Morning swept through the chapel windows. The brilliant colors of stained glass shone and gave off the rainbow effect that catches the hearts of little kids. The empty abyss of peace under the Lord's roof allowed the presence of taps of bare feet against the stone floor to echo. "Ever since war... they took him away." A girl of pale fell to her knees and held her hands against her chest, where dangling between her fingertips a cross of black iron and red rubies grew from the four corners. "Lord give me strength to go on... give me a sign to defeat this plague they battle on, I beg of you! Don't let your people die!" With her voice raised in agony, and her attention focused on the battlefield just outside, she was shocked as the heavyset oak doors were flung open as if paper caught by the weakest breeze.
"Lutti, you thought you could escape?" The man was known throughout the planet Uscuop and people adored him beyond their own wills. His dark shadow cast across the pews. Burning, hating eyes of emerald scanned down the path upon the silver-eyed beauty. He brought his hands up in a gesture of wanting a hug, stepping... stepping closer until a foot from the prize. The black armor hung heavy yet he seemed to manage as he knelt to one knee with his fingers outstretched to touch her.
"Little Lutti, you fought so hard, you got nowhere fast.... Your father sacrificed you for a reason." He took a breath, a shivering sensation of ice drooling from his mouth before he licked his lips and continued, "Don't try to fight it anymore for your protector is dead and he is not coming back." His sharp chuckle ravaged her insides for she knew his words were true. Her eyes squeezed shut as the remembrance of playful banter overwhelmed her mind. She recoiled when the cold metal scraped her cheek, her lungs releasing a scream that shocked the silent pews. Her navy blue bangs brushed against the pale face as her hands covered her ears.
"Get away from me Conrad, just stop it!" she screamed, her voice hoarse as tears streamed across her pale skin, bringing it to a fleshy pink as anger swept the blood into her cheeks. He was trying to be sweet to her, but the emerald-eyed beauty did not bring the same satisfaction as that amber-golden wonder.
Conrad stared at the fragile girl in front of him, his rage building as he leered at the girl who loved his brother. Bringing himself to his feet, he gripped the powder blue hair in his hands and yanked on it, hearing the delicious scream erupt from the young Lutti's throat. He threw her into the wall of the church but instead of falling to the cold, moldy floor, the girl was captured by a staunch gargoyle. In an instant, it swallowed her into its belly, trapping her in a cage for safekeeping before melting back into the walls. Lutti passed out on the floor of the miniscule and humiliating space; her fingers wrapped tight around the black iron cross as the nightmarish dreams haunted for eternity the world locked within her mind.
----
Conrad walked down the aisle with an effervescent grace. In his mind he had achieved amnesty from his dealings with Lutti and he no longer cared for her safety. The hot, dry desert air sat atop the city of Tistal as the rocky mountains to the west bathed the town in a soothing shadow. "When had life become so willing to fight?" Pouting his plump lips he plopped into a seat of iron. The bloodshed and murder he saw before him played as if a gut-wrenching theatrical production. He was a monster that fed off the image of gore and destruction, a villain whose devilish horns sprouted from the seeds of his misguided and disfigured conscience.
"General Conrad," saluted a private with a clink of his boots as his heals slammed together at attention. "Empress Taoza is here to see you." Conrad nodded and waved the private away carelessly as he stood up lazily from his seat.
He pressed his fingers together, a seal of bright green flickering on his ring finger as he anticipated the arrival. The black armor glowed in harmony with the seal and slowly, starting from the tip of his toes, it started to melt. Traveling upward from the ground the armor collapsed until settling on the seal and transforming into a black metal ring.
"Don't show off to me General," a scoff voice came from a small girl. Her eyes were sulfur gold as she sneered at the strong man. Underneath the armor, Conrad prepared a black tuxedo that complimented his dark tanned skin, and with a swift gentlemen's bow he brushed the back of the girl's hand with his lips.
"That hurt me Taoza... truly." He did not mean to sound so sarcastic to her, for despite her small stature, she possessed far more power than he could possibly imagine. She owned royalties in countries such as Talia, Busuchro, Hemarn and Ketipa, and had a vast abundance of natural resources, medicines, and excessive items to satiate a person's deepest pleasures.
Taoza snarled and ripped her hand from his grasp, the kiss was not at all flattering and she was disgusted that his base was in the desolate city of Tistal. The desert sand dirtied her snow-white fur boots of the tilli beast from Hemarn and made her feel filthy to the core. She was an empress and not someone to be held down in these brigs of despair for long. "Bring me a glass of ice cold water, bottled," she hissed at a nearby private.
