The Emperor Qin

"Well I am sure you know who each of these great men are. Qin, August, the others. What you don't know is how we came to be brothers in arms. Let's start with Qin Shi.

He was always a great man born into the throne from birth. What most people don't know is his home life was quite tumultuous. His mother was always quite a loving woman but his father was fiercely devoted to the country. Even more so than his own family you could say.

It all started when he was but a child. I happened to take on the responsibility of his caretaker from a young age. I met Qin when he was still learning to walk. I like to think I had quite an impact on him from the time I met him but only he could tell you that for sure." Grandfather said as he looked up to the ceiling remembering. Huang nodded his head at the thought of my grandfather caring for him.

"Your grandfather has always been a great man. Even when I was but a child." Huang started before my grandfather carried on.

"I will always remember the first time I saw little Qin running down the walkway to me as I brought his morning tea. He was such a happy child when we would go play. His father was devoted to having Qin Shi get his morning tea at exactly 10 am, not a minute before; not a minute after.

I almost dropped the tray when little Qin jumped on me. His mother was laughing as she usually did when observing him with me. But his father was back in his study taking care of official matters, as was always the case.

We spent most days like this through his early childhood. Tea, some games, studying in the afternoon, followed by fight practice. His father knew me through his take over of the country. As much as he grew to annoy me due to the neglect of his family, he was a fantastic warrior and gained my respect on the battlefield.

Closer to the beginning of the rebellion, I was on the opposing forces guarding the then-emperor: Daewi. I was actually a personal guard of the emperor but through some careful espionage, Qin's father managed to get himself a meeting with the emperor with a name change. They had no idea he was the opposition.

I could see from his careful observation that he was planning something but being as I had no real interest in either side, I figured I would let him carry on and see what he would do. They sat on opposite sides of the table conversing about some war prep. When Qin's father finished his surveillance, he banged the table with his knee and picked up the weapon that dropped by him.

It was a sneaky tactic but I was quite impressed. The other guards sat opposite me in between both parties. Qin's father jumped up and tried to impale the emperor but he was much too quick for an attack like that to work.

We all sat and watched the ensuing battle. As it was a duel, we were not allowed to intervene lest the emperor's honor be sullied. I am not sure anyone would have either way. I was far and away the strongest in the room and everyone there knew it. As I watched, the others did not dare try to overstep my decision.

The ensuing fight was quite the sight to behold. Both sides had times of complete domination and times of utter defeat but neither side was willing to yield even a foot. As the battle drew to a close with each side battered and bloodied, the emperor was just about to make the finishing blow but got cocky.

Qin's father stood and put a knife directly up through his mouth and skull. The emperor looked at me in disbelief before collapsing to the floor. Qin's father looked at us in shock and fear as he knew he would be no match for 4 more warriors. The other 3 spun to their feet with their weapons drawn as I sat with one leg up and an arm over that leg.

"Sit down. Now!" I quietly barked at the others. "It was quite a spectacle that battle. This should not be sullied by the guards of a dead emperor. It would seem we have a new leader as it were regardless." I said out loud to everyone's shock.

"The emperor's son is still in his room playing with the caretakers. He is next in line for the throne, sir." One of the guards said questioning my decision.

"Be that as it may, I have decided on a new emperor. The throne should be held by the mighty, not by the blood. Unless either of you would like to try your chances at overturning my decision?" I asked looking at both.

"No, sir." They said kneeling before their new emperor. We would have to go through all the official customs and documents to assign a new king. He would grow into a fine emperor as I am sure you are aware. We stood as partners through all of his reign. As he showed signs of his reign ending due to old age, I was privy to some crucial information that I had not told my friend because I was not sure he could be trusted with it up to that point.

But he said something that changed my mind forever that day, "We have had a good run, my friend. I just hope our descendants have the freedom we have showed our people. Can I just ask one last favor of you, brother?" The emperor asked me as he looked out over his kingdom.

"Sure, what is it, brother?" I said back sure he was going to ask me about my unaging body.

"Whatever the key to your limitless youth is, make sure to find a mate and give it to her. I cannot bear for you to go through the same heartbreak I have losing a loved one. You can have many heirs in your life but everyone only gets 1 true love. Make sure yours stays as long as you." He said before a deep cough made its way to the surface.

"Will do comrade. The gods have given me the key to immortality. You are deserving of that gift as well. I will have to leave for a few days but in my absence, the others will be hear to guard you. Do everything in your power to continue drawing breath. The essence does not work on an already departed soul." I told him faithfully before taking my leave.

Express instructions were given to the others not to let him die under any circumstance while I was away or the whole kingdom would suffer for it.

As I walked to the center of the landmass we were on, Asia I believe it was called at the time to the tree of Yggdrasil, one of the gods decided to accompany me briefly.

