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Zeleos
As we soared atop the Skollur, through thick clouds and the rippling seas below, I recounted to the Unity leader Eeldric regarding the recent uprisings.
Countless more attacks have been made towards the capital; the city of Kyrone. Most were by masked militias, who we discovered were armies of the Flivian and Marine kind. As the people of water would dock with their navies of ships, cannons firing towards our shorelines, the winged folk tried to attack with their weapons from above, which were magically infused.
And so, out of all of the hundreds of attempts to take down their superiors?
The obvious outcome. Against my overlord father wielding the abilities of the Gems, worn above the head of a Drownei, there stood no chance. None of the rebels proved anything beyond futility. They waste too many lives for it.
Everyone under Kyronia was beginning to forget, why the empire existed in the first place. We stood as the union of the world Midkyron. The only option for everyone's peace, when a species naturally developing faster takes control.
Yet, the same organization, the Chronicle Order, who took in father as their almighty quester, seeks to kill him for power. If the Unity's reach is worldwide as well, then it's more of a reason we must take a stand to the common enemy. In our own union.
As I explained this information to Eeldrin, my eyelids feeling more heavy from magic use, the Flivian chuckled and nodded off in response. He was currently examining a wrinkled map.
"You sure know how to make things sound grand." The pale, scarred and winged man scratched the gold earring, which I noticed behind his grey hair. As if he was afraid the miniscule treasure would fall off.
"But me? I merely wish to repay their corruption."
His face went from beaming with charisma, to a stare into the deep blue below. He rolled up the chart of the seas.
"They've done a whole lot of unforgivable things."
"To you."
The calm words slipped out my mouth as I assumed out loud.
One of the only sounds for a few seconds, were the growls of the horned dragon. It began to flicker while I tugged its reins. With the crashing of rough waves below. It needed to return to father soon for strengthening its link.
Behind I and Eeldrin, sat his unmasked surviving men and women. Clearly different species among themselves next to my Drownei men. But every one of them was either wounded, or grimed with dark brown earth.
"Well, you're certainly pulling on my heartstrings there, prince." Eeldrin interrupted the slightly grim moment, with a little smirk.
"But listen here." He then restated in a dead serious tone. "The idea was that we seperate from your empire after the objective's complete. And you let us do so. Need I to remind?"
My eyes focused through my mask on the clouds clearing ahead. Instead of following along with his 'demeanor'.
"It remains as we discussed." I replied. Or possibly lied.
Truth be told, some of promises I offered acted as pure persuasion. And if no revolution was going to succeed, there was none of a reason to allow independence.
Besides, the world Midkyon wouldn't stand a chance, against Kyronia. Their lesser adversaries would be bound by the same fact.
Eeldric noticed my lack of response, and sighed in offhandedness.
"Y'know. . . even a good portion of the Unity find it difficult to trust Drownei, apparently."
"Another reason to convince your other leaders." I explained once more to counter his doubts.
"No reason not to trust our people, as well. Especially when betrayal adds nothing to the overall plan."
"Glad we can agree on that so far." I heard him say in a lighter voice behind me. "One double cross and I won't hesitate to deal with you."
"Hmph."
The bloodstone, tucked securely into my closed pocket, pulsed. My scaly palm shifted over to the hidden gem, as if I needed its power immediately.
"I wouldn't try dealing with me. . ."
Then I almost physically slapped myself out of it. Removing the hand away from the temptation in a blink.
I already used too much of its power for now. And more of the pure energy might kill me. I was feeling exhausted, not yet accustomed to the Gem like Kallei or father.
". . . however, likewise."
The words uttered out of my mouth at the last second. My objective was to remain calm and cordial enough, despite mixed feelings. But emotion doesn't matter in tactical negotiation.
Perhaps I was overthinking in general. I predicted that father's reaction, to my dismissal about the 'quest' of retrieving Kallei, would be one of anger. But some have to be sacrificed for achieving greater.
Along the way, I could save brother. Yet the achievement of labeling him a traitor seemed too good to be true.
I could be the hero, the heir, this time. I could finally be the one that the people turn to. And rightfully so.
