Emma stares at the prince's carcass on the throne, silent as the dense atmosphere rolls through the room.

Trying to gather whatever fury he should feel as the warriors once told him he should feel.

Especially when you're face to face with the cause of your troubles.

 

But Emma has to admit after trying for several seconds to gather anything.

He has not a drop of wrath at the puppet prince for his actions.

The only emotion Emma felt for the prince was pity in the end.

 

As Emma was fully aware of what life had in store for the prince if he had survived.

As it would be doubtful at just how merciful and visionary any of the nobles at court were.

Likely many would have chosen to line their pockets than care about the state of the country.

 

Emma sighs as he readies to leave now that he had what he desired.

An understanding of whether they lived or perished, though something still bothered him.

Something more ethereal, yet much more potent than any knowledge he had.

 

Emma turns around as he lets himself be guided by the strange sensation's directions.

Following the instincts out of a sense of annoyance and curiosity mixed evenly in his heart.

As he desires to get this done and leave nothing unfinished, not even his gut instincts.

 

So he lets his feet be guided where they need to be, raising one of his claws to strike.

Unexpectedly climbing up the steps to the throne to the corpse there.

Letting his instincts guide him as he swipes through the prince's carcass.

 

Seemingly erasing it from existence down to the clothing that made up his garb to his flesh.

As I had finished the swipe, a wave of information, experiences, and sensations flowed through me.

Translating into concepts I had some basic understanding within, but which I rarely dealt with.

 

A Slab of Flesh of the prince's corpse as it was still comprised of flesh to his end.

A Slab of Bone of the prince's corpse as he corpse had every single bone still within his body.

A Slab of Royal Pride of the strongest emotion he felt in his end, the peak of pride, the highest he has ever felt in his life.

 

Emma is unsure what to make of the information as he stumbles down the stairs.

Filing the information away to study later, he begins the trek to the exit.

Though somewhat confused about what he had done or the result, the nagging sensation is now gone.

 

That itself is enough relief and the sign of closure he will take to his leaving.

Though before he leaves, he promptly decides he has one more place to go.

One more place to see before he can settle his account with his old life and move on.

 

Knowing he cannot stay here, alone amongst all the husks of people he knew.

Now with his life safe and without harm, he must seek a new home.

This empty husk of a capital city will be swarmed soon, and he doesn't want to be here left to his thoughts.

 

Heading towards the room where they were preparing his king's body for the grand funeral.

Hoping to see his friend one more time before he leaves the city for good.

Wanting some peace of mind that his friend did not die in pain in his final moments.

 

His steps grow more weighted as he heads to his old majesty, his close friend, before his sudden end.

Emma hopes that the noble morticians were not too rough with his friend's body.

Hoping that he can at least see his friend's smiling face in the face of the end.

 

Emma recalls the details to himself as he scales the stairs in the castle.

Walking to the place where his friend's corpse would be based on how tradition would go.

Taking a longer stride as he was not in the mood to take a scenic pace.

 

Arriving in no time at all, arriving at the doors of his friend's old bed-chamber, as his friend would on occasion call his faithful jester.

Opening the doors to his friend's room as he carefully steps into the room to get a look at his friend.

Hoping to get the last sight of his friend in his mind before he left for good.

 

Though what he finds makes him doubt his thoughts on the matter as he steps forward to his friend's body silently.

The same nagging thoughts driving him to swipe, but more so what does, is what he sees.

Something in theme for his friend's personality but still hurts to see within such a dark situation.

 

What he had seen with the prince, he had chosen to ignore what his eyes showed him.

He can no longer ignore that his sight can see more than before.

What remains, in his friend, is a sort of joy, boundless yet content in its rapture.

 

As if rehearsed, he walks to his friend, taking only a single moment to look over his friend, finding his boundless joy even in the end.

Harvesting it with a gentle swipe, almost like a gentle hug intended as his friend's body vanishes at the touch of the claws.

Emma changes his plan for his fate as he accepts his friend's final gift.

 

Knowing his friend was unaware of what he just did, but always was a Sun.

Beginning his trek to leave, now with a light but still burdened heart.

Taking a thorough look around the castle as he walks through rooms to leave it, Emma concludes.

 

Noticing how the palace feels so alien now that all those I cared about are gone.

Now in the goddess's embrace, away from all the torment of the earth.

Perhaps that was for the best, knowing the direction the country would soon be going.-

 

Emma quickly shakes his head at that thought, chastising himself by trying to justify their deaths.

Regardless of how it happened, these folk's lives were cut before their destined time.

He lets his thoughts finally wander unrestrained as he leaves the royal palace for the city.

 

From there, leaving the city to wander into the wilderness surrounding the city.

Walking through the wilderness on occasion, taking time to look at the mummified creatures in trees and bush.

Leaving his home city for the last time, as he walks into the grasslands with his footsteps fading into the winds.