Imperial Palace
Trevan and Robyn Ladon were escorted by a handful of Pheonix Knights theough the gates and into the palace grounds. The two of them admired the grand architecture of the Palace, an ancient but sturdy work of art. After a few moments of waiting under the shade of the palace's towers, the Emperor emerged and greeted the guests. He was Laden with expensive silks and jewels and carried the usual air of grandiose and authority. The two Ladons knelt before him like most of the rest, but a few sore thumbs stuck out among the crowd. Luther Esquoria was one of the men who continued to stand, as was expected by his general attitude towards the establishment, and a man who seemed too weak kneel. Another man who the Ladons did not recognize also continued standing.
"The arrogance of some people," expressed Trevan under his breath. "Who even is that? An Ayazato? Some leader of a pretentious post-unification blood-worshipping family of..."
Robyn ignored his father's mumblings and instead focused on a Pheonix Knight who seemed alarmed. The knight whispered something to the Emperor and then ran off with a redheaded knight following close behind. Then a few knights took the Emperor into the palace and the rest of the nobles followed behind. Both Trevan and Robyn both noticed that the magic-supression ward was gone. The nobles were all led through the extravagant halls and into a bunker that was securely guarded, but the Emperor was no where to be seen.
"The Emperor is probably huddled in some solitary bunker with incredible amounts of protection," said Robyn.
"Of course he is. That coward can barely draw his sword," Trevan responded quietly to ensure nobody nearby heard his insults.
Lovaka observed Trevan and Robyn enter the palace. Then she sensed a strange but powerful being nearby the palace. Its aura emanated darkness. It was so prominent that she barely sensed the Emperor greet his guests, who were then led into the palace by knights.
They must be taking shelter from whatever just appeared nearby, she thought. She began moving through the crowd towards the dark being, while the rest of the people around her continued staring at the nobility.
Then she heard a scream from behind her. She took her focus off of the dark being and instead focused on where the scream came from. She sensed another strange mage. It had an aura similar to that of the dark being, but much, much weaker. A few more shouts and screams erupted, but they did not hide the whistling sound of a projectile shooting by about two feet away from Lovacka. The projectile, a large bloody stone spearhead about a foot long, hit and scathed the wall next to her.
Missed, she thought. But then a man next to her shouted with terror as he stared at a large hole in his abdomen. Bowels slipped out from the top of the hole before he collapsed.
She looked at the attacker. It was an even more gruesome sight to behold. A man in old style mage robes stumbled forward at a slow pace. His skin was a deep gray, depleted of melatonin, and the skin was completely gone in some places, exposing rotting red and gray flesh. He was also missing his left arm; the jagged remnants of an arm bone stuck out from his ancient clothes. Emptiness was the only thing present in his black eyes, as if he was an vacant vessel being controlled by a puppet master.
The puppet lifted its only arm and from the ground and a piece of rock and stone formed into another large spearhead. Then it flung the projectile forward towards Lovacka, who was still paralyzed by the sight of a living dead person. She quickly ducked her head, but her reaction was not even necessary. The spearhead had launched into the air, nowhere near anyone.
Missed, Lovacka thought again. The reborn mage seemed to possess only a fraction of the power it held when it was once alive. Or it had shitty aim to begin with.
Before another spearhead could be formed, Lovacka took out her bow and shot an arrow straight through the eye of the mage. The arrow had an easy time passing through the soft flesh and damaged skull of the corpse. It stumbled forward a few steps and then collapsed head first onto the ground, spilling out its remaining brain matter. Everyone just stared at the corpse in terror. Then another scream erupted. And another. She sensed at least two other beings with the same auras as the last undead mage.
Vultus Ediniem give me strength.