Ashes of an Empire
Chapter 1
"Long ago, in the Age of Darkness, as we knew it, gods warred. We know next to nothing, but for this: from the ashes of the great wars rose a Hero, guiding Humanity to a brighter age. That Hero became our Great Founder, the First Emperor. However, his Grace's life was not everlasting, and he was troubled. Legends say he went to a sage, while others say he received a vision from the Gods' remnants. Some even speak of him visiting..."
The aging woman dramatically paused, looking past the unfinished tome to the children's eager and bright faces. Three sets of eyes, sparkling with intrigue as they hang on to her every word. Her thin lips stretched into a smile deepening the crow's foot around her small mouth.
Life had not treated Najenda kindly. The former noble, General of the Rebellion, first Chancellor of the newly formed Republic, and veteran of many battles, she was now long past her prime. Missing eye and arm, silver hair turned natural gray, and wrinkles stretch across her face. Still, a smile remained in her eyes.
'All the better, that I enjoy retirement with the ones who truly matter now.'
"Ah, but that is not important, young ones." She faked a cough to clear her throat and continued. "In preparation for His death, he reached through all the vast resources of the Empire and created the Teigu; The Imperial Relics! 48 Relics, only for the Greatest and Noblest of people to wield them, to preserve the Golden Age of the Empire. But, this was not to be. Less than 400 years later, the First Emperor's legacy was used to do the unthinkable; Civil war raged across the land, brothers striking brothers, entire cities wiped off the face of existence. Many of those Relics were lost. In the end, the people reunited in their grief and rebuilt what little remained of…"
"This is boriiing! Let's skip the part where Night Raid fights the evil Empire and Mama and Papa meet –" Little Evelyn scrambled out of the linen covers enthusiastically, but her suggestion was cut short when she met the glare of Najenda's sole eye.
"Hold on now, be a patient girl. Do you want to hear the story or not?" The fiery head girl shrunk back in the bed beside a frail boy, Keitaro, folding her arms over her chest in a displeased resolve.
"Thank you. Now, where was I…?" Najenda asked no one in particular.
"The Imperial Relics were lost!" Keitaro supplied promptly, shrugging the weight of Evelyn's hand on his shoulder. A frail boy, he was just younger than her, though due to the ties between parents, they were always together.
"Thank you, Keitaro." Najenda beamed appreciatively before resuming her story.
"In the end, the people reunited in their grief and rebuilt what little remained of the land, but the Golden Age ended. The Empire had shrunk in size; the Northern Kingdom was formed by a contingent of foreign invaders, while the South returned to tribal ways of life. Years later, discrimination in the Empire rose, and the Civil War broke out. The Empire, with renewed vigor, sought to regain the territory it had lost in its weakness and began a long and tremulous war against the tribes to the North, South, and West… sadly, the exploration across the Eastern Sea of Storms was long forgotten and–"
A polite cough interrupted her reading. "Yes, Ren, what is it now?" Cut short again, Najenda heaved as her adopted son raised a hand tentatively.
"Mother, do you think President Mine intends to resume the eastern exploration?" The green-haired teenager questioned, thinking over his words as he spoke them.
'Heh, just like him, curious and capable.' The realization struck her as painful memories snagged her consciousness. 'Oh Lubbock, if only you could be here for this.'
"Who knows," she replied. "While things have transitioned well from the old system, the Western Kingdom is acting up again, so it's not quite time to invest resources in exploring. Now, let me finish this story so you can sleep!" The boy in understanding and she continued, "Less than 50 years ago, the Emperor was off on campaigns against the Westerners, for their fertile farmlands and other reasons. In a daring attempt, the tribesmen nearly succeeded in assassinating the young Ruler and was only prevented by the man who eventually became Prime Minister later."
She shuddered just thinking of that pig-faced wretch and the countless innocent lives lost to him; Bulat, Sheele, and…
"…Aunt Najenda? Are you alright? We can skip anything about him," Keitaro's small faced appeared in front of her, etched with worry as he reached out to her with his frail hands.
"Oh my, don't mind me, just lost in thought. But you are right, kid, those were the dark days. Things got bad, real bad. But, that's where I come in!" The aged General huffed proudly. Clearing her throat, she continued.
