"Today….."
A thick blanket of smoke rose to the sky, carrying the souls of the dead with it, its weight blocking out the sun. It smelled putrid, the burning flesh and blood, their cries long silenced by the march of the soldiers, hammering like war drums of the gods.
Hundreds stood in a clearing, the earth as black as night with dust rising at each step. They were soldiers, each of them. Dull armour coated with blood and flesh, their faces grim with cuts and bruises, and their bodies tired yet—yet each and every one of them was fervent!
Fervent to see their lord!
Their ruler!
….Their Emperor!
And among the many was Kaelev, a nobody, his body thin and scrawny—just strong enough to carry his armour and lift his sword.
His dark hair stuck together, damp with mud and sweat, his pale skin itchy with grime, a stark contrast to the blackened circles around his dull eyes of dried blood.
Yet like the rest, his eyes shone. His exhaustion forgotten and his chest, full of air, 'he's here!' He breathed inwardly…. The Emperor, he's here!
Standing before the soldiers, a man stood on a hill of rubble; bodies beneath him groaned in pain, but none could hear them.
"Today ...is the end of the old world," the man began, his voice a low growl.
"The end of their alliances built on fear! The end of their fates made of cowardice!"
His frame stood tall, his hands behind his back as his long blonde hair whipped across the wind.
"Today, we march not for glory! Not for gold or peace!" He raised his voice, a thunder across the dead, his blue eyes burning in fervour.
"Today, we march for their blood! To slit the throats of those who called us demons – of those who spat on the empire, calling us parasites!"
The soldiers clenched their wrists, tightly gripping their swords. Those scorns, the curses, the humiliation! It burned in their hearts, raging—They haven't forgotten!
The Emperor raised his hand high in the air, his fingers curling into fists, "Today, we march for their lives! To end their cherished freedoms!"
THUMP
Banging his fist to his heart, he roared, "All nations shall kneel to the empire! And shall remember this as the last day of their freedom!"
BADUMP
Their hearts pounded, their bodies trembling with rage as they collectively thumped their fists to their chests, roaring.
""TO BLEED THEIR FATES!!""