CHAPTER 16 | AN UPRISING EMPIRE
"Men are drunk with the idea of a world they only can create. However, nothing would be possible without women."
___
SOMA LAZARUS
Watching other people and even animals engage in life-or-death combat in the Colosseum of Helios gave me some pleasure. For a male, enjoying roughness is nothing out of the ordinary; perhaps not for a woman. However, what really gets my heart racing is watching one monster use all of its might to attack another. After all, the strong usually prevail while the weak always fall short. Werewolves fighting werewolves, vampires fighting vampires, and even a mix of the two. Even now and then, we see wood elves go against nature, which is against their nature as guardians. It's incredibly funny. It's amusing to watch them tremble and lose their ability to move.
I observed a wood elf fighting a ferocious and enraged grizzly bear with a spear while looking down into the pit as she shook in her boots. I think it terribly pitiful that the elf will lose, but it shouldn't come as much of a surprise. Unfortunately, the bear approaches the elf while standing up straight and extending its enormous claws. As she watches the animal leap on her, the elf weeps in fear. As the bear begins to claw out the victim's guts, blood splatters all over the ground. Everyone applauds and even boos when they see how quickly and painlessly the wood elf died. Despite ripping her to pieces, the bear continued to attack. It continued to consume her dead body for some reason.
As I sat in my ornately carved gold chair, I rolled my eyes. I kept having fruit and wine brought to me by servants, but I don't enjoy such luxuries. I need a beer and a turkey leg. I prefer that kind of luxury.
"Does this show not satisfy you, M'lady?" asks my advisor, who approaches me and bows slightly before speaking into my ear.
I said, "I've seen worse, Sebastien," as I waved my hand to catch his attention and turned to face him.
"You're about to see something better, I suppose."
Behind the big metal fence, one of the cages let forth a loud, echoing growl. My brows wrinkled a little, but I succumbed to being sucked into what was going to occur. The sound of the chains clanking was quite irritating as the iron gate slowly rose. A lone vampire who was fully chained up was expelled by four hunters. He displays his enormous, pointed teeth, which he uses to pierce any tough skin, while he looks around in terror and wrath. That's when it dawned on me. I stand up from my chair and look down at him with astonished eyes.
"That isn't possible. . ." I muttered.
"Oh, but it's possible," As he circles my chair in response, Sebastien puts his hand on my shoulder and mutters in my ear with a sly grin, "Introducing, Elirodoro Fino—a member of the Baldasassare council!"
"How on earth did you even manage to capture him?" I gasped as I stared at him.
"Throughout the assault on Markarth. Simply put, his troops were outnumbered by about three hundred men. Additionally, we do have giants."
"Great job," I told him as I turned to face him with a smile of pride. He makes a small bow and turns to face the battleground. "Good work, indeed."
Elirodoro is encircled by chains that shatter, but due to his frail body, he falls to the ground and comes to rest on his knees. Running his fingers over his irritated skin, he gasps for oxygen. He glares at me while staring up, exposing his beastly teeth in the process. I smirked at him while circling my beer in the cup. Upon discovering that the opponent will be everyone's favorite, the audience erupts in stronger cheers.
Orcs. Otherwise known as Razir.
Elirodoro turns his head in the direction of Razir, who had stomped up to him. He looks like a fierce animal with his green leather skin, enormous bottom fangs that stuck out of his lip, highly muscular build, and how he snarls. a powerful one. "What a little little vampire," he laughs as he throws his axe around.
Elirodoro jumps to his feet once more and readies his capabilities. His eyes flash rapidly like the sun above us, and his entire arms burst into flames. Instead of responding, he waits for Razir to take the initiative. The orc charges at him while brandishing his axe and growls. Elirodoro is cut in half by him as he stretches out his arms, but his body explodes in flames. Now that it's possible Elirodoro will be a tougher opponent than anyone Razir has faced, everyone is on edge. Razir snarls angrily, but his ire only became hotter the more hits he delivered on Elirodoro. Even some of the metal in his axe began to melt.
Elirodoro murmurs under his breath, "Alright," and extends his arms. "My turn ugly."
He charges Razir and puts his hands on his chest as he approaches quickly. Before Razir could react, his eyes widened and he screamed as he felt a hot, boiling rush churning inside of him. The more he struggled to move, the more anguish he experienced, and his body became paralyzed.
