King Aurum stands quietly as he glares at Gregory. His face red and contorted in anger. His mind racing.

“I will not disappoint you?! That’s all he has to say?! I should smash in that thick head of yours! But my Kingdom is in need… Maybe just rip off an arm or two! But then how would he cast his magics?... The feeling of his broken neck in my hands would be wonderful! That would mean the end of us all…”

The King’s boiling blood would have steam pouring out of his ears if Gregory’s words had not clogged them.

The courtyard is filled with curious eyes as they patiently wait for the King’s reaction. The feeble poundings and raspy screams of terrified commoners breaking the silence.

Blood lust is thick in the air. Anticipation palpable as the knights grip their swords.

“Come on! Kill them!” Silently screams one knight, his head aching.

“Don’t allow this disrespect!” Another knight pleads internally as he forces his lips tight.

“Kill these bastards!” Violently whispers a knight near the gate.

Gregory stays motionless behind his fortress of loyal bodies, the smirk unremoved from his face.

During the commotion he had slid his right hand into a leather satchel hidden underneath his cloak. Within his hand he holds tight to something he would have reluctantly revealed if the King continued to act foolishly.  

But the time for foolishness has passed.

Gregory releases the item as he notices the King’s eyes glass over and his gaze traveling miles away. There was a war raging in the King’s mind, and it seems Gregory had correctly plotted his victory.

“Wonderful” Gregory says softly.

Douglas notices the mental battle as well, taking a step closer to the King to examine his continuously changing expressions.

“Please release those vicious fantasies that cloud your mind.“ Douglas thinks to himself.

“Sire?” Douglas asks cautiously, still trying to decipher the King’s face.

“Sire, your kingdom is waiting.”

The King looks down at Douglas. Sadness fills his eyes as he comes to terms with having to let Gregory live.

Douglas closes his eyes and lets out a sigh of relief. 

“What will you have of me my lord?” Gregory half shouts, ensuring all can hear.

The King looks up at Gregory. The sadness turns to heartbreak.   

“Lower the front gate.” King Aurum says in a hushed tone that only Douglas can hear.

The crowd of knights remains still, unaware the King has given them an order.

The King looks around at the motionless knights, furious that his words are being ignored.

“Am I but a fool to you all as well?! I said lower that damned gate!” Screams King Aurum. 

The knights hesitate for a moment. Unsure if they heard the King correctly.  

“What did he say?!” shouts one knight.

“Lower the gate?!” yells another.

“Sire, No!” screams a third.

The grumblings and complaints of the knights infuriate Douglas.

“Your King has given his command!” Douglas yells.

“Obey it now or die where you stand!”

Douglas’s anger gets a visceral response from the knights as their bodies move without thought. They scramble to lower the front gate and wedge open a path for Gregory and his followers to pass.

The royal guards release their hold on the King’s body and assist with motivating the crowd. Their shouts and threats settling any confusion that remains.  

The King looks down at Iris who has stood her ground. Their massive bodies less than a hair apart. Her broken hand remaining in a fist and ready to strike the King a second time.

“Sir Gregory, it seems I am unable to approach. Would you be so kind to grant me a few words before you depart?” The King asks Gregory as he stares at Iris.

“Of course, my lord. Please, my ears are all yours.” Gregory responds.

In unison Gregory’s followers step aside, freeing a path to the Magician. Their weapons remain ready as their eyes follow the King’s movements towards Gregory.

Iris follows a step behind the King, unwilling to leave his side.

 “What great news I have for you Sir Gregory! I have decided to let you remain in the service of the crown.” King Aurum says with a boisterous and arrogant tone, not wanting to look weak in front of his knights.

“You are the pride of the Purple and Gold, and with that I am ordering you to vanquish this evil. I have the utmost faith you will return peace to my kingdom. I know you will not disappoint me.” King Aurum says, staring directly into Gregory’s eyes.   

“Yet again you surprise me with how merciful and magnanimous you are my lord.” Gregory says graciously, fully aware that the King is putting on a show.

“I will return with the morning sun, victorious, and ready to serve you once more.”

“Very good… Now be off.”  The King says, giving Gregory a slight nod.  

