Chapter 34: Red rag
When Nortus was rising, rebels were everywhere after the
I am going to the capital now. I am not the one who lead the rebellion but I must take the head of the current king to vent my anger at this moment. I take my guns, dagger and the staff along with me. I quickly rush on my own feet to the capital
Days without eating or drinking or resting, I don't care anymore if they notice. I can change my appearance, I can hide my weapons and I can sneak past by all means.
After I killed that drake prince, I have five souls now. I am stronger than normal sandfolks. I heard that Tordur Nortus is one hell of an one-eyed marksman. Don't go to his closed eye or you will die to his arrow quicker. That is what I heard among those assassination attempts.
Fortunately, I am not a normal living being.
****
At the capital, as I went before, it is very populated but today they seem to be very wary about outsiders. I now look like a noble who wants to take a stroll around. I hide my weapons inside my own body. I got in through the graveyard then seized the opportunity when the fog was thick.
I want to get in the palace now. But right now, the time is too young. Night should be perfect.
****
Night falls, I quickly swiftly take down guards at a section of the wall. I don't snuff the torch so I disguise myself as a guard. I walk around inside the palace. As expected from rumours, it is bright and fancy. I see Palos's crown on a display cabinet as a trophy. Closer, I can see the bloodstain on the crown. Where is the king's bedroom?
Surely, it must be heavily guarded but yet, there are many fake rooms. Illusion but I don't give up. Or perhaps, it was not an illusion but rather. This palace is a living being. It can change its organs. It is a homunculus with stones and wood.
I should find its head and take a look.
****
After many minutes, I have found the head. I can see it. The king's bedroom is the door with the emblem of drake.
I quickly rush to find that door. I burst open the door.
"What was that noise?" the
"Here I am. Come to take the head of the culprit's descendant" I change myself back to Jarek's appearance
"Who are you?"
BANG!
I missed the shot. Doesn't matter
"Is it too late to tell a joke after centuries?"
"The mad jester's ghost?" He shoots the first bolt at me
I changed to Dasmuth to dodge the bolt
"Lad! T'was a bad shootin heh?"
"Dwarven foul birth's spirit?" He takes the sword and tries to slash me down
I switch to Jarek and dodge the blade. I slash him back as for thanking to leave his face at front like this
"I thought you were so scary but yet your temper is only a child for such old body"
"You dared to mock me?" He readies his dagger and throws at my face.
I don't bother dodge it. Tordur realises what is happening. Sands.
"Your ancestor killed us three more than eight hundred years ago. And our anger is not simply killing you and ending your lies. Your family will be falling slowly for quite a time until I forgive you all. Ha ha ha"
"Three? Nonsense" The king steps back and takes out his
Bang!
"You think you can kill me with this puny shot?" I changed to Hiwan the ground drake to stop the shot down inside the body. And the shot falls.
"A ground drake lord? Just who are you?"
"Told you, we are the ones who will haunt you and your family"
I get closer, I use my dagger to peel that eyelid out and I see a wonder. Something looks like a maggot inside.
So there is the thing called celestial beings. They come from the sky. Out of nowhere, out of this world. Some are parasitic, some are glutinous and all of them are dangerous.
How long has this thing been living?
I get pushed back by the king himself. It seems that the head of Nortus is truly out of this world. No wonder, they are so determined for almost a thousand of years
"More than eight hundreds years you said. Now I remember. Son of a whore among dwarven king's son, a clown of worthlessness, a lord of failure. Three of you band together to kill me?"
He points at me with another
"You dare to say with such a mouth after you led orcs to slaughter my spectators? Lured wolves to eat my comrades? Deceived dwarves to raid my party?" I point my gun at him
Bang!
The two of us shoot at each other at the same time. I dodged it and I aimed at the maggot instead of the head.
"After all this time, I am just angered over a maggot, heh?" I smile
But something doesn't seem right. Why does the king now favor the first prince over his rationality? A possible scenario…
This thing had an offspring somehow before I killed it.
I must kill the first prince. But now, not the time. I quickly dash out of the window. I need to get out of this capital before someone finds out. I keep running until I am out of this place.
I must warn the rebels by some means. Of course, I can say it was a divine dream that I felt an evil presence among the royalties.
****
In the morning, on my way back to Nakitel, I just keep walking and changing my appearance. Keep walking and changing. At Loreahor, I see an announcement:
_
The king has passed away. Now the first prince shall take over the throne. All other princes must gather at the palace at once. The fourth prince is not allowed to come back due to their rebellion against this kingdom.
_
As I expected, that thing either took another host or perhaps, it disappeared as soon as I got out. Doesn't matter now.
It knows me but one thing for sure is that it can't explain properly so my identity is semi safe. But would it matter if they know a sandfolk among them? I can take on a whole kingdom if I want to. But then the thing I have to be wary of: white mages. Arcane magic can hurt souls if I am not careful. I need time, I need more souls. Who to consume next is my question.
Fourth prince is leading the rebels with my other body as his right hand now. I should get something done to slay the first prince and make the fourth prince as king.
What should I do now?
What should I do now?
I promised Kiltan to talk to him this time around, right?
****
"Tell me more about Miwra, Kiltan"
"I have been with her for quite a time. She is a good mother when she has retired. But her childishness never changes. I remember now. There is a
"A
"You see she asked the favor from the god of time to keep her time flowing but her appearance pauses at her ten. If Miwra was normal, she would be a very muscular woman and as tall as half of an adult drake"
"How do you conclude that?"
"She trained herself a lot. She ran a lot with heavy armor and carried boulders on her back. She also once worked out by pulling a whole full grown tree with her bare hands. That's how scary she is."
"I tell you a thing about the king. Would you promise me that you won't tell anyone?"
"Sure. Hit me"
"A celestial has been living inside the bodies of the Nortus family."
"..."
Kiltan backs out. He crumbles. Thankfully, it is night and no one else is here.
"How can you know this?" Kiltan takes his courage to stand
"A maggot lived inside Todur Nortus"
"It could be anything else tho"
"It had its own consciousness. There is no deny"
"I think we had enough here. Now you just need to get back to Nakitel before someone is worrying for you"