14. Empire of mist
The city of Solra had flourished under the rule of Aeoran, in a few years it had gone from the desperate stragglers of a small collection of villages to a true city. As the empire of Aeoran had grown and the resources of the newly acquired regions had poured in to the city so had people, some seeking to see the legendary city and other seeking a new life. Many of the rotted and half collapsed buildings had been broken down and reused for building material to build the thousands of houses needed. The sewers and aqueducts, that had been disused for thousands of years, had been brought back to full operation and the power source under the palace had been brought back to full operation and now the entire city had free flowing power. Great manufactories took in the raw materials that came from the many peaks that pledged their fealty and support, processing them and spitting out products that would be sent back to those loyal to Aeoran. Advanced weaponry and armour were produced by the crate load but civilian tech from Old Solra had also been reverse engineered and was also being produced by the great city; transportation and entertainment devices and devices that connected the peaks of the mist empire much quicker than the birds normally used. The city of Solra was alive again, with people and businesses, the once grave like silence was now replace with a comparatively deafening noise.
Aeoran looked out of his palace and down at the city below him, the people were putting up decorations and lighting great bonfires as they sought to celebrate the anniversary of the re-founding. Word of his shining city had spread across his world and many towns and villages had flocked to his banner, some abandoning previous loyalties to join him, some cities tried to retake the peaks that had seceded but even if they gained temporary success it was soon wiped away when Aeoran and his army appeared. Cities were besieged and one by one they either surrendered and the ruling class were allowed to live under Aeoran or the gates fell and the rulers were slaughtered and replaced by those loyal to Aeoran.
Despite the exponential growth of his empire Aeoran had opted to leave Aeoror be, cutting the city off and sowing the seeds of descent as the king went mad with stress at his crumbling kingdom, forcing his enemy to watch him grow ever stronger while they grew weaker and weaker, unable to even slow down his growth. Along with sending spies and saboteurs in to the doomed city he had also established an underground railroad for any citizens who wished to flee the city, thousands of people and families had used it over the years and many of Aeoror's most skilled individuals had already defected.
Aeoran smiled as he watched the people go about their day.
"Just over 3 years" he heard the voice of his closest confidante as Alrean walked in to the room
"Over 3 years for what?"
"Since you've been genuinely happy" Alrean limped up to the window to stand beside the primarch
The two stood in silence and watched the city go by for a few seconds before Alrean turned the conversation to the most pressing matter, "Most of the world owes their allegiance to you and those that don't are considering it, there is only one obstacle in your way"
"Yes I know" Aeoran felt a scheming smile play on his lips, "I've tortured them enough I suppose, time to put them out of their misery"
"I'll tell the men, we can make this a celebration of our impending victory" Alrean turned and left the room as Aeoran continued to watch his people
Prince Eroiel had been forced in to the role of regent for close to 3 years and it had been the worst of his life. He had first tried to stem the growth of Solra through military action but the superior weaponry of his enemy made that near impossible so he turned to diplomatic means and sought to rally the cities of Solaero against Aeoran but the bad blood his father and other predecessors had fostered made that difficult, if not entirely impossible, Eroiel could only watch as the city his family had ruled for thousands of years crumbled.
The Prince sat on the throne as he rubbed the stress out of his eyes, he was only half listening to his advisors about the state of Aeoror. The Prince had aged at least 30 years in three, his face, youthful and full only a few years ago, was now sagging and looked old and his hair was grey and thinning, his muscles had atrophied from all the sleepless nights and now his robes hung off his body. Eroiel thought about his father, who hadn't left his room since going in to isolation, he could still hear him ranting and raving about Aeoran so he knew he still lived but Eroiel had not seen him at all.
Casiel saw the empty vacant looking the Prince's eyes as another advisor told him about more people who had disappeared and most likely joined Aeoran, Casiel knew there was no point in this anymore and decided to put an end to it. He dismissed everyone and herded them from the throne room until it was only him, the Prince and Kasrean. The advisor looked at the warrior, he had healed well and kept up with his duties as if nothing was wrong and despite most his army deserting, he still trained them and kept the men he did have up to his standard. Kasrean was the only one of them who seemed unaffected by events on the outside but one could see he was deeply troubled by the look he had in his eyes.
"Why did you dismiss them?" Eroiel asked, his voice small and lifeless
"There's no point anymore just more bad news on top of the bad news"
"There has to be a way out of this" Karean tried to be an uplifting voice but it was obvious he didn't even believe himself
"You want me to give up?" Eroiel sounded angry but not at Casiel, at himself or maybe his father
"I'm saying there is nothing we can d…" Casiel was cut off as Eroiel slammed his fists on the throne and let out a scream
"WHY!? WHY!? WHY!?" he cried over and over and he kept punching the throne, the Prince soon calmed down and just sat there crying, "Why am I being punished for that old man's stupidity?"
