Ruan
The rebel base was covered in blood by when we finished, every corner turned black. I didn't even feel a hint of remorse as I cleaned my sword with a fallen corpse.
" Why did you do that right now?" Els, who was supposed to be cleaning up the aftermath, had decided it was more important to piss me off and come see what I was doing, which was really annoying.
" I finally got what I wanted and they were no longer needed" I spoke with mechanical precision, not a single entonation in the sentence.
" You're as cruel as always" Els placed her hand on my shoulder with a smile, all of her teeth showing.
" You don't even know it" She hadn't even realized how many times she'd come close to dying when I still thought she was with Ashmoder. Once I had even prepared the poison and everything, the only thing that was stopping me was the fact that she was a commander and I'd definitely be punished, and not in the kind I liked, if I killed her.
" Well, now that everything's done we can go back" Els lifted her hand and walked away, knowing I would follow.
I cast once last glance at the secret passages underneath that no one knew of and then at Els. They didn't have to know, if the rebels managed to escape that way, then they were safe. I didn't know anything, I was just a clueless outsider.
As I was following Els I noticed a shadow moving in my peripheral vision, the steps controlled as the demon walked towards the secret passage. I pondered for a second, but decided to leave it up to the fates. Whatever happened would happen.
" Why did you stop?"
" Nothing" I diverted my eyes from the figure and placed them back on Els's back.
I had to kill them for it all to end, but deep down I was hoping the ones I liked the best had made it, though I knew it was just a stupid wish coming from a traitor I still wished it.
" Let's go" Els handed me out her hand and I took it, still kind of in a killing daze as we teleported back to the castle.
I left Els on her own as soon as we came back and I ran to my room, I was tired from using my power so much and my whole body was sore from welding my sword.
My room was just like how I'd left it not even a week ago, all my stuff scattered all over the floor without any clear pattern, just like how I liked it. I honestly didn't know how people who had everything in an specific place ever found anything at all.
I popped into bed, exhausted. The moment my head hit the pillow I saw a white letter on my right. I immediately steadied myself as I changed positions and opened the letter.
Good job eliminating the rebels. I knew you would choose the right side.
The content of the letter made my blood run cold. He had known it all along. I had no doubt who that letter was from, I wasn't that stupid.
My whole body shivered with fear as I read it. He had known, he had known and yet he had done nothing for centuries. Could that mean he had loved me since then?
I shook my head and folded the letter back neatly.
I got up from my bed and walked up to my drawer filled with the things I loved most in the world. I placed the letter there carefully, besides a portrait I had ordered commissioned long ago of Ashmoder and me side by side. To this day that portrait was still one of my most prized possessions.
My heart tingled as I threw myself back into the bed. He loved me, he always had. Since the incident with the princess I had had no doubt he loved me, but I had always thought he had come to love me not that long ago, but if he had written the letter, which he had, I could feel his aura all over it, then that meant he had known all along, probably since the beginning and had still let me do whatever I wanted. My heart brimed with love as I thought about it. If I had known he loved me all along I wouldn't have created the rebellion. Now that I thought back, everyone would've been happier without it, but the years I spent with them on the sly weren't all that bad. The times when we laughed, the times when we cried, the times when we tried to outsmart Ashmoder and that hardly ever worked.
Was I feeling ..... regreatful?
No, that couldn't be. I was a monster without real emotions, like they'd told me so many times already. My heart was dark and rotten, and except for what was related to Ashmoder the light in my heart was gone. That was what I had learned throughout my whole life. I wasn't feeling anything, not at all.
Many centuries ago
Once again Ashmoder had ignored me in favor of listening to Els. I was so pissed that I didn't know what to do. Breaking stuff didn't work anymore, I was still angry. Why couldn't he just look at me and me alone? Was it that hard?
When he'd rescued me two centuries ago he had told me he would be with me forever and that he'd protect me, and yet here we were, he paying attention to another one while I wilted away. I could've tolerated it if it had been once or twice, but it was evey single time. Whenever Els or Riss came running to him with some kind of catastrophe, such as the mine exploding or there being some murders, Ashmoder would immediately start ignoring me in favor of listening to them. It was getting old and my patience was reaching it's end.
I would do something so bad that he'd had no reason not to look at me even again. He'd have to look at me all the time because I'd become his biggest problem and a headache he couldn't ignore. The only problem was how to become such a headache.
" We've finally destroyed the few remaining rebels once and for all" Els's soft voice reached my ears. She was talking with Riss after having monopolized Ashmoder for almost the whole afternoon.
I listened in with one ear as I pretended not to care and leaned in against the wall were I'd been waiting for them to end that conversation and for Ashmoder to come out.
" Yeah, it was such a headache. The King had to work overtime because of it. Taking them down was such a problem"Els's voice was annoyed as she spoke.
" I know, but at least now...."
I lost their conversation as they walked away, but I already had what I wanted. I had an idea of how to become the biggest headache Ashmoder had ever seen. I would become those rebels he hated so much. If I founded the rebels then they wouldn't be able to ignore me.
A smile spread across my lips as I teleported out the hallway and into the castle dungeons.
" Do you still want to fight?"
The woman on the dungeon was half dead, her body covered in wounds as her blood pooled underneath her. Her hair was soaked with blood and her eyes were glossy as she barely managed to back away, tiredness in her eyes.
