Chapter 22: An Ally and a Duel
Chapter 22: An Ally and a Duel
With the passing of Emperor Gofraid, who established gender equality in the empire, it seemed only fitting that his successor would be a woman. Although Crinoch was not the first Empress of Alba, she was the first to face no controversy for her sex, save for a few orthodox zealots who refused to forsake the Aesir of old.
More controversial was her choice of husband, Emperor Polykarpos the Brave, a former noble from the Latin Empire and veteran of one of the Church’s many past Crusades against Alba. As his old subjects clamored for the blood of nobility, forcing him into the refuge of his enemy, the irony did not escape Polykarpos. In spite of it all, though, he managed to retain his pride. He was alive, he was in an imperial court, and he still had his faith, even in the midst of heathen lands.
The reformed Germanic faith preached “equality,” not just of gender, but of culture and faith. Though most of the Alban court was outraged by Crinoch’s Catholic husband, she sought to embody the virtues taught by her own religion. Even if he did not acknowledge the Aesir, Polykarpos was a gifted commander and valuable asset to the Alban military, and wedding a Latin noble would cement the legitimacy of the empress’s rule in Christian realms with no regard for Gofraid’s ideals of equality.
Polykarpos would return the acceptance of his wife and new home with the kindness and tolerance expected of a true follower of Jesus Christ.
The empress did her best to ignore her husband’s more zealous moments. He may have had no interest in the faith of The Plan, but many elsewhere in the world were eager to hear more of this strange new church, bringing an almost Abrahamic organization to the familiar gods of old.
The first convert outside of Alba was High Chief Nuyanza the Whiner, the leader of a distant northern tribe known only as “Suomenusko Mari.” Despite being formed in a religious revolt against a Slavic warlord who refused to recognize Ukko, Nuyanza was an ambitious man who knew that the potential benefits of embracing the Aesir far outweighed the controversy. Adopting Alba’s faith meant earning Alba’s loyalty, turning one minor tribe among many powerful neighbors into a state with the backing of a great empire.
When the Gothar of Alba arrived at the Mari capital of Galich Mersky, they expected little more than a miserable field of squalor in the snow, and were missing the urban comforts of Airgialla the minute their boat left port. What they saw was indeed smaller than Alba, but no less lively. Nearly the entire village was dancing for their foreign visitors, while a local band played songs the priests had never heard in their lives. At the center of the group was Nuyanza himself, welcoming the Gothar with open arms.
While there, the priests taught the Mari of the Aesir, of Odin and Thor, Loki and Ragnarok. But for all the time spent on the Eddas, just as much was given to The Plan. Very little was revealed, as it remained a closely guarded secret, and the Gothar themselves only knew so much. But for the first time, someone outside of Alba knew that the empire was following a lengthy code in hopes of a better future.
Nuyanza cared little about the revelation. All that mattered was that the empire would protect his people. As he offered his first sacrifice to the Aesir, and Suomenusko Mari became Germanic Mari, the high chief blessed his Alban visitors and prayed that Odin would ensure a lasting friendship between the two nations for years to come. This prayer was answered, as Crinoch would offer a military alliance not long after the conversion.
With this new alliance, for the first time Alba had another military obligation, in addition to its quest for the Ancestral Lands. This motivated Crinoch, like so many emperors before her, to join the Wolf Warriors in hopes of honing her fighting skills.
While not the only woman in the lodge, Crinoch was considerably older than her peers, and always felt more than a little out of place in the presence of her fellow warriors. With each visit, there was a voice of unbearable anxiety telling her that she didn’t belong and never would. She wasn’t fit to lead Alba in war, nor in peace. As the thoughts worsened, she wasn’t sure she was even worthy of living, of having a family. She needed to prove herself, which was what drove the empress to the most senior fighters in the guild.
“I want to be one of you,” she demanded, placing both hands on the table.
“You already are, my liege,” said the Hero of the Wolf Warriors, barely looking up from his dinner.
“No, not just a member. I want to be one of you.” The empress pointed at the group, now looking among each other with concern.
“We don’t usually let people at this table until after so many years…”
“Well, I’m the empress. Make an exception.” She crossed her arms, switching from the demeanor of a warrior to how she acted in court. Outside of the lodge, she was the most powerful one here, and she was used to subjects obeying her every command.
