CHAPTER 128: RETURN AND AN UNFAMILIAR TITLE

Following my talk with Khairuddin, we spent another month in Appethus ironing out the final few wrinkles of the rebellion’s epicenter. The noble households who were dethroned returned to their rightful places; all that had been damaged during the war was swiftly rebuilt; the old systems of governance in the east were uprooted, stem and all, and a new administrative body, filled to the brim with my people was restructured; all the while hundreds of traitors, criminals and wannabe insurgents still loyal to Zadkiel, or simply wanting to capitalize on the moment were executed without delay, with the sole exception of the main proprietor himself, of course. As his end would be far more of a macabre spectacle, or how else would the message be delivered to those hard headed fools who might still harbour dreams of crowns and kingdoms.

Meanwhile, the eastern army, which was still led by Sodarus and his Chimera Knights, was mostly redeployed to Appethus, while a small contingent remained in their previous position at Thalab, to keep an eye on both of these troublesome cities. The eastern fleet also returned to the port of Appethus as their headquarters again, though I doubted if they would have much time to actually make use of their old military harbour this time, as they would undoubtedly be far more busy than they ever were before to have the luxury to prolongedly moor at dock for the coming few years.

And so eighty one days after we first departed the capital on this war torn road, my own personal army, as well as that of Qayan, finally began our return journey back home. Similarly to the last victorious voyage, the triumphant trek this time was uneventful as well, filled with the simple pleasures of merry making and idle chatter between new found friends; much to the annoyance of Cyrus, who complained daily of the woes of boredom’s bane, since none in this army shared his age, and unlike Nizam who enjoyed the complicated talks of adults, he utterly despised them, finding them worse than nails on chalk.

Half in pity for his serious affliction, and half in wanting to showcase the empire’s might, I decided to stop in a few major cities along the way, where the two young princes got to explore the vast lands of their homeland, while also intoxicating the triumphant men with honour and glory, carried on the applause and praise of the cheering masses.

This was especially so for Valdour and his Qayanian soldiers, as they’ve never before been granted such fame and prestige, which only increased when we passed through Qayan itself. With the men feeling themselves as though they were floating among the clouds in pride, as they received their people’s enthusiastic acclaim. Which was perfectly represented in Valdour’s permanently grinning face, as he held his beloved wife and son before the gates of the Stygian Palace.

The celebrations in the Forge Lord’s city continued throughout the night, and unlike the other places we visited, we didn’t pass right through and continue on our way after a brief few hours, and I instead allowed them to stay the night, to both relieve their fatigue after weeks of marching and to better solidify the newly forged bonds between my people and Valdour’s.

The next day we continued, and unsurprisingly Valdour and some of his Brimstone Knights would continue following to Eklepsus, but the Qayanian army would not despite the promise of a great celebration that would unquestionably dwarf that of Qayan’s yesterday, as they were understandably tired and already home; but what was unexpected were the two new guests who would join us; Korra and Va’lin, the lady and heir of Qayan.

Though surprised by their presence, I was in actuality fairly glad for it, because I knew that they would joining the ball Darius and my mother had planned when I arrived back at the capital. A dance orchestrated for the purpose of both showcasing the empire’s returned unity and to flaunt our marvellous victory before friend and foe alike.

And what better way is there to exhibit the nation’s harmony than by having the royal family of Qayan, the very same one’s who were infamous for their hatred of us, to be present to in said celebration. Additionally, this could also serve to further strengthen the alliance between our two houses, especially if my mother were to work her magic once again, and become friends with Valdour’s wife, Korra; like she did with most highborn ladies of the court.

So for all these reasons, and though I was caught slightly unprepared, I still welcomed with them open arms.

The remaining trip returned to it’s peaceful state, but this time with an added sense of urgency to it’s air, as we no more humoured anymore pitstops to indulge further in, with us practically flying into the arms of Eklepsus, feeling as though we had suddenly replaced our legs with wings to quicker reach our dearest destination.

