PROLOGUE
King Sanguis Talon the First stood at the very edge of his castle. The stone foundation that covered the island floor was thousands of years old, and had seen firebombs, magic, and even dead bodies thrown upon it for eons, but it was impossible to tell by looking at it; the stone looked freshly laid. More importantly, the very first griffons to set claw on what was now the soil of the Griffon Empire stood at this very spot when they declared themselves a sovereign nation.
The Castle was an island in itself, situated eight-hundred yards off the shoreline connected by a stone bridge. The water surrounding it was beautiful; it was a deep, deep blue, and was always calm. Many griffon kings had pondered the question, but as far back as the race's history was written, the water had always stayed still as a stone. As the midday sun shone bright upon the Griffon Empire, the sea itself looked like the night sky, which, combined with how calm it was, created a stunning visual contrast; it was almost as if the night and the day had collided on the horizon.
Thus, the first griffons named it the Mare Nigrum, or, in Equestrian, the Black Sea. King Sanguis Talon thought the name to be fitting, having lived in the palace for ten years now, but he didn't look upon it that particular morning to praise its beauty; he would have plenty of time for that. No, today, he was going to make a decision that would completely change the planet for years and years to come, and would shake its very foundation to the core. But first, of course, he needed to eat lunch.
The sea was calm, and still, but that worked to his advantage. He peered out into the vast ocean, waiting for a sliver of movement. Suddenly, to the center of his vision, he found precisely what it was he was looking for; just a bit of water rippling across the surface. It was close to him, too, and in a second, the king bolted into the air. He soared up a few feet before violently diving downwards at the precise moment in the exact location of the splash. As he made contact with the water, he opened his beak wide, and the fish he had been stalking was quickly engulfed within it. Holding it tight, he soared back out of the water, and, with blinding speed, landed back where he had started. The King quickly spit the fish out onto the surface, and watched it wriggle and struggle in the burning rays of the sun as he felt the refreshing cold water drip down his massive frame.
The King smiled. Some were meant to be prey.
"I do hope you plan on eating that," came a voice from behind him. He recognized it immediately; it was his father's royal advisor, Aelius, who Sanguis had appointed master of the treasury upon his coronation. Aelius was completely covered in grey feathers, giving him the appearance of being older than he already was, and with his worn eyes and eyebrows that seemed constantly slanted downwards, he was never considered the most approachable of Griffons. Aelius was a wise griffon, however, having lived in Griffonia for a considerable amount of time, but he was not the kind of wise Sanguis had been looking for; thus, Sanguis had appointed another griffon, a female named Aemelia, as his royal advisor. Although they didn't see eye to eye, Sanguis and Aelius held a special bond through the king previous, Amicus Talon the IV, Sanguis's father.
"Equestrian, Uncle? You mean to test me?" Sanguis asked him, noting his use of the foreign language. Aelius shrugged.
"There is a major city in your kingdom that speaks Equestrian, my king. I figured it'd be nice to brush up on it." Sanguis scowled, as it was true; Griffonstone, as important as it was, was the only city in the entire Griffon Empire to speak Equestrian as its first language; he wasn't entirely sure when and how such a thing had occurred, but as a result, every king had to be fluent in it; that, and, of course, because Equestria was the Griffon Empire's greatest political ally. Knowing full well that the entire conversation would be carried out in the foreign tongue, the king rolled his eyes before continuing.
"I do plan on eating the fish, uncle. It could use to be cooked, however. I'll have the servants pick it up. I assume you've just been informed of the delivery to the castle?" asked Sanguis, turning around to face the griffon. Aelius nodded.
"I did. The Idol of Boreas, a treasure the Griffon Kingdom hasn't seen since the days of Guto. Just what is it you plan to do with it, Sanguis? I walked past the barricks this morning to see the soldiers going through warring exercises," said Aelius. Sanguis stared at him for a few seconds, seemingly studying his facial expressions, before beginning to walk towards the castle gates.
"Walk with me, uncle," he said simply. Sanguis, despite his massive frame and intimidating scar running across his left eye, did not have a commanding, booming voice; rather, it was a bit high pitched and very melodic, extremely pleasing to the ears in whatever language he spoke. It was easy to see how he could garner such respect throughout the kingdom; even the simplest of commands had a lasting ring through the average mind, his words flowing through the ears like a bard's song. Aelius, however, was not the average mind, and thus, he kept a suspicious glance as he followed his honorary nephew.
"I mean to march into Equestria on the fortnight, uncle. You, aside from the soldiers, are the one of the first to know," said Sanguis. Aelius looked over to him, his eyes wide in disbelief.
"Equestria? Surely, you jest," he remarked. Sanguis shook his head violently.
"I've never been more serious," he answered. Aelius stopped walking; Sanguis took a few steps forward before turning back and facing his uncle. He gestured for him to move forwards with his claws, but it was of no avail.