The two men present stayed silent as they watched the young man weep, the two looked at each other and both understood that the other knew it was truly over. Their defeat had not been quick, their walls and gates hadn't been torn down and enemy soldiers hadn't flooded the streets, they had been picked apart and all their options had been methodically cut off until the only option they had was destruction. Casiel wondered if Aeoran had purposefully orchestrated the conflict this way and if he did was it to save lives or just to torture them. The three sat in depressed silence until Kasrean broke it.
"My Prince what do you want us to do?" despite the hopelessness of the situation, Casiel could tell that Kasrean was ready to fight to the last if ordered
"My father will tell you" Eroiel stood from the throne and marched from the room
The two followed the Prince as he made his way through the palace with purpose, he headed straight for his father's quarters. The trio were greeted by two weary guards and the sound of someone rambling from the other side of the door. The guards stepped aside without a word and the three men entered the King's room.
The normally lavish and immaculately kept room was now dark, damp and dirty. The bed was unmade, the bedding and mattress torn to near shreds, soiled and dirty clothes were scattered across the floor and half rotted food lay in piles everywhere, the curtains were drawn closed so no light came in and the three men were forced to see by the meagre light coming in behind them. In the centre of this squalor sat a thin man, he looked nothing like the fat and jolly man he was before this disaster befell his city, his skin hung off of bones that had little if any meat on them and only a few strands of thin hair stuck to his unwashed scalp. Radiel sat in the middle of his room, mumbling something about Aeoran and his plans, the King had been like this since the incident in the throne room, believing that everything that went wrong was part of Aeoran's plan as well as everything that went right, he soon started descending deeper in to madness hearing voices and spending his days raving about the plans of gods and men.
"He's coming! He's coming!" Radiel scratched at his scalp as he pulled what little hair he had left out, "There's nothing we can do! It's all his plan, laid 10,000 years ago and set to unfold for the next 10,000, we were born to die here and now at the hands of his king"
The three watched him rant about a grand plan they were all pawns in, he lay there kicking and screaming as he lamented his own fate, he was truly a man broken and descended in to madness. Eroiel was having none of it.
"Father!" he drew the King's attention, "Snap out of it, we need to fight"
Radiel looked at his son, "There is no point, this conversation, this exact moment was planned by him" tears streamed down his face, "He knew long ago the words I would say and how you would reply, he set it all in motion for his chosen"
"Who, your majesty?" Kasrean asked
"The great god, Tzen, I've heard his voice and learned his nature, we had no hope to defy his plan"
"So what are we going to do?" Eroiel demanded, he was sick of being responsible for his father's mistakes, he would force him to take responsibility if he had to
"We must accept Tzen's plan and move accordingly" Eroiel saw that his father's eyes were empty as he said that, as if he had lost all will of his own, "We are naught but pawns destined to die and we can only be glad to play that part"
The Prince grew angry as he heard that, "FINE YOU OLD FOOL! SIT HERE AND DIE!" Eroiel snatched up the crown from where it lay in a pile of food mush, "I'LL FIGHT AEORAN MYSELF!"
Eroiel stormed out of the room, Kasrean and Casiel looked at the king for a moment, to see if he would snap out of it but he just lay there as he had for most of the last few years. The two turned their backs on him and left the room, closing the door and leaving their King to his own darkness.
"All according to the will of Tzen" Radiel whispered as he was again left in the dark
Thousands of people lined the boulevard as they watched the procession of soldiers pass, they threw confetti in to the air and the families of the men marching past would shout out the names of their husband, brother or son. Just as many fully armed men marched down the street, some carrying great banners that held the heraldry of Solra, all the people of Solra and all the people of Solaero were ready for Aeoror to be cast down once and for all.
Behind the marching men came a great column of self-propelled artillery, rumbling down the great causeway with their gun barrels pointed high to the sky, in the middle of this procession came the people's Emperor. Atop a self-propelled platform that had its artillery piece removed, Aeoran stood taller than ever in his great armour, mist rolling off of him like a great cape and the silver in his crown catching the light as the people cheered for him. He held his axe aloft as the people shouted words of encouragement and praise, he smiled wide as he swept his arms open to receive their devotion, he watched their faces go past and noted the ones who originally journeyed with him from Aldra, his most devoted citizens.
After the parade, the army mustered just outside the city walls, 10,000 men and 1000 artillery pieces ready to destroy their hated enemy. It was an awesome display of power and one that had never been seen on Solaero, with an army of this size it would take 2 weeks march to get to Aeoror and a full day to scale to mountain, Aeoran had sent 1000 of his most skilled mist walkers ahead to clear the route of any beasts and lay down small prototype versions of the black stone ward to ensure everything would be safe.
Aeoran stood on a raised platform before the gates of Solra, he surveyed the army, each man wielded a weapon crafted using the lost technology of Old Solra and his own supernatural genius and were protected by armour created the same way. Every man present looked at him with determination and anticipation as he opened his mouth to speak.
