3224

Onera Eidaci rode through the streets of the once mighty capital of the Aunara. They had been a powerful people, skilled in the art of gem cutting, and he could only be saddened by how low they had fallen. He would have loved to say they put up a strong resistance, but that would have been a lie.

Sixteen years ago Eidaci’s father, Anauna Agappi, had succeeded in uniting the Miecans and claiming the Unatiate for himself for the first time since the Angi Dynasty. But when he died all his sons squabbled over their Father’s kingdom. And so Onera, who controlled the prosperous lands of the Noutezu, spent a dozen years building his base and expanding his domain, defeating his siblings one by one. Then he thought his people would see peace, but he was wrong.

In 3221 the Almaran prince decided he had had enough of his father’s rule, and staged a revolt. Alas, he did not have an army that could oppose his father’s, so he came to Onera begging for help. And helped he received. The Miecan cavalrymen, now clad in the bronze they had been producing for half a century, stormed through the countryside, defeating every single army fielded by the Almaran King. There was only one thorn to their side, the walled cities of the westerners, which horses could not climb. After much thinking, Onera decided to surround them and starve them. The Miecans could live off the land as long as their horses had pastures. In the end, those cities that could not be stormed by ladder and fire, surrounded by hunger.

Once in power, however, the ungrateful prince refused to pay the Miecans for their service, claiming that they had earned enough through plunder, and dismissed them. Yet the Miecans did not leave, they burnt the land and took the Almaran cities by spear and bow, for if they had fallen to them once they would fall again. In early 3223, the Prince attempted to flee the country when he realised how dire his situation was, but he was caught attempting to cross the Lower Noutezu, brought back to the Almaran capital and disquartered in the central square for everyone to see. Then Onera declared Aunara as part of his domain, extending Miecan power to the western coast.

The city had since gone back into the tedious slumber of routine, but the scars of the war could still be seen in the walls, which were being repaired. In the countryside, Onera faced the occasional rebellion led by local nobles disgruntled with their fall from power, but these were dealt with swiftly by the Miecans.

He smiled as he saw a kid stealing fruit from a merchant. Soon enough the Aunara would have something else to busy their minds with that was not Miecan occupation and the aftermath of the war. The royal convoy sioon reached the Great Square, now nicknamed Monon Gacu¹ after the executed prince. It was already teeming with commonfolk and soldiers, the notice of the Emperor’s impending announcement having reached them long ago. He dismounted and climbed on a dais, followed by his men, all of them dressed in lamellar armour as befitted warriors of their category.

“Men of Mieca and Aunara, my beloved children. I am here today to announce a grand future together. As everyone in the city knows, I have been summoning Miecan soldiers to this city, and drafting the remnants of the Greedy Kings’ army into mine, for I know them to be valiant soldiers. Now, I plan to bring the war to the north, to those people of the Lower Noutezu that harboured the traitor that abandoned you and plunged you into a suicidal war. Every able man who joins my army and serves with distinction will ensure that his family is looked after, and receive great riches in land and plunder. Let us bring those cowards to their knees! Let us show them the might of the Miecan Empire! Let us fight as brothers henceforth!”

The crowd erupted in cheers of jubilee. Most likely a mix of excitement for the promise of wealth and fear of Miecan repercussions should they show dissent. Onera smiled. The Almaran campaign had taught him how much he needed an infantry force, and now he had it.

¹Red Square