I knew I wouldn't forget anything I saw, but I couldn't dwell on it. Not right now. Not when the fight wasn't over. Not when the cause was no doubt waiting at the top for us.
The journey felt long and arduous. Not physically. But mentally and emotionally. I could see it took a toll on everyone, not just me.
But we eventually made it to the top. Oddly, we didn't run into any more opposition along the way. They'd either run or were fighting above us... Or they'd abandoned their posts. I wouldn't even blame them now that I was here to witness the state of things. This was why that initial group had seemed so relieved to surrender. This was why they'd been so afraid.
I stopped as Reelin froze in front of me, just barely stopping myself from bumping into him.
What was going on?
I stepped to the side, ready to ask questions. But I froze as well when I caught sight of what had stopped everyone, like some unseen signal had appeared. My throat was sore from the smoke and the inside of my nose felt coated in soot even from that relatively short trek up here. Maybe that was why I didn't smell it this time until I saw it.
The courtyard in front of the palace was mostly intact, as was the palace itself. Seemed like Emberich had been careful to protect himself, though the fire down below wasn't contained. It could easily travel up here if it wasn't controlled soon.
But that wasn't what caught my attention. Or anyone else's. Bordering that courtyard, in neat piles, were bodies. Stacks of them. Women, men...
I looked away quickly, trying not to breathe. This was... It was so much worse than anything I could have imagined.
In the center of that stage—and that was exactly what it felt like, a planned visual meant to elicit the very response all of us were having—stood Emberich, surrounded by white-faced guards. Some of them looked green around the gills as they stood around their chosen King. I felt only a small amount of sympathy for them. They were still by this monster's side, weren't they? I would rather have died than participated in this slaughter, even tangentially.
I had half-thought we'd have to search for Emberich. But he wasn't hiding. In fact, he was doing the very opposite of that.
He'd created the backdrop he wanted for this confrontation and then just waited for us to arrive. There had been a window where he could have run, could have at least delayed his death, but he hadn't taken it. He'd chosen to wait for us. Did he think he actually had a chance at winning? Or was he so far gone he wasn't even concerned anymore with his own survival. I didn't know.
He smiled at us, a macabre grin from a blood-splattered face. Once my eyes landed on him fully, I couldn't look away. His entire body was covered in rivulets of drying blood that I was certain weren't his, so much blood that his tunic and pants were sticking to the heavy muscle on his frame. Even the crown on his head was covered in the thick, viscous fluid, his beard holding more of it along with...other things. I swallowed the bile that rose up in my throat.
He was holding a bloody sword in one hand and a long dagger in the other, both dripping blood, his hands crusted with it. It looked like new blood layered over old.
I had no idea how long it had been since he'd showered, or how many days he'd been killing, lost in a murderous haze. I swallowed, stilling the tremor that wanted to go through me.
Insane.
He'd gone well and truly insane.
The sense of wrongness around him was palpable, even if he hadn't been standing there, soaked in blood.
And all of these people had paid the price, many of whom, I was sure, were his supporters. Or had been.
"Welcome!" Emberich chortled, holding his arms out in a mockery of invitation. "I am so very glad you could join us, Sven!" His mad eyes scanned our group and paused on me, his smile widening. "And you as well, my pretty little Liaison. I've been looking all over for you."
Having his attention locked on me was not comfortable. There was nobody home in those shining, dilated eyes. At least...nobody human.
I shivered as an icy finger of dread traced up my spine. He wasn't anything resembling a person, not anymore. He was a rabid animal. One that needed to be put down for his sake as well as everyone else's. He'd always been a power-hungry, selfish ruler, but this was not the Emberich I remembered.
Sven stepped in front of me, breaking the line of sight, drawing that dark, disconcerting gaze back to himself. The intense look Emberich had been giving me faded as his lips curled into another smile that was just a touch too wide. Showed just a few too many teeth.
"Want to keep her all to yourself, do you?" he laughed. "No matter. I would like to be rid of you anyway, you see." His smile disappeared, and rage contorted his face, the split-second change of emotion stunning. "You are a thorn in my side that refuses to be pulled." The rage disappeared in the next instant to leave him looking deceptively calm. There was no denying he was feeling the full extent of those emotions. But nobody could see that performance and think there was any sanity left in that shell of a man. "So I am ready to cut you out from it." He twirled his dagger idly as he tilted his head to the side. "I challenge you Sven Mishal, Traitor and would-be Phoenix King. I challenge you for the throne."
His tone was almost nonchalant. Not at all fitting for a challenge. But no part of him made sense anymore.
Sven's face was unreadable as he took a step forward, the susurration of his sword and dagger leaving their scabbards a quiet sound that felt loud in that waiting silence. It was a clean sound to focus on. Something oddly safe in this horror.
"I accept," Sven stated coolly. "It is time to cut the head off this beast." He smirked, and I knew it was simply to get a rise out of Emberich. His next words cemented it. "Again."
Chapter Twenty-Three
In my mind I knew Emberich was just a person, that he didn't have any special powers. But in that moment, standing there surrounded by the utter destruction of what had once been a beautiful city, it felt like I was standing back and letting Sven fight a monster by himself. I didn't even realize my body was swaying forward until Amna took a firm grip on my arm, pulling me back into place just behind her.