Gregory grabs ahold of the edges of his cloak, exaggerating his movements as he flaps them out while bowing to the King. His followers join in and awkwardly bow to the King with their weapons still drawn.

Iris remains upright. She only bows to one man.

King Aurum watches as Gregory’s group walks towards the front gate, taking the last bits of his murderous fantasies with them.

The crowd of angry knights speaks all manner of horrible things to Gregory as he walks by. Their lewd and obscene comments drowned out by the loud groans of the front gate lowering to the ground.

***

The lowering of the gate brings celebration.

Excitement erupts from outside the castle. The overjoyed cheers and shouts of the terrified citizens ring out as a sense of relief washes over them. Many begin to cry as they watch the massive gate slowly lower to the ground.

The welcoming sight of the armored knights ignites more intense celebration from the crowd. They dance and sing, fully expecting the army to march into the city and defeat the rampaging evil.

The citizens quickly clear a large path directly in front of the gate. They squeeze together on either side of the promenade to make sure enough space is available for their saviors.

“There he is! There is Sir Gregory to lead the charge!” Shouts a man from the crowd.

Gregory steps onto the front gate as he leads his group of followers out of the castle. A wide toothy smile on his face as he waves to the crowd.  

“God bless the Magician! God bless the King!” Shouts an elderly woman.

“We are saved!” Cheers a young boy.

Second to only the King, Gregory was a symbol of hope in the Kingdom of Purple & Gold. Having arrived during a time of turmoil, Gregory had assisted King Aurum in settling internal strife. He had also vanquished the 12 masters of the Demon League, expanding the Kingdom’s domain tenfold.

On the surface Gregory is altruistic and dutiful beyond explanation. Even the most hushed protest was never heard spoken from his lips.

In reality, his actions were calculated, and intentions kept hidden. Not even his most devout followers fully understood the depths of his mind.

In this moment, his warm and reassuring demeanor was one of his many calculations. He knew full well that hope and security was what he needed to get free from the castle. And that is what he is giving them.

“Do not worry brave men of purple! Stay strong you radiant women of gold! I will be a beacon to aluminate the night and save you from this evil!” Gregory says loudly as he steps off the gate and onto the stone promenade.

The crowd goes wild. Their cheers drowning out the shrieks of death and misery that rise from the city streets.

“The King has ordered you all to find safety inside HIS castle! To wait there under HIS protection until my return!” Gregory shouts as he turns back to face the crowd.

“So go forth and be with your King!”

Inside the castle King Aurum is listening to Gregory’s words. A vile scowl contorting his face.

The crowd quickly floods onto the gate, eager to get inside the castle. 

“Rejoice for the King is charitable!” Gregory yells, staring directly into the King’s eyes. A wicked smile bending his lips up on both sides.

As the crowd gets to the end of the gate, they are met by the formidable wall of armored knights.

“Oh, excuse me.” A woman says as she struggles to push past two knights.

They remain motionless and silent.

“Could you move to the side? It’s a bit hard for me to walk.” Says an old man with a cane.

The knights do not say a word.

Frustration begins to build within the crowd.

“Gregory said we are to be let in!” Shouts a teenage girl.

The frustration turns into anger as fear starts coating their words.  

“Please, just let us in!” Crys a woman holding a small baby in her arms.

The knights stay firmly planted in their positions.

Gregory stands, enjoying himself as he watches the commotion.

“Should we help?” Iris asks as she looks on.

“No. We have helped enough.” Gregory says before turning his back to the castle and continuing his way down the promenade.

“Clear the gate!” The King’s voice bellows out from inside the castle, drowning out the shouts of the crowd.

As King Aurum’s words hit Gregory’s ears a subdued chuckle jiggles his round belly.

The slow loud groan of the gate startles the mob as it creeps upward. Their collective weight slowing its rise.

It becomes pandemonium on the gate as the crowd fears they will be sent back outside. Hundreds of bodies squish together as they try to fight past the knights and into the castle.

“Have mercy!”

A loud STOMP! startles the crowd.

In unison the wall of knights takes a step forward, pushing the crowd back.

“You are killing us!”

STOMP!

Then a second push as they move back the terrified crowd.

“I have children!”

“Please don’t do this!”

Tears start falling from the knights’ eyes as they listen to the heartbreaking pleas.

