Earth - 724AD
The sun yellow and red, hot and purifying, fell over the dunes, mountains, and cities of Persia where the fire of Zoroaster burned brightly once more.
But where it burned brightest was Takab, for today was a holy day it was the day of the birth of Ushedar, progeny of Zoroaster himself. The man who had come to Persia and it's time of greatest need.
From a land east he had amassed an army and marched, fire in hand and heart as he himself had said before his people.
He ousted the Arabs from their conquered throne, expelled the Muslims with them, then in this very city before declaring it would be the capital of the empire, and the seat of power for his new dynasty.
The city was alive with hundreds of thousands of fires, chants, and families. And in the center of the city, the palace of Ushedar stood tall, the many thousands of fire reflecting off of the white stones, jewels, and metals which adorned it in its reach towards the sky.
A beautiful thing like no other of its time.
But unbeknownst to the many celebrating peasents and magi alike, inside the place, within its highest room where wind carried the smell of the smoke and and flame, laid Ushedar, dressed in fine silks, old, grey skinned, and white haired.
His limbs were frail, his breaths shallow, his eyes clowdy, his mouth empty of teeth, and frame thin.
But his mind was as sharp as it had ever been...
A hand, firm, large, fell upon his own and gave it a light squeeze.
Ushedar, with great effort, turned to his side, he could not see whom was holding his hand, but there was little doubt of who it was.
"My boy" It was the youngest and most favorite of his children.
Ushedar let out a hoarse cough and specks of blood flew, covering the sheets of his bed.
"It's good to knowing you are here with me as I fade."
Ushedar paused for a moment before smacking his dry lips.
"Tell me Kourash are your sisters and brothers here as well?"
There was a tremble in the hand holding his own Ushedar felt before Kourash spoke.
"No father..."
There was a silent rage in his voice, one Ushedar knew all to well for he himself had once felt it in another life.
"Despite all you have done for us not a single one of them have come!"
Ushedar remained silent for a time as a sadness settled itself into his heart before he ran a frail thumb along the back his boys hand.
"Do not be angry Kourash... I was never the best of fathers, it is to be expected."
Kourash felt his father try and fair to grip his hand.
"Though I cannot say it doemt hurt at all."
Kourash stared at his father as both of them basked in the smell of the smoke.
"Tell me do you know where your siblings may be?"
With a fury Kourash ranted to his father for time, though he might not know, he knew exactly where all 34 of his siblings, in this moment it was hard to even think of them as such, were and what they were doing.
His sisters were probably living in their leisure as they always had done not even caring that their father was dying, his bothers were either vying for the throne or backing another brother in secret.
A small, rare, chuckle escaped Ushedars lips.
"I hate to say it but that is what I expected of them, they are my children after all"
Ushedar felt a few tears forming the corners of his eyes and it surprised him, he had not cried since maybe halfway through his second life...
"Kourash..."
His voice was becoming breathier by the moment.
"Yes father..."
His sons voice, the anger which he had unleashed when speaking of his siblings had died, replaced by a sorrow.
"You are the greatest of my children, any who would defy it are either insipid of the head, or intentionally not speaking the truth."
"In fact my boy, you are greater than even I was a yo-"
Kourash shot from his seat.
"That cannot possibly be true father your are of Zoroaster himself, the man who took back Persia, the who l-- Quiet!!"
Kourash found himself stunned as he heard a yell from his father for the first time in nearly two decades...
"Do not interrupt your father as he speaks what may be his final words to you!!!"
Ushedar began to hack as blood flew from his lungs more freely.
In a panic Kourash turned to call for a physician but was stopped when he felt a strong grip upon his wrist.
It was more strength then he had felt from his father in years.
Blood still dripping from his mouth Ushedar commanded his boy "Sit!" to whish Kourash could only comply.
Ushedar slowly lowered himself back down to his bed before taking a long hoarse breath.
"Listen to me my boy, you are certainly better than I was at your age."
