39 Chapter 39- Lord Dubs (1/2)
Arctus was about to leave before Dubs called out to him. ”Ah. One last thing!”
Arctus faced back towards Dubs, and asked ”What is it?”
”Let me see your face. I wish to know the face of everyone who is a part of my empire.”, Dubs said in an oddly kind, yet powerful voice.
”Understood!”, Arctus stated as he removed his helmet. The mans face revealed was tan and he had a large scar running down the side of his cheek. His short red hair contrasted his facial appearance, making him look somewhere in between a boy and a man.
”You may go.”, Dubs stated, as the man walked off.
Arctus stumbled over to the other members of the guards, who had been paralyzed out of fear. All 3 of them looked forward blankly, staring into nothingness.
”It's all over.”
”I don't want to die here”
”There's nothing we can do. We'll all be killed.”
Arctus walked over and proudly exclaimed. ”Fear not, my brothers of the 3rd squadron! There is a way for us to get out of this predicament alive!”
The men looked over at Arctus. One of them gloomily rumbled ”By becoming the pets of that monster? No thank you. I would rather die here.”
At these words the other two began to shiver, and Arctus continued.
”We are not to become mere pets! Have you all not been gritting your teeth and biting your tongue at the actions of our superiors, and the way they treat the other races, and force us to comply with them? If we join this man, we will be going against that corrupted regime! Even if we were to die, we would die heroes fighting for a worthy cause!”
The other two looked up, their eyes filled with a light glimmer of hope. ”Is... is this true Arctus? What if that man is deceiving you to use us for his own benefit?”, one asked.
Arctus quieted down at this, and thought for a moment.
”Perhaps that may be the case....”
Arctus raised his arm in victory
”But even if that is the case! What we do know is that the leaders of the empire are performing intolerable actions as we speak, and enforcing their opinions on the commonfolk! Even if we are being used by this man, we would still die fighting against the corruption that we wish to see removed!”
Two of the men stood up. ”I will fight with you, Arctus.”, the first one resolved.
”I will also.”, the second one proclaimed.
The third one still sat there, gloomily. This one had his leg removed. ”I would rather die here than give in to the desires of that monster. Have you all forgotten your honor and loyalty to the empire!? Even if the empire is corrupt, and they force their opinions on the people, are we not the soldiers meant to protect that very empire, and those very people?? If you go with that man you will be labeled a traitor all your lives. I would rather die with the honor of remaining loyal even to a corrupt empire!”
Dubs flashed behind the man as he uttered these words. ”So be it.”, Dubs grumbled.
The man's head rolled, and his body fell lifelessly to the ground. The others took a step back in shock.
”I do not need anyone who is loyal to an empire where the strong trample the weak.”, Dubs stated, disgusted.
The two gulped, but Arctus stood up, holding back his emotions.
”This... this was a sacrifice for the greater good!”, Arctus exclaimed.
Dubs walked over to the undecided two. ”Arctus understands. Do you two?”, he asked threateningly, as he laid his hands on the shoulders of each of the men.
From their arm sockets, the purple shadow material began to form a prosthetic arm on each of the men.
They moved the arms around. ”It... it feels as if I never lost an arm!”, one shouted.