text: [Themes: grimdark fantasy, villain protagonist, fantasy, dystopia, grimdark]
  
  Year 70
  
  It's a calm night and you stand outside on the balcony of your palace and look down at the city of Adlen. Brenda comes out to join you.
  
  "It's good when everything is going well isn't it?" Brenda asks.
  "It's definitely going better for us now. Certainly going better than it is for Prime Eternal Edgar too."
  "Always thought that was a ridiculous title. I don't understand how he's at a stalemate with the Felkan Kingdom, he was doing so well against them for the longest time."
  "I figured he's eventually over extend himself, though he's also had a few personal set backs like several assassination attempts for one. From his last letter he doesn't sound like he's doing too well healthwise. He says the last two times he's been stabbed, the assassin's knife was coated with a heavy duty poison. The bolt that went into his back was too. If he wasn't an Eternal he'd probably be dead by now."
  "Well that's better than Warrick."
  "Yeah, but from that letter Edgar sent, he said Warrick died at the battle of Yaquan six years ago. Regardless of his loyalties, he died like how an Eternal is supposed to die. Edgar will be lucky if he dies from a successful assassination, because it's sounding like the poison build up in his system might get him first. He's sick and weak. It's a shame really, I remember him being so hale and hearty at one time. If I were him I'd probably give up the ruling nonsense, join his soldiers in the next battle and die in one last blaze of glory."
  "Is that how you wish to die? You want to go out in one last blaze of glory?" Brenda asks.
  "Eh, sometimes I still think about it, but not really seriously. I guess I've finally grown past it." You laugh.
  "Didn't think that would happen actually."
  "Well, if Naleen starts suffering an unstoppable rebellion I guess I still got a shot at it. I'll meet the unwashed mobs with sword in hand."
  "Heh, well if that happens I guess I'll join you, because I'm too old to be moving the capital again."
  
  You both smile and hold each other side by side still looking out at the city. Yes, life is good when things are running well.
  
  Year 75
  
  You, Brenda and your elite guards step into Edgar's palace, and it's every bit as impressive as you thought it would be. Lots of statues, symbols of war, etc. Certainly a lot of bigger than your humble palace, but then Edgar always was one for overcompensation. You all are taken through the palace to see Edgar, along the way you and Brenda continue to take in some of the sights.
  
  "Isn't weird that all those years we served the Empire that this the first time we've ever stepped foot into this place?" Brenda says.
  "Yeah, Edgar must've spent a fortune rebuilding it."
  "Did he ever actually meet the emperor?"
  "No he never did. He said he assumed that he either fled or burned up in the fire, by the time he got to the palace. For all we know, maybe there never was an emperor."
  "Just one of life's mysteries I guess."
  
  Eventually you reach the royal bedroom. An older woman is sitting on a chair outside sobbing. She looks regal. You wonder if this is "Eva" that he's referred to a couple times in his letters. She's not exactly his queen since she's human, but you know she is definitely his companion. Another older muscular man with a stern expression is standing nearby pacing. When you arrive, he frowns even more.
  
  "Oh so you two decided to come after all. A pity." He says.
  "And who the hell are you exactly?" you ask.
  "Hmm, not surprised a deserter like you doesn't remember me. My name is Rissok and I served under you during the Empire riots. I saw you kill my friend in cold blood. A true Eternal who served with honor!"
  
  "Oooooh now I remember. You and your other buddy were looting houses while Felding was attempting to rape a woman. Yeah, real honor there." You say.
  "Don't mock me! You are only here because the Prime allows it! If it were up to me, I would have you labeled as a traitor and have you killed!"
  
  At this point your guards take up a defensive stance and Rissok's do likewise.
  
  "Well if you're going to make a move, better do it quick." You say.
  "Stop it! Stop it please! My Edgar is dying! Can't we have one moment without murder and killing?" the woman sobs.
  
  At this point Rissok storms off without another word, the guards stick around and tell you that you and Brenda may enter at any time, but your own guards must stay outside. Before you do, Brenda addresses the woman.
  
