Cell of Tyranny

[Max35]

This is a fanfic for Jade Empire, post-Closed Fist ending. Critiques and comments are welcome.

Chapter 1:

Emperor Tiger Shen sat on his throne, with his demonic servant Yha Zhen and the twisted corruption of his personal bodyguard, Death?s Hand, on either side of him. The pale, scarred form of Sagacious Zu, his Advisor and leader of the Lotus Assassins, stood in front of him.

There was no sign of reverence on his Advisor?s face. Indeed, Emperor Shen knew the strong hatred that burned inside of his Advisor for him. He didn?t care, Zu was useful, as were the other unnatural servants beside him. The Emperor-God denied Zu an honorable death, resurrecting him, trapping his soul in a decayed cell, forever suspending his former friend in the apathy of death.

?You knew the potential danger of this place long ago, Master,? Zu almost spat out the words. ?You have let the seed of dissatisfaction grow strong enough to oppose your ruthlessness. And opposing it they are, in greater and greater numbers?,?

Emperor Shen held up one muscular arm and Zu fell silent. His eyes burned intently.

?I know this already, I requested your council, not your reprimand. What do you advise?,?

?My apologies, great one,? Zu replied bitterly. ?A quick strike with the Assassins is what I recommend, although they will be weakened, mentally and physically, without your presence. I advise that you be present during this incursion. Our forces haven?t seen you near the battlefield ever sense you claimed the throne. Their faith in you is wavering,? Zu finished with an apparent satisfaction, although the expression was grotesque on his deathly stiff face.

?You just want me killed, you defiant, undead bastard!,? Shen yelled.

?But, my lord, you are a God nothing can harm you,? Zu declared facetiously.

?And if these dissenters somehow manage to mortally wound you, then you don?t deserve the great status you have elevated yourself to. Such is the logic you used to rationalize your assault on the Water Dragon. Correct me if I?m wrong.? Shen?s servants stiffened.

?I should have Death?s Hand return you to the grave you came from!,? Shen?s voice rose again.

?Order it if you wish, or are you afraid to do it yourself? If it weren?t for me, you would be dead with the rest of your fellows you sacrificed for power. But I know you won?t harm me. I am too useful, and as long as that remains you won?t kill me no matter how much you hate me, that is the cell of tyranny. You hate something you have to use, and it?s binding is no less strong then the shackles you have cast on me,? Zu replied.

?Just have the main force ready by tomorrow,? Shen ordered in a low tone. ?You will personally command them on the field of battle.?

?If that is your wish. Now, Majesty, I must make the preparations for our....epic confrontation with the enemy.?

Shen glanced at his bodyguard, now barely human, having taken on dark decayed skin and the appearance of a miniature dragon. ?Make sure he carries out my orders, if he deviates from them at all, slay him,? he ordered and Death?s Hand silently moved away.

Chapter 2:

?Your pardon, Master, but is it necessary that I accompany you here? This seems a personal matter,? Zu asked, his eyes unaffected in the dreamy morning.

?This is not up for discussion, Zu, you are as much a part of what is inside as I am. Without you, they would still be alive,? Shen replied. Zu?s eyes narrowed. ?Lead the way, then,? Zu answered resignedly.

?I have delayed this little confrontation for long enough,? Shen pushed open the doors to the family Sun mausoleum. Inside it was cold and damp. No light from the outside came in, instead torches burned on for eternity, staining the walls.

?Do I hear weeping?,? Zu asked.

?Perhaps, you are welcome to ignore it as I do,? Shen responded. Then, Dawn Star?s wavering form appeared in front of them, shaking in despair.

?What are you doing here again, I told you I don?t want to see you...ever!,? Dawn Star screamed in rage.

?By the fallen gods, what have you done?,? Zu asked. ?Dawn Star, I?,?

?I know Zu, know what you did. In the end it was pointless, but I acknowledge your sacrifice, someone has to. I?m sorry for being so cold, I can?t help it. I haven?t seen the sun in so long,? Dawn Star replied rubbing her shoulders as if that would make her feel warm.

?What have I told you Dawn Star?, you need to learn patience and strength,? an old wavering voice boomed in the corner, it belonged to his former Master, Sun Li the Glorious Strategist. This tyrant will fall in time, yes, he is too dependant on his slaves, who plot against him in their own minds.?

?Slave?, I think you are deserving of your fate. You enslaved a God, and now your former student is enslaving you. It seems fitting,? Zu said harshly.

