《Can a Lich Cry》 Prologue: The Ashes of the Crown Prologue Sura was sleeping by the decimated walls of his castle. When he woke up, a sharp noise rang against his head. A rough hand forced him to look up, and he groaned in pain. He realized someone was watching him: a blond man with azure eyes. Unlike the fair-haired knights of fairy tales, the ashes of battles had hardened his skin. The platinum tint of his visage had dulled, and his chapped lips lacked glamor. He was staring solemnly into Sura''s eyes while holding him in his grasp. The chilling glare terrified him. The man brought out a cigarette. ¡°You don''t look like a King,¡± he said. Sura laughed and pointed at his crown. ¡°Am I so pathetic," he asked, "That you can''t even see the last symbol of my power?¡± The man shook his head. ¡°I have fought the Seven Kingdoms in many ways,¡± he said. ¡°Steel, poison, and fire. Wars, scheming, and blackmailing. Yet I still triumphed, standing over my enemies.¡± ¡°...¡± The man released Sura. ¡°Do not try to trick me,¡± he said. ¡°I have never seen a ruler with such weak eyes. You cannot bethe real successor of the seventh Kingdom.¡± "I''m afraid you are staring down at the truth," Sura sighed tiredly. ¡°Titus, the servant of the third prophet, Death. I am Sura Lazarus, the last King of Solis.¡± Titus frowned. ¡°You know who I am," he said. "So why don¡¯t you fight for your Prophet? Where is your fortress? Where are your soldiers, your farmers, and your servants?¡± ¡°Gone since the previous king¡¯s death. Permanently, I might add,¡± Sura said. Titus paused. Confusion emerged on his face for the first time. ¡°...Gone? They deserted you?"This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. Sura sat up on the same wall he had slept on the night before. ¡°They have committed a heinous crime,¡± he said regretfully. ¡°They left here before their worthless ruler.¡± ¡°They could not have gone so far,¡± Titus mused. ¡°I can catch them all in a week; in fact, I will punish them for you.¡± Sura chuckled, but his hysteria was dipped in sorrow. ¡°They are not my people anymore,¡± he said. ¡°Death only allowed you to vanquish the mortals. Any more will be a breach of contract.¡± This time, Titus stopped for a longer time. His grip on Sura grew stronger and stronger. Then slowly, he walked, entering the city gates. His hand had long gone cold from the touch of Death, but a trace of anger burned against Sura¡¯s head. Titus knew. Even though he himself was a monster, he could not compare to the cruelty of the prophets. ¡°By Shade,¡± Titus muttered. In front of him, the capital was no more. Besides the rubbles and the barren landscape, a graveyard entered his eyes. It was as wide as half of the city, filled with countless mounds. The Conqueror touched one of them; the earth had long gone bitter, hard as concrete. Sura looked on calmly, his anguish stuck inside his throat. ¡°You say that you fought for many years and survived,¡± Sura said sadly. ¡°The Curse took them all, and I outlived every one of them. I was at each of their funerals, and when all of the gravediggers had died halfway, I continued their work. The only grave that I haven¡¯t yet filled is mine.¡± Titus stayed silent. As he kept walking, he could taste despair at the tip of his tongue. It was a sensation he had missed for a long time. In the end, he stopped at an empty ditch among the graves. ¡°I have waited, Conqueror,¡± Sura said. ¡°Let me return to where I belong.¡± Titus snorted and loosened his grip. Sura¡¯s body fell into the hole. As he faced the cloudy sky, he sighed in regret. Why could he not die on a better day? Before he could lament further, the tip of a blade rested on his chest. ¡°You say you suffered, and I believe you. But why did you never kill yourself? Amongst this madness?¡± Sura laughed. ¡°The sick game has to end, Conqueror. It¡¯s such a shame,¡± he added, ¡°We could have been friends. The ones who risk their lives for one another.¡± After hearing that, Titus smiled for the first time. "Perhaps in your next life," he said. The next moment--like a string that suddenly snapped--Sura quickly died. Coronation: Part 1 Chapter 1 Fia groaned as she woke up from a vivid dream. A strong smell of incense perverted her nose, confirming that she had returned to the castle¡¯s room. It was not lavish by any means: gold and jewelry were absent from past plundering. However, the noble atmosphere bothered her, as she was long accustomed to the streets of beggars and the bloody battlefield. When she felt the fragile texture of her silk gown, she missed her leather armor. The chaos felt more familiar than her ¡°home,¡± Tiw. It was one of the seven city-states, self-proclaimed as the Seven Kingdoms. Solis had fallen into depravity, but the other sixstill remained. Fia massaged her temple. She remembered seeing a man crying over a grave, but everything else was a blur. Dissatisfied, she murmured, ¡°If you are going to mourn all night, the least you can do is show me the whole story.¡± ¡°I... apologize, Fia,¡± a baritone voice creeped behind her. ¡°But these projections are unconscious and unintentional. I don¡¯t know how I do it.