than the Arcadian empress, the only other threat to his eventual rule is the true heir of Zaragoza.
So, he strikes. And he strikes hard. His opponents truly and fully struggle.
Hailee and Shawn recover. However, before they could get to Alejandro, they were soon get preoccupied battling some very skilled Astorian fighters. They have come to a point once again where they had to defend themselves but not wanting to injure a fellow Arcadian.
Normani and Ally recover as well, but they don't get to fight Alejandro long enough because he strikes at the both of them with such strength and agility that they barely dodged some deadly cuts from his blade.
The lord of serpents is fighting four women all at once and he enjoys their struggle.
He kicks Simona particularly hard on her chest, the old woman skids off several feet from everyone. Then, he finally cuts through Normani and Ally's skin simultaneously; one at the shoulder, the other at the arm. Making the two of them fatally bleed.
Seconds away from their deaths . . .
"NOOO!!!"
Dinah screams. And with rage, unfathomable blinding rage, she runs mindlessly to strike at Alejandro.
Only to be disarmed and get stabbed in her stomach with that darkened sword of his, ripe with every poison he made.
The true heir of Zaragoza finally falls and Alejandro is celebrating in his dark, twisted mind. He can almost see success shining over the horizon.
There's only one monarch left to kill and his spawn will do the job for him . . .
* * *
🏃🏻♀️💨💨