Empire of Ashes

Introduction - Darkness prevails

After Empire Founding (AEF) 873, Cycle of Spring, Dusk

“I think what matters the most is not doing something that you did not want. Rather it is what you did not do but was all you ever desired.”

Those were the words that his late father spoke to him when he was but a child 15 years ago as his father struggled for breath as he laid in his death bed within the confines of their House’s castle. Those exact words flashed past his mind as he was pushed off the edge of the top floor of the Pyracian Tower. Time seemed to slow for him, as his clothes and hair fluttered slowly as he hung in the air for those few moments before he started to fall.

The sound of the wind passing through the gaps in his damaged armor along with the clang of tempered steel as it met resistance sounded very dull to him as opposed to how sharp it should have sounded. He couldn’t understand what was going on as he stared blankly back at the face of the woman who had grabbed him by the rim of his chest plate and flung him over the edge. A single word came to his mind as he recognized the face of the woman he was in love with.

“Why?”

The face of Alexia Sky the Aspect of Silence from the House of Wolves was the one reflected in his clear red eyes as his face was reflected in her sky blue ones. He could never forget her beauty ever since he met her in the Grand Hall of the Imperial Palace in the Capital city of the Empire, Ravenwind. It was when the leaders of the 7 House’s were called to assemble before the Emperor for a matter of grave importance regarding the survival of the Empire five years ago.

On that day, all 7 of them were standing before the Emperor when he looked upon her for the first time. As usually all diplomatic matters between the House's were conducted by either their proxies or diplomats. That being none of the Aspect's or their families ever saw each other unless there was a war afoot, by the summons of the Emperor if he ever woke or other dire circumstances that required their joint council. That aside one could not blame anyone if they were to be struck silent by her beauty and snowy white complexion he thought, as he noted that it was her identifying jet-black hair that betray the Eastern lineage of her people.

He could see she held herself with an upright posture that gave off a regal air about her, like an unapproachable diamond or rather a kind of strength that only the truly strong & superior could project. Which made sense seeing as to how her House and people come from a part of the Empire that was nearly always shrouded in dark clouds. Their lands being cold all year round with harsh weather conditions which meant their people were tough and tenacious surviving there.

It was thus, that his mind was full of questions as his face portrayed so many conflicting emotions. Confusion foremost as his eyes looked to hers for answers as the world seemed to slow down and turn dim grey in his eyes. Yet none were forthcoming from her, as she was the Aspect of Silence and when a member of their House ascends to the position, they swore a vow of silence as was their ancient customs.  Still just because they could not communicate verbally does not mean they were unable to.

“Go! All of us can’t die here! Without all seven of us now we have no hope of seeing him destroyed! If all of us try to run now, no one will make it out of this alive to tell the truth! Only one of us can leave this place alive and see Sin pay for his betrayal!”

She spoke frantically into his mind just as an Aspect behind her had his abdomen pierced by twin spears of red. The weapons seemingly penetrating through the ancient armor the Aspect had worn with ease before they withdrew as the body collapsed, their wielder turning his attention to three other’s whom threw themselves at him to buy what little amount of time they could.

This was the other method of communication that all their previous leaders over the history of the Empire had in return for their sworn vow of silence. The minds of the people who they were linked with could communicate telepathically with each other and their perception of time in only their minds and the mental plane would be altered during then. It will seem to them that everyone else was slow or sluggish.

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Moments earlier…

The sounds of armies clashing and fighting against unrecognizable and monstrous beings could be heard ongoing far below from the top of the Pyracian Tower. It was a battle that every person there knew was for the fate of the world and there was no turning back not after all these years of loss and sacrifice. While their soldiers fought on below, the Aspect leaders from all 7 Great Houses were battling it out with the being they had been charged with eliminating if they were to save their Empire.

It was the mission entrusted to them by their Emperor when he had assembled them in his Grand Hall five years ago. Where the magically sealed doors to his Grand hall would open and he would awaken only upon the eve of a great disaster. Then only to fall asleep and the doors closing once more after he had given his orders to his loyal servants. Many in today’s age do not know why he is bound to the throne as time passes with those who know having died ages ago, with no records as well being allowed to be kept on pain of death to those that do so and their families.

