As we were heading back down the hill I realized something. I actually did need Emperor Nehkasha to activate the golems. Turning around I started to sprint back up the several steps much to everyone's dismay and annoyance. Emperor Nehkasha turned back to see why we were coming back up the stairs.

“I actually do need you to activate the golems,” I said.

“Why do you need me?” Nehkasha asked with a confused look.

“The book said that the golems could only be activated by a descendant of the First Emperor,” I said with a face that could only be described as begging. Seeing my face, Nehkasha looked down at the enormous city below him and nodded.

“Alright. I owe you that much at least.” Nehkasha replied before walking towards me. “Lead the way.” He said as he patted my shoulder.

“Thank you,” I said earnestly before walking back down the stairs with him now following close behind.

Walking back down the stairs I could see the entire city below me. Although most of it was too far away for me to see, there were some things I could pick out. There were several large community squares but one was larger than the rest with a large statue in the center of it. Although I had no actual clue where the activation switch was since it was never mentioned in any of the books I skimmed… Either that or I skimmed over it, I did think that it would be a great place to start looking.

“So what exactly do I have to do in order to activate these golems?” Nehkasha asked as we headed down the stairs, past the rows of homes built into the walls of the pyramid-like structure holding up a good portion of the city.

“I’m not exactly sure. The books never said how. They just said that a descendant of the First Emporer could do it.” I said as we continued our walk.

“So you’re saying that we may never actually activate them and that you have no clue what you’re doing?” Lucia asked with a judgemental tone.

“Exactly. Do you know how many years it’s been since anyone knew how to activate these? Probably a Milennia at least. I’m just going off the information that I found.” I replied.

“That doesn’t make me feel any better about this,” Lucia said. Nehkasha also wasn’t too happy to hear this but was too enamored by the city around him to care.

We searched for what felt like hours in the main square and I messed with every runic symbol we found. Most of them were pest deterrents but not a single one could activate the golems. To add to our problems, we only found a few statues. There wasn’t a single golem in sight. Most of the statues were of early Imperial heroes and leaders that mainly served for historical significance. None of them were golem material as they were made from a cement-like mixture rather than pure stone or clay.

We continued searching and searching for hours before Raghatnu showed up. She looked a bit disturbed by the sight of everything. She knew what these streets looked like in their prime and this was a horrid sight in comparison. What was once bare white stone was now stained a murky brown and layers of moss grew among the streets. It seemed to devastate her, yet she bore no sign of despair. Simply, she was enjoying the sight as it sprung forth many memories, both good and bad.

“Raghatnu, why are you here? You never leave the lower levels?” Emperor Nehkasha asked with an aggressively concerned tone. To him, it was the same as a grandmother who hadn’t exercised in years just up and climbed one of the pyramids.

“I came to help you activate the golems. My apprentice told me what you were planning so I came here to lead you to the activation key. There is no way that any of you would have found it within the next ten years.” Raghatnu answered. She sounded a bit judgemental and haughty about it for some reason but none of us cared so long as we could activate the golems.

Leading us down a long road, Raghatnu found a single building that looked strangely different from the rest. Rather than being a stone building, it was a wooden hut with a strange blue hue to it. It was similar to that of a magic shield but it lacked all the proper magical runes or circuitry. Actually, the wood comprising the hut was unlike any wood I had ever seen. Perhaps it was an extinct tree and this was a time-halting barrier? Maybe…

“This is the home of the first Emperor before he became the Emperor. I remember how much fun we had then. Sadly, this also became his tomb. I haven’t returned here since the day I buried him.” Raghatnu said with a sigh as she pressed her forehead against the wall of the hut.

“You act as though you knew the first Emperor from childhood?” Sasha asked with a curious look. She, like myself, didn't seem to trust Raghatnu. Though, I have not told Sasha what she really was so it was probably not the best idea for her to be questioning Raghatnu in such a way.

