She's angry.
The adrenaline from the war hadn't worn down; she still wanted destruction, she still wanted the blood of her enemies running like a river while she crushed their skulls while walking on them; she still wanted..Death.
The smell of burnt flesh, the smoke rising up into the horizon, ruining its pretty blue sky to a cloudy grey. She wanted the kingdom of Zunaria gone, gone for good, along with their pathetic king.
ha...haha
Her lips stretched wide into a grin.
She felt her nails and fangs elongate at the thought.
Just Imagine. Felix beneath her, finally dead, and after she's taken everything from him.
hahaha!
She lifted her eyes to the horizon. Bodies of fallen soldiers littered the ground, torn flags, Trampled Pride and Dignity. The wind blew past as a mourning song rejected, but she wasn't sad. No. She was ecstatic
Fire spread, burning the bodies till there was nothing left. Not even weaponry.
Her grin widened
There would be no bodies left; mothers would cry, Fathers would silently die of grief, Children and wives...would miss their family.
But more importantly
They would all feel her pain.
Either the poor souls from her kingdom whom she's dragged into this war or the ones Felix governed over, -all. would feel her hopelessness
Hahhhh...Hahahahaha!
She put her hand to her mouth while watching the fire (Hers). Eat away at everything.
A headstart
Fire had been her enemy, but now... it was an accomplice, devouring what it was fed
Nature against nature!
Just like her rival... The memory of Felix's Distraught expression flashed in her mind
. Her eyes crinkled
. She remembered what used to be theirs..a poem
It was about fire
"HOW BEAUTIFUL!!!" That was the first line of the poem.
She spread out her arms like a master conductor, admiring the symphony before her. She laughed again, her voice an eerie melody in the air, which carried lit ashes with it. She dropped her shoulders and turned to face her army.
Eyes cold. Predatory.
Grin now a frown
They hadn't dared to move an inch.
Because they knew
They could be incinerated anytime.
The Queen's enemy was everyone around her, a price for being powerful, she'd said.
Her eyes scanned each and every one of them — twenty in total, all hand-picked...
her perfect tools for destruction, trained, brutally torn away from their families
her accomplices who deserved reward for the dead bodies
her eyes crinkled again
she remembered the hope in their eyes when she spoke of them being returned to their families
her grin turned more malicious
the horror she'd seen on their faces when carrying out her commands was none of her concern
their rewards were waiting..in pieces. Only they had no idea
'Foolish things,' she thought, then flicked her gaze to the fire behind her; it had quieted down.
"Soldiers-" they subtly tensed; She returned her gaze.
"I expect murder. No mercy," she spoke deceptively softly, leaning down like she were speaking to children
"The promise of home is not for the weak-hearted." Ice settled into their bones. She continued with a smile
"The fire," a pause, "has cleared the path for us; Zunaria's defenses are crumbled, their king..." She trailed off, eyes scanning her elites to see who'd dared look at her directly.
"is busy trying to evacuate his citizens while staying shut up in his walls, disappointing, isn't it?" She rose to her full height; her grin returned.
" We know where his bunkers are, don't we?" She placed her hand on her cheek; her grin grew wider
"The king is mine"
"You know what your roles are." The soldiers saluted in unison; satisfaction settled on her like a weight as she stepped aside, chin upturned
"Go"
The sound of clattering metal echoed like a coming storm as they marched past her.
Her grin impossibly widened further.
‣‣‣‣‣‣‣‣‣‣‣‣‣‣‣‣‣‣‣
Screams, Shouts, cries, the sound of crumbling walls and falling hope, the sounds lifted into the air reminiscent of the smoke rising from burning houses and bodies, all that destruction
She found it beautiful
Including the blood red that dripped down her blade, trailing to the defeated King who tried to get away from her by crawling
'Oh, how the mighty fall,' she mused to herself in amusement as she walked forward
She had stabbed him, missing the heart by centimeters, an error on her part.
She'd hesitated because of the cry of his child, barely a month old (when had he even conceived?) and in the arms of its mother. —one she'd spared for no reason she could name. It irritated her to even think about it.
Only to be irritated further when she learnt that the child and mother were illusions put there before her arrival to make her drop her guard,
And she'd almost fallen for it.
That made her angrier.