The Aspects were wielding their weapons with such skill that befitted their status as leader of their House’s. The crossing of their blades reverberating like thunder down to the battlefield below as they fought. This exchange had already been going on for a while since the Aspect's breached the final gatekeeper on the previous floor and coming face to face with the target of their long five year struggle.

The dust from their battle started to settle down, as all seven of the Aspect’s pulled back and adopted a defensive formation. Their enemy steadied himself and rose to his full height towering at least 2 heads above the tallest of the Aspect’s as his black armored form commanded a dominating presence. His gaze looked down upon them as though they were insignificant while his hands held twin spears of red, while across his back slung a heavy tower mace.

“Slaves bound to that sick Emperor, is this the best you Aspects can do? Even with those Sacred weapons of yours?” He chided them as he swung his twin spears on to his shoulders.

“Is this really the famous Aspect’s of the Empire? The lords and final guardians serving that thing you call your liege lord?”

“SILENCE!” the Aspect of Glory from the House of Lions shouted back as she held her katana before him in an offensive stance taught by their house. She was flanked by the armored Aspect of Duty from the House of Horses and the Aspect of Strength from the House of Bulls.

“Your time has come! Your armies are being pushed back into the ground from whence they came from even as we speak. You have nothing left!” the Aspect of Strength said as he swung his mighty two headed battle axe to emphasize that fact.

Their enemy just moved over to the edge of the floor looking on the scene below as he witnessed his armies though it is slight, being pushed back by the soldiers of the Empire. He gave a small snort of laughter.

“Such arrogant fools! Have you never wondered why there had never been a serious or dangerous challenge during this entire war as you pushed in deeper and deeper to get here?”

“Hahahaha that is obvious enough, that the might of the Empire was always superior to any and all adversaries. Be they human, inhuman, dead or otherwise!”

Duty declared proudly with an arrogant undertone while swinging his war-hammer around as though this were a practice match and they were not fighting for the very fate of their Empire.

The black armored figure could only shake his head in disdain when he heard that declaration, as he seemingly felt confused by what Duty had just voiced out. While they continued to just face off each other as the sounds of chaos from the battlefield continued unabated in the background.

Just as a corps of the flying dragoon knights from the House of Phoenix flew by as they were chased after by a skeletal dragon, as he suddenly started to give out a low chuckle which turned into a loud and terrible laughter which spread out across the battlefield. Seemingly the sounds from his laughter caused the battle to slowly dissipate and stop, as everyone heard it and looked to the tower. His voice booming across the entire battlefield.

“Hahahahaha I see now! All of you have become too complacent from having no worthy adversary for all this time! Your Emperor as well! If you are truly acting in such a manner before me, then he has not told you everything!"

The Aspect’s did not fall for such a pathetic attempt of provocation and maintained their formation, yet the twin Aspect’s of Wisdom from the House of Doves shared a gut feeling and it was a terrible one which seemed to drive a wedge of doubt and fear into them. As the two began to realize all may not be what it seems, and they may have had fallen for a dangerous trap year’s in the making.

“Shut up! Just say what you want to say and be done with it!” as one of the twin's held one of a pair of jade fans to cover half her face while her twin brother held the other half in a similar fashion mirroring her as they stood on the backline with the other 3 Aspect’s.

Their enemy just raised his spears then as his arms were spread to his sides in an open arm fashion.

“I don’t have to...Listen.”

A soft sound could be heard far below the tower. Just one amongst the tens of thousands, yet like the beginnings of an avalanche building up momentum another could be heard joining it followed by a couple then a dozen then hundreds, finally thousands were adding their voices to the chorus of screams of terror.

“Something’s wrong!” the Aspect of Sin from the House of Scorpions shouted to them while he sheathed his gladius back into its scabbard and ran to the edge.

What he saw when he gazed upon the battlefield below, was a surreal scene of destruction and slaughter being faced by the Empire's soldiers.

“What is it? What’s the situation down there?!” 

Duty called out as the rest of them finally begun to realize they have been fooled probably ever since this war started.