¡± Fia turned around and naturally patted the talking skull on her desk. ¡°Was that Titus, my great-grandfather?¡± she asked. ¡°No, he had not killed me yet. Good riddance,¡± Sura said. His voice had dropped into a melancholic tone. ¡°Up to his death, the bastard would not become my friend.¡± ¡°Good to know, ''your majesty.'' By the way, you still haven¡¯t answered my question.¡± ¡°He was the king before me. The grave, I mean.¡± Fia puffed in dissatisfaction. ¡°I know that,¡± she muttered. ¡°But what did he do to make you kill him?¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°You don¡¯t need to know that,¡± Sura chuckled. ¡°What you do need to know is that the servants are frantically running to find out why their captive is screaming at the light of dawn.¡± ¡°I screamed? Dammit all, this is your fault!¡± ¡°Watch your tongue, child. You¡¯re killing me.¡± Fia quickly grabbed Sura and rolled him under the bed. By now, she could hear footsteps echoing in the hallway. When she slipped into the bedsheets, a knock sounded behind the mahogany door. A charming voice seeped into the room. ¡°May I come in, my Prophetess?¡± a woman asked. ¡°You are going to come in anyway, Erise,¡± Fia said. ¡°Your soldiers can remain outside, though.¡± ¡°Of course. Then excuse me.¡± A tall woman entered the room. She had a short, brown hair, trimmed to the height of her ears. As she walked, the gears of her black armor creaked menacingly. However, her green eyes held no hostility; in fact, they were too pure, which made her look like an overgrown child. ¡°Nightmares again?¡± Erise asked. Fia scoffed. ¡°I am not a child. I just stubbed my toe in the dark.¡± ¡°Only children do that, sister,¡± Erise smiled. When she tried to pat Fia on the head, the latter moved away and gave her a repulsive look. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so cold,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s already been two years since you lived here, are you still afraid of me?¡± ¡°I am not just afraid of you. I am terrified,¡± Fia said. ¡°I have never heard of a noble who serves a bastard sibling.¡± Erise made a devilish smirk. ¡°A Queen can do whatever she wants, dear Fia,¡± she said. ¡°No one can defy me. Besides, you gave me such a wondrous gift all those years ago.¡± ¡°I try not to remember.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter. Since it seems that there is no problem, I¡¯ll leave you two on your own devices.¡± Fia sighed. ¡°You even know that Sura is here. Are you sure you are not the Prophetess?¡± ¡°I¡¯d have loved to become one, my dear sister,¡± Erise said. ¡°Then I wouldn¡¯t have had to kill so many people.¡± Coronation: Part 2 Fia¡¯s guts turned. Her muscles froze in panic, and sweat began running down her rigid spine. She stayed still as Erise walked slowly towards her and gave her a powerful embrace. When the cold edges of the armor touched Fia¡¯s skin, she felt as if a bloodless monster was gripping her fragile body. ¡°The coronation is next week,¡± Erise whispered. ¡°All you have to do is give me your blessing as the descendant of Conqueror Titus. Don¡¯t mess it up.¡± Fia nodded slowly. ¡°I will be careful," she murmured. "I value my life above all else.¡± "Good," Erise smiled devilishly. ¡°I will see you soon, sister.¡± Even after the soon-to-be Queen left, a terrible residue of her aura filled the air. Fia weakly fell into her bed. Since she could not fall asleep, she grabbed the silent skull underneath her bed. ¡°I don¡¯t like her,¡± Fia told Sura. ¡°Her soldiers do,¡± he murmured. ¡°She is a good tyrant; she does not rule with absolute fear. She belongs to the same breed as Titus.¡± ¡°Titus, Titus. I am his descendant here,¡± Fia complained. ¡°Why is this name so powerful?¡± ¡°With only a handful of mages, the fool killed the original Prophets andall of his generation¡¯s Seven Kings,¡± Sura reminded her. ¡°Calling his name ¡®powerful¡¯ would be an understatement.¡± Fia angrily kicked the mattress underneath her. ¡°But he died!¡± she retorted. ¡°Why would my psychopath sister want a dead man¡¯s name?¡±This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°As long as you are alive, that name has substance,¡± Sura said. ¡°Titus had many enemies, but he also had his fair share of loyal allies.¡± Fia sighed. ¡°You only have perfect answers,¡± she said. She then drew Sura closer to her until their foreheads touched. Her hands were trembling. ¡°Why are you afraid, child?¡± Sura asked. ¡°You survived poverty and war. If you were weak, you would have already died.¡± ¡°A mere famine cannot compare to a devil¡¯s plague, and human violence does not incite terror like a dragon¡¯s breath,¡± Fia said. ¡°With your guidance, Sura, I have become stronger. I don¡¯t need to die from the wars of rulers I have never met. But I fear Erise is no longer human; how am I supposed to win against that monster?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t always need to win. Sometimes, you can just run,¡± Sura said. ¡°And if you can¡¯t run anymore, I will protect you.¡± ¡°You, a skull that doesn¡¯t even have his own body?¡± ¡°Silence. Now, sleep--your nagging tires me, child.¡± ¡°Mm.