Chapter 1: The Last Stand
THE HOUSE OF SWORDS AT ALPHA SWORDS
Narrator: Welcome wanderers. You have now entered the scene in my tale in which the House of SWORDS at Alpha SWORDS is holding its last stand in battle after thirteen years of war with the House of CUPS within the Quad.
Saturn Prime is an old wrinkled woman garbed in black, a soothsayer for those who dwell in this space outpost. The annals cannot trace her birth but many believe she is as old as the Quad itself. Her luminous white hair curls in wisps to her waist. She is staring out into a crowd of spaceships glistening in the black void of space. Each floating vehicle bears lights and signals sparkling like distant stars.
Saturn Prime: Time, that old void where battles of desperate mortals are fought; all manner of good things will be lost! (Her whispery words are frightening to the ears. Her intimidating wisdom echoes like a ghostly breeze that makes the back of your neck stand at attention.)
Narrator: She turns to see that behind her, not far away from the station’s window to space, is room with a rather large golden ornate door which is the focus of attention now. Undoubtedly this door leads to yet another vast room. At the threshold we see Emperor Prag, formerly the King of the House of CUPS, a middle-aged man with very handsome features. He is otherwise an ordinary man, but something in his personality makes him just a little curious to the eye. There is an unsteady glare in his eyes and a twitch to his brow, a curl in his lip and an overconfident gesticulation of his shoulders. He is the emperor, obviously by no accident. He wears flamboyant a garb of midnight gold.
He is anxious… so very anxious to get through THAT door!
Saturn Prime: Boy, do not try to take all of the treasures in the treasure chest! You change things when you get too greedy.
Narrator: Her words are wise. You can hear her wisdom in her voice somehow. They ring like words you’ll never forget. However, this Emperor Prag is not on a level to hear sanity or great wisdom, so her eloquent words go completely unnoticed!
Emperor Prag: Disarm that door! (He shouts at his men.)
Narrator: Saturn Prime shakes her head. She cares for him enough to try to talk him into a calmer outcome, but there is a crazy desperation in the emperor’s eyes as he licks his lips and mumbles under his breath unable to contain his impatience. Part of her dilemma of being a soothsayer is just watching the events play out, firstly, in her visions, then in the real world. It’s a burden she dreads especially in a time of war and despair.
The imperial guards work furiously to attain Emperor Prag’s commands attempting to pry open the royal doorway, millimeter by millimeter, belting out inspirational chants as they toil.
Emperor Prag: Riches beyond your wildest dreams belong to the man who will bring me that woman! Another for the child!
Narrator: Suddenly, there is a loud thud. The doors have shut again undoing their microbial gains.
On the other side of the door, Queen Aris of the House of SWORDS is a beautiful woman garbed in a red armor, tapered for her feminine frame. This armor is the traditional armor of her late husband’s house which is the house of war. Her face has a look of stern concern as she surrounded by four guards in the same customary armor. Their names are Sethi, Dono, Baca, and Yute. On the left side of their necks they bare the markings of a scorpion bloodline, given at birth. In the Quad such a marking is one of the warrior spirit. They are the fiercest fighters to ever live. Now, these four have devoted their lives to the Queen.
In the folds of darkness close to her mother’s right side is the child of the brave queen, Vella. Our queen bends down to speak to her daughter, who is barely at the age of ten. The child is afraid and crying softly to her mother for she is but a sweet princess not accustomed to the details of violence and barely capable of understanding what brutal realities are happening in her midst, the finality of death, and the cold blood that runs through men’s veins.
Queen Aris: Shhh. The bad men come. Things will be tough for a while. You’ll need to be strong. Can you do that for mommy?
Narrator: Vella nods stifling hiccupping tears. Queen Aris ultimately forces a smile from her stern face for the benefit of the child. The child’s crying stops as her mother’s words force her to recall similar words from her father a few days before his unfortunate fate as he was putting on his armor for battle. He stroked her brow and took upon his face an unyielding look to leave with her all her life.
[King DarKhon: When the time is right Vella, you may be the one to achieve where we fail. That will not be for a long time from now… Until then, be strong. Be smart like I’ve taught you. Know when it’s your time to make peace and when to take up the SWORD.]
Narrator: Queen Aris places Vella in a dark corner. The tender face of the child is covered in scuffmarks from debris and eyes are alertly attentive to her mother, fearing for the worst.