?So, this is the Assassin that took the life of my wife. Come into the light, so I can see the death on your face for myself. My former student made me aware of your fate, how pitifully anticlimactic for you, although I relish this fate of yours,? Sun Li declared.

? I did not think the lofty, Glorious Strategist was capable of vengeance,? Zu said.

?Hmm, and one would think a man deemed Sagacious would be able to discern the real enemy. Let us not toy with each other. You have come here for a reason, Spirit Monk. And I already know what it is. I will not help you with this war. I am eager to see how you fare in the battlefield, with a strategy so far removed from that of dealing with a handful of opponents. Your Godhood cannot hide the truth forever,? Li said and stepped back into the darkness.

?If you won?t do so willingly, I will rob your mind myself!,? Shen replied angrily.

?Really?, let the test of focus begin then my former student. When you are ready to humble me, you know where to find me. Until then, leave my resting place and take this shattered assassin with you!,? Li spat out.

?I?m sorry, Dawn Star. The only comfort I can offer you is that this insult will be rectified in time. A will cannot transcend eternity,? Zu whispered and followed the stiff back of his master out the imposing stone doors.



Chapter 3:

The Relentless march through the Seven Holy Hills had begun. Twilight marked the beginning of the soldiers? journey, the innumerable mass stretching almost infinitely across the expanse. The great dragonflys, mechanical flyers, pierced the already fading light. Emperor Shen sat comfortably in a royally modified version, three times the size of a regular flyer. It seemed like a celestial juggernaut taking its place with already emerging stars.

Sky, his Eternal Companion, stood beside him, arms crossed. He was staring fixedly ahead, anger frozen on his face. ?So, the army sets out again to quell the dissatisfaction of an already fracturing empire. When will it end?,? Sky asked wearily, anger still imbued in his tone.

?You have little endurance for rebellion. They will have to accept this transition, as will you,? Shen replied forcefully. ?I fought for you, in the battle of Temple Sehji, remember?,? Sky commented, running his index finger across a jagged scar on the right side of his face ?You don?t seem to care.?

?God?s don?t care, they triumph,? Shen retorted.

?Don?t lay claim to victory just yet,? Zu said, wrapped in a black robe and sitting in the corner. ?This battle has been fought for decades with no side gaining the upper hand. The peasants, now soldiers in a rebellion, are a replenishable resource. You cannot wipe them out completely, or you fall as well. No matter how much tyranny you impose, they will always be ready to rebel. God?s can fall, as you demonstrated by your victory over the Water Dragon. You are not entirely invincible,?

?Silence, Zu!,? Sky commanded bitterly. If it weren?t for you, this would all be the dream of a forgotten spirit by now. You damned us all with your sacrifice!.?

Regardless of my sacrifice, a tyrant would have reigned. Perhaps you would have died at the hands of the Glorious Strategist. Such a fitting fate for your bitter, worthless carcass,? Zu declared.

?Both of you be silent, that city of ungrateful, simpering fellahin will crumble. Their blood will send a message to all would-be rebels. Scrutiny of myself brings death! That goes for all of you as well. I hold the power, here!,? Shen roared.

?Good luck taming the human condition...Master,? Zu said quietly. ?I hear one of our own has returned to fight against you, who is it, I wonder? It is pitiful that you have claimed so many lives, and created so many enemies, that it is inconceivable to know your present foe, or whether your opposition is living or dead.?

Shen realized for the first moment that he might be losing his mind. He was beginning to lose control of Zu and the others. It hit him like a revelation. Godhood couldn?t protect the mighty Emperor Shen against insanity. The one enemy from within that is unvanquishable, ready for one moment of weakness. In an instant, everything could shatter.

The room fell into a dormant silence, which seemed wouldn?t be broken until the sounds of battle came thundering upon them. How fitting.

Okay, here is the next installment. Sorry the chapters are so short.
Chapter 4:

The enforced silence was eventually broken by the discordant wails of battle. Jade Golems and their lesser counterparts swarmed over the massive city that had chosen to rebel so fiercely. Shen stood at the railing of his flyer, his knuckles white from the relentless grip he had on it.

There were towering, gleaming monstrosities challenging his precious, immortal Golems. The opposing force shone with the metallic effects of some unearthed metal. Iron, perhaps. And they seemed much better crafted than his own stone servants.

