Aetherthrone Saga

Chapter Two: Triscepteres (Three Different Ones)

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"Are we to believe in this blasphemy?!" The Royal Eincount had never questioned his King before. "Majesty, what you're saying sounds like insanity." His voice was desperate as if his near 40-years of loyalty had come to an end at that very moment. The room was more than cramped, and the walls filled with rigid, golden-framed art pieces of varying sizes and intricate flourishes. Newtech light fixtures glowed dimly, yet still set off a chain of reflective glints from the artistry below. Almost every inch of the room was trimmed or lined with a freshly-polished gold coat.

"The Sol Society is not blasphemous!" The king's chair scraped against the ground from his weight. His desk was surprisingly empty but unsurprisingly made of pure gold, with slight, black leather accents. King Kodo took his time while rising from the chair. Its hinges squeaked in relief. His black and grey hair frayed out in every direction despite being slightly contained in a large bun that drooped down the back of his head. "They have been guiding my brothers and sisters across Haethrone for the last one hundred years. They will be granted another hundred, and I will help them. Riggleton, my Royal Eincourt, we must transfer a sum of Bits into a hacked account. Who can help us?"

Sir Roiland Riggleton sighed and swiped a finger across his personal holodeck. He moved back and forth between a few screens, acting as if he were actually doing something of importance.

"Your Majesty, I may know of a Handler who can make the transaction. Will this hacked account be sending us yet another dead-drop location?" Riggleton already knew who he would confide in with this objective. He knew where the secret location would be. He knew how much money down to the very last Q-Bit. Yes, he had it memorized alright. "Might I guess how much the account is asking for? Could it be... Hmmm, Four-hundred and twenty Bits with Sixty-nine Q-Bits remainder?"

"No, no, no, my loyal Eincourt. On this day, we progress the entirety of Haethrone in one transaction. Give them 90% of the Royal Contingency- Do not whine at your king's feet, you soulless sheep. Do as I ask and maybe you shall ascend with me as I rise towards the Allthrone. Riggleton, I swear by the stars within our sky that this prophecy shall bring forth Haethrone's true position among the Unender Constellation."

"MAJESTY!" Riggleton hissed in defiance. "That is the money of those who lie within our borders!" The Royal Eincourt dropped to his knees. "The families will have no Incomebits when it is time to receive their monthly allowance! My family is already on the verge of starvation! I am your most trusted advisor! If you expect me to stand idly by while you wash this kingdom of its massive economic advantage then you truly are among the blasphemers as I have feared for many years. Not even your daughter could pull you from this insanity-" He dropped his holodeck, sending its hardware sprawling across the floor.

The Eincourt's eyes bulged and widened until red veins sprouted from his pupils. Tiny droplets of blood oozed down to the sides of his cheeks, into his open mouth. He could no longer form words as his lips quivered and seized. Riggleton looked down at his chest, where a set of three long blades protruded from his royal garbs. Slowly, the wielder of the blades lowered its victim to the ground. It was nearly methodical; the way the figure twisted its triple-bladed sword into the coat of Riggleton.

There was no sound when the figure unsheathed its weapon from Riggleton's lifeless body. Even when the blood poured from the extravagant wound, there was no sound. Finally, the king's command echoed through the small chamber, braving to break the silence of fresh death.
"Find her, Wrenreaver. Take the transfer data and see it to completion. From there on, you know your destiny. If my daughter lives, then there is no hope for this planet. There will be no hope for you to regain your former... Beauty."