Chapter 204: The Emperor(2)

While Tam and Nevus fought amongst the towers of the Imperial Palace, a figure watched them from one of the many towers, standing at the top of one of the towers, leaning on Captain Jeremiah for support.

The Emperor watched as his Storm Generals took on the two Advanced Rank leaders of the Ursten forces, Nevus holding his own against The Last Hawk, while Regis slowly but surely chipped away at Anteris' defense.

A smile began to form on his face, he knew that coming to watch this battle was the right idea, even though the Palace Physician, Renato, had pleaded for him to rest.

Seeing these enemies who dared invade the crown jewel of his Empire be vanquished like this would be worth the delay in his recovery from his wounds.

After all, even if he rested in bed as Renato had asked, he wouldn't recover in time to rejoin the battle.

The Emperor's gaze shifted from the figures battling in the skies above, to the Imperial Elites trying to break through the Ursten forces below. He began to frown, surely the Last Hawk's personal guard wasn't equal to his Imperial Elites?

But as much as he wanted to deny it, the evidence was clear in front of his eyes, the Imperial Elites and the Hawk's personal guard were evenly matched, perhaps if the street below were wider, and the Elites could use the advantage in numbers they had, then they might be able to push through.

But at this rate, they would never break through. The Emperor's frown only grew deeper as he saw the strangest sight yet. At the rear of the ranks of the Imperial Elites, a figure who wielded a sword that glowed in the combined gloom of the thunderstorm and the night was taking out Imperial Elite after Imperial Elite.

The Emperor watched as dozens of Elites surrounded the figure, but he easily broke through their spells with a simple swing of his glowing blade.

"Jeremiah! Take those men that remain in the palace, and attack the rear of the Hawk's personal guard. I fear that the Elites will be lost if we wait any longer. The Storm Generals won't finish their battles soon enough to assist them!" The Emperor commanded Jeremiah, as proud as he was of the Empire's might, even he could see that even though Regis had the upper hand, he would not finish his battle with Anteris any time soon, and without his help, the Imperial Elites would be crushed by the Ursten forces attacking them from every direction.

"Of course, your Imperial Majesty!" Jeremiah saluted sharply, and turned around to march down the winding stair of the tower.

But he stopped as the sound of footsteps rushing up the stairs of the tower rang out, and then, a sweaty, nervous gray haired official stumbled up the stairs, falling into a heap at the emperor's feet.

"Your-, hah, hah, yo-" The official tried to speak, but was out of breath from his sprint up the tower's stairs. He wore a set of thin gray colored robes, and his thinning gray hair was damp with his sweat.

"Speak damn it! Forget the honorifics Yunta!" The Emperor lost his patience and yelled at the official, who was nervously tugging at his thin gray beard as he tried to recover his breath.

"Please, look, there!" Yunta managed to mumble out, as he struggled to his feet, standing on shaky legs, and pointing to the south window of the tower.

The Emperor, confused, turned around, and it felt as though his heart stopped beating for a moment.

"No, it cannot be! How? Why?" The Emperor's eyes widened in horror, as he took in the sight, and he almost fell to the ground himself, but Captain Jeremiah stood at his shoulder, supporting him.

The reports he had heard when first hearing about the supposed invasion came crashing back into his memory, this was why he had scarcely believed the initial reports.

But there they stood, countless black ships, sailing from the west, a second fleet to mirror the first, the reason for the numerous reports from both the east and west of the Empire of an enormous fleet of black ships.

"**** you Tam of Ursten!" The Emperor swore, the Last Hawk had used the division of his forces to his advantage, by having an almost identical fleet of ships sailing from the west, it had made the reports seem like a mere fantasy, rather than the real threat that they were.

"I must go! Otherwise, all will be lost!" The Emperor yelled, a bright light forming around him as he summoned his aura, ready to leap into the skies, and fight against the incoming fleet.

"Your Imperial Majesty, please, Renato was clear, you will jeopardize your life if you fight in the next week, if worse comes to worst, we will lose the capital. But so long as you are free, the Empire shall live on!" Captain Jeremiah clasped the Emperor tightly by the shoulder and pulled him back. His words were filled with desperation, the Emperor could not die now, the Imperial Family was the Empire, and with no heirs, the Emperor had to stay alive.

The Emperor didn't reply, he only stared at the fleet appearing on the horizon, ship after ship sailing closer and closer to Aznur. Tears began to well up in the emperor's eyes, as the reality of the situation set in.

This was the end.

The battle was lost, even if the ships only held normal soldiers, which they likely didn't, they would be enough to completely turn the tide of the battle.

The Emperor took a deep breath, and gave an enormous sigh. Before he spoke again.

"Alright, Jeremiah. Lead the way." The Emperor's voice was filled with sadness, he knew that to have any chance of escaping, he would have to leave the best of his soldiers behind.

They might escape, but it was far more likely that they would fall to the overwhelming Ursten numbers.