*Thud *Thud *Thud
The sound of her boots echoed and thudded through the gran hallways of the royal palace.
Chandeliers made of pure gold hung high on the rune carven ceiling, matching the designs of the golden pillars and the fine furniture placed orderly around the interior.
Inside were maids, butlers, and soldiers—bowing and saluting towards Venedix as she walked past them, each showing their respect towards the battlemaster, the esteed sword of the empire.
*clink... *clank...
As she walked, her sword belt clinked softly as the two swords at each side of her hip swayed on each step she took.
Until she stopped in front of a massive door, fully covered with gold. It was the largest door in the entire palace, tall enough that giants could walk through, wide enough for a whole company to march inside.
Carvings covered every inch of the door.
Emperors sat on thrones.
Monsters crawled beneath them.
Battled shown in the still images that was carved.
It looked like a story, trapped in tal, a tale that belonged in the long past.
Yet Venedix had no reaction—she had been here countless of tis already.
Two guards stood attention in front of the door, wearing full suits of heavy armor. Their faces fully hidden by visors, and massive energy rifles rested on their arms.
As soon as they saw Venedix, they raised their arms in a perfect salute to show respect.
With a flick of her eyes, the guards began to step towards the massive door, placing their tal hands against the golden surface as they began to open it.
*grrr... *drrr... *Creak!!!
A deep and low grown echoed through the hallway as the doorway began to move and open slowly—creaking with sound of weight as it shifted.
As the gap widened, golden streaks of light spilled through the open, both bright and warm.
The glow touched Venedix’s face, casting shadows across the rest of her body as she stared ahead.
"Ahh! Welco!" shouted a firm voice the mont the massive doorway ca to a full stop as it was fully opened.
Venedix stepped forward, her boots landing on the grand long carpet that stretched starting from the entrance to the far end of the massive chamber—to the throne.
At the far end of the room, sat a man on a throne that seed to rise out of the very stone itself.
The throne was wide, tall, and carved from a dark and heavy material that contrasted the shining gold design around it.
At the center sat Emperor rakryx.
His hair was white as snow, his beard reaching far down his chest.
Yet even in his age, his fra was massive, shoulders like boulders that filled the sit, and his arms looked like giant pillars.
A testant of the past, his younger days of being a warrior.
"What brings you here," the emperor asked, voice steady as he ran his fingers along his heard. "Blade of the empire, Venedix."
Venedix halted and dropped to one knee, her posture straight, regal and respectful—as her head remained high, but eyes lowered in reverence.
"Hail, great emperor rakryx. Our god, our sun," she said, her voice clear and strong.
"Mhm," rakryx humd, raising one hand as he waved it subtly. "You may rise, warrior."
He then reached to the side and lifted a silver chalice placed on a nearby table.
After a long drink, he lets our a slow breath and asked once again.
"So then, what brings you here?"
Venedix then placed one foot forward and pushed herself up in a smooth motion—before parting her lips to speak.
"I was tasked by Warlord Teressra herself to deliver this ssage," she said, her eyes sweeping across the chamber, briefly glancing at the guards and servants who stood around.
"But it is ant for you alone, my lord."
The emperor narrowed his eyes slightly, then pausing, as he began considering her words.
A mont later, he then raised his hands and flicked it in a clear gesture.
At once, the servants bowed before turning along with the guards—all stepping out of the room, closing the door with a resounding thud behind them.
Once the chamber was void with servants and guards, rakryx leaned forward from his seat.
"You may proceed."
Venedix’s face then turned still and sharp.
"We have detected a fragnt of the Muradryn inside our capital," she said, her voice calm but it was heavy with aning.
The emperor shot up from his throne in a burst, his eyes wide with shock.
"Muradryn!?" he shouted, as if that word struck his soul.
He stepped down from the throne and began pacing slowly around, his boots thudding subtly against the floor.
"The eidra that started it all... the ancient energy that predates all eidra," he muttered to himself.
His hands moved as he spoke, as if trying to shape it.
"The very eidra that could rival even the darkest of corrupted beasts... the very eidra of the warrior gods!"
He clenched his fight tightly, before his eyes shifted towards Venedix.
Then his brow furrowed, his face tight in seriousness.
"How accurate is this information?"
"Highly accurate, my lord." Venedix replied promptly.
"But it may take ti to trace its exact location and origin."
rakryx exhaled, heavy and weighted.
"Very well," he said, voice lower than before.
He then walked back towards the throne, but he didn’t sit.
"Tell Teressra... I will stop by later," he continued to speak, "We shall discuss this further."
Then, with a sudden motion, he raised one hand to flick one of his fingers.
*BANG!!
In a flash, a golden streak of eidra was shot into the air, crackling like a storm.
From above, the ceiling split slightly as a shadow dropped towards the ground.
A cloaked figure fell hard onto the floor, landing with a loud
*Thud!
As soon as the figure fell, blood pooled around them instantly—the body now limp and dead.
rakryx didn’t flinch as if he already knew the figure was there all along.
He stared down the corpse with cold eyes.
"We shall not have this information leaked and known by our enemies,"
"Yaretren!" he then shouted.
The doors opened once again, as an armored servant rushed in.
"Clean up the body," the emperor ordered.
"At once, my lord." the servant answered quickly.
He then extended both of his hands and began to summon a dark veil of eidra that moved like smoke, thick and almost alive.
It wrapped around the corpse, swallowing the body and even the blood until nothing was left.
Not a stain,
Not even a trace.
Seeing that the conversation is done, Venedix stepped back and bowed in respect.
"I shall take your words at heart, my lord."
She then turned, her long coat brushing against the floor as she began to walk towards the exit.
But before she could reach the door, rakryx’s voice rose once more.
"I have heard of the boy nad Jinn," he said with a faint smile curling at the edge of his mouth.
"It’s good that you have finally found an apprentice... after all these years."
"Mhm," Venedix humd softly, neither confirming nor denying what the emperor said, as she continued to walk without looking back.
rakryx let out a short breath and shrugged slightly, his back turned as he walked back towards the throne.
"Ever the shrewd child, that Venedix."
As soon as she walked out, the door closed behind her with a loud ground and a final thud.
Silence fell over the grand hall once again.
Then, at the corner of Venedix’s mouth, a smirk began to curl.
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