A7X One Shots

Dark, gray clouds cover the sky, shrouding the village in an eerie darkness. Thunder rolled through, rumbling the ground and shaking the windows. The people knew he was coming, the city knew he was coming, and now, the weather knew he was coming.

The armor was shiny, freshly polished. The weapons were glistening as well, cleaner than they’d ever been before. We watched and waited for our signal to put on our gear. He would be here soon. We put on our gear slowly, making sure everything was perfectly in place.

When the final piece of chainmail was in place, we attached our broadswords to our hips. The final piece to our gear were the helmets, each molded to our heads with unique designs on them. I turned to my other knights. One final announcement before he came.

“The rules are simple. You follow his orders or you die. Watch your tongue or have it cut from your head. Do not speak unless spoken to. You can save your life by keeping whispers unsaid.”

They nodded and followed me out the door and to the village square. Children roamed the streets, orphans of our long, long war. They stared up at us as we walked by, their eyes reflecting in our armor. They were skin and bones, but we didn’t look at them. If we did, they’d beg for food or water.

As we passed by the shops, bodies hung in their doors for the rest to adore. They’re bodies we’ve killed for him. These are the people who have disobeyed the law, who wronged others, who betrayed him. They are put over the doors of their families and friends as a warning. It’s a warning to do as you’re told.

Whispers from the shopkeepers reach my ears. Some are filled with fright and others with disdain. The glares from them were icy and filled with hate.
The metal smith’s eyes met mine. He glared and spoke louder than the rest. “Royal flames will carve a path in chaos.”

From his one sentence, the rest gained the courage to shout at us. A cacophony of voices reached my ears.

“You bring daylight to the night! Flames engulf our homes!”

“Death is riding into town with armor!”

The metal smith’s voice raised above the rest as he shouts, “They’ve come to take all our rights!”

I stopped marching. The knights behind me did as well. My sword was in my hand and against his neck in an instant. Anger flashed in his eyes, but I’m sure fury was in my own.

“Enough. His order is law. Hail to the king,” I said angrily. “Hail to the one. Kneel to the crown. Stand in the sun. You will hail to the king.”

The knights behind me shouted “hail.” The eyes of the villagers fell to the ground. They murmured hail as did the smith. I removed my sword and marched forward. The king would be here soon.

The villagers grew quiet as the sounds of marching feet came from one side of their homes. The king’s selected knights entered the village, holding the king above their heads.

As the kind descended from his station, my knights and I unsheathed our swords. His eyes widened but went back to normal size as we kneeled, using our swords like canes.

He waved his hand and we stood, sheathing our swords once more. The king began to say something while I counted his knights. We outnumbered him by four. A small smile crept on my face.

As the king continued to speak to the villagers, I made a circuit around him. He was safe and his knights felt the same. The king waved around his hands, and I took this as my moment.

Slowly, I stepped behind the king and pressed a hidden dagger to his throat. Several of his knights unsheathed their swords but not before mine drew theirs.

“Blood is split while holding keys to the throne,” I said in the king’s ear. “You claim to be born again, but it’s too late to atone.”

He laughed. “What? Will I receive no mercy?”

“There’s no mercy from the edge of my blade. I dare you to escape. You’ll learn the price to be paid.”

I led him to the gallows and placed him inside. His knights attacked us then. The villagers ran to their homes, hiding from the clash and clang of weapons.

For hours, we battled. The water in the streets flowed with shades of red. Arrows blacked out all the lights. My knights were winning. We’d finally come to grant the villagers their rights.

The king was smiling when I next approached him. My frown spread on my face. His knights had been defeated. Why would he be even remotely close to happy?

“Do you hear that?” he asked.

The sounds of marching feet met my ears. Fear entered me for the first time since I’d concocted this plan. The king’s smile grew as he recognized the emotion that had paralyzed my body.

“Ah, there’s a taste of fear when the henchman call,” the king said, laughing. “I have an iron fist that tames the land, an iron fist to claim it all.”

A blade appeared on my throat. One of his knights released him from the gallows. He rubbed his wrists and neck. The smile grew on his face as he leaned down and whispered in my ear,

“Hail to the king.”

The cold blade sliced across my throat.

“Hail,” I whispered back.

Notes

So clearly Ghost likes these. Anyone else?