"Come, you must be tired from your travel," Conrad hesitantly stated, leading her to a large tent and opening the flap for her in a respectable manner. He followed her inside as a dusty windstorm blew past his feet and quickly closed the passage for the searing empress. "As you know, your Majesty," he paused as she pulled her silky black hair from the delicate bun that perched atop her head, "we have much to discuss."
----
Conrad calmly told his story to the Empress and bathed her desert-worn body and mind in his deepest concerns and worries. Taoza’s sleek golden glare held apathy like a sponge would absorb water and she replied to his weak nonsense with a sharp, crisp bite. "So, what you are telling me General is that your brother is out there seeking his revenge, and you want protection?" Conrad fell on one knee, gazing at her with disheartened eyes as a small, unnoticed blush fell upon the dark brown skin of the Empress. "Why do you need my protection when you already have Lutti?" Taoza’s arms folded across her chest as she responded to his pathetic puppy eyes with her defiant stature.
"Empress, you know that my brother will find me if I take that cross. Lutti does not know what she is doing with it and she would never help me." Pleading emerald orbs met harsh golden ones and Taoza quickly broke the stare with a sigh. She glanced at her boots and huffed, infuriated that the dusty-red sand had tarnished her polar-white purity and that Conrad’s worry was the cause of her untidy appearance.
"Conrad, you really know how to pick them don’t you?" Her arms unfolded as the flap to the outside world burst open at the hands of a private. He handed the Empress her bottle of water and nodded timidly as she exclaimed in relief. "Thank you," she erupted before guzzling the water in vast gulps to cool down her dried throat. Taoza finished and let the bottle fall to the floor as she licked her moistened lips. "That was refreshing."
Conrad sighed softly and pulled himself from his begging position, dusting off his pants and watching the sandy clouds that appeared as if stirred from slumber. His eyes caught a glimpse of fear coming from the private. "What news do you have?" he questioned, taking a step closer towards the clearly shaking man.
Jumping the private pulled out a note, the scent of blood filling the air as he extended the letter to his leader. Conrad started to sweat as he plucked the drenched paper from the private's hands. He unfolded it slightly, the stench pounding his sensitive nose as the words he feared stabbed at his eyes. Conrad dropped the note almost immediately and stared at the roof of the tent, his eyes slowly closing as his mind searched for the right words.
"Trigger, you are coming to kill your brother?” His eyes shot open as the General’s will rode upon a second wind. “We'll see about that." With a snap of his fingers, flames of black and green engulfed him – tongues of fire that encased him in the black armor he had worn before Taoza’s arrival. "Let us see how dear brother will take my little Lutti.... Of course, he's needs to find a friend before his death."
"Lutti, you thought you could escape?" The man was known throughout the planet Uscuop and people adored him beyond their own wills. His dark shadow cast across the pews. Burning, hating eyes of emerald scanned down the path upon the silver-eyed beauty. He brought his hands up in a gesture of wanting a hug, stepping... stepping closer until a foot from the prize. The black armor hung heavy yet he seemed to manage as he knelt to one knee with his fingers outstretched to touch her.
"Little Lutti, you fought so hard, you got nowhere fast.... Your father sacrificed you for a reason." He took a breath, a shivering sensation of ice drooling from his mouth before he licked his lips and continued, "Don't try to fight it anymore for your protector is dead and he is not coming back." His sharp chuckle ravaged her insides for she knew his words were true. Her eyes squeezed shut as the remembrance of playful banter overwhelmed her mind. She recoiled when the cold metal scraped her cheek, her lungs releasing a scream that shocked the silent pews. Her navy blue bangs brushed against the pale face as her hands covered her ears.
"Get away from me Conrad, just stop it!" she screamed, her voice hoarse as tears streamed across her pale skin, bringing it to a fleshy pink as anger swept the blood into her cheeks. He was trying to be sweet to her, but the emerald-eyed beauty did not bring the same satisfaction as that amber-golden wonder.
Conrad stared at the fragile girl in front of him, his rage building as he leered at the girl who loved his brother. Bringing himself to his feet, he gripped the powder blue hair in his hands and yanked on it, hearing the delicious scream erupt from the young Lutti's throat. He threw her into the wall of the church but instead of falling to the cold, moldy floor, the girl was captured by a staunch gargoyle. In an instant, it swallowed her into its belly, trapping her in a cage for safekeeping before melting back into the walls. Lutti passed out on the floor of the miniscule and humiliating space; her fingers wrapped tight around the black iron cross as the nightmarish dreams haunted for eternity the world locked within her mind.
