* * *
They spent the next weeks restoring order to the city. They rebuilt defenses and shelter, gave food to the starving, and helped those that could be helped. The Yaloran soldiers were integrated into Sikeran ranks, merchants once again began to set up shops, and the city began to settle once again into a normal routine.
Muda did his best to remain humble, but Sophia often reminded him that he would soon need to ascend the throne. He had made his claim, and the people would expect him to honor their traditions.
When he could make no more excuses, he arranged the ceremony.
He entered the throne room early, hoping to orient himself. It had been kept clean by what little staff remained, and they had removed the minor throne where Debra had once sat. All that was left were two shining seats, one for himself and one for Sophia.
He wandered, examining the tapestries on the walls and inspecting the ceremonial armor that littered the room. He tried to take one of the swords from a suit but it was welded to the hands, as was the helmet.
After a few moments he heard Sophia speak.
“You took longer than I thought you would.” She said.
“We have been busy.”
She gave one of her rare smiles. “Not the whole truth, but I understand.”
Muda hesitated. “My father. I remember him as a great leader. I remember him being loved by his people. My mother as well. Citizens would cheer when she walked through the streets.”
“It is a lot to live up to.”
“They come for us, from the North. I do not know if I am able.”
She moved towards him and put a hand on his arm. "I felt the same after my mother died. I have been trained my entire life for my role, but even so, when it was time for me to make my claim, I hesitated. There were many consequences for my actions. If I had not hesitated many more would have lived. But if I had not hesitated, you might still feel the sickness you once did."
She moved closer to him.
“We cannot predict all of the consequences of our actions. All we can do is hope that the goddess guides us." Muda's face twisted, but Sophia smiled and put a finger on his lips.
“When we first entered Yaloran, and you made your claim…You were brave that day, and your leadership was true. There will be consequences, and there will be death, but I believe that you proved yourself a true king.” Then she kissed him.
In the throne room, the rulers of Sikeran and Yaloran lay together for the first time.
Alkorn, Yaros
Alkorn frequently spoke with Yaros. He was reticent, at first. Many soldiers had died fighting Yaros’ army. He started the conversations in hopes of drawing out more information about Ibalize’s plan, but as their conversations continued Alkorn began to realize that Yaros, too had been a victim. He did not relish in battle as his brother so clearly did. He would not have raised an army if it were not for his brother’s fervor.
Yaros was initially under constant hold by the mages, but it soon became obvious he could offer no resistance and so they allowed him to move freely. Two mages were with him at all times, and he was restricted to a small caged off area, but he had some freedom.
Yaros felt no great need to guard his brother’s secrets. He spoke of battle tactics and training, supplies and ambitions. The only places that Yaros could still attack were Sikeran and Yaloran, but Yaros had devised several strategies to draw out Sikeran and so the last true enemy was Yaloran.
They spoke of the history of the world, and of the goddess. Yaros told him about the Harp, which was used to forge the world, and how it was broken into shards after being used to defeat the dark ones, who were imprisoned within the void. Yaros did his best to describe the dark ones, but could not find the words. Instead, he told Alkorn if they were to ever escape their prison, even the goddess rising might not be enough to stop them.
After a time, they even spoke of Ibalize himself.
“His coming here, to the void, shows that his army is weak. Ibalize throws them at the enemy like water into a pool, but his river is drying up. He came here because he needs me.”
“You say he already holds two shards. Will he use them? Will he find more of your kind to embolden himself?” Alkorn asked.
“I do not know. He does not know their full potential, yet, though he may discover it soon. He is not guided by logic, however. He has become blinded by his desire to crush your kind. And he has always been temperamental." Yaros looked pained. "I fear for my brother, despite his foolishness. I hope that he can be stopped, but I would not see him die."
“He has killed more innocents than any creature known to this world.”
Yaros looked disgusted. “More than disease? More than famine? How many more than you yourself have killed? The goddess made all things, why is Ibalize more guilty than others?”
Yaros paused and seemed to search within himself. "He has done some terrible things, I agree, but… just as I do not understand you, you will never understand what it is to be immortal." Yaros turned towards Alkorn suddenly, speaking at barely a whisper. "To have time draw on, and you powerless to act as the world changes around you. To watch as all your efforts are forgotten, every good deed pointless and every sin, forgotten. Your world is so small, so short. You cannot imagine what we face."
Alkorn was stunned. “I… it does not absolve him of his crimes.”
Yaros let out a resigned sigh. “Nor are you absolved of your own. But you persevere. We must all do the same.”
The sat in silence for a while, Alkorn thinking on his own past. Finally, he asked, "What would you have done with him, then?"
“I would take him away from this world.” Yaros responded immediately. He had been building up to this. “I would lock him away, as he locked away our parents. I would force him to spend an aeon contemplating his misdeeds. And when he was ready, when he could be safely released, I would help him build instead of destroy.”
“And if I could promise such a thing.” Alkorn asked, already knowing the answer.
“Then you would have my aid. Not just these crumbs that I have been feeding you, but my true and honest dedication.” Yaros said. And then he waited. Expectantly.
“I cannot speak for any army but my own.”
“Your words hold sway. I think that should be enough.”
