Mighty Hammer Down (37 page)

"Remove your shirt, Emperor, so that
we can tend to the wounds," Battus said.

Uritus loved the sound of being called
Emperor. "Go get the supplies, I am not that badly hurt, and I must
contact the Zidaoz anyway. My wounds will still be bleeding when
you return. Hurry now."

The man left and Uritus closed his
eyes halfway. He thought that perhaps he could heal himself, but he
had never tired that sort of thing, and besides he needed to appear
injured or the people of Medora would never believe his story. He
let the idea slip from his mind as he thrust himself into the world
between worlds. He hoped the Zidaoz would not take long to
answer.

Stars flew past him as he navigated
the darkness. He dove and weaved through massive clusters at
blinding speed. Finally he came to the soul of Zidaoz, and
thankfully, he answered rather quickly.

"Ah, the Medoran. What news do you
bring?"

"I cannot stay for I am injured, but
everything is going according to plan. The Emperor is dead and I am
now ruler of Medora. What progress have you made?"

"Congratulations on your Emperorship,
Medoran. I will not keep you if you are injured; besides I am in
the middle of something. Just know that we are on our way into
Vindyrion now. Most of my army is already there. The Dirujen have
been very helpful in translating some old text."

"The beast can read?" Uritus
asked.

The Zidaoz laughed. "No Medoran, the
Dirujen is not a beast like we thought. The Dirujen are a people.
However they do have control over animals and even people, and they
are eager to help us. They tell stories of other great beasts that
live in their lands, and we will see what we can do about finding
them and using them in the war."

"Good. We will need them. Medora has
sent five Legions to war. You should see them on the horizon fairly
soon."

"Excellent. I must go now, Medoran. I
hope your wounds heal well."

Reluctantly Uritus returned to the
real world where the hot pain stung his body. Battus walked through
the door with exaggerated concern, with several servants following
him. They kneeled and began tending to his wounds.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Zidaoz stared at the golden bowl
filled with water that he used to enter the world between worlds
and decided that next time he would try to enter the realm without
using it. He turned his attention to the bound and gagged girl in
the corner of the dark, candlelit traveling tent. He stood and
walked over to her, knelt beside her and removed her gag. She let
out a piercing scream, trying desperately to get the attention of
anyone who might hear her and come to her rescue. He smiled at how
foolish the little girl was.

"Quiet now little one. You know how I
love your screams, but I need to concentrate on how to hurt you
more. It’s difficult when you are screaming like that."

The comment brought a revived terror
to the little girl’s eyes. She squirmed against the ropes that
bound her, but the movement brought her nothing but terrible pain.
Her legs and arms were twisted and broken in more places than he
could count, and almost no normal flesh color remained on them.
Instead they were bruised a dark purple and hideously deformed from
the endless torture he made her endure for days.

He put a hand on her little knee and
squeezed the tender mush that was once solid bone. She screamed in
absolute agony. He reached over to the knife he kept on the ground
near her and cut the ropes that held her little hands and
feet.

"Don’t be confused little one. I am
not letting you go. I just need to get you in a better position to
hurt you more. I know you don’t like it, but it will be over soon.
You are serving Rohni with your suffering you know. You are a very
special little girl."

The girl seemed to lack the ability to
scream anymore, so she just cried in horror. He knew the time was
right, so he pulled her up against him as he sat on the ground,
hugging her to his body. He held her tightly, making her cry even
more from the terrible pain he was causing her broken body. Finally
she accepted the level of pain and could cry no more. He sat there
a long while and savored the moment, holding her quietly. He
gripped the knife as tightly as he gripped her body.

"It is time little one. I need you to
scream for me just one last time."

Chapter 26

"Uritus!" Mirra shouted as she tried
to enter the room. Two large men of the Elite Guard quickly blocked
the doorway and frightened the poor woman nearly to
death.

"Gentlemen, let her pass. She is not a
threat to me."

"Yes Emperor," they said in unison as
they let Mirra enter the grand room.

"Uritus what has happened? Are you all
right? Has your father really been killed? What’s going
on?"

"One question at a time Mirra. A lot
has happened and I am afraid I don’t have all the answers yet. It
is true that my father has been slain, and I am now the Emperor of
Medora."

"You’ve been hurt! I can see your
bandages! Please tell me you are all right."

"I am fine, Mirra. I was injured in
the assassination, but I was not hurt badly. In a few days I will
be as healthy as ever."

Mirra looked to the guards surrounding
him as if she only just then realized they were there. "What
happened to the Emperor?"

Uritus looked at the floor and sighed.
"It was terrible. I saw the whole thing. The Moon Legion Commander
came in the room after the speech and approached him. There were no
members of the Elite Guard in the area, but I didn’t think that a
Legion Commander would be a threat. I thought nothing of it as he
approached him." Uritus brought a hand up to his eyes and rubbed
them, hoping to fool Mirra and the members of the Elite Guard into
thinking he was getting emotional about the subject. "He stabbed
him Mirra. He stabbed him in his ribcage and then threw him to the
floor. I ran over to try to kill him and he pulled his sword and
cut me. I didn’t even feel the pain. I was able to wrestle his
sword from him and kill him before he could kill me. It was the
worst experience of my life."

"Oh Uritus, I’m so sorry. I can’t
imagine how awful it must have been," she said with tears in her
eyes. "I feel so bad for you. Your father was such a good
man."

