The Tyrant is dead

Well, this took quite a long time. I sketched this about four days ago, and I worked on this every now and then while having some free time. I'm not good at taking time while drawing, but I believe this took me about 12-15 hours. And oh, finally I have a new pen for my Wacom! I don't have to suffer for accidental double-clicks and SAI constantly trying to get me change the name of every tool or double-layers or that the pen suddenly stops working and all that. And the new pen is silver!  

From left to right there are Timur, Dalimil, Kasmir and Eimear. Three brothers and their cousin. Dalimil was known as the Tyrant, as was Eimear's father in his time, and because he was a very lousy leader, they had to kill him. After that the three of them decided to rule together.

And because I feel this needs a bit more backstory, I decided to tell it by Timur's POV;


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'The history repeats itself.'

The wind continues to blow coldly, while the snow covers Dalimil's dead body, as if it wants to hide it. It's dead silent, no one dares to say a word. There is no need for any words. I notice Kasmir looking at me, and I give a quick glance back to him. I know exactly what he would like to say to me. The battle had been long and it seemed to finally be over. It all was over. Dalimil, the another Tyrant Ruler, is dead. This whole thing reminds me of something and I think it reminds everyone else too.


I don't remember much from that day, since I was a little boy back then, but still I know exactly what happened all these years ago, for those events have been a very popular topic. Back then my uncle was the Ruler of our people. Valhalla Ivanov. He was not a gentle leader, no. He was called a tyrant. A cruel, brutal man who didn't care about his people's well-being, but instead was constantly making new enemies. Valhalla was the most disliked leader of our tribe in the history, but no one dared to make a difference.

Except my father. Valhalla's younger brother, Volkan Ivanov. I've heard that he had been jealous of Valhalla's leadership since they were little, and that their relationship had always been bad. Father challenged my uncle to a fight until death.
Valhalla accepted the challenge. And because he was bigger, stronger and more talented, he seemed to win right away. But father was not going to die by Valhalla's hand, so he captured his family - wife and four children - and killed them in front of my uncle's eyes. After that he banished Valhalla and became the Ruler himself.

Even though my father is told to have been a much better leader than Valhalla ever was, I am not proud of him. I always walk away, when I hear someone mentioning those events again. I'm not ashamed of being my father's son, but I'm ashamed that he couldn't settle things in a different way.

My father ruled the lands almost 20 years, until my brother, Dalimil, had grown to a man. Father gave the leadership to him. And of him I was proud. He was everything what a big brother should be - caring, loving and always there to make you feel better. He was kind, he offered his help and he always made good decisions. The people were in good hands, and Dalimil seemed to be the most beloved leader in many generations.

But it didn't last too long. I don't know exactly what happened, but I know that it was love for someone he couldn't get that messed his head. He became very unstable. His gentle smile got crooked, his plans even crueler than Valhalla's in his time, and he didn't give a damn about his subordinates anymore. He spent much time alone or connected with the crows. He wasn't himself ever again.

Just one generation after the last tyrant leader, there was now another. The history truly seemed to repeat itself.

My little brother and I wanted to change it. Dalimil was a bad leader, and we wanted to get him to his senses. I tried to talk to him, many times, but he didn't listen to me at all. We even stopped to call each other brothers.
It was impossible to talk to him, so we figured that the only answer was to get him down from his throne, one way or another. But he had a lot of troops. We didn't manage to plan anything that would work.


Then we met her. The rightful heir of our people, who was thought to be dead like her siblings. But Eimear Ivanov, the first born child of Valhalla, was very much alive, and she was seeking vengeance. Kasmir and I gave her a chance to get it. Eimear had some troops with her, and we started planning together, until all that brought us to this day.


I hear Kasmir starting to howl next to me, and Eimear joins him soon after. They're howling for victory. I'm still looking at my brother's body and I feel a tear run down my cheek. I still taste his blood in my mouth.
Dalimil was my big brother. He had been kind, supportive and even my idol. But in his last years he was a tyrant like our uncle, a cruel and unfair leader. He and I hadn't been like brothers in a long time, and especially the fact that he did a few unforgivable things to my wife makes me think of him as nothing but an enemy. Dalimil wasn't a leader anymore, nor was he family.

I think I understand my father a bit better now. There weren't any choices left.
I am not crying because Dalimil is dead. I am crying because it all had to go down that road again. A brother against another.

When do we learn?

I finally lift my own snout and join the howling.
Goodbye, big brother.

--

Eimear ©
Timur, Dalimil, Kasmir & pic © memo