Turbulent winds howled through the forested mountain range as the storm unleashed its tempest upon the land. My Mother The Empress, undeterred by the harshness of the weather, pressed forward. Her own life seemed inconsequential in the face of the urgent need to protect her daughter and return to her Dynasty. Something had transpired, and she was convinced that their sister clan had initiated their long-awaited uprising.
"Damnit, why did I listen to that vixen!" Mother cursed, frustration etched across her face.
"Cold... that was all that I remember. I never expected my life would turn out this way,"
My bloodied mother struggled through the snow, clutching me tightly in the forest. The once-immaculate kimono she wore was now torn by sharp branches, stripping away any facade of nobility she presented.
"I guess I needed a harsh reminder that even those in power are not invincible."
Dragging me through the unforgiving snow, we pressed on, the sound of approaching horses urging us to quicken our pace until we reached a clearing.
Mother stood protectively in front of me, her messy black hair falling around her face. She glared at the people across the field, her brown eyes filled with rage.
"Did you really think you could escape us, your Grace?" a man in distinctive armor spoke, his helmet adorned with gold and black.
"Traitors, all of you! Have you no honor?" she shouted, the betrayal evident in her voice.
The man removed his helmet, slicking back his black hair. "Aisha, Aisha, Aisha. Do you realize times are changing? The Age of The Serpent ends tonight."
"Just because our god is dead doesn't mean I am incapable of ruling. I left to speak with the Empire about peace and maybe an alliance, but I return to this."
"It was Maya's idea, to usurp you. Finally, you've grown soft, Aisha. This peace says it all."
"If I've grown so soft, why couldn't the Vixen fight me herself hmm Ken?" Mother challenged, her determination undiminished.
"I'll be your opponent, Aisha," Ken declared, dropping his helmet into the snow. The samurai surrounding Ken took a step back as the two adversaries charged toward each other, their movements blurring in a dance of black and white.
"I don't know why Mother accepted his challenge; it was obviously a trap...".
Mother lay in the snow, her form stained with blood, arrows scattered around. Even in her final moments of strength, she had protected me.
Ken's men seized her, forcing her to her knees. She struggled against their grasp, helpless as Ken, with his violet blade, positioned it menacingly above her mother's neck.
"Any last words, Aisha?" He said as the words hung in the frigid air, an ominous prelude to the unfolding tragedy.
Mother cast a final glance in my direction, her eyes carrying a mixture of sorrow and reassurance. "It's going to be okay, Kisane... you've been blessed with something great; use it."
At that moment, something within me snapped, and the air resonated with the echoing sound of a drawn blade. A surge of blood-red energy began to course through my body, awakening a power I had never known.
"NOOOOO!" I screamed, unable to contain the overwhelming force within me. The energy erupted, manifesting as a torrent of crimson electric power that struck everyone adorned in black and purple armor. The shockwave of power crackled through the air, a manifestation of the latent strength within me.
"Shit, she has Anti-magic!" one of the soldiers shouted, his body crackling with the crimson energy that marked its potency.
"Lord Commander, I can't move! What do we do!?" Another soldier turned to the recovering Ken, panic evident in his voice.
YOU ARE READING
The Apostle of Ruin
FantasyFollow the Stories of Rei and Kisane as well as many others as they figure out themselves and their reason for fighting in this world, with the threat of another Millennium War brewing. which realm will come out on top Destruction or Creation? In t...