"I was just a naive girl, really, a noble who had no clue as to the dangers of the world. I fought, and despite my gender, succeeded in moving up the ranks of the Empire during the depression. The New Emperor was incredibly young and was 'guided' by his Father's trusted advisor. No one knew why, but his Mother and Father died of natural causes, one of sickness, and months later, one of a broken heart."
Najenda could not help but snort at the last part, confusing her young audience, but no one dared to interrupt her this time for an explanation.
"I was on a campaign against one of the many enemies of the Empire. My army had fallen into a stalemate against a particular tribe, where the true enemy was the humidity, the poisonous wildlife, and the dangerous beasts. Unable to advance, yet not yet defeated, we held out… until another young woman entered the fray. I will never forget the day Esdeath and I met. She…."
A thoughtful pause, as she conjured a portrayal of her nemesis on the canvas of her brain before continuing, "is hard to describe, but on the battlefield, she would best be known as a God: One who enjoys all manners of horrific cruelty, of course, but still a God. She destroyed the tribes within the very day. That week…I saw things I never wanted to see again. Much too terrible to account for anyone. Needless to say, when I think of the word Devastation, I think of blue hair, a sickly sweet laugh, and those cold, cruel eyes."
Her narration was brought to a halt yet again, but by someone, she did not expect to see there. If it were someone else, they would have ignored the whisper; a sigh of sorts coming from the back of the dark, but Najenda's ears were trained to pick up even the slightest change in the wind.
'Silly girl,' she thought. 'It's 30 years too early for you to sneak up on me.' Still, not wanting to agitate the children, Najenda continued reading.
"I was determined to leave the Empire and its atrocities behind me and gathered those loyal to me. It should have worked, if not for one thing. Esdeath, the strongest of the Empire, was sent with an army of her own. They traveled at a breakneck pace to catch us, and catch us, they did. I lost my arm and eye that day, but not my men, my dear loyal men. We went on to form the Rebel Alliance and brought the pain and suffering back to the Empire, the hard way. I, myself, gathered our strongest and formed Night Raid. The rest, as they say, is history. We laughed, fought, killed, and cried together. The Empire fell, the Prime Minister perished, and Esdeath was finally gone. We rebuilt, and in conjunction with our allies, brought about a new era of peace. The New Kingdom is the result of our hard work, of our blood, sweat, and tears."
And with that, she closed the book, for the next page was completely unwritten.
"What now, Mother?" Ren asked, hoping to learn more about her fighting days. Among the three, he was the oldest, and already shaping into a strapping young adult. Emerald hair, an ever-cheerful smile, constantly reminding the General of a young noble who followed her through hell and back…
'Enough.'
"My fighting days are over, kid. I know I've been busy lately, but perhaps I ought to go into the book business?"
"It's what Lubbock did whilst undercover," was the unspoken thought, shared between adopted mother and son.
"Now off to bed, kiddies. Your parents would be upset if you stayed up all night again. Yes, again. I know exactly what you did last week, Evelyn, Ren." She turned to them with her steel arm resting on her hips in a warning. Picking on the tick in her voice, all of them hurried out of her room, red-faced and nervous. As their steps receded in the distance, Najenda braced herself to face her uninvited guest.
'Now, for the elephant in the room, not that I would call her that to her face.' She thought, turning on her heels into a formal bow. "I am honored, Madam President, that you have come to visit me in my lonely manor."
"Bah," A humorless chuckle resounded in the air, "It sure looked lively to me, Boss. Can't I visit you and reminisce about the old days? If you consider a dusty old legend and your personal journal a suitable story for young kids, you clearly need to get out more."
Pink eyes and matching waist-length hair emerged from the shadows and into the firelight. A single revolver at the hip, Najenda noticed, belted to fit under the military-like uniform.
"We need to talk," said Mine, former assassin and now President of the Republic. Najenda regarded her old friend for a long moment, her silver hair now tucked behind her ear, before motioning her to in the chairs set across the burning hearth.
The one-eyed General did not bother asking how the pinkette had arrived, despite the sole window and door being closed during storytime. She was trained personally by Najenda, after all, such things would be a cinch.
Instead, she retrieved two glasses and a bottle of red liquid from her cupboard before joining Mine, who was now taking in the room's interior. It was sparse save for a bed, a cupboard, a desk, and two cushioned chairs with a small table in front of the fireplace.