She didn't seem like such a big thing, but in the door of her cell the name Imma, rebellion leader could be read. I didn't know why anyone would want to go against Ashmoder, for me it seemed like a suicide mission, but I could admire their fearlessness of death or punishment. I could see that as a good trait.
Her eyes got big as she took me in, unable to decide if I was an enemy or a friend. For now I would be the later, but I would always be the former deep down.
" What do you want?" Her voice as shaky as she asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
I smiled. I wanted something she could never give me, but maybe she would just be the means that would get my ending right how I liked it.
" I want to help you"
Her eyes grew suspicious as she took me in. My black hair and eyes and my uniform, the uniform of a very high ranking official made me stand out.
" As if I'd believe you" The woman snorted and turned her back to me.
" Don't you want to take the King down?" I didn't know why she wanted that, but taking Ashmoder down seemed to be her main goal.
As I had expected her eyes shone at the mention of the King and her jaw set, an angry expression on her face.
" Will you help me?"
My eyes shone as I nodded. I would finally get my goal. Ashmoder would look at me.
" Then get me out of here"
I smiled as I snapped my fingers. The bars melted away as the faint light from the torches hit Imma in the face. She was pretty, I had to admit that.
" I'm Ruan" I offered her my hand.
" Imma" She reluctantly took my hand and shook it.
I helped her stand as we took small steps to get out, teleporting with an inmate was impossible. The drugs we fed them made it impossible for them to teleport or use any kind of power to try and get out of the dungeon.
" Just out of curiosity, why do you want to take the King down?" I asked nonchalantly. I really wanted to know the reason why she was willing to commit suicide.
Imma smiled sadly with an edge of rage behind her eyes as she looked at our intertwined hands.
" He killed my family" It was always love that pushed you the furthest. I could understand that.
She got silent after that, not uttering another word. I helped her stand as we avoided the guards and got out of the castle using the secondary entrances.
" Why do you want to take him down?" Only once we were outside, the sun's light visible did Imma speak again.
" I don't"
Imma looked at me weird.
" Then why do you want to help me?"
" I have my reasons" Like getting the king's attention kind of reasons.
Imma took a deep breath before nodding with her head.
" As long as you help"
I smiled.
" The resistance is still alive thanks to you" Imma said in a sad voice.
" Are you the only one left?" I thought the resistance would be something more grand and imposing after hearing Els and Riss talk.
" I am" Imma's tone got dark as she spoke, her face falling.
" We're going to make it come back" Only then, only after becoming dangerous would Ashmoder look at me.
Imma looked at me and gave me a faint smile. Each of us would get our goals.
Imma
After being inside the dungeon for so long, being tortured evey single day, I was thinking no one would ever come to save me. All my friends had died and now no one was left. I didn't expect anything and was ready to die when Ruan, that high ranking official took my hand and offered me to help me escape.
Honestly even after getting out and being in the old house we used as the rebellion base I still couldn't quite believe he had helped me. I was sure he had some hidden motives he didn't want to discuss with me, but the fact that he had helped me and seemed willing to cooperate remained.
I eyed him suspiciously as he took a seat on my couch and spread all over it. I looked at his uniform, the one only high ranking officials could wear, and then at my hands. I had not only failed to protect everyone and threw them to their deaths, killing everyone in the process, and also failed to get out revenge, but now I was even cooperating with a suspicious official that could help me as well as betray me.
What if he was only by my side to get proof of the remaining rebellion, not that there was any, and destroy any possible embers? I couldn't trust him.
I kept eyeing him as I took a bottle of wine and took it to my lips. My whole body protested as I sat, my every muscle and nerve screaming in agony. With a little bit of luck maybe the pain would go away after having a few bottles of wine.
" It seems you don't trust me" No shit, of course I didn't trust someone that had probably spent centuries, he didn't seem old enough to have lived for milenia, serving the monster they called the King.
" I don't" Honesty was always the best strategy, even if that was what had gotten my whole family killed and me in this mess in the first place.
" Fine." The man got up, reaching up for me.
In a swift motion he slashed my hand. Blood poured out before I could stop it, mixing with the one that was falling from the cut on Ruan's on hand that I had also failed to notice. Our blood mixed as Ruan started chanting.
I stared at him, transfixed. He was willing to make a pact with me. That meant he wanted something, but it also meant he wouldn't betray me. Hope rippled through my body, maybe the rebellion wasn't done for after all.
" I, Ruan, promise to help the rebellion as long as I can and as long as it doesn't go against my morals" Weird way of pledging an alliance, and a way that left a lot of room for loopholes, but it was a promise.
" I, Imma, promise to do my best for this rebellion"
Ruan nodded and the blood started separating, but I wanted something else before it all was done.
" Promise you won't kill any members of the rebellion, ever"
His eyes were as cold as steal, like they had been ever since I first met him, as he promised.
" I will also not killed any members of the current rebellion"
I smiled. I didn't know what he wanted, but I was getting my revenge.
I watched as the blood went back to our bodies and the emblem of our pact engraved itself into my skin.
I looked at Ruan, the stoic official willing to help me, and smiled for the first time in a while. I would get my revenge and Ruan would get whatever the fuck he wanted. It was a perfect relationship.