The Emperor Class

"Wake up, sleepy head! Time to get up for breakfast!"

Having heard the words a second time, Dreu slowly opened his eyes. He expected to be somewhere in Gujash but the voice he heard made no sense. He was certain he heard his mother calling him.

Why would mother be in a demon city?

Dreu opened his eyes and, to his shock, his mother was right there. Her face and smile was just as he remembered. He jumped towards her, embracing her tightly. During the embrace, he noticed how much smaller he shrunk, almost as if he was a kid once again. Yet, none of that mattered since his mother was actually there.

“What’s wrong, dear?”

Dreu couldn’t hold his tears back. He embraced the warmth of her body and the gentleness of her voice. When she patted his head, he didn’t push it away.

Was that all a dream? All the deaths and the demons?

When his mother asked with a bit more concern in her voice, Dreu looked up to her.

“I had a nightmare that was filled with death and destruction. I-”

The young man couldn’t continue due to his stored up emotions breaking out at once. He buried himself in his mother’s dress and cried his heart out. His mother patiently waited until his emotions ran its course. Once he had finally calmed down, she led Dreu out of his room into the kitchen.

“Look! We have a big crybaby here!”

“Stop teasing your little brother, Wright.”

Dreu watched his older brother stop with the teasing following the stern lecture from his mother. The scene brought a small smile to his face. He also took in the familiar kitchen that he spent all of his meals as a kid in. He could still remember where all the plates and utensils were kept, along with the secret stash of cookies his mother left for him and his brother from time to time. The only person missing from the scene was his father.

“What was wrong, Phylo?” asked a large framed man who just entered the home.

“Dreu had a terrible nightmare.” Phylo led Dreu to the kitchen table and had him seated. “Let him visit the ranch later, Rudor. I'm sure he will enjoy the presence of all the cute little animals.”

Dreu’s father nodded in understanding. He then spoke of the farm work they had to complete before the day was over. While Wright would be assisting his father directly, Dreu was tasked with smaller tasks to assist to the best of his ability. He was a small boy who needed a lot more growth before he could be helpful. When asked if he was fine with it, Dreu had no objection.

“Are you alright, dear?” Phylo walked over to touch Dreu’s forehead. “You usually shout about wanting to explore the world and complaining that farm work isn’t for you.”

Dreu said that he changed his mind after the nightmare. He was relieved when his mother didn’t ask further questions because he was unsure if he wanted to share what he experienced with her. If possible, he wanted her to live her peaceful life without worry. At this point, he questioned if he just imagined everything else. His family, the kitchen and the food felt too real for them to be illusions. Even their conversations brought back memories. Once they finished their breakfast, the family headed outside to be greeted by a large field of wheat. The stalks of wheat were all much taller than Dreu, bringing tears to his eyes.

I missed the simple life on a farm. So happy I’m back now.

While Wright excitedly ran towards the large shed to grab the tools, Dreu walked over with his parents at a steady pace, his hand holding his mother's hand. Despite having a large workload awaiting them, their tools and magic would make their job much easier. Dreu recalled how nice their life was. Before they reached the shed, Dreu asked to stay outside while he took in the scene and breathed in the clean air. With his memories returning, the boy wanted to visit all the neighbors after work and play with his friends. His big smile disappeared when he turned around to see the shed set aflame.

“Mother! Father! Brother!”

Before Dreu could dart in to help his family, someone stepped out with a bloodied sword.

“Little Dreu, did you think you could escape Xemir?” Rowan in his full armor stood outside the shed, pointing his weapon at Dreu. “Let’s end this! You chose to oppose Xemir and will die like your family.”

Dreu, having returned to being a young man, reached and felt his blade by his side. Drawing his weapon, the young man charged head first at the being who was responsible for his family’s death. The blade urged him on and Dreu didn’t oppose it. He fully embraced the anger as he focused on the sole goal of killing Rowan. His attacks were intercepted but none of that discouraged him. If anything, the fact that the Right Arm of Xemir was still alive made him even more furious. Dreu couldn’t wait to see the demi-god killed for good. Then, he was sent flying without warning. When the young man got up, he frantically searched for his blade.

“A splendid blade.” Rowan then tossed it straight at Dreu, resulting in the blade getting stuck as it pierced the young man’s gut. “Too good for a nobody like you.”

Dreu collapsed onto his knees as the strength was drained out of him. He urged his body to move but nothing was responding. He helplessly watched as the pool of his blood grew larger and larger. When he looked up again, Rowan stood over him with a sword next to his neck.

“We offered you a position many can only dream of. What did you gain from throwing it away? Petty revenge? Righteousness? A beheading worthy of a traitor to humans!”

Dreu closed his eyes after seeing Rowan draw back his sword. In his final seconds, he apologized to his family for being too weak. He hated his helplessness when facing the demi-god. Now, he would join his family in the afterlife.