Displaced

Chapter 68

"Pathetic, all of you!" Emperor Haidar Batra snarled as he gazed down on his high officers. The generals and their staff each knelt on a single knee, their heads bowed before him in shame, but that wasn't good enough for Haidar. He wanted them to sweat, to tremble, to feel his fury through more than just his words. With that thought in mind, he began to Observe, increasing the weight upon them all. "Unacceptable! I stand above all as the ruler of the greatest empire this world has ever seen, and you dare to tell me that my grand army can be thwarted by some contraptions sent by that laughing stock of a nation?! I will not allow it!"

"Even this cage is an affront to my power," he fumed as he gestured around in disgust towards the thick stone ring that encircled the area. "It is an insult to my name and legacy!"

The barrier had been constructed to guard against the Otharians' metal beasts, specifically the one with a longer snout that could kill from a terrifying distance. After it had nearly succeeded in assassinating him several days after the Otharians had entered the war, the army had set up several stone barriers to protect him from any more such attacks.

There were tunnels that connected the different rings, allowing him to travel between them while keeping his exact location hidden from the enemy, but the fact remained that he had to stay within these stone prisons for his own protection. It made him look weak, like a tiny lizard hiding from predators beneath a rock. The very thought infuriated him. The idea that Otharia, of all countries, had forced him into such a state made it all worse. He could practically hear his ancestors laughing at him.

"Incompetent fools, all of you!" Haidar spat. "The Eterians have been on their last legs for days and yet you still cannot topple them! Impotent! Useless!"

The collected soldiers trembled as he lashed out, but their fear did little to appease his scalding rage. The last time he'd been this angry had been when his forces stationed to the north of Crirada had managed to break through and open the city's northern gate, only to suffer devastating losses in the span of moments. Nearly a hundred thousand troops had been snuffed out that day, and he'd made sure that the commander of the northern troops, General Maldi, joined them shortly thereafter as penance. A general that couldn't sniff out a trap was of no worth to him.

"General Inagorri, you have failed to deliver on all fronts. All attempts at sabotage have ended in failure. Even your vaunted Agent Agharia proved a bust. Such failure speaks ill of your abilities."

"I beg for your mercy, Your Greatness," the woman pleaded. "Agent Agharia has served us incredibly well before-"

"We could have taken Ofrax at any time of our choosing, with or without him. His past performance means nothing. He failed to deliver on his promises. I want him punished."

"Unfortunately, Agent Agharia may have perished in the battle that night. He has not responded to our messages since."

"More likely, he had gone into hiding like the worm that he is," Haidar growled. "He knows that his plan ended in failure. If the Champion had not returned, it would have been a disaster. I cannot help but feel that she has been covering up many of your collective deficiencies. Speaking of which, General Moiras."

"Yes, Your Grandness?" the large, burly man asked, not daring to look up. Haidar noted with pleasure the subtle hint of terror in the experienced man's voice but made sure to keep any of said pleasure from reaching his face.

"The Champion gave you a gift and destroyed the western gate. How is it that you have been unable to take advantage of this opportunity? I expected better from the man who led the conquests of Ofrax and Droaja."

"I have no excuses, Your Greatness. I have yet to solve the puzzle that the Otharians present, and their machines get more powerful each day. I am working with the Champion to search for a solution."