Succession: Heir to the Empire

Tsuba

"Very well." Tsuba said. She walked up the staircase leading to the throne and took a seat. Unlike the two before her, Tsuba reveled in the power the throne granted her. It felt rather...intoxicating. But, much like alcoholic beverages, she mustn't let herself get too caught up in it, otherwise she could become 'drunk', so to speak, or consumed by the power.

Tsuba made a tiny cut on her arm, and let the blood drop onto the throne. She smiled and waited for Baruti to begin her challenge.

Rein

"Alright." Rein said, but she didn't look entirely reassured. She stared at Tsuba as she began her part of the challenge. What would she do, Rein wondered.

Baruti nodded towards the guards and they allowed in a haggard-looking man with dirty and torn robes that would have once looked fine. He wore the robes of a priest and he was led to the throne.

"This man was caught harboring fugitives within the temple he served at, mostly political dissidents and rebels against Imperial Authority," Baruti announced.

"Their only crime was to speak out. My god demands that we harbor the persecuted," the priest pleaded.

Tsuba

"I see." Tsuba said. With her drop of blood, the throne she sat on reacted to her. The color of the throne turned into a deep black, and a dark aura seemed to now surround it.

"How exactly did this man get caught?" Tsuba asked.

"On a tip from a more loyal servant of his," Baruti replied, "The Imperial Guard entered and found them concealed in a hidden room."

Tsuba

"I see. Well, this man should be rewarded, should he not?" Tsuba said, smiling. "After all, he gathered many of the Empire's enemies in one place, did he not? He made it so much easier to gather them up and have them executed. What he did is a strategy the Gaborian Empire should consider for the future, having agents herd dissidents toward one area. However, he still will be punished. Do you not agree, Baruti?"

Tsuba gave a vicious grin. Then without warning she sprang from the throne and landed in front of the priest. She swiftly drew her sword, and stabbed the man in the stomach.

"Consider this your reward, priest. Enjoy the Underworld."

Tsuba withdrew her sword from the man's stomach and put it away.

Baruti wheezed in laughter as the priest fell to the ground. It was very nicely done. For a second, even the priest thought he was going to get off. Imagine the look of surprise on his face as he was stabbed in the stomach.

He coughed up blood, "I'll... I'll be with my god... He won't be pleased."

"Very well done, Heir Tsuba," the Steward commented.

Kegan/Carlisle/Clara/Brighe

Kegan flinched as he watched Tsuba stab th priest through the chest, though to be honest he wasn't surprised by her actions. "She's winning." Was the first thing that came to the his mind as he watched Baruti laugh in delight at Tsuba's decision.

As the old man finally died Carlisle walked into the room, haggard and looking even more disturbed then when Kegan had last saw him, a week ago after The Doctor had tried to save Rein. He looked like something was on his mind, Kegan realized, but what he was thinking about the Half-Elf couldn't be sure.

"My someone needs to be taught a lesson in personal hygiene." Clara whispered in a scandalized tone before snickering as Carlisle tripped and fell on his face.

"Mmm sorry, didn't mean to..." He mumbled before getting up and quickly rushing across the room and sitting at the edge of the spectator seats, far away from everyone else.

"Hmm. Wonder what's eating him up so badly." Kegan asked rhetorically before looking back at baruti to see who would have to go next.

Tsuba

"Thank you, Baruti. Oh, your god won't be, Priest? Too bad." Tsuba said, giving a malicious smirk. The Heir purposely stepped on the dead man's body as she walked back toward the others, her part in the challenge now over.

"Kegan, when you become Emperor, I hope you let the woman rot in a dungeon for the rest of her life." Rein said, horrified at what Tsuba had done. Whatever happened, she certainly hoped that vile girl never became Empress. The Empire would continue to suffer under her evil reign.

"Had a rough night, did we?" Caesar asked Carlisle, looking at him with something akin to pity.

Carlisle/Kegan

"I certainly can't let her stay in any sort of power after I win." Kegan agreed with Rein as he glared at Tsuba while she walked back towards every one.

"Hmm?" Carlisle asked as he looked up at Caesar, taking a few seconds before he figured out who was speaking to him. "Oh umm...Yeah. It's been a rough week." The Doctor replied.

Epiphany watched calmly as the priest died. She was used to seeing this, after growing up with the Amazons and watching people die. But she felt that she'd better hope that Tsuba wouldn't become empress. Some suffering would result if tsuba became empress.

