Book Three Chapter Eighty Eight: EE Fight

Book Three Chapter Eighty Eight: EE Fight

This time Qube gave in to the impulse dragging her into the throne room. She didn't know what she was going to say to the Evil Emperor, but that didn't matter anymore.

As she walked into the room, she was startled by how loudly her footsteps echoed. The purple lights didn't spring up, leaving the whole area in shadowy darkness.

The other party members clustered around the doorway, waiting to see what would happen. Noticing the lack of lights, the Chosen One took a step into the room, just enough to cause the first set to activate.

Qube stood in front of the Evil Emperor, still surrounded by fearless chickens. He looked at her, his eyes pools of darkness.

Countless sentences tried to fight their way out of Qube at once.

He'd killed her friends. Did he regret it?

He'd failed to kill her. Was he glad?

How many people had he killed?

Why had he taken over the kingdom?

Why was he so Evil?

Why wasn't he saying anything?

Why did he want to talk to her in particular?

Why, why, why.

"Did you have a choice?" was all she asked. Even asking that took everything she had.

The man before her said nothing.

Something inside her snapped.

"Did they force you to do it?" she nearly shouted. "Did you fight it? Did you even understand what was happening?"

There was a terrible rage within her, too great for her to control.

So instead she channelled it.

"We've come to defeat you," she said, startled at how cold she sounded. "And restore the King and Queen to power. You can choose to go peacefully, or you will be defeated."

It was a giant bluff. They didn't have the gems. He must have known that, given he was wearing the ones still connected to the guardians.

He still didn't respond. Instead his eyes seemed to burn into hers. Reluctantly, she took a step forward. Would he suddenly snap and try to attack her, like he had with the others? What would happen if his sword finally managed to do what it had failed at all that time ago?

She swallowed her fears, and held onto the strength of her anger. She needed to find a way to force him into giving up, without them having to rely on the gems.

"You've tried to kill me before and failed," she said, her voice barely quivering. "You've tasted my power. You know the world is not what it seems. Surrender."

She didn't know what she'd do if he actually surrendered, but she did know that there was absolutely no chance of that happening. Her asking was merely a formality. After all, this was the ruthless dictator who'd cut a swathe through the kingdom.

She'd freed him from his mental prison, so his silence and violence towards the others could only mean he was, like the pharaoh, dedicated to his path of Evil.

"Hey" the Chosen One, sounding genuinely worried, took another step into the room.

"Please stay back," Qube said to her friend.

The Evil Emperor sighed, his whole posture deflating from arrogant ruler into a man defeated. In one fluid movement he stripped off his gem-encrusted gauntlet and flung it at her feet. The chickens followed it.

"You have defeated me, Hero," he said quietly. "I am at your mercy."

what? What? What?

The Evil Emperor stood up from his throne. Qube instinctively flinched away from him, before using her rage to keep herself in place.

"I am at your mercy, he repeated. Slay me, or I shall rise again."

"That doesn't even make any sense!" Qube burst out, unable to help herself. "That's not how mercy works! Mercy would be putting you in the dungeon and making you repair the damage you did! How is killing you a mercy?"

It was hard to tell, given the whole covered in black and spiky armour situation, but Qube got the distinct impression that the tyrant was nonplussed by her response.

When he finally reopened his eyes, he looked directly at her, and she saw that some of the restrictions had eased.

I took your head, he whispered.

You didnt, Qube reassured him. She pointed at her face. See? My heads right here.

I've killed so many people, he continued, as if she hadnt spoken. I did so many terrible things.

But that wasnt your choice, was it? Qube asked gently. She didnt know why it was so important to her, that he admitted he hadnt wanted to do all those Evil deeds.

I enjoyed killing them, he confessed. Their deaths the memories of them, theyre inside me. There was a beat before he continued: Those memories will never leave me. That joy was stripped away. By you. But the memory of it remains.

He struggled to speak, the words clearly costing him dearly.

Having a choice or not, I still committed these acts. And I dont want to live with them inside me.

He reached out with his bare hand, and ghosted his fingers along the side of Qubes face.

So I make this: my first, and last choice. Kill me, Healer, and release me from my memories. Grant me your mercy.

Qube blinked at him. His hand dropped, returning to his side.

Oh boy, she heard the Chosen One mutter from behind her. She turned her head, and saw his face, now slightly pale. He looked back at her.

If you want, I can yknow. Do it for you, the Hero offered.

And if it had been the Chosen One facing the Evil Emperor, he would have granted the man his requested freedom. Any of the other party members would have probably done the same. It would have been a merciful thing to do, considering.

But this was Qube.

And she had her own way of doing things.

No, she told the Chosen One. Then she turned and looked at the man she was crouched next to. And no to you too, she said sharply.

The Evil Emperor looked at her in resignation.

I understand I dont deserve your compassion he started.

Compassion? Of course you get my compassion! Qube said indignantly. But Im not going to kill anyone, nor let anyone else get killed on my watch.

She stood up, and grabbed the Evil Emperors bicep.

You know what your problem is? she asked the tyrant as she dragged the massive man to his feet. Youre so used to destroying everything, its the only way you know how to solve anything.

Having successfully bullied the Evil Emperor into standing up, she dusted off her hands, before jabbing a finger into his armoured chest.

A terrible thing happened to you, she said sternly. You were used to do terrible things, and worse, you were forced to enjoy it. I dont argue that. But dying isnt how you fix it.

She drew herself upright and glared as hard as she could at the much taller man.

Youve wounded someone. Is the solution to that to injure yourself, because you feel bad? Or is it to try and heal them?

She jabbed him in the chest again, harder. It made her finger hurt, but she wanted to get her point across.

You damaged something, so you have to fix it. If you cant fix it, you make it so other people dont cause the same kind of damage. You repair, not despair. She paused, taken out of the moment by how pleased she was at her little rhyme. No, focus! As you repair the damage you were forced to do, we go to the people who made you do it, and demand they repair the damage they did to you, and others through you.

She crossed her arms across her chest and nodded. So no, you wont be dying. Instead, youre going to get to work.

The Evil Emperor, whod been staring down at Qube with the kind of baffled puzzlement normally directed at the Chosen One, looked at the Hero over her head.

She he said, then gave up.

I know, the Chosen One replied, stepping deeper into the throne room. "You kinda get used to it." As he walked, more purple flames sprang up, until the whole room was bathed in its eerie light. When he reached Qubes side, he bent and picked up the gauntlet.

The instant his hand made contact with the gauntlet, Qube suddenly swayed. She blinked, trying to clear the dizziness that had just overcome her.

The Chosen One smiled down at Qube, who was surprised to find herself shaking, almost sweating. He put his hand on her shoulder, but before he could speak, they were interrupted by a thin, reedy voice from behind the throne.

You, it said reverently. You came!