In another chapter, I was inspired and I plan after this chapter to start writing a Harry Potter fanfic cause why not? Anyway, I hope yall like this chapter, Dont worry I won't be abandoning this fanfic, I already have a lot of arcs planned and the ending set up, this fanfic will be going all the way to cannon and beyond, the harry potter fanfic will be more all over the place but is gonna be a lot easier to write cause I have less lore to worry about.
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In the heart of the Ghiscari empire sat the capital, Ghis. The Emperor's palace stood tall and imposing on the bustling capital, with its domed roofs and imposing towers dominating the sky high atop the hill it sat on.
The Emperor's palace sat in the center of Ghis, the pride and joy of the mighty empire. The people of the city went about with their duties like any other day. Women went about the market looking for food for the end-of-day supper, children ran through the streets weaving through adults' legs, playing games, and enjoying the summer heat, and the traders brought in the day's commodities to sell for the day.
All was normal in Ghis except for one aspect, the men had changed tasks. Builders and fishermen gathered their armor and spears, dusted off their shields, and began to gather outside the city to prepare for the encroaching enemy.
The attack was unprecedented and unprovoked, the people of Yunkai had awoken in the dead of night with the smell of ash in the air. The Dragonlords of Valyria had descended on the city and burned thousands to ash. No declaration had been given, no cause for such an attack. The only reason given was by a Dragonlord who had landed his dragon to rampage in the streets. His shouts could barely be heard over the screams and cries of the people of the city.
"Suffer under the claws of the Dragon, we are not so easily beaten, we shall return your acts of aggression a hundredfold. Just as my people had suffered under your arms, you shall suffer under me, for an act is so rightfully deserved."
Few could understand the raging Dragonlord in the foreign tongue, but some survived the attack, and some of those few had traded with Valyria long enough to roughly decipher what he had shouted.
When word had finally reached the Emperor's palace the court had exploded in unrest and turmoil. The Emperor had called every free man to war. Already mobilizing the standing army, the emperor had stationed the army outside the walls of Ghis while also swelling their ranks with any man willing to join, but for now, the army sat and waited for their orders, and today in the emperor's court the Nobles, Lords, Advisors, and Generals discussed the first course of action to be taken against the Valyrians.
The Emperor of the Ghiscari Empire sat atop a lavishly decorated throne, coated in gold and metals from plundered lands. And to his left stood a breathtakingly beautiful woman adorned in silks and jewelry. Her silks covered her to near indecency, highlighting her curves.
To the court, she was Zuulmar, the closest advisor of the Emperor who had practically raised the young boy of fourteen years. She had held the ear of the king since the boy took the throne after his late father's passing when the boy was merely seven.
No one knew where Zuulmar came from, only that she was close to the Emperor's mother, and that she had been loyal to the crown since the beginning.
Many lords and nobles have tried to get close to the emperor, hoping to influence him to further their own desires, but have never been able to gain the traction to truly hold more than a sliver of influence over the Emperor.
As the Emperor and Zuulmar watched the arguing lords and Generals about the current problem they faced the Emperor's frustration grew.
Here in the emperor's halls stood some of the most powerful men and women in the world, yet they could not come up with some sort of plan to face the Valyrians.
Finally reaching his final nerve the Emperor pounded his fist against his throne and shouted in a voice far more commanding than a boy should have.
"Enough! I will not sit here any longer and listen to you squabble as our enemies do in the West. General Srasnohl, how many men do we have outside the walls?"
General Srasnohl was an old war-hardened man with a beard of black with grey beginning to show, and a bald head that shined like the morning sky. He was adorned in armor befitting his rank ready to leave at a moment's notice to lead his men to war.
"Your grace, the men have swelled to nearly seventy thousand men. We had hoped for another ten thousand but many men from the capital have seen fit to venture to our other cities to defend against the encroaching enemy."
The boy Emperor grumbled at his general's report, he had hoped for a hundred thousand men to be ready to march against the Valyrian horde, but the numbers were satisfactory.
What truly angered the Emperor though was not the numbers of his forces nor the arguing lords, for he knew they were arguing about the very thing that had the boy so frustrated.
Why did the Freehold attack them?
It had been a normal day sitting on his throne answering the problems of his people when a soldier from Yunkai covered in soot and ash stumbled into court.
It stirred the Empire into action, messages had been sent to the freehold in hopes that the attack was done by a rouge Dragonlord and swords could be sheathed in leather rather than blood. Yet the only response from the Freehold was a simple and short message inscribed on paper, it said "War"
"You Majesty, if I may." To the Emperor's side, Zuulmar spoke, catching the attention of the court. Rarely Zuulmar spoke, yet when she did she would impart great wisdom and advice that strengthened the empire.
