Vendetta
an excerpt

Prologue: The Seven Kings of Virtue

They tamed turmoil, the seven kings. They came during a time of great strife. A time when brother fought against brother, father against son and friend against friend—they met in the field, watering it with their bitter blood. We would have smashed ourselves had it not been for the kings. They imposed order on us but their order was that of the tyrant. We paid dearly for the peace they gave.

They divided the kingdom amongst themselves. Crown ruled in the snow covered north and his kingdom was Last Hope, Ajna of Faith’s Bastion, ruled by the sea and his ships spread far and wide, Charity and the ancient Knighthood of the Black Powder was Anahata’s and Nabhi wove steel about him in the keep of Temperance, in Old Fortitude, content in the solitude provided by the mountain range called Patience, Sacral held sway, while in the heart of the land, Vishuddha sat on the Balanced Throne, ruler of New Justice and finally, Muladhara of the seven blades, kept court in the lands of Prudence.

Their rule was harsh and we all suffered in the name of peace. Our movement, our voice and our rights—everything was taken away. They gave no reward and their punishment was terrible. Everyone despised them, and our hate threatened to bring disorder into the land once more but they acted decisively, chopping away at rebellion as it came.

They had bled for this peace and they were determined to keep it. News came to us of the fates of these uprisings. In Charity, the prisoners who had been surrendered were rounded up and used as target practice by the Knighthood, Vishuddha had ordered the ringleaders of a rebellion brought to him, he beheaded them slowly, sawing away at their necks, making them feel the separation of each sinew and Muladhara himself rode against those who would raise up in arms against him and that was cruelty in itself. We feared them and rightly so. They had cultivated fear as a tool of rule, and they were not hesitant in using it.

But their time is coming to a close.

It was only a rumor at first. Ajna of Faith’s Bastion had disappeared. For three days, they denied this, searching in secret while attempting to suppress the truth. There was very little they could do though when his body was finally fished out of the sea, bloated and identifiable only because of the clothes he died in. This was only to be the beginning.

One by one they died or disappeared never to be seen again. Those whose bodies were found were mutilated terribly, killed by blade or bullet while those who were never seen again, like Muladhara; only the devil knows where they are now, in hell most like.

Hand in hand with their deaths was another rumor. We had no name for him but called him Vengeance. He traveled alone, accepting no help. Where he was, a king fell. He was the harbinger, the sign of their doom. He carried with him three swords and a gun and all fell before him. He was hope personified to us all. He was the spark and rebellion followed in his wake.

Seven subdued us, seven kings for seven kingdoms. Now six are dead and one remains. In Last Hope, Crown awaits, the last of his peers. In Last Hope, the people await the one who will free them. In Last Hope, the final battle will play itself out.