Read Online The Peasant by Scott Michael Decker - Free Book Online

it annoys me.”
    “Forgive me, Lord Emperor. I forgot you don't like to be reminded I'm your Patriarch.”
    “Where the Infinite
is
Rippling Water?” Bubbling Water asked. “Please have the Lord Spirit return her, Lord Nephew.”
    Guarding Bear allowed himself a small smile, drawing strength from his mate. Her elder sister having died giving birth, Bubbling Water had reared Flying Arrow, wasn't as afraid of him as most people, and called him anything she wanted.
    “Of course, Lady Water.” Watching them, Flying Arrow reached for the Imperial Sword.
    His hand fell on the sword with the ruby. A bright spark flashed, white steam puffed, and the Emperor yelped. Muttering curses, he touched the weapon to which he belonged, the diamond glowing briefly.
    Guarding Bear grinned. “Please be careful, Lord Emperor. Did you forget you can't wield that Sword?”
    “Eh? Of course not!” His hand a pink, boiled crab, the Emperor glowered at the General. “I'd be able to wield it if you'd found the Heir Sword!”
    “If I
had
found it, you'd have enslaved the people of the Northern Empire.”
    “Of course I'd have enslaved them! They deserved it!”
    “Because Lofty Lion insulted you by refusing to attend your coronation ceremony? He refused because you're not fit to rule, a point you've proved a thousand times since. All three refused because they knew you'd be a tyrant.”
    Flying Arrow had lost vast face when not a single Emperor had come to his coronation. “As if you could do better, Lord Emperor Bear. You wouldn't have had the testicles to grind Lofty Lion's face in the dirt!” So he'd given Guarding Bear command of the Eastern Armed Forces. “I had to
order
you to raze the Northern Empire. A man with meat between his legs would've volunteered.”
    “If you'd had meat between your legs, you'd have led our armies yourself.” Guarding Bear had led the Eastern Empire to a lightning victory, routing Lofty Lion's armies in less than a year. “You fought one stinking duel, while
I
defeated his armies and
I
ground his face in the dirt.
One
!”
    “
I
defeated the man who cleaved your nose in half, Lord Undefeated Bear!”
    “Your
victory
isn't worth a bucket of dung. When you didn't find the Heir Sword, you lost the war.” Lofty Lion had either hidden or destroyed the Northern Heir Sword simply to spite his Eastern foes. “Now you can't even cut your fingernails with the Northern Imperial Sword!” No man could wield it without the Heir Sword's preparation.
    “It's not
my
fault Lofty Lion wouldn't tell me where the Heir Sword was. I did everything I could to find it!”
    “Torturing and executing all those Northerners in front of him was barbaric! No wonder he died. An Emperor fit to rule doesn't slaughter a half-million people. You lost the war, Lord Emperor. Admit it!” Infinite forgive me my part in their deaths, the General thought, the crushing weight of all those Northern souls on his shoulders.
    “I didn't lose the war. You
lost
it!”
    “I conquered the Northern Empire, but
you
lost the war.”
    “Listen, you insufferable peasant—”
    “
You
listen, you insufferable tyrant—”
    “Cease!” Bubbling Water said. “I'm ashamed of you both. If you don't stop this instant, I'll bash your heads together. If you want to pour salt into each other's old wounds, don't do it in
my
presence. I won't have my mate and my nephew arguing like children.” The Matriarch took a deep breath. “Now, apologize to each other.”
    Guarding Bear ran his hands through his hair and sighed. “I'm sorry, my mate. Forgive me, Lord Emperor.”
    Flying Arrow frowned, then sighed. “Yes, Lady Empress Water. The fault was mine, Lord Bear. Please forgive me.”
    The two men bowed to the same depth, then grinned at each other. “They're indomitable, eh Lord Nephew?”
    “Indeed, Lord Bear. What would we do without women?”
    “You'd thrust your swords into each other's back passages,” Bubbling Water said. Both men laughed and