EMPEROR ARISE

For three generations, there had been no ruler to keep the balance in the Other World. Furthermore, the strange dimension had been in peril and turmoil. The Elders believed that only one specific bloodline must rule in the Other World. There must always be one to make sure the creatures of the night obey the laws of the universe and maintain the balance. This individual, The Emperor, was destined to be the most powerful being in the Other World. The Emperor must protect the Realm of the Living from the forces of darkness.

Ciara did not believe this legend, not anymore anyway. As a young girl, she had heard the stories of the previous Emperors. Her guardian used to tell her tales of the precious Emperor’s adventures and the battles they had fought from generation after generation. They derived all from one bloodline. Ciara had heard all there was to hear about the trials, the tribulations and the triumphs of this so-called Emperor. However, the thing Ciara found funny was the fact that she had never seen an Emperor. It was as if one day, The Emperor had just vanished. Her guardian had always told her she was born in a time of peril. “This is a load of bull,” Ciara said to herself. There was no way the Other World was once a peaceful place. Not with all the demons, monsters, witches, and God know what else lurking the shadows.

Ciara stood at the peak of The Emperor’s fortress that stood several stories high. The fortress was home to those who still believed an Emperor of the new generation would rise to restore the balance. Ciara was what most would consider beautiful. The young woman was lean, fit, and strong for a woman of her small size. Her beautiful light tan skin was kissed with scars from the many battles she had endured against the creatures that lurked in the shadows. Her eyes were a glowing light brown and her hair was also light brown and always tied in a puffy ponytail. Ciara was a warrior. Her only weapons were two large gauntlets that covered both of her forearms and a katana. One of Ciara’s gauntlets extended in to a blade the length of her forearm. The blade was light but extremely sharp. She rarely carried her katana.

“Maybe we fight for nothing,” She told herself. Ciara swore she would no longer fight to protect the Hybrids who believed The Emperor would return. “I devoted my entire life for this war that can never be won. No one can restore the balance.”

Ciara stood atop the fortress overlooking the city that was simply known as the Empire. An enormous stoned wall surrounded the Empire, keeping the city safe from whatever lurked about the Other World. Beyond the wall was nothing more than a wasteland, just rocks and mountains as far as she could tell. There were other places in the strange alternate world that she was in. However, Ciara never ventured out of the Empire. It was neither day nor night in the Other World. It was just a dark gray sky as if the coming of a storm. The constant thunder and lightning gave confirmation of dark times. The cold winds literally blew the whispers of the dead. Ciara was never afraid. This place was not Ciara’s home. Her home was in the human world with her guardian. The human world was often referred to as the Realm of the Living. She hated the Other World. However, she had to be there. Ciara had lost her entire family in the other dimension. First, she had lost her mother during childbirth. And at the age of four, her father had died at the hands of the powerful demon Lechronos, the Demon General of the first dimension of Hell. This was never her home as far as Ciara was concerned. “I just work here,” she reminded herself.

“So here she stands. I thought I’d find you up here,” a voice called out to her, interrupting her train of thought.

Ciara turned her head, irritated that someone had disturbed her peace. Then she smiled when she realized it had been her guardian. The Master Sorcerer Ling Xiao acted as her guardian upon the death of her father. Master Ling, as he is often called, raised and trained her. He adopted her as both daughter and student. Ling Xiao was older and slightly crippled, and one of the most powerful sorcerers in The Other World. However, even his power was not enough to restore the balance. Master Ling was a descendant of the very powerful sorcerer Kai Xiao, who was more like a god than sorcerer was. Although he was powerful, Kai Xiao did not pass all his gifts down to his descendants for reasons unknown. “Would you mind explaining what is troubling you,” Master Ling asked. His voice was raspy and yet wise.

At first Ciara did not want to answer. However, she trusted her guardian. “Demons are passing through to the human world and we don’t know how. More unexplained deaths are arising. We do not have enough Warriors of Light to track them all down and I do not know how much further I can go on like this. The Hybrids are fighting a war that they will lose eventually. They only remain here because they believe some person will comeback. I’m growing tired of fighting.”

“You must keep fighting. You have no other choice,” Master Ling replied after a moment. “Never lose hope.”

Ciara immediately lost her patience. “I said that I am done. I don’t want anything to do with this anymore. I mean, when is it going to end?”

