The Warlord of West Aires

"Flour, cocoa, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, espresso powder and a pinch of potassium cyanide. That, is how a lady topples an empire."

Anathema lovingly mixed the contents into a bowl undeserving of such an elegant dish. The aroma of coffee and savory chocolate begged me to indulge a taste, despite being fully aware of the date.

She was adorned in a long black robe that both complimented her figure and insulted your's. The edges were flayed into sharp strands that suggested a flippant disregard for practicality. She wore a men's lapis lazuli jacket which she had disrespectfully cut to a shorter length and added artificial tears for aesthetic effect, advertising her blatant disregard for authority whether patriarchal or pious.

Her dark black kinky hair was fruitlessly restrained by a wreath of bright Larkspur and Forget-me-nots, a fitting adornment for a witch who would never remember your name. Her ensemble was topped off with dark leather boots equipped with a cozy blue fur on the ankles which I'm sure was acquired from some rare beast no man has ever had the luxury to see.

As she let the cake bake she walked over to her alchemy table to continue her lesson. "What do we call this?" She quizzed me with the raise of a wild eyebrow. "Sugar? No! Potassium cyanide!" I replied.

"Correct. Just as you briefly mistook this for sugar, Lord Foxwind the First and his party will also make this fatal flaw. However, we have a tool they lack that will allow us to determine it's identity for certain." She said with a sly smile on her dark blue stained lips.

As she began pulling out a series of thin cylindrical glasses and mugs from the cabinet above her, I couldn't help but notice the litany of scars adorning her wrist and forearm as her sleeves slid down. A series of petitions against her own life, all of which I'm sure, were submitted by herself. With a tilt of my head I could almost read a word in the collage of scars. Her arm appeared to read, 'Oath Breaker'.

"This process is called a titration, which I'm sure you remember. By adding our mystery substance to a mixture of known reagents, part of that mixture being hydroxocobalamin which is the antidote to the cyanide poison, we can determine through chemical reaction whether or not our mystery substance is indeed potassium cyanide. The chemical reaction we'll be observing is that of color change!" She gleamed with a child like vigor.

She then carefully dropped the substance into the transparent mixture as she simultaneously stirred it with intent. A light pink cloudy swirl emanated from the bottom of the glass and immediately darkened in color as the once clear liquid transformed into a bright purple. Almost unable to contain her glee Anathema screeched, "There you have it! Purple! The color of poison..." She jokingly said in a seductive voice.

Noticing my utter lack of a reaction she chuckled then straightened her posture. She then took two intention filled steps towards me looking into my eyes with a pair of bright fiery hazel eyes that complimented her dark ebony skin. She spoke with a severe lack of empathy that rivalled my own. "To fail tonight would be to fail at life. I expect everything to go swimmingly and it WILL go swimmingly on my end. However, if you happen to fail... Be aware that I've prepared for that so that my end goal is still attained. Your well being however, completely relies on you. Now, tell me your duties for tonight."

I snapped to and responded as intelligently as I could, "Today is March 48th 3067, the day that Foxwind the third, the next in line as lordship of West Aires turns nine. My duty is to serve the cake that will be eaten at his birthday celebration. I am to ensure that every member of your husband's party that could challenge your claim to the throne eats a slice of the chocolate cake that we have prepared as well as everyone else in the room who may be a witness. Once the poison takes I am to go into the cupboard under the winery cabinet and remove the bottom of the container. Underneath that is a secret compartment where you will have left an antidote for myself. I am then to use this dagger to puncture the heart of each and every member of the party to solidify you as the next in line of lordship under the Vorche agreement. Once that is done I am to meet you in the throne room and hand you the dagger, then stand as witness for your commencement."

She gave a half hearted smile which made me doubt my safety if I were to have answered wrong. "Good. My husband's idiotic treaty will be the death of him. I have already lost one child to his weak rule. I will not lose another. I will not. The dagger is the key component in our plan. Whoever is holding that when the royal guard arrives will be seen as the new lord of Aires. It is VITAL that it is promptly placed in my hand once your business is done. They will never let a peasant rule and it is the only way to guarantee your safety. The cake is done. Come we have an empire to take."

