The Grimm Rose

Chapter 3.0: Hail to the King

A.N. Hello readers, Zap here. Now, I cannot promise any consistent updates for this story, but there will be some epic stuff coming in the not-so-distant future. Until then, though, I will leave you with this preview to "Season 3" of The Grimm Rose. Let me know your thoughts in the comments and enjoy!

When He opens His eyes, He is staring out across a desolate landscape. Dark clouds roll overhead, blocking out the sun and casting the land in eternal shadow. Everything, from the flat plains before him to the towering mountains in the distance, is bathed in shades of blacks and greys.

But, there is something here - something alive - in this wasteland. There are a few at first, black flesh and fur, and white bone faces making them stand out against the dark. The numbers slowly grow... and grow... and grow, until they are a mass of black fur, scales, feathers, and white bone faces and angry orange-red eyes.

He looks down at Himself. He is dressed for war. Dull white and dark silver plate armor covers His torso, with a dark tree engraved onto the chest plate; the trunk reaching up to His ribcage, with a weave of branches sprouting off of it to cover His chest.

Heavy boots thunk against the ground when He shifts His feet, thick metal greaves and cuisse clinking. A belt of leather wraps around His waist with a demonic skull on the buckle. Flaps of leather extending from the belt, connected by thinner strips and parted at the front to avoid hindering maneuverability, shift slightly in the wind.

His left arm is clad in heavy plate armor layered over each other in a style similar to scale armor. His hand is covered in a heavy, clawed gauntlet. His left shoulder, meanwhile, is protected by a heavy pauldron with a vertical shield-like wedge. Combined, it makes for a great area to take hits on and deliver punishing shoulder charges with.

His right arm, in stark contrast to the left, is covered in lighter scale armor and a smaller pauldron. His hand is protected by a leather glove, the knuckles plated with metal.

The awkward weight difference between the arms is corrected, though, by the large weapon held in His right hand.

The maul's name is the King's Decree and it is a truly terrifying sight to behold. The handle, wrapped in leather over onyx black metal, is almost as long as he is tall. The "head" is a monstrous blunt object that protrudes from the open maw of a draconic skull, mounted at the end of the handle. On the back of the head are three blades, reminiscent of a halberd's, that are angled downward to resemble spines running down the draconic skull's "neck". At the opposite end of the handle is a slightly curved, couple-inch-long, and wicked-looking claw.

His grip tightens around the maul's handle when the crowd of monsters begins to part, allowing a tall and lanky figure to approach Him. He looks up, anger burning in His amber left eye as He looks up at the thing that refuses to be referred to as a "mere" Creature of Grimm. He notices something, then, held in the hands of the lanky creature with a crown of thorns.

It is a helmet, made of the same dull white, dark silver, and onyx black metal as the rest of the armor He wears. The top half is domed, a smooth and simple surface. The bottom half is more angular, with a triangular grill over the mouth and sharp slits over the eyes that do not hinder sight. An inch tall ring of onyx black metal inlaid with the occasional dark silver gem wraps around the dome, forming the base of a crown. From the band, stretches a metal weave of black and dark silver branches reaching six inches above the base of the crown. 

The tall creature kneels before Him, presenting the helmet as if making an offering to an eldritch god. He takes it in His gauntleted left hand, holding it up so that He can look into the helmet's empty eyes. He adjusts His grip, turning the helmet in His hand, and fits it onto His head.

"Kneel, my brethren!" the creature with the crown of thorns screams to the other monsters, prompting them all to kneel to Him before it screams once more, "All hail to Him! Hail to the Grimm King!"

The answering roar of the gathered monsters shakes the very earth to its core.

Key: "normal speech", 'sign language/hologram', "telepathy/thoughts", 'speaking through actions', "written words"

With a sharp gasp, Stygian Rose awakes in his bed. He sits up sharply, mismatched silver and amber eyes flickering about the room. A hand reaches up to his left shoulder, which aches as if it just held a heavy weight.

"Stygian? Is something wrong?"

He looks over to where Neo is sitting up in her bed and staring at him, worriedly. Stygian smiles at her.

"It's nothing, Neo, just a bad dream. Go back to sleep."

Neo nods after a moment, smiling at him.

"Okay. Good night."

The small young woman lays back down and closes her mismatched eyes, quickly falling asleep. Stygian remains still for a few minutes longer, making sure Neo is asleep before letting out a sigh and running a hand through his hair, searching... 

Searching for a crown that he could've sworn was there...