"I know he was. He has left a void in
my life as well as in the Empire. While I will try my best to fill
the void the people feel, I fear that the one in my heart will
never be filled."

"Oh
Uritus
¾
" she said as she stepped closer to
him. Two of the guards stepped in front of her and stopped her from
coming any closer. She looked confused. "Uritus, what is happening?
Why don’t you let me come near you?"

"I’m sorry Mirra, it’s just that they
are very protective. There is obviously something going on in
Medora and they don’t want anything to happen to me."

She looked at the burly men
surrounding him. "But I just want to be in your arms where I am
safe. You know I would never hurt you."

Uritus put a hand on the shoulder of a
guard in front of him. "It’s all right. Take your men and wait
outside."

The guard eyed Uritus over his
shoulder. After a moment he did as he was told, but not before he
ran his hands up and down Mirra, checking her for any weapons. She
obviously felt violated, and in a way, he did too. But he knew that
this man was loyal to him –at least as his Emperor--and he meant no
disrespect in any way. He was simply doing his duty, protecting his
master and the Empire of Medora. The man deserved recognition for
his loyalty, and Uritus said nothing as he checked Mirra for any
blades.

Uritus walked across the brightly lit
room and sat down carefully on a ledge near the large open window.
Sunlight showered him with its warmth and he closed his eyes
against the harsh rays. Mirra still stood where she had been
searched, and did not make an attempt to come to him. As he thought
of this, he turned to her.

"Why do you not come to me? Come look
out the window at the Empire that is now mine. Do not be afraid of
hurting me. My wounds are not that bad. Come let me hold
you."

"I’m not afraid of hurting you. I am
afraid of someone else hurting you. First it was Rommus and his
father, then the Emperor. I am scared to death of losing you
Uritus. Please don’t leave me."

He smiled. "I’m not going anywhere my
dear. Don’t worry. We are being very careful now, and the guards
won’t let any harm come to me. Come closer to me my
dear."

Mirra slowly came to his side,
brushing her long black hair over an ear as she did so. She
carefully put her arms around him, trying not to hurt him. They
both looked out at the bright marble city for a few moments in
silence, sharing their time together in a place more significant
than her bedroom. He reached up to the side of her head and pulled
it to his shoulder.

"Mirra, let’s get married."

Her head came off of his shoulder
immediately. "What?"

"I said let’s get married. Will you be
the wife of the Emperor of Medora?"

She stared at him with her mouth open
for a few seconds before she lit up with a broad smile. "Of course
I will Uritus! Do you really mean it?"

"Of course I mean it. It will have to
wait for a while so that we can get things situated here in Medora,
but before winter comes we shall be wed."

"Oh Uritus you don’t know how happy
this makes me," she said as she hugged him tightly around his neck,
only to release him immediately. "I’m sorry I don’t mean to hurt
you."

"It’s okay Mirra. You didn’t hurt me.
If anything your touch makes me feel better. You are the brightness
in my life."

She clung to him again with renewed
enthusiasm, tears of joy streaming down her face. "Uritus you make
me so happy. We’re going to grow old together. We’re going to have
children; strong boys and beautiful little girls. I feel like I am
soaring above the clouds."

"Well I am glad I can make you so
happy. All I ask of you is that you bear with me for a while as I
tend to the things a new Emperor must tend to. I am going to be
very busy for the next few days and probably for quite some time
after that as well. Please don’t think that I am avoiding
you."

"I understand, Uritus. I will not
bother you or anything. What is the first thing you will do as
Emperor?"

He shifted himself to get a little
more comfortable. "The first thing I must do is address the people
and tell them what has happened. I am sure that word has spread by
now, but it will comfort them to hear it from my own mouth. When a
few days have passed, and I have healed some, I will tell them all
what has happened and what we intend to do."

"What about the war?" she
asked.

"The war cannot be stopped now, no
matter what. My father was right in sending those men out there to
protect Medora, and he would want me to make sure they completed
their mission. I don’t agree with my father’s view of the Bhoors,
but if they really are a threat to the Vindyri, then we should help
our neighbors."

"You disagreed with your father on a
lot of things if I remember right."

"Each Emperor is his own man. Each man
has his own beliefs built on his experiences. Just because he was
Emperor did not make him right in everything he thought. I will do
my best to rule this Empire, regardless of what my fathers have
done before me. I know the difference between wrong and right and I
intend to use my power for the good of the people of Medora and for
the world."

She said nothing but put her head on
his shoulder again. They watched as birds flew by the window high
above the streets where happy people moved through the city. The
warm sun met their faces but a cool wind from the east whipped at
the banners of the nearby buildings and pulled at the curtains like
some aggressive beggar.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"People of Medora," Uritus said to the
crowd below him, "I stand before you for the very first time as
Emperor of this great land. I am sure that all of you have heard
the rumors and stories, but I have called you all here to clarify
what has happened and put your fears to rest. Three days ago, the
Moon Legion Commander of our very own army assassinated my father.
I do not know his motives, for I killed him before I thought to ask
what they were. I was protecting myself, and I am sure that it was
his intent to kill me as well from the beginning.

"My father was a great man. His
funeral will be held tomorrow, and I’m sure you will all come to
pay your respects. I know you all loved him and respected him as a
man and as an Emperor. I hope that in time I can earn that same
love and respect, but understand that my views might not be the
same as his were. My father was a kind man, but he ruled with an
iron fist when it came to people who were not Medorans. His
unwillingness to accept different people was probably what got him
killed, although there is no way to know for sure.