Page 89 of Between Soul and Vessel
Her actions confused me.
I, a mere mortal, had barely spoken to the emperor and she had hurtled daggers in my direction. I was no stranger tothe stories surrounding the empress’s jealous nature. Most of which were filled with terrible accounts of what she had done to anyone who dared to look at the emperor too long. However, he had just tried to be tender with her, and she had pulled back. That begged the question—why?
Five bullseye targets sat beside one another, each one at the end of a lane. The first archer stepped up, nocking their bow with not one, but five arrows. Releasing the string, the arrows shot forward like bolts of lightning bursting from the clouds. They whistled, slicing through the sound barrier.
Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk. Thunk.
All five hit the bullseye mark.
Again, the spectators cheered. I found myself doing the same.
Clapping, I spared a quick glance at the emperor and the empress, seeing if they shared the same excitement as the rest of us. The empress looked bored, but the emperor’s eyes were on . . . me. Upon our gazes connecting, he quickly looked back to the arena.
I did too—not wanting to risk the empress’s wrath.
After the archers finished, there was a series of other games that tested strength, agility, and endurance. When they were over, our attention turned to the middle of the arena, to an oval space covered in sand. Four giants stood on the one side of the arena. On the opposite end was a square hole in the ground.
The sound of stone sliding against stone became audible. It grew louder and louder until a carving of an eagle head emerged from the hole. It was huge, larger than fourClydesdale horses stacked in pairs. I had never seen such a grand display before, and I did a quick mental check to ensure my jaw wasn’t slung open.
Silence spread from tongue to tongue, and the spectators grew quiet. All eyes were locked on the larger-than-life carving. The beak opened and shadows began to pour out from it, cloaking the ground in a blanket of black. so thick not even the powerful sun could penetrate it.
Horns blared and drums rumbled, swelling and building—the message loud and clear—
Something big was going to happen. No, not something—
Someone.
A dark god. Cut from the fabric of night itself and painstakingly stitched together.
The crowd erupted—their cheering so loud that the ground beneath my feet shook with the power of an earthquake. The energy was so potent, the hairs on the backs of my arms stood.
There was something about the way the immortal moved, confident and purposeful, a lethal predator on the prowl. A black cape swayed behind him, breaking off into bits of umbra. His helmet covered his face, his armor crafted from the blackest of blacks. On his one shoulder, a skull, dipped in silver, and on the other, vicious spikes. Every inch of himscreamed one message—built to kill.
I was no different from anyone else—we all had heard the stories of the emperor’s champion. Second to the emperor, there was no name spoken with more reverence than that of—
“Nockrythiam,” I said under my breath.
“Is he to your liking?” the empress inquired, her eyes studying mine, searching for answers deeper than the question she had just asked. A truth I could feel deeply.
“It is hard to say when I cannot see his face,” I answered. “Besides, would it matter if I was unattracted to him? It is not like I have a say in any of this.”
“No, I suppose you don’t. However, I can promise that when you do get to see his face, you will be pleasantly surprised, for my husband has never worked on perfecting a vessel as long as he did for his. He spent weeks collecting this item and that, even longer when it came to forging him on his mighty anvil.” She paused for a moment. “Do you know what they call him?”
“Yes, I’ve heard the title they attach to his name. The Ender of Realms. To be honest, it makes no sense to me.”
“It makes no sense to anyone.” She glanced at the emperor. “Isn’t that right,dearhusband?” There was nothing endearing about the way she said the word, twisting it grotesquely on her tongue.
“You are correct,” the emperor said, eyes fixed ahead.
I followed his gaze, looking at Nockrythiam. How could he be the Ender of Realms when there was only one realm? I spared a quick glance at the emperor, wondering if he knew.
Another horn blew, and the battle began.
I watched in awe as Nockrythiam moved. Despite being pitted against four other men, he made it all look so simple to cut them down. No sooner than the fight started, it was over, and Nockrythiam stood victorious.
After Nockrythiam left the battlegrounds, the fallen warriors were cleared and another fight began.
“Wine, Your Majesties?” asked a female voice from behind me.