“I did. He and I created the Empire. He was the failed Saint and I was his Ethereal. At the age of twelve, he crossed the bridge of Iscanon in search of the Creator in order to have his wish granted. When he crossed he was gifted me as an aid on his journey. He and I fell in love and because he wanted to make me happy more than anything else he started the Empire. This annoyed our Creator as he was denied Sainthood from then on and I became a human Immortal.” Raghatnu said before Sasha aimed and fired a bullet from her AK-47 into Raghatnu’s face. Everyone shrieked in terror as Raghatnu’s head exploded and a bloody hole that held a universe-like void inside it was exposed. Raghatnu seemed unphased by the attack as her face melded back together until it looked no different than before it was shot.

“Was that necessary?” Raghatnu asked with an annoyed look.

“Perhaps,” Sasha replied with a smug and unapologetic tone. Raghatnu just scoffed before returning back to telling her story.

“I buried him here in his original home and bound the place with a barrier that would keep it safe till he was needed again,” Raghatnu said as if she wasn’t happy about being here. Placing her hand on the side of the building she waved for us to enter and then entered through the doorway herself.

“Wait, did she just say, again? As in, he could come back?” Lucia asked with a terrified look. To everyone both in and out of the old Imperial territories, The first Emperor was a legend so fierce that it was considered a complete myth. A lone man who destroyed entire armies with a clap of his hands and united the warring tribes with a single word. There was no doubt in her mind that resurrecting the first Emperor if he really was that powerful, was a terrible idea.

“I did. In a way, we are bringing him back to life. However, I assure you that nothing you are fearing will come to pass.” Raghatnu said, poking her head back out of the barrier and then pulling it back in.

With no other choice, we followed her inside and found that the hut was just as small as it looked. There sat two chairs at a table that was built into the wall. Beside the table was a large metal molded casket. Inside it, I assumed was the first Emperor’s body. Otherwise, the only room inside the hut was taken up by the five of us. It was rather small for an Emperor.

“When the first Emperor died, I had his body coated in a layer of cement and then a layer of metal as were the customs for burial during that time. Afterward, an unheard-of resurrection spell was found inscribed on the outer layer of metal. I am unable to utilize the spell myself. Only a descendant of the First Emperor may use it. However, it may only be accessed when the appropriate time arrives. I believe that now is that time.” Raghatnu explained with a heavy sigh.

“So… If we resurrect him, it will summon the golems?” I wondered aloud. Nehkasha, Lucia, Sasha, and I all looked at Raghatnu. Her demeanor didn’t change as a result.

“Yes, It is what I believe will happen.” She answered.

“Were there no prophecies about this? Or perhaps any indicator that this will work?” Emperor Nehkasha asked with good reason. Although he trusted Raghatnu, he had never heard of this before and wanted to know if it would hurt his people by doing so.

“Nero, would you please read the inscription? As a Mage, you should be able to make out what it says.” Raghatnu asked me, turning away from Nehkasha in the process.

“Of course,” I replied before looking over the casket. There were runic symbols all over the place. However, there was one set of runes that acted more as regulations for the activation rather than the actual spell. As I deciphered the inscription I read it aloud for everyone to hear. “In the coming days when the world is torn, I shall be summoned forth by my descendant to keep my word as a Saint. An army of stone and flesh shall turn the world anew for the betterment of the world.”

“What does it mean by turning the world anew?” Nehkasha and Lucia asked in near tandem.

“I don’t know. Though it does say for the betterment of the world so I assume that it means good things.” Raghatnu replied honestly. After a moment of pure silence, Nehkasha placed his hand on the casket.

“Nero, I need you to activate the spell. I don’t have the means to do it myself but I am apparently needed for the activation. Will you do this for me?” Emperor Nehkasha asked me not as an Emperor would but as a friend would. Looking at Sasha and Lucia, I noticed that Sasha didn’t seem to care. Lucia, although a bit worried, nodded in agreeance. I didn’t know what she was thinking but if it meant saving her people then I was sure that she was all for it.

“As you wish,” I said with a slight bow of my head before placing my hand on the opposite side of the casket. Pouring my essence into the casket, I began to activate each rune in succession which glowed a faint array of colors. Suddenly, a spike shot up, stabbing Nehkasha through the hand. Lucia and Raghatnu both shrieked but not nearly as loudly as Nehkasha, who sounded like a banshee. Sasha just pointed her gun at it until she realized that there was nothing to be worried about. His blood dripped from where the blade punctured it and seeped into the runic engravings like ink. The beautiful array of colors which glowed from the runes turned a dark red and black mix until the casket cracked.

