AN: Short chapter today, folks, as I'm currently working on a massacre that will occur later on down the road. There will be blood, gore, mayhem, insanity, and no one will be spared. However, the general populace of humans will be ignorant of it until later. So, if you want to see something I haven't thought of, let me know. It's been planned out to be a long one.

As always, folks, thank you for reading. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, leave it down in the comments section below.

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Each noble was subjected to a special type of collar. This one was similar to the slave choker, but was much more elegant in design. They varied in precious metals from gold to silver, each with a variety of precious stones native to the land. However, there were a few that were stubborn, and refused to wear it, but were told the alternative was death. Only a couple tried to fight, but were killed with an arrow in their necks. The arrows were the same black arrows that caused the mind-mage's body to disintegrate slowly, and the surrounding humans watched as they screamed for help as they died.

Even in the face of death, a few were still stubborn, but were soon made examples of. Instead of an instant death, they were forced to wear the collars for a few moments, then were ripped off. What happened next, however, made me curious. You see, the ones who made the collars stated that if they were ever removed, the wearer would die. One of the examples' hearts exploded in his chest, and he could be seen clutching the area around it, as blood dripped from his lips before he fell to the ground. The other, a female, had her head implode. Something continuously sucked her entire skull into a pinpoint where her mouth used to be.

Cries of "Monster" could be heard, as each of the survivors were forced to wear the collars, and all glared daggers at my body. "You should have chosen servitude," I casually rumbled down at them, "The collars were made so that none of you would be able to resist my commands. If you somehow manage to do so, they will claim your life."

"Did you do this to the Queen?" A young noble glared up at me, but I only chuckled down at him, refusing to answer. My guess is he believed I did.

"Have the young queen return." A few of the Undying leapt to obey, turning it into a competition to see who would reach the queen first. "Return to your positions," I commanded the nobles, who all began to moved to either side of the dais, albeit mechanically.

"What is that smell?" A high pitched, and very squeaky, voice rang throughout the throne room. It was still very annoying to have to listen to her voice, but I had to endure.

"The hero wanted to stop me, then kill you." Her eyes grew wide and fearful, and I could see the four four-armed Undying tense and surround her more securely. "Do not worry," I waved two of my hands to dispel any concerns, "Him, his party, and the nobles responsible have been dealt with. The others are ready to swear their undying loyalty to you, their Queen."

There was a glint in my eyes, as I commanded the surviving nobles to swear their loyalty to the queen, and to make sure no harm would come to her. They also had to pledge a variety of other things, which included their silence of today's events. They did so, but a few had to be choked when they tried to be extremely vague in their pledge. Although there were still a few, and were subsequently choked, the rest made sure to be as specific as possible.

It was an annoying time, but the plans for the ceasefire and treaty were being drawn up. I was quite pleased to see a squadron of guards, led by a four-armed Undying, had left the city to initiate the ceasefire. Not many in the city were happy about it, but there wasn't much they could do. The young queen had the full support of the nobles, and not even bribery or attempted assassination swayed them. Those that tried to assassinate a noble was killed by their own defenses, whereas those that attempted to slay the queen were captured and butchered publically.

Personally, I didn't much care for the executions, and instead, explored the city proper. I had to constantly remind the queen, and the other thralls, that I didn't need their protections. She was persistent in protecting their 'master', and I relented saying, "Okay, but they are not to stray too close to my person as I explore the city."

Casting 'Illusion: Human' in front of those who would be tailing me allowed them some comforts. This way, they would know what I looked like, in case of some sort of accident or incident I may, or may not, cause. The pair of guards that would be tailing me were actually brother and sister. They both had similar angular facial features, doe shaped eyes that drooped a bit south near the far corners, small, thin mouths, and a button nose. They both had a military cut of a hair style, but the female sibling's hair was auburn, while the male was an iron grey. The pair were not a part of the Undying, so they only had to wear a faded, blue uniform with an iron cap, breastplate, grieves, and vambraces. The female held an iron buckler and a sword, while the male had a short pike and kite shield.

Of all the humans I have met, it was these two that made an impression by name alone. The female's name was Cassandra, and the brother's Cain. For those in attendance, Cassandra Cain was the name of a female hero back on my first home, and is an expert martial artist. If you are wondering whether or not these two had even a fraction of her expertise, then you would be wrong to think so. They may have the passion for it, but were far too green, and stuck out like a sore thumb when tailing me.

We left through a side entrance of the castle, one that led near the end on the noble's district, and opened out to the merchant's quarter. Even after the public execution, life below seemed to astonish me, as they moved about without much worry. Of course, there was still the odd thief running away with their spoils, but none seemed to bother me after I broke a few wrists. Having foreign hands search your person of valuables always seemed to make me feel unhappy, but their reactions afterwards was always pleasing to hear. There were, of course, a few here and there who had not gotten the point, and had their own wrists broken for it.

Why anyone would want to try and steal from an old man in a faded blue robe was beyond me. I guess they figured I was easy because of my perceived age, and nothing else. These little thoughts are what kept me sighing, as I browsed each merchant's wares. I didn't really buy anything from them, truth be told, but the variety was still astounding. Fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses, and loaves of bread seemed to be the standard staple for these people, but I could not try anything. No, I would need an actual tongue to be able to taste their flavours properly.

As I was browsing the various cheeses, I heard the muffled yells of a female in trouble coming from an alleyway to my left. No, I was not the heroic type, but I was curious, and began walking towards that which had garnered my attention. The scene before me played out like so. There was a brutish thug of a male, with his pants halfway down his thighs, a badly bruised, and unconscious boy-child lying half submerged in dirtied water, and a little girl-child with a torn, frilly dress backing away from the thug.

See, I have no problems with hearing tales of rape. hell, I've initiated it just like what happened to the "hero's" companions on multiple occasions. Those scenarios are okay with me. However... However, I cannot STAND it when someone commits, or tries to commit, a crime that involves harming children. I do not know what happens when I see or hear about these crimes, because something in me just snaps, and the offender/s become a red smear upon the walls. This happened with the brutish thug. One moment he was there, about to harm the girl-child, the next moment his head was rolling down the alley while the rest of his body became paint for the buildings on either side.

So there I was, panting heavily with two children in my arms, both unconscious, and the two guards were just staring at my person with shocked and paled faces. "I detest those that try to harm children," I growled at the world, turned on my heel, and walked out of the alley. It seems my display of disgust went unnoticed by the general public. That is, until guards started swarming the place, led by a four-armed Undying. How they heard of what had happened confused me greatly for a time. Then again, this was another world, and they had their own magicks.

">," I intoned, and I, with the two children, vanished from sight. It was my desire to help the children, and the guards, though they mean well, would only delay their healing treatments.