¡± --- Sura watched the dark, empty sky. He was under the Curse, and the Curse did not allow him to die. As an undead, he could not sleep, so often times he let his consciousness drift throughout the earth. As always, Fia was under tight security. Around one hundred men guarded her at all times. Strangely, Erise would always be outside his aura¡¯s range. She was a devious one; she would not have spared even her innocent half-sister if she was not interested in Titus¡¯ name or Sura¡¯s immaterial body. Sura then focused on the sleeping ¡°child¡± next to him. These two decades have not been quiet ones, mostly thanks to her constant chattering. He did not mind this abnormality; in fact, he cherished it. Someday, you will understand,Titus once told him. ¡°Like hell I do, old friend,¡± Sura murmured. It was dawn, and then it was morning. Seven days until the coronation. Coronation: Part 3 Erise was awake the entire night. Except for the brief interlude of ¡°visiting¡± her half-sister at dawn, she was reading various letters from the other members of the Six Kings. Well, now that she was the ruler of Tiw, only five Kings remained. ¡°Andrew,¡± Erise called. ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± A young, hard-faced knight bowed his bald head. His skin was dark as the night, and its luster gleamed against the moonlight. He was the only one who stayed by her side for the entire night. Erise threw the letters on her desk. ¡°Are you sure these letters are from the same people? Their flattery almost made me puke,¡± she complained. Andrew brought a finger to his chin, pondering seriously. ¡°With all due respect, the pattern is obvious. They want to pamper you while you are strong.¡± Erise shook her head. ¡°The King of Thur''si and Tyr have been training their armies ever since I took the throne. Do they think I am blind?¡± ¡°Look at the silver lining, your highness. Theother kings have recognized your authority," Andrew said. Erise shrugged. "The Prophets know about Fia and Sura...it''s not a surprise the mage kingdoms don''t want conflict. However, we arestill fighting a two-front war." ¡°If Conqueror Titus can do it, this battle is not even worth your concern,¡± Andrew said. ¡°You are a crazier warmonger than he ever was, after all.¡± Erise chuckled. ¡°I don''t know if that was flattery or stupidity,¡± she said. ---Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. The time was almost noon. In the training grounds, Fia had just finished her endurance training. Per her request, the field was filled with climbing obstacles and wooden mannequins. Since she could not enjoy such luxuries in the past, she gladly took advantage of them. After climbing a set of ten tall walls, she ran for an hour and rested. Finally, she practiced the dagger skills that she picked up from the streets. Although Sura had offered to teach her, she had no interest in power that was not completely her own. Fia was exhausted, but she was also relieved, maybe even happy. This place was one of Erise''s rare gifts to be grateful for. Since she did not have the energy to think about anything else, she could now feel the mana around her. In her eyes, the strange particles resembled the ashes of corpses. She remembered the Prophets. They were the instruments of their gods, and no one could oppose their authority. After Titus massacred most of their descendants, however, the original line had disappeared into oblivion. In their place, a new group emerged: mages. Raised as war machines for the Prophets¡¯ armies, the wielders of mana found a new purpose in serving Titus. After their master died, those who fought alongside the Conqueror controlled what remained of the Seven Kingdoms. The common people still called them Prophets--they could not tell the difference. Fia was a War Rat. There were many like her: some were stronger, while others were faster. However, only she could survive against the mages, for she had a power of her own. In the bloody battlefield, her anxiety and fear disappeared. Only then did she resemble Titus: ruthless, courageous, and immune to the power of mana. Fia did not have the strength to help others but only herself. Erise picked her as the Prophetess only because the throne required one. As a future Queen, she could not have equals. Her last Prophet was her fiance... she killed the man because he dared to covet her crown. Death after death, only her half-sister was there to take the unwanted position. ¡°Sura,¡± Fia murmured. Yes? A familiar voice echoed in her mind. The skull was left purposely at her desk, but he had still followed her with his consciousness. She sat down on the ground, brooding. ¡°How do I bless Erise in the ceremony?¡± she asked. Traditionally, the Prophets would kiss the ruler on the forehead and anoint him with mana. However, the mages also performed a ¡°miracle¡± to incite fear¡­ and love. ¡°So fear it is,¡± Fia concluded. ¡°She had long lost the meaning of love.¡± Coronation: Part 4 She loves power, but that desire is not always evil. Fia shook her head. ¡°She craves it, ''your majesty.'' And I''m afraid her only purpose is to destroy.