“Nor can I promise that he will give us the opportunity to capture him. If he is as mad as you claim…”
“I will intervene when the time comes. If I cannot convince him to surrender, then the blame is only my own.”
“Why would you defend him? He betrayed you. He left you for dead.”
“Perhaps, but it was a fight that even he may not have been able to win. I cannot blame him too harshly for his caution. You have become a worthy opponent. I only managed to kill two of your soldiers, when I attacked.”
“Even still.” Alkorn replied.
“Even still.” Yaros said sadly. “He is my brother.”
“Very well. Then it is time to begin telling me the truth. All of it.”
Muda, Sophie
Ibalize’s scouting forces came, and Muda was there to face them. The battle did not last long, less than half a day, but it was bloody.
Muda took his place in the Vanguard. Sophia had cautioned him to stay behind so that he could get a better view of the battle, but he had refused. He wanted to show his soldiers that he was not some aristocrat staring down at them. He wanted to bleed with them, and if need be, die with them.
Commanding from the melee proved to be more cumbersome than he had originally anticipated, and several of his honor guard died defending him.
There had been several moments where he himself had almost fallen, but one stuck out most poignant in Sophia's memory. Muda had long-since lost his horse and was surrounded by at least of dozen of the cow-heads. He and three of his guard had their backs together, and defended themselves without much trouble, until one of the cow-head chieftains noticed Muda. The chieftain was much bigger than his compani
ons and had struck down two of Muda's allies with his first swing, leaving the newly crowned king's back exposed. Muda dove to the ground just in time to avoid a fatal blow, and his final ally moved in to defend his king, but was cut down in the process.
It was chance that saved Muda, and could just as easily have killed him. A stray ball of fire had incinerated the nearby cow-heads, leaving the chieftain stunned. Muda quickly regained his footing and then made short work of the creature before battling his way back into the fray.
Chance, Sophia later mused, but possibly more than that. With each kill that he made, Muda seemed to grow stronger. It was as if the goddess was accepting a sacrifice and bestowing power upon him in return. Muda returned unharmed, though he claimed to have taken several wounds on the battlefield.
In the end they lost more than half the forces they had brought. They limped back to Yaloran to resupply and gather the rest of their army. Muda remained morose most of the journey. Once his initial battle-lust subsided, and he received reports from the battle he found Sophia.
“I have failed my army.” He told her. “Had I not been so eager to wet my blade many of the tactics we studied could have been used. Many lives could have been spared.”
She saw his doubts begin to flower, and she did not know how to help. It was not like before, where the courage sat hidden behind nausea and ignorance. Now every action was made with hesitation. He would stammer before making a decision, or change his mind at the slightest rebuttal.
She tried to encourage him, and but was met with fears that he was once again being consumed by the sickness. She tried to convince him that his choice to join the melee had bolstered the soldiers' resolve and that they fought more passionately because he was with them but Muda would not listen. He would simply mutter some excuse and leave her company.
After they returned to Yaloran he became a man possessed. He went over the battle again and again, wondering what he could have done differently, how he could have saved lives. He scoured the royal library for stories of famous battles, and studied their tactics. He compared every command his predecessors made to his own failures.
He studied the battles won by Alkorn and Debra, but he was most interested in those his father had fought. He had grown up with tales from Yannick detailing the perfection of his father's every action. Debra had managed to get rid of most of the accounts, and have them replaced with forgeries describing the previous king's ineptitude, but the librarians hid many of the originals. They were hesitant, at first, to share them with Muda but soon saw he shared their passion for truth.
The people of Yaloran began to notice the change in Muda. The man who had once confidently marched up to the gates, exposing himself to death, was slowly fading. It was with great relief that Sophia received a letter from Alkorn, detailing his intents to return to Yaloran.
Alkorn and Erik did not expect response from Yaloran. They had written to inform Debra that they were returning and that they would not be held accountable for any of the destruction during their escape. They heard rumors that leadership had changed, but they had dismissed these as wishful thinking. That almost no refugees were heading away from Yaloran they took as a sign that Debra was recruiting them into her armies, and holding families hostage.
So when the letter arrived with the royal seal of his dead friend, Alkorn did not know how to respond. His first reaction was anger, that Debra had finally dared to fully usurp the throne, but as they got closer to the capital he began to realize that it may not be Debra. The entire country seemed to have changed. There was an optimism that had not existed when he left. A frenzy to grow food had swept through the land and the farmers did so with the enthusiasm of those who might actually be paid for their work.
When they were but a few days ride from the city, an honor guard came to meet them, and escort them in. No demands were made to disarm, though it was made very clear that they were allowed passage at the guard's mercy, and that their previous mutiny would need explanation.
Alkorn was more than willing to accede to these demands. His army, while greatly diminished, had not lost any of the strange powers they gained in the void.
Yaros traveled with them, but was restricted to a cart, and given no opportunity to be seen by the people.
They were met with ceremony when they finally reached the city, and Alkorn left his army outside the city walls. By then they had heard that Muda was king, though Erik still harbored concerns that it was still Debra who was in charge.
Once they had passed through the fanfare, and the cheering of the citizens, Alkorn was led to the palace. It was there that he saw Muda for the first time since Sikeran, and the first time he truly felt fear for his people.