Erelmach's Prime

"Please...MERCY!" the attacker begged - his gruff voice now hoarse from pleading.

"Don't worry, everything will be fine." 3 said in a calm monotone - as he drew back his fist and drove into the side of the man's face, sending him crashing to the floor. As the rush of battle left him, a silence settled over the room and without sparing a moment he rushed back to the spot he had left Kassim covered behind the throne. Dropping his shield and hammer to the floor he gathered the bundled cloak up in his arms. "Are you hurt my prince?"

A muffled voice spoke, punctuated by sobs and sniffles - but the cloak drowned any hopes of the response being audible. 3 gently unfurled the cloak until he found the snot and tear streaked face of the Kassim Sethi. "See that? It's just another one of our games of hide and seek - and now I've found you." he said as he dabbed the boy's face clean with his cloak - heedless of ruining such an expensive garment.

"Are you okay 3? I was scared the bad men were going to get you." Kassim sniffled as he reached his hands out for his guardian's face, gently turning his head from side to side checking him for damage.

"Come now your highness, you know I'd never leave you. There exists no enemy that can separate us," 3 said proudly, "You were very brave Kassim, your father will be proud of you." As if summoned by magic 3 was alerted to the sounds of ironshod feet rushing toward the throne room. Instinctively he tucked the prince under one arm and in a single fluid motion scooped his tower shield off the floor and held it in front of him, hiding the prince entirely from view behind it. Worry turned to relief as a small group of soldiers burst into the room - Erelmach and the emperor in tow. Zidehon scanned the room, taking in the scene before his eyes settled on 3.

"3 report immediately! Where is my son?!" he barked, concern writ plain on his face.

"Fear not your Imperial Majesty," as he gently set his shield back on the floor and produced the wrapped bundle in his arms, "Prince Kassim is unharmed." If he had eyelids to blink he may have missed how quickly the emperor crossed the room and swept the prince into his arms. Immediately the two were ushered out of the room by medics and guards, since no one could be sure the danger had passed just yet.

"What happened here my boy?" Erelmach's voice snapped 3 back to the scene in front of him. The bodies of no less than 12 intruders lie crumpled around the throne room. As he looked down and took in his father, he couldn't help but register some surprise of his own. The small gnome was covered in soot and seemed to have blood staining his clothes - though there was no way of telling at the moment whether or not it belonged to him.

"Father, you may be wounded - please allow me to exa-" 3 began.

"Time for that later 3, I assure you I will be fine. Tell me exactly what happened in here." he ordered. The look in his eyes said we're talking about this right now, and 3 knew by now there was no way around it.

"I am uncertain father, the man who seemed to be leading this group told me they were going to take the prince. A strange feeling overtook me, and I felt very sure I could not let that happen, after that I merely enacted the lessons from my years of training with the guardsmen."

"So you're telling me that when a life was endangered, you were able to fight - and kill - your attackers?" Erelmach asked, as he holstered his pistol so that he could begin to stroke his beard.

"Well, you see father, the thing is-" he stammered.

"By all the gods." one of the guards that had remained in the room had been examining the scene and preparing to have the room cleared. 3 and Erelmach both turned in response to his voice.

"What is it? Have you found something?" Erelmach asked urgently.

"Begging your pardon High Priest, but none of these attackers are dead. He managed to take them all down without killing them." he said in disbelief.