Titus approached Hectic’ skeletal throne with an impulsive double backflip. It was far from the first time her backflipping skills had saved her life.
‘What news have you?’ The Dark God King Emperor Hectic growled, picking his teeth with Dannflor’s bones. The threat was wordless. If Titus missed her landing, failed him, or randomly collapsed into a pile of bones, she’d suffer the same fate.
Titus hesitated. The Dark God King Emperor Hectic didn’t have a history of killing people who delivered bad news, but he really didn’t like bad news, so she couldn’t be sure how he’d react. Of course, the Dark God King Emperor Hectic definitely
did
kill anyone who stood in front of his throne for long periods of time without saying anything. She was starting to regret not considering whether it was good news before she began the backflip.
‘It’d better not be bad news.’ The Dark God King Emperor Hectic said. ‘I kill people who bring me bad news.’
Titus began to sweat nervously. Hopkirk betraying the Dark God King Emperor Hectic to join the God Kind Emperor Flavor felt like bad news. Maybe she could convince the Dark God King Emperor Hectic had been kind of annoying.
‘Where’s Hopkirk anyway. He’s always a fun guy.’ The Dark God King Emperor Hectic mused.
Titus glanced around the room considering her options. Fight and flight was completely out of the window, the room’s only window being directly behind the throne. She could try making something up, but Hectic could see right through her, even without his x-ray vision. She could glance around the room considering her options, but The Dark God King Emperor Hectic usually killed people who did that.
‘Uh, Hectic really messed up the bathroom.’ Titus stammered.
The Dark God King Emperor Hectic raised his eyebrows. ‘Wow. I never trusted that guy. He was always kind of annoying. Would you mind killing him for me?’
Titus frantically nodded. ‘Of course, my Dark God King Emperor. I’ll make him rue the day he ever crossed you.’
‘Oh, so you’d murder my good friend Hopkirk just because I momentarily lost my temper?’ The Dark God King Emperor Hectic raised his eyebrow.
‘N… no.’ Titus gasped out. ‘I didn’t mean it.’
Perhaps the God King Emperor Flavor had a witness protection programme she could join. In the two weeks she’d spent working for him, Titus had witnessed hundreds of atrocities and committed seven. She even had seven cases where she could turn in specific evidence on the culprit. Surely the God King Emperor couldn’t resist that.
She didn’t have time to find out. The doors flew open as the High Priest Hopkirk strolled inside.
‘So, it’s true.’ The Dark God King Emperor Hectic gasped. ‘You’re working for the God King Emperor.
’
‘I’m definitely not planning to betray him.’ Hopkirk winked.
‘Oh, I see what you mean.’ The Dark God King Emperor Hectic winked with both eyes.
‘Surely you can’t when you’ve got your eyes shut.’ Hopkirk said.
The Dark God King Emperor Hectic laughed for a couple of minutes before turning to Titus. ‘Now kill him.’
‘Kill him, my Dark God King Empror Lord?’
‘Yeah, he didn’t backflip when he came in here.’
‘It doesn’t have to be this way Hectic.’ Hopkirk yelled, backing away as Titus drew her knives with a grin.
‘That’s Dark God King Emperor Hectic to you.’
‘I’ve got a new God King Emperor now.’
Titus swung her knives. Hopkirk didn’t try to sidestep her, instead exploding into fragments of crystal. He’d be back soon. She swore nervously under her breath as she turned to her Dark God King Emperor for advice, silently praying he didn’t execute his minions for stabbing a crystalline simulacrum of one of his former minions if said former minion had betrayed him earlier in the week in favour of a different God King Emperor then come back to his stronghold to gloat about it.
‘What are you waiting for? Get after him.’ Hectic thundered, his fist slamming down upon his throne sending fragments of bone flying in every direction.
Titus began to race out of the room, pausing at the door as she realized she’d just made a fatal mistake.
The Dark God King Emperor Hectic dreadful whisper confirmed her fears. ‘That wasn’t a backflip.’
Titus smashed through the doors and broke into a run. Behind her, The Dark God King Emperor Hectic rose from his throne. He’d spent took long sitting on a skeletal throne because it made him look ridiculously cool and important. It was finally time for him to deal with his traitorous minions, his traitorous former allies, and the traitorous rightful god king emperor himself.