----
Conrad walked down the aisle with an effervescent grace. In his mind he had achieved amnesty from his dealings with Lutti and he no longer cared for her safety. The hot, dry desert air sat atop the city of Tistal as the rocky mountains to the west bathed the town in a soothing shadow. "When had life become so willing to fight?" Pouting his plump lips he plopped into a seat of iron. The bloodshed and murder he saw before him played as if a gut-wrenching theatrical production. He was a monster that fed off the image of gore and destruction, a villain whose devilish horns sprouted from the seeds of his misguided and disfigured conscience.
"General Conrad," saluted a private with a clink of his boots as his heals slammed together at attention. "Empress Taoza is here to see you." Conrad nodded and waved the private away carelessly as he stood up lazily from his seat.
He pressed his fingers together, a seal of bright green flickering on his ring finger as he anticipated the arrival. The black armor glowed in harmony with the seal and slowly, starting from the tip of his toes, it started to melt. Traveling upward from the ground the armor collapsed until settling on the seal and transforming into a black metal ring.
"Don't show off to me General," a scoff voice came from a small girl. Her eyes were sulfur gold as she sneered at the strong man. Underneath the armor, Conrad prepared a black tuxedo that complimented his dark tanned skin, and with a swift gentlemen's bow he brushed the back of the girl's hand with his lips.
"That hurt me Taoza... truly." He did not mean to sound so sarcastic to her, for despite her small stature, she possessed far more power than he could possibly imagine. She owned royalties in countries such as Talia, Busuchro, Hemarn and Ketipa, and had a vast abundance of natural resources, medicines, and excessive items to satiate a person's deepest pleasures.
Taoza snarled and ripped her hand from his grasp, the kiss was not at all flattering and she was disgusted that his base was in the desolate city of Tistal. The desert sand dirtied her snow-white fur boots of the tilli beast from Hemarn and made her feel filthy to the core. She was an empress and not someone to be held down in these brigs of despair for long. "Bring me a glass of ice cold water, bottled," she hissed at a nearby private.
"Come, you must be tired from your travel," Conrad hesitantly stated, leading her to a large tent and opening the flap for her in a respectable manner. He followed her inside as a dusty windstorm blew past his feet and quickly closed the passage for the searing empress. "As you know, your Majesty," he paused as she pulled her silky black hair from the delicate bun that perched atop her head, "we have much to discuss."
----
Conrad calmly told his story to the Empress and bathed her desert-worn body and mind in his deepest concerns and worries. Taoza’s sleek golden glare held apathy like a sponge would absorb water and she replied to his weak nonsense with a sharp, crisp bite. "So, what you are telling me General is that your brother is out there seeking his revenge, and you want protection?" Conrad fell on one knee, gazing at her with disheartened eyes as a small, unnoticed blush fell upon the dark brown skin of the Empress. "Why do you need my protection when you already have Lutti?" Taoza’s arms folded across her chest as she responded to his pathetic puppy eyes with her defiant stature.
"Empress, you know that my brother will find me if I take that cross. Lutti does not know what she is doing with it and she would never help me." Pleading emerald orbs met harsh golden ones and Taoza quickly broke the stare with a sigh. She glanced at her boots and huffed, infuriated that the dusty-red sand had tarnished her polar-white purity and that Conrad’s worry was the cause of her untidy appearance.
"Conrad, you really know how to pick them don’t you?" Her arms unfolded as the flap to the outside world burst open at the hands of a private. He handed the Empress her bottle of water and nodded timidly as she exclaimed in relief. "Thank you," she erupted before guzzling the water in vast gulps to cool down her dried throat. Taoza finished and let the bottle fall to the floor as she licked her moistened lips. "That was refreshing."
Conrad sighed softly and pulled himself from his begging position, dusting off his pants and watching the sandy clouds that appeared as if stirred from slumber. His eyes caught a glimpse of fear coming from the private. "What news do you have?" he questioned, taking a step closer towards the clearly shaking man.
Jumping the private pulled out a note, the scent of blood filling the air as he extended the letter to his leader. Conrad started to sweat as he plucked the drenched paper from the private's hands. He unfolded it slightly, the stench pounding his sensitive nose as the words he feared stabbed at his eyes. Conrad dropped the note almost immediately and stared at the roof of the tent, his eyes slowly closing as his mind searched for the right words.
"Trigger, you are coming to kill your brother?” His eyes shot open as the General’s will rode upon a second wind. “We'll see about that." With a snap of his fingers, flames of black and green engulfed him – tongues of fire that encased him in the black armor he had worn before Taoza’s arrival. "Let us see how dear brother will take my little Lutti.... Of course, he's needs to find a friend before his death."
