Grimacing, Darian managed to choke out, "Ouch... I-I think you stepped on my hand, sir..." Silence loomed over the air.
The driver yelped before hiding behind the carriage, and wrinkles began forming around Emory's face.
With a stone-cold detonation, the official replied, "I did not tell you to move." He stared daggers at Darian, whose hand was beginning to leak blood from the brute force digging into it.
As expected, a shrilling cry enveloped the military stop. Tears fell down from Emory's squinting crimson eyes as he wailed for his fish.
Darian contorted before trying once more, "S-Sir, my hand is starting to hurt…" He looked at the official with pleading eyes. "Please. I just need the fish. He really likes it and won't stay quiet without it." The official stayed quiet and observed for a couple of seconds.
Emory's cries were louder now, causing the driver to cover his ears in pain. "Quiet the child. Make him cease this irritating noise." The official ordered Darian.
With the foot remaining on top of his hand, Darian frowned, "Your foot is still on top of my hand, sir..." He meant no malice, but unfortunately the official took it that way.
Yelping in pain, Darian felt the official dig his foot deeper into the ground, causing more blood to escape and stain the dirty ground.
"Quiet, insolent fiend. Cease that child's noise now."
He looked back and noticed the other officials had returned and lined up uniformly.
With a quick nod from the main official, the other three ran towards the driver and circled him. "Wha-?" Confusion was all over the driver's face.
The officials paid no attention; with a quick motion, they grabbed the ends of the driver's body and tied his arms back, restraining any chance of movement.
"Help!" He cried; tears welled up in his eyes. "Silence." One of the officials spat in the driver's moist eyes, causing him to shriek in pain.
A faint redness spread throughout his iris and sclera.
Disregarding the screaming driver, who was randomly held down, the main official refocused his attention towards Darian Vaughan and his crying son, Emory Vaughan.
"Your... hand..." Despite knowing the official's reaction, Darian choked out the words just in case he would actually remove his leg.
Emory's cries continued to ring in everyone's ears, creating a tense and flammable situation.
However, to Darian's surprise, the official did move his leg. His eyes lit up as he tried to move his injured hand toward the fallen fish.
It wasn't until he heard a leg being raised, looking to his right, that the foot of the official was held directly beside Darian's face.
The official bent his leg, turned his side, and kicked Darian's face. The impact caused Darian to stumble back, dropping Emory on the ground. Snapping his fingers, the official called over one of his lackeys and ordered, "Hold him down." The other two remained, restricting the driver, who had given up restraint.
Struggling as he was being held, Darian finally realized the severity of the situation. Darting his eyes to the ground, he spotted Emory, crying. "Emor-" Before he could finish, a dirty, smelly hand was placed over his mouth, muffling his calls. No matter how hard he tried, no matter where he struggled and kicked, Darian could never seem to get the official off of him.
Powerless.
Completely and utterly powerless.
His eyes locked on to the official who had previously stepped on his hand. All Darian could do was watch. Emory! Emory! He tried to call out, but no words escaped his mouth.
Ahh! He screamed at the top of his lungs in his mind. Leave Emory alone! His clothes ruffled as he tried to escape the chokehold he was in.
The main official smirked before walking over to Emory. The shadow covered Emory, who had not stopped crying.
"Eumph-" Darian screamed while his mouth was covered, his eyes wet, and his cheeks tainted red. The man holding Darian down squeezed his grip and whispered, "Shut the hell up."
The main official stood before Emory; he reached for his waist, a slow, meticulous movement.
Shing! The sword left its sheath and was exposed to the cold, dramatic air. A blinding light had reflected off of the silver broadsword.
The blade hovered directly above the soft skin of the baby's neck. "Goodbye." The official tilted his head to the side and smiled, the first smile Darian had ever seen him put on.
He was about to kill Emory Vaughan.
"No—" Darian cried, biting the lackey's hand that covered his mouth, causing the man to twitch and pull his hand back.
"Not again! Never again! Please don't kill him! Kill me instead!" He pleaded with the utmost sincerity he could ever have.
Ignoring Darian's pleas, the official raised his sword, the cold steel cutting through the air. In the next swing, Emory's head would be decapitated, left to tumble on the ground and collect dirt.
The pressure inflicted by the air compressed every being in the vicinity. Darian's soundless cries, the driver's timid submission, Emory's wails—it was all leading up to this final moment.
Then, he swung.
'Stop.'
Integrated to the very marrow in his bones, the official shuddered. No one else but him heard the supremacy that came with that tone—that terrifying voice.
The sword in his hand shattered into a million pieces. Flailing his empty hand in the air, the official plummeted to the ground. Cold sweat made its way, trickling down his trembling spine.
Everyone else silently watched, their mouths agape, their eyes shrinking.
No one dared approach the official. His body twisted and jerked, and the color in his eyes rapidly faded. His face was covered in sweat while his muscles tensed drastically.
'Don't touch my child.'
The official's eyes and ears began bleeding profusely. He writhed in pain as he rolled over on the ground.
"I beg of you! Please! Stop!" Despite clearly submitting, the one thing he wouldn't do was apologize to Emory and Darian.
'Filthy hands that touch my child should never be used again.'
His hands were crushed, leaving behind immense agony. The wound where his hands were began spewing blood. "AHHH!" His cry froze time itself.
'Filthy feet used to step on the caregiver of my child should never be used again.'
His feet were crushed; a loud sonic shockwave emanated from each foot. A large pool of crimson began forming around him.
'Filthy Aglanians trying to cement their nonexistent power should cease to exist.'
Bubbles began forming on the man's torso and chest. Each popping and removing a specific mass of his body along with it.
The only thing that was heard was the man's cries; he begged for help, begged for forgiveness, and begged for mercy.
The soldiers restricting Darian ran towards the pool of blood. "Sir!" Before they reached it, they disappeared as well. Never to be seen on the face of this world again.
The fish returned to Emory's hand.
It was over.