Master Ling remained calm. “It’s your destiny to fight. It is you who must lead until The Emperor returns, Princess.”

“Don’t call me that!” Ciara shouted. She was princess because her family attempted to rule while The Emperor was out of commission. Her father, King Leonard Drakes, was the self-proclaimed ruler, as was his father and his before him. Someone had to rule. Since there were no male heirs, it was upon Ciara to take the throne. However, how could she? It was never destined for her family to govern over the Empire. God had anointed a specific bloodline, and her family had not realized that they had played a part in unbalancing the universe the moment they sat on the throne. This enraged her.

Master Ling raised one hand, signaling his surrender. “Young one, I did not come to argue with you. If you want to give up, then it is your decision to make. However, you must be willing to face the consequences. Now come, Princess Ciara. We have pressing matters to discuss and we must seek council with The Elders.”

Ciara didn’t argue. She followed as Master Ling turned away from her. Just moments later, Ciara found herself staring after Master Ling as they made their decent down to the great hall. It was hard for her to see Master Ling getting older, with his long grey beard and a very small bald spot on top of his head. He always dressed in a business-like manner, with his well-tailored suits that seemed to always fit him perfectly. She laughed silently at the thought of him always wearing the same things. Master Ling walked with a cane that was the color of Jade. The cane’s handle was in the shape of a dragon. That cane was Master Ling’s most prized possession. The old sorcerer conjured the most powerful magic with that cane, although he did not need it.

The stairs they were using was very long. It was an easy climb for someone as young as Ciara. The young woman looked at her guardian with much concern. “How did you manage to climb up these stairs? You could have sent one of the warriors to fetch me.”

Master Ling regarded her with a sly smile. “Surely, you don’t think that I am unable to do difficult tasks such as climbing these stairs?”

“I mean, you are too old for a climb such as this one,” Ciara laughed.

“You forget to whom you speak,” Master Ling said coolly.

Ciara instantly went quiet. She knew what her guardian was capable of great magic. Once he made her stay in her other form for two months because of back talking. She was only twelve years of age at the time but she remembered it clearly. She would never forget the embarrassment. She vowed that if anyone saw her true form, she would eradicate him or her without hesitation.

“Besides,” Masters Ling continued. “I used the ‘kick’ to climb all the way up.”

Ciara relaxed herself. “I figured that much.”

“Maybe one day I will walk up the great stairs for old time sake. Then again, I rarely made the attempt. Such a lazy one I use to be.”

They were silent after that. Moments later, The Warrior Princess and her guardian began walking through the corridors of the fortress. The fortress had always amazed Ciara. The fortress had high ceilings lit with beautiful crystal chandeliers. There were statues of great warriors and sorcerers in almost every corner she had turned. In addition, there were portraits of the previous Emperors and their predecessors along the stoned walls. There was one statue that had always sparked Ciara’s interest. She stopped at the statue to examine it. Master Ling had always told her that the statue held a legend that it was once a living individual that somehow turned to stone.

Master Ling sensed that Ciara had stopped walking behind him. He quickly turned to find The Warrior Princess staring at the infamous statue. “You see that thing almost every day, and yet it still fascinates you.”

Ciara reached out to touch the statue of the bald individual; its face was stuck in a fierce animal-like expression. “Is the legend you told me true? Was this statue a living being?”

The old sorcerer walked closer to Ciara while rubbing his chin. “Khan of Thorn was a demon. Long ago he and his kind had attacked the Empire. Our Emperor of that era, along with the Warriors of Light, defeated them. I am not sure what The Emperor saw in Khan, however The Emperor spared him. And with powerful magic, Khan was repurposed with the sole task of protecting The Emperor. They would later become great friends. Khan kept the task for centuries. And when the previous Emperor disappeared, Khan turned into stone.”

“That’s still doesn’t explain how Khan turned to stone,” Ciara replied.

Master Ling smiled at his pupil. “The Emperor is Khan’s anchor to this world. If the Emperor were to die, then Khan will turn into stone. Khan cannot exist without The Emperor. Now if there is nothing else you would like to discuss, let us press forward to the Elders.”

