Chapter Text
There wasn’t much in this world that frightened Kikimora, in fact, she could probably count on one hand the things that did scare her. And she had three fingers, so that was saying a lot.
So, it was reasonable to say that she was terrified. Standing in front of the huge stone doors that led into the throne room, it was hard to remember why she had joined the Emperor’s Guard in the first place.
The double doors were carved with ornate designs that dated back to the Savage Days, and lined with heavy wooden beams, marked with hieroglyphics that told the story of the founding of the Empire. Two guards stood on either side of the entrance, wearing the designated colors of the gold and black banner over their bronze-plated armor. The banner itself was a golden snake, curled over around the blade of a sword, and outlined in black and gray. Their faces were hidden by metal helmets that shined in the torchlight, but Kikimora imagined that even if she could see their faces, they would be flat and expressionless.
The emperor’s soldiers were taught from childhood that things like personal feelings and ideals were unacceptable within the Emperor’s army. They were drilled, trained, and disciplined into becoming reserved, emotionless warriors that were loyal to a fault and never questioned orders.
She rolled her eyes. More like absentminded drones, she thought. It wasn’t like the emperor needed the protection anyways, being the most powerful being on the isles, but she knew that the guards weren’t there for him.
Kikimora shook the thought from her head and steeled herself. As she approached the entrance, the doors opened for her, groaning with their age. Her footsteps echoed on the floors as she entered the chamber.
The throneroom was cold, even though it was a warm summer day, and she scolded herself for not bringing heavier clothes with her from the south. The ceiling was incredibly high, she estimated that it was at least four stories. Low light filtered in from the stained glass windows, but not enough to clear the shadows that lurked in the corners of the room. Marble pillars that stretched as far as the ceiling was tall lined both sides of her, each one decorated with a torch that was almost as large as she was.
At the end of the room stood the massive bleached white throne, elevated on marble steps. Sharp, pointed edges appeared to grow from the backside of the seat, almost as if they were reaching for the ceiling. Beside the throne, two enormous firepits roared with their hungry blue flames, nipping at their surroundings in search of sustenance. The fires doused the throneroom in cold, flickering shades of indigo and cyan.
Kikimora noticed three figures with her in the open space of the chamber. One, she assumed was a guard of some kind, stood with her helmet carried in the crook of her arm, hair in a half-ponytail. The guard turned and regarded her coldly, her eyes a bright shade of amber. Her armor, Kikimora noted, was not the usual bronze that the other members of the guard wore, but instead a dark set of blackened steel that reflected the blue fires. A black capelet draped off of the figure’s shoulder and was marked with the golden snake and sword banner that all guards wore.
Another armored figure stood beside her, much taller than the amber-eyed guard. Her long, raven black hair glistened in the fire, and her piercing blue eyes appraised Kikimora from where she stood. She wore a similar garb to the shorter knight but had many medals hanging from the chest piece, marking her as a high-ranking official.
The figure that was seated on the throne, however, drew a much more striking presence. He must have been at least eight feet tall, and even sitting on the throne he loomed over the guard in front of him. He wore simple gold and white robes, draped gracefully over his broad shoulders, and had large gauntlets that clicked against the arms of the chair. He turned his attention to Kikimora, and she felt as though a cold, slimy hand had run its fingers down her spine. His face was hidden by a long, gold mask that narrowed to a point well below his chest and had two hornlike pieces of metal that twisted upwards. The eyes of the mask were dark and revealed nothing about the man wearing it.
“Ah, Kikimora.” A smooth, deep voice crooned from the thing on the throne. “I am so pleased that you could finally join me.”
Kikimora knelt, “The honor is all mine, your Grace.” She shivered, that eerie feeling drifting further down her back.
“Arise, my loyal servant.” She did. He gestured to the soldiers still standing at attention, “How rude of me, my Lady, this is the newly appointed Knight Commander Lilith Clawthorne, and her apprentice Amity Blight. Knight Commander, this is Lady Kikimora of the Desert Fingers.”
Lilith dipped her head, eyes drifting over the little demon. She seemed to care less about her and turned her attention back to the Emperor.
Amity, however, gave a quick, jerky nod, but her eyes narrowed as she observed the demon before her. Kikimora returned the stare, refusing to back down from someone that was likely half her age. She knew of the Blights from her rivalry back in the academy with Odalia Blight. Though they had both graduated with honors, Kikimora had been glad that they were assigned to separate stations. She wondered whether the Blight in front of her was just as ambitious and cunning as Odalia had been.
She must be, Kikimora decided. Otherwise, how else would she be so highly ranked at an age so young?
Belos’ voice was quiet, and despite the size of the chamber, did not echo. “My Lady, you will have to excuse the interruption to our meeting, but the Knight Commander has brought me some exciting news that simply could not wait.”
Lilith nodded, “Yes your Grace, my forces caught two of the spies we heard wind of. My apprentice caught them herself. It won’t be long before we break them and learn where the rebels are hiding.”
The Blight girl smirked. It seemed to Kikimora that she was hiding a look of satisfaction behind her mask of neutrality.
“Well done, Lilith. I can see that I was correct in giving you the title of Knight Commander. You have served me well.”
“Thank you, my liege.” The Commander bowed deeply.
“However,” Belos’ gauntlets clacked against the arms of the throne as he seemed to consider something. “I would rather like to meet these two traitors myself.”
Lilith blinked, “Your Grace, I can assure you, there is no need. My men are interrogating them as we spea-”
“Must I repeat myself?” The Emperor’s voice had a dangerous lilt to it. “Bring me the two traitors, now.” The Knight Commander nodded stiffly and marched out of the room, her apprentice following hastily.