Queen Aris: Hide here and whisper the chant I taught you this morning! Cover your ears as tight as you can. Got that?! Don’t take your hands off your ears until I come back to get you, ok. Only then!
Narrator: The child nods her head “yes”, in a brief moment of affection between mother and daughter. Queen Aris, breaks into another smile, unaccustomed to her face, however sincerely genuine revealing a girlish virtue that somehow got lost amidst all of the violence and disarray of her day. Slowly, her eyes slink into reality. They tell everything which equals ultimate doom as she watches the youngling cuddling into the corner in a fetus position covering her ears with her tiny hands tightly as she is told.
Queen Aris: I love you. (She mumbles to the child)
Narrator: Vella is unaware of her mother’s loving words as she is frantically whispering the words of a chant. The warmth from the queen’s eyes warms even the fierce warriors around her. They are even more re-affirmed in their task to protect mother and child.
Sethi: She is safe as long as she is a child. He dare touch her or face the direct wrath of the House of WANDS, which he needs right now.
Narratior: Queen Aris nods with a warriors grunt turning from the child to face the warriors surrounding her. Their dedication shows in their brave yet fearful faces. Queen Aris looks back to her daughter knowing that her innocence will not last long as she must carry on this war and win it someday.
A blast disrupts this tender moment. The sound is deafening! It doesn’t break the barricade. More blasts continue echoing in this surreal moment.
Dono: I guess they finally figured out to use blasters instead of trying to pry it open.
Sethi: Then get ready!
Narrator: The queen is also re-affirmed of her need to defend the House of SWORDS amped with the adrenaline to push harder against her enemy than ever before. She grits her teeth before unsheathing her battle sword and guns as she turns to stand with the 4 warriors sworn to die side by side. They have a bond now that is stronger than any power they know.
The last terrible blast blows shattering debris everywhere. The last remaining defenders of House of SWORDS emerge. Their red armor now glows in the smoky air like a symbol of their gallantry. The look on their faces reveal strength, power, and honor for who they are and the lengths to which they will go for it.
From the debris of confusion, smoke, and inertia, Prag’s imperial guards storm with blind gusto to battle with the valiant and combative warriors of SWORDS. They understand that they are up against pure warriors, but their thirst for riches precedes their good judgment.
The guards of the House of the SWORDS are swift and ruthless fighters, killing with precision unseen by the likes of mortals. After an onslaught of many, they eventually loose by numbers. Nearly over one hundred imperial warriors over take the room at one time, one by one over taking each warrior until only the Queen Aris and the hidden child remained.
Queen Aris is no slouch! The imperial guards only play defense as she strikes at them. Killing many, but utterly outnumbered, she is trapped and surrounded. She keeps fighting and killing. She will not be taken alive.
She cries a little as she hears Emperor Prag cackling at his victory in the enclosing distance.
Emperor Prag: Queen Aris, this is no way for my future bride to behave… You know that they aren’t trying to actually kill you. This is senseless. Surrender.
Queen Aris: Never! (Her voice is sturdy and rings out as she plunges her sword into another foolish attacker. She is spinning on her heels on guard for any advancements.)
Emperor Prag: (He walks right up to her daring her with his eyes, but not too close. She’s still striking at anyone near her.) Come on Aris, a plan is not complete without the prize and you my dear are the prize. I’ve waited for this for thirteen long years. Believe me; I am done with the killings. I have no interest in spilling more blood.
Queen Aris: (She shakes her head as she thinks of her husband, the King of the House of Swords.) Like spilling the blood of my husband… all for a page in the history of time? (She glances furiously at Saturn Prime, far off into the other room)
I don’t know the future. But I know that you won’t be in it long. (She then smiles wryly.)
Narrator: Queen Aris stands at attention tilting her head back, remembering her oath to the warriors that stood by her side and died. She swallows deep and closes her eyes realizing the thing that she must do. She takes in a deep breath before she begins. A low murmuring can be heard as Prag spins on his heels to hear a slightly recognizable gibberish coming from the queen’s lips. His eyes squint. He is trying to make out the words. Imperial guards try to take advantage of her state however she is protected by an enchanted shield. All who touch the shield crumble to the ground and die. Everyone takes a tiny step back.
Imperial Guard: She has set up some kind of sheild, Sire!
