V. Azam the Devil
It is the 24th of September 862 in the year of my new hosts. A day that I will never forget, never stop to curse, one that will enter history as one of the darkest. For over twenty years, our good Badshah Azam has reigned in Hispania. Kind, charitable, even accepting the infidels. Until that fateful day. When he was no longer himself.
I was witnessing the scene with which it all began. Azam, strong as ever, facing the court imam. Grabbing his guard's spear, suddenly thrusting it through the poor man without any warning. His eyes red, mad words flowing out of his mouth, he raised the dying man, planting the spear into the ground, erecting the first of many 'blood spears'. The same day, hundreds were arrested, thrown in chains before the Badshah, who beheaded them. For seemingly no reason – but the Jews were entirely spared. He welcomed them into his palace, and I soon heard what had become of him.
Azam awaited the end of the ongoing revolt. Then sent out orders. To convert; leave the empire; or die. He might have put it another way. Or not. Why should he have cared? The Jewish demon that possessed him knew just as all others that the answer would be paid in blood. Few gave in and embraced the folly. Others fought, or, cowards as they are, left. I was not better. Hiding from the imperial thugs, who forced anyone into submission. Men who follow their ruler so unconditionally, I always thought they were rare. But no. There are masses of them.
But they weren't always successful, with many, though by far not enough, Emirs rightfully resisting the demon's demands. A demon so vile that he brought Azam to attempt the imprisonment of his own son. That he tortured helpless and useless women to death. Azam's hordes defeated rightful Emir after Emir. The treasury was drained day by day. The prayers all around the empire changed nothing. Troops looting, in the name of both the emperor and the rebels.
Not all were brain-washed. But the spymaster, may he be thrown into an endless pit in the desert, warned Azam. That he would be killed soon. The man was certainly part of the plot! Azam went into hiding. And each day, another man claimed to reign for him, all unable to stop the demon's ploy. Only the now Duke of Granada, Ya'qub, newly converted Jew, held on to the regency. And the killing continued, the man only seeing how he could profit from the carnage, figuring that a change of heart may mean his death. The brutality left its traces on the regent, but he nonetheless carried on.
Years passed in the flaming civil war, but it only took Azam – no, I will not insult our formerly great monarch by calling this person Azam any longer – five. Five years of senseless bloodshed, of massacre without reason, of sieges and battles, to force his new self upon the empire. All revolters, stripped of all titles, were executed. Sephardi Jews, freshly arrived and either oblivious of all that had happened, of the corpses hung from the city gates, of the heads placed upon pikes on the way to the palace, or simply not caring, had been put into charge of all the taken land. He reappeared, confident that his life was no longer threatened.
With his new yes-men vassals, he began to plan murder after murder to rid Hispania of all non-conformists to his rule that weren't directly under him. He imprisoned the Duke of Alger, involved in yet another plot to kill him, and thus force-converted his last faithful Muslim vassal. I fled, as thugs under the command of Ya'qub of Granada roamed the streets, seizing every good of value they could from not-Jews. As in the entire empire, great parts of the city were soon in flames.
I found shelter at a most unlikely place, the court of the Wuffing king of Germany, shortly after conserving his crown. Former Karling territory was now split up under the Wuffing sons of Eadric. It didn't stop further gruelling stories to reach my ears. The Demon organized a deadly tournament where new Jews faced Muslims. Many Muslims, badly equipped, against strong Jews wishing to impress their emperor. A bloodbath, from what I've heard. Men like the despicable Bahir Nadirid, cutting down fleeing Muslims in the dozens, only few of them falling. And the Demon, watching the gruesome spectacle with pleasure.
When I thought it could hardly get worse, my fears were confirmed: Accusing his own son Rashid of spreading the teachings of Muhammad against his will, the prince was imprisoned and executed. The reign of terror had secured his power, and he launched a war against the Caliph for Kabylia. After turning away, he now fought against him, with quick assaults forcing the decadent man to surrender. Will it never stop?
My prayers were almost answered. An ambush was prepared close to Almansa, where he was chasing raiders. Well executed, from what I heard. But the demon sensed the trap. Powering through the barricade, claims going so far as to see the fallen tree used for the blockade suddenly being incinerated, he escaped, but not without identifying the men behind the ambush. They were all arrested, to be tortured until the end of their days.
Afterwards, Hispania invaded Famagusta. The reason soon became apparent – to solidify his Jewish rule, the demon wanted Jerusalem, and used Cyprus as steppingstone for this invasion. Disrespecting the truce could be added to his long list of crimes. As before, the Caliph was preoccupied with a decadence invasion, soon also by an attack from the Sun-worshippers of the east, and assaults led to the demon's quick victory.
In the years after the fall of Jerusalem, I heard nothing extraordinary from Hispania. The possessor was satisfied, and the former Azam executed his will internally. The 11th June 879, he finally died. Too late. Hispania was now dominated by Jews, and even Fadl, the new emperor, saw that if he wanted to reign, he had to convert. At least I hope this is the reason. And not another demonic possession...