¡± She loves that most, there is no denying that. But she also loves the power to lead, and the power to protect. ¡°What are you trying to tell me?¡± Fia asked bitterly. Nothing, child. As you have lamented countlessly, I love to ramble. Especially if I have a listener who can¡¯t escape. Fia furiously rose up. ¡°Damn you to the deepest parts of hell,¡± she growled. In my days, we call that place Shade. The modern word doesn¡¯t really resonate with me. Fia kicked a nearby bucket. However, it ended up landing on the face of a knight named John. He had a long, black hair; it was silkier than that of the most beautiful women in the city. He was drowsing on a stool until a heavy object landed on his treasured face. He fell to the floor, but he did not seem to be in pain, only aggrieved. John placed both palms on his cheeks. ¡°Prophetess, not even the Queen dares to offend my visage! Do you dare risk my wrath?¡± he screamed. ¡°Shut it, John,¡± Fia said. She kicked another bucket at him, and this one carried dirty water. Only then, the blue-eyed man suddenly moved. A sword appeared in his right hand, along with the sound of the wind¡¯s whisper. The metal container was cleanly sliced in half--the fluids remained inside until everything landed on the ground. Not even a strand of his black hair was wet, and Fia clapped in awe.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. A mad smile bloomed on John''s face. His fiery anger seeped into the cold, unsheathed blade. ¡°You have provoked me again, Prophetess,¡± he said quietly. Fia raised her dagger. Her mockery would have to wait. Unlike her expectations, John walked slowly. He kept his weapon at the same upward position, pointing towards her eyes. She did not dare to blink as he drew her closer to his range. When she stood five steps away from John, he turned his wrist and sliced towards her left shoulder. After he drew his blade back, Fia lunged. Her left side was exposed, but so was his. In the battlefield, the better soldier often lost. Not because of dumb luck, but because he did not gamble everything to live. When Fia was certain John would back off, the man unexpectedly smiled and spitted on her eyes. The aim was glorious: the mucus landed on both of her pupils. In that moment of blindness, she could only keep charging until he locked her arms with his own. Then, a knee gouged into her abdomen. Air fell out of her lungs, and she dropped like a corpse. Fia struggled to rise, but she immediately fell again. ¡°You call yourself a handsome knight, bastard?¡± Fia gasped. "You abandoned your weapon and hit a woman!" ¡°All is fair in love and war," John said mischevously. He raised her left arm, revealing her plated armguard. "Why should I let you block my blade and slash my throat?¡± ¡°Not the complete script,¡± she grunted, ¡°But you almost got it right.¡± ¡°Enlighten me with your infinite wisdom, Prophetess,¡± John said mockingly. He gave a condescending bow to celebrate his victory, but he did not insult her after that. Since Fia was technically his superior, he borrowed her his shoulder and helped her sit on the same stool he was napping on. After Fia rested for a while, she finally talked. ¡°I wasn¡¯t going for your throat,¡± she admitted. John paused. ¡°And should I know where you were actually aiming for?¡± he asked cautiously. The noble Prophetess frowned, but she looked calm and collected. "Your genitals," she murmured. "I thought you would never expect it, but your instincts still stopped me." John''s playful expression had now crumpled into coldness. "I should have killed you when I had the chance," he hissed. Coronation: Part 5 Fia rose up from her seat and locked John¡¯s head under her arm. ¡°But you won¡¯t,¡± Fia teased, ¡°Because you have something to lose.¡± The knight easily slipped out of the headlock and huffed incredulously. ¡°If that ¡®something¡¯ is my sanity, then yes,¡± he said. ¡°Hush, you didn¡¯t even pull your punches. One more hit and I would have died.¡± John raised an eyebrow and pointed towards one of the windows of the inner castle. It belonged to Fia¡¯s room. There, a skull stood ominously behind the windowsill. ¡°Believe me, I held back,¡± he said. ¡°Otherwise, your skeleton majesty over there wouldn¡¯t just be giving me death stares right now.¡± Do not test me, charlatan, Sura snarled. ¡°Point taken,¡± Fia agreed. As she stared at John¡¯s playful eyes, she felt that a part of her curiosity had been quenched. Behind his folly, he hid a murderous aura that surpassed rabid beasts. Truthfully, she could also feel that prying deeper into this contradictory duality was a line she could never cross. John crossed his arms to make a grand pose and winked. ¡°Are you finally captivated by my handsomeness?¡± he asked. Fia frowned in a disgusted manner. ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m just curious how your parents managed to give birth to both you and Andrew.¡± ¡°To this day, my dear brother denies any relation with me,¡± he said sadly. ¡°Wow, I wonder why.¡± ¡°And I thought sarcasm was a sign of high intellect,¡± the knight muttered. Fia shrugged. ¡°That makes the two of us,¡± she said. ¡°The meeting is in two hours. You can escort me there when I finish changing.