Time of departure.

Part 1

Time was running slow. Midnight was already past, and the only light that came through the throne room was the twin moon’s light. As I seated down, I heard the door opening. My time has already come, and just like any other ruler of this cursed empire I could not really change anything. The Septem Empire history is full of blood, and most importantly the ruler is normally the last surviving sibling out of their generation.

I did not kill any of my siblings, but my big sister did put to rest our three brothers to ensure that I would be the empress. I tried securing this country marrying the brother of duke van Hert, one of the three greats of my country, securing the backing of the nobles under his wing. My other two imperial consorts were a high prince of the dark rebels and the nephew of the demon lord. I tried ensuring treaties so that the empire would not be only the ogre everyone is afraid of and that it could also be a country that can be talked to.

I speak about them as if they are part of my past. And thus is the truth, after all if they have reached the throne room with all that chaos that I heard it means that either they did flee, or my dear consorts have died as ridiculous heroes. I would prefer that they are already on their way out of this country. It seems like my bastard son’s birthday was the last straw that accelerated someone's agenda.

Adikemas, my son. There is no doubt in my heart that he will never forgive for letting him be an outcast, but it was in good faith. His uncle is still alive, and as Rauro’s second in command it would have been dangerous to let his nephew be seen as a spoiled prince. But he is truly one of a kind, the way he thinks and the strange behavior in his childhood made me reach a conclusion: Adikemas is a reincarnated ancient, and thus a hero of the prophecies. If only he was more serious...

Someone finally approaches; I can’t feel their presence. They must be good killers to conceal their presence that way, either that or we have a necromancer of the highest level, and these are reanimated corpses. I get up and grab my beloved rune great sword Telamonios, that rests at the side of my throne. I will have a last dance at least. I can see not one but two silhouettes; by their sizes and figures a man and a woman.

“Olivia, the time is nigh, forfeit your throne to the sisterhood of the flame, you were supposed to be one of us and then just decided to rule this stupid country. If you just do as I say you will get to live leave your sword.” the woman who spoke was wearing a full set of armor with a capelet, her long white hair did flow almost all the way to the floor, golden eyes following my every move. She points at me with a scythe as big as her stature.

“Well, so the sisterhood is the one that came to claim my head. I can’t really feel your presence Circe, so I suppose Taxiarca must be around too. No, if you were able to bring down the whole palace you probably brought at least four out of the seven witches. All this just to put an end to a quarter demon? You lot are getting old and scared” It is true that before I was the last of my siblings I tried joining their cult, I was young and stupid.

“We have plenty of fighters, in fact you are the one that did give us most of them. As you know every one of us is specialized in a way of the darkness, and Atimia is the best at putting the dead to use” So after all a necromancer is here. So most likely the man behind her is just a puppet. Suddenly he attacks; I can’t barely block his swords.

This is too much. They already have doomed this country; there won’t be anyone to ascend the throne, is that how it is? “I would love to hear how exactly you were able to best my first born, but I supposed that trying to talk while I fight him will be too much” Circe starts laughing like I said the funniest thing she has ever heard.

“It wasn’t that difficult, if you look at him well you will see no signs of violence. Your fear was your children fighting each other, I am afraid to tell you that there is one of them that is not better than a rat” So that’s it, probably poisoned. No time to think, he’s continuously throwing a flurry of slashes my way. He is not as sharp as he was when he was alive, but I can’t rest while a dead sword master tries to kill me.

Leon, I am sorry, but I don’t think I will be able to put you to rest. I will die as a fool.

Part 2.

I am part of the seven guards. Knights of the empire, knights for each child of the empress. I am one of the youngest, but still, I will be twenty this year. And right now, I am running from the palace.

Don’t call me a coward, my nose may be running like a fountain and I’m so afraid I may soil myself any moment now. But this is part of my mission, each of us met tonight and saw that the enemy vastly outpower us. Three of us already died, the knight of the first prince Sir Rikelme, as well as Sir Evan and Sir Lamas whose duty were the twin princesses. The remaining four of us decided that three would escort out of the palace the twin princesses as well as the third imperial princess and the fourth imperial prince, who are still but children. They left with a good number of soldiers; may they have luck in their mission.

I am running towards the third prince, Adikemas. I was handpicked by the empress to serve him, after all I am family to him. No one else knows, but this common looking black haired and grey eyed fellow is the cousin to an imperial. My mother was Rauro’s sister, and while not part of the rebellion shares the blood of two infamous warriors.

I know well where my cousin lives, after all I studied everything about the slums. I arrive at his rundown house after almost half an hour of running with wind enhancement speed, the capital is ridiculously big. I start pounding the door, it must be already two or three in the early morning, but I can’t care less about the neighboring people.

“Who approaches the residence of the imperial prince, Adikemas?” An imposing man opens the door, scarred face and brown hair with white streaks. No doubt, this is former general Klaus van Kurk, who was asked by the empress to check on her son and he said that he would only do so if he seemed interesting. “I am Sir Pax, the guard of third. And I come with the worst news possible, but I can only deliver them to my c-prince” The bear-like man caresses his chin and goes back inside. A few minutes pass and the one that comes out is a woman.

She is tall, not as much as me but still surprisingly tall. Green hair in a curly bob, and blue mean looking eyes. Helena van Honger no doubt. If she did not look so angry she probably would rank among the prettiest women I have met. “So, you are the famous Pax? Such guts to be the knight of my loser prince and just appear when he turns into an adult, you should do his next laundry as a punishment” I don’t think she is joking. “Well, the great empress had a hand with where or what I did and when, sorry to disappoint lady Helena” She shrugs and tells me to come inside with gestures.

“I don’t want to be awake at this time, only dames of the night and burglars should be awake at this timeeee” The whining I heard comes closer each time, my cousin sounds like a lazy bum. “Prince Adikemas, I am Pax, your guardian knight. Here I have the seal of the empress, and a letter that she gave in case something like this happened.”

The prince looks at the seal like he doesn’t really know it and takes the letter. He opens it and starts reading. Well, he doesn’t take long. I suppose he is very literate.

“Adikemas, if you read this, I’m dead lol” The prince says his name and something in a mysterious language and looks as confused as the rest of us. “My mother is dead. I think that maybe we need to escape the country, seek asylum or maybe become wandering musicians”. With these words my reunion with my unknowing cousin ends. And a travel begins.