Felix was dragging himself against the marble floor, blood trailing behind him in a beautiful artistic piece of blood and stone. Her face had become blank as she approached slowly, a predator enjoying the hunt of its prey. Or rather, the suffering and pain of it; she could hear him grunt as he tried to push himself up, and she could smell his fear and growing anxiety.
she chuckled
Things weren't falling in his favour, were they?
clink
Felix flinched hard as the point of her blade was pierced into the space beside his head, a snarl rose from his chest as he turned to glare at her.
He was angry too
Furious even.
But utterly hopeless inside, even when he was putting up a noble front
"You just can't let things go, can you? You break into my walls, destroy everything, all for what!? " he sounded exasperated and had the gall to continue when she only stared blankly at him. He coughed momentarily, his lungs failing, blood soaking his clothes as he adjusted to look at her, assuming maybe she was hesitating. Her lips twitched
Fool
"You should take a look at yourself," he spat. "You're covered in blood, innocent blood"
A heavy silence settled between them. The manic glint in her eyes dimmed, filled with something like...guilt? Felix's eyes softened
"Astra." Her name floated in the air like a disgusting stench; her nose crinkled slightly.
"You can still change this-all of this! You can still-" The sound of flesh being pierced resounded across the hall. sharp. So quick it could have been missed. It was sickening. There was more blood! It spread like ink in water, Beautiful.
Felix's eyes widened. His lips parted, staring up at Astra, who held his gaze coolly- no trace of the affection that once was present.
"You speak of innocent blood-" She turned the weapon, buried deep in the confines of Felix's heart. Felix made a grunt of pain, blood spilling from his lips.
"Only to save your worthless life!" She increased the pressure of her weapon.
Felix gargled in pain before glaring at her with the most hatred he could summon, hands weakly failing to reduce the damage done.
"You speak as if you're some saint," he spat
He should've been dead by now.
"But we both know you're far worse than me!" A mocking smile graced his lips
"All this destruction, all these deaths, just because you're mad with me," he chortled, eyes turning from pale blue to haunting violet.
Astra gritted her teeth.
He tilted his head
"Am I still so significant to you, Darling?"
"You ought to wish-"
BA-DUMP.
She froze.
BA-DUMP.
Something was wrong.
BA-DUMP.
She heard a chuckle. Her eyes snapped to Felix, who had stood up. Her eyes widened in surprise. Her breath hitched as Felix walked closer, blade now through his chest, which he didn't put any mind to it, yet she could see her blade protruding through his body
"Oh, Astra," He whispered. When did his smile become a grin?
He wiped his thumb on her cheek, smearing his blood on her cheeks
"Are you surprised? Are you angry you can't move, that you underestimated me so?" Something sharp needled her chest, true to his words; she couldn't move. Felix was now looking at her sardonically
"Did you really think I would let you destroy everything, just like that?" He trailed his thumb to her chin, tilting it up to his face so is breathe carrsed her lips-
"..." Astra inhaled sharply as she felt something sharp plunge into her chest
Blood spilled.
She felt PAIN!
Then she saw her own heart being pulled out of her body.
Thud.
A clap echoed across the hall; a man clad in white, with his associates-behind them, soldiers marched in- her own elite.
"Well done, Your Majesty!" he praised, teleporting to the king's side.
Felix's eyes remained on Astra's unmoving body
"The endurance elixir you gave me did well; you've proved your worth," Felix said coolly, his eyes now blank as he looked at the priest whose ever-serene smile remained
"Indeed, I thank you, Your Majesty," he bowed shortly. "I extend this little gift to you." Wisps of something green, the smell of spring, rose in the air; its essence healing the flesh of Felix.
"A small token of my gratitude." Felix let out a hum in response, eyes flickering to Astra's dead form. The priest's smile remained
"And what will you have me do of the embargo?" Felix's eyes flickered to her so-called elites who had switched loyalties a long time ago. Her own people
"Leave it up to them to decide-"
"Daddy!" A little fur ball ran fast across the soldiers, transforming mid-leap into a boy with red hair and violet eyes just like him. His mother hurried from behind him, a weary expression on her face
Felix's eyes softened
"Theo," he said softy, lifting the boy to his arms, who grinned excitedly
"You were so cool!"
"You were... watching?" he subtly glanced at his wife, who gave him a weary smile; however, Theo took back his father's affection
"We're safe now!" Felix let out a sigh he didn't know he was holding
"Yes..safe." Theo giggled, snuggling into his father's neck
"Father is the coolest"