The
mundo {Munde male} named Banim watched with all the others in
the relative safety of the trees as the only Emperor he had ever
known fell to the earth, landing with a crash. Soon after, a great
black dragon descended. It was not the Emperor's dragon, but another.
The man atop it slid to the ground. He was dressed completely in
black, in a leather tunic and breeches. Finger-less black gloves
adorned his hands. He had long black hair that was tied in a loose
ponytail behind his head.
The
man seemed to exude darkness. He stalked over to the dead emperor,
breaking the man's wand and letting it fall atop the broken body.
Banim watched in awe as the man's own wand grew in his hand until it
became a long staff. He stalked over near the trees then, and slammed
the staff down on the ground. "I claim this land, the land of my
birthright as mine. For I am Eirathem, the True Casari {Emperor}
of Myencihn!"
A
wall of mud that turned to stone as soon as it was a bit taller than
him began to form and spread along the line the first Emperor of
Myencihn had marked as his. The new Emperor stepped back and ground
his staff into the earth. His voice resounded in the area like
thunder. "I suggest if you see a wall coming your way, you move.
All those on this side of the wall are now in the land known as
Casariuhof'n {The Emperor's Garden}.
Myende who wish to leave need only ask and I will give you passage
from my land. If you are Munde, I
am Maestir."
A
Myendo {Myende male} Banim knew to be one of the councilors
to the old emperor cautiously approached then. The older man looked
calm, considering his former emperor lay in a puddle on the ground
and his new Emperor had just erected a giant wall that was growing.
"I
suppose," Eirathem said coldly, "You wish to see proof of
my claim?"
"You
should not have been able to erect the wall if you are not the true
Casari," said the man calmly. "However, there will be those
who demand proof."
The
Emperor reached up and slid something from atop his arm. Once he slid
it free, he shook his arm until a bracelet fell all the way to his
wrist. He held out his left arm inviting the old mage to inspect it.
The man carefully approached, twisting the leather bracelet around
Eirathem's wrist to fully examine it, though he was careful never to
actually touch the new Emperor himself. He stepped back, looking at
Eirathem curiously. "It would be good to hear how the heir we
believed to have died in an accident, lived."
"There
was nae accident," said Eirathem in a voice dripping with venom.
"My father sacrificed my mother, and then attempted to sacrifice
me when I was but two turns old. I still remember her screams. Then I
remember the pain of the knife he attempted to use to cut the heart
from my body. Then I remember darkness."
He
continued, "I have been told that since I was so young my magic
aided me and I entombed myself, and then fell into a pit where a
rhacon {great snake} lived. She held me in her coils, stopping
the bleeding with the healing secretions these snakes produce.
According to the one who told me thus, I traveled through caves
underground to the deep south of this land, to a land even now none
of you dare to tread. They say it was there my dragon came to me.
However I remember none of this. I remember pain, then I remember
darkness, and then...I remember my dragon."
"She
took me to Puethion'n {the Land of the Sands}, where I learned
to care for her and lived amongst a people called the Fremdafyr. I
have reclaimed my birthright for one reason, and one reason only: to
free the dragons."
He
turned and strode to the pen they called the valley of dragons. In
truth, it was a great pit to trap unfledged dragons in hopes they
would bond with the elite of Myencihn. There was a great staircase so
that those bonded to the dragons could get in and out of the pit. He
stood on the top stair and banged his staff upon the ground. "In
the name of Eirathem, Casari Myencihnu {Emperor
of Myencihn}, I free the unfledged
dragons. Fly! Find your children, call them to your backs and take
them to Puethion'n so they may learn to care for you as I learned to
care for mine."
For
a time it seemed as a great tornado had broken, as one dragon after
another beat its great wings and took to the sky. After those had
risen to the air and flown away, he looked upon the remaining
dragons, and the boys trapped in the pit with them. "These boys
may believe you are only beasts to serve them," said Eirathem
gravely to the dragons below. "However I know better. Call your
children to your backs!"
For
a few moments all that could be heard was the screams of boys as they
flew through the air only to end right side up on their dragons.
"Take them to Puethion'n so that they can learn to mind, care
for you and fly. Return not until they are ready to learn the
Casariu'n {the Emperor's}
ways! Fly!!"
Watching
from the trees, Banim's heart sank. For he knew now exactly who this
man was. And he had no doubt that quite soon the man would exact his
revenge against him.
"Make
nae mistake," said Eirathem to the councilor. "I AM the
Casari. Your Council of Elite is disbanded. You are my only
councilor. I have walked this land for several turns. I am well aware
of the behavior of all those who called themselves councilors, and
that is the reason you will be my only councilor. For now you shall
find all those who call themselves overseers upon this and send them
straight to me."
He
said nothing else before stalking into what was the old emperor's
stronghold.
*
* *
Later
that evening, Eirathem surveyed his lands from the window of the
previous emperor's stronghold. There was not much to be said for
them. The fields were bare, having been picked clean to feed the
elite in the Emperor's City. The Munde, slaves to the former emperor,
hid in the forest, starving.
