Chapter 49: The Emperor’s First Victory

[Northern Territory — Deep Grimfang Forest — Afternoon]

For one heartbeat, no one moved.

The two enormous Grimfang Queens stood at the edge of the white forest, their pale bodies almost indistinguishable from the snow behind them. Their crimson eyes burned through the falling frost, while the Grimfang King remained between them, its enormous chest rising and falling beneath the cold air.

Three ancient beasts, three sets of deadly eyes, and all of them were staring at Kael.

Then—

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR—!!!

The king threw back its head and released a roar that shook the mountain; snow collapsed from the branches.

THUD! THUD! THUD!

Several Imperial horses reared violently.

"Hold the formation!" Cedric shouted, and one of the queens suddenly lunged.

FWWWHOOOSHHH—!!!

"NOW!"

The Imperial Knights surged forward.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

Mana-infused swords struck against the Queen’s enormous claws; the impact sent sparks flying through the snow.

"Push her back! Don’t let her reach His Majesty! Protect the Emperor!"

Kael stepped backward as two knights crossed their blades before him; the queen snarled and swung her massive paw.

BOOOOM!

Three knights were thrown through the snow.

"Captain!"

Cedric’s expression hardened. "Don’t break formation!"

He rushed forward, sword blazing with mana stone energy, and struck the queen across the shoulder.

CRAAACK!

The beast staggered, but it did not fall. Instead, the crystal embedded beneath its fur suddenly flashed.

THUM.

Cedric’s eyes widened. "Move!"

Too late.

KRA-KOOOOOM!

A wave of freezing energy exploded from the queen’s body and the knights were thrown backward. Kael raised his arm against the blast, his crimson cloak whipping violently behind him.

"Your Majesty!"

Grand Duke Lior charged, his body shifted completely into his enormous wolf form, his dark fur rising as he leaped between Kael and the Queen.

BOOOOM!

The Grimfang’s claws slammed against Lior’s foreleg. Lior snarled and pushed back.

"Stay away from my son!"

The Queen snapped her jaws toward him. Lior barely avoided the attack.

SNAP!

Her teeth closed inches from his throat, and Kael’s eyes widened.

"Father!"

Lior twisted and struck her across the face with his claws.

CRAAASH!

The Queen stumbled.

"I’m fine!" Lior looked toward Kael. "Stay behind the knights!"

Kael tightened his grip on his sword.

"No."

Lior’s ears flattened. "Kael—"

"I won’t stand behind everyone while they fight for me!" Kael stepped forward, his amber eyes hardened. "I am the Emperor of Qashmar."

Mana began gathering around his blade.

"And if these beasts have come for my life..." His sword began to glow. "...then they will learn that I am not easy prey."

Cedric glanced toward him. "Your Majesty, wait!"

The Grimfang King suddenly moved.

BOOOOM!

Its enormous body launched forward as the snow beneath its paws exploded outward.

"THE KING!"

Every knight turned as the beast was coming directly toward Kael.

"PROTECT HIS MAJESTY!"

The Imperial Knights rushed forward.

CLANG!

CLANG!

CLANG!

Mana-infused blades struck the king’s claws, but the creature pushed through them with terrifying strength.

One knight was thrown aside and another fell to his knees. A third raised his sword with both hands, and the king struck.

BOOOOM!

The knight was sent flying. Cedric’s eyes widened. "Fall back!"

The King continued advancing. Kael’s breathing tightened; it wasn’t simply attacking. It was ignoring everyone else.

The beast’s eyes remained fixed upon him. Kael whispered, "Why...?"

The crystal in the King’s chest pulsed.

THUM.

A strange black light traveled through the veins beneath its fur. Kael felt a sudden pressure inside his chest; he stumbled. Lior immediately noticed.

"Kael!"

The King roared.

GRRRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAHHHH—!!!

It raised one enormous claw, and the air around it began to crackle. Cedric’s face went pale. "Your Majesty!"

Lightning gathered around the beast’s arm.

"GET DOWN!"

KRAAAAAAAAAK—!!!

A bolt of white-blue lightning tore through the forest.

Kael raised his sword.

BOOOOM!

The earth exploded, snow and ice flew everywhere; for several seconds, nothing could be seen.

Then—

CLANG.

A sword struck stone, and a shadow moved inside the cloud. The snow slowly began to settle.

Kael emerged; his crimson cloak was torn along the shoulder, snow clung to his dark hair, and a thin line of blood ran from the corner of his mouth but he was standing, his sword remained firmly in his hand.

Cedric stared. "Your Majesty..."

Kael slowly wiped the blood from his lip with his thumb; his amber eyes were no longer uncertain. They were cold and focused. The Grimfang King stood several paces away, its enormous claw still crackling with the remnants of lightning.

Kael looked directly at it.

"You missed."

The king snarled.

GRRRRRRRRRR...

Kael lowered his stance. "Allow me to return the courtesy."

Mana surged through his sword.

WHOOOOSH!

The blade ignited with a brilliant crimson-gold radiance. Lucein’s eyes widened as Kael launched forward.

BOOOOM!

The snow beneath his feet exploded; he crossed the distance between them in an instant. The Grimfang King swung its enormous claw.

FWWWHOOOSH!

Kael ducked beneath it, and the claw passed over his head. He twisted; one foot struck the beast’s foreleg as he used the momentum to leap upward.

SHING!

His sword flashed. Kael struck directly at the crystal embedded within the beast’s chest.

CRAAAAANG!