“What the?” Raghatnu said under her breath before it cracked even more to reveal the old wrinkly face of the first Emperor, untouched by two millennia of years that have passed.

The spike which had stabbed Nehkasha’s hand returned to the metal mold as if it were a liquid before the entire casket cracked away to the floor as if it were broken pottery. Raghatnu stood speechless as he sat up from his deathbed. All eyes(and Sasha’s gun) were on the now animated corpse as it got up from its bed. His old and wrinkly body was covered by a formal set of armor that brightly contrasted his pale and wisened complexion. Despite his age, he looked like he could lift a tree with his bare hands.

“Did I keep you waiting long, my love?” The old man said in a raspy but kind voice as he ignored us and looked at Raghatnu. The expression on her face changed from shock to an unnerving sadness as tears began pouring from her eyes and she fell to her knees. Nehkasha had never seen her cry in his life, let alone had he heard of her crying at any point in history. This idea of her having not cried was enforced by her tears, like that of an infant. Bottling up everything for who knows how long only to release it now. The first Emperor got up from the bed and crouched down before her with a tender embrace.

“I am so sorry that you had to wait for so long, my dear Raghatnu.” He said as he held her. Her cries only got louder as she hugged him with all of her strength as if unwanting to ever let go.

“I’ve missed you so much, Senvatnu,” Raghatnu said with a loving smile as her tears kept streaming down her cheeks.

“I have missed you too. Though, we can’t stay for long. Our Creator still has use of us.” Emperor Senvatnu said, caringly wiping the tears from her face as he stared into her eyes. She stood in bewilderment at such a phrase.

“But.. but we disobeyed the Creator and were punished for it. How could we be taken back into the fold?” Raghatnu asked unable to understand.

“The time has come. We have served our penance and have received grace in return. Our wish may still be granted. Will you help me, my love?” Senvatnu asked as he lifted up her hand. It was almost as if watching a wedding proposal.

“Absolutely,” Raghatnu said before kissing him. The moment their lips touched, Raghatnu began to glow before disappearing as if she were absorbed into him. The first Emperor though began to glow in an otherworldly way. Standing up, he approached Nehkasha and bowed.

“You are my legacy. I am sorry to have troubled you so.” Senvatnu said respectfully. Nehkasha stood speechless along with the rest of us. Seeing our confused state, Senvatnu waved his hand, healing Nehkasha’s bloodied hand in the process, and then walked out of the hut. We all silently followed behind out of both fear and curiosity.

Upon exiting the hut, the Emperor walked toward the fountain we had passed before with a stoic and dignified swagger. Upon reaching the fountain, he placed his hand into the water to use as a cup and drink. Drinking his fill, the Emperor then raised his hands up to the sky before slowly lowering down with a strained warcry. As he lowered his arms the cracks in the stone below us and around the city began glowing the same beautiful array of colors as his casket.

“Awaken, my brothers and sisters at arms! Your fight is not over yet! We shall overthrow this world for the next generation so arise! Arise and fight! I summon thee to fulfill your oath to me!” He cried out. Once he finished his decree, the stone walls around us were pushed out and in the distance, we could see the city moving as if it were alive. Hundreds of undead stone and metal casket-covered Imperial soldiers rose up from their graves and gathered towards the Emperor.

“What in nine hells!” Nehkasha, Lucia, and I said in tandem. Sasha just stood in bewilderment at the sight. None of us could properly describe the sight as we were all sharing a mix of terror, shock, and awe.

Some of the undead soldiers brought the Emperor a shield, mace, and spear from among their own buried armaments. Each is made of a bronze-like metal weathered by years of resting in stone caskets. Once a large enough gathering had formed, Emperor Senvatnu raised his mace high in the air.

“We are what is left. Brothers and sisters of flesh, bound in stone and metal. We are what is left of our great Empire meant to spread peace across the continent. Now, a mere speck of what it used to be as war rages on. Today though, we charge for their battles and end it once and for all. Today, we charge for the peace we sought before. These are the final battles!” The Emperor declared. The undead soldiers raised their arms in unison cheers before charging westward across the river lining the Imperial cities' new border and Alsenia.