“There are only so many seats at the heroes’ table,” said Hoysaladevi, an Indian pilgrim who had traveled west to hear of the empire guided by divine wisdom. “Joining our ranks means replacing one of us.” She rose from her chair, revealing her full physique. As a woman of the same age as Crinoch, she was the fairest match of the lodge’s leaders, but was considerably larger. “Are you prepared to do that?”
The whole group had its eyes on the empress now. She could sense their judgment, each of them expecting her to back down. It’s what they hoped for, to keep things as they were, unquestioned. They’d love if she disappeared, said the doubts in her head, if they never heard from her again.
“I am,” she said, not even realizing the words had left her mouth. “Let’s fight. Just say when and where.”
The dueling grounds of the Wolf Warriors were normally the most raucous spot in all of Alba, filled with the sounds of battlecries and clashing swords every hour of every day. In this moment, though, they were deathly quiet, as two old women stared at each other, a crowd of silent spectators watching. Empress Crinoch had become the first member of the group to ever attempt to break rank, dueling one of the eldest members without proper invitation. Empress or not, Hoysaladevi saw this as an insult of the highest order. There were rules in place in their society, an elegant plan that could not be disrupted.
There was a fire burning in Crinoch’s chest. It was impossible for her to think straight. The voices in her head had degenerated to pure id. Run, they said, fight. No thoughts, just commands, actions. They were all doubting her ability, she didn’t belong here, she didn’t belong anywhere. She’d have to show them. She’d fight. She’d win. She’d rule them all, make them beg and plead repentance. The young woman who once took the crown had disappeared.
Hoysaladevi drew her sword. The empress did the same. The duelists ran towards each other and left their lives to the will of Odin. No one in the crowd dared cheer. They could only watch in horror at what came next.
It will remain a mystery whether Hoysaladevi intended to kill the empress, or merely defeat her. Traditionally, duels between Wolf Warriors were fought only to submission, but the leader was insulted enough that she may have well felt a departure was necessary. Whatever her intent, the result was the Empress of Alba lying on the ground, blood seeping from her head.
In her final moments, she saw a hand reaching out to her. She grabbed it to see a man with an eyepatch, looking down at her with the same stern kindness a parent reserves for their child.
“Come along, now. Valhalla awaits.”
With the passing of Emperor Gofraid, who established gender equality in the empire, it seemed only fitting that his successor would be a woman. Although Crinoch was not the first Empress of Alba, she was the first to face no controversy for her sex, save for a few orthodox zealots who refused to forsake the Aesir of old.
More controversial was her choice of husband, Emperor Polykarpos the Brave, a former noble from the Latin Empire and veteran of one of the Church’s many past Crusades against Alba. As his old subjects clamored for the blood of nobility, forcing him into the refuge of his enemy, the irony did not escape Polykarpos. In spite of it all, though, he managed to retain his pride. He was alive, he was in an imperial court, and he still had his faith, even in the midst of heathen lands.
The reformed Germanic faith preached “equality,” not just of gender, but of culture and faith. Though most of the Alban court was outraged by Crinoch’s Catholic husband, she sought to embody the virtues taught by her own religion. Even if he did not acknowledge the Aesir, Polykarpos was a gifted commander and valuable asset to the Alban military, and wedding a Latin noble would cement the legitimacy of the empress’s rule in Christian realms with no regard for Gofraid’s ideals of equality.
Polykarpos would return the acceptance of his wife and new home with the kindness and tolerance expected of a true follower of Jesus Christ.
The empress did her best to ignore her husband’s more zealous moments. He may have had no interest in the faith of The Plan, but many elsewhere in the world were eager to hear more of this strange new church, bringing an almost Abrahamic organization to the familiar gods of old.
The first convert outside of Alba was High Chief Nuyanza the Whiner, the leader of a distant northern tribe known only as “Suomenusko Mari.” Despite being formed in a religious revolt against a Slavic warlord who refused to recognize Ukko, Nuyanza was an ambitious man who knew that the potential benefits of embracing the Aesir far outweighed the controversy. Adopting Alba’s faith meant earning Alba’s loyalty, turning one minor tribe among many powerful neighbors into a state with the backing of a great empire.