Shen sneered. Sagacious Zu crept up behind him, laughing like a wounded dog, a grating sound against the ears. ?So Kang the Mad isn?t dead after all, a surprising twist of events. But, not at all surprising to our all-knowing leader, I assume,? Zu remarked sarcastically.

?Shut your mouth, Zu,? Shen demanded through a clenched jaw. But Zu kept talking. ?Yes, it appears his creations are far more superior and much more efficient than the archaic, stone servants that were handed down to you by the Sun Brothers,? Zu commented, as he watched one of the metallic golems easily rip apart it?s Jade counterpart.

Shen slammed his fists against the railing, easily denting it. Some of the creations devised by Kang were making their way out onto the battlefield, including a strange-catapult device that seemed to have the ability of launching several objects at once. As it launched, more golems and soldiers were killed instantly as metal orbs crashed into them at a high velocity.


Assassins moved uncertainly ahead, being spontaneously smashed as the catapults fired again and again. Shen?s flyers pounded the city and it?s inhabitants relentlessly, sometimes being batted to the ground by the metallic creations of Kang.

?This is endlessly amusing,? Sky spoke up, looking upwards and laughing. Shen gripped him by the neck and forced him to the ground. ?Quiet, you imbecile,? Shen demanded but Sky didn?t stop chuckling to himself. ?Your servants look doubtful, will their leader show up, I wonder?,? Zu said.

At that, Shen teleported himself to the battlefield below. Then, he channeled his rage and discord, creating a large sphere of blue energy that perpetually grew outward. As he shoved his fists to the ground, a massive earthquake shook and the orb of blue energy was hurled towards the city disintegrating much of the opposition as well as his own forces.

Shen repeated this until the opposition was annihilated. But he was weary afterwards and sat on the ground, his chin resting against his knees, while he was sweating profusely. The wrecked and desolate view comforted him and he sighed to himself. ?That...is peace,? he whispered to himself.

?Don?t be so sure,? a malevolent voice spoke from behind. Shen turned casually around, still in the sitting position. It was the Black Whirlwind, at this Shen grinned openly. ?My friend, you made it to see the carnage, how did you?,? but whirlwind didn?t let him finish, instead he gripped his former friend and threw him with the strength of a God.

Shen was too drained to perform a counter-attack, rather he blanked out completely with the vision of Black Whirlwind, his eyes nothing more than achromatic, swirling vortexes. What had gone wrong now?

 

[Max35]

Here's the rest. Also, sorry about the frequent question marks, this forums screws up quotation marks.

Chapter 5:

Shen awoke to the sounds of battle, his eyes settling on the forms of Death?s Hand and Black Whirlwind dueling with superhuman speed and resilience. It wasn?t long before Whirlwind dealt a lethal blow, an axe to the head. Death?s Hand crumbled to the ground in a black mass. Shen didn?t have the power to revive him. And he was growing weaker by the second, but he forced himself up into a shaky position.

He realized he couldn?t summon Zu or the others, his brain had become and island once again, oblivious to the thoughts of others. The Black Whirlwind swivelled around, gripping both axes with an intense determination. His eyes had become the color of deep night. He charged toward his former Master, axes gleaming and whirling at a quickening pace.
Shen couldn?t resist in his severely weakened state. One of the axes tore off his head, and he was instantly outside himself, in ghost form. After gazing deliriously around for several seconds, Sun Li appeared behind the monstrosity that had slain him.

In the instant before the demon-man could channel and solidify his power, Li stuck his fist into the beast, twisting it?s innards and waiting for death to consume it so that the power would be his. The Dragon Amulet allowed Li to once again draw on the power at an increasingly high rate.

Then, Shen found he couldn?t move, but was rooted to the ground. As Whirlwind fell to his knees, Li stepped back and turned towards his student. ?So, I am victorious yet again. Turning your former allies against you was a sudden inspiration to me. It suited the situation well, I think,? he spoke with a certain reverence for his impeccable strategy.

?That demon parasite you forced into the Black Whirlwind has been drawing on your stolen power ever since you entered the city. Lord Lao agreed to construct a device that wound end your oppression of the others once in range of it, while I concocted the rebellion that drew you here. Once again, you fell for my ploys and schemes. How does it feel to be the fool a second time?,? Li cackled almost madly.

