"Are you ready, Your Grace?" Korin didn't bother turning around, he knew who it was.

"I'm not your grace yet, Daric." The rustic, scarred face of Daric Gorseborn grinned through missing teeth. They were in the Crown prince's chambers, Korin's chambers. Both of them were Baradon, shorter in stature and gifted with double the lifetimes of men. They were the native species of Torgain, or as it is sometimes known, Dontos's Tundra.

"Not long to go, my prince." he replied.

Korin smiled through his scraggly beard but made no move to turn away. The view from his terrace looked all the way down his mountain home, layers upon layers of bridges, buildings, tunnels, doorways and statues snaked down the outside of the mountain. The sunlight of dawn flashed on the acres of snowy ground and sparkled on the smooth stone structures, it was beautiful and it was his.

"My prince? They await inside. We have been waiting so long, being late for your coronation would be cruel irony indeed."

"Very well." Korin turned and allowed the long, shaggy bear cloak to be clasped around his shoulders. He gingerly lifted the shield of his forefathers from its hook in the centre of his chambers and allowed a quick sip from a chalice left out the night before. A little wine to calm the nerves was no bad thing. Daric stood tensely by the door, unlike Korin's calm demeanour, Daric felt skittish, everything was going by in a beautiful blur.

"Come on then Daric, let us go."

"Sorry my prince, I was just observing the crown prince's chambers, it's a shame they'll be the king's before the night is done." Daric answered.

Korin just nodded, he would be sentimental later, now he must be a king. The iron doors slid open and Korin was instantly greeted by the guards snapping to attention, "Your grace." they spoke instantaneously. They fell in behind Korin's long brown coat and Daric's embroidered, crimson one, with more guards joining in behind them as they continued. After crossing several bridges and corridors, the procession of guards behind them had exceeded two hundred. They finally came to a long, silver coated bridge engraved with runes far beyond the current Baradons understanding. At the end were two enormous doors, gilded with gold and bedecked with hundreds of jewels, "Shall we?" Daric asked looking at Korin.

"Let it begin." He answered and he pounded the end of his shield on the ground. The doors creaked open, operated by technology and magic long forgotten. Then a tumultuous crescendo of noise erupted from inside, thousands upon thousands of Baradon cheered and hollered as Korin entered the hall. And what a hall it was, a hundred chandeliers stretched from the ceiling and rows and rows of benches were wound around the room providing places for three thousand. The walk across the hall was slow but it was worth it, they chanted his name as he steadily walked up the steps, then all noise stopped. "Korin son of Warak of house Iron-Axe, do you accept to guide the people of Vakar be it into peace, salvation or war?" Asked a crooked old Baradon stooped with age but blessed with a thunderous voice. "I do." Korin answered, his head held high.

"Do you accept to rule and care for every smith, warrior, wife or child in Torgain?"

"I do."

"And do you accept the Throne of Silver granted to us by the great Vakar?"

"I do."

"Then I grant you the crown of our forefathers, in hope it may be used justly and as an instrument of benefit for Torgain." The old Baradon lifted a circlet of gold embedded with rubies and placed it on Korin's head. "And I grant you the shadow axe, in hope it may be used as an instrument of destruction for our enemies and of protection for our friends." He raised a jet-black axe, the haft and the head were etched with ancient images and letters.

Korin took it in his hand and with a smile and a nod from the grizzled old Vakarian lifted it alongside the shield into the air "Steel is hard, but Torgainians are harder!" He shouted. The hall exploded with cheers and chanting punctuated only by the trembling bangs of Korin slamming the axe into the shield. "Steel is hard but Torgainians are harder, Korin, Korin, Iron-Axe!". The chanting stopped as he gave his shield to the old priest and sat down on the sturdy, silvery throne.

It was integrated into the whole structure of the room, eloquent yet solid. The back of the throne reached high into the air, seamlessly transforming into a hulking fist. Korin leaned both his hands gently on the top of the axe haft, letting the blade rest on the ground. After the main coronation the king had the right to appoint different positions to different subjects, state any plans, listen to any requests or initiate any new laws. Thus, after the main crowning most of the onlookers dwindled slightly as children, workers with immediate duties and some old folk left, leaving only those who would directly be involved in anything Korin had to say. "Daric, my cousin." Korin called and Daric approached and knelt

"What would my king have of me?"