And when we did, we were awestruck by what we saw, for it was even more glamorous than last year’s commemoration against the Luminous Empire. The gentle drizzle of red, white and gold flower petals that welcomed last time, was now a violent downpour of vibrant kaleidoscopic colours battering our eyes with visions unspeakable beauty.

The citizens’ chorus of laughter and pride that sung in our ears previously, was now a cacophonous raucous of deafening proportions, one that threatened to steal our very ears from us, as a few of the soldiers even began to lose their balance, their heads spinning and their hearts dizzy, not simply from the overstimulation of the sights and sounds, but from the sheer weight of their inflated emotions; as pride, joy, gratification and ardour swelled with such a warmth within them, they felt as though a miniature sun was birthed within them.

The same was also true for my brothers, who were following along behind me, with the rest of my generals and commanders, with the type of wonderstruck faces only an amazed child could make. Even the usually timid Va’lin was staring at the raging ocean of clamorous people around him with wide eyes and an even wider smile, much to the jubilation of his parents.

But all the while this was happening, my ears were trained as much as possible at the people’s words, no matter how impossible they were to make it out in this chaotic cacophony, because I had caught the mangled murmur of an unfamiliar phrase. And the more I listened the more I heard it, confusing me greatly, as I knew of no one here today with that title, so I turned to my Shade Corps Commander and asked, my voice slightly boosted with my aura so that it could reach his ears "Isaac, who is this Ruinous Dragon they keep mentioning at a time like this?" My mind drawing a blank on anyone who possessed such a title in this life or the last.

Isaac seemed surprised for a minute, as he paused, before then chuckling and answering with a small smile "It’s you, my liege. The Ruinous Dragon is your newest title."

’What?!’ I exclaimed in my mind, my face mirroring my internal shock before I can stop it, as I quietly went through the many titles I earned in my last life, and I was certain I had never been called that even once.

Seeing the shock on my features, Isaac chuckled again, and added "That’s not the only title you’ve received this time around, sire. Though this one is undoubtedly the more flattering of the two. Not only that, but your newest title has also begun a kind of a trend in the other major powers."

I wanted to tell him to continue, when I noticed that the people’s commotion had almost entirely faded by this point, and when I looked back around I saw my mother and siblings, along with Kira, Darius and Anastasia waiting for us by the gate.

"Mother!" Cyrus and Nizam exclaimed before they rushed to her side, jumping off their horses and embracing her and Alisar in one motion.

My mother and sister quickly returned the affection, while the two rascals Dido and Azrael, still too young to understand much of what was going on, were simply worried why their mother and big sister were suddenly crying, as they clung to her asking her why she was sad.

"They’re not sad, they’re happy." I answered them, as I picked them both up, gently each of them on the cheek.

The two didn’t seem entirely convinced but quieted down non the less, as I took a moment to survey those around us, giving Darius a firm nod, before suddenly my mother’s and Alisar’s attention focused on me, and it was now my turn to be smothered by their flood of sentiments.

An action I returned, but could not indulge in for too long, as my uncle tactfully redirected their attention from me onto himself, by carefully taking the twins from my arms, allowing me to turn to Darius and my ministers, who were still patiently waiting for our short lived reunion to end.

"We welcome, his imperial majesty." Darius proclaimed, his back bowed, as the others followed soon after.

"Excellent work as usual Grand Vizier." I replied, the authority and dignity of an emperor radiating off me again, after it was momentarily disrupted by the emotional reunion earlier.

"It was simply my duty, sire." He replied with a satisfied smile on his face.

"Is everything ready?" I asked, looking up at my palace.

"Yes, sire. All necessary arrangements have been finalized, and all the guests have arrived to the palace hours ago, we simply require your presence to begin the ball in earnest." He answered confidently, finally straightening his back.

"Then let us be done with it." I decisively said, as I quickly marched forth, with Abraham, Horus, Leonid, Isaac, my uncle, Valdour and the now joined Darius, a step behind, as we headed to the final battlefield of this war, one not of steal swords and frightening fire, but of sharp tongues and chameleon masks.