The Last Emperor

A Sword & Sorcery style book beginning in June.

After Festina Lente is finished, it’s back to the rifts for The Last Emperor. How did Muzzie the bar owner become the last Great Demon Emperor of the Rifts ?

The City of the Lost God ended a while ago, so you might be wondering who he is. This is his intro from Part 1 of City of the Lost God. The book ‘The Last Emperor’ will begin early in June.

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Muzzie hated leaving his bar at the busy period, but Sara was a good girl, she’d look after the place. He walked confidently down the almost pitch black streets of the old town, relying on his demon sight to find the way. Not that he could be too confident, it was important not to show fear, but there were always wandering creatures in the old town who didn’t give a fuck about his hard as nails reputation.

He noticed a warm body shine out like a beacon a bit further down the street and then a cry, a female cry. Damn ! The family didn’t show up earlier and now one of his regular contacts looked to have been attacked. Muzzie crossed the street in silence, a silence that had surprised many for such a large creature. In front of him was a cold demon body that gave out no heat, with a human female over its shoulder.

“What have you got there friend ?” He asked.

The creature looked straight at him and pulled open its hood. A Shelzak, it had to be a fucking Shelzak ! Hard everywhere, even their dicks had a hard outer shell. Muzzie was no coward, but mixing it with a Shelzak, on his own wasn’t his idea of a fun night.

“Let me see her face and you can be on your way.”

No reply, nothing, not one word. The demon opened its cloak to reveal the handle of an axe, a handle that it began to fondle meaningfully. Muzzie couldn’t help noticing the glint from its tough outer shell in the small amount of light from the glow of the slums. Was the woman that important to him ? Muzzie had other contacts and he’d always said that no woman was worth dying for. Perhaps it was the damned Genova side giving him a conscience again. Of all the things to be in the City, being part Genova or Angel as some called them was probably the worst.

“Out of my way bar tender.”

He had taken out a Shelzak on his own once, but that one had been smaller and he’d been well armed and he had to admit far younger at the time. A very powerful leg took a step in his direction.

“Just let me see her. Just one quick look and we can avoid this.”

The creature put the woman on the ground and Muzzie was certain it was Lilleth. The curve of the legs, the way her back curved once you looked past the exquisite rear. Not that he’d ever known her in that way, but he still had hopes.

“Last chance half breed. Out of my way !”

Even for a Shelzak he looked tough. An external hard shell that they had to periodically shed to grow, spines everywhere even in places that looked inconvenient and then there were the muscles. Muzzie had seen one of these guys knock down a solid stone pillar that got in its way. Muzzie took off his own cloak and threw it up against a wall.

“Sorry. Looks like we’re going to have to fight this out.” He said.

The old town was mostly made up of ruined temples and other buildings from the legendary golden age of the City. Muzzie ran into the ruined temple to his left and ducked behind a solitary surviving stone pillar. Which was just as well, as the demon’s double bladed axe hit the pillar instead of his neck.

“You’re pathetic.” Shouted the demon, “Stand and fight me.”

Someone had paid the Shelzak to grab Lilleth, that’s what they did. Not much brain, but pay a Shelzak enough and they didn’t stop until they’d completed the job. This one was now angry and all thought of the woman and its boss was gone from its head. As Muzzie saw the wicked yellow glow of rage in its eyes he knew the creature wasn’t going to stop until it had stomped his body into bloody mush.

“Come on then.” He said.

His short sword looked like a toy compared to the demon’s axe, but he’d learned how to use it in numerous wars and he’d killed a Shelzak before. As the creature came in to attack him he stepped inside the blow and aimed at a soft spot he knew about. Just under the upper arms of the demon was an area where the outer carapace didn’t quite meet the shell of the arm.

Muzzie expertly stabbed into the gap and his razor sharp sword skidded off armour. As the demon turned and the axe hit his back Muzzie knew he was in trouble. He’d committed the mortal sin of underestimating his opponent. The axe bit deep into his back and Muzzie fell into a heap on the floor. The expected blow to the back of his head never came and as he dragged himself to his feet his opponent was quietly waiting for him to get up, the bastard was actually grinning.

“You’re going to die slow.” It said.

Muzzie decided on one last try and did a pretty good job of aiming the sword for the gap in the shell of the Shelzak at its neck. Again the blade just found armour to skid off and the demon followed up with his axe. This time it really hurt ! Muzzie felt the axe go through the flesh of his hip and hit bone. Luckily he fell against one of the few remaining walls of the temple and pure will power stopped him falling over. The Shelzak had dropped the axe and was pulling a knife from its belt and seemed to be undecided about which bit of him to cut off first. Without saying a world the creature moved closer and aimed the blade at his chest.

“Who’s there ?”

A voice from the corner of the room, from a body under a pile of rags. The old town was the home to thousands of wretched creatures, most too disfigured by their strange genetic makeup to be tolerated even in the City.

“Shut up rag bag ! Nothing to do with you.” Shouted the Shelzak

Muzzie tried to move forward, but the floor seemed very slippery, then he realised the floor was covered in yellow blood, his blood.

“Stay put !”

The creature grabbed him by the throat and aimed the knife at his eye, his left eye. Then from the street there came the sound of a woman sobbing. The demon seemed to remember his captive and turned to get a good look at the street. The woman was indeed showing signs of life and beginning to get up onto her knees.

Muzzie wasn’t feeling good; in fact he knew he was close to death. So why not give it a try ? His Genova side had been nothing but a fucking handicap all his life, but surely it was worth a try. In his current light headed condition it seemed quite sensible to raise his right hand and point his index finger at the creatures head. He concentrated and tried to pull strength from the awkward side, the side that kept saddling him with a conscience.

“Fuck me !”

Was all he could think of saying when the creature’s head exploded. True he’d have been more impressed its entire body had crumbled to dust, but he’d settle for an exploded head.

“Muzzie !”

The pile of rags was calling to him and a face was appearing. Muzzie fell to his knees and noticed the pool of yellow blood was now covering a very large area.

“Muzzie stay awake !”

The rags had walked over to him and were now a beautiful woman, who he recognised. For some reason all he could think of was his nice new cloak he’d left outside and he wondered if anyone would steal it when he died.

“Muzzie it’s Lilleth, don’t go to sleep. Stay awake.”

If the rags were Lilleth, who was the woman in the street ? He looked to his right and the woman was on her knees and smiling at him. A gorgeous red head, he’d always had a thing about a huge mop of red hair. Pity he was dying. The last thing he remembered was the sticky feeling of his own blood against his face as he passed out.

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Of course, he recovered…….