The Haunted: Revelations (Sequel to Rebellion)

Chapter 2

F̞̏ͅi͖̘͛͗n̰̫͍͕̗̭ͩ͑ͩd̹̪̘ͬͤ̂̑̂ ̘̜V͇̂͂ͅi̮̪g̤̙̰̟̤͎̅̃ë͇̫̘̼̺͇̖́̃̾ͯͩ̚n̫̮̦͇͖͙͈ͣͦĕ̎̎r͉̭̟͕̺̱̦ͤ̅͌̄ͧ̎̋e̟̒ͪ͗̆̓̒
̻̝͗ͭͅA̠͇̙͎ͅn̰̻͈̿ͪͣ͊͌ͣ͗d̼͕̉ ̹͉̱̫͉͔͋̇̄ͥ̐̈͒c̩̮̞͙͐́̊ͦăͬ͐͋͋l͔͍̲̪̥̉̌̒̌l̹͍͕̠͔͑ͅ ̹͒̾̎u̞̗̙̜̭͉ͤͮ̆̄p͖͈̺̫͔͇̘̃̿̂̿́͒o̳͎̬͌̅̊n͙̮̜̻̬̫̾ͫ̊ͩ̈̀ͦ ̝̯̬͙̤̳̉͊ͤͬͤ̂̚t̝̦̲̑ͫ̐̔͑̈h͉̼̘̺e̤̥̭ ͎̮̼̈̒̐͐ͫ͂ͅn͖̙̠̖̤̮ͯͫ͋̉a͎̻̯̜̠̍̅ͅm͈̣͍ͦ̈́e̟̞̫̟ͬ͑̍͐͌͋ ͂̇ͮ
̭̆ͭ̒ͪỌ̦͓͇́ͦͣ̓̈͒ͪͅf̺̝̱ͩ̄̽ͩ ͙͖̜h̤͖̭̘͈̒̋̊ë͌̽̾̓̈͑ ̤ͬ̃ẅ̫͍̬́̈̊hͪ͌͗o̖͖ͬ ̻͔̭̀̂ͮ̓̈́ͯf̟̯̽̐̓͒ͮͯͭl̀̂ͩ͑̀̀i̬͙̟̼ͦe͉ͯͤs͎̞̼̳̗͕͋ ̱̝͇̦͕̣̾ͮ͋ͦ͛̾
͈̮͔͔̩̻͔ͧT̜̠̫̮̳̤̐ͩͯ͋̇̽͛h̘ė̹͉̯ ̠̫̪̟ͅm̗͖̭͓̟̮̋̿̿͒̿a͐̽ͭͥ̎̌́ñ͋̚ ̭̮͓̲̂͌w͕̺î̙͍̔ͩ̚ṭ̜̪̔h̯͔͍̜͇͌ͮ̃͒̾ ̦͋͂̀w̎̄ͪͤh͍̖͕̥̼̏̓i̭̜͊̊̏t̼̙͚̼̄e̲̱̳̳͈͖͐ͣ͑̀ͣ ̮̭̙̫̯̼̩͐͗̚ẹ̥̙͇̮͙͖̑̿̋ͬ͂̂ŷ͔ͤͅe̯͙̻̘̭͚̫̽s͓̗͓̹̾̂ͬ̈́͑̐̊ ͉̘̮̞̲̮̺̅́ͯ̎
̫̘̹̰̪̲ͥͯͨ̎̏͊Õ͒̿ͥn̙̘̊̈͛͆̒̏̚l̤̞̾ͤ̎ͫy̭̳͔̒̊ͥ ͈̪̜͗̾͑ͣͮ͒̌thͭ̋e̞̎̎ͅn͕̗̜̲͍ ̹̹̤̥͙w͎̦̙̙̭͊̔̔́̈́̏̈́i̙̯̫̜̼ͯ̌͊̉͂l̫͈̤͔̪̫͋̄̉l̤̱̗͐ ̮̘̮̺̇ͣͣ͒̎ï̠̦̽̿̉̀̓ṫ̝̝͙̹̳͒ͫ̃ ͚͈̹c͎̈́oͪͪm͚̣̂̾ͣ͌̈́̿ͯm͎̋̓̐̿e̖̙̱͉͈̓̀̊ͅn̗̠̞̣̰̖̲̋͒̽́̄͂̃d͈̠
̯̫̟͈̞͓ͭ͂ͧ̃ͨ̏T̠̺̃͒o̥͓̿͆̍ͭͦ ̲͔̘͚ͥ̍š̫̠̲o͉̫̹ͫ͗̂l̬͇̘͇ve̹͚͖ ̞̎̉ͨ̋̀w̮̹̤̤̲̬̟h͖̻̻͖̯̀ä́ͪ͌t̤͖̙̠̝̞̎ͧ̌ ͕̣͉̺͇͈̜ͤ͛̽ͪ͗l͎̪͔̯̥̫̰ȋ̠̲̲̜͇̱̤͆̃ͨe̘̩̟̣̦͖̳͗̏̓͊̋s̆ͤ ̜̣̠̳ͤ͑ͨi̝̻̳̮̬ͥ̓̄̽ͧ̅ͦn̖̟͖͎̤ͫ͂ ̯̜͇̗̝ͧͬ͑ͩ̂̐͆t͙̺̺̱̤̳́̋̇̒̎͒h͕̤̺ͨḙ̳̗͖̺̓ͬ ̦͇̆̓ͭ̈ͪẻ̱͕ͫͮ̚n͓̥͕̅͋̈̈́̌d̙̼̠̈́͒ͩ̂
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"I want to go with my original plan; make the empire fall to its knees."
-Grayson, Rebellion; Chapter 39

