Chronicles of Espiria Season 2
Episode 21 – Thoran's Successor
Written by the Dude
Quadam watched silently as the Eldritch Council crowned a successor for King Thoran. No one on the council would ever have shed a tear over Thoran's demise, even if they could; still, they at least understood him, and that semblance of knowledge gave them comfort even in tumultuous times. The man Quadam had chosen to replace him, however, was unknown to the council, and that made them nervous.
"The Bantus Empire needs a new king to be the hand of Lord Quadam." the councilmembers said as one to the kneeling Graveborn. "Someone who will do his will without question or hesitation. He has chosen you, Prince Edwin, to succeed your brother Thoran, because he believes that you will fulfill the duty that your brother could not. Now speak truly; is he correct? Will you follow the commands of Lord Quadam whatever they may be?"
"To serve Lord Quadam is all I have ever wanted." Edwin responded.
"Very well. From this day forth, you are no longer Prince Edwin, but Edwin II, King of Bantus, Emperor of the Southern Lands, Commander of the undead race. Whatever you desire, Lord Quadam will desire it as well, so long as you keep his commands. Now then, what is your first command as king?"
Edwin's lips curled into a wicked smile as he gave his answer.
Meanwhile, Grezhul and Theowyn had paused to rest in the remains of a forest that she and her brothers often played in as children. As Graveborn, they had no need of rest, but Theowyn needed a brief moment to mourn the passing of Thoran. Grezhul longed to share in her grief, but he had to stay alert in case Quadam sent more soldiers after them. In Thoran's absence, all that mattered was Theowyn's safety.
As they rested, they suddenly sensed the presence of another Graveborn. Grezhul turned to face the stranger with swords drawn while Theowyn prepared to retreat with Grezhul, when the intruder cowered at the sight of Grezhul's blades.
"Please don't hurt me! I mean no harm!"
Grezhul sheathed his swords as he considered the Graveborn intruder; far from being a threat, he likely would have soiled himself had he been able.
"Who are you?" Grezhul asked as Theowyn drifted closer.
"In life, my name was Allan Mane. And I suppose it still is. Anyway, I was a cartographer in life, so King Thoran tasked me with surveying the empire and updating our maps. The last thing one needs is to begin a journey, then find that it cannot be completed because the terrain is no longer suitable."
"A wise command." Grezhul said; had he any tears left, he may have shed one. "May I see your maps?"
"Of course!" Allan answered as he eagerly pulled one from his satchel. He spread it out on the ground and used small chunks of broken-off wood to prevent it from rolling back up. The map was of Bantus hundreds of years after its fall to the Graveborn, but bore a number of hand-written notes and checkmarks showing Allan's progress in his survey.
"A few things of special note, this bridge here has since fallen, so that needs to be fixed. I tell you, that gorge was not easy to cross without a bridge. Oh, and this was interesting; a mountain grew up here somehow!"
"How would a mountain just appear?" Theowyn asked, legitimately interested by the map.
"I've no idea, but I'm sure it will make for some delightful study!"
Allan continued to prattle on for some time about his survey, Theowyn fully engrossed in the whole affair. Grezhul was pleased to see her so engaged, partly because he enjoyed seeing her happy, even if it was fleeting, but also because it kept Allan occupied enough for Grezhul to study the map mostly uninterrupted. He sought a place that he could use as a sanctuary for Theowyn, even if it was but temporary.
"Oh, and this is important to note; this arch here has collapsed, so we'll have to remove that from the map."
"Why?" Theowyn asked. "Even in ruins, it is still a landmark."
"You may have a point. What is y..."
Allan froze in place mid word, as if time had somehow or other given him a pass. Theowyn was uncertain what had happened, but grew certain of impending danger as he began to twitch in an unsettling way. Grezhul soon noticed as well, and moved between Theowyn and Allan as Allan stood upright and faced Grezhul with a look of disappointment.
"You sought to escape me, Grezhul, but you forget how far my reach extends. Every eye in Bantus is my lens, every mouth my voice, and every arm my weapon of retribution."
"Allan, what is wrong?" Theowyn asked, frightened.
"My lady, back away." Grezhul warned. "This is no longer Allan. We are in the presence of Lord Quadam."
"What has happened to Allan?!"
"The same that will happen to all Graveborn." Quadam answered through Allan. "Free will is a tool that served the empire well in moderation during the time of peace; but now we are at war, and it is a luxury that we can no longer afford. The Graveborn race shall be brought fully under my thumb so that the enemies of Bantus can more easily be annihilated."
"The enemies of Bantus are the Hypogeans that you seek to ally with!" Grezhul shouted. "King Thoran offered you wise council on this matter; please, consider it again before it is too late!"
"It is already too late, Grezhul; the pact has already been forged. As for you, your soul belongs to me; you will serve me well in the coming war, whether you wish to or not."
In an instant, the world around Grezhul became indistinct, as if he was underwater looking up at the surface. Two voices reached his ears as if carried by the tide, but neither were clear enough for him to understand at first. He soon felt a sharp prick in his skull, and one of the voices became clear.
"Bow to me, Gareth. I gave you your soul; it is time for you to return it."
Grezhul's legs began to grow heavy and shaky. It took all in his power to stay upright, but he was fading fast. Before he could succumb entirely, another sharp prick in his skull brought the other voice into clarity.
"Grezhul, wake up!" Theowyn called out, terrified.
This brought him instantly back to the real world. He was face down on the ground, his swords back in their sheaths. Theowyn was shaking him by the shoulders.
"Grezhul, wake up, please!"
As soon as he realized where he was, he leaped to his feet and took his place at Theowyn's side, drawing his swords again.