Though Sin whispered, it carried easily enough across to the rest of them through the never ending torrent of screams.

“Our armies are being pushed back and routed.”

Strength's face contorted into one of anger, as he assumed a battle stance

“That’s impossible! No one and nothing could possibly cause the full force of the Empire to run!”

A loud laugh could be heard again as the figure of their ire drew the attention of all of them to him.

"You don't have to know. So just die here."

The party scattered as the ground they were standing on cracked in all directions as it suffered the full impact of the heavy mace that was on his back earlier now switched with his spears. The speed with which he had switched his weapons and covered the ground between them was terrifying.

Yet only 7 could be seen jumping away, while Glory was holding up her katana as she took on the full brunt force of his mace. The cracks on the ground all originated from her as he swung his mace down on to her again and again with unbelievable speed, pressuring her till she was down on one knee. Yet she was still able to persevere against his inhuman strength.

"Oh? This is interesting. That such a thin sword can handle so many hits from my mace. These weapons of yours may indeed be powerful."

He said sarcastically to her as he kept swinging even as a shadow from above drew over them. Not wasting a second as he brought a hand forward gripping onto the hand of Glory with sword and all as he swung around. Tossing the Aspect in his one hand aside with incredible force while bringing up his mace to meet Duty’s hammer coming down at him.

"TRUE IMPACT!"

The hammer was shrouded in a yellow aura as his strike connected with the mace. This time it was under the feet of their enemy which cracks appeared from the sheer force of the strike.

"Hahahahaha interesting interesting! You human's really are so surprising! Being able to use power arts now!"

"Just die already demon! You have no hope of victory!"

Duty retreated only to have Strength take his place with his axe strike aiming for the throat yet being blocked as well with relative ease, as the two were weapon locked.

"You say that, yet instead it is one of you that is already dead instead."

As he turned his head in the direction in which he had threw Glory.

As the other's looked in the same direction and saw her standing up with a look of shock on her face with a blade piercing her chest from behind where her heart was. As the blade withdrew and she fell to the floor dead with a face showing confusion, Sin could be seen standing behind now holding his gladius as her blood dripped off the point of his blade. 

The Aspect's were shocked at the betrayal of one of their own as they just stood there before the shout from one of the twins came out.

"WHY?"

As tears streamed down her face watching the figure that had been like a moral compass to her die infront of her very eyes.

Sin just kept a blank face as he took a step after step back towards the edge of the tower, not deigning himself to give her a reply.

"Remember your promise."

As Sin jumped backwards and off the tower without waiting to hear an answer.

"You will have what you desire little traitor."

The black armored figure said as though smiling behind his great helmet before he gave a roar and with a burst of power broke the deadlock he had with Strength, while tossing his mace aside before drawing his spears from his back once more.

"Do keep me entertained for a little longer before you die." As he charged towards Duty.

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He couldn't understand what she was telling him, why must he live while she died here? NO! he couldn't accept this, he wouldn't! He would die before he would allow himself to survive while she didn't. Not when he still has so much to tell her!

"NO! Not like this Alexia! I will not let you die likes this!" As he tried to summon his magic to propel him back to the platform in that slow world. Yet none came to his call not even a trace of it gathered at his command. He looked back at her again confused.

She gave him a sad smile then.

"I'm sorry...I’ve sealed your magic because knowing how much of an i***t you are, you'd probably jump right back up here."

She chuckled as tears started to stream down her face. As he noticed her tear’s which only fueled his struggle even harder as the rage in his heart built up to a crescendo.

"We still can make this work! Stop the link and unseal my magic, we can still kill him!"

As he frantically tried to convince her. Yet she remained there with her sad smile as he saw a dark silhouette behind her stepping closer and closer to her ever so slowly in that grey world. The Wisdom twins and Strength dying shortly after Duty was killed.

"Don't die alright? Live and survive. They are going to need you in this world that's about to change. Live for me ok?"

She gave her biggest smile to him when her body gave a slight jerk. Looking down at her own chest she could see the tip of a spear appearing out of the front of her body. Her blood covered the blade, as she started to bleed out of her chest plate like a never-ending fountain.

