Page 2 of Shadow Throne King
“The Kennelmaster isn’t wrong. You did your father a great service by exposing secrets here in the court, but the Emperor’s Dogs are only a small portion of the Kennelmaster’s resources. It would be… wasteful to ignore their usefulness.” Saxu looked down at the dead man. “And now is not a time when we have many resources to waste. With three-fourths of the imperial military gone, I believe the Kennelmaster is trying to offer his own men to make up for some of what we lack.”
“Your counsel, as always, is appreciated.” Tallu looked up, but General Saxu was too old and experienced to be concerned by the glare of the emperor. “But I am not my father, and I will not give that man as long a leash.”
Saxu nodded, his face impossible to read. “What are Your Imperial Majesty’s orders?”
“Tell me of the other generals,” Tallu said, as though that was answer enough.
“Of course.” Saxu bowed his head, his dark hair streaked with gray strands. “Would it please Your Imperial Majesty to adjourn to my office?”
Tallu turned, the only acknowledgment he made of Saxu’s words. As he left the room, the lights brightened, the crackling of Tallu’s anger seeping out of them. Saxu and his aides followed, leaving me alone with the body.
I stayed with the body, taking a moment to truly see it. It seemed wrong leaving it alone. In the north, we fed our dead to the sea serpents, but here a man couldn’t be sent to the afterlife without his head, so these men were forever doomed.
The removal of their heads had been pointed, purposeful, just as it had been when Kacha had done it to one of his own men. The Shadow King wanted the Imperium to know he was an enemy who would take away their access to eternal afterlife in addition to their living present.
If Krustau attacked the Imperium, wasn’t our work done? The dwarven nation would fall upon the generals. Win or lose, the Imperium was like a whale carcass left too long in the sun: ready to explode at the first touch of a vulture.
Unless someone else got hold of Prince Hallu, rallying the other generals under one banner. Reaching out, I put a hand on the dead man’s chest. His metal armor was scratched from travel and felt cool to the touch. “You served the Imperium well. I am sorry you came to this end.”
Under my hand, the armor shivered, moving. Not like breath, not like life, but as though a snake slithered between the flesh and the plating. Frowning, I pulled back at the edges of the armor, and something darted out from beneath.
It was an insect, as long as my forearm, what felt like a hundred tiny legs gripping the arm of my jacket. Jerking back,I tried shaking it off. Its body had multiple parts, each section with its own set of legs, and two enormous black eyes on the head. Antennae probed my elbow, and it started up my arm.
I shook harder, but I was hesitant to actually reach out and touch the creature. Enormous mandibles moved around its mouth, opening and closing, dripping clear liquid onto my jacket.
The creature turned to me, its eyes catching mine. A voice crackled in the back of my head.
Yes, you. You will do nicely.
For too long, I gaped at it. I had not been able to animal speak for months, not since General Kacha had successfully ripped it from my brain, leaving behind a hole in my head that ached occasionally, a painful reminder of what I was missing.
“What are you?” I asked.
Too late, I realized the creature’s intention. It reached my neck, its small feet pricking the skin, drawing blood as it headed straight for my ear. It was planning on entering my body.
I grabbed at it with my other hand, but the creature was too fast, skittering along the collar of my jacket, disappearing under the fabric.
I yanked it off, throwing it on the ground, and drew one of my blades. I could no longer feel the creature. Where was it?
There was a hissing sound, and I felt a hundred tiny legs against my back. It had made its way under my shirt, touching my skin.
I didn’t hesitate. I threw myself backward, landing hard on the ground, crushing the creature to death under my weight. Lying there, I panted, closing my eyes to feel if it still moved. The liquid remnants of the insect felt sticky and cold on my skin.
A chittering, clacking sound echoed against metal, and I opened my eyes. The corpse began to move, the whole chest plate writhing, his limbs twitching asynchronously.
The corpse sat up, and the only reason I didn’t scream like a child told a frightening story around a campfire was because of my training. Instead, I leapt to my feet, crouching low and holding out my dagger.
Two more of the creatures crept from under the soldier’s armor, as though they were flames breathed by the dragon emblazoned on his chest plate. One darted down to the floor, while the other fell off the table, landing on my thigh. I dropped and rolled, trying to use my weight to kill it, but I only managed to crush part of it, and the creature tore itself free, continuing to move up my pelvis with only half a body, dark fluid streaking my silken clothes. I used my dagger to pry it off of my pants, slamming my hand down on the flat of the blade to crush it entirely.
In my distraction, I lost track of the other one, and I stood, looking around, searching the dark corners, trying to find a hint of movement. A chittering sound echoed, and I spun, realizing too late the creature was already next to my ear, its head pushing inside.
A hand grabbed the insect and pulled it free from my skin, flicking it to the floor. Asahi stood close to me and raised his boot to slam it down on top of the insect.
“What took you so long?” I asked.
“I was speaking with the Kennelmaster in the hall,” he said, his serious voice quiet. “And you made no sound indicating distress.”
“You expect me to scream like an actress in a stage play? Shall I practice my vibrato?” I turned my attention to the body, still sitting up, its limbs trembling.