Reelin and Amna had adjusted their positions to slightly in front of me, one on either side. They'd made sure to keep my line of sight clear.
"No," she said, her eyes on the two combatants. "They need to fight this out—all of us are honor bound to ensure the fight is fair. Even those who once opposed him will have to accept the truth that Sven is stronger if he wins this."
I took a deep breath and let it out. When it came to Sven's life, I didn't care so much about honor. But if he cheated, he could be killed by the guards watching.
Amna was right—this was the best way to end this. Single combat between Emberich and Sven, without losing even more lives unnecessarily. And Amna was right about a show of strength. If Sven showed he could beat Emberich in a fair fight, it would go a long way towards winning over those who weren't his staunchest supporters.
It didn't make it easy to stay back. I had to force my body to listen to my mind. It was a hard sell. It helped to turn on the analytical part of my brain as I watched. Emberich was a classically trained swordsman, with a lot of power and good technique on his side. Sven had classical training as well, but you could see from his unusual style of footwork and the way he moved his body that he'd absorbed other influences in addition to that base.
Every time he was around Ashur, Sven and he sparred, learning from each other. Sven did the same every time he was around people who could fight, never making the mistake of thinking that he was the best he could be. It meant his style wasn't as pretty as someone who stuck with only the teachings of a pure style, but it was effective. Very effective.
When Emberich tried a powerful swing, aimed at the large target of his midsection, Sven wasn't there to hit. But he used the vulnerability of Emberich's pretty form to duck under his arm, slicing his dagger along his ribs before dancing away again, out of striking range. Emberich snarled, pulling back in a defensive position, his
eyes narrowed as they circled each other.
Emberich had expected this to be a much easier fight. Stupid of him, and not surprising. One of Emberich's biggest weaknesses had always been his arrogance. That, I could clearly see, had not changed, but that didn't mean that Sven had a great advantage. Emberich was more wary now, choosing his attacks with more care.
He caught Sven with a hard punch to the side that I knew must have hurt though Sven's expression didn't change. They came together in a clash of steel, both coming away with an extra slice. Emberich across his chest, though it was difficult to see with all the blood already covering him; Sven with a slice across his thigh that was deep enough to make me worry. He didn't have time to staunch the flow of blood. If this fight went on long enough, it would matter.
"You think you are a match for me, boy?" Emberich taunted, his eyes watching Sven's feet and then his shoulders. "You didn't even have the stomach to eradicate my support. You're the reason I was able to come back and take the crown, you fool. Weak. You are weak and pathetic."
Sven didn't respond, his face focused. But that didn't make Emberich stop.
"After I kill you, I'll take your Consort as my whore," he continued. Sven's jaw tightened. "I'll be sure to get her with child as quickly as possible." He glanced over at me slyly. I immediately wanted a shower. "It will not be a hardship. And then I shall have a backup supply of that blood ready. Then, after I have two brats from her, I won't need her anymore. She's not worth the trouble, you see."
Sven still didn't respond. Emberich continued, clearly enjoying the taunts.
"I'm sure you would have done the same, but obviously your equipment—"
Sven darted in, his dagger slicing out in one direction, his sword in another.
He buried that sword in Emberich's side, the tip coming out his back, while his dagger sliced into his throat, though Emberich moved just far enough out of his reach for the cut to miss being fatal.
With a roar, he stabbed Sven deep in his unwounded thigh, ripping the dagger across and opening a large wound that gushed blood.
"Sven!" I cried out involuntarily, jerking forward, though Amna's arm was there again, holding me back.
Sven didn't move back. Instead, he closed the distance between the two even more and stabbed him in the chest, straight through his heart. He was breathing hard as he stepped back.
Emberich fell to his knees, his eyes filled with hate as they locked on Sven. But the hate bled away between one breath and the next.
He looked around with a kind of dawning horror on his face, as if he'd just woken from a dream and realized where he was, what he'd done.
He looked back at Sven.
"Sven..." he whispered, blood dripping out of his mouth. "What have I...?"
Sven took a step closer, frowning. He'd worked much more closely with Emberich than I had, back when he had some semblance of sanity while he ruled with a sadistic, iron fist, though even that was questionable towards the end of his previous rule.
"Emberich?" he questioned.
"The other side changed me," Emberich said, his hand coming up to grip the handle of the dagger piercing his chest. "This...all of this...this was not me," he whispered, his voice growing weaker.
Sven leaned in to hear what he was saying, pity seeping into his eyes.
This wasn't right. This didn't make sense...
My eyes fell on the dagger still in Emberich's hand, and then I saw him tense.
"Watch out!" I yelled, pushing forward.
Sven lurched to the side and back at my yell, which meant Emberich's dagger hit Sven in the shoulder instead of the heart like he'd planned.
I didn't hesitate and Amna didn't stop me this time. The fight was already over. Sven had dealt the fatal blow.
Pulling the dagger Sven had given me, I got a firm grip on Emberich's head.
