Whispers of A Dead Empire

Chapter 93

"So, what is this inauguration about?" I asked as I gazed across the river. The fog hung heavy in the air and coated everything in its ceaseless miasma.

"A hero has arisen once more, and with it, so will our empire." His voice was as monotonous as ever, yet it held a twinge of pride.

"Who is this hero?" I tore my gaze away from the river, and towards Kharon. The two praetorians hung just behind him, blending into the fog that seemed to envelop everything.

His words were heavy and ominous and chilled me to the core." One of the greatest warriors to have ever lived. A man who is considered having no equal, and the paragon of what it means to be Asterian." The ferryman's words pierced through the fog and rang clearly in my ears.

So, the domain has a new boss then. That doesn't bode well for anyone. In fact, the original bosses have yet to be defeated. I honestly feel like the domain was changing faster than we could keep up with. "Tell me about him." I gazed out across the river and could hardly see the shapes of the dozens of adventurers on their own ships ahead of us. The fog devoured all but the outlines of their forms as they drifted across the river.

"He was a loyal tribune of the late Alexander. Now his service is to the Empress. His name is Octavian Varus." The surrounding air grew heavy as if the mere mention of the man was enough for air to bow.

"I see. I look forward to meeting him then." I kept my words short as I tried to process the information given to me. So, the new boss is a general of some sort. From what it seems, he was a man of high standing. But if he made a return, does that mean the Empress is a necromancer? I felt a sigh leave my lips as a headache slowly took residence in my head.
I strummed my fingers across the hull of the boat as I weighed the thousands of thoughts that seemed to overwhelm me. At least until I decided I would wait and see. I would judge the situation accordingly instead of just making assumptions. "Kharon, did the Empress raise Octavian from the dead?"

"One would assume that, but he came back on his own accord. His strength of will transcends even that of death itself." His words struck another cord of fear within me.

For that made him no regular undead. No, that sounded like a revenant. A being who came back from the dead, driven mostly by revenge. Beings like that were never good news, even more so than necromancers, simply because they are almost unkillable, other than the sheer weakness to fire. In fact, one rose recently to kill an adulterer, and it took two whole adventurer squads to kill. I shuddered once more, as I thought back to that fateful day, as I watched the decrepit man tear through the town guard as if they were paper, seeking the cause of its wraith.

"Do we have to fear an imminent invasion then?" The trepidation coiled around my heart as the words slipped from my mouth. I was terrified, not just for my sake but for Calixa. Even though I worked my ass to make sure that this domain stayed safe, there were still many who were vying for its destruction. Like wolves circling their prey, they waited for a single slip up.

"No, I wouldn't worry about it. Though I will warn you. Octavian isn't the man who wants to expand Asteria's borders. Instead, he will look inwards to restore Asteria to its former glory. While he is aware of the relationship that Asteria has with the outside world, he will not tolerate any harm that may come to the Empress, and he will retaliate if need be." For a brief second, his words hung in the air before they fell away onto the soft gusts of wind that pushed past us.

"Worry not, lord Kharon; everyone is well aware of that rule, Though I will do my best to inform everyone of the consequences properly." I clenched my teeth once I finished speaking and looked forward, balancing the myriad of thoughts at my disposal before I shrugged them away. It wouldn't do me any good now to sit here and stress over it.