Red CD Project 2: Part 36 - Swords & Thrones

Note: Be sure to check out the section below this, if you have not already. I am itching to finish this, just to see how it ends up. Three more parts, and this part of the tale (at least its first draft) will conclude.

Disc 2
Track 14: Sidewinder - Avenged Sevenfold

"Can't you feel the poison rising"

"Awake, my son." Rudan Perde stood before Ewam in Union Hall, a great light shining behind him. "Awake and take your place."

Standing, Ewam gathered his wits long enough to see that but one throne sat centered in the great hall. Rubbing the back of his head where he knew that a stone had dented just moments before, he walked up to it and studied the ancient seat.

"Father, I cannot."

Smiling, his father spread his arms and the light intensified forcing Ewam to shield his eyes. Ewam nearly backed up into the throne and fell, but he caught his balance at the last moment.

"Beware the sword, my son," His father continued. "Use it, if you must, but always beware."

Now the light subsided, but Ewam could see that with it went his father.

"I love you, father." Ewam shouted hoping the message reached his father.

"Listen for the song, my son."

* * *

"The song of Kings." Ewam mumbled as his eyes fixed on the darkening sky above. Banik's face hovered at the edge of his vision, concerned and bloodied from a shallow gash above his eye.

"We must retreat, my lord," Banik said, offering his hand. Ewam did not know how long he was knocked out, but as he sat up he could tell it was long enough that the was battle was nearing its end. The beasts rising from below the ground, had dviided his infantry. The calvary had reformed a line, but its numbers were dwindling. The archers were firing into the heart of battle, hitting their own men as much as they were the Children. Ewam squinted as a bolt of pain shot through the back of his head to see that the two Elder Dinar remained in the middle of the battle, safely surrounded by the Children.

"We must retreat," Banik pleaded.

The ground began to rumble before them, signaling the coming of another one of those wretched beasts from below. Still shaking off dizziness, Ewam stumbled to his feet. A ridge formed cleary showing the path of the beast directly to where he and Banik stood.

"Lord, we must retreat!" Banik shouted.

"Hush, hush," Ewam cocked his ear to the sky waiting to be sure he heard the faint notes of a tune hitting his ears. A toothy-grin split open his face, as his heart confirmed what he ears wanted to hear. Facing away from the coming beast, he hand found the grip of the sword. The song, full of trumpets and deep barotone voices chanting in the ancient language, grew to defeaning decibels. Seconds pulsed in his bloodstream and behind him the moaning of earth being churned grew, but he waited with Banik's panicked eyes watching. "Now!" The voice came from the sword and Ewam answered without thought.

Spinning, he drew the sword above his head while dropping to his knees. He had time enough to see the great jaws of the beast rise first from the dark turf with soil, worms and grass spotting the pink gums between its huge teeth before it disappeared over his head. The blade sizzled as it cut through the beasts skull and kept slicing like the beast was warm butter as its body kept surging over his head. A fountain of black ooze that Ewam supposed substitued for blood rained down upon him as the two halves of the corpse fell around him.

A scream on the wind caught Ewam's ear, and it took him a moment to realize that it was his voice he was hearing. He kept it up as he spun back to Banik, still wide-eyed with shock and panic. His eyes were on Duna, thrust up high above Ewam's head.

"We stand!" Ewam shouted. "We stand!"

Ewam brought Duna down and he broke into run in the opposite direction. With the sword in his hand, every sense was sharpened. He heard Banik's steps as he followed behind. If this my end, Ewam thought, then it will be an end worthy of the Great Kings.

* * *

"My brother and my wife have betrayed me, cousin." Eden faced away from Cortobrane, his voice echoing in the high ceilings of Union Hall. The fat mayor of Stra risked a look behind with a smirk to his doubters, Mr. Vedder and Mr. Itor. Cortobrane could not fight smiling, he had never reached such a level of satisfaction.

Cortobrane had not entirely trusted the woman enough to believe that Eden and Ewam would allow him to ride an army bearing the ancient symbols of Isa into Omet, but the woman must have had some sort of spy inside the palace or even some of sort dark powers with her mind. He did not doubt her now, and he'd tell her that the night he made her queen. Before then, he had two kings of Satar to dispose. One was before him. The other, apparently, was riding west to Nocnil, hopefully to meet his doom.

Cortobrane wanted very much to just draw the ancient sword at his hip and do away with Eden right now, but he knew that Vedder and Itor would never allow that sort of succession. His rise to the throne had to come naturally, meaning he had to use all his stealth to assure that Eden's days drew to a quick and neat close.

"Unforgivable," Cortbrane rushed, nearly forgetting that Eden had spoke. "But not entirely a surprise."

"Unforgivable," Eden mumbled, maybe in agreement or just to hear the word again.

"I warned you of this long ago, do you remember," Cortobrane dared another step closer to Eden. He had always loathed both twins, but this was not the same Eden he had known growing up. That Eden had been cocky, self-assured and regal beyond comparison. This man was disheveled and unbalanced. Cortobrane thought even perhaps on the edge of madness. All of which was an advantage for Cortobrane, but one had to be careful around lunatics. "This sharing the throne business was never a good idea. Your own mother, my dear aunt, believed it to be so."

"Do not speak about my mother," Eden growled. "I know her mind well."

"I... I beg your leave. I only wish to serve you. The true King, as your mother and father knew. Your brother has always been false, you were only too close to see it."

"Unforgivable." Cortobrane thought he heard Eden whisper again.

"The woman, ah, the queen, well scandal only comes naturally to her family, but to betray you with your brother. That is an act of treason."

"Hmmm." Eden raised his left hand to his temple and began to rub.

Cortrobrane stepped closer, daring to grasp Eden's elbow firmly. Leaning in close, he drew Eden toward the front of Union Hall where the two thrones sat. Such a silly idea, two men ruling a kingdom, Cortbrane thought then whispered.

"The old blood rises, my lord. The time of Satar ends. The time of two kings ends."

Something flashed acrossed Eden's face, a brief moment where he almost gained hold of his former self, but that disappeared as Cortobrane brought the green blade with the red pommel.

"They have betrayed you, my lord. Treason has but one penalty."

"Hmmm." Eden's eyes glassed over, truly seeing the sword known as Fangen.

"Take the sword, my lord. Take your seat. No longer one of two kings of Satar, but the true king of Isa."

Eden's hand wavered as hw removed it from his temple and held it out for the sword. Cortobrane nearly pulled away, the damn thing had a way about it. He always wanted with him, touching his skin. He reminded himself that Eden would not have long. Not if things went the way he planned.

Eden's fingers curled around the sword, and every muscle in his face tensed as he did. Bringing the blade up to his face, a final wave grief flared out of Eden's mouth in a howl. The malice and rage within the sword burned away the last remaining bits of his sanity. Growling, he rushed forward toward his brothers throne.

"Unforgivable!" He growled as he brought the sword down in one harsh stroke. A flash of brillant red and green flame accompanied it, as it split the seat and caught fire. The immense heat torched the throne in only a matter of moments. When it was nothing more than tinder, Eden looked to his own throne. Standing beside it was his mother fully dressed for coronation.

"Take thy place, my son." She spoke once. He never hesitated, easing, as he had been taught long ago by appirition now standing only his mind to the right, into the seat.

"All hail King Eden of Isa!" Cortobrane shouted and went to his knee. The two men followed behind him as if puppets the man pulled on a string. His mother whispered once more before disappearing again into the recesses of his mind.

"All hail King Eden, the one true king. It is time for those betrayers of his faith to pay for their trangressions."