Chapter 43: The Rise of Karnish
The cities of the south fell to Fandor and his army and there was great rejoicing and the old rulers were put to death and Fandor put a new regime together that would follow his rule and would be good to the people he had freed. And the name of Fandor was feared and many would run at the news of his coming and the people would flock to the streets and rejoice in their freedom. But the forces of Amman were not yet defeated and many cities were still theirs and they waited for the emperor to send his army and destroy these rebels, but it came not.
So they gathered themselves at last and mustered their forces before it was too late and a number of great battles were fought, but it seemed that Fandor could not be beat and his armies marched on and conquered all and were swelled with the people he had freed and they came to Korom, which was the greatest of the cities in the south and fought for it and took it and Fandor declared that these new lands would be called Karnish and that this city would be at its heart and would be called the City of Karnish and that all the people of these lands were free and their bondage broken.
And there was great rejoicing and celebration, but also fear, for though Amman were in the south defeated, they were not gone and the fight with them continued. And they knew that while Amman stood yet undefeated that they were not free, for always the shadow over them would be long and dark. And it came to Fandor that he should build a great fleet and take his army across the water to Amman and there continue his fight and look to defeat his enemy, but he dared not, for he could not defend his ships and his navy would be weak and easy prey to the ships of Amman.
So it was that to Fandor came news of the defeat of Amman in Eppen and that the army were destroyed and his nation were free. But he also heard that a new army were being mustered in Aym-J'zeer and it would seek to redress the losses and avenge the dead. So Fandor took himself away and was alone and he called to the Aslah to guide him. And in a dream came to him the face of Desdemar and she was beautiful beyond all else, yet her face was drawn with sadness and Fandor felt his heart would break. So it was that she revealed to him his lineage and he now knew he was of the Aslah and his path became clear to him. So he returned to his men and there he declared himself and swore his vengeance on Amman and vowed it would be destroyed.
And in Herophet was Hakkan also made aware of Fandor and he knew his blood line and he was shook and was consumed with fear and knew now that this was the time of his reckoning and that Fandor must be destroyed, else his own time would be at an end.
Thus did Fandor construct a great fleet and as it was built, so he secured his lands and cleared away the remnants of the evil empire. And the people who had served Amman retreated and fought hard, though their retreat was slow and violent. And all around them the lands of the south fell into chaos for a third time and were without rule of any kind, for their leaders of old were gone or murdered and the people fought for the lust of power and as the era of the evil empire fell away, so was it replaced by the Third Chaos of the South, which only Karnish seemed immune to, where Fandor ruled, and his gaze was fixed north, toward Amman.