"Looks like this is goodbye…"

Her tears still streaming down her face even as blood poured out from her chest, as she looked back up at him into his eyes that she always thought was so strong yet so gentle at the same time.

"I lov...."

she coughed and sputtered out blood as the spear was pulled out of her body. Her halberd dropped from her hand as she fell to her knees. While the world around them started to regain its color and they synced back into the worlds time frame.

She tried to raise her head once more to see him. Just one more time she thought, let me see his face just one more time. Her body was already becoming weaker as she felt her strength fading away to nothing, through sheer will she summoned up some last bits of strength to force her head to rise just enough to catch a glimpse of his screaming face out of the corner of her eye.

Silly man don't cry I'll forever and always be by your side, the one person who came to love me for who I am. Thank you for letting me meet him in this life, I would have died regretting so many things if I hadn't met him. Thank you so much. Please keep my love safe.

Her last thoughts and prayers to a higher power, as her eyes lost their focus and she was gone as she tilted forward falling onto the cold hard floor.

"ALEEEEEEXXXXIAAAAA!!"

The Aspect of Rage from the House of Phoenix screamed his lungs out as wet tears muddle his sight, his knuckles on both his hands became white from the pressure that he was squeezing his two swords with as he saw her body hit the floor. He could feel his heart bursting out like a raging inferno, as the memories the both had shared together over the past five long years flashed through his eyes in that one moment.

He had planned to tell her once they had finished their mission of his love for her and for them to join in matrimony, yet now he would never have the chance to tell he loved her. He had forever lost the opportunity to tell her how much she mattered to him. The suffering of seeing the person he loved get killed and the regret of not being able to even tell her even once that he loved her, caused the seal on his magic to be broken from the overwhelming intensity of his will and emotions. A veil of red started to overcome his world.

As he felt his magic returning to him, he let out a mighty roar filled with his hate and desire for vengeance. He begun to channel his magic in his body to soar back up to the platform to end the life of the person who killed her, his body slowing down as he floated into an upright position with magic circles under his feet. Yet a strong voice filled with the strength of a lifetime of experiences spoke to him. It was the spirit of his sword.

"Do not be a fool! She gave up her life to give you an opportunity to survive! If she saw you at the Caelum Gates with her after what she did, she would never forgive you!"

The words pierced his enraged mind sharply, lifting the veil that had covered his eyes. A semblance of consciousness returned to him, he looked up and saw the target of his hatred staring at him from the edge as though waiting to see what he would do. He knew his entire nature was calling out to him to surge back up to the platform and seek vengeance, but he knew the sword spirit was right. Though the rage within him was thrashing around seeking release, he begun to let his magic dissipate as he let himself fall towards the world below. As he fell a simple thought went through his mind.

I will survive and I will return. When the time comes, I swear I will rip your black heart out bit by bit slowly and excruciatingly. This I swear on my name, Merkarva!

His body plunged into the raised dust of the battlefield below, followed moments later by the death screams of demons mixed with the roar of a single man in raw grief and sorrow.

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Yet far away right then in the Grand Hall of the Emperor at Ravenwind, there he sat upon the throne quiet and asleep. A soft melody from a harp could be heard starting to play, it seemed to be coming from everywhere and nowhere at once in that large hall. Floating balls of light started becoming visible dancing about giving off a gentle warmth, as moonlight coming in from the large glass mural behind the throne that was inching its way towards it.

As the light touched upon the throne the armor of the person upon it slowly begun to glow a dull white, weak yet somehow unwilling to die out. The figures eyes fluttering open weakly as though tired as he looked upon the cold empty hall of his, except for the light of the fairies and the music of the ancients playing that he recognized. He looked about more as he fully awakened from his eternal vigilance in the Plane of Night, letting out a shallow breath as he could sense a familiar presence appearing before him.

"It is done."

The presence spoke with the kind of energy that dripped cold sharpness

"As was foreseen."

It was a statement of fact with just a trace of a certain human emotion in it that gave off feelings of guilt. This coming from a being who he himself had forsaken his humanity centuries ago for his dream. Yet the path he had set the 7 upon years ago had somehow drudged up an emotion that he had long thought gone from himself.

