XXXVII

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XXXVII

No sooner than had I let the Emperor's dying body collapse to the floor than did the door to the throne room burst open, permitting a frayed and overworked servant.

"My Lord!" he began, stopping in his tracks when his eyes fell upon the bodies littering the blood-slicked tiles. His terrified gaze finally came to rest on me.

I grabbed him by the scruff of his shirt when he made to run, pulling him back into the room and slamming the door shut. Carrying him across the floor, I planted him in the throne, pressing the blade of my stolen sword firmly beneath his chin.

"You've entered here without the Emperor's approval," I said, thinking aloud more than anything else. "There must be a pressing emergency. What is it?"

"There's a riot in the streets, rebel fighters are swarming through the streets, killing the City Watch as they fight towards the palace. We think they were sleeper agents, been in the city for who knows how long."

"Who leads them?"

"It has not been confirmed but the watchman who reported this, right before he died, claimed to have seen Corwin Asan himself storming the southern guardhouse. Are you going to kill me?"

His eyes were stretched wide in fear and, as much as I knew I should kill him, I could not bring myself to, discovering that the ruthlessness which had once defined me was now lacking.

"I should but I will not," I told him, removing the sword from his neck. "You may go, though I ask you wait at least one minute before alerting the guards."

"A small price to ask in exchange for my life," he bowed humbly. "It is my duty to report your presence but, as per your request I will wait as long as I can."

"My thanks," I said, pulling the Emperor's signet ring from the dead monarch's stiff hand and exiting the throne room.

***

The palace was so abuzz with activity that I passed mostly unnoticed. Servants were busy rushing back and forth, carrying arms and supplies for the City Watch and the Morbound, whilst members of the latter Order fortified the palace and headed for the streets. I briefly wondered where Gabriel was but did not linger on the thought.

Remembering the route along which he had led me earlier, I went about following it in reverse, rushing through the palace with sword in hand. Upon reaching the armoury, I encountered two members of the Morbound retrieving longbows and full quivers.

They dropped the ranged weapons and pulled free their iconic swords. I dealt with them as swiftly as I could, dropping under the first swing and driving my blade into the attacker's thigh, slamming my free hand up and under his nose, his neck jerking back in a mist of blood from the broken appendage.

The other was faster and I was forced back under a series of blows before finally being able to slip by his guard, slicing upwards and taking his arm off at the shoulder, blood jettisoning from the stump in regular spurts as he toppled sideways, his remaining hand clasped over the wound in a futile attempt to halt the bleeding.

I pulled my own weapons from the shelf on which they lay, strapping the dual scabbards to my back. I left my swords sheathed. The Morbound blade was serving me well and I enjoyed the ease of use presented by its light weight.

Peering into the hall, I took off at a sprint as more Morbound, headed for the fighting outside. I had no desire to fight them, only to leave this place behind, rescue my family and never return. I cut into a side passage, one I had not come through, to hide, letting the Morbound run past, ignorant or unconcerned by my presence.

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