It wasn’t until the creaking groans of the door were shut with a dull thud, that the Emperor regarded Kikimora once more.
“You are wondering why I brought you here, all the way from the Fingers.” It wasn’t a question, and he was right, she had wondered why it was necessary to drag her all the way from her home in the Desert instead of sending a raven with his message. The hopeful side of her dreamed of being promoted once more, but the realistic side of her knew there was likely a catch.
“I wouldn’t dream of questioning you, your Grace.” Her voice quivered more than she would have liked. Whether it was from fear or anticipation, she wasn’t sure.
“You have done well in the Fingers, but I have bigger plans for you, here in Bonesborough.” He stood and folded his hands behind his back. “You see, I have a bit of a nuisance here in the capital. A rodent problem, if you will.”
A flicker of understanding passed through Kikimora. “A spy, your Grace?”
“Indeed,” He stepped down the marble stairs and stood over her. “I fear that one of my trusted counsel has betrayed the Empire and fed these rebels information about our armies. You have experience in rooting out these sorts of problems, do you not?”
“I do,” A small smile crept its way onto her face. “I will find this spy personally, your Grace. When I catch them, they will regret the day they were born.”
Belos dipped his head. “And as for the matter of your reward, if you manage to catch this traitor, there will be an open position for you on the council.”
Before she could respond, the doors to the throne room slammed open, a cacophony of voices echoing into the chambers. A dozen guards marched in, half of them dragging two prisoners dressed in rags, and the other half lining the pillars and entrance. Lilith and the Blight girl entered in behind them, alongside a large demon wearing a bloodied tunic and a pointed mask that protected most of his face.
The two rebels were covered in a firm layer of grime and smelled as though they had rolled in their own excrement. The first one, a large man with a scraggly red beard and pale skin that was smattered with freckles, struggled against the soldiers escorting him. Though he was chained, he seemed to be putting up a decent fight.
The second rebel was a dark-skinned boy who couldn’t have been older than 17. He was scrawny, with messy hair that curled over his big, watery eyes. He appeared to have been crying and only seemed to be just barely holding it together even now.
Knight Commander Clawthorne bowed to the Emperor, “Here are the prisoners, as you requested.”
“Very good.” Belos approached the prisoners, and Kikimora hastily stepped out of his way. He loomed over the two, seemingly deciding which to inspect first. A clawed gauntlet reached up and grabbed the boy’s chin, looking him over. He ran a sharp finger down his cheek, drawing blood. The boy’s terrified sobs could be heard through his gag.
“Leave him alone!” The burly man had managed to remove the gag from his mouth. One of the guards shoved him to his knees, head smacking against the icy floors.
Belos regarded the man with something like contempt. He laughed, a quiet, chilling noise that brought silence to the chamber. Even the boy’s sobs quieted in the wake of the sound.
The man, undeterred by the Emperor’s unspoken threat, spat at him.
A gasp escaped Kikimora, surprising herself. She quickly adopted a face of neutrality and forced herself to look politely uninterested in the scene displayed in front of her. If she was to have a seat on the council, she must begin to gain the respect she deserved from those around her, even her underlings.
Belos had no reaction to the disrespectful display of rebellion. He hummed, “Such an interesting pair. Have you made any progress with them, Warden?”
The huge demon covered in blood shook his head. “No, your Grace. They have remained resistant to my persuasions. But they will not last long.”
The Emperor loomed over the boy once more, removing his gag. He dragged a long, pointed finger along his face, tracing lines that only he could see. Then all of a sudden, he stabbed that same finger into the boy’s eye.
Kikimora was sure that the gurgling scream that erupted from the boy would haunt her for the rest of her days. Blood spurted from his face, and he struggled to clutch at his eye, his hands still bound in chains. He fell to the ground, his sobs returning with fervor.
The man shook with rage from his place on the floor. His baleful glare was aimed at Belos, but Kikimora was sure she could feel his anger even from where she stood. “You’re a monster,” He choked out, “He’s just a boy.”
Belos said nothing to the prisoner, turning to Wrath instead and saying, “Take them back to their cells, but this time, when one doesn’t give you the answers you need, punish the other. We will see if they aren’t giving us all their little secrets by tomorrow morning.”
The guards and Wrath dragged the prisoners out of the throne room, their screams quieting after the doors shut. Belos returned to his seat on the throne, and if Kikimora hadn’t just witnessed that entire scene, she would have thought he looked bored.
Kikimora and the two soldiers were the only ones left. They stood at attention, waiting for their Emperor to give them his next commands.
“You have your assignments,” He drawled. “I trust you two to head off the rebellion before word of it reaches the ears of the commoners. I have no love for uprisings.”
“Of course, Emperor Belos,” Kikimora dipped her head. “I will do everything in my power to bring these heathens to justice.”
“As will I,” Lilith added. Amity said nothing but bowed to the Emperor.
“Do not fail me. I have no need for those who cannot fulfill the wishes of the Empire.” he waved them away, and with relief, Kikimora left the throne room.
The Knight Commander regarded her, cold blue eyes observing her thoughtfully. “It was a pleasure to meet you, my Lady. I look forward to seeing you in the council meetings.”
Then, without another word, she marched down the hall, her apprentice following suit.
Kikimora hummed to herself as she headed to her lodgings. What an interesting pair, she thought.
When she entered her room she saw that her things had been mostly unpacked by the servants. The rest of her suitcases and boxes would wait until later, she decided. For now, she had her mission. She would do what she did best, she thought with glee, uproot the rot, and bring justice to those that deserved it.