I looked at the paper in my hand and sat down on my throne. My assumptions that anything but what an emperor sat on, should not be called a throne had been ridiculed and smashed by my brother. Every notable city, region, or island had once been a kingdom. When they had been conquered or seceded in the Voss Duchy’s case, their thrones had been taken and placed in a place of honor under the emperor’s throne. Finally, a replica of the thrones had been created in the emperor’s true fifteen foot size, with all the motifs and new features and placed in the throne rooms in the kingdom.

  That made these artifacts a part of transportation network of the kingdom. A very special and high priority part. Two of these replicas were granted to every region. One was installed in the embassy halls and the other was installed in throne room at the region. These had special features in them that only the emperor could use. And now, that his bloodline had been passed down, My siblings and I could use them too.

  The only issue was unlocking their functions. Father was a genius. He was brilliant, and amazing. He was also father. He knew over twenty languages. He designed his artifacts on a whim, and picked whichever language he wanted them to work in. He had designed his thrones in the islands language because the thrones reminded him of the ones that the islanders had used. The problem was the whole island civilization had stopped existing fifteen hundred years ago.

  No, he didn’t want to keep the transportation system from people. In fact, their were three other and more advanced transportation systems in the empire. Port stones were one of them. They connected once city to a handful of nearby cities. All one had to do was a pay a fees and go touch the port stone in the central square. Then there were the rings of travel, thirty feet in diameter, these rings laid flat on the floor until they were activated. They did cause some discomfort among the travelers and were primarily used for transporting goods. The last and the newest one were portal arches. Free standing circular arches that were custom made to order by the transport guilds, connected all of the empire’s holding.

  What was annoying was that Voss mountains had all three of these teleportation mechanisms. But I was forbidden to use them by father. I was a Truechild. The emperors flesh and blood. An heir to the throne. My arrival needed to make statement. And that is why I had to use this throne, to connect to the one in the mountains and take my place there.

  The throne hummed. Clicking sounds came from its base. The locking mechanisms disengaged. The throne began to move. I held on to its armrest. It spun once, twice, thrice and started gaining speed. It suddenly stopped. Two beams of light shot out from it, hitting a random spot in the hall. And a rip of cloth announced a portal opening.

  For a fleeting moment I saw muddy waters, trees and boulders. The next moment something like a large lizard launched itself through the portal and at me. I was on my feet in an instant. The lizard landed with a thud. I charged. The lizard looked at me and hissed. I grabbed it by its lower jaw. It shut its mouth to bite. I punched.

  The lizard’s head bounced of the floor. It tried to disengage. I punched it again. And again. And again.

  “Brother! It is dead.” Sage’s voice stopped my next blow from landing.

  I looked past the dimming portal to the main door. Sage had arrived with his partners and a handful of guards. I nodded at him in greeting.

  “Need some help?” Sage asked while looking at the throne returning to its original spot.

  I looked at him and turned to look back to the throne. I punched the lizard again.

  “I will take that as a yes.” Sage laughed and turned to look at everyone else in the hall “Alright, fun is over now. Go back to what you were doing.”

  I looked around. I had been so lost in my thoughts that I had missed all the people around. They were all looking at me in stunned shock. For them everything had happened so suddenly that they did not know how to react. Except for Saha, she had rushed to my aid with glowing blue magic. Most probably ice only to be stopped by her advisor, and that large female knight who had put herself in the middle of her and the lizard with a naked sword.

  To think of it a lot of people around the hall had unsheathed their swords and knives. A faux pas in the capital but these were mountain folk. And a people at war. They didn’t have time for niceties. I kind of liked that.

  “My lord Truechild. Are you okay?” Saha asked while looking at my hand which was holding the jaw of the beast.

  I looked down. The beast had thin needle like teeth which had penetrated all the way through my hand and come out on the other side. Now, my hand was leaking blood everywhere.

  “Of course he is not okay. Do you know dragongators are poisonous?” Sage stepped next to me.

  We looked at each other towering between the rest of normal sized people. I found relaxing not to have to look down for a change. Sage seemed to feel the same and smiled.

  “Brother. Is this your first kill?” Sage asked.

  I looked down at the best and nodded.

  Sage looked at the beast “How long do you think this gator is?”

  “Twenty two feet and three inches.” Another Truechild walked into my hall.

  Ilya Truechild the emperor’s little flower looked at me with a hint of annoyance and added “You best me by one feet and three inches.”

  I looked blankly at her and then turned to Sage for an explanation,

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  Sage looked at me and sighed “It’s a thing we Truechilds do. We compare our kills. I killed a twenty foot large bear.”

  “Nineteen feet.” Ilya corrected.

  “And you killed a fox.” Sage shot back.

  “It was twenty one feet tall.” Ilya stressed.

  I didn’t understand what the issue was then. The dragongator was long but only about nine feet tall.

  “Okay but you strangled it with your magic. And when it was running away.” Sage continued his argument.

  “It was a fox. Foxes are smart.” Ilya shot back.

  Sage pointed at the beast latched on to my hand and folded his hands “That is a dragongator.”

  Ilya took a step back and gasped dramatically “Little brother. Have you found a little brother of your own?”

