Published at 14th of September 2023 9:12 pm

Chapter 503: Death of Dragonians [II]

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Xolas City serves as a key urban center in the sprawling Northern Frost Dragon Empire, an empire that found itself in utter turmoil following the unexpected death of its long-reigning monarch, the White Dragon King. His demise set off a chain reaction of chaos and infighting, plunging the empire into a brutal civil war. The Northern Frost Dragon Empire stretches across nearly half of the Southern region of the Dying Isle Continent, making its instability a matter of great concern.

In the first month following the emperor’s passing, a whirlwind of political maneuvering and military clashes engulfed the realm. The most immediate and glaring consequence was a contentious battle for succession among the White Dragon King’s numerous offspring. Each prince and princess was keen on seizing the opportunity to occupy the vacant throne, setting off a familial war that tore at the fabric of the already beleaguered empire.

The White Dragon King had been a fixture of stability and power for over half a millennium, ruling his domain for over 500 years. His sudden departure from life had left a power vacuum that no one was prepared to fill adequately. The ramifications of his absence were made even more acute by a conflict that had preceded his death. A fierce war had erupted between his own Northern Frost Dragon Empire and their historical adversaries, the Southern Fire Dragon Empire.

In that titanic struggle, the White Dragon King had dispatched his most favored child, Charles, whom many believed was being groomed to take over the empire eventually. Charles was not just another prince; he was widely considered to be the most likely successor to his father’s throne. Tragically, Charles met his end during the hostilities between the two warring dragon empires. His death was a significant blow, not only to his father but also to the unity and future of the Northern Frost Dragon Empire.

Now, with both the White Dragon King and Charles gone, the empire found itself in a precarious state, bereft of stable leadership and ravaged by internal strife. The absence of these two influential figures had set the stage for an unpredictable and perilous future.

Even though the White Dragon King managed to maintain a stoic facade when his favored son Charles died, the event had a seismic impact on the royal family. Charles’ death ignited a newfound hope among his siblings, who had, until then, largely resigned themselves to a life without the prospect of ever ascending to the throne of the Northern Frost Dragon Empire.

Contrary to the aspirations of his children, the White Dragon King had never actually intended for any of them to inherit his position. In his eyes, none were adequately prepared or capable of taking on the monumental task of ruling an empire. He had always planned to be the sole leader for the entirety of his life, never contemplating a successor. However, his untimely death threw this equilibrium off balance, causing a massive power vacuum that severely destabilized both the political and military structures of the empire.

The resulting instability erupted into an all-consuming civil war that yielded no true winners. The conflict was devastating, leading to the death of over a hundred thousand innocent civilians who were caught in the crossfire. As for the nobility, they found themselves in a complicated dilemma. They were compelled to choose sides, aligning themselves with one of the White Dragon King’s numerous children who were vying for power.

While some of the more powerful noble families initially tried to remain impartial, that neutrality proved unsustainable in the face of intense political pressures and shifting alliances. Their hesitance to pick sides was quickly met with punitive actions. The weaker nobles, who had first chosen the path of neutrality, were among the earliest casualties of this internal strife, losing their lives and estates in quick succession. This grim outcome served as a cautionary tale to the remaining influential families, emphasizing that sitting on the fence was no longer an option.

The message was clear: in this perilous and divided landscape, neutrality equated to vulnerability. Everyone had to make a choice, and that choice would determine their survival and future standing within the fractured empire.

The political landscape of the empire was in utter disarray, to put it mildly. The military, which had already been severely weakened from their prior engagements with the Southern Fire Dragon Empire, found itself at the breaking point. Devoid of the steadying influence of the White Dragon King, they were ill-equipped to withstand the mounting pressures from various political factions jockeying for control.

Inside the military ranks, divisions ran deep. There were factions who openly endorsed the church, viewing it as a stable institution that could perhaps bring some semblance of order. On the other hand, there were those who aligned themselves with one or another of the would-be successors to the throne, swayed either by personal loyalties, promises of future power, or ideological alignment.

The unity that a military organization relies on for its strength had been thoroughly compromised. High-ranking officers, including influential generals and captains, were no longer on the same page. Some leveraged their influence and resources to prop up specific princes, offering both covert and overt assistance in their bids for the throne. Weapons were redirected, troops were repositioned, and secret strategies were leaked, all in service of various internal factions rather than the good of the empire itself.

The result was a military structure that was fundamentally fractured, rife with internal conflicts that rendered it incapable of effectively protecting the empire or even itself. In essence, the military didn’t just weaken; it imploded from within, torn apart by competing allegiances and rendered ineffective by its own internal strife. With this collapse, whatever threadbare semblance of stability that had remained in the empire was irrevocably lost, plunging the Northern Frost Dragon Empire into deeper chaos.

In the Northern Frost Dragon Empire, the church wielded an immense amount of behind-the-scenes power and influence. Founded by the Emperor himself, this religious institution had gradually entrenched itself deeply into the political framework over the span of 500 years. After the Emperor’s untimely demise, all eyes turned to the church, eagerly waiting for it to endorse one of the late White Dragon King’s offspring as the legitimate successor to the throne. However, that moment never came.