"3 years ago I was content with my life in my small village" he looked directly at the men he had grown up with in Aldra, "To improve the lives of the few people on that small peak, to cooperate and live together with all the other villages and cities of our world"
Aeoran paused for a second to let his words sink in, "I went to Aeoror with thoughts of friendship and the intention to work with their King to help both our people, but….." the primarch's face twisted in rage, "But he stabbed me in the back and slaughtered my friends and family, he burned my home and sought to destroy me, all because of lies he believed and his own selfish ambition, but I lived and I swore vengeance, my people swore vengeance and now we will fulfil that promise, WE WILL HAVE VENGENCE ON OUR HATED ENEMY!"
Aeoran raised his arms as his army shook their weapons and let out a deafening roar, they chanted his name as they pumped their rifles in the air and riled themselves for war.
Eroiel stood above the gates of Aeoror, the city had barely half of its original population and less than a tenth of its original military force, one of the boons of Aeoran draining them of their power was that the new King could move his smaller number of men about more discreetly, he didn't want word of Aeoran's approach causing an uprising. Eroiel had sent a handful of men down the mountain and they discovered the army of Aeoran, approaching unharassed by beasts, they were not given exact numbers but the enemy was much larger than them. Aeoror only had just over 1000 troops left and most of those were newly raised conscripts, pressed in to service to ensure order was kept in the city, in short Aeoror had no viable option for attack or even defence.
Eroiel looked off in to the horizon as the sun rose, the rolling blanket of mist was a blazing orange colour as many jagged mountains broke through it, he appreciated the beauty of his homeworld as the sound of marching boots became too loud to ignore. He looked to his left and right to see Kasrean and Casiel, both armed and armoured, standing beside him, the trio looked down to the mist covered road that led straight to the gate.
The first to come in to view was Aeoran himself, he seemed to melt out of the mists as columns of men marched out in unison behind him. The giant raised his axe and his army came to a halt with a single deafening stomp. Eroiel could see that the scant few men he had with him on the walls were rendered terrified by the display of power and discipline, just as the primarch had planned. Aeoran looked up at Eroiel, he wore no helmet only his crown much like Eroiel himself.
"Who are you and where is Radiel?" Aeoran asked simply
"I am King Eroiel IV of Aeoror, the former king has been deemed unfit and is confined to his quarters" Eroiel held the primarch's glare
"Will you oppose me?" Aeoran showed little emotion, as if this was all a formality and the outcome was long decided
Eroiel found himself enraged by the primarch's attitude, Aeoror was the greatest city on Solaero and it couldn't fall so far so fast, the new King's fists balled as he felt his anger rise. He soon found himself unable to contain the burning rage and grabbed the pistol at his side, with a scream to defy fate Eroiel fired once at the Emperor standing below him. Aeoran stood completely still as the bullet hit him in the forehead and sent his crown flying off his head, Eroiel took in heavy breaths as he watched Aeoran simply pick his crown from the dirt and say something in to his armour's collar.
The world shaking boom of 1000 artillery pieces stationed at the base of the mountain could be heard as the sun was blotted out by the sheer mass of shells heading for them. Eroiel simply hung his head and accepted his fate as the wall of explosive metal smashed in to the gates of Aeoror and completely obliterated it.
The soldiers of Aeoran marched in to the once great city unopposed and established rule fairly shortly as the primarch himself headed for the royal palace.
Aeoran marched through the halls of the palace as if he owned them, the surviving defenders put up very little resistance, he simply batted any guards away as his instincts whispered directions in to his ear, directions he knew would lead him to the object of his vengeance. The primarch soon came to an unguarded door, the abandoned weapons laying on the ground suggested there should be guards, Aeoran kicked down the door and marched in to the dark damp room.
The thin form of the former King Radiel sat in a chair, staring in to a dark corner, he barely acknowledged Aeoran's entrance. Aeoran approached the chair and Radiel continued looking off in to the darkness, his eyes were glazed over and near completely devoid of life.
"Do you have nothing to say?"
Radiel stiffly turned his head to look up at Aeoran, "We all move according to his plan; our dreams, desires, wishes and freedom a lie that he graciously allows us to believe, even you have no will outside of his plans, you move only as he directs, we all do"
"Feinting madness with your incoherent ramblings won't save you from death"
"I know, I no longer play a part in his plan, a useless pawn must be disposed of"
"Yes you are" Aeoran sneered at the mad King
He's done do it now
Aeoran was about to raise his axe when Radiel spoke once more, "But maybe when our path of fate ends we can forge our own, for but a second, I think my son taught me that" the king looked at Aeoran, the smallest ember of life in his eyes, "You hear his voice as well and you know the path he has set for you"
Aeoran took a step back before quickly gathering himself, "Spare me your mad ramblings"
Aeoran raised his axe and brought it down in one swift strike, cutting the bastard King's head from his shoulders.
With his vengeance complete and no one left to oppose him, Aeoran became the sole ruler of his world; Emperor of Solaero, King of the mists and Lord of the mountains.
Next time: Ascend above the mists
