This is the old version, and remains here for reference only. After Chapter 57 is the new version.

 

The strength of any empire on the world of Imera did not rest with the emperors, or the generals. It rested upon the shoulders of men like Light Mage Detlef. Those were his thoughts as his council was gathered in the main ministerial chamber for the empire.

Light mages prided themselves on their purity as they could cast holy based magic. However, reality is always a far cry from perception. Holy based magic is purification, or light attributed magic, while holy attributes alone belong to the creator god of Imera.

Purification magic, or light attribute magic, can cleanse and heal wounds, fix bone fractures and breaks, remove pent up stress by purging the dark elements within the body, and even cure low to high level diseases.

Light mages are popular, and seen as though they are gifts to Imera from the creator himself, and this has led to some heavy amounts of arrogance among those who can use light attribute magic.

This has also led to an abnormal amount of suffering for the people. Extremely high prices for purification, which sometimes results in families offering their female children to the mages as payment. The hidden nunnery within the castle is a place that swallows its victims alive and spits out only the bones.

For the first time in his adult life, Light Mage Detlef feared for his miserable existence. Royal guards with pikes and armor surrounded the inside of the chambers, while two full squads of crossbowmen had their sights on the mages. Detlef bowed.

“Your Majesty.” Detlef listened carefully but did not hear the click from a crossbow trigger lock removed, so he let out a slow breath. The rest of the assembly knelt down properly, while the sweat beaded on their foreheads. They didn’t hear the order for them to rise, so they had to stay on the floor properly.

“You may rise.” The old eunuch said from the platform above them. “First Light Mage Detlef, your assembly has been tasked with purifying the illness of the First Prince of Krov. What are the results?”

“Your Majesty. We have exhausted all avenues to heal the First Prince of his affliction. After we determined that there is no injury, we concentrated on disease. There is no disease to heal. His vitality is slowly drained away, and there is only one thing that can do this. A curse.” The emperor didn’t look surprised, but his eyes sharpened.

“Can this curse be dispelled?” The eunuch asked.

“If we knew what the curse was, we could take it apart, but we dare not try. We could push the curse into an agitated state where it drained the lifeforce even faster. The only one who may be able to figure out this curse, unfortunately, is someone we do not deal with.” The eunuch nodded thoughtfully.

“We see. The Dark Mage Randall. Is there anything else you can inform Us about?” Since the eunuch spoke for the emperor, he used plural forms in his words, but when the Emperor spoke, it was always singular. Emperors were more arrogant then the light mages, as their words was final, so it was always the ‘RI’, or ‘Royal I’ when he spoke.

“The First Prince, born of Empress Lena and the Emperor of Mercy, Emperor Bardulf, only has two weeks left to live. Maybe three at the most.” Detlef heard the trigger locks move with multiple clicks, and stiffened. The Emperor held up his hand.

“Halt.” The trigger locks were reengaged. “Master Light Mage Detlef.” The eunuch used his formal title, which sent a shiver down his spine. “Converse with the Empress Lena and inform her of the results. Arrange for her an appointment with Randall.”

“I,” The momentary hesitation caused all the crossbows to click. “It will be done.”

 

*****

 

The door to the Mage Assembly chambers closed heavily, and was bolted. The entire trip was silent, except for one member who wouldn’t shut up, and repeated his questions again and again.

Detlef look at the Junior Master, and Senior Master of the assembly. They nodded.

“Why are we going to that person’s place?”

“Bind him.” Detlef said firmly. The others rushed forward, and held the fool’s arms, while Detlef pulled out his dagger.

“What are you doing?” His eyes went wide as the Master Mage stood in front of him.

“Get the clamp.” In the space of thirty seconds, the fool had his jaws pried open, and his tongue clamped at the base. “Since you have so much to say about why we listened to the Emperor, and right in front of him, we’ll make sure you have a good audience.” He sliced off the man’s tongue, and healed the wound closed. “Take him to the Demon barracks. Let him entertain them with his noise.”

Though he just had his tongue cut off, his eyes went wide in horror. The Demon Barracks. The place where the most brutal of soldiers were sent to be trained. No women, no alcohol, and no entertainment. Skinny men like this mage usually had their teeth knocked out as soon as they entered, but never had a chance to leave.

Without his tongue, he was unable to chant to use the regenerative magic that would fix his tongue, and allow him to protect himself.  Higher ranked mages could use minor ranked magic without chants, while Masters could use middle rank.  He was a middle ranked mage, and had lower ability to use light attribute magic then his fellow council.

“He’ll last a week at most. Longer then we will if I don’t get to the Empress’ chambers and report these findings.”

 

*****

 

“This shows how much importance the Emperor places on the Empress.” Detlef shook his head and knocked on the door. There were no guards posted, and her bedroom was far away from the Emperor’s, unlike the rest of the Imperial Harem.

The door opened. A fully armored guard had her sword in hand, but stepped back respectfully when she saw him.

“I’ve come to report to the Empress about the Light Mage Council’s findings in regards to her son, the First Prince.” The guard nodded.

“Enter.” The voice he heard came from within the room, and though Detlef had his pick of his favorite slaves, the Empress was someone who could stir the soul with her voice alone. It was not gentle, and soothing, or melodious. There was a bit of soft silk and huskiness to her voice that made him wish he could hear her speak more.

When he walked into the room, he started to sweat a bit. The Empress wore a long black dress, and while she was slender, her cheeks looked a bit gaunt, like she hadn’t eat much recently. Her eyes were shadowed from a lack of sleep, but those eyes could pin a man to the floor with their sharpness, and their startling ice blue beauty.

