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The Spectators
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2022-05-20 18:42:52Related chapters
Empress of the World The Dragon Heir
Nurlan knew he was out of time when he heard the first of the towers collapse. He could hear the rumbling that only the sound of collapsing stone could make. But he could not give up. Nurlan was determined to find the dragons' egg. After he had gathered a few other soldiers to help, they had looked systematically through the halls starting with the west wing, but the rooms were far too numerous.Although the general hoped that the egg would be obvious, it could just as easily be hidden beneath any blanket or basket. This made things far more difficult. It was worse than looking for a needle in a haystack. He was looking for an egg in a palace.Nurlan entered the hundredth room--give or take--and pulled open every cabinet and uncovered every bed. The Dragon Heir was not there. When the wall next to him crumbled away inside of an angry dragon's claws, Nurlan realized he needed a better tactic. "Where would that fiendish gnome plan to hide a treasure like an egg?" he mused.Of course! Th
Last Updated : 2022-05-21Empress of the World Glorious
Renat's vision was fuzzy and his body hurt all over. He thought for sure he would die when he saw the blast ball roll off the shelf and begin to fall. If not for breaking the fireproof jelly ball above his head and diving below the brown mass of solid chocolate rock, he never would have survived. Yet, here he was with the world beginning to come back into focus. He was in pain and covered in slippery clear jelly, but at least he was alive. Renat blinked a few times while staring at the sky. There were no dragons anymore. That had to be a good sign. When he turned his head, he spotted the most beautiful blue eyes of the woman he loved, yet her face seemed... wrong. Perhaps she was a mirage. "Mairwen?" he asked carefully. "And who might this be?" Cafer leaned over the scientist and came into the boy's field of vision. Although Renat had never seen the gnome before, he instinctively did not like him. The tall boy unconsciously scowled, which made the gnome lift his eyebrows in challen
Last Updated : 2022-05-21Empress of the World Volume 3- Pirates!
Devrim and his band of servants, noblemen and soldiers pushed through the wall to escape the gnomic and dragon invasion. The grey-eyed man was second-guessing his decision to leave his son and the elven spymaster behind, but there was little time to lose. If Brinn and Alaron were unsuccessful at stalling the enemy, the gnomes would catch them very soon.Ahead of the humans was the Great River. It ran from the north, wound through the city of Valiant, and continued southward. Much of the world's trade came along that river, and so ships were often spotted in the current. But the ships that Devrim saw just now were not trade ships."Pirates!" Junayd screamed."Do not look at their leader!" Devrim ordered. He turned to Mairwen and Eira. "Do you both have your glasses?" he asked as he pulled out his own pair of orange-tinted lenses.Eira slipped on her pair while Mairwen groped for the pocket in her dress. She pulled out the frames and another wave of grief washed over her. Renat had made
Last Updated : 2022-05-21Empress of the World Glory to the Emperor
"I pledge my allegiance and devotion to the future Emperor Alaron. May he reign forever! Glory to the Emperor," the servant pressed his face to the floor, obviously trembling.He was one in a long line of castle staff that wanted to protect his life. Cafer had given the captured humans an ultimatum: pledge their undying allegiance to the new Emperor and keep their job or be put into prison. Most chose option one.At first Alaron liked the attention. He was able to look down from his throne and feel superior as each subject begged his favor. It was empowering. 'I could get used to this,' he chuckled inwardly. Over time, though, the task became tedious. Like any teenager, his mind began to drift to other things.Alaron wondered how Mairwen was doing. Had he made the right call in letting her go? Brinn had not given him a lot of choice, but he hoped that the princess would return on her own when she realized what a great ruler he was. 'She cannot stay away forever,' he comforted himself.
