Chapter 69

The terms were that, whoever won the battle would get everything the other kingdom had. Torr got what was left of Lowen’s army and its king was to be thrown into the dungeon once Torr arrived in Lowen.

While Ironwall had lost men, it was nothing compared to how many Lowen lost. With Terry constantly healing everyone on the battlefield and the lustful god triggering the black eyes and the desire to win in every man from Ironwall on the battlefield, Lowen simply didn’t stand a chance.

Lowen’s army merged with Ironwall’s—beaten, conquered, and outnumbered—and we pitched camp that night as night fell. We were close to Lowen where we would rest for a week, and then Torr said he would continue with his goal of ruling every kingdom and he would march on to Alutui further east.

I sat around a fire with Caerwyn who was exhausted, but thankfully unscathed, along with many other soldiers.

I hugged my knees silently as I gazed into the fire and men laughed and had happy conversations around me.

Screams echoed in my mind and I could think of nothing but the carnage I had just seen as I stared into the fire.

“Mimi, are you okay?” Caerwyn asked.

I didn’t reply as the memory of that poor man’s head getting lopped off came to mind.

Another soldier around the fire with us said, “Caerwyn! That’s your name, right? You are an absolute force to be reckoned with on the battlefield! You alone saved dozens of lives! And your moth friend there is an absolute angel! I saw her toiling endlessly and treating the wounded!”

I stood up woodenly and wandered off to King Torr’s tent.

“Mimi! Where are you going!” Caerwyn yelled.

I said to the soldiers in front of Torr’s lavish tent that was set up at the center of all the rest of the tents, “I would like to see the king.”

“Not without his permission.” They replied.

King Torr called from within his lavish tent, “it’s fine. I want to speak with her.”

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The soldiers stepped aside.

I entered and came face-to-face with the wicked god wearing the face of a human man.

I sat in the tent across from him and asked him expressionlessly. “Why are you doing this? Why do you wish to envelop all the kingdoms in war?”

King Torr’s eyes were always black now. They had no color. Torr—or the lustful god—was frowning intently at me, and then he smirked. “You know, I was very tempted to simply kill you when we took Nui over, but that repulsive boy—Peter—what he had in store for you was much more fitting. I think I got my revenge on you for ruining my perfect vessel. If I had only been able to gather a little more power in that vessel, the world would already be mine. Now I have to work with this insufficient one which can barely contain my power.

“The only reason why I approved you to come to the battlefield with me was so that you could see, first hand, all the kingdoms come under my rule as I subjugate them all. Ah yes, and that god you pledged your worship to—I shall corrupt Him in the minds of humans so that they come to worship me instead. It has already begun; I have told them Terry’s powers are a result of your god’s powers and not ours as well as the powers of the moth prophets and prophetesses. Nobody will have faith and convictions anymore once they believe that their god wishes you all to kill yourselves over the Catalydd. How does it feel to be on the same side as the god who will put everyone in chains and destroy their faith?”

I was silent for a moment as I stared at him expressionlessly. But I noticed something out of place for a man so intimidating. His finger was twitching nervously.

I replied curiously and emotionlessly. “Do you still fear me?”

He was silent--caught off guard. He replied in a moment. “I have no cause to fear a woman. They are helpless creatures. They are weaker than men; more trusting, more naïve. You have no great powers to begin with and I have broken you. How would you even propose to fight me? With the great love that rots within your heart by the second for each horrible and unforgivable thing that happens to you? If you can stop me, do so.”

I cocked my head to the side. “You are still… You’re afraid. Why is it that you hate women? Because they have great love in their hearts that you never received? Is that how you were driven mad? Because you were never loved by a woman?”

His black eyes grew until they devoured his face. In an odd, melting and trembling, horrifying voice he replied. “I will eat you if you do not shut up. No, worse. I shall send you back to Peter first to be humiliated, and I shall think of an appropriate death for you.”

I reached out an ivory hand to touch his face. “It’s true, isn’t it; you’re missing the love of a woman.”

Torr’s body was overrun by blackness as he shrieked and skittered away from me to the corner of his tent. “Get away from me! I have no need of your love! You will watch all the kingdoms be destroyed by me as planned! Guards, get this woman away from me!”

I followed his shadowy body to the corner of the tent and reached out a loving and pitying hand to him, but the guards threw me out of the tent before I could touch him again.

What a sad creature a man was without the love of a woman, my diary.