Chapter 10: New Position
Velar stared down the length of the palace storeroom, at the hundreds of rows of identical barrels and boxes. They were each made of the same rough wood, though some were very old and dented from many years of repeated use.
His family’s diamond dog slaves were proving to be the most useful laborers they owned. Burrows were claustrophobic and uncomfortable for birds, but they also stayed the same temperature no matter how harsh the sun and were easier to defend than houses made of mud bricks.
He walked down the aisle, glancing occasionally at the markings on the pad of paper their quartermaster showed him. He couldn’t read of course, except for numbers.
Velar glanced in a few of the barrels as they passed, examining a few pieces of salted pork or chicken. Plenty more held even more boring food—simple grains made more for feeding their livestock than birds. They could eat those kinds of things, though a diet with too much would make a bird feel bloated and uncomfortable.
“Something troubles you, Lord Velar?” asked the quartermaster, tapping one claw on the stone floor as she spoke. “Are my tallies in error?” She sounded doubtful as she said it—how would he even recognize a detail like that?
Velar shook his head. “It’s not that. Just thinking of all the birds on the streets above. This storeroom doesn’t look like it can feed New Scythia until we return home.”
“Until…” Giselle, the inventory bird, suppressed a laugh. “Last I checked, we were thinking a decade was the shortest prediction for the time we can return to Accipio. Lord Velar, this isn’t even enough for one year. Considering how much of it has to be planted… you’re seeing six months here. New Scythia will need to become self-sufficient before next year, or else we’ll all starve.”
“That’s… fantastic,” he said, passing the pad of paper back to her. “Great work, Giselle. My father says to stretch this as long as you can. As of now, we’re putting anyone who isn’t on full duty onto half rations. Pass the word to the combat lords accordingly.”
He could hear her claws clattering on the stone as she hurried to keep up with him. “Aye, milord. You know they won’t like that.”
“I know no one will like that,” Velar said. “But the sooner we start conserving, the longer our food will go. Those on full duty can keep full rations. Maybe that will motivate more birds to work.”
“If there was work for them to do,” Giselle muttered. Velar didn’t look back. Didn’t even glance over his shoulder as he left her behind.
His guards were waiting at the door with several large candles to light their way in the gloom, and he followed them up from the palace basement to ground level. Up here there were many more soldiers, all still armed and dressed for campaign.
Compared to the place in Accipio, this place looked like hurried children had built it. It was built to the same plan as the old one, with five massive pillars holding up a single concrete dome that formed the central access for the palace. Living quarters for birds and other honored citizens in upper floors. Except that instead of elegant mosaics set with precious stones, the floors were plain stone and unadorned. There were no glowing crystal chandeliers, but open skylights instead, and candles to light when it got dark.
It was like watching a wartime camp trying to transform itself into a city, and not doing a terribly good job. Yet the palace was a place of luxury and sophistication compared to the city outside. Velar knew he didn’t have much time—but he made his way forward anyway, past the bright red rug meant to indicate to the visiting ponies which way to go, past the rows and rows of guard dressed in the exact same clothes. Past the rushing servants and slaves.
The palace didn’t have doors yet, only a massive doorway that would one day be filled in with something strong and defensible.
Accipio’s palace had been on the highest peak, meaning he could step out here and look at the entire city. Now, he would have to fly.
But he didn’t fly. Velar just looked, taking in the identical, squat frames of mud bricks rising slowly taller by the day. As in Scythia, those families who were most important or most loyal had their residences closest to the palace. There was much empty space near their small homes—places where their manors and little gardens would one day go. But for now, it was hard to tell the home of the rich apart from the home of the average citizen.
This was the sight the pony princesses would first see of Accipio in their lands. He hoped it would be enough to impress them, because it was all they could manage.
House Victory’s growing city of Conquest was supposedly much more impressive already—they were located in a forest, with tons of lumber they could use to build their homes. Virtue had not had the advantage of that handicap.
“Hard to believe that the pony rulers will be coming here,” said Anthony, the head of Velar’s personal guard. He followed Velar’s glance with his own, expression dark in the gloom of early evening. A row of massive braziers burned along the palace steps, leading any bird or citizen who had the right to an audience with the emperor. In practice they were just trying to show off for the ponies.
“Not really,” Velar said. “They were bound to get involved as soon as we were here. We’re living on their land.”
“Until we take it,” Anthony said, shrugging one wing. “It’s early now—we don’t have cannons, or fortresses, but we will. Might not be so accepting of their rules once we can defend ourselves.”
“You think that’s what my father has been planning all this time?” Velar hoped his tone wouldn’t reveal what he was thinking, though he could never quite be sure. Concealing one’s emotions was more something for females to worry about.