The impact sent sparks scattering across the snow; the crystal cracked and a thin fracture appeared across its surface.

The Grimfang King roared.

GRRRRAAAAAAAAAHHHH!

The sound shook the mountains. Kael landed several feet away, sliding across the snow before planting his sword into the ground to stop himself; he looked at the fractured crystal.

"So that’s it."

Cedric stared. "The crystal...!"

Lucein immediately understood. "It’s their heart after all; if we destroy it...they die!"

The Grimfang King charged as Kael pulled his sword free. "Then we break every one of them."

The king came down with both claws.

BOOOOOOM!

Kael crossed his sword before him; the impact drove his boots deep into the snow. His arms trembled as the beast pushed harder.

Kael gritted his teeth and suddenly twisted his sword sideways. The Grimfang’s claws slipped. Kael stepped beneath its chest as his blade turned.

SHRAAAK!

He struck the crystal again.

CRACK!

Another fracture spread. Golden energy leaked from the stone as the king staggered. Kael immediately followed.

One strike.

CLANG!

Another.

CRAAACK!

A third.

BOOM!

The crystal shattered.

KRAAAAAAASH!

Golden fragments exploded outward; the Grimfang King released a deafening roar and collapsed onto one knee. Kael stood before it, breathing heavily, for a moment; nobody moved, and then the glow in the King’s eyes flickered.

Once and twice. The beast looked at Kael, and the rage in its eyes...was gone; confusion replaced it and there was a pain and something strangely close to recognition.

For one final heartbeat, its eyes rested upon the Emperor.

Then—

FWOOSH.

Its body began to dissolve. Golden particles escaped from its fur, drifting upward like fragments of light. Its enormous form gradually became transparent, beginning from its paws and moving upward.

Kael’s eyes widened; he knew the grimfangs were being controlled, it was not their fault but there was nothing he could do.

The ancient king slowly vanished into the northern wind, and the last thing to disappear was its gaze.

Then nothing remained; only a few golden fragments floated through the air before fading into the snow.

Silence, an absolute silence.

The two Grimfang Queens stood motionless, their eyes widened as they stared at the empty place where their King had stood.

For several seconds, neither moved, and then one queen released a terrible cry.

GRRRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH—!!!

The other answered.

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAARRRRR—!!!

Their voices echoed through the mountains, but this time, there was no rage, no desire to attack, only grief.

The two queens turned toward the mountains, one last look toward the place where their king had disappeared, and then they walked away.

BOOM!

Their enormous paws struck the snow as they rushed deeper into the wilderness; they did not attack, they did not look back, they simply fled into the white forest, their mournful roars fading into the distance.

GRRRR...ROOOAAARRR...

Until finally...silence.

Kael remained standing in the middle of the battlefield; his breathing was heavy and his fingers loosened around his sword. He lowered it slowly and for several heartbeats, nobody spoke.

Then—

THUD.

Within moments, the entire imperial formation had lowered themselves before him.

KNEEL.

Steel touched the snow, heads bowed. Even Duke Lucein lowered himself. Captain Cedric followed and then... Grand Duke Lior lowered himself before his son.

The northern wind swept across the battlefield, then the knights’ voices erupted together.

"GLORY TO HIS MAJESTY KAEL VAELRIC!"

"GLORY TO THE EMPEROR OF QASHMAR!"

The cry echoed between the mountains. Kael stood frozen for a moment; his chest rose and fell as he looked around at the kneeling soldiers. They were looking at him with something different.

Respect.

For the first time since placing the crown upon his head... Kael truly felt its weight. The weight of an empire that had begun to recognize him as its emperor.

Kael slowly sheathed his sword. "Stand."

The knights rose immediately, and Kael looked toward the mountains where the Grimfang Queens had disappeared and then looked toward the shattered golden crystal fragments scattered across the snow.

But something still troubled him.

The Grimfang King had not looked at him like an enemy. It had looked at him...as though it had known him. As though beneath all that rage and bloodlust, the ancient creature had recognized something.

Someone.

Kael’s eyes narrowed. "Gather the remains of the crystal."

Cedric immediately bowed. "At once, Your Majesty."

Kael turned toward the dark mountains, his expression hardened. His gaze still remained fixed upon the dark mountains where the two Grimfang Queens had disappeared.

Grand Duke Lior noticed the troubled expression upon his son’s face. "Is something troubling you, son?"

Kael remained silent for several moments, then he looked toward his father. "Father...did you notice something?"

Lior’s brows furrowed.

"During the battle." Kael slowly glanced at the golden fragments being collected by the knights. "When I shattered the crystal within the Grimfang King...there was no black energy."

Lior’s expression changed as Kael continued. "It released golden energy. The same kind of radiance we see around divine relics."

Lior stared at him. Kael’s fingers tightened. "It wasn’t the energy of a mortal. It felt...as though whoever possessed that beast was connected to something far greater."

Silence, and then Lior’s face hardened.

"You believe the one controlling the Grimfangs...is someone close to the gods?"

Kael looked down at the golden crystal fragments as his voice was barely above a whisper. "If I am correct, then they were never after me because I was the emperor; they were after me because I am Shadow King’s mate."

The words fell into the frozen silence.

The wind swept through the battlefield again, carrying the last traces of the Grimfangs’ mournful cries into the mountains.

For the first time, the Grand Duke and Kael understood the true danger. They had not merely attacked the Emperor of Qashmar; they had reached for the mate of the Lord of Darkness.