“Empress. We have the answer you seek, but it does not come with the result you wish for.” He said, but not bluntly. Her guard was quite close, and he did not possess a defensive spell that he could cast before she skewered him.

“Speak.”

 

*****

 

“Empress, are you sure this is a good idea?” Kata, her personal guard, guided her to the Dark Mage’s laboratory.

“What other choice do I have? Assassins. Poisons. Lack of food fit for consumption? This Emperor will drive me to the stone not long after my son passes as that is my only protection right now.” Lena heard her guard growl.

“I understand, but can you not take your family’s gold and leave?” Kata asked, her eyes on the hallway ahead, and her senses on the hallway behind them.

“That is in the Emperor’s vaults, while my family is already buried.” Lena’s lips pressed together. “Victims of a foolish girl and her dreams of power.”

“And your son?” Kata asked quietly.

“Another victim, and one I haven’t even met.” Lena had not been allowed to form a bond with her son, as he was taken to wet nurses right after his birth, with nannies around him at all times. In her mind, this was the fault of the horrible traditions of the nobles of this hateful Empire.

It was always about the results, no matter the methods. She endured humiliation by the Emperor's harem as they bore him daughters left and right, while she remained childless. His visits slowed down, and she became a widow with a living husband. Oh, how she hated that living husband.

After two full years of being fucked by that dog Emperor that she hated, Lena became pregnant. It happened on his last visit, on the day that he moved to push her into the position of Royal Concubine, and raise the head concubine up to Empress.

Lena was unsure as to why the concubine had not been lifted into her position, as were the rest of his harem. No one knew except for the Emperor, and he was not only silent on the issue, but even his most trusted servant was not told the reason.

Lena had even left the palace for several months, for her own safety, after another assassination attempt. It soon became known that she was pregnant, and due to her guard being her only companion, she could not be accused of a treasonous act, though it was attempted to be introduced.

Rumors of her being removed as the Empress were quelled, but she would not allow the Emperor to touch her afterward. Steel entered her gaze from that day forward.

 

*****

 

“Your Highness.” The Dark Mage bowed, but he smiled a small cold smile.

“You are not surprised to see me.” She said with a slight narrowing to her eyes.

“I can feel a curse from over two miles away. I know what you seek.” He could not feel that curse, but he had been informed about it by a servant of a god he had almost forgotten about himself. This curse was based on really old magic, and too dangerous for any not properly instructed in its use.

There had never been a dark mage who would use this curse, especially after they realized just how unreliable, and how dangerous it was to the caster. It had a large chance of being reflected off their target and curse themselves. He was not such a fool that would risk his own life to harm another.

“Then tell me, can you cure my son?” She asked, and skipped any pleasantries that nobles were forced to abide by. He looked thoughtful.

“I've already researched his curse, but it can not be dispelled.” She lowered her eyes. “However, it can be held off.” Her eyes quickly lifted again.

“Explain.”

“This curse is one that steals his vitality, and slowly drains his life force away. The idiot who risked their own life to do this should be drawn and quartered!" He felt that this kind of curse was the height of stupidity. "It does not go anywhere. It just disperses."

"You sound angry." She watched him carefully.

"Within the knowledge that I possess, and all mages who research the dark attribute, it's called The Fool's Curse! There is no benefit to the one who cast it! A dark mage would not curse someone unless they benefited!" He growled, then took a deep breath. She wondered if there was something else behind this anger of his, but he quickly moved to a treatment and did not linger on the cause.

"There is a ritual, to a forgotten god, where the hole that his vitality drains out of, can be filled and his vitality increased.”

“A ritual to a forgotten god?" Her eyes grew sharper. "How do you have information on it?” Of course she would ask how he knew about this god, how to fix it, and about the curse itself. If he knew about the curse, and the solution to it, she might suspect that he had something to do with it.

He went to his bookshelf and ran his fingers down the spines until he found the one he sought.

“This tome is ancient. It existed long before the previous empire, and the one prior to that. That civilization honored many gods, and their rulers increased their strength and longevity through sacrifices. This god isn’t forgotten, so much as they’ve not appeared for the last few centuries." Her eyes wandered on the page, but she could not read the ancient text. It was an old language that few knew existed, and even less could speak it, but she could see the relevant artwork. A female god with pitch black wings, scantily clad, and if the Empress had to judge her appearance, she was beautiful.

Beautiful in a terrifying, but familiar way. Her eyes were blood red orbs with no pupil or iris, and inside her mouth, she could see teeth, but all the teeth were long sharp fangs. Not one single flat human one. That was all she had time to see before she had to push for more information.

"What kind of god?"

"A dark god of savage and brutal lust. I won't lie to the Empress. This god demands a sacrifice for its intervention. Not just any sacrifice.” Again, that cold empty smile.

“What is the sacrifice demanded?” She took a deep breath, and felt her blood run cold.

“It must be of a female of his own blood. A sister, a direct line cousin, or his mother.”

 

*****

 

"Goddess?"

"That bastard! He showed her that old punishment!" Kyrie bared her teeth and growled.

"Oh no. The poor Empress." Lydia said while concerned. She watched as the goddess went outside and roared.

"I should have destroyed that book of his long ago! When this is done, I'm going to shove it up his ass and set it on fire! Then I'm going to rip his skin off and boil him alive in salt water for centuries!"

Ayn shivered as she heard their goddess plan out the punishment for the hapless mage who didn't realize just how badly he screwed up.