"That is the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard! There's a reason no one invades that country; the very beings that raise the sun and the moon live there, for Guto's sake! On top of that, the elements have reappeared, along with three new alicorns! The power they hold isn't comprehendible, Sanguis, and is second to absolutely none; you would be foolish to march into Equestria to battle them all. And, lest I forget, their allies? Saddle Arabia is particularly known for their fierce army, as are the Warriors of Zebric, and if we march on Equestria, be sure as Guto that they'll come to their aid. I can't think of one scenario where this is a good idea!" he said, anger rising in his voice. The king rolled his eyes.
"First, there are four alicorns; Flurry Heart of the Crystal Empire was only just born, and will not pose a threat to me in the slightest. And second, I am very well aware that the Griffon Kingdom does not have any being as powerful as the Princesses and the elements, but with the Idol of Boreas and another particular item, I assure you it will, and far more. And finally, Uncle, Equestria's allies won't be a problem; in fact, they won't show up at all," he said. Aelius gave a look of confusion, with the suspicion from earlier seeping into his countenance.
"What are you planning, Aurora?" he asked the King. The King's eyes flared open in anger, and in mere seconds, he had came upon him, seizing him by the throat and hoisting Aelius high into the air with a vicious snarl. Aelius, however, was completely unfazed.
"Do. Not. Say. That. Name," Sanguis muttered furiously, anger building up between each word. Aelius, still held in the air with the King's Talons latched upon his throat, raised his eyebrow at the proclamation.
"And here you have proved my point. The decision you have just made, threatening a Griffon elder, was brash, and is a punishable offense in the Griffonian court. And what for? Because I spoke to you the name your father gave? I have no idea why you wish to do this, Sanguis, but it would be a foolish decision that would run your kingdom into the ground. What do you plan to do? Take Equestria and become its ruler?" he asked. Slowly, the anger in Sanguis died down, and he released Aelius from his grip, causing him to fall to the stone below him. As Aelius got up from the ground and dusted himself off, the king spoke.
"No, uncle. I aim to take the world, and become its god," he said. Aelius looked up at him in utter disbelief, and before he could say anything, the king continued, a scowl now plastered upon his face and the anger in his voice from the previous moment not fading in the slightest.
"What, are you shocked? Have you determined I've gone mad? I have planning this for years, uncle, long before this kingdom ever placed a crown upon my head! There was just a piece missing; the idol, and as soon as that griffon from Griffonstone, Gilda, began speaking of its location at the bottom of the abyss, everything had fallen into place. Of course, I already know where the Axe is, and now that it is just within my grasp, the time of reckoning is upon us, uncle; the age of the Equestrian is drawing thin. I will do this, for my nation, for this world...and for her," he explained, saying the last word softly. Aelius had taken a step back, and his look of shock had become a gaze of horror.
"You have truly lost your mind," he began, his voice ever so slightly shaking. "I will not let you do this. The Senatel will hear of your plans, and they will stop you," he said, his voice slightly shaking. Once again, Sanguis began to stare down the aging griffon for what seemed like an eternity before his mouth began to twist in a sinister smile.
"Uncle, the Senate has already met on the matter, and they have given me their blessing, the poor fools. And as for you...well, I'm afraid you've outlived your usefulness to me," he said. Sanguis slowly raised his claw into the air and coiled it into a fist; before Aelius could react, he saw two shadows streak across the midday sun at the very top of his vision.
"What is this--" he began, but he was quickly cut off by two griffons descending upon him at breakneck speed. They both delivered one quick strike with their claws as they came down, sinking them deep into his uncle's chest, and like that, the griffon who had seen Sanguis grow to be the king he was had been silenced, only managing a rough gasp as he expired. As the deed was done, the two griffons yanked their claws from the flesh of Aelius, who had a face of shock plastered onto his corpse. Blood dripped from the griffon's claws, and they looked up to their king, their face void of any emotion. Sanguis, his face equally monotone, motioned with his claws towards the water.
"Sed projicite eum in mare. Planto certus non est inventus," he told them. Nodding, the griffons picked up Aelius's body and soared into the sky, heading towards the horizon. When they were just a speck in the sky, Sanguis could see them drop the corpse, the black dot cascading towards the sea below before disappearing completely.
I've trained them well. None will stand against them, thought Sanguis. They were merely the beginning of a program he had long been waiting to put into action; a breed of supersoldiers, if you will, which he proudly dubbed the Caestus. They were his back up plan; if his scheme fell into place, he could easily take Equestria's Military, and their Alicorn leaders, solely on his own.
He looked backwards, seeing the fish he had caught from earlier; it was still and unmoving now, certainly having perished during the conversation with his now dead uncle. After staring at it for a few seconds, he looked back to the horizon off the ocean, where his soldiers were coming back. Somewhere past that horizon, he knew, was the land of Equestria, peacefully moving about as they always had.
Some are meant to be prey, he thought to himself.