The storm had raged for the past four days straight as the army marched back towards the capital city of the Zusan Empire, ShindCom. Even the most elite imperial soldiers were weary and homesick. Their last foray into enemy territory had resulted in the burning of the Vaandom's capital and the enslavement of many of its women. It would go down as a bleack day for the kingdom of Vaandom. The king had apparently retreated to the Reltican Republic.<br/><br/>It was not surprising to any who paid attention that king of Vaandom would seek to sell his kingdom to to Reltica. But allowing such a thing to pass would be idiotic for the Zusan Empire. Holding the most power on the continent was of utmost importance. That is why the war was waged. That was why the Zusan army had razed the capital of the Vaandom.<br/><br/>The storm was finally starting to lessen, but the rain still poured down upon the soldiers as they made their tired way through the courtyard. Their captives had it far worse, though. Dressed in rags or stark naked, they had only the iron bars of their shared cage to protect them from the elements. And that amounted to very little. Already four of the women had died on the way back to the castle, but the soldiers didn't bother to throw their corpses out. They were tired and they were sick of dealing with some of the more impudent captives.<br/><br/>Emperor Daishoga stood upon his balcony and watched as the soldiers drew closer to the front doors of the castle. He had heard their mission had been an absolute success with only 4 casualties. That was quite the victory for the Zusan Empire. Vaandom, of course, had had support from the Reltican Republic. But apparently it hadn't offered a lot of support as a good portion of the Vaandom Kingdom now lay under the control of the Zusan Empire. Daishoga could taste the imminent victory in the largest scale conflict between the continent's supreme powers.<br/><br/>He turned and swept back into his study. He seated himself at his desk. He was garbed not in elegant clothing as one might expect, but a perfectly ordinary set of robes. He was well noted for his usage of the arcane arts. Many residents of the Zusan Empire would have been too frightened to question him directly anyway. Daishoga was a man shrouded in myth and fear. Daishoga had the reputation of being ruthless, cunning, and cruel.<br/><br/>His hair was pitch black and his eyes were a faded blue color. His skin was pale, but not unhealthily so.<br/><br/>Forty minutes later after the arrival of the solider the expected knock upon his study came. Daishoga looked up. "Come in."<br/><br/>A woman was pushed into the room. Her wrists and ankles were shackled together in a manner that must have made walking difficult. His Court Magician followed her inside and pushed her again, this time with enough force to make her fall to her knees harshly so that the shackles would bite into her ankles.<br/><br/>"This is the only woman we found suitable to serve as your personal servant, my Emperor," Gando, the Court Magician said, bowing deeply. Gando was a deceptively young looking man. There was not a spot of gray in his untamed mane of dark brown hair, but there was a wisdom in his emerald green eyes that one only attained after years and years of life. His shaggy beard disappeared into the color of his dirt colored robes. Like Daishoga, Gando preferred a modest appearance. Gando, of course, had the reputation of being the strongest magician in all of the Zusan Empire, which no doubt explained his station of serving only Daishoga himself.<br/><br/>"Very well," Daishoga said, sounding bored. "Thank you for your service. You may leave." Gando bowed himself out of the room and shut the door. Daishoga turned his attention upon the young woman in front of him. He waved a hand and the shackles binding her wrists and ankles together disappeared. "I am to assume that you are a peasant girl from the kingdom of Vaandom? It appears as if your journey here was harsh and hostile. What is your name?"<br/><br/>Daishoga had not raised himself from his spot behind his desk study. The room itself was full of bookshelves laden with thick books. Daishoga often spent time in his study composing works that he never showed to anyone. He simply put them away and never looked at them again. Simply the act of writing kept his mind sharp, and for that he was grateful.