Chapter 211: A Higher Authority

Chapter 211: A Higher Authority

Elsewhere, within the BloodStar Empire, King Ramses and Queen Zara were troubled deep into the night.

“We should be in the Sage Empire already. We cannot miss this wedding! It is too important!” Ramses paced in front of a long table.

Zara sat at the table and nodded, “We can leave for the wedding as soon as our empire is taken care of. These movements worry me.”

Ramses stopped pacing, “Every single family and clan aligned with the traditional old ways is mobilizing their troops... under the guise of a drill.” He scoffed and sat down across from Zara.

“A drill, they say. But are they acting on their own accord, or has Constance ordered this drill.” Zara read the reports diligently.

“Constance is at the wedding. We should be there too. This is all ridiculous. If it does turn out to be something, we can take care of it when we return.”

Zara looked up eyeing Ramses, “That is exactly what she wants you to think! This is Constance Khan! Master manipulator. And we have made her a general in the BloodStar Empire. She has power. Power to abuse to overthrow us.”

Ramses nodded and sighed, “Fine. You’re right. Let’s take care of this. The wedding is not more important than leaving our empire exposed to revolution.” He leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest, “What shall we do then? Mobilize the families and clans that support us as a precautionary drill? Send a scouting team to speak with the head of Khan Castle in Constance’s stead?”

“Both. Everything. If we are caught flat-footed against an opponent like Constance, we would be hard-pressed to catch up. She commands great respect from many people. And she is powerful. Just as powerful as we are.” Zara had a serious expression on her face.

Ramses formed a fist and punched his other hand, “We are pacifists, yes. But maybe those who oppose us openly should be reminded that we are indeed BloodStars. Though we may not have the ability to bloodbend, and we may not have the power of our dead mother or dead sister... we are more than formidable against 99.9% of the world.”

Zara smirked as she looked up at Ramses, “Especially when we fight together, dear brother.”

Zara picked up a phone on her desk and spoke into it, “Send in General Frisco at once.”

Moments later, a tall and sturdy military man entered into the office and saluted Ramses and Zara.

Zara stood, “General Frisco, you have been briefed on the movements of potential revolutionaries on Khan Island, yes?”

“Yes, Queen.” He stood tall and still, looking straight ahead as he addressed his queen.

Ramses turned to face him, “We need you to take a team. A strong team. A big team. To investigate the matters on Khan Island.”

Zara nodded, “We expect you could encounter some resistance. Well-armed resistance. Possibly ki users. Take a team of 50 heavily armed men under your command.”

General Frisco saluted them both again, “Sir, yes sir!”

“Oh and general.” Zara stopped him before leaving to prepare, “Cut Constance out of the chain of command. Report directly to me and Ramses for this mission.”

“Affirmative my King and Queen.” He saluted them both once again, “I will ready my team and depart within the hour.”

He turned and marched out of the office en route to prepare an investigatory team with strike capabilities.

Ramses looked down at his phone and gasped.

“What is it?” Zara looked on anxiously.

“Jarek sends word.” He looked up at Zara, “St. Michael is dead.”

The eight remaining men from the various families and clans exited the room with their hands up and apologetic smiles on their faces. The eldest head smiled, “General Frisco, so kind of you to oversee the safety of our drills this evening. I assure you, treachery is not afoot.”

“I’ll be the judge of that. I’ll need to see your security footage, and I’ll need access to your meeting minutes for review.” General Frisco then heard a loud footstep followed by another loud footstep.

He turned to the conference room doors, “Who else is with you all?”

The eldest again spoke, “A shrouded figure stationed here by General Khan. I’m afraid we do not know his name.”

A hulking man slowly stepped out of the dark conference room with a hood covering his shadowed face and long robes covering his body. The robe sleeves were loose and extended down to his elbow leaving his massive forearms exposed.

Frisco could immediately tell this man was the number one threat in the building even if it he couldn’t use ki.

“Main target!” Frisco shifted his ki blast towards the hooded man, and his men followed suit shifting their target as well.

Frisco felt a tremble come over his body, “I am here on the order of King Ramses and Queen Zara. Identify yourself! And stand aside for the premises to be searched!”

The hulking shadowy figure took a few steps towards General Frisco and stopped right in front of him.

Frisco yelled in an authoritative tone, “Stand down!”

The hulking figure grunted from underneath his hood, “I obey a higher authority.”

Frisco grit his teeth, “I will not say it again... I am here on the order of the King and Queen!”

The hulking figure raised his massive arms and slowly pulled his hood back revealing his face, “I am here on order of the Empress.”

Frisco stumbled back a few steps before falling to the ground with a look of shock, “N-N-Nero??”

Nero took a step towards Frisco, “By order of our empress, Empress Xenia Victoria BloodStar, I hereby reclaim these lands under her name and vanquish all who oppose her rule.”

Nero raised his hand with a glowing red ki as he bloodbent the soldiers within the castle and outside the castle. He also bloodbent the five defecting leaders outside the castle along with the helicopter pilot overhead.

Nero required a massive amount of his concentration to bloodbend nearly 60 people all at once. Although Xenia made bloodbending look as easy as breathing, she had been doing it since her childhood; Nero found the task to be quite taxing.

Nonetheless, blood began to roll out of the eye sockets of the men frozen in place. Small fractures began to crater inwards crushing parts of their skull. Others had the misfortune of their internal organs rending in a slow twist. Whatever each man’s fate; it was slow. Nero, as of yet, lacked the mastery to swiftly kill so many people in one fell swoop of bloodbending; however, his power was unquestionable. There was not a sliver of hope for escape.

Death was certain as they slowly but surely began to succumb under the might of Nero’s bloodbending.

The front atrium and front drive were soon littered with blood and dead bodies. In the distance, a loud crash could also be heard as the helicopter overhead came crashing down exploding into a fiery inferno. Nero flipped his hood back up and turned to the eight remaining heads.

The eight men immediately bowed to Nero and began to praise Empress Xenia.

“Long live the empress!”

“Our empress has returned! Our savior!”

Nero grunted and walked back into the conference room with the eight men following him close behind to plan their revolution in earnest. Knowing who they were truly fighting for left them with an unmoving conviction.