  "We apologize, we did not mean to cause you distress. Are you Lady Eva by any chance?"
  "(sniff) Yes. Yes I am."
  "Edgar's spoken highly of you in his letters." Brenda says which causes a slight smile on her face.
  "I know that he's better than me in everyway being an Eternal, yet he shows such compassion and sweetness by making me, a non-eternal, his only companion. I don't know what I ever did to deserve such an honor, but I will always be grateful for it."
  
  Brenda asks her if she wants to come in too, but she says she has already said her goodbyes and that he wants to see you both alone when you arrive. Having no other questions, you both enter the bedroom.
  
  When you see Edgar, he's lying in his bed and looking completely unwell. He's pale and his face has a gaunt looking appearance. You can't even believe this is the same man you fought along side at Fort Defiance.
  
  "Edgar?" you ask just to make sure.
  "(wheeze) ah...you both came...I knew you would. (cough cough) There isn't much time...I trust you've read my letter?"
  "Yes."
  "Well then you know that when my death comes, anarchy will ensue."
  "Don't you have a successor?"
  "I don't know if you've noticed, but I imagine Brenda has and that's we can't have children."
  
  You look at Brenda and she nods and mentions she learned that with Roldan when they were together. It's never been a topic you've brought up, but you always had your suspicions. Edgar continues his speech.
  
  "We Eternals seem to be sterile or barren. I've had people try to look into this problem, but they haven't come up with anything yet. It would seem what makes us superior, takes away our ability to reproduce. Maybe it's nature balancing itself out, so that we don't take over the world like so many of our younger eternals seem to want to do. Anyway (cough cough) I've drawn up official forms for the only two I think could be proper successors..."
  
  You already know where Edgar is going with this.
  
  "Oh no...don't say that's why you dragged us out here...Edgar they aren't going to listen to us! We aren't even ED citizens!"
  "This is rather unrealistic Edgar." Brenda adds.
  
  "That doesn't matter! You're still Eternals! (wheeze cough) They'll listen more likely than you believe, why do you think I always spoke so highly of you two? The younger ones will most likely follow without question, your major opposition will probably be the second generation...but there aren't too many of them left, you could easily purge them all if you had to. Please...I tried to build something here...(cough) but I can't go on any longer. The only people who can guide the Eternal Dominion into something worthier are you two. I'm asking not just as a dying man or friend ...but as a (cough cough) a fellow Eternal..."
  
  You and Brenda look at each other and you both know your answer. Edgar's trying to guilt you into this mess, but it's just not going to work. This plan of his is doomed to fail and you know it. Every high ranking Eternal is probably going to be vying for power. And you and Brenda have your own nation, your own lives, and you've told Edgar this before, but it's time to tell him one last time.
  
  "Edgar, we're not accepting this position. First of all it's not realistic despite what you want to believe and I think deep down you know that. Second of all, these are your final moments Edgar. Don't worry about what you accomplished and if it'll last. Just be proud of it now and spend your last moments with your wife or whatever you consider her. That's who you need to be concerned about."
  
  Edgar hacks and coughs up blood and spits it into a nearby bucket and struggles to breathe, but manages to answer you.
  
  "Very well...you've made your point. And you're probably right. You usually were. (wheeze) Bring my...my wife in. I do wish to spend the last moments with her...and farewell...my Eternal siblings."
  "Farewell Edgar." You say with a nod. Brenda says goodbye as well before you both leave.
  
  You step outside and tell Eva that Edgar wants to spend his remaining time left with her. She seems happy with this idea though of course still upset. She runs in and you, Brenda and the rest of your group are escorted out and back to the carriage that brought you here.
  
  When you finally get back to Naleen, you and Brenda are both glad to be home, though you both talk for quite awhile about this recent event and how it's odd to think that you both are going to be the only original Eternals left soon.
  
  A couple days later you get the news that Edgar has died and that the new leadership of the Eternal Dominion as of now is uncertain. Fortunately you don't really have to worry about it. Naleen is strong enough and far enough away that any sort of chaotic attack from the new ruler is very unlikely. You suspect that most of the fighting will be within the ED itself, or pushing ahead against the Felkan Kingdom.
  
