Teraphon was standing in front of his bedroom window which was inside of the Spider Domain’s castle. From there he had a clear view of most of the city of Arach. He took his time as he analyzed the city piece by piece, taking in even the smallest of details. Statues of previous Spider Domain leaders looked at him as if they were challenging him to be a greater ruler than they were. Rough and worn down shacks, which served as homes for the civilians, were densely clustered in various areas. People roamed throughout the city, going on about their business as usual.
The most noticeable feature of Arach that Teraphon could see, even in the dimness of the setting sun, was spider webs that were all over the place. The entire city contained a mess of webs that were attached to trees, the ground, and many man-made structures. It was a type of decoration that could be found in almost every city within the Spider Domain, and Teraphon looked at it with a strong sense of pride.
Every day, Teraphon took some time to keenly observe Arach. He believed it was a city that he was destined to rule over. He made a vow to himself that he would make sure that Arach would one day become the capital of the world. Teraphon was drawn back to reality from his vision when he heard a knock at his door.
“Enter,” he said.
The heavy iron door slowly creaked open and in came Rubax. He was Teraphon’s most trusted ally and the only person who he could call a friend. For over twelve years, they fought together to take control of the Spider Domain and eventually the entire continent of Zitonia. Teraphon had great respect for Rubax and appointed him as his primary advisor.
“I have good news, Tear. Six days ago the Sting Force was successfully able to infiltrate and attack the Land of Birds. They killed close to a dozen men and escaped unharmed.”
Teraphon smiled sinisterly.
“This is excellent, Rubax. War is guaranteed at this point, just like we planned. We are now one step closer to taking down the chordates and returning to our homeland.”
“I’m sure a counter-attack will be coming soon.”
“No doubt about it. They’re probably sailing across the Ganchian as we speak. We’re spiders though. We’ll wait for them to fall into our web and then we’ll feed. Besides, those birds had it coming to them. Sneaking around our land and trying to dig up some dirt without us knowing.”
“Indeed. You are the Goliath birdeater, after all. It was only right that they were the first ones to be put in their place. Since we know that a counter-attack is imminent, will we make any changes to our defense plan?”
“Not at this time. I’m confident that the insect and crustacean domains will be able to lock down the western coast,” said Teraphon.
“Well, I guess it’s time to watch things unfold for now. There is one more matter that I need to bring to your attention. There’s a trio of revolters who were arrested in Acht City. They are being detained here in the castle and are awaiting your sentencing.”
“Ahh . . . Another revolt group? That’s the fourth one this week.” Teraphon pulled in the curtain that covered his window. “We’ll take care of this now, while I’m still in the mood.”
Teraphon and Rubax left the room and made their way to the underground level of the castle where prisoners were kept. When they reached the bottom of the stone steps that led underground, they reached a metal gate. It was about three meters tall and wide enough to squeeze a rhino through. A guard, suited in silver armor, unlocked the gate with a key and they entered the detention area. They walked down a hallway, passing by numerous prisoner cells that were on both sides of them. There was an uproar from the prisoners as they watched the polarizing ruler stroll past their cells with his advisor.
Teraphon had a very daunting presence, as he was well over two meters tall and wore all black clothing. He was dressed in his signature thin coat, which was long enough to reach his ankles, and he wore a black cowboy hat.
The place was somewhat dark and cold, even though fire-lit torches were positioned every few meters along the walls. The mixed odor of sulfur and mildew made the unsettling environment feel even more disturbing. Rubax led Teraphon to the cell where the revolt leader was being held. The prisoner was laying on a bed made of straw and looking up at the ceiling. Rubax made their presence known to him by saying, “Good evening.”
The young man quickly raised his head and then rose to his feet. Rubax continued to speak.
“The man standing next to me is the strong and fearless ruler of Zitonia, Teraphon. You can plead whatever case you have to him at this time until he comes to a decision.”
The man in the cell charged towards them and aggressively grabbed the cell bars. He looked up into Teraphon’s eyes.
“You are no ruler of mine. I could never follow someone who resorts to violence to achieve things. Your plans for war will cost thousands of people their lives.”
“War is essential for taking back what belongs to us. If people have to die in the process, then it will be a cause that is worthy of their sacrifice.”
“That’s what you want everyone to believe, but the truth is that you don’t give a damn about what the Zitonians want. You’re not some noble leader. You’re just a deranged man who’s holding a grudge. From the very moment that our ancestors got here, this continent has been nothing but crime, poverty, and disaster. What we need is to embrace our new home and grow from the inside, not go outside and cause more problems.”
Teraphon burst into laughter before responding.
“Hah. I can respect that someone as young as you are wants to make a difference, but you’re in over your head. Waving a sword around and shouting your thoughts to the world won’t accomplish anything. Do you honestly think I would listen to a hot-headed youngster who was foolish enough to even end up in this situation? You can believe whatever you want but that doesn’t change the fact that you and your friends brutally assaulted officers and damaged city property.”
“That’s true. There’s no point in denying what we did, but I won’t apologize or beg for your forgiveness.”
“Well all right then. That makes things easy. I can just decide your punishment and be on my way.”
The man gritted his teeth and rattled the semi-loose bars.
“If these bars weren’t here, I’d tear you apart!”
Rubax stepped up.
“How dare you speak that way to our ruler, you fool!”
Teraphon held his hand up in front of Rubax, signaling for him to calm down. He stepped closer to the cell bars.
“What is your name?”
“It’s Ehrus.”
“Well, Ehrus. It seems like you want to settle this with violence. Do you think that you would stand a chance against me?” Ehrus did not answer and just stared at Teraphon with malicious looking eyes. “If you want the chance to tear me apart, how about we have a duel? A one on one fight to decide your fate.”
“What do you mean by fate?”
“If you accept my challenge, win or lose, your partners will be released from our custody. But I should warn you that a fight with me is a battle to the death. If you defeat me, I’ll be dead and you will be free. You’ll no longer have to worry about my reign as the ruler of Zitonia. If you lose, you’re dead. Refusing this challenge would result in you and your partners rotting in these cells for the rest of your lives.”
Skeptical, Rubax said, “Tear, are you sure about this? You wouldn’t benefit from this in any way.”
“It’s all right, Rubax.” Teraphon turned his attention back to the prisoner. “So, Ehrus. I will provide you with two full days to prepare your mind and body. You and the others will have suitable living arrangements and be fed well. There will be space for you to train if you wish and you will have access to any weapon at the castle’s disposal, including any of your confiscated ones. The fight will be held in the Arach Arena in front of a crowd of Spider Domain citizens. I’ll see to it that your friends have a front-row seat. Do you accept my challenge? I want your answer right now.”
Ehrus was slow to answer as he was evidently thinking deeply about the situation. Teraphon may not have had much to gain, but they both certainly had everything to lose. Demanding an immediate answer was a tactic that Teraphon used on Ehrus to mess with his mind and cause him to make a panicked decision.
Teraphon boosted the pressure even more. “Well? What will it be? I expect you to choose wisely as the leader of your little gang.”
“I . . . I accept!”
That fear-striking smile came back to Teraphon’s face.
“Excellent. I will send guards for you all shortly.”
Ehrus watched as Teraphon and Rubax walked down the hallway. Neither one of them looked back.
Fantasy
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