Rebellion.

“Effective immediately you are to be the new sovereign ruler of the Holy Quix Imperium, which enshrine the whole of the northern hemisphere.” Councilman Drrogi exclaimed in a commanding voice, his demeanor almost fooling me into thinking it was not him but some prideful general willing to die on some faraway lands as an honorary gambit.

A soft smile gave way, denting the ashen cheeks that composed my face. The bedding and garments once again fall gracefully from my blinding flesh.

“As your first command in the position your majesty you must quell the rebellions along the southern borders of the empire. Riding into battle would be the norm but due to your many compounding and severe ailments we have summoned a…an avatar of sorts for y-” Councilman Drrogi continued.

“In other words a false king? Do not sweeten the words dearest councilman Drrogi. Reality is our cruel mistress, behold this cage which I am subject to.” I interjected, being reminded that this indeed was, Drrogi the coward.

“Y-yes. My apologies M’lor-m..majesty.” his words flailed desperately and nervously tuning to the angsty shifting of multiple papers.

He cleared his throat and ceased his angst-filled search as if he found what he was looking for, “A-after having some breakfast would you be so kind as to enlighten me on the command for quelling this rebellion? Currently, a few hundred radicals are holed up in the impregnable floating fortress of Archimedes after a successful overthrow of the lords.”

“I suppose so. Seeing as it is my duty.” I muttered, staring into the blinding lights coming from the window, relishing in every ray that danced on my flesh.

“What is their purpose for such actions? And what is the current situation?” I continued in a more audible level.

“Th-the rebels say it is in hopes of establishing some sort of sovereignty.” Drrogi’s shaky words cowered behind each other as they slipped from his lips.

“We have prepared the lightning hwacha, the greatest siege armament in all of the lands. H-however, as you already know these few dozen arrows can wipe out an entire domain, and can only be crafted by the treacherous dwarves of mount Cryven every few hundred years. We currently only have a mere three dozen in our possessions.”

“Hmm.” I hummed.

“Using such a weapon would grant us an assured and brief victory but it would show our reliance on such weapons.”

“A sign of weakness,” I added on.

“Y-yes. Frankly speaking your Majesty, we have lost thousands of men to these scoundrels when trying to raid by foot. While their numbers are few the floating fortress lives up to its name. It is said that there are a meager hundred thousand peasants within the lords' domain currently serving as hostages, however, do not fret over sacrificing their lives.” Droggi followed, as well as the incessant toiling of his mass of papers.”

A soft sigh, “I see so that is the current predicament,”

“….slithering serpents consume their casted skin when hungry…Bubbling hatred spreads in the hellfire of man’s conquest” Whispered somni into the darkest corners of the room.

“Lay your woes to rest councilman. We need not sacrifice these “meager” lives. Bring to me my breakfast and some silence for thought.” The words, with slight cheer, merged with the dew of reality. Once again there was a need for me.

Droggi lets out a hesitant chuckle in response, “Of-of course your majesty. S-surely you know I jest of sacrifice.”

“Surely.”

The only sounds that followed soon after were that of fading footsteps, into some forgotten world.

“What is your council on this matter somni? Does their sacrifice seem reasonable?”

Coming alive, seemingly from the very entrails of existence, somni spoke. “Unforgiving…is the hand of a god…destructive is the hunger of humanity…you seek not the conquest of a fief, but the rising of hope. hope, like poison, guides the misbegotten into the illusion of salvation.”

“hmm…”

A brisk clank in a small Rectangular area of the door. Breakfast.

“It seems that breakfast has come to pay its dues. Let us see what is today's nutrition.” I rise from the bed allowing all garments to fall from my flesh, laying bare to the loneliness of the room I go and collect the breakfast from the protruding box before me.

Biting my bottom lip I spot the contents of the meal. “Ahhhh, such delicacies.” Nothing short of luxurious, the main dish was composed of some sausages, dried strips of cod heavily salted, and a wild salad with different vegetation. The lesser dishes were composed of various fruits from the many lands under the Quix Imperium, along with some wine and water.

Making my way to a dining table sunbathing before the window I conversed with somni. “Minimize civilian deaths, by luring the holed-up enemy into a false sense of security. By your somehow all-knowing senses somni, I assume you know about the fortress, Archimedes? Which floats on a thin veil of fog along the southern border of Quix.”