The emperor nodded to Zuulmar to continue. "Your majesty, we can not march against the Freehold with men and soldiers alone, the Freehold has dragons and monsters that if word has spoken true, have already crushed Ghorash and its defenders."
The Emperor nodded to Zuulmar in understanding, "Then what shall you have me do, bend over and let my people die under the dragon."
Zuulmar shook her head and kneeled down to eye level with the Emperor. "No, I would not condone such action. You must call upon the Harpies of the east, they owe you a blood debt, and now is the time for it to be paid in full. "
Many eyes within the hall widened at Zuulmar's words, to call upon the harpies of the east had been the last idea any Nobles had for a good reason.
"Your Majesty, you must forgive me, but what does Lady Zuulmar speak of?"
A voice spoke out from the gathered lords that had been standing quietly in court listening to the comings and goings of court, keeping to himself when the lords bickered and argued, yet held more influence over the young Emperor than the other lords, excluding Zuulmar herself.
The young Emperor stood from his throne to find the voice. "Ah, Lord Annatar, I had thought you had left to take care of your holdings before the Valyrians reached them."
Annatar stood out in the Ghiscari court like a dagger in a bowl of Apples. Annatar looked more Valyrian than Ghiscari, and with the recent attack on their home, the Lords and nobles of the court had grown weary of Annatar, but that meant little to him, for all he cared at the moment was what the Emperor thought of him, and how much weight his words held with him.
"You would be correct Your Majesty, and I have just returned with my employees safe, and lands and holdings secure."
"That is truly great lord Annatar, now forgive me for I did not quite hear your question."
Annatar gave a deep bow to the Emperor. "There is nothing to forgive Your Majesty, I had merely asked what lays east in the mountains."
Zuulmar answered Annatar before the Emperor could. "The harpies of the East owe a blood debt to the emperor family, formed by Grazdan the Great with the princess of the harpies, no separate party would rule over one another, but should a time of war be so desperate, one party could call upon the other for aid."
Zuulmar did not trust the foreign Lord, he had entered the Emperor's father's court some many years ago, greatly influencing the old Emperor and sowing discord in the empire before his son rose to power and brought order back to the great empire.
"How truly fascinating. Well, should the harpies prove effective against our neighbor's dragons, then I am in favor of this decision Your Majesty."
General Srasnohl stepped forward "Your majesty, is it truly wise to call upon the harpies? Yes they are the children of the great Harpy, but they do not serve us as the people do, they are an unpredictable factor and could bring more harm to us than aid."
Zuulmar walked down from the throne, ready to address the fears of the old general. "The harpies will answer the call, for they are just as threatened by the dragons as we are. The dragons will not leave the Harpies be as long as they live, and we shall not just call upon the harpies, but release the manticores and basilisks onto the Freehold."
Annatar walked past the General and neared the Emperor, "Your Majesty, I must implore you to use every resource possible for this enemy."
The Emperor raised his head from his fist that it rested on, "I understand the dangers of this enemy lord Annatar, but you make me think you know something that we here do not."
The lord around Annatar eyed him warily.
Annatar slowly shook his head, hoping to calm the growing ire of the surrounding lords. "I must confess, I do know something that everyone here does not, but I had not thought to speak it for it was just mere rumors, and I had hoped to find more solid proof these rumors were either fact or just what they are, rumors."
Zuulmar slowly walked back to the Emperor. "And what are these rumors you have so wisely withheld from us lord Annatar?"
Annatar sighed
"The soldiers I had run into on my way back from my holding had spoken of great monsters and demons assaulting their city, some have even spoken of the great fire spirits that pushed back the long night. I do not know how much merit these rumors hold, but I would not dismiss them, for all rumors stem from something."
The emperor reservedly nodded his head to the news. "I shall take your words with weight lord Annatar."
The Emperor turned to General Srasnohl. "General, prepare an escort party to bring me to the harpy princess."
The general bowed
"At once Your Majesty."
He then turned to Zuulmar. "Zuulmar, prepare the armoring and calling of the manticore riders."
Zuulmar bowed gracefully to the Emperor, smiling at him, bringing a small blush to his face. "It will be done, Your Majesty."
As the General and Zuulmar left the chambers to carry out their tasks, Annatar approached the Emperor.
"Your majesty, I know with the current situation this is highly inappropriate, but I must insist I give you this gift I had crafted just for you."
"Lord Annatar, what caused you to think you need to gift me anything, your loyal service is a good enough gift from you."
Annatar bowed deeply to the emperor, "You humble me your grace, but I must insist. I created this gift to thank you for allowing me a foreigner into your court."
The emperor sighed, "I Thank you lord Annatar, now please, bring your gift forward."
Annatar smiled as he walked up the steps to the throne and outstretched his hands.
"A gift for the Great Emperor of the Ghiscari empire... Khamul the Great."
And as Annatar opened his fingers in his palm laid a ring