When
the new Emperor had taken over the compound earlier in the day, he
had ousted the gaggle of Munde women who had served in the former
emperor's bed. Now only one remained, a child that looked to be
barely seven. She eyed him from the corner with fear, clutching the
doll he had given her closely to her. The few sharp stings he had
given the girl's legs when she disobeyed had been enough to convince
her to mind him.
There
was a sharp rap at the door and Eirathem turned, bellowing "Enter!"
Two
men walked in cautiously. One was the newly appointed councilor, the
other the only remaining overseer, as Eirathem had already ousted all
the others. Eirathem strode to the desk. "Come," he said
tersely.
The
men approached on the other side of the desk. Eirathem pushed the
scroll towards the overseer, tapping at two figures on the scroll
with the butt of his wand. "These are the number of Munde who
died upon these lands in the last turn. It is almost as many as those
who lived. I would like to know how you would change this. I have yet
to have an overseer give me an appropriate answer."
"I
think you will like not what I have to say," admitted the man
quietly.
"Continue,"
said Eirathem coldly.
"If
you want them to live," he said quietly, "they must be fed
adequately and their health cared for."
"And
how would you accomplish this?" asked Eirathem.
The
man looked at the councilor apprehensively, and then finally said,
"In the south, amongst the villages on this side of Denu'n
Rhaciu {the
Valley of Snakes},
you will find what remains of Teinusiuhus'n {the
thirteenth house}.
Should you really wish to aid the Munde of this land, there are those
who would serve as healers and
overseers. However, they will allow not the treatment the Munde here
have had thus far."
Eirathem
nodded. He said quietly. "I walked this land for many moons
unseen before challenging the former Casari. I watched all. It
escaped not my notice that you alone, of all the overseers, rarely
used that whip that is at your side."
"I
have never found that cutting open a mundo's back makes him work
harder or be more obedient, " said the man softly.
"And
that is why," said Eirathem, "I chose to save you for the
last to question. Should you prove yourself worthy, you shall be my
Forsahndon, my head overseer."
"But
know this," he said as he pointed the butt of his wand at the
man, "I have two rules regarding my Munde: dead Munde are
impractical, and hurt Munde are impractical. I understand from time
to time discipline may be needed, but the Munde of this land need not
suffer needlessly."
The
man nodded, "Aye, Casari."
Eirathem
flicked his wand and a scroll came flying out of his bag and landed
on the table. He opened so the two men could see. "These are the
plans for my lands. Nae more will the food produced here go to fill
the bellies of the elite. Casariu'n Ceasteron {the Emperor's great
city} will be dismantled. If they want a city they can build on
the land of another. Soon, those dragon riders who escaped the former
Casari will arrive from Puethion'n. They will be in charge of its
dismantlement. They will also aid you," he said pointing
to the overseer, "in getting the aid you need. We will move
towards there gathering the Munde and dismantling the buildings as we
go."
"Know
this,"
he said pointing to the councilor, "this will
happen. Any who defy or stand against me will be crushed. So when my
riders arrive, I suggest you have one take you to this city, and I
further suggest you inform them it is in their best interest to leave
peaceably. For I will do what I must to reclaim my lands."
The
councilor nodded gravely. "But for now," said the Emperor,
"Get out there and get those Munde out of the trees and get them
healed and whole as best you may until help arrives. Dismissed."
The
two men left slowly. Afterwards, Eirathem motioned to the child,
"Come here," he said shortly.
She
rose and cautiously approached him. He led her to the balcony where
he had sat a chair and a short stool earlier. He pointed to the
stool, and she sat quietly. He sat in the chair next to it. As he
sat, his wand grew into a great staff. He ground it into the earth,
releasing a spell so all in the vicinity could hear his words. "What
is Casari's first rule?" he asked the child softly.
"Dead
Munde are im-....."
"Impractical"
he finished for her.
"And
Casari's second rule?"
"Hurt
Munde are impractical," she said getting the word correct this
time.
"And
what does Maestir want of his Munde?" asked Eirathem.
"Do
as we are told," she answered.
"And
what will happen to those who obey Maestir?" he asked.
"Full
bellies," she replied, showing what was most important to her.
"And
what else?" he asked pulling gently at the new dress he had
acquired for her to wear.
"Clothes
that fit," she replied eagerly.
"Anything
else?" he asked.
"Toys,"
she said clutching the doll towards her.
"And
you shall help the Munde learn Casari's Rules so you can keep that
doll, shall you not?"
"Aye,
Maestir," she said softly, clutching her precious toy even more
tightly.
Eirathem
said nothing else, banging his staff upon the ground to end the
spell. He knew that this night, in the forest, there were Munde men
looking fearfully towards the compound, in fear for the child he had
taken. And that was precisely why he had kept the girl. In keeping
her, it would ensure their obedience until they learned to trust him.
After
a time he rose, motioning for the child to follow him. She looked at
him fearfully, clutching her doll close. "You have behaved well
today," he said softly, "You may bring it along."
Hearing
that, the child came to him and grabbed his belt. He led her to the
next room, where he had her lie on a mat he had prepared for the
night. Securing the room, he took to his own bed. Tomorrow would be a
long day as well.
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