Epiphany stood at the far back of the seats, believing she could get a better view of what's going on. She managed to see carlisle trip and she snickered to herself. She noticed how distarcted Carlisle looked but figured it was none of her business so why should she care? Epiphany shrugged off the feeling and decided to go join him and the Humage. She listened to what Caesar and Carlisle said before replying. "What happened that would make you be distracted..or more like disturbed?"

Carlisle

Carlisle smiled as he saw Epiphany come down towards him and Caesar, though that smile quickly faded away as she began to speak. "Well I uh...It's nothing. Really, nothing at all, Epiphany. I've just gotten a bit carried away with my studies lately and haven't gotten enough sleep lately because of that." He lied before weakly smiling and nervously scratching the back of his neck.

"It's no big deal really, I just need to keep better track of the time."

Baruti, apparently satisfied that one heir was doing things right, turned to the others. He spoke, "Okay then. Lady Epiphany, I believe it's your turn now."

Epiphany felt almost taken aback and made an expression as if doubting what Carlisle just said. "Are you sure?"

She whipped her head up once she heard her name be called from baruti. Epiphany followed through and sat on the throne pricking her finger on the throne. Epiphany felt strong power and wisdom flow through her. It was the power and wisdom from the previous emperors that flowed through her. she felt the tempting need to have all that. She heavily inhaled and exhaled to relax her from that feeling. Then she spoke. "I'm ready now."

"I think I shall give you an easy one," Baruti told her with a smirk, snapping his fingers as the guards brought yet another prisoner, this time, an amazon.

"A war criminal," Baruti announced.

Epiphany has had experience doing this at her tribe, and did quite a good job in making judgements. Epiphany eyed the prisoner in front of her and she did indeed look like a war criminal.The prisoner's attire was dirty and had a few small holes around the skirt and her hair was loose.

"And what wrong has she committed against the Empire?" Epiphany said matter-of-factly.

"Slaughter of innocents," Baruti told her matter-of-factly, "She burned down a village and slaughtered everyone in her path."

"That's a lie!" she cried, "I killed only those that threatened my people!"

"Is there any way you can prove that to me?" Epiphany asked with a kind of ruling tone in her voice. "If you were just going to kill those who threatened your tribe, why burn down a village and slaughter many innocent people? I believe that is a major crime,the slaughter of innocents, even if it was to save your people or not. What are the usual punishments for this kind of crime, Baruti?" Epiphany whipped her head and looked at Baruti with a glint of want in her eyes, as she waited for her answer.

"Death," Baruti replied with a smirk.

"I didn't kill any innocent," the Amazon argued, "I did what I had to do. The Empire was hiding behind civilians. They forced my hand."

"But you did burn down a village, did you not?" Epiphany asked distinctly. Epiphany was trying to get enough information from the Amazon before sentencing her punishment. Either way though, Epiphany felt that the Amazon should be sentenced to death for going against the Empire. Besides, burning a village would still do lots of damage to innocents.

"They did the same thing to us," the Amazon pointed out angrily, "If you were a true Amazon, you would understand. It's an eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth in war."

'Well, it turns out that I was never born an Amazon." Epiphany explained. "As a Heir, I should follow the traditonal punishments of the Empire. I sentence you to death."

"Traitor," she hissed as the guards gripped her and took her away from the throne room to deliver the death sentence.

"You did the right thing," Baruti said with a smirk.

Epiphany ignored the Amazon's insult. After all, what was the use of acting like an Amazon when she isn't one by bloodline? Epiphany nodded to baruti in appreciation. She descended the throne and returned to the crowd of Heirs and sat next to Carlisle.

"It's your turn now, Nebi," Baruti told the ex-thief with a smirk, gesturing for the throne. Sure enough, as soon as Nebi stepped onto it, he felt its influence and power, begging him to surrender to it. He shivered, attempting to keep his right mind.

"This slave killed his master, a high-ranking official in the Empire," Baruti announced as they brought in a battered and beaten elf.

Nebi had to resist making a face. He hated slavery in all its forms. He spoke, "Is this true?"

The elf nodded, "Yes. I do not deny it."

"Why?" Nebi asked curiously, all-too-aware of the motivations the elf might have had.

"My son." the elf told him simply, "My master was an avid hunter. He particularly liked hunting 'inferior races'. He was going to go on a hunting trip with his friends and my son. They would have hunted him for sport. I couldn't let that happen."

"I see," Nebi told him, feeling the throne voice its opinion.

"What is your decision?" Baruti asked with a smirk.

"I say..." Nebi began, holding his head in pain.

C.C.

"Are you ok, Nebi?" C.C. asked with concern.