Age of Heroes (Age of Heroes Chronicles)

Chapter 409: The emperor strikes back (1)

In a lake somewhere in the world, there is a woman that look upon the stars. She looks at it and smile. 

There is an old man beside this young woman.

The difference between them is very striking. 

The young woman appears to be the very personification of youth and beauty while the old man seems to emit some ancientness and decrepit.

The old man watches the young woman. The night is calm, the breezy wind passes through this area of the forest and everything felt right and proper in this world

But the old man could never always remain calm as he clicked his tongue and then ask

'Lady. What are you watching?'

The old man also looks at the stars. But all he could see is twinkling stars and the open skies. While the stars are very beautiful, which beautiful thing that he had not seen before.

And which beautiful thing in this world that this lady had not seen? Why would she be so fixated on the stars that she gazed upon it for hours already

Unlike the lady, he did not possess limitless time to linger 

He wanted answers. But here he is, looking at the stars, accompanying the lady in her musing. He did not understand one bit what she is seeing. The young lady smiles and said

'Stars' she answered

The old man nearly blows his top. Of course you are seeing stars, he wanted to protest but remembering who this lady is, he restrains his anger.

'The Star of the Conqueror' she said this time, the old man become speechless. This time he looks again at the sky and look carefully. And then he saw it. His eyebrows frowned.

'What kind of story this is?' He asks to no one in particular. The young lady smiles and bitterly said

'What do you think this story will be about?' She asks

The old man scratches his head and then he said

'This is a story of good versus evil. This is the story of Asrana and Vasir. The story of the two bloodlines' He said

The Lady laughed a bit. She gazes again upon that star in the sky with a gentle smile and said

'This is a story of love and sacrifice. It has always been so' And then she laughs.

Then she averts her gaze. 

'As such, the Ages of Heroes is about to end'

Her laugh fills the forest as she returns to her lake and the old man follows her from behind, a complicated expression could be seen on his face.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>> 

The smokes billowed from the expansive plains, with the sound of screams of pains and tears of despair seem to fill the battlefield

The last effort of resistance has been neutralized. The war is finally over.

The sight of the battlefield is akin of hell on earth

The green grass of the plain turns red because of the sea of blood of the Zettelian people flowing all over the ground 

the plains of Zettel which is full with long flowing grass is no longer could be seen due to the torrential rain of arrows, stone attack from the siege weapons attacking the rebels through the day and night. 

Anyone who could see the scene could see, could feel that death is swallowing them whole, an echo of the fallen screams filling the deserted plains with emptiness and dread.

Every attack of the Imperial men sends a deafening pulse to the attackers, the battlefield become an arena of deadly swords, spears, knives, and variety of weapons, and with the smell of rotting corpses filling everyone else noses left with a war-cry face on them. 

The smoke that resulted from the fires of the siege weapons, obscured the enemy trenches in the distance, a strange aggressive language spouted out, but became quiet as they were granted an eternal rest by the Imperial men armed forces.

Quick, agile, efficient and merciless. This is the traits of the Imperial army. No army in the Human Continent could resist their might.

This is the might of Eden, the new Empire of the Vermont family

In the beginning of the battle, the rebellion of the Zettelian people gain traction and they even dreamed of forcing the Emperor of Eden to return back to his Capital in Arden, one of the Province of the Empire. 

Arden is situated in the former Vangua. 

Everyone knows that instead of sitting on the Dragon throne, the Emperor opted on engaging in warfare after the Emperor found the involvement of the royal family of Zettel in the death of his Empress. 

The throne of Eden is said to be built with one of a kind gold. 

This gold was melted in the Fires of the Red Mountain

It is a throne that is said was even enchanted by Elders of the Elves, crafted by one of the Paragons of the Dwarves, blessed by the Church of Light, purified by the Priest of the Three Fires, and oiled by the Radiant Rulers of Seren

That lavish and one of a kind imperial throne is empty all this time because of the war the Emperor had waged against Zettel

Revenge for blood. Blood by blood. He swears that he will bring hell with him and everyone knows about the Dragon promise. 

The Emperor has many flaws, he could not be trusted fully in politics but once he gave his solemn word, then no one dares doubt it. 

His honour is important to him and as such for people who deals with the Emperor instead of trying to believe the Emperor decree and orders they always ask for his word, right from his very mouth because once the Emperor give his word, nothing can make him take it back. 

Such are the eccentricities of great men with great powers. In the Human Continent, he is at the peak of power, wealth and fame.

His word is enough. His promise once made is fulfilled to the end.

No one even knows why the King of Zettel wanted the Dragon wife to be killed and risk incurring the wrath of the Emperor of such a powerful force, but the royal family of Zettel, the proud King has been exterminated, so no one knows.

Instead of relieving his vengeance after he executed the entire royal family, the dragon did not stop there.

He slaughtered their cousins, their sons, their daughters, in what many describe a great slaughter of nobility, and he then proceeded to conquer Zettel thus cementing his name forever as a Great Conqueror. 

To the Zettelian, he is known as Arial the Accursed.

But to his people he is known by a different title.

He is known to his people as Arial the Great Conqueror, peerless under the heaven, no one is his match. 

The Emperor has conquered the south, the North capitulates to him and the West is now in ruins. 

The Chu family and the Austen family becomes vassal Kings of the Empire; their private army must not exceed twenty thousand men or it will be regarded as treason to the Imperial Family.

Cori on the other hand is governed by the Emperor governor, ruling all of the entire former Cori now called Rome to commemorate the old city of the First Generation. 

It is governed by Duke Silas one of the famous personages in the land and one of the youngest officials on the Imperial Council.

In Freya, the name of the once proud principality was also changed. 

Now it is called Venicia for the name of the city and is ruled by the Duke West and his wife the Duchess Lisa, acting as the Emperor governor.

The governor has no power to call the Imperial army unless under duress and by the power vested on them. 

After all the Imperial army belongs to the Empire as their salary is paid by the Empire. Even mercenaries nowadays join the army because of its consistent pay.

However, the battle in the plains of Zettel marked the last rebellion by the Zettelian nobility.

In this last stand of the rebellion, arrows are whistling by, hitting men and dirt alike, covering the sludgy ground in a red liquid.

The sound of the platoon being killed off was a mellifluous noise to the soldiers in red armours with the banner of the dragon.

Quietness took a hold of the land, except for the cry of painful agony. 

Nothing but silence hung over the area, besides the ghostly wind hovering over them, haunting the surviving rebel.

A scene of total devastation was left at the end of the battle. Bodies piled up like a mountain, corpses burn and looted.

The last of the resistance has faded away. The Great Conqueror has finally succeeded in controlling the South, North and West all under his House. 

Finally, he can declare himself to be the true Emperor of the Land and no one will ever doubt him.

People of Zettel call him the King of Hell and when the Imperial men came for them they will yell to the people of the village, 

'Here come forth the banners of the king of hell'

And from the fire of vengeance the world is born anew.

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