“My Lord,” the messenger kneeled with his face parallel to the floor, “Narcicussa plans to secede from this nation. We must pre-” The messenger suddenly stopped and gulped when he examined the king’s still figure. There was no face. Instead, a black veil covered the king’s entire head. Something is not right, the messenger thought. The king does not like to cover his face.

Meanwhile, the king did not move a muscle. He remained completely still like a statue.

“My Lord, if you do not mind.” The messenger slowly removed the veil. At once he gasped and gulped at the skull grinning down on him, which bore the same smile as the king’s. There was still a hint of flesh near the left cheek.

The messenger spun around, gaping at the armored soldiers with metal helmets. He walked very slowly toward one, and gingerly removed the helmet. Another skull grinned down at him, and the messenger pushed the figure over in fright.

Sprinting to the other standing soldiers, the messenger tore off the helmets one by one with the same results, grinning skulls.

Paralyzed and in shock, the messenger collapsed to the floor, scanning the room.

His first pass revealed nothing among the statues of soldiers. Then a…There in the corner, stood a dark figure. A pair of soulless eyes stared at nothing and everything in the chamber all at once. The figure was not diminutive, but it wasn’t large either. “This is it!” the messenger groaned inwardly. “I’m done for.”

However, the figure stayed where it was, not moving.

“Why don’t you come here, and let me be done for already!” the messenger begged. The figure still did not budge.

The messenger grabbed a helmet and chucked it across the room hitting the figure squarely in what should have been its chest. The figure still did not move.

Confused, the messenger slowly crawled over to the silent and ominous figure. Pulling himself to his feet, he clenched one of his shaky hands, and threw a windup punch that should have split his knuckles.

“What the…” the messenger stated at the whoosh of his fist flying through the air. There obviously wasn’t anything under the robe. Abruptly turning around, the messenger shook with fear. The monster is somewhere else, he pondered. Sweat trickled from his forehead.

Suddenly, he heard a shriek; something crunched against his head. Spinning around, he caught a glimpse of a hideous creature.

Praying silently, the man hoped that he would get a second chance to live.

He didn’t.