Suddenly, Sun Li?s expression changed from arrogance to sheer bewildering and then...pain. He dissipated with a defiant roar but the Dragon Amulet fell into the pale hands of Sagacious Zu who looked up boldly. ?I?m ending the tyranny of this age once and for all,? at that he cupped both hands around the amulet and seemed to be feeding on the power. But that lasted only for a short time, just enough to dissolve the amulet in the diving power that was pilfered by so many, too many.

?I hope Sky lives up to his end of the bargain, for everyone?s sake,? Zu gave Shen a direct look. ?You?ll be judged soon enough once the Water Dragon is slain, as we all will,? Zu commented.




Sky slunk in and out of the shadows, the palace offering an abundance of them, which satisfied his thief?s hunger. He silently moved forward, cutting out of the darkness to slice the throats of the assassins who were ignorant to his presence.

It wouldn?t take much longer before he reached the large cavern where the Water Dragon was being held captive. But he mentally checked himself, his hastiness would only get him killed, or worse. Despite his position alongside Emperor Shen, the Lotus Assassins were given orders to kill anyone besides the Emperor, Death?s Hand, or Zu. Sky wasn?t important enough to warrant passage. He was merely the thief of the Empire, locating any small pockets of power and adding it to Shen?s growing collection.

The large cavern was easy enough to enter, the ample darkness giving Sky generous room to work with. The giant form of the Water Dragon loomed over the entire cavern, giving a sense of impending doom when in fact the celestial beast lay helpless. Sky tightened the grip on his twin swords and sliced clean through two assassins who created a pool of blood by their instantaneous deaths.
Sky inched closer, the dank smell entering his nostrils without an ounce of offense. He crouched near the machine that kept the dragon waters flowing, if it was destroyed, so the dragon would be. He sighed inwardly. Sky would die that day, this would be his redemption, alleviating the bitterness that had plagued him all these years. And he allowed one man to corrupt him, Shen, who even now lay dead if Sun Li?s concoction went according to plan.

?I?m sorry,? Sky muttered. ?This wasn?t worth it, even if I wasn?t the pawn. This has all gone to hell, I might as well go there to,? he finished regretfully. At that, he leaped with the grace and ferocity of a tiger and brought down his twin blades with a terrible madness. The last sounds Sky heard were the echoed explosions that would ultimately destroy the cavern, and restore the world back to it?s normal state.

The resulting wane of power, strength, and vitality in the Empire never seemed so welcoming.

Chapter 6:

Sagacious Zu strode through the monumental avenue in the early morning silence, not caring for the rapid changes being wrought upon the Empire. Everything was slowly returning to normal, like a delayed spring rearing it?s head. That was what truly mattered. The end of unjust suffering.

When he approached the pagoda doors to the Sun Family mausoleum, he halted. He ran his hands along the beautifully crafted door, forcing a certain irony upon the macabre image trapped within. Zu shook off the thought and pushed open the door.

The dusty, dark chamber would have been cold to a mortal man, but Zu was sadly the opposite. ?Sun Li, my father is gone. I can sense he has left for good. You had something to do with it, didn?t you Zu?,? Dawn Star?s sweet tones came wafting over the cold chamber.

Zu sighed. ?Yes, Dawn Star. Everything is all right now. Everything is returning to normal. You can go to the afterlife now, I will open the way...if you want it,? he offered.

?So easy, so unexpected, after all we?ve been through. I suppose there is nothing left but to leave now. Will you becoming with me?,? Dawn Star asked with a child?s innocence.

?Soon...I hope. Soon,? Zu replied. ?Close your eyes, this will only take a second. I just hope I remembered the spell correctly.?

Dawn Star smiled icily ?Wherever I go, it can?t be worse than here. As long as my memory fades away.?

?Memories haunt all of us, the one ghost in this strange time we can?t run away from. Please, let me do this now. I wish you well, child,? Zu responded desperately. He placed a stiff hand on the chest of her corpse and forced the remaining energy of the Water Dragon to slide out of him, to carry Dawn Star?s grieving soul away from that dark place.

?Rest well, Dawn Star, rest well,? he whispered. He noticed then that he could feel the dust and cold air of the tomb in his lungs, better, he could feel their constrictions, again and again. What mysterious entity of the heavens had given him life? But, there was something more wondrous occurring. Zu could feel the slime of deprived memories being washed away as he slowly crossed the threshold into the land of the living. He was given a new life, without being reborn. What sort of man would he become?

There was only one way to find out. Enough, Zu thought. The Empire itself awaits.