She is here with us today actually. Athena!" My grandfather called to the extraordinarily beautiful woman crying on one side of the room next to the others. She was a relatively tall woman with shining blue-grey eyes and waist length blonde hair. She had a curious bracelet on her arm that never seemed to actually touch her but just hovered there. A god artifact I took it for.

She came over wiping the tears from her face as she looked at my grandfather. "Do not cry. I told you many generations previous you are much more beautiful when you smile. No one in this realm deserves your tears especially not an old rickety fool like myself." My grandfather laughed.

The rest of the room was silent at his bellow. Sadness had long overtaken everyone else standing here.

"Back to the story from before. Athena here joined me while I was walking across an open wasteland of rock and soil. It was a battle place from one of our previous battles that had yet to grow more life. I couldn't have been more than a few hundred yards from the tree. It could actually be seen in the distance. But she always liked to just pop up when she had questions for me.

"Why are you going to Yggdrasil for an insignificant human? That is one of the god's treasures. Surely you don't think a mere human is worthy?" Athena said coldly scolding me. The gods had few treasures but even less that were as valuable as the tree of Yggdrasil. If I remember correctly, there were only 4. Now there are none. We used them all in the battle of dawns as it came to be known by our kind.

"Well I do think Qin Shi is worthy. He is the most unselfish human there is and there is not a doubt in my mind of that fact. If any deserve it it's him. He's more deserving than I ever was. I still wonder to this day why you gods chose me. Either way, Qin is getting it. I will not be swayed otherwise."

"Why? What makes you say he is worthy? It can't be just because of his ability as a ruler. What happened that made you deem him worthy?" Athena asked quizzically.

"He said something that struck me as odd for a human to say. Even after seeing me yet to age in all the years we knew each other, he never once asked my secret. He actually told me to use whatever method to make sure my love didn't yield to age as he was. Even with mere days to live, he still valued me over even himself.

That is the greatest quality of friendship a human can muster. Granted they are not divine like we are but regardless for a human to be willing to give his life to make sure his friend doesn't have to experience heartbreak is the marking of something else, something better." My grandfather remembered proudly.

"That is quite an interesting pattern for the selfish humans. I never would've believed one could put others above themselves. I do not think this is the right decision but I do not have the power to stop you. Just consider this decision very carefully before you jump into something we all regret. Make sure he cannot ever turn his back on us or it could be a great annoyance to reverse the effects." Athena warned before she went back to Olympus.

"That one is quite annoying." I thought to myself." My grandfather said before laughing again less intensely this time. He had another coughing fit then but refused to let it impede his story.

"As I took the required dose into the bottle they gave me, the earth around the tree began to bloom when I let a drop slip between my fingers. The power of that one drop really was staggering. The entire area sprouted with flowers and grass instantly.

I hadn't the time to do anything else than cut off the bud from the tree and push the tree back underground. As I made my way back, I heard the familiar horn from the kingdom. I had to get back immediately.

Using all my strength, I ran back as fast as possible but was just too late. Qin's son was trying to show strength by not crying while his daughters held each other.

"What happened?" I asked angrily of the guards. "Who disobeyed my order?"

"I'm sorry sir. There was nothing we could do. We took care of his every need. He was just out of time." One guard muttered sweating.

"Just out of time. 'He was just out of time'. Is that all you have to say?" I asked looking at him in disgust. The anger boiling inside my chest at that moment was more than I had ever experienced to that point.

He waved his hands trying to show his innocence but that only served to increase my rage. Before he could respond, I punched him in the chest and stopped his heart before he went sprawling across the ground.

The emperor lay lifeless on his bed as I looked down at him. He had a smile on his face dying in the presence of all his loved ones. I was the only one not present because I was trying to save his life. I would never forgive myself for that to which I still haven't. Even if I was trying to get fruit from Yggdrasil, I should've been there in his final moments.

"I know this fruit isn't for the already dead but please return his soul for just a moment, Anubis. Please. You owe me." I begged of the Egyptian god.

"This means we are even. I will not grant anymore requests from you." Anubis said in my head with spite. We did not have the best relationship because of my closeness with the Egyptians but he was not one to let a debt go unpaid. The emperor took one breath but it was all I needed.

I forced the liquid down his throat before whispering to him "Do not move. I will get you tonight. They cannot know you are back." He lied there motionless as all the family and his subjects came to give their respects.

An emperor's passing was one of utmost importance. He was buried that night along with his protectors in death, the Terra Cotta warriors. They were said to be made from his most trusted soldiers and the fiercest in battle.

As I promised, I came and grabbed him from his coffin that night. He was lying on one side scratching at the bottom of the coffin.

"I told you I would be back." I laughed as I put dirt back over his resting place. I knew he had questions for me but they would have to wait.