Tyrant of the Ruined Sun

Chapter 239: A Dragon’s Charade and a Little Girl’s Shout

From the closed door came the familiar figure of the mighty Mercenary King, his red hair blazing in the streaming sunlight, his iconic smile held aloft across his lips while his posture was, as always, proud as an old oak tree that has braved the mountain gales for innumerable lifetimes, and yet there was a difference, a barely perceptible discrepancy in his outwardly immaculate form, for his shoulders now bent a fraction of an inch lower than before, as though that unflinching tree had been covered by a thick cloak of ice and snow and is barely stopping itself from cracking under the weight of it all.

And the closer I continued to look the more I realized how unalike he was from the man I met on the hills above Appox, and then faced in the Anazoy Canyon.

His entire form no longer radiated that infectious heat of unflinching confidence and layer peeling sight that made others feel as though he was already three steps ahead of them and casually peeking into their most treasured secrets.

And while he tried to mask it, I managed to sense the depressing air of forlorn hope he oozed, which ultimately permitted me to catch another inconsistency in his smile, that I momentarily thought unchanged, but now that I beheld it longer, it no longer teased the same darkness he held within him like before; that sadistic want for some truly bloody entertainment; for now it looked strained under the creeping rage roiling just beneath the surface.

But his clearly tired and unblinking eyes were by far the most blatant in their change, for they no longer held their usual spark that only ignited when he gazed at his wives or faced a worthy opponent in a battle of wits, becoming now two red glowing globes of searing hate and a wanton thirst for vengeance; yet more severely still, they no longer proudly narrated the thousand triumphs of the War Dragon’s epic, and were now vacant of all good light, as the hateful writhing of lamenting a poor man’s soul on the verge of breaking beyond any semblance of repair sat liesurely in the depths of his eyes.

An utterly chilling realization, for the wise have always known to be wary of an ordinary man when he is broken and left with little to lose, so imagine what manner of calamity it would be when coupled with such an unordinary man like Maximillian. It would be a disaster the likes of which my lands have not experienced since my past life’s surprise southern invasion.

And I would be damned if I allowed it to happen in the heart of my lands, and in the house of my family no less, where their priceless lives could be snuffed out in a simple collateral afterthought.

“Mercenary King.” I casually greeted him, continuing to study his clearly unsteady countenance.

“Eclipse Emperor.” He replied, sauntering into the room with the tensing air of a prowling beast. “I suppose congratulations are in order.”

He already knew about my secret southern war following our discussion three years ago in the Anazoy Canyon, and after disappearing for several months in a row immediately following the Banquet of Concordia, it did not take a genius to guess where I’d been, especially after the ruckus made by my family and vassals in the courtyard just now.

“Thank you.” I dryly said, wanting to reveal nothing of the southern campaign, as I kept staring at him.

“So, you have words for me?” He asked immediately after taking a seat before me.

“I do indeed.” I nodded, yet before I could continue, he interrupted me with a wide smile, saying.

“Excellent, because I have much to say to you too lord of the Eclipse Empire.”

His tone and blatant disregard for the pervious cordiality we once held for each other utterly gone utterly unnerved me, making me silently signal my guards to stand at the ready, while I began to subtly marshal all my powers should he erupt without a warning.

But I remained outwardly confident, as I motioned for him to talk.

“Did I not offer you two pieces of vital information in exchange for two very specific tasks?” He asked, his blazing eyes growing in intensity, like a fading fire suddenly being fed with fresh timber and oil.

“Yes you did.” I answered, now understanding the aim of the dragon, as I shot back. “And I have been doing good on both my ends of the bargain.”

“Are you?” He asked, his tone accusing yet remaining light.