Picking up where we left off.....
As the broken bleeding bodies of the peasant assassins were being dragged to their graves, it was found that there was still life in them. Tallpanzer snapped out of his berserk rage and tried to tend to his wounded kinsmen. However, Urist had her loyal guards Jazz and MadMonkey24 grab the barely conscious traitors and string them up from the upper ceiling-slope of the pyramid. There, Lord Jazz read a proclamation from the Empress that this would be the fate of any future traitors as well. As he spoke, pools of blood gathered below the wounded would-be assassins.
On queue, MadMonkey pulled a lever that untethered the whimpering peasants. They fell to their deaths in a most gruesome and wonderful splash of color.
The horror of the failed plot sank in to the Khamerite leadership. Immediately Khamero and his relatives gathered in secret.
"You idiot!" shouted the Grand Duchess. "You had years to think of a good assassination plot, and THIS is what you come up with? Five unarmed peasants?"
"I thought they had a chance!" cried Khamero.
"Hmmph! I'm not going to be seen with you anymore. It is too dangerous. I am going to the Empress right now and telling her that I had nothing to do with this! I will remind her of my years of loyalty while I still have my head attached to my neck." The Grand Duchess looked her son in law up and down in a most unflattering manner. "You are on your own with this one." She gave her daughter Jewelettarette one last mournful look. "Of all the dwarves in this fortress....you had to marry this pagan?". Leaving her daughter speechless, Slemsvamp left the room.
The other Khamerites gasped in horror at losing the most noble of their number.
Duke Travolta, like a rat fleeing a sinking ship, sensed that his chances were better at the side of his mother, than if he tried to win Urist's sympathies on his own. He didn't know what to say. He slowly shuffled to the door, grabbed the knob, and said "I'm gonna go see if mom needs anything. She seems real upset. I uhhh....gotta go comfort her and all...." With that, the Duke was gone as well.
"We are undone. It's hopeless now," said Imhotep with heavy sorrow in his voice.
"No!" shouted Khamero, attempting to rally his followers one last time. "These fools give up so easily! We still have my mother, she is in the military, she has been prepared to strike. Her orders had been to strike at the remaining royalists in the military as soon as she heard that the Empress was dead. Surely, when she hears that the plot has failed, she will strike at her fellow guards and we shall secure the fort in this way!"
"Yes......yes!" Airag shouted to his younger brothers. "We can still win this!"
There were a few murmurs, but eventually the brothers and sisters let out a half-hearted cheer.
"Come on, louder!" shouted Baron von Freden. He unsheathed his sword and held it in the air. "We can take them!"
Now a loud roar erupted. Khamero looked at Airag and smiled. Khamero could feel it in his veins. It was coming soon. He would be Emperor...and when he died he would pass the crown onto Airag. They just had to overcome this last hurdle. They were meeting in the old abandoned windmill tower that sat atop the old entrance to the fortress. This tower had not been in use for many decades (a demon long ago smashed most of the windmills, axles, and gears), and just outside the tower's base was the battlements overlooking the courtyard. The marksdwarves were stationed there.
"Come, she is just outside. Her squad is loyal. We will join our arms with theirs, and storm the palace!" The dwarves cheered....it was a daring plan. Not all would survive....but these dwarves knew that as relatives of the assassins, their days were already numbered and few so long as Urist sat on the throne.
"Long live the Khamerite clan!" shouted Calibur.
"Aye, we'll send the lot of 'em to one of the many unpleasant hells!" shouted Xanthius 2.0.
"HUZZAH!!!" they all shouted.
With that they stormed towards the door with great force. Who Two opened the door and charged out first. He got only a few steps before he was pushed back by 8 steel clad marksdwarves brandishing crossbows. Asmel Zulbandak, Khameros mother and grandmother to all the young dwarves present in the tower, was standing among them. The rebellious Khamerites stepped back, bewildered by the situation.
"Grandma?" muttered one of the younger dwarves in disbelief.
Asmel stepped towards Khamero, keeping her crossbow pointed at his unarmored torso. "Well, traitors....what do you have to say for yourselves?"
"How could you?" asked Khamero.
"Ha! How could YOU fail so badly at plotting and scheming?" She spit on the ground. "I'm not standing before a conquering hero.....I'm standing before an eternal failure. Of all my children.....you were the only one that survived to adulthood. And yet....of all my children....you are my biggest disappointment."
"Mother!"
"I HAVE NO SON!" Asmel tightened her grip on her crossbow, aimed it at her son's face, and then stepped forward menacingly.
"Enough!" Lord Tazgrent said, as he stepped forward and put his hand on Asmel's arm and brought her crossbow down. "You've proven your loyalty. Our orders were to take them alive. Kipi, Steve, chain up Jewelettarette and our friend Khamero here."
"Aye sir," responded the dwarves dutifully.
"Well my boy," Lord Tazgrent said as he stared coldly into Khamero's eyes. "There's going to be a trial."
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Topic: Blockedlance - No More Stops Until Ragnarok! (Read 432465 times)