She finished the cake with a delicate frosting and thrusted into my arms what might as well have been a ticking time bomb, capable of rocking the entire kingdom to it's core. Then, she grabbed three small brown vials and poured a clear liquid into each which would serve as our antidotes.

As we left the study we walked along a walkway which had to have been over 50 yards high and despite the distance I could still hear their screams.

"WAR! WAR! WAR! WAR! WAR!" They begged from the ground. They looked like an army of ants more than men and women begging for something someone like myself would never survive. Begging for war. They were the rebellion of West Aires. A radical group that wanted West Aires to be independent from the kingdom of Aires. The fools actually believed they could accomplish that through war. They waved their swords from the ground which might as well have been sticks compared to the Empire's pre-eruption heavy artillery.

We continued down the corridor which had been empty as I tried and failed to keep up with Anathema. The corridor was empty which was an unusual occurrence. To put it into perspective, lightning striking the same point thrice was more likely than this corridor being empty. This particular corridor is what the aristocracy used to travel between their living quarters and their individual studies where their work was done.

The fact that the corridor was indeed empty meant that the empire wasn't making money. Which was as rare as a green moon. However, since Lady Anathema was walking down this particular corridor, the corridor was empty.

We descended down a series of stairs as I thought about my situation. I was in the process of helping a woman poison her entire family. This probably should have made me feel bad, but the thing is...

Im a psychopath.

My whole life I knew something was off about myself, as did everyone else. It wasn't until I met Anathema that I learned there was a word for this alienation. I am completely incapable of feeling any emotion, I cannot become addicted to any substance and I completely lack empathy. I believe this is why Lady Anathema chose me to assist her, she was aware that I did not entertain the foolish idea of morality.

As we reached the lower level of the kingdom Lady Anathema hastened her pace while maintaining a posture that accentuated her height and nobility. The castle was a sort of old pre-eruption stadium and as we approached the center I began to smell the flowers in the Forest of Lord Foxwind the First. Or the triple F as the nobles called it.

"Peasant boy! Come! Come!" Echoed an almost ethereally deep growl of a grizzled veteran. I instinctually froze to notice Lord Foxwind the First waving me to join him near the overwatch of the triple F. I looked towards Lady Anathema for approval but she had only increased her pace, successfully selling the illusion that we had no prior connections. 

I stood on the balcony watching the small forest and noticed Foxwind the Third smashing rocks together in a garden. The boy meticulously slammed the rocks together then picked up the pieces and put them in a stone bowl. He then rolled up his white and pink striped sleeves and started steering the rocks in the bowl with what appeared to be a long cylindrical rock he had found. The boy had light brown skin and soft curly hair as well as a look of pure innocence. As he stirred he had the unbridled concentration of a child at play.

The Lord let out a deep hearty laugh that echoed without the aid of walls. "The boy is so impatient for his cake he intends to make his own!" Said the lord with a loving glow on his face. My indifference seemed to have made him uneasy as he looked at me briefly and immediately looked back at his son.

"I love him so much" he quietly admitted. His eyes begging for permission to cry which I'm sure was a luxury no one had ever thought to give him. The seven foot tall giant of a man had the look of a warrior who had never seen the end of battle, yet he appeared as soft as a flower and his son, even softer. Most boys at that age would be found covered in mud and scrapes, yet despite having the luxury of playing in the dirt all day the little lord hadn't a single stain on him. I almost vocally wondered how these two could have any relation to Lady Anathema at all.

The king straightened his face and attempted to look stern. "Young Fox will love this cake. I thank you for your service boy, please take it to the party room, I shall gather Young Fox and the rest shortly. Also, for future reference, he prefers vanilla cake not chocolate." Said the Lord.

