Chapter Death to my Enemies
"Con..."
The word was violently broken off Anderson's mouth when his face hit the rough ground, his lips rubbing against the sand and picking up dust. He immediately sat up, his eyes wide, he breaths unstable, as Conaan disposed of his walking stick.
"Is this how a king treats his subjects? How can you do this to an innocent man?"
Conaan gave a small chuckle, before leaning to his height, his fingers wrapping hard around his hair. He pulled him so Eric could see him, then turned to Eric, his brows raised.
"This is him, am I right?"
Eric swallowed. "Y..yes. I can never forget that voice. He told Brandon that he would give his body to you like you had sent Brandon to give his daughter's body to him."
Conaan's eyes just seemed to flame even more, and Anderson started to squirm away, even though greatly disadvantaged by the lack of one foot.
Conaan pulled him back roughly, the assassins watching, surrounding the scene.
"Is that so?"
"Y...your Highness...I was..."
Conaan did not wait as he moved the dagger slowly, then held Anderson's arm.
"Ironically, I will not have anyone to deposit your body to. Or do you have a return address?"
"Conaan..."
"Do you have a return address?" Conaan asked again, his eyes darting between Anderson's face and his shivering hands.
"Conaan...why do you believe this man? He knows..."
"I am not lying! You did it with Alexander of Polaris, I watched you both!"
Anderson swallowed hard, then shook his head. "I swear, I...I..."
Conaan's eyes thinned, before he leaned closer, keeping the sharp edge of the dagger to rest on Anderson's wrist.
"Is there anyone who would be scarred for life by the sight of what I would do to you, Anderson?"
"Please, Conaan. I swear, it was...it was..."
He never got to finish it, before Conaan applied pressure onto the back of the dagger, pressing it down into his wrist.
A toe curling scream rang around the entire manor, only burnt down by the sound of the cackling fires around.
Conaan smiled as the blood burst out of the severed veins of his wrist, then pulled his dagger away.
Anderson squirmed, the pain making him tremble, his hairs standing on end.
"Conaan. Please. Please, I beg of you. I beg of you, please."
Conaan shook his head. "It is a pity, Anderson. You killed the only person who could have saved you."
Anderson gasped, the pain filling him once more. His eyes filled with horror as Conaan started to move the dagger.
"What...what about Eleanor? What about her? She would hate for you to..." His voice cut off, morphing into another toe curling yell, beads of sweat filling his face. He had drenched his clothes, his midriff involuntarily wet too.
Conaan gave a small laugh. Eleanor?
He moved the dagger slowly, to Anderson's chest, his eyes wide. Brandon had been opened that way. His chest, his back.
"Conaan!" Anderson yelled, and Conaan stopped, lifting his eyes to him.
Anderson gave a pained laugh, his bloodshot eyed thinning. "You are doing this because you know you failed Brandon. So many chances to kill me, but you stopped. Because all you are is a weak man controlled by his wife. Guess what. Brandon kept yelling for you. He died with disappointment, and the betrayal of a friend. You failed him, Conaan. You."
Eric swallowed, stepping forward. "That is a lie. The only time Brandon called your name, was when he said..." Conaan lifted his eyes to Eric, as he waited, his breath held. "He said...death to His Highness's enemies."
Conaan gave a small snicker. It was typical of Brandon. Even at the point of death, he was thinking of him. It made him loathe the spineless, wristless man under him even more, and he slowly stood, leaving him.
"Death to my enemies," he echoed, and suddenly, two assassins pinned Anderson down. It was quite easy, as he was rather defenseless.
His screams fell on deaf ears as Conaan worked his dagger around him, stabbing and cutting into every piece of flesh, till his white mourning robe was colored a bright red, his face stained with Anderson's blood like it had been stained with Brandon's blood a weak ago.
Conaan suddenly dropped the dagger and pulled the battered flesh of a man to a position that could only be regarded as standing.
"Do you want to beg?"
Anderson was almost lifeless in his hands, his body occasionally spasming with pain.
"Do you want to beg?" Conaan asked again, as Anderson's eyes came to a slow focus on Conaan.
Anderson felt like he could almost see Brandon behind him, smiling with triumph. He had gotten a death far worse than he had ever imagined, and he swallowed.
"Death...death...to...His Highness."
Conaan gave an almost manic laughter as he pulled him to the manor. Anderson's body was dragging on the ground, his head hung low and spurting blood.
"Death to my enemies, Anderson."
A final push sent Anderson straight into the fire, cackling and serving as fuel, and the fire immediately grew, welcoming his body and completing one of the most gruesome murders.
The lycan people had come around to watch, and it was quite a show to see what His Highness could do.
Conaan took a step back, his eyes wide as Eric handed him the dagger again. It was stained with blood down to its handle and Conaan took in a shaky breath as he held it in his hand.
"Death to His Highness's enemies!" Eric yelled, his hand raising above his head.
A week of restlessness and fear had all come to an end with this powerful vengeance, and he felt like he could finally live, finally breathe.
"Death to His Highness's enemies!" The assassins echoed, and it rang through to the people who joined more than eagerly, the chant ringing through the blazing fires.
"Conaan..." Eleanor gasped as she stopped in front of the crowd. The place was stained with blood and she ran across towards Conaan, her eyes wide.
"It was Anderson?"
Conaan did not reply, but she could tell from his state that she was right.
Before she could say anything more, a yell started to erupt from the common people standing around the scene. There were no more fences around, just remains of what used to be.
Conaan started to walk to it, just as Alexander slowly came forth. His soldiers were kicking the lycans away, pushing them to the ground, and he had a small, triumphant smile playing on his lips.
"You are as ruthless as the rumors say," Alexander started, his eyes thinning.
Conaan gave a small laugh, his hand tightening around the dagger.
Eric gave a small yelp as he watched Alexander, his eyes filled with horror.
"How about...we end it here?"
Conaan smiled again, his head nodding. "I was scared the fire would quench before I burn your decapitated body in it. Welcome to the ceremony, Alexander."