"Grezhul, what happened?! Are you all right?!"
"So, you managed to resist my will." Quadam said to the still recovering Grezhul. "It seems I underestimated your loyalty to your former king. As impressive a feat as this is, however, I cannot allow such rebellion at a time like this. I have seized the free will of every Graveborn in Espiria. Soon, they will all gather in Bantus to unite with the Hypogean forces, and they will then march on Espiria to end the living. However, for your sake, I will hold back a portion of the Graveborn race to hunt you down. You and Theowyn both shall have the honor of sharing Thoran's fate."
At that moment, Allan threw himself at Grezhul with a howl of fury. Untrained as he was, however, he was easily dispatched by Grezhul with a swift chop of the head. Grezhul then took Theowyn's hand and rushed her from the cartographer as quickly as he could.
"What happened to poor Allan?" Theowyn asked, still struggling to comprehend.
Back in King's Manse, the newly crowned King Edwin strode through the halls of the palace, delighting in the fact that he was the last of the free Graveborn. At least, that was what he wanted Quadam to believe. He was more cautious than he appeared as he made his way to a little-used room in the east wing. There, he was met by Oden, Silas, the one known as the Abomination, Ferael, and Nara, who he was not familiar with. Edwin gave his attention first to Oden, as he was eager to report his success, but his attention soon drifted to Nara as he noticed how attractive she appeared to him. She smiled seductively at him as she licked at the blade of her axe, then pointed subtly back to Oden to remind him of why he was here.
"This is Nara." Oden said to Edwin. "She was murdered by the children of Dura, and now seeks to aid our cause."
"I look forward to getting to know her better." Edwin said as he let his eyes drift over Nara.
"Business first, degenerate. Is it done?"
"It is." Edwin answered. "I was surprised at how easy it was to convince Quadam to do it, but the Graveborn race is now fully under Quadam's thumb. Free will is now a forgotten relic of my brother's reign."
"Then we are the only Graveborn left with free will." If Oden had a mouth, it would surely have been curled into a wicked grin.
"Almost. It seems that Captain Grezhul and my sister Theowyn have managed to retain their free will. Quadam has ordered their destruction as a precaution; they will not be a problem."
Oden was silent as he and the Abomination exchanged a concerned glance.
"We remain protected from Quadam's powers through the use of potent Hypogean magicks, without which we would be as much his puppets as the rest of the Graveborn race. How can it be that a soldier and a coddled princess could resist him?!"
"Do not let it concern you, Lord Oden," Edwin tried to reassure Oden. "They will soon be dealt with by all those Graveborn puppets."
"Perhaps, but if they could resist, so might others. See to it that they are captured alive; we must know how this was done so we can prevent it from happening again. We are so close to our final victory; we can afford no mistakes."
"As you wish." Edwin said with a slight bow. He glanced once more at Nara before turning to leave.
"Silas, Nara, come; we have preparations to make." Ferael said gruffly, leading the two out of the room as well, leaving Oden and the Abomination alone.
"I do not trust this Edwin." the Abomination warned. "He lacks the honor that Thoran had."
"You do not need to trust him, my friend. Whether Thoran or Edwin or some other fool is on the throne is of little consequence to me; in the end, the king is but a pawn in this game."
"Edwin is a monster. Did you see him lusting after the child?"
"Let him. Edwin, Nara, Silas, they will have their fun; then they will pay dearly for it with the rest of Dura's children. That they serve the Hoard will not save them from Hypogean justice; indeed, they will pay all the more severely for knowing the truth, but still choosing a life of sin. But thanks to their efforts, whatever their motives, we are one step closer to bathing this world in the darkness of the one true Eldritch master of the Hypogeans."
King Edwin, meanwhile, walked through the halls of the Plaguegrip, the elite corps of spies and assassins for the empire. He was searching for one assassin in particular, an unwavering master who served Thoran well many times. He found this assassin seated in an alcove, seemingly in meditation.
"Kelthur Marwen?"
Kelthur's eyes slowly opened and focused on Edwin.
"I have a mission for you." Edwin said.
"I serve King Thoran and the Eldrich Council." Kelthur answered as his eyes began to close again. "You are neither."
"King Thoran is dead." Edwin countered. "Lord Quadam executed him personally for treason against the Graveborn race."
"Did he now?" Kelthur opened his eyes again, mildly curious.
"I have been given his throne by Lord Quadam and the Eldrich Council, and am tasked with hunting down his fellow traitors."
"And you want me to hunt them in your place." Kelthur finished as he shifted his weight. "Why me, if I may ask? You walked past dozens of skilled assassins to reach me, most of whom would be up to this task and are more eager than I to impress the new king. So what sets me apart?"
"Your skills, your drive, your efficiency. But most of all, your desire for revenge."
Kelthur just smirked as he closed his eyes again. "I have my revenge. Those responsible for my murder are long dead, their houses devoid of honor and heirs. Once the last of their lines die out in poverty and misery, my revenge will be complete, and I can rest in peace at last."
"Not quite, my friend." Edwin said with a grin. "One of their children has taken up arms and seeks to restore the family honor and save the line from extinction."
Kelthur's eyes opened again, this time filled with surprise and disbelief.
"You are certain?"
"I believe that Thoran's traitors will try to contact this survivor and forge an alliance with the Lightbearers to attack the empire. Hunt these traitors for me, and you will find your revenge."
Kelthur's curiosity was piqued. If it was true, then he had no choice but to pursue the traitors and find the last child of his murderers. He took up a massive shuriken, his weapon of choice, and ran from the Plaguegrip. The hunt was on.