Better Lairs and Landscaping

by Titanium Dragon

The Everfree Forest

Lord Tirek towered over the forest, grinning. This was it; this was the power he had been seeking all this time. Discord, the little ponies... nothing compared to this.

"I see," he said, clenching and unclenching his hands, fists now the size of boulders. He could feel the power surging through him, racing over his skin. It suffused every inch of his body, flowed through his core, crackled in the air around him, waiting to be released. "To think, those princesses had all this power, and do so little."

He laughed. "No matter. I have vision. And I know exactly what I am going to do..."

Far below, he could hear the puny little creatures yelling at each other, but without their magic, they were nothing; they might as well be ants. Yes, that's exactly what they were; small, colorful ants, dancing around for his amusement. But there would be time for that later. For now, he had a job to do.

"Now let's see here," he said, reaching down, his hand fumbling for the magazine before he scowled. Where was it? Had he dropped it? Had that pony taken it from him? His eyes narrowed, looking back down over the shattered landscape, but there was no sign of the thing, not from where he was standing.

Lord Tirek growled as he turned his head to look for the pony, but she had gone, along with her friends; fled from his presence. How foolish of her not to do so earlier. But apparently the ponies could learn proper fear. The thought bent his lips in a cruel smile.

No matter. He had what he wanted, and with his height, he had an excellent view. An excellent view of ugly, unsightly trees. But he could fix that.

He smiled as he felt the power building between his horns, faster than before, an incredible surge of energy leaping forth, blasting the trees aside as if they were so many twigs. It was a heady thing, and he did nothing to hold back his elation; this was going to be fun.

Clenching his teeth together in a mockery of a grin, he stepped forward, sweeping his head from side to side, whole trees being ripped from the earth as he uprooted them as if they were tiny weeds; nothing was a match for his power, not now. He wasn't old, he wasn't weak; he still had it in him. And he would prove it. This would prove it; ponies would speak in hushed tones of the former forest, now reduced to nothing but sawdust and wood chips for the paths in his garden. Perhaps he would erect a statue of himself for them to kneel before in obeisance, for when he wasn't around, busy surveying the rest of his kingdom and shaping it to his will.

No, not erect; why do that when he had such power at his command? He could carve out an entire mountain to communicate his glory.

He took another step forward, roaring as his power swept across the landscape. Yes, no one could stop him now. Everyone would bow to the might of Lord Tirek, and know his glory!