The crowd tries to push back, but the knight’s heavy armor protects them from every blow.

They march forward until the gate has been cleared.

A handful of knights remain on top of the gate as it is pulled higher into the air. Their only job is to remove tightly gripped hands from the gate’s edge.  

Parents begin tossing their children onto the gate in an attempt to save their lives.

“Please someone take my baby!” screams a terrified woman as she holds up her infant child.

“Get your filthy hands off me!” a man yells as he holds onto the rising gate while being pulled on from behind.

Douglas stands next to the King. With a profound sadness in his heart, he gives the command.

“Raise the gate!”

The gate begins to close faster.

Those unlucky enough to make it onto the gate are violently flung back into the crowd. Their bodies hitting the ground hard as their fellow citizens make space.  

One knight is holding onto a child as he lowers it down into the hands of its mother.

“We will die!” shouts the woman.

“I’m sorry…” The knight says as tears stream down his cheeks.

Further down the promenade, Gregory stops one last time and looks back. He gets a glimpse of the King in the crack of the closing gate. Their eyes meet. Gregory bows to the King once more, then stands up and gives him a cold, emotionless stare.

The sight of Gregory looking at him sends a shiver down the King’s spine. The realization that Gregory is no longer in the castle reignites the fear and despair that previously consumed him. The King’s sense of safety has been destroyed.

Gregory and his followers continue walking down the promenade towards the city. They are calm and unbothered by the sounds of agony that surround them. The smell of fires and burning flesh only a slight irritant.

Dozens of frightened citizens rush past them as they run towards the castle.

Gregory pays them no mind.  

Stopping midway on the promenade, Gregory raises his left arm out in front of his body, turning his hand so his palm is facing upward. With his eyes closed tight he starts quietly chanting. From his mumbled words, swirls of white light begin flowing out of his mouth and collect in the palm of his hand.

Strong currents of wind kick up around Gregory’s body, sending his cloak fluttering as they pass by.

As Gregory continues chanting, his followers circle up behind him, leaving the Magician and Iris as outliners.

Facing outward with their backs together they prepare themselves for battle.

Iris positions herself directly behind Gregory. She places her right hand flat on Gregory’s back then closes her eyes. A bright green light begins to radiate from her body.

Inside the castle, Douglas, and King Aurum run along the walkway of the outer wall searching for a view of Gregory. They stop when he is in sight, pushing aside archers who block their view.

The distance between them is great so they strain their eyes trying to see what he is doing.

“Find me a mage immediately!” The King shouts.

“Right away my lord!” Douglas says as he runs back down the walkway.

The wind currents around Gregory intensify, becoming violent. They lash out at his followers who try their best to fight through the pain and ignore its wrath.

Iris is emotionless and continues radiating the green light as her exposed flesh is repeatedly slashed.

Suddenly, the swirling bits of white light condense, creating a small floating ball of light. Gregory’s chant changes rhythm and becomes louder. He begins screaming the magic incantation directly into the ball of light as it begins to rapidly increase in size.

…

Deep within the King’s ravaged city walks a woman.

The tattering’s of a once beautiful gown covers her body, exposing more skin than not. Expensive silks of pink and blue have grown dull, covered in the blood of countless victims. A train of ripped and discarded fabrics drags behind her, collecting filth and debris from across the city.

Fancy shoes that covered her soft, delicate feet are long gone, replaced with callused and cracked skin. Her toenails, much like her fingernails, are overgrown with many of them chipped or missing.

It pained her to walk.

It pained her to do most things, but she is forced to keep on.

What remained of this once regal woman are the braids and ribbons in her raven black hair. Though some had come loose and are matted with blood, they spoke of a time when she was important to someone.

A black, pulsating stain covers most of her body, obscuring much of her pale white skin. Her hands and feet are completely encased by the stain, leaving behind an intense cold wherever they land.

The area around her eyes is encircled by the stain, producing large black drops that fall onto her cheeks and neck.

A continuous stream of darkness spills from her mouth, evaporating when it breaks free from the flow.

The darkness of the stain is deep.

It is endless.

It is eternal.

Her actions are violent.

Her movements are wild.

Her mind is consumed.

She is just one.

But the city is filled with many.