  In the meantime you wonder about your own legacy and if you'll be remembered on any meaningful level. Brenda isn't really concerned about it; she figures you'll both be in the history books as the first rulers of Naleen if nothing else. That sounds fine, but you wonder if that would necessarily be the case, after all you never met the emperor, you don't even know his name or really anything about him except what you were taught as a child and that was most definitely all propaganda. You know even less about his predecessors. History may very well remember the Empire, but information on its rulers is either going to be sketchy or non-existent in another century. Edgar will probably be forgotten in even less time.
  
  You get the idea that a solid written record is in order.
  
  "Since when are you a writer?" Brenda asks.
  "I'm not, but maybe we can work on this together, I mean you are part of this too."
  "Well that's certainly true. Okay, so how did you want to go about this?"
  
  > tell the whole story
  While creating a book for all the masses to read and absorb might help solidify a remembrance of you and Brenda, you're thinking on a bigger picture.
  
  "Wait, you want to tell your experiences from the past seventy five years?"
  "Well, just the most memorable ones. Obviously I'm not going to focus on the days where I just sat at a desk reading skirmish reports or what I was eating on a particular day."
  "Do you realize how long that's going to take?"
  "I know it's not going to be in one night. I want to tell the whole story or at least as much as I can."
  "That's pretty ambitious. I figured you were just going to start from Nalin's independence from the Empire at most."
  "See that's just it, I, WE didn't just suddenly appear when we took official control of Nalin and later Naleen. We've got a lot of history behind us. We're Eternals and we're the last of our kind. There should be some sort of lasting record of us."
  "Last of our kind? There's a whole nation of them if you remember." Brenda reminds you.
  "Yes and that's exactly my point. Do you think it's going to last? Do you think any of new generations are going to be stable enough to think beyond their own petty power? I'd wager that they don't even continue the method to create anymore of them, now that Edgar's dead. He was the only one who was trying to leave a lasting legacy beyond himself. The rest of them? They're going to wonder why they're creating potential rivals and no longer bother."
  "You might be right about that. So, you weren't interested in creating this in a more positive light for people to remember you?"
  "Ha ha, I'm pretty sure such a task is impossible. No matter how much propaganda I churned out for the masses, I'm certain it wouldn't make the citizens start believing I'm a nice person. Even the military doesn't think such a thing. This isn't going to be about making me look good. I'll let history decide that, but this written account will at least provide a solid guide from which they can judge."
  "But won't it still be biased?"
  "Probably, but given that I want to include everything, I'm still not portraying myself as some benevolent ruler with a pleasant background. Now you said you would help, did you still wish to? I mean I want to include everything, but I guess I can leave out anything that portrays you in a negative way."
  "My love, I was right along side you on your less popular decisions, in fact I made a lot of them myself. I'm not innocent and I would imagine the average citizen wouldn't consider me a nice person either. Well, maybe nicer than you, but you're a hard act to follow." Brenda says with a smile.
  
  You and Brenda immediately get to work on your project. You and her take turns doing the writing for the most part, but the pressures of ruling sometimes get in the way, so it takes longer than it probably would have if you both didn't have other responsibilities.
  
  Your ambitious project takes more than a few years to complete, but when it is finally finished you definitely feel a sense of accomplishment. It may not be conquering an enemy or territory or anything like that, but if this goes the way you want, you will have achieved much more than simple victory. You will have achieved a kind of immortality.
  
  The huge tome immediately copied several times when it is complete. The great thing about being a ruler is you've got underlings that can do this. You make sure to keep the original writing for yourself. The first copies go out to a few Naleen schools, libraries and other places of higher learning where you decree that it is to become required reading. (Another great thing about being in charge!)
  
  In time there probably isn't a single citizen that hasn't at least heard of the book, if not read it. There is a slight backlash to "telling all" however. Some students, professors, intellectuals and other academics take the opportunity to use examples from the book to prove what tyrants you are and Brenda are and how if Naleen is ever going to achieve its maximum potential then relics of tyranny need to be gotten rid of. An increase in protests about silly "freedoms" and "rights" pop up a little more.
  
  An annoying side effect to be sure, but a predictable one. Executing them all would only prove their point of course, but you really don't disagree with them in the first place. You and Brenda ARE relics of tyranny. In fact you stated as much in the book. You were created by a government obsessed with control and molded into Eternals to enforce that control. You can't help what you are and you're not going to apologize for any of your actions.
  