***

Grayson's point of view-

I pushed my crown on my head until it was in a secure but comfortable position, the two red ribbons on the back tickling the nape of my neck as I pulled up my long hair, a bit past shoulder length as I had let it grow throughout the years. As I held the bundle of blonde strands in place, I took the beige hair tie out from between my teeth then tied it all up into a ponytail that bounced as I moved. I had let both my hair and my beard grow out over the years, mainly because I thought it was a waste of time to cut if it was just going to grow back again.
I looked at myself in the mirror, being sure that I was presentable for my people. With my hair groomed and pulled back, it was easier to see my slightly tanned complexion and jawline, rather defined even when covered in curly beard, if I do say so myself. Dang it, I sound similar to Drake saying things like that.
Although he has a bit of stubble, it's barely noticeable unlike my own.
My face had a few scars from battles, mainly from before Drake came back eight years ago but a few from afterwards. The most visible, permanent ones was a long one stretching from my right cheek, on top of my jaw bone, all the way up to the bottom of my eye. The others were two on my left cheek forming an 'x', or more close to a four point star. Those were caused by our battles with the empire back in the day. I also had another two scars on the right of my face, two massive claw marks running down from my cheek to my jaw, caused by Nightmares.
Bags hung underneath my eyes, and as a result of age, a few wrinkles were around my eyes and my cheeks were a bit sunk in.
Around my neck was a golden choker with a lime green gem front and center. It was somewhat of an irritation with my Adam's apple sometimes getting in the way, but I've grown used to it. Why do I even wear it anyway? Oh well. Another piece of jewelry I wore was a ring resembling a dragon wrapped around my finger, as well as a single golden ring earring on my left ear. Drake had a single piercing too that Mia, Lalea, and I sort of peer pressured him into doing when I got my own. I felt guilty but he was less annoyed when his daughter found interest in it, as well as that the earring at least had some magic buffs to it.
My coat trimmed in gold was two shades of green, primarily pine and emerald to match with my eyes. My fitted pants were pure black with armor from my knees to halfway down my legs, well, leg. My right leg was a metal prosthetic after I had lost it in a battle a few years back. At least I only have to wear one sock and shoe!
As I finished equipping my shoulder pads and wrist guards, each with the imperial crest, I tightened the straps, feeling more comfortable wearing at least some form of armor just in case I required protection, such as from an unforeseen attack or civil rebellion. I was always cautious of those.
My clothing was quite heavy but I learned to live with the weight, since I used to wear armor commonly, this was nothing in comparison to that.
My time as emperor over the past eight years have been relatively swell, considering that my first year as ruler was a roller coaster of anxiety, depression, and fear before Drake came back. After his return, my life felt lighter and had a bigger sense of purpose. There were few wars, I had my best friends who were like family. Along with that, his abilities to summon Luke's spirit allowed my old friend-enemy and myself to talk and clear much of my mind tormented by the circumstances regarding his death.
I tugged at my red cape before sighing, spinning around to head to my bedroom balcony. Being emperor had it's luxurious perks! My ruby amulet bounced against my chest in my stride. As I reach down and tugged at the handle of the door made up of glass, I welcomed the fresh morning air, even if it were chilly. After all, I have lived in climates that often went below zero, so a few degrees into the chilly temperatures was nothing to me.
I gazed at the beautiful gardens below and grand cities off in the near distance, buildings and the occasional small forests as vast as the eye could see. The vast sky was relatively clear despite a few clouds rolling in from the distance, the gorgeous rising sun allowing the sky to ignite with colors of gold, orange, and pink.
My eyes gazed down onto the cities below, my calmness once again set in. The forests, the distant mountains, the gorgeous buildings. I could not ask for a better view aside from the addition of an ocean perhaps.
Sergtara...capital of the Northern empire. While the main palace was up north, the empire was created many years ago by the merging of the western and eastern empires after civil war broke out. The empire lived under the rule of two emperors, Alduin of the west, the emperor I served under as commander of his armies, and the emperor of the east, who captured elves to show dominance.
After a civil war, Alduin took control of the new merged empires, the west and the east expanding further into the north, conquering the Northern empire, and claiming it's title as the new, larger, Northern empire. Alduin was given the eastern empire's trophies, their citizens, slaves, and elves. Now that I was emperor, all of the slaves and elves were freed long ago, making many happy but others to uproar as their own labor had to increase. The former emperor of the east vanished without a trace...
I remember that war, when we had finally defeated the east and merged our lands, we were attacked by another force that came from the North. The army was small, but filled with powerful magi with magic that not even those in the magic guild had ever seen. They had something that both Alduin and the eastern empire both desired; the last dragon egg known to mankind. I participated in the war within the end of a war, the army that I commanded proving to be stronger. We stole the dragon egg... and I took it for myself, knowing the bloodbath destined to be spilled if Alduin learned to control such a creature.
I stole the dragon egg and became a fugitive, family executed, lost everything, including the will to live. I am grateful that my friend found me before I ended it all, otherwise we would not have the lives we live now. Prosperous, happy, living in peace. I could not ask for a better life...well, there are one or two things I do wish for...
A heavy breath slipped out from my nostrils, taking in the relaxation for as long as I could before the day would require me to handle my duties. Being emperor does have its downsides, that being the inability to rest at most times of the day. Though there are those moments of peace that I relish.