¡± ¡°Back to the monkey dress?¡± ¡°Unfortunately.¡± ---This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Erise seldom invited Fia to a meeting with her advisors. In her dark, elegant marble court, the incense candles allowed the Prophetess to barely recognize the closest aides to the future Queen of Tiw: John and Andrew, the commanders of the knight corps; Cephas, the prime minister; and Sal, the diplomat. Since this place was outside of Sura¡¯s consciousness, Fia also had to bring the skull with her. The undead sat silently on a high, wooden stool, still furious about the events that occurred few hours ago. Erise sat sleeping on the majestic throne, far away from the image of a noble ruler. Not only did her oversized crown cover her eyes, but she was also drooling on her left shoulder. Her regal clothes were expensive, but they did not inspire as much charisma as her black armor. Despite this awkward scene, not one person seemed bothered. Andrew and John each gave short reports, while Cephas summarized key points regarding the commoners. When Sal finished reporting the news in each of the Six Kingdoms, Erise finally opened her eyes. As if nothing was remotely wrong, she yawned like an alcoholic who woke up from a thousand-year slumber. Sura clicked his tongue. ¡°And here we wonder why the Six Kings want to dethrone you,¡± he said. ¡°What''s with the long look, Sura?¡± Erise asked. ¡°I was jesting, your highness. My face just happens to have difficulties portraying my emotions.¡± ¡°To be exact, you don¡¯t have one,¡± John chirped in. Erise raised her hand, demanding silence. ¡°Cephas and Sal, the two of you may leave. Conduct meetings with the lower officials, and only bring the most important documents to me.¡± The two men nodded and left, leaving just the five in the royal court. Erise stretched, cracking several joints in her back. ¡°Now, the main topic,¡± she said. ¡°Fia, how much do you know about the coronation ceremony?¡± ¡°Only a little. I just know that I have to bless you and perform a miracle in front of the other Kings.¡± Erise smiled again with the devilish look. ¡°Well, that is all you have to do," she said. "However, my ceremony will take place on the battlefield, not the castle grounds.¡± Fia froze. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, did I hear that right?¡± she asked. Erise yawned again, seemingly nonchalant. ¡°Two of the Six Kings are moving their armies--they want to replace me with a puppet. I killed my fiance, so they claim that I have stolen the crown.¡± ¡°...Can you win? I thought all of the mages have left you.¡± ¡°Of course,¡± the Queen said slyily. ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± Fia noticed that Erise¡¯s gaze changed. The drowsiness vanished, and a strange aura possessed her eyes. It was not like John¡¯s fiery anger or Sura¡¯s chill tranquility. It was joy: she was excited about the incoming war. Delirium had seized her bloodthirst; the monster had no expectations for an answer. It only wanted to fight. ¡°My name is Erise de la Sangria,¡± Erise said. ¡°I drink blood like I do wine.¡± Coronation: Part 6 ¡°Of course,¡± the ruler of Tiw continued, ¡°We cannot let the mages have their way. Although my soldiers will still crush them, they must not die in the hands of weaklings who watch from afar.¡± Erise walked down the steps to her throne and stood in front of Fia. ¡°Prophetess, kneel,¡± she commanded. Fia placed the right hand upon her left breast and bowed her head. She was relieved that she had not made any mistakes. Erise donned a necklace to her half-sister. It held a golden coin, and engraved within it was a sword, shield, and spear. The rusted chains gave off a nostalgic blood-like smell. Fia hesitantly fondled the item. When she roamed the battlefields, this object was her symbol. "I thought your soldiers stole it," she said. "Why now?" Erise dropped her smile, and her bloodlust thickened. ¡°Fia de la Sangria," Erise uttered. "Today I am not talking to a Prophetess, but a War Rat. A soldier under my command.¡± Fia lowered her head. ¡°I understand." ¡°You will have a hundred soldiers at your disposal,¡± Erise said. ¡°They were War Rats like you, those who have defeated death time after time. In the upcoming battle, I want you to lead them in the annihilation of the one thousand mages in the Two-King army.¡± The future Queen of Tiw took off her crown and bit upon its edges. ¡°My coronation ceremony will have to wait," she said. "We have heads to collect." --- Most of the War Rats were orphans. Ironically, they could only return to the same nightmares that had taken their parents. The armies did not accept them, for in their mind the weak would only waste rations. Since the children could not become soldiers, they roamed the battlefield, hunting for easy prey. From dying soldiers to members of their own kind, they killed and robbed them of whatever they could find.If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. A year ago, Erise told Fia that she had made a small army in her honor. She did not expect the lunatic to recruit War Rats. After changing back to her leather armor, Fia walked to the barracks to greet her new subordinates. John accompanied her as he always did, but this time he did not make the same playful smile. When the two arrived, four rows of twenty-five soldiers stood silently. With their backs rigid and tall, not a single one of them dared to breathe out of harmony. They all wore the same golden medallion as Fia, but she did not feel even a bit of affinity with them. Indeed, these youths did not resemble the scrappy comrades in Fia¡¯s memory. At the front of each group, a leader stepped forward and saluted them. Three male, and one female. ¡°At ease,¡± John ordered with satisfaction. Only then did the soldiers relax. ¡°You can go, John,¡± Fia said. ¡°Is there a reason you''re still standing here?