  “My lords? My lady?” General Lloyd walked to us and gave us an exasperated look “Could you please let go of the beast so that we can have it cleared? It’s just evacuated it bowls and it is stinking up your hall.”

  Both Sage and Ilya crinkled their noses just now noticing the smell. I had been aware of everything that was happening in the hall. A good hunter was always aware of his surrounding. He listened, he observed and then he struck. So, the sight of people running out while gagging had drawn my attention. That was followed by windows being thrown open and incenses being burned. The broken and soiled furniture being dragged out had even caused a ruckus. And Sage and Ilya hadn’t noticed anything. It was like the little people distress didn’t matter to them until it was life threatening.

  Thankfully this had been a relatively private party. It was the General, a handfull of his soldiers, the Truchilds and their favorite, and Saha… She was holding my free hand. He palm holding three of my fingers. There was concern in her eyes.

  She gulped and pointed at my other hand. In a small faint voice she said “My lord. That is a lot of blood.”

  I wanted to lean down and kiss her at that moment. I barely held myself back and looked down at my feet in embarrassment.

  “Okay, that is sickeningly cute.” Ilya chuckled.

  Sage smiled comforting at Saha “Calm lady Saha. There is a reason I haven’t healed Voss yet. A dragongator has mana venom. Mana that is breaking down in Voss’s body and strengthening it.”

  “Truechilds and their strange ways.” The general grumbled under his breath and shook his head. He looked up and asked “So, we are taking the lizard with us?”

  I looked at the General and I had an idea. I smiled.

  “I think that means a yes.” Sage announced and added “Maybe have some water mages was its filth off.”

  General sighed “As you wish Lord Truechild.” While walking away he grumbled “I will just conjure up a few water mages out of nowhere.”

  Ilya was looking at me with her head cocked to one side “Can you talk?”

  What did she think I was? Mute?

  “Of course he talks.” Sage answered for me and added “When he wants to.”

  Ilya nodded “Okay, so youngest brother. What is your opinion about us being packed off and into safety while the adults handle the damned soul situation?”

  Sage walked to the throne and sighed “Ilya, what's there to say. Father wants to trace the contamination back to its source. He will call us when he needs us.”

  Ilya rolled her eyes “Just my luck. I have a little brother who doesn’t shut up and a new one who doesn’t talk.”

  “Stop picking on him.” Sage worked the throne and looked at me “Don’t let her bully you.”

  Ilya looked me in my eyes “Well then, say something.”

  “I need a hammer. A really large hammer.” I said.

  Everyone looked at me in silence.

  Sage snorted “Told you he talks.”

  An hour later a portal in the Voss Fortress’s throne room opened. The noble men and women turned to look at the larger than life throne that had turned to face the wall. Red armored soldiers spilled out of the portal to the side. Everyone clambered to turn and look through the portal. They all wanted to be the first one to look at the new Truechild Duke that had come to govern them. Instead first one, then another Truechild walked in to the throne making the throne for the first time in its life feel normal sized.

  Then I walked in with one of my hands resting lightly on Saha’s delicate shoulder. The other dragged in the large lizard by its soft throat. The throne room which had felt large and airy before began to feel crowded. Good. I needed these people to be unnerved. The hunter had come to his domain and these people needed to realize that.

  The people assembled looked at us in shock. First in ones and twos, they got their wits together and started to kneel. Then all together at once everyone was down on one knee.

  I nodded down at Saha and she nodded to the advisor.

  “All rise!” The advisor shouted and his voice echoed in the fortress’s hall.

  Drums banged thrice and a trumpet blared from the gallery. Finally and a herald cried. “My lords. My ladies. Her Grace. Ilya Truechild. The Dutchess of the Isles of Ilya. To the right. His Grace. Sage Truechild. The Duke of the City of Sage. And his Imperial Highness, Voss Truechild.”

  The announcements of our names and titles gave everyone the time to take their knees of the pillow set their for them. Straighten and look at us. Their heads turned up and we could see the shock and awe in their expression. We let them take us in and moved really slowly. No one liked something as large as us, moving fast. Slowly the shock passed and saw the looks we were getting change The women in the hall seemed to swoon at Sage. Who smiled knowingly and grinned. That set them off in giggles and chuckles. The men who had given Ilya intimidated looks now looked appreciatively at her legs. And they not daunted by my sister’s dismissive look.

  No one looked at me. Or they tried not to. But I was hard to ignore. I was dragging a bloody carcass of an animal not seen in this part by my side.

  I walked past my siblings and looked down at all of those who had assembled in here. Silently I held up the dragongator’s head. It’s blood hadn’t stopped spilling and as I jostled it, chunks of brain matter fell to the floor.

  I blinked in surprise. I looked at the gators head. I didn’t know I had put a hole on the left side of its head. I heard squeals and gasps. My siblings turned to look at me. I just pointed at the head and shrugged.

  The emperor’s heirs looked at each other and snorted. What was supposed to be using echoed like thunder in the room. And down below the humans who usually towered over their fellow men, suddenly felt very very small.

  I stepped forward still holding the lizard in my hand. I didn’t raise my voice. I was fourteen foot tall and my large lungs carried normally deep voice. In the emperor’s throne room, my voice rolled out and reached all assembled “I am Voss Truechild. I have come to do two things. Hunt and break down that wall.”