Sunset of the Wandering Souls
Chapter 28

Erzen had given birth while I was away on campaign. I trusted my mother to keep my son and wife in name only protected, I trusted the royal knights left at the palace even more, but it didn’t calm me knowing all that. We pushed our way into the Planes, determined to conquer the land between the Interior and the sea. The Ashmaryaka, Luyun wanted a war, I’d give them a war worthy of Irelu’s blessing. The Diatessia pulled back as we advanced, burning all they could to keep us from replenishing provisions in the field. It wouldn’t stop us, I ignited the fighting spirit in the Reissu, we wouldn’t stop until I said so.

Our goal was to conquer Qrein within the year. Overtaking the Qriacin capital would be vital in reaffirming the message of this war. It also led to the possibility of the Ashmaryaka or the Flodkaros joining us. We didn’t necessarily need their support, but it would be welcomed if they gave it. What we needed the most were provisions, I couldn’t feed an army on their thirst for war. Our farms had never been enough to feed us, we had been slowly depleting our stockpiles since our trade relations with the Qriacin and Erberos had fallen from their revolt. I didn’t wish to have them run dry, to force my subjects to go hungry all for my own selfish whims. They understood, Erzen wrote to me, this war was more than just resetting the balance, it was to get out from under the Jakeki’s thumb. It was to bring the Reissu back to our former glory.

A snowstorm descended on the last day of the year, on the day we set out to storm Qrein’s palace. If scorched earth and few provisions hadn’t stopped us, snow certainly wasn’t going to. Innin, and a handful of other soldiers joined me under the cover of white. Pili stayed back at camp, the cold biting into him as it had done in Bulos. We caught the Erberos inhabiting the palace in mockery of the Qriacin off guard, easily overtaking the guards. To them we were savages, taking whatever it was we wanted, maiming and killing our enemies left and right. If that was what they wanted to think of us, so be it.

It felt good to snatch the crown right off the Erberos nobleman’s head either way. “Arrest Omsop,” I said, pointing my sword at the frightened man I just robbed. “Kill the rest. Xinnon, send word to Queen Erzen and my mother that we’ve taken Qrein.” He sheathed my sword watching my men get to work. “And send word to Areum that I’ll be taking Iolos next.”

Innin stood next to me, watching Omsop closely. “You shouldn’t provoke Areum like that, Your Majesty.”

I looked at the blood that stained my boots. “She will shoot our pigeon out of the sky. I was merely being kind to let her prepare for her own slaughter.” I glanced at Innin, at the look of total neutrality on his face. “We should announce to the starved citizens their saviors have arrived.”

“You’ll need a more suitable crown,” Innin said.

I made a fist around the Erberos crown still in my hand. “Hopefully, the snow stops by the time you replace it.”

I guarded the gagged and bound Omsop while my soldiers plundered the palace. I kept my eye on him and the snow while I cleaned and sharpened my blade. I took to war like a fish to water, much to my surprise. All the treatises, laws, history, the theory behind everything I had spent so long studying just clicked in place the moment Innin taught me to hold a sword. I recalled the painting my mother revealed during my Blue Moon Beautillion. I was meant to hold a sword, I was meant for war. All my nervousness, my anxious spirals were stripped from me and hardened me into someone my subjects could be proud of. Someone my son could be proud of.

Yet all this time at war, being so close to Pili and never being able to touch him only made me want him all the more. Our final moment alone together in the king’s chambers weren’t enough for me. I should have demanded more from him. The sooner I took Iolos, the sooner he could take me.

They had found what they were looking for, dressing me in robes not unlike those I saw in Bulos. They were bright red in color, with more sleeve than I thought was possibly needed. The crown took some time to be placed on my head, the rows of beads on the front and back of a long panel made it hard to sit between my horns. It was quiet heavy once it was placed, the beads swaying with each step I took. It had stopped snowing, clouds still overhead when I went to make my announcement to the citizens of Qrein. I stood with Omsop kneeling next to me, my hand securely in his hair. I screamed the Reissu war cry of triumph, feeling more confident when I heard it returned by my army still at camp.

Frightened and curious Qriacin started to gather at a distance around me. “Rejoice!” I held my sword to the sky, unfurled my defective wings. “For the Reissu have come to free you from tyranny!” In one swift motion I sliced Omsop’s head off, his body falling forward as I held his head. “You’ve been deprived of your rightly earned food, homes, and money for too long by Areum’s men. I, King Ezollen of the Reissu, have taken Qrein on behalf of the Qriacin and Duke Luyun.” I dropped Omsop’s head, letting it roll through the dirt. “I will free the rest of Qotut. I will drive the Erberos back into Daros, where I will slaughter every single one that gets in my way of taking Iolos.” Murmurs went through the growing crowd before joyous cries that they were free overcame them. I softened my voice, speaking more evenly. “The Reissu will protect you until you can protect yourself. I promise you that.”

Almost one after the other fell to their knees, placing their heads on the ground. “We’re in your debt, Emperor Ezollen,” one said. Blessings of thanks and shouts of “Emperor Ezollen” rang through the crowd. I sheathed my bloodied sword and took off the crown. No matter how hard I tried to deter them, they only proclaimed me their emperor with more force.