He knew they would fail in this endeavor, and yet still he had sent them to meet their fate. As without their sacrifice for a quest doomed to failure, there would have been no future for the Empire. No...rather there would have been no future for anyone or anything in this world, with darkness claiming all in its path. Still he lamented on what he had chosen to do to those that trusted his words implicitly.

"I can only ask for your forgiveness, for what I have chosen to let happen to you will forever haunt you. But when the time comes, there will come a moment you will have to choose that will either save all or doom all."

He recalled the fiery hot-headed nature that the Aspect had, and of the first obvious signs of attraction that had begun to bloom between his 2 Aspect’s on that fateful day of meeting when he called upon them. Now though that young Aspect will forever be tortured by that image of her moment of death, replaying over and over in his mind at any moment he seeks to close his eyes.

As he thought of that the Emperor felt sudden pain lance through him like no other, he could feel his strength being sapped away once more from the curse he bears, and the world of nothingness compelled him to return to its embrace. Yet something seemed different this time, more so than he ever recalled over the long amount of time he has carried this burden. Wisps of dark smoke started to appear swirling around the throne in a powerful cyclone.

"The curse is changing it’s not drawing you back to slumber. This is unprecedented magic to be able to change an ancient curse of hers.”

As the presence could do nothing to help his liege as the storm around his master swirled for what felt like ages but just moments later the dark smoke started to weaken and dissipate.

“My Emperor your…"

He spoke with a grim tone as his magical sight felt the changes to the curse and realized what will happen soon.

"Yes, a third power we had not noticed. The veils shadow shields them from my sight."

"You will not be able to guide them when the time comes."

"My old friend it seems like I have to ask you of one final duty."

The Emperor could feel the intensity of the anger that the presence was giving off and felt blessed to have had such a loyal retainer over this long life of his.

"…I will watch over them. Fate will draw them to meet each other, and everything beyond that has always been up to a person's choice."

Even as the presence felt bitter at how he was failing in protecting his master from something he couldn’t fight or stop from happening.

"Good then go. You have no more reason to linger here. Go and make ready your preparations. Leave me and face what you have been given charge of. While I face my own unexpected fate now that it has come."

"Your will be done my Emperor. It…was an honor."

Those words seemingly giving off a tone of finality & parting as the voice seemed to hang in the air for a bit, the presence fading away till it was just the lone figure upon the throne once more.

"Dark times are coming...for the first time since the founding...the Empire is weak..." gasping the words out as he felt his strength slipping away. The moonlight was dimming as well, as though something was trying to rub it out while in the hall the balls of light and music slowly faded away.

"Yet hope exists now...the sacrifices made this day were not for naught…stay strong of heart...you will not be alone...all....you to come...will....even if…don’t…mista..."

As he finally stopped moving, his armor turning back to a dull grey and no other sound came from him. The armored body of the Emperor changing as from his feet he started to turn into stone until finally his entire body was encased in it, the hall quiet once more as the doors now with no master swung open causing the guards outside to become alarmed and rushing in to discover their master’s state.

It was only moments later that the numerous magic bells around the palace, that had only ever rung strongly for joyous moments were now ringing with a cold slow dead tone. A kind of sound from the bells that no one in the capital had ever heard the like of before, nor the news that the city’s criers soon brought as they ran across the dimly lit streets yelling throughout the night.

“THE EMPEROR HAS PASSED AWAY. OUR BELOVED EMPEROR HAS PASSED AWAY!”

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As the Capital was in turmoil at the passing of the Emperor, in a small border town on the fringes of the Empire. A young woman sat by the open window of her small cottage as she stared up into the bright moonlit night sky. A gentle breeze blew by as she cradled her newborn baby in her arms not more than a week old.

For now, she played peacefully with her son as she moved her fingers over a birthmark on his shoulder. Some having said it seemed alike to the crest of that noble family, while many others thrusting it aside as a mere coincidence. That birthmark the child bears was very much alike to the crest of the House of Phoenix.

 "I can't wait to show you just how amazingly beautiful our world is Remon…" 

As another gentle wind blew by though much colder now, as she got up to close the window disappearing back into the warmth of her home.