The Emperor's Concubine

B.2 Chapter Nine

"Your highness, Ruler Canella has provided these names of wealthy families to target. She found their interests and dislikes in order to help send gifts." Lance mannerly speaks, handing Emperor Cabel a folder with long lists of different nobles.
"I see. Send her a letter of gratitude, along with flowers for Queen Ming." Emperor Cabel speaks, laying the list out on his desk.
"Yes, your highness. Would you like any refreshments?"
"No, it's fine. Has word of the oversea's trade with the Bormana Kingdom returned?-"

"Your highness!"
Emperor Cabel is cut off as his office doors burst open.
Captain Arron runs in, frantic.
"Captain, please compose yourself in front of his highness!" Lance scolds.
"I deeply apologize, your highness. We just received news from the lapis mine!" Captain Arron exclaims.
Emperor Cabel raises his brow.
"What about it? Have the lapis and coal been stolen?" He asks.
"No, one of the miners made it back to the lower district. He was out of his mind, screaming, and crying! Witnesses have said he was covered in blood, and pale as a ghost!"
"Get to the point, what happened?"
"Your highness... The miners were slaughtered."
Emperor Cabel's and Lance's eyes both widen.
"All of them?" Emperor Cabel questions.
"The miner wasn't sure. He calmed down once he was brought to the hospital, but he said some beast began slaying the miners. He wasn't sure what beast it was, but he began to hear screams. Thankfully he was on the upper level of the mine, and escaped with others but he heard the screams grow closer. Thankfully the entry collapsed once he escaped, but only a few of them made it out alive."
"Is there a chance the others are alive?"
"There is a chance. There's emergency food and water incase, so they should be fine, but if they're trapped with the thing that slaughtered them, they might not stand a chance. They have no proper weapons or training."
Emperor Cabel clicks his tongue.
"Send a rescue team now. Call all the healers from the cathedral, round up at least one hundred qualified doctors from this empire. Send at least a hundred-no two hundred knights to search, and slaughter whatever killed them. You have until the end of the day to gather everyone, and you all leave before this day ends. I'll inform the duke and marquess about this matter."
"Your highness, it takes weeks to reach the lapis mine, will we be able to make it?"
"Make it there as quick as possible. Coordinate to have one team to be awake, while the other half rests, and then they can switch. Do not stop unnecessarily, and inform the knights to bring back any deceased they find in there."
"The deceased? But your highness, that will slow the journey on the way back-"
"Those men had families." Emperor Cabel cuts him off sharply, "Their families deserve to see their family members to say goodbye. Bring everyone back, body parts, bodies, alive or dead, they all come back." Emperor Cabel lifts his coat, walking towards his office doors.
"Your highness, the amount of carriages and horses we'd need-"
"We have no time for this captain." Emperor Cabel turns around, his eyes glowing bright red as his expression appears sorrowful yet overwhelmingly intimidating, "People die in war, and are all honoured for their sacrifice. If you went to war and died, your family would want to say goodbye, even though they knew you could have died, wouldn't they?"
Captain Arron's eyes widen, taken aback.
He averts his eyes nodding slightly, his lips pursed tightly closed.
"Captain, those men didn't sign up to die. They signed up to work for this empire. They signed up for a pay to live well. No matter what length we go to, they deserve to come back. Just as we do for our knights, they deserve to be brought back home. Hurry up, if you fail to leave before the day ends, you'll be reprimanded."
Emperor Cabel leaves his office quickly, heading for the main doors.

"Luna!" Riddle shouts, he lifts his hand summoning his wind to catch the spears, but reacts to late.
Luna's eyes widen as she's surrounded with sharp spears, flying down at her.

Whip

Crack

The sharp whipping sound cuts through the air of arena.
The assassin's eyes widen.
In her hands she holds two golden colour ropes, glowing brightly as she quickly whips the spears, breaking them all in half.
The broken spears fly back, falling down to the ground around her.
"Luna..." Riddle stares, astonished with his mouth dropped open.
Luna looks at Riddle, Petunia, and Cethin who's expression seem panicked, yet shocked.
She looks down at her hands, holding onto two glowing dual whips. She looks back up at Riddle.
"Did I?-" Luna mutters, confused.
"Holy shit!" Riddle shouts, running up to her.
He picks her up, spinning her around.
The dual whips vaporizing as she opens her hands to hold onto Riddle.
"What was that?" Petunia exclaims, shocked.
"I-I don't know, I don't even know how I did that!" Luna exclaims looking at her hands as Riddle sets her back down.
"Try it again!" Riddle stands back, watching her.
"I-I don't know what I did though!" Luna exclaims, her hands glowing again as she tries to summon them.
She tilts her head, confused, attempting to think.
"Maybe it was just a one time thing?" Luna speaks up, her powers subsiding.
"If you did it once, you can do it again. Never just a fluke." Riddle shrugs.
"Listen, can we cut her training short? I need to talk to her." Cethin speaks up, grabbing Luna's hand.
"Cethin should you be up and walking right now?" Petunia stops him, worried.
"I'm fine, I just need to talk with her."
Cethin drags Luna behind him as he abruptly leaves the arena.