The fortress was busy with magical beings known as Hybrids. The Hybrids were people that were either half human or half demon. Most of the Hybrids appeared human. Meanwhile, others appeared more monstrous. The Warriors of Light stood guard around the fortress, inside and out. Moreover, they were the ones who still believed in The Emperor. That is what Ciara considered them. They were the sorcerers, magicians, warriors, and the people who lived in the very fortress who aided the previous Emperors in battle. The thought of the Emperor made Ciara’s agitation return almost immediately. “What is the pressing matter you want to discuss? It had better be worthwhile,” she declared.

“Please be patient, young one. We must attend council. We may have made a discovery that could mean a new era.” Mastered Ling limped further as he continued. “Only the Elders can explain further.”

“What are you going on about? What can clearly be so important that it could mean life or death?” Ciara asked.

“Unfortunately, I have yet to know for myself,” Master Ling replied.

The walk to the Council Hall seemed to take forever. Ciara sometimes hated how large the fortress was. Minutes later, they arrived at a set of doors, leading to their destination. The doors were guarded by two Warriors of Light. Ciara had rarely been close to one so she took that time to examine. The Warriors of Light, of course, wore all white slacks tucked inside their boots. Their faces remained covered with a hood. And their eyes were like glowing white lights. Ciara could see them glowing under their hoods. “We’ve been expecting you,” one of them said. His voice was deep and echoed eerily. The Warriors of Light opened the large doors as Master Ling and Ciara proceeded forward.

The Council Hall was another large room filled with portraits of dead warriors including Ciara’s father, the late King Leonard Drakes. There were weapons displayed in glass cases located in all four corners of the Hall. In addition, there was a large Mahogany table in the center of the room that may have seated fifteen people if Ciara had to guess. The room was completely empty except for the three Elders who sat at the head of the table. Ciara and Master Ling approached slowly. The Warrior Princess never remembered their individual names. Even if she did, it was hard to tell which was who. The Elders were identical triplets. They wore the same white cloaks. They were completely bald and had the same small, salt and pepper colored beards. Master Ling once told Ciara that the Elders were as old as time. The powerful beings were oracles. They saw things that were to come, but were unable to interfere with the war to make sure they maintain whatever is left of the balance.

“This is all a load of bull...” she began to say.

“Such language is not fitting for a princess,” the middle elder called out.

“Elder Coren,” Master Ling replied. “Please forgive her highness. She lacks the manners befitting a young woman. After all she is a warrior.” Master Ling laughed.

“No, she is a princess, and should very well behave as such. Suppose the Emperor returns and see this,” the Elder who sat left of Elder Coren asked.

“Elder Locken,” Master Ling nodded. “We’ve come to see what news you have for us. The fortress is in great excitement.”

Elder Coren, the middle one, began to speak. “As we all know there has been no Emperor for generations. With his absence, the demons have somehow found their way into the Realm of the Living, wreaking havoc and getting stronger as they see fit. And Lechronos grows stronger by the hour.” Elder Coren paused when he saw Ciara flinch at the sound of that horrible name. Elder Coren sensed her fear but continued. “It’s been a long war and it hurts that the three of us can do nothing about it.”

“So, you just sit on your ass and let others do the work.” Ciara said. And she said it very loudly.

Master Ling snapped his head up as sparks of lighting began to surround his cane. The dragon’s eyes were burning a bright red. His voice grew deep. “Another outburst like that and you’re done for!” He shouted. Everything was in slow motion for a moment. If there was anything Ciara feared in this universe, it was Master Ling. He raised her, trained her. She respected him as her father. However, she knew better than to cross him. He really would not hurt her, much. Suddenly, Master Ling calmed down. “My apologies, Elders. Please continue.”

Elder Coren and Locken glared arrogantly at The Warrior Princess. However, the third Elder, Ciara had not quite figured out his name, seemed more tensed than the others did. It was as if he was afraid. Ciara had asked herself if she was missing something. Clearly, they were not afraid of a sorcerer. But then again Master Ling had unspeakable power.

Elder Coren began to speak to the third elder who sat on the right of him. “Taren, shall we reveal to them our latest revelation? We certainly do not want to waist the princess’ time,” Elder Coren retorted with certain disgust.

“Whatever,” Ciara thought, although she would not dare say it aloud, especially with Master Ling watching her through his peripheral. His eyes seem to flash a hot red for just a second. Then back to its normal dark green. The eyes of a dragon, Ciara used to call them. She admired her guardian. She thought the world of him.