¡± ¡°Who do you think trained them to be this magnificent?¡± John retorted. ¡°I will be your babysitter for this war, Prophetess. With all due respect, you know nothing about being a leader. And these soldiers are mine.¡± Fia looked on with pity. ¡°She must want you to die as well, you poor thing.¡± ¡°I will make sure you die first.¡± ¡°Thank you for the sentiment.¡± Fia turned towards the four leaders and said, ¡°State your names, comrades. I hope they are not as ridiculous as my last squad.¡± ¡°One,¡± a red haired boy replied. His emerald eyes were aloof but not arrogant. He seemed to be the representative of the entire group. ¡°Two,¡± another freckled boy followed. His eyes were blank, but his gaze held an unseen force. Fia was surprised--he had awakened his own mana.He was a mage, and a strong one too. ¡°Three,¡± a tall, brusque boy said. His bulky body resembled the ancient golems. His oblivious face made Fia smiled bitterly. Every War Rat squad had a brute who did the dirty work. Lastly, the white-haired girl introduced herself. ¡°Four,¡±she said. Fia glanced at the soldiers behind her. They were smaller than the other three groups. Why did Erise take in a group of weaklings? Fia finally realized that the numbers were their "names." "Well, looks like I stand corrected," she rubbed the back of her head in dismay. "Do all of you still remember your real ones?" ¡°We threw them away long ago, Prophetess. We will earn them back after the war,¡±One said. Fia frowned. ¡°What if you die?¡± she asked. ¡°Then our fortunes stop there. If we die, we die.¡± "Well then," Fia shrugged. "Don''t ask me to bury you." Coronation: Part 7 Unexpectedly, a fly had entered into a luxurious room. It shrieked cacophonously, looking for a new meal to scavenge. It skittered across the mahogany floor and the marble walls. It flew under the bed, but it found no crumbs. Then it went to the incense candles, enchanted by the aroma. The insect then found a calloused hand. Instinctively, it quickly landed on top of the hard flesh. It rubbed its limbs vigorously, oblivious to the fact that Erise was silently observing the critter from the corner of her eye. ¡°Interesting,¡± she said. She then quickly cupped her palms. She slowly constricted the volume inside, coldly observing the victim¡¯s reactions. The fly panicked, furiously colliding with her stone-like skin. Erise felt that even if these hands were killing an infant, she would not feel remorse. Molded by steel and washed with blood, her heart was nowhere to be found. Eventually, the fly could not move anymore. Erise grinded her palms against each other, but she would often stop halfway to allow it to live. With crumpled wings and fluids leaking out of its crushed body, the little thing twitched helplessly. She then threw the wrangled remains outside of the window. She cooly wiped her hands and began to change. Erise never allowed others to dress her. Due to the nature of her job, she often donned on her black armor. She did not loathe her fate--in fact, she loved it. She hated wearing feminine attire, as the thin fabric made her feel vulnerable. Her father made her vow to hate weakness, so why did he keep such useless traditions? After she became Queen, she would ban these disgusting clothes from the royal wardrobe. A hand knocked on the door. ¡°Your highness,¡± Andrew called. ¡°I have brought Lord Sura.¡± ¡°You may enter.¡± The loyal knight came in with his head bowed. After making sure that his ruler was in her proper clothes, he relaxed and drew closer. He also cradled Sura in his arms, albeit brusquely. The expressionless skull groaned in mock pain. ¡°I have a fragile cranium, Sir Andrew,¡± Sura pleaded, ¡°I beseech you to handle me with more care.¡± ¡°Apologies, Lord Sura,¡± Andrew shrugged, ¡°My muscles can only grow larger.¡± ¡°And I can only whine louder,¡± the skull said. Erise sighed, ¡°Give him to me. He needs a woman¡¯s touch.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Sura scoffed. ¡°Your highness, you are not exactly an ideal goddess.¡± ¡°How tragic. Enjoy my metal padding, then." Under the hearth of Erise¡¯s bedroom, a trapdoor led the three to a dark, stone passage. The air was dry, despite the humid weather of summer. Erise was leading with a torch in her right hand and Sura in the other. Andrew tapped Erise''s shoulder. ¡°You know what I love, my Queen?