"Explode. . ."
Razir's entire body then abruptly disintegrates into sizable pieces of flesh. Everyone cries as his charred bone fragments that lands amongst the onlookers. Elirodoro snatches Razir's head and hurls it towards me, saying, "You're next," with a pointed finger.
Laughing, I said, "Interesting."
I'm suddenly approached by a woman, who bows to me and says, "You have a visitor, my Lady."
"And who's got to be that?"
"Your brother."
Already he is here? That was swift.
~
I went to the docks and came across Axel and his crew. "Ah, my great little sister," he says as he turns to face me. "How are you doing?" We both asked as we shook hands and grabbed each other's forearms.
I grinned, "Brother, need not to worry about me. I might be your little sister, but my muscles are definitely bigger than your blade," I joked as I laughed. "I'm doing fantastic. Come, we need to catch up on a lot of things. I do have some inquiries I'd like to make to you as well. But first, let's rejoice over your arrival and Markarth's victory!" I remarked as I released him and moved toward the Solitude Keep.
After entering, Axel and I both took seats at a table covered in nord beer and a variety of meats, including turkey legs, boar meat, sausages, beef, and other meats of all kinds. The music jazzed loudly while everyone laughed and danced and went around the hallways brandishing their wooden swords. "I haven't been here for a very long time, sister," Axel said after finishing his beer. "Nothing has changed around here."
"You're too occupied in Magnus, that's why you loose touch with what the rest of the world looks like!" I say aloud, "A land covered with muck, rain, and nothing! It's dull. You always reside in one region of the Seven Kingdoms—and it's the worst one yet. Before everything else around us destroyed, go out and enjoy it! The generosity of war won't be as great as it is now."
He says, "You know I can't do that right now, Soma." His grin vanishes, and he turns to stare at his meal.
Along with him, my smile faded, and I could feel his sorrow and rage. "Brother, put the past behind you. The situation for your daughter is long gone. There was nothing you could've done to prevent what has happened. She is in the Beyond; somewhere better than here. Since she passed away fourteen years ago, she wouldn't want you to mourn for her. It's been so long. I miss my niece too, but what we can do is make victories under her name," I said and drank my beer. Slamming my wooden cup, I sighed. "I know Nyx's escape is bothering you too. But no need to be so worried. There has been news that she resides in Gwyar. You can also locate Nyx there. My guys have already been dispatched to keep watch."
"I do not care about Nyx right now," Axel looks at me and sighs, "I miss my little girl, my poor sweet Frida."
"Together, we will exterminate the monsters, all of us. We'll rule and reclaim what is rightfully ours. The Gods will support us and our people at all times." I said. "Everybody!" I yelled as I got up of my chair and clenched a knife to my glass cup.
Everyone stops to gaze at me as the party comes to a halt. "As I announce this, there is a brutal battle going on outside our doors. Although those creatures have claimed the lives of friends and loved ones, we will not allow them to steal any more of our people! We shall battle! We will shout! We will defend! We will not give up! And we will triumph!"
Everyone shouts out while holding up their glass. I stood up for myself, "We have the help of the Gods. All of the sinners that the devil produced to sully the lands will be eradicated. The animals won't be released so lightly. Because of this, we serve as God's instruments; as Gods warriors! Brothers and sisters, we shall struggle to end the oppression together. For Home and Hearth!"
"For Hearth and Home!" The people shout. The group turns to look at Axel as he takes a deep breath and stands up on his chair.
"For us, our people have put up a valiant fight. Families are in despair because so many of our men have perished at the hands of the monsters. Tragic events occur frequently, my friends. But we must find courage in catastrophe. What those monsters believe of us is weak compared to us. We are the God's creation, not just bloody mortals! The God's heart, soul, and blood are in us. They aren't aware of who they are interfering with! The only way to demonstrate to them is to behead them!" Axel yells. "Kill every beast! Feast on our reclaimed lands!"
"Kill then all!" The audience applauds even louder. Everyone starts dancing joyfully as the music plays even louder.
"We are the Gods' instrument of their strength, and with it - shall we find an end to this battle," I grinned as I gazed down at Axel.
He says, "For Frida."
"To honor Frida."