And sliced his throat from ear to ear before he could do much more than snarl at me.
That was that.
The end of Emberich.
But I didn't care so much about that right then, apart from ensuring he was no longer a threat.
Shoving the body down, I went straight to Sven's side.
"Why did you go near that psychopath, you idiot?" I admonished, trying to stem the flow of blood from his legs and his shoulder at once. "I need medical care!" I shouted without looking up.
Reelin dropped down next to me. I remembered he was a trained medic, but that was as far as my thought process went. Sven didn't look good, his face pale.
"I am... definitely... an idiot," he agreed. And then his eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he passed out.
"Sven!" I turned to Reelin. "Is he going to be okay?" I demanded.
"Yes," he reassured me, his expression focused as he worked. "I'm stopping his blood loss for now. But I think the best thing to do now is to take him back to Ashur's to get attention from the doctor there. The other flocks will have their hands full with their own people and Ashur's territory is close." He looked around. "I don't suggest we stay here tonight."
I was absolutely fine with that. I shouted orders at the others to burn Emberich's body and scatter the ashes, leaving Amna in charge of that. I trusted her to keep a close watch. We weren't taking a risk again.
Then I held Sven again me as we were transported back to Ashur's, swaying in the net as Reelin double-timed it. I really wanted to stop having to travel like this. I touched my forehead to Sven's, closing my eyes.
We'd done it. Maybe it would really hit me later. Right now, all I felt was empty inside. I had nothing left to give.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Three Days Later
The capital was a husk of its former self.
Scorched buildings stood naked, looking like charred bare bones where walls had fallen, and roofs had collapsed. The streets were covered in soot, and the gondola lines were strewn across the streets. What hadn't been damaged by the fire had been hit hard by the battle.
But the bodies had been gathered, and those that no flocks would claim—turning their backs on traitors—had been buried in the earth at the base of the mountain, in clearly marked graves.
Despite the destruction, people lined the streets to watch the Phoenix King's procession.
We'd stayed in Ashur's territory until now. Sven had needed the time to rest and recover, and the city and the palace had been in no shape for him to do that in our own home. He probably need more time, but he would not stay away any longer.
I understood. The people needed to see the Phoenix King, see that he was strong and healthy. We needed all the morale boosting we could get.
As I walked next to Sven, surrounded by a sharp contingent of guards, I watched the people on the side of the street just as they watched us. Most of them were covered in soot, having stopped in the middle of cleaning up to see us make our way up to the palace. The mood was somber. Exhausted. But also relieved.
I smiled as I heard small footsteps and a giggle breaking through on a side street somewhere. Children were again out playing, a clear indication that Emberich's brief reign of terror was over.
We walked all the way up to the palace itself, taking our time, greeting the city's people. The walk was symbolic. We'd made it. At the top, we stopped in the courtyard, where a crowd was already assembled. It grew as the people who'd watched us walk up also joined it.
I looked around the courtyard in the bright light of day. The bodies were gone, but the evidence of the carnage had not been wiped away completely. Not yet. I could see where the remaining palace staff had attempted to clean up the worst of the splatters and puddles of blood, but it would take time to get it all. I was sure the physical reminder would be wiped away soon enough, but the psychological mark of that night would not. I didn't think I'd ever see the palace, the city, quite the same again. Maybe once everyday life started up again, the ghost of what had occurred here would fade, buried under a layer of new memories. Perhaps it was best that we didn't completely forget what had happene
d here, but that we remembered so we could safeguard the future.
Sven's hand reached out to take hold of mine. I turned to him, smiling a little as I squeezed it back. He gave me a searching look.
"I'm fine," I said, patting his hand. A little melancholy. But fine.
He didn't look convinced, but he nodded, turning back to the crowd. I knew he'd been worried about what to say in the aftermath of such a disaster, but Sven had always been good at speaking from the heart, and he didn't disappoint now.
He looked out across the gathered crowd, his handsome face serious but not somber.
"We have been through a great deal," he started, his voice clear and steady, the crowd quiet. "More than we should have to go through in such a short period of time," he continued, alluding to the civil war we still hadn't recovered from before Emberich was brought back. "But we are strong. We will rebuild, we will fix the physical damage, as well as the mental and emotional hurt we have sustained." He paused, his hand squeezing mine. "And we will come back better. United." He raised my hand to kiss it, and I felt everyone's eyes on the gesture. We'd never been so public with affection before, but it didn't feel out of place. We needed some softness now. "The future is what we make it. And I have faith in our ability to make it not only worthwhile, but wonderful. A future we will be proud to show our children and our grandchildren. A future we can believe in."
The applause started slowly, but built to a resounding roar of approval as Sven finished his brief speech. I had the feeling he could have said anything, and the result would have been the same. We needed optimism right now, needed hope. We all wanted to believe in that future Sven believed in.
I scanned the approving crowd, my eye stopping on Siro, who waved at me with a smile, on Ruth, who nodded at me. It was good to see them. I knew they'd made the trip to show their support. My eyes drifted to what remained of Sven's advisers, all of them looking on with approval on their faces. I saw many of the people I cared for, safe and whole.
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