The Aeterna Empire

Chapter 15.1- What was Inevitable

Our path returned to following the Night-Blood north into Kes, and our progress resumed steadily. True to Izthark's word, the path in following them was safe. The Night-Blood did not turn left or right except at the beginning of the night when their path was chosen. We entered no town as everything we would need was supplied by the Night-Blood's work. Like a farmer planting seeds, the great enemy planted life where it went. We were safe from my brother as we encountered no one short of a few wandering Numerenai also tracking the day's enemy. There were no hunting parties. Whether this is because my brother ended the search or the hunters gave a wide berth to the Night-Blood so that we were safe by proximity, I could not say.

There was one night when Izthark ordered me to keep a steady path while he rushed ahead, and he returned at the end of the night. As I came to learn: he had seen travelers far into the darkness about to be overtaken by our respective Night-Blood, and he had gone to save them.

There was one day where we stopped to bath in a nearby river. I saw a burned mark of two horns on his back, but said nothing of it. Nor did it pass by my notice when one of the Numer we passed upon called Izthark 'Horned One', and though the other said it with cheer as if he knew my companion, Izthark was irritated by the title and we continued on immediately.

After some days we came near enough to the capital to see it level with us. It was good to see it again, and it felt like much had changed since I left it. However my good cheer quickly turned to worry.

I looked through my eyeglass while my companion needed seemingly no such thing. It was night so it was difficult to make out, but I was still able to make out the flags illuminated by campfire. There were thousands upon thousands of campfires. Four armies with their respective flags surrounded the capital. All four flags were standards of Kes generals, but the sight of it alarmed us all the same.

"Why are the armies here?" Izthark wondered.

"Perhaps Caius has decided to take the threat from Ne seriously." I mused. "Or there has been another coup. I wouldn't put it past the Chancellor."

"The capital looks intact. I don't see any smoke or fire." Izthark argued.

"An extremely efficent coup, then, much like they did to me."

"I disagree, I think the simplist possibility fits."

"Then if he was taking the threat seriously, why bring the armies here instead of defending the border with them?"

A bad feeling entered my gut and a chill took my throat. Somehow I knew the answer, but I needed to know.

"We need to stay till the day and see what is happening." I said.

"Why? You are not king here. Your place is further north. We have several days to go before we reach the border wall."

"I must know."

Izthark was irritated, but saw he wouldn't budge me. He acquiesced my request and we waited until it was daytime. When the sun opened its eye I took a telescope and looked. Around the capital were the four armies still, but south-west towards Ire, was also another mass of men, and my skepitical instincts told me enough.

Speechless, my eyeglass fell from my hands and I collapsed in the shade of the tree overlooking the valley. Izthark removed his headcloth and looked.

"The Aeterna has entered Kes." Izthark confirmed my fear. "That looks like... two armies. Soran-Blood and Ne-Blood. There are some Ire-Blood mixed in, but not many."

I sat there in silence, feeling the weight of it. My fears were coming true. I knew it would come, but I had never thought it would be so sudden.

I muttered. "I thought for sure my little brother would, if only out of selfishness, preserve his kingdom for himself and put up resistance. I was convinced he would use the tactics he heard from our council session and claim it for his own thoughts."