  In any case, if it wasn't this, you would've gotten protests about something, it's been a while. Besides you have more than your share of intellectual defenders as well your loyal military, so you're not worried about revolutions anytime soon.
  
  > Epilogue
  Epilogue: Eternal Couple
  
  Year 101
  
  "Mortos? Where the hell is that?" you ask Brenda from your bed.
  "Apparently very far away. A nation of necromancers from what I've heard." Brenda says.
  "Well that's certainly one way of keeping the population in line. Make them all undead slaves. Wonder why the Empire never thought of that. So wait apparently Eternal Vigilance is popular there?"
  "Sounds like it. And when I say popular, I mean very well liked, as opposed to causing heated debates in the Naleen classrooms about whether or not you're a strong leader who does what is necessary or a complete ruthless bastard who needs to be overthrown."
  "I can't be both?" you say jokingly.
  "They say the same thing about me as well, still we've got to be doing something right. The Eternal Dominion collapsed into warring fiefdoms, the Felkan Kingdom suffered a revolution and executed their royals, I even heard the few beacons of civilization in Rask have been slowly getting snuffed out."
  "Yeah, the only place that seems to be doing okay now is old Nalin and that's run by fucking kobolds now. Oh well at least they're friendly with us."
  "Afraid of us probably. Their predecessors have told their children so many stories about the big bad Eternals for decades that they didn't even need to read a book about us, assuming they even can."
  "Well there is that." You say and then have a coughing fit. Brenda asks if you need anything, but in-between coughs you say you'd fine. Eventually you stop and feel like another part of your strength has left you forever.
  
  "Ugh, shit. If the critics still want to overthrow me then they better hurry up, because nature is going to beat them to the punch."
  
  Brenda gets a bit quiet at that last statement, you don't mean to upset her, but you've got to be realistic at this stage.
  
  "Brenda, I love you." You say.
  "And I love you." She says back and squeezes your hand.
  
  For a moment the two of you are just silent for a while. You're were getting tired anyway, but the both of you don't really need to speak to communicate. You know each other better than any two people could. You've been through a lot together and this is will be your final journey with her.
  
  As you begin to get sleepy, you surprise Brenda by making a small chuckle.
  
  "What's so funny?" she asks.
  "Captain Gruz...he said I would outlive everyone. I'm glad to have proved him wrong." You say and give Brenda a smile. She manages to smile back through the tears.
  
  Life is slipping away now. This your final battle against an opponent who has stalked you for over a century.
  
  "For the Empire..." you whisper as your last battle cry and finally succumb to eternal sleep.
  
  Your funeral is a big deal. All of Naleen comes out for it, and there is a lot military marching, saluting, and all of that. Various officials give several speeches in your honor about your deeds and accomplishments. Brenda says a few words, but your death has been an emotional drain on her and she saves her strength to get through the day.
  
  You're ultimately placed in a fancy tomb with nice statues of you and Brenda in your "warrior prime" just inside the doorway of it.
  
  A couple months later Brenda joins you in death and she is placed in the same tomb by your side where upon it is sealed, shutting the pair of you in darkness forever.
  
  Your place in history is remembered best in the nation of Naleen. Not always fondly, but as always you're consistently still held in high regard by military types if only due to your combat skills and tactics. In a way you do indeed outlive the "new eternals." Long after the last of them have nearly killed each other or died in petty wars, you, Brenda and even the others of the first generation Eternals are still talked about the most and remembered through your book.
  
  The nation of Naleen goes through various changes of government systems as decades pass by. When it's more autocratic, you and Brenda are usually looked up as an example of how to run things. When the government is less autocratic you and Brenda are used as examples of the "bad old days."
  
  Ultimately when it too ceases to be (Conquered by the great kobold/usksha alliance three hundred years later) you still have a presence on history as your writings have long found their way into far off lands where scholars and academics still debate over them. The kobolds and usksha on the other hand stay far away from the graveyard ruins of your tomb, fearing it to be cursed and believing that disturbance will cause the vengeful spirits of the Eternals to rise up.
  
  Whatever history decides to paint your character at any given point in time is constantly in flux, but one thing is certain, you were and always shall be ETERNAL.