¡± he asked. ¡°Save it, soldier." ¡°A dark, tight passage that may lead to a dead end. What could go wrong? You do remember I am claustrophobic.¡± ¡°You need a pat on the back?¡± Sura mocked. ¡°Quiet, children,¡± Erise snapped. ¡°Sura, I know you can sense the entrance. Where is it?¡± The skull cackled. ¡°I will tell you if you explain to me why the knight is here.¡± Erise raised an eyebrow. ¡°My knight, skeleton. Just like how this castle belongs to me,¡± she hissed. ¡°Unlike my ancestors, I will not blindly trust you. I am a ruler, not a puppet.¡± Silence filled the air. For a moment, a dark aura wrapped around Erise¡¯s body. It was a warning. In response, she gripped the skull and grinded it against the wall, just like the fly. ¡°Do not test me, fallen king,¡± she warned. Sura sighed tiredly. ¡°Alright. You have won,¡± he said. ¡°The entrance is right next to you.¡± Suddenly, the walls glowed with blue incandescence. It was one of the purest forms of mana, the Living Water. The interlocked stones began to turn, making way to a large chamber inside. Andrew whistled. ¡°Looks like you aren¡¯t all talk, Lord Sura." Sura did not answer him. ¡°Lead me inside, child,¡± he told Erise. She took him to the center of the room, which held a rectangular plot of land. The earth was brittle, harder than concrete. In the innermost region was an empty ditch. It was not very deep, and a clean corpse laid there. Strangely, no sign of rotting took place. A man in his twenties, black hair and tanned skin. Before dying, he seemed to have suffered violence and disease. Otherwise, he would not have looked so horrifying. ¡°How does it feel,¡± Erise teased, ¡°Seeing your real body?¡± Sura was hesitant. ¡°I must admit that it''s awkward. I have spent decades in this skull, centuries more in others. Is everything prepared?¡± ¡°Of course,¡± Erise answered. ¡°I wonder how Fia will react when she finds out that you are going to eat them all: bones, blood, and flesh. I just can¡¯t wait.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve hidden more dire secrets. One more will not make a difference.¡± ¡°We will see, fallen king. We will see.¡± Erise then dropped the skull into the ditch, and the earth rose and swallowed it up. For the first time in many years, darkness drew over Sura''s mind. It was night, then came morning. Six days until the coronation. Coronation: Part 8 For the past few days, Fia could not hear Sura¡¯s voice. The skull was not in the room either, which made her even more perplexed. When she asked John what had happened, he denied knowing anything about the disappearance. Despite his looks, the knight was sometimes a terrible liar. However, she did not pry more than she already had. An uncomfortable feeling in her stomach stopped her. At first, the quiet relieved her. From the time she escaped Tiw to now, the ghost haunted her mind with terrible jokes and melancholic visions. However, his presence also distracted her from the thoughts of imminent death. Shade followed her everywhere, his grip tightening after every breath. She laughed at herself. Her mind did not break, but it did crack in the past. Poverty drove many people insane, after all. From widows who sold their bodies to butchers who sold their children¡¯s flesh, many villages made monsters of men. She was not forced into the battlefield; she embraced it. At least there, she felt no remorse for murder. ¡°I¡¯ll have to double my training,¡± she muttered. She dug her head deeper into the pillows, but there was no respite. It was as if a reaper was reminding her that she had no right to such luxury. --- In the training ground of the barracks, the hundred War rats discoursed together in a circular formation. Although these youths were now soldiers, they did not reject their roots either. Some boasted of their exaggerated past while others gambled with rocks. Outside of their training, they were still ragtag scavengers. In the middle of the group, the fours leaders were discussing various matters concerning their future. Bored from the logistics, however, Three tried to change the topic. ¡°Two, what did you see in our new figurehead?¡± he asked.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Two exhaled the smoke from his cigarette. ¡°I don¡¯t know. When my senses touched her ash-like mana, it set my nerves on fire. I don¡¯t want to test her ever again.¡± One patted his comrade¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Looks like the rumors were true. She nullifies mana with her own, with a lot more destructive force than we imagined,¡± he said. ¡°Our operations will be much smoother now, hopefully.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be any harder,¡± Four spat. ¡°The mages won¡¯t be unguarded. How does her highness expect us to accomplish this mission?¡± ¡°Maybe she doesn¡¯t,¡± Three yawned. ¡°Then we die. Nothing more, nothing less,¡± One said. Two threw the cigarette to the ground and stomped it. ¡°If you want to die, don¡¯t drag me along as well,¡± he complained. ¡°How did a lunatic like you survive this long?¡± ¡°Fortune favors the fool,¡± Four muttered. One pressed his temple with his hands. ¡°Looks like meat has gotten all of you soft. Did we expect infinite riches when we became War Rats? We need something to make us stronger.