Amongst the battlefield, the being, born from the Empress' craft, loomed over the soldiers.

A terrifying colossal creature, ink black as the night, a monstrous octopus, its massive limbs lashed like whips, burning everything they came in contact with.

As it slithered through, the whole field was swallowed by solemn silence, it whispered and cradled the soldiers like a merciless illness, the smell of ashes pierced their nose and burned their lungs, as they stood before it, weapons raised in a futile try to damage its skin.

When it touched them with its fingers made of ashes, the fire twisted them, slowly and agonizingly, their bodies began to shrivel, skin turned to something more candid and fragile, their bones crumbling to dust. What was once a valiant soldier was now reduced to a thin, fragile sheet of paper, hollow of desires and memories.

The creature's blazing eyes turned to them, glowing like fire and crying tears of an anguish that had long lost its purpose, the soldiers fluttered in the flames, their cries getting swallowed into the void.

The battlefield was no longer a place of war, but a graveyard filled with the smoking remains of once proud warriors, reduced to paper and burned away in an instant, to ashes that fed the silent assassin before them.

When the battle was over, the creature's rage began to quiet, the once massive being with gleaming tentacles started its slow transformation, its body contracted, retracting and curling into itself, the limbs folded inwards as it began to shrank, the thick, slimy skin turning from the heat of fire to the softer warmth of human like flesh.

Where once had been the expanse of a monster, there now stood a tall, graceful figure, the tentacles became a dark cascade down its back like ink spilling on the moon lit pale skin.

The right eye as dark as the deepest trench, the other an unnatural light blue.

The body was slim, almost delicate and its legs and arms, once made of ashes and fire, were now replaced with finely crafted prosthetics.

The transformation was terribly agonizing, leaving traces of the deep rage and anguish that filled it while in its previous form, but no traces of memories about anything that it may have done.

As it settled and the creature's humanoid form came into full view it was littered with intricate tattoos all over its body, on its left eye, dark ink decorated its newly formed flesh and two pairs of metallic piercings down the corners of its mouth.

Dubhra, that was the it's name, now roamed the Empress' empty and eerie castle, every step echoing a metallic screech against the stone floor, as a reminder of all the people that once were there. Looking for their owner in a desperate struggle through the anguish that was still twisting their heart, remaining from their previous task on the battlefield, but to which they couldn't fathom the origin.

The creature exhaled with relief, as if they had been holding their breath without knowing, when their mismatched eyes met the long and flowy red hair of the Empress, her wide shoulders decorated with an enormous back scar.

She was standing in the empty hallway, staring out the window to admire the abominable stage before her.

Then she turned around to look at them, with piercing grey eyes, standing very short in stature, but radiating an intimidating presence.

The anguish in Dubhra's heart seemed to vanish at the sight of her sharp and predatory gaze, that to them exuded safety for some reason, even though her expression was one of constant menace.

They dared to speak: "I'm back, Midas, are you pleased with my work?"

The Empress lifted her left hand golden prosthetic "I am, good job."

Dubhra's heart filled with joy, feeling fulfilled, as they gave Midas a big smile full of teeth, but that was mostly met with apparent indifference as she turned her head and started to walk away.

As an automatic impulse and without any logical reason, Dubhra followed her for a few steps, before she was led to stop and turn to them again.

"What is it? I said you did a good job, is there anything else you need?" This time with a slightly puzzled expression on her face.

Dubhra's brain suddenly went blank, not knowing why they were following her or how to respond, so they stood there and froze.

"Oh- no, I think I just froze, sorry, I'll be going then."

And that was how they went, with a fast pace, slamming the huge door and going to their room, leaving a very confused Midas in the hallway.

In their room, Dubhra took off their finely embedded dress and heated up some glass cups with their fire breath, placing them on their back.

"Oh my- my back hurts." They slumped on the bed, face first, as their tentacles were being used to carefully place the heated cups on their back.

" 'Sorry, I just froze'! Hahaha, what was I thinking?" They mumbled to themselves as their feet swung on the edge of the bed. "Should I add this to a list of inappropriate observations to the context?"

Then they got up, sat down on the bed, brought yet another glass cup close to their mouth and blew out little playful flames to form a heart, which then dissolved right away.

Far distant, in another wing of the castle, Midas was playing chess with herself, another battle had been won, one that she herself caused to burst like all the ones before that.