"Lady Anathema told me that he preferred chocolate cake. Not vanilla." I said as I left without giving him a chance to respond. I couldn't help but enjoy the little bits of privilege I received when name dropping Lady Anathema.

As I walked down the corridor I noticed the nobles creep out of their hiding places now that the lady was absent and continue their bustle. I quickly weaved through the crowds into the room where the party was to be held. There were other peasants there preparing. We did not speak. The life of a peasant was not a social one.

I set the cake on the table and stood accordingly with the dagger wrapped in a napkin placed elegantly in my hand. As a lowly peasant my job was to stand here and hold the knife for cutting the cake. I was a glorified desk. However, under Anathema's rule, i would be a glorified desk... with respect. I couldn't help but imagine myself getting caught with the dagger after our coup. What if the new lord of West Aires... Was a peasant.

No. They'd kill me. These nobles would never be able to live with a peasant lord. It's already bold of us to assume they'd accept a woman.

I must have disassociated because all of sudden i felt the dagger get yanked out of my hand which caused me to realize the room had been filled with nobles and the peasants who I had seen before had disappeared.

The man who had taken the dagger from me had a disgusted look on his face. "You must peel these peasants right of the street eh, Brother?" The man then cut himself the first slice of cake and promptly ate it.

A feeling of excitement ran through my body. "A man who eats the first slice of cake on a childs birthday. Id say... wherever that peasant boy had been scraped from couldn't be nearly as ratchet as your place of stay." Said a noble woman who I didn't recognize.

There were seven people in the room including myself. All that was missing was Lady Anathema. The lord took the dagger from the rude man and used it to cut a slice of cake for himself and his son. "Eat up my boy, you deserve it." Bellowed the man in a tone three octaves short of a growl.

The boy eagerly ate his slice as soon as it landed making it appear as if it was indeed his favorite. The Lord passed the dagger to the woman on his right who had not stopped talking since I realized she was there.

"I'll say Foxwind, do you shop for silver ware at the local armory? This blade is more fit for war than for cake!" She said while bursting into laughter.

The Lord's voice cracked through the bustle of the room like lightning as he noticed his son already eating the cake. "BOY! wait for the..."

"Tester? Settle down husband I had all the dishes tested for poison before they arrived. No need to shout, we don't need another quake." Interrupted Lady Anathema as she carelessly strolled in late.

The rude man began laughing and attempted speaking with a mouthful of cake, "Slept through your own son's birthday did..."

"Lance, as much as we'd all love to hear you attempt to form a competent thought... out loud. I'm afraid there simply isn't enough hours in the day. Do me a favor and swallow before speaking next time, your a big boy now." Lady Anathema interrupted while managing to not once look into the now enraged man's direction.

The chatty woman gave Lady Anathema a look of disapproval as she shockingly began to continue speaking, "Wow, Lady Anathema... You look..."

"Better than you? Yes, a sixty year age difference will do that to you. How old are you now? Twenty? Or was it, thirty years older than your husband? I forget." Anathema said confidently.

Her remark caused Lord Foxwind to burst into a fit of giggling as he stood to kiss his wife on the cheek. "Now now, my deer play nice with the guest." Said the Lord behind an obvious smirk.

As if to prove her earlier point the Lady grabbed a slice and ate it herself never once making the rookie mistake of acknowledging my presence. She asked the group if anyone else besides her would like some wine and everyone bellowed out in agreement.

"Peasant boy! Come, come there's one slice left. Help yourself." Bellowed the giant of a man. For a moment I thought I'd have the luxury of avoiding the slice of chocolate cake but somehow the Lady just knew her husband would make me an offer. We planned this as well, I quietly walked over, retrieved the dagger and ate the last slice of chocolate cake without hesitation. The entire time the Lord had glared at me with an intensity I had not yet seen from him. He was looking for the slightest flinch, the smallest awkward movement any sign of a threat to his life. I ate the cake as if I wasn't the one who helped poison it. Then I returned to my station but not without catching a slight hint of admiration on the Lady's face.

