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Whilst I had no idea where we were going in the slightest, I'll admit I was rather calm about it all.
Walking through the dark black stone tunnels with their smooth perfectly circular walls, I covered my nose with Harrison's smooth hand as I smelt something damp and mouldy. Probably a dead rat. Although, the weirdest thing happened because a hint of freshly roasted chicken formed on my taste buds. I guess everything does taste like chicken?
Surprisingly enough, my beautiful Harrison wasn't heavy to carry as I had him thrown over my shoulder. And I gently rubbed his legs as we walked. Of course I knew it was pointless because he couldn't feel it. But I knew I was trying to comfort him.
I wasn't sure if I was mad at myself yet for bringing him along, not that I had a choice or anything. I think when you truly love someone you just blame yourself for everything bad that happens to them. I just needed to keep him alive so I could marry him. After everything we’ve been through, I have to marry the love of my life.
Turning my dulled blade slowly, I looked ahead to see the Queen and her bright white glowing swords continuing to lead us on. Yet as I looked at her I saw utter fear in her eyes.
In fact, she had been afraid, no terrified since the demon attack. That horrid shadowy demon thing still concerned me. It had destroyed Harrison's wheelchair.
A part of me knew I had to ask the Queen about it. Especially as she said she had released it, but was this the right time?
The sound of the Queen's quiet footsteps got quieter as she started to stop.
I wanted to ask what was going on but I didn't get a chance before the Queen stopped and slowly opened the wall. Revealing a square stone door.
She only opened it slightly. A thin beam of light entering the tunnel. The Queen placed her finger over my mouth as she looked at me. Waving me forward.
The closer I got to the throne room the stronger the smell of sweet flowery perfume and Mur filled my senses.
Looking through the little opening of the door, I saw the golden murals and long sheets of bright pink silk on the walls of the throne room.
Harrison readjusted himself on me.
Turning my head, I managed to see the edge of something golden with rubies and other precious gems in it. I couldn't see all of it but I could make out it was the throne.
But someone was sitting on it. I couldn't see who.
Taking a step back, my mind spun a little. The Queen walked forward to look at the throne room. So this was clearly a coo of some sort. The Church persuaded the masses to turn against the beloved and righteous Queen. Allowing the Head of the Church what? To be King?
If that's true then how does the Word Bearer and Fateweaver fit in?
The Queen shot back. She raised her hands to her face.
I stepped forward and the Queen pointed to towards the small gap of light.
Stepping forward, my eyes widened and my Flesheater ability pulsed with blood lust as I looked at the source of all my pain. (Well all the gay pain anyway)
The man I was looking at was perfectly aged with smooth youthful features with a few wrinkles around the eyes. His long healthy limbs were impressively young for how old the man actually was. Even his long angelic white robes with gold highlights were perfectly intact. Showing no age. Considering the robes themselves were a few hundred years old.
Yet the real source of my anger was twofold. There was a strange crown like object on his head made from daggers and each one was coated in blood. Some gays would say the blood of my people.
Normally I refrain from too much association with wider gay culture but they would be right. It was the blood of my people. It was an outrageous tradition of the Head of the Church to hunt down nine gay people and kill them before they ascended to the House of Gods.
Each dagger was covered in a thick layer of dried blood. Each one must have killed tens of gays, and for what? Some title? Some pretty mansion and cathedral?
As much as I wanted to throw open this door and rip his throat out, I knew that wouldn’t be wise. This dickhead was never alone.
But he would be. I would kill all his supporters and friends in the end. He would be alone. Just like me in the past because of his laws and stupid ideology.
Harrison started to slam his fists into my back.
“What?” I said, quietly.
He slapped my back even harder.
I turned around.
My eyes widened.
The shadowy humanoid demon stood there.
His long shadowy claws slicing up the air.
The Queen stopped.
She frowned.
The demon cocked its head and went to stroke Harrison’s leg. I pointed a finger at it as a warning.
It looked like the demonic creature was laughing but no sound came out.
The demon waved us towards the door.
I don’t know why but we all complied.
Harrison buried his face into my lower back as I stepped forward the stone door. The throne room was just like I imagined but it was deformed. Like Fateweaver or whatever power was in the castle had twisted the room into something... wrong.
I knew the throne room had long immensely beautiful golden walls with stunning depictions of our mighty past. From battles to weddings to treaty signings. Well except for the gold blank wall next to the throne.
But this all still felt wrong. Then I noticed the horrible smell of death and decay and the long black mouldy sheets of silks that hand off the walls.
It was like this entire place was corrupted or something.
There were hundreds of mobsters packed tightly into the throne room. They were always different shapes, classes and sizes but this time, they were wearing a black uniform. There was even a strange symbol over their chest but I couldn’t make it out.
The demon pushed us through the crowd until we made it to the throne. The Queen gasped in horror. I couldn’t blame her.
I remember the throne from paintings and this is not the Ordericousian Throne. The beautiful gold had turned flaky and black like a disease festering inside.
The once stunning precious gems that were embedded into the throne had fallen out. The throne was rotten and dying so the gems just fell out. It wasn’t right. We needed answers.
The Queen stepped forward and spat at the Head of The Church.
“The Gods made a mistake making you Queen,” he said, his voice righteousness and arrogant.
“The Gods did not Will you to do this. The Gods entrusted me to rule, not some puppet for their will,” the Queen said.
This argument was going to be interesting.
“You do not know their Will. You are a woman. A weak woman. The Gods were mistaken to trust such an important task to your pathetic sex,”
So, he’s a homophobe, sexist, what else?
“It is not your right to judge how I rule,”
“It is actually. The Gods made me Warden of the Faith of Ordericous. I protect the Faithful. You seek to destroy Faith,”
In all honesty, I would support her if she wanted that.
“You are not a Warden. You pretend to know what the Gods want but you know nothing. You don’t even Bear their Words properly,”
What did she say?
My eyes widened as I realised what was happening.
“You’re the Triad. You’re the Word Bearer.” I said, stepping forward.
The Word Bearer smiled and nodded.
“My plan has worked little gay. You are meaningless. You act so clever and you are still too late. Clearly gays aren’t as clever as us real men,”
Seriously!
Harrison struggled. I held him firm.
“And look at your infirm boyfriend. Even that name is an assault on morality. Kill him,” the Word Bearer said.
The mob surged forward.
I threw Harrison to the ground.
I whipped out my sword.
The mob came.
They swung.
They punched.
They kicked.
I slashed and lashed at them.
Fingers sliced.
Arms hacked to pieces.
Chests slaughtered.
Corpses fell to the ground.
Then it stopped.
It all stopped as the air started to crackle loudly. Bright lightning zapped the mob back.
Harrison tapped my ankle, and I knew what he was looking at.
“Dearest Daniel Fireheart, it is so good to see you. It is good to be home,” Fateweaver said.