Start of an emperor part 4

Ala returned back to Aesis after many years. The warriors he bought back had become loyal friends and confidants. He promised them lands and wealth as thanks for being loyal followers of him.

Unfortunately, when he returned, he found a Heian kingdom that was in the midst of a civil war. His two older brothers were warring against each other. For years they had fought, both claiming the Heian throne. Both had abandoned the capital Nicea, making crime fester, with its population plummeting.

He felt furious as his own domain looked feeble and weak compared to even Midgard and his own jarldom.

He quickly rallied a small following and proclaimed his return to his two brothers. He sent a message to them, asking them to reconcile, but instead, the brothers declared war upon him. Neither one wished for another claimant.

His mother finally came to see him in the ruined city of Nicea. She was old and wrinkly, with grey hair. Instead, Ala was still youthful and energetic, as his powerful divinity had blessed him with an expanded life. His mother smiled, and tears fell from her eyes. As tears were about to fall from Ala's face, his mother revealed a dagger and tried to kill his son. His loyal followers slew his mother right in front of him just as the blade was about to pierce Ala's heart.

As she died, her mother explained why she had tried to kill him. Both of the brothers had sent her to assassinate him. The mother had lived in horrid conditions since the death of her husband. Her sons had abandoned him, forcing her to sell her body as an expensive whore. The two brothers promised her land and a palace to live in comfortably for the rest of her life. As long as she slew her own son. In desperation, she had accepted.

This was the last drop for the future emperor.

He then summoned his two brothers to the capital of Nicea, where he wished to negotiate with them. The brothers marched with their armies and, but only with their bodyguards, entered the ruined palace where Ala waited. They believed their younger brother was in no way their equal, able to challenge their divine powers, so they all were confident it wasn't a trap.

As they entered, they came across their brother, Ala, who gave them one more chance to submit to him. His brothers laughed, and the future emperor said, "Power is everything. Only with ruthless power are we able to protect our people."

He then incinerated his brothers and all their bodyguards. He then marched over to the armies, holding a spear that had the burnt heads of his two brothers. He proclaimed himself the only king of the two armies; the rest is....history.

The loyal followers that had returned from Midgard with Ala, he gifted them and their ancestor lands and named them despots. Some who had yet to achieve great divine powers were made into the first sentinel of embers, the loyal bodyguards of the emperor.

To Ala Phokas, he blamed his father for being weak. His mother for being too dim and naive. His brothers, for being weak-minded, started to fight each other instead of doing what the greater good wanted. For Ala had seen the universe and seen what it actually was. Gods were real, and they were not all good.