Last Updated : 2022-05-21Empress of the World Shipwreck
The waves from the crashing pirate ships went in every direction. The impact was so large that splinters touched both banks of the river. Water poured over the wooden hulls like grasping arms until only a set of new rapids remained in the flow.One wave hit Devrim's small life boat and flipped it over. The grey-eyed man's training took over and he paddled to break the surface. He searched frantically for Mairwen and Eira, the other two people who had been with him.He was relieved when their heads bobbed to the surface. "Get back to the boat!" Devrim yelled.The two ladies struggled against their clothing and weapons to make it back to the overturned rowboat. Eira, who had not been trained to swim, relied purely on instinct to keep her alive. She almost gave up when her fingers brushed against the wooden rowboat. Grabbing it to stay afloat, three humans kicked the boat and themselves to shore.By the time they made it to the muddy bank, they were far downstream from the crash. Devrim,
Last Updated : 2022-05-22Empress of the World Prisioners
Brinn waited until long after everyone was asleep to leave Mairwen's suite. Unwilling to let Renat return to his room in the infirmary, the elf had given him one of the sitting rooms to use for a bedroom.If she could return him to the real princess, Brinn promised herself that she would. In the meantime, she would keep him close.The ladies-in-waiting had been returned to their rooms as well. The girls chatted nervously, afraid of the short men who had taken over the palace. Brinn, disguised as Mairwen, tried to settle their nerves. "It will be fine," the elf assured them. "Mind your own business and stay here as much as possible. We will figure something out.""Your Highness," a girl with long blonde locks said. "Are you alright? You sound different."Brinn gave her a princess's scowl. "This is my assertive voice. Get used to it or I will release you from your duty!""Yes ma'am," the lady responded humbly and curtsied.'Whew,' Brinn gave a silent sigh of relief until another one of
Last Updated : 2022-05-23Empress of the World Hope
The princess was summoned to the makeshift dining hall for breakfast the next morning. Brinn was glad that elves did not need much sleep, because she had only gotten a little rest after her nighttime excursion."Alaron has a lot of nerve ordering me around!" Brinn grumbled as she kicked angrily at the air in Mairwen's bedroom. "Who does he think he is?!"Renat sat on the chair at the large vanity. He furrowed his brow at her tantrum. "I am pretty sure he thinks he is the new Emperor. If you do not want to get caught, you should probably do what he orders.""Mairwen would never take orders from her brother!" Brinn insisted."The princess is clever. She would play along and gather information, just as you usually do. I would guess that the prince is the problem, not the mission." Renat crossed his arms. After his arm-sling was ruined by slime, the boy discovered his range of movement was good enough to do away with the bandage.The elf glared at Renat but knew he was right. She had work
Last Updated : 2022-05-23Empress of the World Rescue
It was hard to tell how much time had passed inside the Storehouse. Based the trio's internal clocks, it had at least been overnight. Fortunately Zan had dried food and water inside his Guardian's cloak, so they were not going to die of hunger or thirst just yet.Every so often they would go down the hall to check and make sure the entrance was still blocked. Gandr had told them that he could not get through that thick of a cave-in. The glowstone was magical and very hard on his body. A thin wall was passable, but the sheer volume of magical stone was impossibly overwhelming.It was the same problem with the passage and the Storehouse. The walls there were carved out by the Fates, and no amount of magic could penetrate them. So they must sit and wait.Just now the halfling, the Guardian, and the Empress sat pensively around one of the Storehouse tables, trying to pass the time. The males knew that they should not touch any of the books or relics. They did not want the Storehouse to a
Last Updated : 2022-05-23
Latest chapter
Empress of the World Be Better
Alaron told the Empress his story. She was amazed by his words. However, it made his altered appearance make sense. His white hair had been gained by meeting the Maker while visiting the Mystic Spires, and his now silver eyes were earned in answer to his call."A Guardian," the Empress mused. "It is a high honor."The young man lowered his head humbly. "Not an honor I deserve, but one I will try to be worthy of.""But…it has been a year since all this happened." Aurora looked at him with a thousand questions in her eyes.Alaron nodded. "The Fates thought it best if I remained gone for a time. Let the world begin to heal. I spent the last year among the Fates in the Mystic Spires and got to know some of them quite well. But I knew that my time there had come to an end, and before I could return to take my place as a Guardian to help mend the world, I needed to mend our family first. That is, if you will forgive me." He bowed low again. "Will you?"There was a king painful silence. So l
Empress of the World What Happened?
The voice of the figure was one etched deep in Aurora's memory. It was almost as familiar to her as her own. It was the voice of a ghost now, yet the figure before her she was sure was flesh and bone."Clear the throne room," the Empress ordered.Nurlan stood behind her close to the throne with his hand resting lightly on his sword. "Your Majesty?" he asked, uncomprehending."Everyone out except him," she motioned to the cloaked man. "You may stay, Nurlan, if it eases your mind. And see if someone can find Hanna."The general quickly went to work. With the help of the other attending soldiers, every soul was removed from the room except the Empress, Nurlan and the mysterious figure. The man waited patiently, seemingly unconcerned with the flurry of activity his few words had caused.Aurora took a deep breath. While the figure had allowed them to be alone, she was still slightly scared that he might disappear at any time. "What forgiveness do you seek?""I seek the forgiveness of the
Empress of the World That Voice