Publicly, the church denounced the violent power struggles tearing the royal family apart, decrying the loss of moral values and the unethical quests for power. But behind closed doors, they maintained cordial relations with each and every claimant to the throne, playing all sides against each other.

The poverty rate skyrocketed as jobs vanished and livelihoods were destroyed. Without stable income, families couldn’t afford the necessary resources for cultivation, creating a cycle of impoverishment and weakening the empire’s overall strength.

Death rates also surged, and not just among combatants. The average citizens found themselves caught in the crossfire or subjected to the cruelties of rogue cultivators who took advantage of the chaos. Many were forced to abandon their homes, seeking refuge elsewhere, but finding shelter became increasingly difficult as resources grew scarce.

In terms of food and shelter, the situation was equally grim. With the collapse of centralized power, regional lords and nobles hoarded essential resources. The prices for basic commodities like grain, meat, and vegetables soared, becoming luxury items that only the affluent could afford.

All of these calamities were compounded by the lack of a guiding moral authority. The church, which could have been a beacon of stability and ethical governance, instead revealed its hypocritical nature. Their public pronouncements were increasingly seen as empty rhetoric, as they chose to perpetuate the war for their own shadowy aims, rather than bring it to a decisive and peaceful conclusion.

In essence, the church’s failure to act unequivocally set off a chain reaction that plunged the empire into a chasm of economic decay, social upheaval, and an utter lack of safety and well-being for its citizens. It was an empire in name only, its glory days a distant memory, as it continued to fracture and burn from within.

In the midst of the pandemonium that had enveloped the Northern Frost Dragon Empire, the 5th-prince, Jordan, had shown keen insight into the dangers posed by the church’s increasing influence. Despite the covert support he received from the Istarin Empire, it seemed that his efforts had ultimately been in vain.

“And so, it appears that Jordan has met his end, extinguishing the final roadblock in the church’s path to unchecked power,” said Aditya, the Emperor of the Istarin Empire, softly. His gaze was fixed on the lifeless form of Jordan, who lay sprawled on the ground of Xolas city’s grand hall. Beside him, equally lifeless, were the bodies of three of Aditya’s most formidable Dragonians—warriors he had personally dispatched to aid and protect the young prince.

Standing next to Aditya was General Amber, her eyes also filled with a complicated blend of disappointment, regret, and concern. Both of them had traveled to this desolate city to personally confirm the devastating news of Jordan’s demise and to pay their last respects.

It was an especially bitter pill for Aditya to swallow. He and Jordan had struck a clandestine deal, where Aditya had pledged to offer both resources and military support to Jordan. These resources were meant to bolster Jordan’s chances in the chaotic war for succession, pitting him against his own siblings. The hope was that Jordan, whom Aditya had considered a promising and mature leader, would rise to the throne and restore some semblance of order to the troubled empire.

But as he looked down at the fallen prince and his Dragonian guards, Aditya felt the weight of his failed gambit. All the efforts, the resources poured into this alliance, and the clandestine operations designed to empower Jordan had come to naught. All that was left were the still bodies on the floor, a grim testament to the church’s accelerating ascension and the empire’s further descent into anarchy.

“The death of Jordan not only marks a personal loss for us,” Aditya mumbled, almost as if talking to himself, “but also symbolizes the crumbling of the last barrier that could have prevented the church from consolidating its dangerous influence.”

Witnessing the grotesque scene, Aditya couldn’t help but feel his heart sink into an abyss of sorrow and rage. The sight was unbearable: Jordan’s head lay severed, a grim distance from his lifeless body, as if to mock the very idea of royal dignity. Around him were Aditya’s own Dragonians, their bodies marred by countless wounds and scars of varying sizes and depths. It was evident that these loyal warriors had fought valiantly, perhaps to their last breath, to protect Prince Jordan.

Each scar told a tale of a brutal and vicious struggle, implying that the church had dispatched a considerable number of skilled cultivators to ensure the prince’s downfall. This wasn’t just a simple assassination; it was a veritable battle.

Aditya felt a sharp pain pierce through his heart as his eyes scanned the lifeless faces of his Dragonians, who had been among his empire’s finest warriors. They had served him loyally, and in their final moments, they had upheld their duty with fierce courage. The realization that they had met such a brutal end under his command weighed heavily on Aditya’s conscience.

Suddenly, his eyes flickered with an icy killing intent, and the air around him seemed to grow colder, as if mirroring the frigid emotions brewing within him. “This isn’t just a senseless slaughter. It’s also a clear message to us—to the Istarin Empire,” he uttered, his voice tinged with a frigid calmness that contrasted starkly with the heat of his emotions.

The church had options. They could have neutralized Jordan while leaving the Dragonians incapacitated but alive. But no, they chose the path of total annihilation, deliberately killing Aditya’s most elite and highly-ranked warriors. This was an overt act of provocation, a challenge slung in the face of the Istarin Empire.

It was as if the church was saying: ‘Not only can we take down the prince you supported, but we can also eliminate your best, right under your nose.’

Standing beside him, General Amber sensed the shift in her Emperor’s demeanor. She too felt the weight of the message that the scene before them conveyed—a challenge, a declaration of war, delivered through the death of their comrades and allies. The stakes had become undeniably clear, and the battle lines firmly drawn.

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