“…kek…kek…to explore success, one must venture beyond their walls of comfort. Worry not, of them fleeing back into their walls in fear. With time the hinges of doors come loose and the unbound flurry of comfort seeps into the body again. That is when the end is nigh.” -Somni

“Intriguing…However, will that not take years? I assume this plan of yours will take at least a couple of years, no?” I take a seat at the lonely table and begin to dine as we converse.

“Eyes befall them, from the outside…so much as inside,” Somni spoke, its voice sounding as though it was sitting before me.

“Hmm. I suppose we’ll move with your plans but shorten it by a year, prompting the rebels with an unsuccessful assassination attempt will surely open those doors wide. Pawns, after all, are necessary sacrifices.”

“Trivial…these matters are. Heed my words dear one, the righteous in their grotesque ‘goodness’ become blind sheep giving into their masters' desire. Seek the importance of this rebellion from the multitude appearing in the vast empire.” The sound of somni’s voice distancing itself as he spoke the last few words, returning to the darkness of this cavern.

“What do you allude to somni?...Somni?” I stopped eating momentarily, now flavoring somni’s words and not the bounty before me. “What are you somni…?” I ask to the oblivion of his grotesquely large room.

“...”

To no avail, somni just like always disappeared the very moment I inquire about his nature. Nonetheless, I consume my meal in silence while contemplating the nature of somni’s peculiar words. Once finished, I return the dishes and leftovers to the empty rectangle protruding from the giant bedroom door.

Before I could take two steps back towards the bed the quick slam of the protruding rectangle followed by dissipating footsteps vibrated into the staleness of existence.

Then, just as quickly as dusk turns to night in the room, councilman Drrogi appears.

“Majesty? Are the battle plans prepared? The council is anxious for your command.” Droggi exclaimed while panting like a beast.

“Hm. They are prepared, roughly. Do with them as you’d like.” I said and proceed to tell the councilman the plan somni and I formulated. Still standing a few steps from the great door.

…

“S-splendid tactics my lord, but are you sure the barbaric rebels will venture out within the year?”

A twirl of hair came undone, “I suppose so. If not, allow the false king to lay down his life, and the many “meager” peasants within those walls to serve as martyrs for a lost cause.”

Silence befell the conversation momentarily.

“V-very well I shall announce the plans to the council. Is there anything else you would like to discuss for the day majesty?”

“There is one thing…the thing he told me,” I say in a slight whisper, just loud enough for the words to escape the grand doors at this distance.

“He?” Droggi inquired, the deep tremble of cowardice behind the tone of his voice nearly jumping out at me.

“What is the point of quelling this rebellion, if, in due time it would eventually implode?”

“Wel-” Drrogi tried anxiously.

“Why seek my tactics for such trivial matters? I suppose with a kingdom this large you oug-”

An exaggerated sigh silenced my words, “Well your majesty, these pagans are responsible for the death of the former king, your father…” His words were spoken again in a calm and collected manner. Foreign to this human. Foreign to a coward.

From the shadows where no light reached the room, I felt the room rumble.

“LIES.” thundered somni like never before. Rattling my eardrums and very soul.

“What is the meaning of this outburst somni?” The words, escaping me in a shout while my eyes darted to and fro, still standing a few feet from the door a sudden feeling overcame me, to consume everything…to break and destroy to hate and to lust, everything and nothing. Rage.

“Y-your majesty?” Drrogi inquired confused and with the alluring stench of fear leaking through the very cracks of the grand door.

“YOU CONNIVING SNAKE, SLITHER UPON THE MEAGER GROUND AND BESEECH THE GODS LIKE THE PREPOSTEROUS WRETCH YOU ARE!” once, again somni thundered with deep anger sending a spiral of pain through my dulling flesh. causing blood to flow from my lips and ears.

This feeling, foreign yet familiar. Distant yet close. Like nothing else I have ever felt while living. A pain from beyond me, wrought into my very bones. This feeling felt like me. Throbbing, pouring into the emptiness of me...molding me.

“AHHHHHHH.” I wailed as my legs gave in sending me to my knees. Blood and spittle formed in a pool around him as the pain throbbed within me, forcing upon me the bleakness of the dark…my body becoming as heavy as the very marble which entrapped me, sooner or later I collapsed with my head slamming into the ground under me.

Silence once more befell me. This time, however, with the very fluids of existence slipping away from me, tainting the white of marble a crude red.

Crude indeed.