Even under its covering, I felt the darkness of the bloodstone glisten and shimmer.
The throne could be mine and mine only.
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I pulled off the thick bag veiling the begging man's head.
And I stood above him as he was on his knees, pleading. The lead crew member had a torn bandana around his temple, with deep brown tentacles flowing downwards from it. My mask and cloak stayed to hide my identity.
"Please. . . let us go. . ."
He pleaded, while the Unity and Kyronian soldiers surrounded us, with their firearms pointed at him and the other Chronicle Order pirates. Held hostage in a horizontal line. Some of the troops even casually inspecting the questers' disarmed weapons, of magic and blades.
Myself and a few other leaders of the Unity were hidden. Within an abandoned cave, and inside of the opposing organization's ship we infiltrated. Our surroundings were filled with nothing but shipwrecks, and water in the far distance. So that no one beyond the deserted island could hear anything. And none of the subjects tied up with rope can escape.
Before enacting war, we needed answers.
After sending my weakening Skollur back to the capital, I heard the Marine captain cry out again while looking to the others.
"I. . . we promise not to say a word! Just let us free!"
"You'll say words to us, undoubtedly."
My right hand was already gripped onto the stone within my pocket, before I knew it.
"Where is the main quester division headed to? Surely not straight for the gates of Kyrone."
Through the dark gemstone, I felt the captain's blood pulse, along with his crew's. The heart rate seemed fast, but I needed more evidence.
"Perhaps they are sailing to your little Marine islands. Underwater people may serve a great deal for their objective."
"They- they're heading to the capital at once."
Another one of them answered instead.
The gilled eye-patched woman locked her eyes onto mine, as if telling the truth.
But I saw right through her and the rest of them. I sensed their hearts pulsing faster to keep the lie.
"Why, that's certainly not the truth, now is it?"
I continued while approaching the lady.
"My prediction regarding the Marines, however. . ."
Suddenly the pulses of the Chronicle Order members quickened, into rapid pace. Most of them looked away from me now. Eventually leading into more cries and pleas, with some trying a calm facade.
"Very well."
I stated and walked to the Unity behind me, standing right by one of the helmeted leaders, with their typical iron armour.
"Their heartbeats?" She interrogated quietly.
"Accelerated when I questioned about the Marines."
"If that's the case, then our spies were correct." Eeldrin said next to us. "And it'd appear that we have our answer."
Without looking back at the hostages, I listened to their hopeless words of negotiation. Perhaps I'd feel bad if they hadn't joined the killers themselves.
At the very least, their blood isn't on my hands.
I spoke to our soldiers. "Spare the leader. He might be useful."
The last noises I heard from the captured troops were interrupted gasps. Exclamations with a sudden, desperate realization.
And gunshots were fired all at once. Until all that was left was smoke dissipating out from the flintlocks and muskets.
Silence filled the abandoned cave as Unity troops tossed the bodies, into the shipwrecks. It was apparently their common practice. As always, there had to be no witnesses, or anyone to reveal whatever occured here. I ignored the tears running down the captain's face, as we kept him trapped watching his comrades die.
A fatal mistake, caring about those you work with, instead of the end goal.
"I have a proposal, then." I declared to everyone else with no time wasted.
"Since you have spies, forces, and a base within 'Marine territory', it'll be easy to sabotage the main division. Then I shall order my men to kill the remaining attackers."
A couple of their masked leaders exchanged looks.
"Your kingdom has done a lot to keep union. So our answer, as discussed of course, was to agree on a plan." One said in a man's voice."But why do you think we should trust the rest of your Drownei?"
Maybe the other heads of the organization wouldn't be this doubtful, once they see the might of this alliance.
"Simple."
I replied, pulling the bloodstone out. To present its tantalizing reddish darkness.
"You need me to counter all the chaos. Else we desire less reinforcements, my people following me join as well."
I took an oath to myself, and the people to their knowledge, to be efficient and succeed without chaos. And that the outcome would lead to a better Kyronia, once we eliminate all the traitors.
The empire's history deemed fixing.
Unity led into more war by the insurgents. War led to more fury.
And the furious cycle led to more bloodshed.
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End of Episode III