"I would deign to name you captain of the Grey-Guard, for valiant service and absolute loyalty."

Daric looked up and smiled "I accept my position and thank my gracious king."

"Sugga," Korin turned and the old Baradon bowed his head.

"I would ask you to name ten more Vakarians for my service. I will order new chambers built for them and supply any further requirements."

"Your grace is too kind." He replied.

"Your grace," A Baradon Korin had never seen before approached the dais. He wore torn, dirty rags and was pale and gaunt. "I come from Koprika, I ask for support to help drive the ice trolls from our village."

"Of course, Gusten!" A Baradon even larger than Korin strolled over, heavily armoured and sporting a massive pike. "I want you to take five hundred and rid of these pestilences."

"Of course." He growled.

Korin continued his new kingly duties for over four hours before the hall was unanimously finished with all tasks. Korin lifted his crown from his head, swapped it for his shield and gave it a resounding crash before repeating the words of his people: "Steel is hard but Torgainians are harder!" With that, the hall emptied and Korin, accompanied by Daric and two guards, went through a side door and along a corridor until they came to an entrance.

Korin told the guards to wait outside before entering with Daric. The room was circular with a rectangular table showing the whole of Torgain, heavily detailed with each sigil of every castle and prominent family painstakingly engraved. Korin sat down at the head while Daric stood.

"I have arranged a meeting with King Nuron, we must have the Autumn Isles and Rowanok on our side." Korin said finally.

"Are you sure it is the best decision?" Daric asked

"What? Making allies?" 

"I am not talking about the elves, I'm talking about the conquest." He snapped and started pacing "Did you see all those people out there? Hundreds will die."

"Hundreds always die. The difference is that they'll die doing something."

"Do we really need Casterland? Our country is second only to Dondoras."

"Look around!" Korin said sharply "Cold snows and ice trolls is all very well when we have castles and mines but what about the thousands that don't? What I'm planning is for the good of my people."

"But if Dondoras retaliates when Casterland is taken..."

"We will beat them back! Honad has already agreed, Alderia, Wierune, Rowanok and the Autumn Isles will soon follow! Rawthawn hates its invaders, with persuasion they would gladly rebel against the Duncaster rule and join us against Dondoras if it comes to that."

"But what of the Raiset uprising in Rawthawn?" Daric argued.

Korin just snorted and poured two cups of wine, he handed one to Daric before seating himself. "Cranaks are unruly savages, their 'uprising' will fall as soon as Casterland moves its armies to help Rawthawn." 

Daric was silent for a while before looking up. "Are you sure the Euralias will agree?"

"No," Korin admitted "but Honad will be able to get Alderia on our side and from what I've been told queen Serein is currently sailing to the Autumn Isles to arrange a marriage which may net us King Nuron."

"Those pointies have always hated us. They think of us as ugly and stupid."

"They think that of men as well!" Korin cried "And who knows? Dondoras might not retaliate. House Duncaster abandoned them, severed all ties and conquered a foreign land that they called themselves king of. They may be trading and allowing a neutral relationship but would they risk their people in a war they might lose just for some jumped-up deserters?"

"Very well, but it is my position to advise you and I find the gamble too great."

"Thank you for your advice, I will take it to heart." Korin answered tiredly "Now, I wish for you to prepare yourself and the Grey-Guards for a journey."

"A journey?"

"Yes, we will travel to Nornad docks and board a boat to Wierune."

"To Wierune? Why?" Daric asked nonplussed.

Korin smiled and absentmindedly twirled the hefty, black axe. "I have a proposal for this Warren Ferox, one that will earn us an ally."

"If you may excuse me, when do we leave?"

"On the morrow."

"I will prepare then, my grace." Daric said stiffly before turning to exit the low stone door.

"Daric, be happy, today is the beginning of a new era for Torgain."

"Let us hope so." He answered before leaving. Korin sighed and looked out the open window. The winds howled and the people chanted for their new king, a king that would bring them peace and salvation and a king that would bring them war.

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Author's Note:

Did you like this chapter? Every chapter from now on will focus solely on a single character. Please remember to vote if you enjoyed it!

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