Looking for perfect examples to build my proposed replacement for Oma's ruling class, I travelled the world, learning as much as I could from various kingdoms. I studied different cultures and the great systems established by men.
Out of all the places I went, none compared to the magnificent land they called Babel.
Yes, Zefar… your empire inspired me to greatness.
It was a perfect empire built by men. Of course women helped, but no contribution surpassed yours, Victor.
They called you king even though you barely ruled. They respected you, admired you— and I witnessed all of it.
I wanted to be like you… no, let me rephrase that: I wanted to be better. So I left with all the knowledge and wisdom I needed to start cooking up my crazy ideas of placing a man on the throne of Oma. But first, I needed Rose out of the way.
Her coronation was nearing, but she hadn't slain a tyrant yet. Obviously, I gave her a target she couldn't beat. I sent her to you, Zefar. She pretended to be a slave, caught your attention, and somehow claimed your heart.
In all my travels to Babel, I heard how ruthless you were toward traitors, liars, and killers without morals.
When it came to Rose, I expected her death by the end of the week. But when I discovered you were entertaining her, I decided to end her myself— or give you a reason to do it yourself. I came to Babel, I fired the arrow, and I knew you'd take it for her.
He took a deep breath before admitting,
"I predicted you'd notice the note I tied to it. What I didn't expect was for you to ignore it. Turns out, you were ten steps ahead of me. I'm still shocked you knew about Oma before I was ever born.
"You entertained your would-be assassin, but I still don't know why. Was it boredom? A test? Or did you love her? Tell me, Zefar… did her charm and beauty warm your cold heart?"
On the night before the planned ambush, Rose confessed to you. Not that it mattered— whatever she told you, you already knew.
Back in Oma's extraction camp, I informed Rose's team that the mission was compromised because you had discovered our plan. I told them to forget about Rose.
I deeply believed that you would hang her the next day. Instead, you planned to hang out with her and even escort her to the border. Were you really going to walk into that obvious trap? Did you truly not care about the ambush?
Unfortunately for both of us, one man refused to give up on Rose. He not only believed he could save her, but he was confident he would return to Oma with your head. He was a wildman Rose met years ago. They were best friends… or something deeper. I never asked.
Going alone, that wildman reached Babel and distracted your Slayers with his strange ability to summon ravens.
How he entered your throne room undetected still shocks me. I don't know what happened in that room, but to my disappointment, the wildman returned in one piece.
The least that fool could have done was fulfill his promise to bring back your head. Rose returned to Oma and defended you before the councils and the people.
No one could believe she spared a suspected tyrant, but as expected of Oma's biased system, she was still made queen. And the wildman became her general.
She ruled well for a while, but the challenges of being both a woman and a queen soon overwhelmed her. The wildman didn't help her case— he was antisocial and unpopular among the Sons of Oma.
It didn't take much for me to start the revolution. Leading members of her own army, I marched into her palace and demanded she step down.
You see, Zefar… in the end, Rose gave me Oma without a fight. She gave her heart, mind and soul to birth a new Oma. One who would become greater than Mawe herself— because for once in a long while, Oma crowned a king.
I wore Oma's crown, but I never took Rose's throne. I made my own name, built my own palace, and made Oma greater than ever
I was disgusted— and even more angry— after hearing the full story. This man staged a coup, got Rose killed, and now he was talking about his "revolution" like it was the glorious birth of a new era.
I screamed to my Slayers,
"Someone give me a blade!"
Five Slayers rushed toward me, each kneeling as they presented their swords for my choosing.
Instead of selecting something worthy of beheading this traitor, I chose a tiny dagger strapped to one Slayer's belt.
Wielding it, I walked up to the still-kneeling Yuda. I dismissed all my Slayers, determined to end this fool myself. As I stood behind him, the dagger against his throat, he whispered:
"I know where the wildman lies."
I paused.
"Tell me where that is, before I slit your throat."
Was this idiot trying to bargain?
I crushed whatever hope he had.
"I will kill you whether you tell me where he is or not."
Yuda laughed. "Then why would I tell you anything?"
Did this fool need proof that I was capable of cold logic too?
"I know the path your wife and kids used to leave Oma," he said. "In fact, I know exactly where every woman and child of Oma is going."
He sighed. "Oh, Zefar… I built a brotherhood just like your Slayers. They were the brave Sons of Oma you killed."
Another sigh.
"I built new infrastructure. Those were the buildings you burned. You see, Zefar— I am not the bad guy here. So I'll tell you just one thing: the wildman lives in the Forest of Predators, just north of here."
He gave me a wicked smile.
"Take as many Slayers as you can. That place will be your grave."
I slit his throat, tired of hearing him talk. He died gasping for air and drowning in his own blood. My slice wasn't deep enough for him to bleed out quickly, but not shallow enough to survive. I gave him a truly slow and painful end.
I called my Slayers to my side and telepathically announced our new mission: find the wildman.
I left the majority of them behind to bury the dead. They were ordered to bury even Yuda properly. I always believed every fallen soul in war deserved respect.
Otherwise, they became ghosts who haunted the battlefield. I'd seen too many.
Seeing ghosts and spirits was part of my abilities as an Incarnate. I could hear them too— and they never said anything pleasant.
They rained curses, screamed regrets, and followed the living.
If I thought Yuda was annoying alive, his ghost would have been a nightmare. Escorted by a few Slayers, I ventured into the Forest of Predators.
My Slayers dispersed into the dense jungle while I stood in a clearing, exposed. I wanted the wildman to see me. I wanted him to find me, because I had questions— and only he had the answers.
As I stood alone beneath the giant trees, surrounded by nature's choir, I drifted back into my memories.
I was back in the throne room.
The wildman revealed himself. Rose screamed his name with panic— and familiarity.
"Pred… what are you doing here?"
They spoke in their native tongue. Of course I understood every word. I didn't spend a thousand years just waging wars.
Pred declared he was there to kill me and save Rose.
I answered him directly:
"Listen here, Pred. Rose isn't a damsel in distress. The only one in danger is you, if you're stupid enough to believe you can kill me and leave Babel alive."