Meanwhile, Elder Taren began to speak. “Our latest revelation revealed to us a life force that of an Emperor. Although we are not certain, we still feel the need to search for confirmation. We cannot take any chances.”

Master Ling’s mouth dropped in astonishment. “This is great news, isn’t it? Surely, we can consider investigating.”

“We are not certain if it’s The Emperor, although the life force we sensed is of the same bloodline,” Elder Locken interrupted. “What troubles us is why would the power of The Emperor skip three generations and then make itself known as of now. Maybe it is powerful magic used to trap us to take the throne or maybe it truly is The Emperor’s spiritual force. It is a chance we cannot afford to take. We’ve been fighting a losing war for decades.”

The hall was quiet for a while. Master Ling broke the silence. “If you sensed this life force, do you suppose Lechronos sensed it as well?”

“Unfortunately, yes. Therefore, we do not want to leave this to chance. Worst-case scenario the Demon General finds the source, eradicate it, or use it to break through these walls to claim the throne. The balance will be completely broken and Hell on earth is certain.” Elder Coren replied.

Elder Taren spoke immediately. “Which is why we request that you act immediately? It is time for you to answer your calling, Princess.”

“I beg your pardon?” Ciara had barely been paying attention up until that part.

“As leader, you must find The Emperor and then bring him to us. It has been your destiny since you were born. We have prophesied years ago that you will fight in the war, alongside The Emperor. Or has no one told you?” Elder Coren regarded her smoothly.

Ciara stood there dumbfounded only to glance at her guardian. Meanwhile, Master Ling looked down shamefully. “There is much I have not told you, Princess Ciara. Prior to you birth, the Elders prophesied that you would bring us hope in our time of hopelessness. They have seen that you would be vital in finding The Emperor.”

Ciara squint her eyes in confusion. “And you failed to tell me this why?”

“Because I did not believe in hope just as sure as you did not.” Master Ling shook his head. “I myself had given up hope decades ago.”

Ciara shook her head in confusion. “So why hold it in all this time? Why hide this?”

“I had to be strong for you, my child. You had lost your entire family because of this war for power and control. I had to be strong because your future may have depended on it.” Master Ling grew weary so he sat down at the table. The Elders said nothing.

Elder Coren broke the silence. “We only ask that you observe, see what you can find. If the time arises, reveal yourself and then bring him to us. However, if this is only a hoax and it is not The Emperor, retreat at once.”

Ciara silently reflected on her thoughts prior to the meeting. She remembered she decided that her fight was over. However, Master Ling’s words hit home for her. The old sorcerer had always given her words of encouragement. However, to know that he had given up hope disturbed the princess greatly. Finally, she decided someone had to keep fighting; otherwise, there would be nothing to live for. “Where do I start?” Ciara finally asked.

Elder Locken summoned a large faded paper from his cloak the size of a poster board. Next, he stretched the large blank paper across the table, and then motioned for Ciara and Master Ling to come closer. Reluctantly they both moved. Ciara never liked being close to anyone other than her guardian. However, she did as she was asked. Once they were close by, they stared at the blank sheet. Ciara was growing impatient and was about to protest, however before she could process the thought something happened.

Thick black lines began to appear on the blank sheet. It was as if some invisible force was drawing a picture. At first, it was just black lines but then quickly it became a map. After what seemed like a few seconds, the invisible force had drawn a complete map of the United States. Ciara looked up at the Elders but only to find they were in deep concentration. Strangely, their eyes were glowing a pure white light. Ciara gasped loudly.

“Quiet!” Elder Coren hissed.

Ciara glanced back at the supernaturally drawn map, which now seemed to increase in size on a specific state. Georgia. She smirked as if she knew what was coming. Now fully increased in on the state, the invisible force drew the shape of every city in the state of Georgia. Then, the unseen force drew the shape of one city in blood red. Ciara began to chuckle. “You are kidding, right?” Ciara was somewhat annoyed. “All those years of searching and fighting. And the answer was right under our noses.”

“If it were a snake, I believe it would have bitten us,” Master Ling chuckled.

The Elders seemed to have returned from their daze. Elder Taren looked to Master Ling curiously. “Do you know this place, old friend?” he asked.

“All too well, Elder Taren,” Master Ling replied. “It’s our city of residents.”