"I hope the elections went well," Najenda commented while pouring them drinks. Mine did not reply immediately, her eyes fixed on the shapes forming on the surface of Najenda's metal hand; a trick of light on a reflective surface, dancing shadows cast from the fireplace.
"Oh, they did indeed, despite Lord Ariendal's attempts to 'negotiate' for my daughter's marriage contract." Mine spat, accepting the poured liquor from Najenda's outstretched hand. "If only it were that simple… No, that's not what I'm here for."
"What is it?" The Night Raid leader asked.
"The Western Kingdom is throwing another tizzy over some stupid border disputes with the buffer states, something about water rights from the Aegir River." Mine sighed into her glass. "Something easily handled for now, but my spy network found word of-"
Both assassins, who had long learned to trust gut instinct, went still.
They were rewarded for their instincts, as the small window of her room shattered, blasted inward in a million shards of glass. In what felt like slow motion to President Mine, a small yet potently deadly sphere threatened a gruesome, explosive end.
The moment passed. The ex-General, in a feat of absolute skill and reflexes, shot her mechanical arm forward, crushing the propelled grenade. Crushed in the vice of Najenda's self-designed arm, the horrific explosion devolved into a dull THUMP.
"…Tempest Industries, Hx-57 High Explosive Frag Warhead," Mine uttered. Her breath caught, even as Najenda shrugged her now damaged prosthetic in a wince of pain. "Boss, that shouldn't be-"
"Possible, I know."
It was all that needed to be said, as the two veterans shared a look. Tempest Industries was the premier manufacturer for the remnants of the Empire. Secretly founded by The Scholar of Light and Darkness, and based outside of the Capitol, they took the bulk of government orders.
And their experimental infantry explosive, the Hx-57, had almost been used in the assassination of the Republic's newest leader.
Evelyn, daughter of Mine and the Dragon of the East, Tatsumi, shared more traits than red hair with her mother. Smaller than most, (a permanent thing, Mine sadly told her daughter), she was often mocked by other children. Called a weakling, or a runt, was a surefire way to set her of. It was worse, when Evelyn had realized that going to her parents would do nothing to help.
"They are just jealous of you." Ren had belatedly told her, flustered at what to do for a sobbing little girl.
Not that those older boys would not learn their lesson, when that 'little girl' personally wiped the floor with their faces. A firebrand like your mother, Papa had always told her.
Even so, being looked down upon, and treated like a little kid, was a sore thing for her. The sole daughter of two over-protective warriors, Evelyn had learned to fight from the day she learned to walk.
She did not care, she did not cry, when the grownups would whisper behind her back, that it was unbecoming, or 'not lady like'. Growing up with an admiration for the heroes of legend, nothing satisfied her more than helping others with her own strength, be it saving Keitaro from bullies or rescuing cats from rabid dogs.
"Hah! Hyaaah!"
Other children read bedtime stories to fall asleep. Evelyn, however, took more after her Papa in finding the best sleep, to come from the satisfied exhaustion of training. Overhead, parry, retreat two steps, riposte had her always moving, feet gliding over the wooden floor like clouds. After personal training from her aunt, Evelyn had learned to play dirty.
"If you're fighting fair, you're absolutely doing it wrong!" Aunt Kurome growled over the sweating, panting little girl. "Catch your opponent when they least expect it, with sand in the eyes, punches to the nose, and kicks between their legs!"
And hadn't that proved useful against older bullies ganging up on her friend…
She preferred the thrill of training with bare toes as it sent the sensation of her every move dancing through her senses. Whenever she held a weapon in her hands, all her worries vanished, and time ebbed like a lulling tide.
Finished with her kata, the young redhead removed the blindfold sweating and breathing fiercely in her nightgown. Satisfied, she placed her bokken, wooden sword that Aunt Kurome had gifted her on last Life Day, a holiday in Imperial lands, back to the weapons rack.
Evelyn doesn't like when people talked down on her, thinking she is just a kid. While other kids admired fictional characters and relied on false narratives, she grew up listening to the stories of real heroes and battles fought by her family. She never misses a chance to brag about her legacy in front of her peers. The joy of seeing them bewitched by her family and parents gives her a different kind of thrill.