He began to reminece on his life
"I was born weak, with trembling arms and a weak heart. When I was older I learned that my parents physician had told them I was unlikely to live to 15."
"I have never been able to weild a sword properly, nor hold myself in the same way others my age may be able to. It took me twice as long to learn to ride a horse than other boys."
"I suffered from constant shivers that made it hard to speak. Most foods I ate would cause my skin to boil and my throat to close."
"I even had a homely face on top of it all, and now I am old..."
Ushedar seemed to look in Kourash's eyes despite the fact that it was impossible.
"But you, you are young, barely 25, and you have your mother's face"
"You stand tall, you have the rough hands of a swordsman, since the first time you mounted one you've ridden horses better than the best of men I know"
"You can give grand speeches lead men. You were tutored by some of the best minds of Persia, China, and even Rome."
"My boy, you have more than I have ever had in my entire life."
Kourash took his eyes from his father and looked to the far end of the room where a fire burned brightly in its fireplace.
"Thank you for the kind words father but why tell me this, what use is it."
Ushedar let out a shallow sigh...
"Despite all I have just said, as true as it is, there is one way in which you are inferior to me."
Ushedar turned toward the heat of the fire as well and pointed at it.
"You have no fire within your heart, no ambition or greed, you are destined to failure as you are now simply because you will never try to succeed."
Ushedars breathing became heavier by the moment as it felt like a weight was being pressed down into his chest, he didn't have much time left.
"So I will do it for you, my last gift as your father" Usehdar vaguely gestured to the door to his left "Enter my wardrobe, behind the silks in the far left corner, there's a box made of wood, inside that box is parchment, some ink, and a prepared quill bring it to me..."
Kourash listened to his father quickly finding the box drapped in silks and bringin it out.
"I have it..."
Ushedar smiled
"Good, now take out the contents, dip the quill, and hand me it along with the parchment..."
As Kourash unfurled the parchment and handed it to his father she realized it was already fully written just missing a space for some sort of signature on the bottom.
It did not take Ushedar long to finish quickly put down his signature before placing the quill on the bedside table.
"Now my boy, my final act as Shahanshah of Persia, leave this room, leave this room and present that paper to the world, declare yourself is rightful heir to the throne and fight for it, damned be your lesser brothers. Do not watch your father die..."
Kourash held the paper and just stared at it, to stunned to do anything that's the reality of what his father had just done sunk into him.
"But fat-"
"GO!!"
His father screamed loud, blood flying from his mouth.
"LISTEN TO YOUR SHAHANSHAH LEAVE AND DECLARE YOURSELF!!!"
Kourash quickly bolted out the door with nothing but a nod...
Not even a minutes later the smell of smoke within the room seemed to thicken and Ushedars breath became thinner by the second.
"It seems this life is over..."
He was a peace with it, for the most part anyway. Sure he wished he could have been a better father in the beginning, he could also wish that any number of his wives had survived, but there was no point in regretting the past, especially so when a new life laid ahead of him.
As his already blurry vision began to dim he couldn't help but find himself wondering what his next life would be like. It was an exciting thought in a way.
Maybe he would be a caveman, maybe some traveler and a grand alien confederacy of the stars, a crusader, maybe a random Indonesian peasant in the year 300...
It could be anything really, and his first life he had been a Persian as well, just a man, he fought in and led the armies of Persia in world war IV, managing the eek out of victory for his nation at the cost of a great many lives.
And the second he had been born the son of am ex slave in Rome in the year 100, he traveled an abandoned the lifestyle until he seduced the daughter of a decently high ranking autocrat within the nation and later became emperor on military accolades.
Then in this life he had been born the weak bodied son of a low noble of a little bearing just before the arab conquests of Persia. He spent a great many years wondering East Asia, learning what he could gathering allies, friends, and wealth. Then at the head of a renewed army he reconquered Persia and made himself what was essentially a god-king.
'Truely endless...'
Those were his last thoughts before the Restorer of Persia, son of Zoroaster, Ushedar the Great as history in this world would remember him, died.
***
A world of Ice and Fire