"Wake up! Rise and shine, Your Majesty!" Hanna said cheerily as she threw back the thick curtain that blocked the balcony. Light streamed into Aurora's bedchamber, but the woman pulled the covers over her head like a child. "You're back," the Empress groaned in a muffled voice. "I think it is sweet that you think I actually ever leave these days. Now get up!" Hanna yanked the covers back, but Aurora held on tightly. "Go away!" The stubborn woman wouldn't even open her eyes. She would not let the Fate win. "Where are my ladies-in-waiting?" "Anna, Bella and Candela are busy." Hanna answered unapologetically. "And my husband?" "He took over your very important duties and told everyone to let you sleep. It is a good thing I do not answer to him." Hanna fluttered her eyelashes innocently, but of course, Aurora did not see. Sensing the Fate would not give up her chipper attitude, Aurora pulled the only card she had left. It was, in the end, what made her unwilling to get out of bed "
Empress of the World One Final Song
With slow progress, the prisoners and the victorious army headed for Valiant. Since the city was still empty of human citizens, there was no fanfare or grand welcome for them. That was fine; they were all just happy to be one step closer to being home.Only a small skirmish awaited the Imperial Army from those left behind. The palace was easily reclaimed without the catastrophic results of the last battle fought there. The sight of the large human force in the wrong shade of blue made the gnomes flee immediately, and those left of the ill-named New Emperor's Army only put up minimal resistance.The servants on the inside of the palace, seeing their rescuers in sight, freed those in the dungeon and set off a myriad of traps and clever devices that had been left behind by the scientist but never deployed.One such device covered the unlucky recipient in a slimy goo that made them slip and slide, never able to stand in that area again. Renat was thoroughly chastened for it later and force
Empress of the World Together
Brinn hurried to Ithel and her father in the corner of the tent. Out of respect for the king, Zoltan had a curtain hung around him, so it was only natural that Aurora had not spotted him and Ithel earlier."Father, I thought you were dead!" Brinn said a she rounded the partition. Her face went from hopeful to grim."I may yet be," Zoltan answered with a gentle smile. "However, the unicorns think I shall live, even if I am not exactly whole."Zoltan's body from the waist up seemed normal enough, but his lower half and legs looked horribly wrong. His legs and feet twisted awkwardly, and his pelvis was much flatter than it should be. The boulder from the giant had done irreparable damage."Oh Father!" Brinn eyes were wide with fear."It is not as bad as it looks. Well, maybe it is, but I do not feel any pain." The king received a cup of water from a servant. With Ithel's help, he sat up slightly to drink. The elven princess just stared, not knowing what to say or how to comfort her fathe
Empress of the World Alive!
Brinn used her keen hearing to listen for her husband as she scanned the carnage of the battlefield. Alvar was many things, but quiet was not one of them. She was sure that with enough patience, she would hear the elf she was searching for.Along the ground, some fairies were popping in and gathering up the wounded and taking them to the healers. Other fairies had the more difficult task of collecting the dead. Separately she passed by elves who were still gathering the gnomes in groups to hold them until the peace talks were complete.It was amazing how quickly things had been organized. Brinn realized that these plans must have been made before the battle began because neither the fairies nor elves seemed to need direction or supervision.Even more amazing was the new King of the Gnomes. The timid, mousey gnome that Brinn had witnessed at the palace when she was pretending to be Mairwen was gone. The difference was night and day.Lukoss was walking around and ordering his new subjec
Empress of the World More Time
Justum considered her words. "I cannot control how you feel," he answered at last. "But the victory is yours. It is over. We will leave you to your tasks."Aurora stared past him with empty eyes. He was right about one thing. It was over.Turning to his fellow Fate, Justum held out his hand. "Your mission is complete, I assume," he said with an arched brow. "Either way, your banishment is over. Will you be coming back with us?"Hanna smiled demurely, "As welcoming that invitation was…" Her face changed to be one of concern as she looked at Aurora. "Now that I am permitted to see the Empress, I shall stay a while to make sure things run smoothly."Expecting an argument, Aurora was surprised when Justum simply nodded. "I understand."He turned to the fiery-haired woman and bowed respectfully. "Farewell, Your Majesty. May the rest of your reign be a peaceful one.""Thank you," Aurora curtsied, her years of training taking over. She then moved forward toward the Fate holding her son.Just
Empress of the World The Seal is Broken
The entire company of the Fates exited through the celestial portal and filled the sky with their terrifying presence. Their light magic emanating from them was oppressive even to the other magical creatures.As soon as Hanna grabbed the Empress's arm, Aurora blinked and was instantly across the field beside the slowly waking Cafer. The Fate slapped the magic blocking cuffs on the gnome and stepped back as he came to his senses.Cafer grabbed his head, unsure of what had happened. The last thing he remembered was being blasted by a light before everything went dark.He had seen, but been unable to process, the source of the light on the other side of the battlefield. Whatever it was had power beyond anything he had ever seen.As he opened his eyes, he was greeted with a reproachful look from his least favorite Fate. He instinctively tried to use his earth magic to repel Hanna. That is when he noticed the cuffs on his wrists. "What is the meaning of this?" he demanded as he stood to hi
Empress of the World Deliverance
Mairwen and Nurlan had finished dispensing with the leprechauns and were monitoring the capture of the dark blue troops. Minor skirmishes were going on here and there, but overall the New Emperor's army had surrendered."I want to know how Mother and Father are doing," the princess told the general. They both glanced behind them and toward the sea. They could see neither of the battles clearly. However, they could hear the sounds of war wafting over the Beachy plains and see that at least some of the ships were still floating in the sea. The Emperor and Empress still had work to do."A fairy will come and get you once it is safe," Nurlan assured her. "Until then, we will stay put."Mairwen sighed and bit the inside of her cheek. "The waiting is harder than the battling."Not wanting to contradict the princess, Nurlan shrugged. "The time certainly seems to go slower when nothing is happening," he mused.Listening quietly, Eira was glad for the moment of peace. There were far too few of