Tonight's story session gave her a lot to think about; she had a magnificent training, but even if she was still young, she wasn't that far off from when her parents had fought for the sake of freedom. Evelyn always knew that it would be difficult to live up to her legacy, but she feared 'not trying' more than being a disappointment. She is in the middle of her bedroom practicing sparring stances and swordplay when she hears a loud bang in the distance. Her red hair bellows in the air as the glass of her window shatters with the sound's impact shredding the skin of her hands in tiny cuts.
Distantly, a dull thud echoed through the manor, followed by the sound of breaking glass. Evelyn perked up, moving swiftly to the hallway outside her room. Above her, the skylight window presented the beautiful night sky; an onyx canvas littered with specks of stars and the two moons, Romulus and Remus.
"Who would make such a racket this late? Fireflowers are illegal in this area-"Evelyn halted, her annoyed grumbling trailing off in silence. A cloaked figure of a shadow stood before her, from the direction of Aunt Najenda's quarters. Backlit by her room's candled illumination, the fiery redhead ground her teeth.
"Another assassination attempt on Aunt Najenda?" She tried, but her blatant fishing for information went ignored by the infiltrator. An infiltrator, Evelyn noticed with a rapidly sensation in her stomach, baring a nasty looking dagger.
"Uh…I don't suppose you could surrender yourself, or at least let me fetch my sword?"
Saying nothing, the figure shook their head bemusedly. Then, without pause, shot forward in a burst of speed. Evelyn backpedaled, only just avoiding the first swipe, and followed up with a hasty roll to the side as the dagger pierced the space she occupied moments before. The assassin tread closer, backed her through the door and into Evelyn's room.
As she retreated further in, the redhead couldn't help but gulp; there was nowhere to run, except…
Without a pause, she pushed off the ground with all the power her legs had. Caught off guard, the assassin grunted as Evelyn grabbed their cloak by the scruff.
As time seemed to stand still, Aunt Kurome's voice echoed in her head. "Chances are, you'll be against larger and stronger opponents, often armed. Most would try to run, only to be cut down. We women, however, have an advantage. Remember, never underestimate the power of momentum; when your opponent strikes, use their energy against them. Ippon Seinage!" The "one armed shoulder throw. That training session had convinced Evelyn that her aunt was indeed a sadist, much to Uncle Wave's belated agreement.
"Take!" She grunted. Slide the feet. Consolidate the grip, and turn your back against the enemy, and follow, through. "THIS!"
Time resumed, Evelyn found herself staring up at the ceiling and stars. Stars? I… I am on the ground. Why am I on the ground?
"Well, well, well." A low, yet distinctively feminine voice purred. "An authentic version of Judo, straight from the continent of Wakoku. Admirable technique, kid~."
Evelyn tried to focus, she really did, but the sky was spinning, and she felt so tired.
"Still, you're out of your league; whoever taught you Ippon Seinage, neglected to show you the counter, Tai Otoshi. Neat as it was, you were too slow, and I happen to know the exact technique."
Thick warmth tricked into her eye. The young girl struggled for breath, having the strength to just barely lift a hand to her face. A cut, thin yet bleeding all the same, intersecting her eyebrow.
"Oh." The assassin had cut her with their knife. Her brain struggled upon that realization. "Mama…"
Footsteps paused. "What did you say?"
"Mama," Evelyn's blood-coated hands fell to her chest, feeling cold. "…will be so pissed…"
She had been taught what to do in the likelihood of being captured; claw their eyes, pull their hair, kick and scream and do anything to slow them down and call help. The cold, however, spread through her entire body.
It pooled in her stomach, mixing with the regret, that she was never strong like her mother, or Aunt Najenda, or Papa…
"Great, I just offed a kid. Boss is gonna wring my neck…"
End Chapter
Note: This was the very first story I tried to write, back in high school. It was my good friend who inspired (i.e. ordered) me to bring it back. This occurs just over 10 years after the manga of Akame ga Kill but borrows elements of the anime. Furthermore, it is related to the simultaneously written "The Scholar", also on my profile.
In Memory of Evelyn.
(PS: I am in the 'market' of beta readers and assistants for my other stories, including my Azur Lane; DM me, so that New Jersey can live on.)