The lady slyly poured one of the antidotes in her son's mug and one in her own then handed a mug to her son. The boy having now finished his cake ran towards the door with not a speck of chocolate on his mouth. It was as if the child did not have the ability to get dirty. This startled the Lady who had not yet seen him drink his antidote which prompted her to drink hers and catch up with the child.

I impatiently waited for my turn to run towards the cupboard to get my own antidote when I saw a look on the Lady's face I had never thought was possible.

The lady froze in place which slowly gathered the attention of the room as her face became ever more encompassed, in fear. She began clawing at her throat and then violently couched letting out a hail of red mist until she finally collapsed to the floor in a full seizure.

"ANATHEMA!!!" Let out the lord with a force that could rival an explosion. The Lord stood up just to fall over on the ground unable to move. The Lady lay on the ground in front of him lifeless and one by one the party members began to collapse unable to breathe.

I walked over to Anathema and reached into her jacket pulling out a small half empty vial of antidote. I could not put my finger on what had went wrong, I should have been sad but i felt nothing. I had only felt disappointed that Anathema was no longer with me. Out of every person I had ever encountered in this life, she was the only person I respected.

As every member of the party fell over I decided that I would soon be next and that perhaps the antidote would work for me. I drunk the entire vial reasoning that perhaps a reaction with the wine caused the antidote to fail. I opened my eyes and felt a tinge of excitement. I lived.

Or so I thought, I tried to open my mouth but couldn't, i couldn't seem to swallow or breathe. An ever increasing pain began to form in my stomach as my body became frozen in a searing heat. My pores began to burn as my eyes began to water and my vision had gotten blurry. I couldn't even manage to reach for my now locked throat as I collapsed to the ground along side Lady Anathema. Our plan had apparently completely failed. The brilliant Lady of West Aires was a mad warlock after all who had botched her recipe for an antidote. I shouldn't have put so much trust in her.

As I faded in and out of consciousness I saw the boy walk back into the room. I faintly heard the lord calling to him, us both likely wondering how he survived.

For the first time in his entire life I'm sure, the Lord spoke at an indoor volume. "You have to be strong and... And rule... My boy. The... Kingdom... They need you... Go... Dont... Worry about me... Go... And rule... I'll be..."

"I'm aware." Said the boy in a cold tone as he emotionlessly turned and left his dying father... mid sentence. The Lord's face was riddled in shock.

His son confidently walked to the wine cupboard, opened the secret compartment and revealed the antidote that was meant for me in one motion. He then grabbed a mug and began pouring the antidote into the mug. I watched the bright purple liquid flow into the mug in such a satisfying way that it distracted me from the pain of my lungs caving in. The boy then sprinkled some green powder he pulled from his pocket into the mug and drunk the contents in one gulp.

The little lord then walked over to me and kneeled over my head as he ripped the dagger from my hand which I gripped tightly out of pain alone. For a brief moment I could see into his eyes and I had witnessed a sight that was never gifted to me by any mirror. I witnessed, my reflection. His eyes were completely devoid of emotion and hadn't the slightest trace of empathy. This child had managed to be completely clean of all human feelings. He was, just like me.

I mustered the last traces of life I had in my body to force my bottom jaw free in an attempt to speak. And with my dying words I asked him, "H-h-how... D-d-d-did... Y-you... Kn-kn-know?"

As if responding to the pestering of a housefly, he responded, "I planned it."

At that exact moment the door to the room had been kicked opened revealing a burning corridor and through the flames the rebels of West Aires erupted. They held blood stained swords in one hand and the crown in the other, as if the weight was too heavy for one man alone.

As they clamoured to the boy they somehow managed to gently place the crown on young Foxwind the Thirds head, who had already finished using my dagger on his parents. The boy then entered the flames of the corridor with dagger in hand and his followers behind him, never once breaking stride.