The Empress

Bard could hardly believe the sight before him. They entered a smaller room, though none less grand. The harbinger ascended a few stairs and then walked to the side, revealing a pitch black woman on an ebony throne dressed in a different shade of black robes with what looked like blackened fur. Her purple eyes felt familiar, though he struggled to place it. A glowing mark that mirrored her eyes shone on her forehead, almost like a type of crown. From her head, long black hairs draped around them, extending out like tendrils that wrapped around the room. Her eyes did not look at them, but at the Harbinger.

“Now Deimos, is that any way to treat my guests? Especially when they have come so far to meet us?” her mocking tone held a bit of a chiding. Her eyes then settled on Bard and Sen, and he felt Sen stiffen next to him.

“You must forgive my, pet. You see, it is not often we get visitors,” she said, her lips curling into a devious grin. Bard, after sitting through all of Jamil’s patronizings, understood her intent.

“Thank you for your hospitality and allowing us an audience,” he said, offering a bow.

“Oh how delightful. You are a polite one, yes?” she chuckled. The harbinger settled on the ground next to her, almost reminiscent of Kai. “But first, some introductions.” She sat up in the throne and her hairs snaked around as if under her complete control. It was the only sound in this silent world, making it feel even more wrong. “You may call me the Empress of the Night. I believe,” she said, leaning over and looking at them as she stroked the head of the Harbinger. “You are acquainted with my Alpha, Deimos. Although, I believe you know him as the Harbinger. How fitting.”

“And I am Bardon Jaystrum,” Bard answered in turn, ignoring Deimos’s growls. “And this is my wife, Sen.”

“Oh Bard, is it?” she chuckled, putting her long fingers together. “The honored chief of Sal Shefa himself. How is it these days? Still standing?” she moved her hand to partially cover a wicked grin. As her words rang out, Bard stiffened as he heard cracking noises from around his and Sen’s necks. His eyes darted to see one of the tokens, belonging to Elder Craft, starting to Shade.

“No,” Sen’s voice resounded softly, mirroring Bard’s feeling, though he was more surprised. It was as if she had timed this. When he looked up at the empress, she was smiling with a knowing look.

“Looks like it’s already begun,” her voice oozed with delight.

“What have you done?” Bard asked, clutching at the tokens. Her head titled back a little as she looked down on them past her nose.

“My shades will descend on that spark of light in this beautiful black world, and silence it.” She smirked as another cracking sound occurred, Bard’s eyes looked at a second token, Healer as it shaded. “As it was always meant to be.”

Bard and Sen looked at her with fury, but she grabbed her stomach and cackled, gleeful and sharp. “I do love it when people look at me like that. All my generals gave me that look. The Dryad of the woods, the creature of the sea, the lords, and catfolk of this world. That is, before they saw how little they could do.”

“You monster,” Sen hissed, and Bard had to agree. She was certainly twisted.

“Oh, but we haven’t even started the main event,” she rose from her seat and the hairs swirled as if alive, snaking around as she began to descend the stair. Bard tensed, moving his hand to his flute. If anything, he would play till they could escape, but he didn’t know if it would hold. “What fun is it to watch little pieces of wood turn black?” she asked, and Bard looked at her confused. She raised her hand and pointed a long finger at him before swinging her arm around in an exaggerated motion. The flames in the brasiers moved and then floated into the air, creating an eerie atmosphere, before the centers solidified and then began to show scenes on them. Bard’s eyes grew wide at the sight. Just what was this? As he looked around, his eyes realized that on one of the disks, he could see Sal Shefa, but it was under attack. The disk flickered to the battle and shifted around, as if from the eyes of the storm shades.

“Zak!” Sen shouted and Bard sharply looked to where her eyes were cast. On that disk, they saw Zak being attacked by shades. Amir and Elwood fought back. The color drained from Bard at the sight. The shades really had made it into Sal Shefa. Another shade appeared, one of the stronger versions they had contended with, and raised its claws to strike before the image flickered and vanished into the purple flames.

“No!” Sen cried out. “Show him to me!” her words turned to the Empress, who smiled wickedly. She stepped forwards, coming next to them but not looking at them.

“I thought I’d spare you the sight. Come now, are you really that eager to see his demise.”

Bard gritted his teeth. He would have to trust in Elwood and Amir. Hopefully they had saved Zak from his demise. For now, he needed to get them back to help. Then a thought permeated his head. Father’s words, Sa’ar’s insights. His hand clenched. Sen was about to charge at the empress, but Bard held out his hand to stop her. She looked at him in shock and he shook his head. He needed to stay calm if he had any chance at stopping her. This was almost like Defender’s challenge all those years ago, that it made him smirk. The empress noticed, and he caught the subtle flicker of her eyes.

“Why are you doing this?” He asked, calm, stern. She smiled as if looking at a beloved toy.

“Why? Nearly a millennium ago, I started this war,” her arms outstretched as she looked at them. “I’m seeing it through to the end. It’s as simple as that.”

“That’s not an answer. A thousand years? Of this? For what.”

“For what?” she chuckled, her eyes slitting as they grew in malice and amusement. She slunk over, as if a liquid, appearing next to him, her fingers curling around his shoulder. “I’ve shaded continents with a flick, turned the deep sea’s song to silence. It’s for the thrill of it, Bardon Jaystrum.” Her words dripped with a honey feel as she called his name. “Every kingdom that falls, every will that snaps, it feeds me. Your little resistance only will make me grow in power, and I’ll drink that dry.” She shifted around as Sen tried to strike her, showing that she was indeed a shade like all the rest.

“Thrill was it?” Bard scoffed. “That’s your legacy?”

“Legacy?” she turned from the throne and then laughed, wiping at a nonexistent tear in her eye. “Oh how little you truly know. I thought that tree would have filled you in on this. Did he not?”

“Who?” Bard asked.

“That old tree. I think you called him father? How cute,” she said with a slight grin that turned upside down as she continued. “What a fool he was.”

“Father Tree stood against you. He said you were once his friend.”

“He did, did he? How mistaken he was.” She moved to her throne, resting her fingers on the armrest as Deimos glared at them. Bard felt confused. Had she forgotten? Or why had father said that? He shook his head.

“You still haven’t answered his question,” Sen spoke up, as if sensing Bard’s intent. “Why did you start this war? Why continue?”

“Oh, I haven’t, have I? Though I suppose such mortal minds can’t even take a hint, now can they,” she said as she sat back in her throne, leaning back with a disappointed frown before turning to amusement once more. “That said, we’ve reached a lull. How about something entertaining, shall we?”

Bard felt Sen grab his arm. Just what was the empress planning?

“Deimos?” her voice rang sweet but commanding. The harbinger’s head rose to look at her. “Find that son of theirs. Zak. Take him first. We’ll shade him, and see what despair writes on their faces.”

“No!” Sen shouted, but Deimos fell into the shadows and vanished.

“Too late. You’ve no cards to play, but it’s more fun to watch you struggle as every ounce of hope fades,” the empress grinned as her hairs came alive once more and began to swallow the room, turning everything black. “Chase that spark. See it die with your own hands.”

Her words faded as if they were moving far away, though her laughter followed for a while longer before they were completely engulfed in darkness.