Do Thrones Lie – Part 2

As the Elder finalized the cleansing, he began to approach as I knelt before the throne. I glanced up at the heads one final time before making my choice. Their eyes bore into me, but the voices ceased as if they were all holding their breath, even though they had no lungs to take in air. The Elder stepped in front of me and raised the crown above my head, chanting the final sentences to complete the ritual.

“Do you accept your fate as bearer of the crown for the next five years?”

I hesitated a moment, and the Elder glared down at me. “No,” I said quietly but sternly.

I saw the Elder’s face shift to shock and then horror in the split second before I plunged my sword into his soft belly, then drew it upward in a clean slice through his torso and up his throat. Blood spurted out all over me, the ground, and seeped into the throne as his lifeless body collapsed into it.

The voices erupted in a mix of ecstasy, surprise, and a dash of fear. The commanding voice came through again, “Thank you, you have freed us.”

With a deafening roar, the throne began to collapse. Flashes of light erupted from it, accompanied by screams and hisses, as if the head’s souls were finally being let free. The heads melted together, eyes rolling with no sockets to sit in, tongues wiggling like worms. After what felt like an eternity but was merely seconds, the throne bubbled and hissed until finally settling into nothing but a pile of dark ichor, taking the Elder’s body with it.

I felt my own body, ensuring I was whole and still present in the realm of the living. I took a few steps back and turned around. I had forgotten about the crowd. A lot of them had scattered, some still fleeing down various halls and out large doors into the night air. Those who remained were probably curious about the outcome and stared at me with confusion and fear. Before I could address them, a rumbling started shaking the ground, the source seemingly the throne.

I staggered back with my eyes focused on the dark stain. Suddenly, a figure started emerging from it. Covered in the thick black substance, a woman’s body took shape. Her eyelids peeled back and revealed violet and piercing eyes, almost glowing. Her gaze searched as she stood tall and commanding.

“Who freed me?” Her voice was like honey but had a haunting edge to it.

Thinking quickly, I scooped up the crown that had luckily rolled to safety after the Elder dropped it. Mustering every ounce of courage I had, I knelt before the woman and lifted the crown towards her.

“I did, my Queen.”

…

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Thank you so much for reading!

–Clever & WTF