When the Gothar of Alba arrived at the Mari capital of Galich Mersky, they expected little more than a miserable field of squalor in the snow, and were missing the urban comforts of Airgialla the minute their boat left port. What they saw was indeed smaller than Alba, but no less lively. Nearly the entire village was dancing for their foreign visitors, while a local band played songs the priests had never heard in their lives. At the center of the group was Nuyanza himself, welcoming the Gothar with open arms.
While there, the priests taught the Mari of the Aesir, of Odin and Thor, Loki and Ragnarok. But for all the time spent on the Eddas, just as much was given to The Plan. Very little was revealed, as it remained a closely guarded secret, and the Gothar themselves only knew so much. But for the first time, someone outside of Alba knew that the empire was following a lengthy code in hopes of a better future.
Nuyanza cared little about the revelation. All that mattered was that the empire would protect his people. As he offered his first sacrifice to the Aesir, and Suomenusko Mari became Germanic Mari, the high chief blessed his Alban visitors and prayed that Odin would ensure a lasting friendship between the two nations for years to come. This prayer was answered, as Crinoch would offer a military alliance not long after the conversion.
With this new alliance, for the first time Alba had another military obligation, in addition to its quest for the Ancestral Lands. This motivated Crinoch, like so many emperors before her, to join the Wolf Warriors in hopes of honing her fighting skills.
While not the only woman in the lodge, Crinoch was considerably older than her peers, and always felt more than a little out of place in the presence of her fellow warriors. With each visit, there was a voice of unbearable anxiety telling her that she didn’t belong and never would. She wasn’t fit to lead Alba in war, nor in peace. As the thoughts worsened, she wasn’t sure she was even worthy of living, of having a family. She needed to prove herself, which was what drove the empress to the most senior fighters in the guild.
“I want to be one of you,” she demanded, placing both hands on the table.
“You already are, my liege,” said the Hero of the Wolf Warriors, barely looking up from his dinner.
“No, not just a member. I want to be one of you.” The empress pointed at the group, now looking among each other with concern.
“We don’t usually let people at this table until after so many years…”
“Well, I’m the empress. Make an exception.” She crossed her arms, switching from the demeanor of a warrior to how she acted in court. Outside of the lodge, she was the most powerful one here, and she was used to subjects obeying her every command.
“There are only so many seats at the heroes’ table,” said Hoysaladevi, an Indian pilgrim who had traveled west to hear of the empire guided by divine wisdom. “Joining our ranks means replacing one of us.” She rose from her chair, revealing her full physique. As a woman of the same age as Crinoch, she was the fairest match of the lodge’s leaders, but was considerably larger. “Are you prepared to do that?”
The whole group had its eyes on the empress now. She could sense their judgment, each of them expecting her to back down. It’s what they hoped for, to keep things as they were, unquestioned. They’d love if she disappeared, said the doubts in her head, if they never heard from her again.
“I am,” she said, not even realizing the words had left her mouth. “Let’s fight. Just say when and where.”
The dueling grounds of the Wolf Warriors were normally the most raucous spot in all of Alba, filled with the sounds of battlecries and clashing swords every hour of every day. In this moment, though, they were deathly quiet, as two old women stared at each other, a crowd of silent spectators watching. Empress Crinoch had become the first member of the group to ever attempt to break rank, dueling one of the eldest members without proper invitation. Empress or not, Hoysaladevi saw this as an insult of the highest order. There were rules in place in their society, an elegant plan that could not be disrupted.
There was a fire burning in Crinoch’s chest. It was impossible for her to think straight. The voices in her head had degenerated to pure id. Run, they said, fight. No thoughts, just commands, actions. They were all doubting her ability, she didn’t belong here, she didn’t belong anywhere. She’d have to show them. She’d fight. She’d win. She’d rule them all, make them beg and plead repentance. The young woman who once took the crown had disappeared.
Hoysaladevi drew her sword. The empress did the same. The duelists ran towards each other and left their lives to the will of Odin. No one in the crowd dared cheer. They could only watch in horror at what came next.
It will remain a mystery whether Hoysaladevi intended to kill the empress, or merely defeat her. Traditionally, duels between Wolf Warriors were fought only to submission, but the leader was insulted enough that she may have well felt a departure was necessary. Whatever her intent, the result was the Empress of Alba lying on the ground, blood seeping from her head.
In her final moments, she saw a hand reaching out to her. She grabbed it to see a man with an eyepatch, looking down at her with the same stern kindness a parent reserves for their child.
“Come along, now. Valhalla awaits.”