¡± ¡°What we need right now is not strength, but alcohol,¡± Three said. He took out a bottle of liquor from his leather bag and grinned devilishly. ¡°I bet you can¡¯t handle three cups, Leader.¡± One¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Isn¡¯t that Sir John¡¯s treasure? How many did you steal?¡± ¡°One for each of us,¡± Three cackled. ¡°While I challenged him to a duel, Four broke into his office.¡± ¡°He had three traps in that room, bastard,¡± Four scowled at Two. ¡°You told me there was only one.¡± Two grabbed a bottle and rubbed his face on the glass surface. ¡°My mana is not omniscient,¡± he said. ¡°At least you made it out alive.¡± Four stared knives into the apathetic boy. ¡°I will kill you one day,¡± she vowed. ¡°Are you joining us, Leader?¡± Three grinned. One stared hatefully at his brutish comrade. ¡°Give me a bowl,¡± he said eventually. Even the most serious member of the youths was still an alcoholic. Coronation: Part 9 When One woke up from his drunken stupor, he was in his own room. Strangely, he found his three friends kneeling beside his bed. Fia, their ¡°figurehead¡± commander, stood before them. Her eyes had long gone cold. She then suddenly kicked Three¡¯s stomach. After Fia sprawled the gigantic youth on the floor, she stomped on his face. ¡°The dumbass knight told me that all of you were selected carefully. The best of the best,¡± she mocked. ¡°Looks like our filthy blood cannot lie, huh?¡± Despite the hangover, One got up and prostrated before Fia. ¡°Prophetess, I planned everything,¡± he said. ¡°Please only punish me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t try to play a hero, child. All one hundred of you deserve to die by martial law,¡± Fia sneered. ¡°Unfortunately, I do not have this level of authority. The four of you will still be whipped. Personally, by me.¡± Fia focused her breath as she gathered the mana around her. The ash spread out and gripped the four leaders by their legs. Two tried to break the shackles with his mana, but he ended up screaming from the burning wrath of her power. She then dragged them out to the training field, where the rest of the War Rats were whipping each other by turns. After tying them to makeshift poles, she started whipping them herself. During the time of morning training, Fia whipped each soldier ten times. She then forced them to form pairs and whip each other until they collapsed. After everyone fell onto the ground, she was finally satisfied. She called for the castle¡¯s healers and returned to her office. When Fia found John in the room, she threw the report at John¡¯s face. ¡°Due to the soldiers being too drunk, we will cancel training today, ¡± she said. ¡°You have created quite a suicide squad here.¡± John rubbed his cheeks, not knowing how to explain the situation. ¡°They¡¯ll feel better tomorrow,¡± he laughed awkwardly. ¡°Before every battle, I let them play as much as they want. Although they did steal my favorite liquor.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Fia frowned deeply. ¡°We are marching tomorrow. To battle,¡± she reminded him. John nodded, clearly unfazed. ¡°Yep.¡± ¡°The healers can mend physical wounds,¡± Fia said, ¡°But they cannot do anything about mental ones. Are you telling me to believe that these ¡®soldiers¡¯ will be alright?¡± John shrugged. ¡°I don¡¯t need subordinates who can¡¯t last three cups.¡± ¡°Damn alcoholics,¡± Fia sighed. ¡°No wonder the War Rats seem to worship you.¡± ¡°With all due respect, you were also a War Rat.¡± Fia chuckled. ¡°I am not like them,¡± she said. ¡°Many of my comrades would give up their lives to steal one more copper coin. I, on the other hand, starved and waited for them to die. I looted their corpses to obtain more spoils.¡± John narrowed his eyes. ¡°What are you implying?¡± he asked. Fia crossed her arms and stared. ¡°People didn¡¯t join the War Rats to steal from the battlefield. They joined the War Rats to steal from other War Rats. Weak, divisive, and easy to manipulate. The perfect prey, aren¡¯t we?¡± John¡¯s face started to harden. He realized something was wrong. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me, John. This is their first war as soldiers. The fact that you haven¡¯t gotten rid of their fatalistic attitude tells me they are disposable. Now then, what is your real plan? What does Erise want?¡± ¡°...¡± Fia smiled bitterly. ¡°Silent till the end. I hope you rot in Shade, filthy dog.¡± --- A few days away from the city of Tiw, two armies marched side by side. One held a flag with three bolts of lightning, representing Thur¡¯si. The other possessed a flag with a wolf, representing Tyr. In the front, the two Kings rushed their mounts to reach their destination. The King of Thur¡¯si was called Levias. The King of Tyr was called Simon. One fifty and the other thirty years old, the men were once relatives of Erise¡¯s fiancee. Their eyes dripped blood and hatred. They would not end with merely killing the Queen. If the two won the war, countless more lives would be lost. It was evening, and then morning. Two days until the coronation ceremony.