Queen Aris: Rawr dawr ma hag iga don wagga mar rawr dawr ma don wagga ma don wagga mar rawr dawr ma don wagga mar rawr yidon wag a don dawr ma don wagga mar rawr dawr.
Saturn Prime cackles a bit nodding her head in affirmation, as if she knew that this would happen. (Her ears are already stuffed.) I forewarned you boy…
Emperor Prag is still dumbfounded as he sees his men before him embraced in Queen Aris’ words. Then suddenly his eyes open wide as he recognizes the hypnotic words and even knowing that by simply hearing them is a death sentence in itself.
Emperor Prag: No!
Narrator: The emperor is frustrated he wants to stop her, but he knows that he can't. She is deep within the trance already and the shield around her cannot be broken. He has no choice but to flee. Quickly he runs in terror and only a handful of imperial guards have the good sense to follow suit. Then a few more follow in the aftermath like a wave.
Imperial guards closest to the queen begin to drop like flies to the ground, blood ozzing quickly out of their helmets. The hypnotic murmur is taking its toll on Queen Aris as well; her eyes have rolled back in her head and have begun to bleed spilling over her eyelashes like syrup. Her limbs are now limp as her entire body lifts off the floor and float from the sheer power of her magical incantation she now murmurs as if in an unrelenting deadly trance. The veins in her skull pop and throb as she barely gasps out the last little bits of her spell.
Some of the imperial guards who run are still too close to the queen. They fall and crawl until their brains are squeezed dry like lemons under a cruel vice. Their faces are hollow with the pain of their infliction.
Prag and his initial fleeing group can’t escape the spell entirely either, barely able to walk, then to crawl. Then suddenly the murmuring stops, releasing its powerful grip.
The emperor still lives. On the top of his hairline there is a nasty gash. A trickling stream of blood flows down his forehead in the wake of this assault and he shivers throughout with overwhelming pain. Only four guards can stand amidst the massacre grabbing hold of their skulls to ease away the pain. There are a few more men scattered, crawling and moaning to some cognition. Many of them need serious medical attention. Three of the four guards that are able-bodied do their best to attend to their comrades.
There is one ambitious guard by the name of Jarius who cares very little for trying to save the moaning survivors, but is in search of the child. He figures that a prize can be brought out of this, if only to scathe this experience with his life.
Meanwhile the Emperor looks about the room and sees the body of the departed queen limp and soaked in blood. Stepping over the bodies of the fallen, he stumbles over to her, picking her up in his arms.
Emperor Prag: (Trembles as he whispers) Aris?!
Narrator: It’s astonishing. Emperor Prag sickeningly breaks down into a stiflingly blurted lamentation, whimpering without shame. He grieves because deep in his murderous heart, he loved her in his own twisted way. All of this; the war, his desire to be emperor, was in the hopes he could finally have her. Tears run down his face.
Saturn Prime: (She unplugs her ears as she walks closer to the scene.) You will never stop paying for this day. (She points her finger at him.) You swore to the king that the queen would never be harmed before he succumbed to you. The Cosmos were listening. Now you are cursed… forever.
Prag: (His tears end suddenly.) I know. (He then wipes the blood from his brow and forehead).
Narrator: The imperial guardsmen, Jarius presents Vella to the emperor. She is docile and shocked after all of her experiences. The horror of seeing her mother’s body among the massacre stains her eyes with alarm. The emperor icily stares at her, taking in her reaction to this bloody spectacle. She is no longer like other children. She has seen too much. The emperor can see that the damage is done.
He cannot kill the child and be done with it. The valiant warrior Sethi was right. Emperor Prag would endure the outcries of the House of Wands if she was harmed. She is also one of them by birth right. However, he cannot bear to look at her. He could not see her raised in the open with her royal blood. His own children need a birthright!
He had to put her somewhere she might be… forgotten. His scheming mind began to churn amidst the throbbing pain in his skull.
Emperor Prag: Send her to the Gamma Sector. (He nodded still drunk with thought.)
Jarius: The prison? (Jarius pretends to be indifferent, but wants to be sure he understood his emperor clearly. The command is merciless!)
Emperor Prag: Yes. (The emperor’s eyes trails off into space as more blood trickles from his forehead.) That is the perfect place for her. See to it personally. You WILL be rewarded.
To be continued...
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