One day as Bran and his army were passing by a canyon they were obviously famished and exhausted with the journey and the war, their morale had been destabilized, the war no longer made sense and as they fell into despair, chaos and confusion festered within their ranks.
He thought the rocky valley would not be a problem because the locals were harmless but this time it was like they were all gunning for war as they all fought him and retaliated, and now his soldiers were dying one by one as they were completely surrounded by the Empire’s soldiers which was another surprise.
Bran tried to fight back but their numbers overwhelmed his weakened army and within a rain of flaming arrows Bran met his demise.
Weeks passed and those that survived the assault were captured and placed within prison camps and Bran woke up with an arrow wound on his shoulder, for a second there he had hoped he would be dead but some of his men protected him and he fell over a ledge, the kingdom of the Dubwa’s suffered the tragic loss of their royal family, accepting it after they heard of his great ambush and demise, but with the help of the court, they were able to envision a future where they can free their soldiers from eternal captivity.
Four years passed as Bran remained dead and the court signed treaties with the empire for a seize fire in other to enable them to get their soldiers and people back, within this time in captivity the camps turned into tiny settlements and the news of the return of their king began to spread within this confinement zones, the yearning for freedom began to fill the hearts of his people and when they finally began to fight back, Bran Came out from hiding strong and determined to save his people, at least he knew for sure even though this life was not worth living he could at least live for his people, Bran moved from camp to camp and rallied his men and fought against the empire.
The court was overwhelmingly shocked by the myth and revival of their king, The Bran that they thought had no spirit of war, battle and leadership was now growing to be one of the greatest kings the realm had ever seen, even though he was just seventeen
He rallied his men and five years later the empire itself fell to his rule subjugated and overpowered by his might and chivalry, the court amused asked the priestess and she said Bran will soon return home and if he comes with the red sun then surely, he is one of the brethren of the first king, those who are destined for great heights and great destruction.
After raging so many wars within that five years and managing to conquer even the empire Bran was tired of the blood and death and his men were also tired they missed home, so he decided to go back to his capital kingdom, and with him came the red sun and since the priestess had told them a solution to their problem, Bran came back after ten years of living to see how prosperous his kingdom had become, he had started to suspect the actions of the court but seeing the kingdom had changed his mind, there was a peace and calmness within his kingdom now that it didn’t have before, that it made him think about no longer waging wars against other kingdoms but rather ruling as the Emperor of his Empire.
One evening, months after his return, the court came to the throne room where he has always been sitting bored out of his existence but relieved as always, Bran Stood up and walked onto them to gaze upon their faces and see the men who were on his court how age has truly taken its toll on them, he was too young when he left but now he was stronger, smarter and more devious but the only thought he couldn’t help that crossed his mind was “ is it them? What if they were the ones?” Bran watched amused as a magic circle appeared beneath his feet he tried to move but he couldn’t, he watched them circle him and brought out a box when they opened it there was an engraved dagger within it, four of them came closer to him as Bran tried his hardest to feel dread consume him but he just couldn’t, and as he looked at them they took the dagger and the stabbed him for the fears they possessed.
He withdrew the dagger and blood spewed from his mouth and filled his lungs, he felt a chain of pain and fear contour upon his soul and as the second person stabbed him for choices unknown he felt another chain of actions and consequences upon his soul and as the third person stabbed him for his right to exist, a chain of chaos mischief and deceit contour upon his soul and as the fourth person came; the chief magistrate whom Bran had trusted the most, his Vizier, but with a bleeding heart and a flooded lungs Bran’s eyes remained as cold and dry as the day he was coroneted ‘how long has that even been’ and as he stabbed him to be a thing of their past, a chain of transcendence appeared upon his soul and the seal of the dagger entered his heart and marked his soul and a slave he became consumed by their curses the dagger vanished into Bran and a Raven he became, a being who has transcended the realm he came from, a long memory within his being, the Raven felt their hate, love, rage and pity, he wanted vengeance but he was beyond fate and the wheel of fate had begun to turn.
The Raven looked at them revered as a god who had been given power and status beyond their recognition and meager selves, even though unwilling and as generations and generations of them will come, he will remain eternal a courier of good will and bad will, the brethren of the death gods, the giver of destinies of men and creatures alike, he knows not his own destiny for he is he who possesses the greatest mark of all
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