"Well done to Lord Beaufort! The Horse Lord of the Green!" King Achiron toasted raising his exquisitely crafted goblet, "May all his sons be as he!"
"The Horse Lord!" The cry echoed through the great hall of the castle. Men clashed their various drinking implements together and drank deeply. The hollow horns of the Lord of the North toasted with the tempered glass chalices of the Sea Lord. Everywhere in the hall, merriment poured out like the wine in the firelit room washed in gold and shadow. Even the former mortal enemies, the Mountain Men and the men under the command of Lord Modian the Lord of Shadow, drank and sang together. The Mountain people were well renowned for their workings with precious metals and rare stones. Their fine goblets were scattered along the long tables that lined the walls of Great Hall.
The fire blazed in the long firepit that ran the length of the Hall down the center. It's light illuminated the single solitary cloak wrapped figure as the huge double doors opened on their own for him. The cold crawled inside the Great Hall with invisible frigid tendrils that reached for the heart of men and slowly constricted it.
King Achiron stood from his throne that sat atop the dais stationed at the head of tables. "Who is this mysterious figure who lets in the freezing weather?" Jovially he raised his goblet to the figure. The figure made no motion to bow or return the gesture of greeting. King Achiron's eyes narrowed as his guards stepped closer to the figure.
"A wise man would greet the Emperor of Everwind with more respect!" Snapped the captain of the guard as he stood at the base of the dais, positioning himself in between the figure and King Achiron.
The figure made no reply. Opening its cloak it tossed a round object wrapped in cloth at the foot of the dais. As it rolled it unraveled itself. Queen Katriana stiffened as a head rolled from the cloth. From the cloth cloak of a royal messenger. The captain drew his sword as did all the guards in the hall. Even most of the guests did the same, excepting only the Lord of Shadow and his retinue. He reclined in his seat with a bored look as he cleaned his fingernails with a small curved dagger.
"The penalty for killing a messenger of the Emperor is death!" The captain snarled as he charged the figure.
Rather than flinch or run, the figure simply lowered its hood. An old decrepit man emerged from the dark of the hood. "Ratian."
The single word transfixed the captain and his guards to the spot where they stood. The old man threw his head back and laughed a deep and heinous laugh. Side stepping the frozen in place captain of the guard, the old man walked to the foot of the dais. His clear green eyes met the grey-blue of King Achiron's.
"I am here to warn you Achiron. Do not send another one of these to my lands." He gestured to the head that lay at his feet. "Or I will lay your head here next to this one."
Wisdom learned from witnessing what had happened to his guards stilled King Achiron's hand on the hilt of his sword. Slowly he descended the steps until he was face to face with the old man. "Who are you?" The incredulous look on King Achiron's face, softened into a smile and then into a roaring laugh. "This is one of the best magic shows I have ever seen!"
"This is no show or play of light, Achiron." The old man didn't flinch or back away from King Achiron. "Leave my lands alone."
"King Achiron, Emperor of Everwind!" The Shadow Lord stood from his chair, sheathing his dagger. He strode to the foot of the dais. "King Achiron, may I present to you The Wizard of the East? He is a rather nasty fellow when crossed."
A faint smile flitted across the lips of the Wizard. He turned to Lord Modian, "I never expected you to bend the knee to anyone."
The Shadow Lord just shrugged, "It benefits me and my goals. Speaking of goals, what is yours here Wizard?"
"Tell me Modian, do they know what you are?"
The eyes of the Lord of Shadow darkened dangerously as the men of the Lord of the North crept closer to the dais. He whipped his head to the Lord of the North, "Fool!" He spat the word. "Call your dogs back before they find themselves without a master."
The Lord of the North bared his teeth in a snarling smile, his braided beard lifting with the movement. The silver beads woven into his beard and long blond hair glinted in the firelight as he shook his head at his men. As they retreated Modian turned back to the Wizard and the Emperor as they stood unflinchingly face to face. "Wizard! Speak quickly. What is your desire here?"
"I wish to be left alone in my lands and for this imposter of an Emperor to never again intrude on my affairs."
"And what affairs and lands do you claim to have?" King Achiron's voice was even and steady. His hand gripped the hilt of his sword tightly still.
"You told an old woman that her village didn't have to listen to me. So I killed them all with a thought."
Queen Katriana gasped quietly. "You are the wizard the Mother spoke of on the last Petition Day."
"I am he."
King Achiron shifted his feet to a fighting stance, "You killed her whole village?"
"I did." The Wizard raised one hand above his head, "Like this." He snapped his fingers and every one of the Kings Guard, save the captain, plunged their blades into their own chests and into their hearts. The Wizard turned to the captain and muttered under his breath. The captain turned and marched into the center of the fire and laid down on his back in the flames. The screams from the fire pit echoed through the deathly still Great Hall. Still the captain laid there unmoving even as he screamed and begged for mercy. The Wizard rapidly twisted his wrist and the captain's head snapped backwards breaking his neck with a sickening snap. Someone in the back vomited.
The men of the Lords shifted on their feet. They looked back and forth between the cooking body of the captain and the Wizard, their swords in their hands, unsure of what to do. Only the Shadow Lord's men stood stock still and held no weapons. As if they waited for a word from their Lord to even breathe.
"Wizard." King Achiron waited for the Wizard to turn his piercing green eyes back to his own. "For the Mother." King Achiron nodded at someone or something behind the Wizard. The Wizard turned half-way to meet the threat as King Achiron's dagger buried itself up to the hilt in the Wizard's side. The Wizard staggered back and fell to his knees.
He held the dagger hilt that protruded from his side. His breath came in ragged quiet gasps. "I curse you Achiron. No son of your line will ever sit on your throne." He reached out and grabbed King Achiron's leg, "Neither will you sit on it again."
The crowd watched as a grey rash started climbing the Emperor's leg. First the trouser cloth peeled apart and flaked off. They began floating to the floor as ash. The rash spread quickly up his thigh. The Shadow Lord slit the wizards throat before he could utter another word. The Wizard looked up at him, blood pouring from his neck. He waved his hand as though shooing a fly and the Shadow Lord and all his entourage vanished into dark curling shadow smoke. The Wizard choked and collapsed to the floor and stopped moving.
The grey spread and began to consume King Achiron's leg until it fell off below the knee into a pile of ash.
"No!" screamed Queen Katriana. She held her swollen belly as she rushed down the dais steps to King Achiron's side. He sat heavily on the last step of the dais. She fell into his arms.
"It seems as though you will have to find me in the next life, my love." He murmured into her hair as she held him, willing the spread of consuming ash to stop. Please, please stop.
"Kiss me Queen of my life." He held her face in his hands that began to shift from the ruddy color of healthy flesh to the sickly grey of ash. She pressed her soul to his in her kiss. "Close your eyes my love."
"Please don't go." Queen Katriana wept as his form began to collapse in her arms.
"I'll wait for you, my love." His clear grey-blue eyes, started to cloud. His body fell away under fingers. Queen Katriana sat loudly weeping in the pile of ash that remained of the Emperor of Everwind.