Anthony frowned at nothing in particular. “I think your father is wise enough to change his direction if the need arises. If it seems our crops might fail, for instance. If we can fish no more from the river, if all our hunting fails…”
“I hope we don’t have to,” Velar muttered. “Things look good here. We knew what we were preparing for.”
“Yeah,” Anthony answered, though he didn’t sound completely confident. “Not sure how prepared they were in Kios, though. Word is the forest nearby is already giving them far less in hunting than they were expecting. They’re already shipping in food and winter isn’t even here yet.”
Velar’s eyes went up. “Anthony? I’m surprised you’d be keeping so abreast of current events.”
Anthony shrugged. “Soldiers talk, sir. Even enemy soldiers. We realize the chances of a war with Vengeance are slim right now. Wouldn’t be if we were still in Accipio, but… birds know who their real enemies are.”
Velar pointed up at the sky, where the moon was just beginning to rise. “Yes, that. The planet is our enemy right now. It killed millions of birds. More than have ever died in every war.”
“If you say so, sir.”
Starlight Glimmer was no longer a stranger to griffon cities. Yet as she walked the perimeter of New Scythia’s palace, she found herself wondering if she had ever really known these birds.
They were more adaptable than she had given them credit for. She had expected huddled, starving masses, cowering from the sun in tents. That was how they would’ve reacted in Griffonstone. It was strange to be reminded just how broken a people the Griffonstone birds really were.
If these birds were like them, they probably would’ve just rolled over and let the volcano erupt on them. Some dark, buried part of Starlight wondered if that wouldn’t be better for everyone if they had.
But there was no such submission to nature here. She saw fervent activity everywhere. New Scythia was no metropolis, not yet, but it showed the signs of a healthy city in the making. It was coming to life even faster than Manehattan had a generation ago. What choice do they have?
“Excuse me,” said a familiar voice from behind her. It was one Starlight hadn’t heard for months now, one she had secretly missed. Not that she would have told him that. “Got a moment, Starlight?”
She turned slowly, glaring at the bird she knew would be there.
Velar wore one of the formal uniforms she had seen on him at only a handful of occasions, trimmed with gold. His feathers were straightened, as though recently preened. Like so many of the other birds she had seen, Velar was now bowed down with the crushing weight of the world. There was a gray feather or two on his wings she didn’t remember, though.
“I’m surprised you aren’t in the meeting,” she said, before she could stop herself. “Aren’t you an heir to Clan Virtue?”
He nodded darkly. “I told you, we don’t have all those positions ponies have. While my father lives, I am only his son. A captain in Virtue’s army, but I earned that position…” He trailed off, sitting down beside her on the palace steps.
Without realizing it, Starlight sat down too. “If it means anything, I wish they had let me in too. But there are already enough princesses.”
“You want to be one of them?” Velar asked, raising an eyebrow. “I don’t think it works like that.”
Starlight winced. “No, no, sorry. Misspoke.” She shook her head vigorously. “Immortality is a nice perk, but being a princess really doesn’t pay enough. Having half the world want to kill you is too big an ask. Not to mention having to run the natural cycles and stuff. I can’t imagine what it must be like to be Celestia… know that if I don’t get up in the morning, the sun won’t either. How many ponies would that kill, I wonder…”
“Do you really believe all that, or are you just saying it because you have to?” Velar raised one hoof, gesturing to his personal guard. They all retreated, about a dozen paces away. As far as they could reasonably expect.
Starlight felt a slight twinge of jealousy at that. Their delegation had come with two airships and four chariots, but not one of all those royal guards was for her. She was just another delegate here, not even important enough to be invited to the meeting.
Oh sure, she had been at every planning session for today. She would have to be ready to speak to the princesses during the recesses. She was the unofficial expert on Accipio and its culture.
But they hadn’t given her any guards.
“It’s not really something you believe or not,” she said. “I mean… ponies can come and see it in Canterlot any time they want. I could take you to see…” She trailed off, ears flattening as she looked away. “I mean—”
“I accept,” he interrupted. “I’d love to see your capital, Starlight Glimmer. You spent months living in my home, but I never saw yours. I’m sure it must be quite the city.”
Starlight spluttered for a few seconds, struggling to come up with a polite-sounding way to take back what she had just said. Had she just invited the heir apparent to Accipio on an official tour of Canterlot, without Celestia’s permission? I guess I could just tell her it was a date. “It is,” she said. “But surely, it wouldn’t have to be soon. New Scythia looks more impressive than I could have predicted, but there must be much for you to do.”
The griffon’s eyes darkened a little, and he nodded slowly. “Unfortunately. We fight for thousands of years to create an empire stable enough to run itself, and factors completely out of our control had to fly in and take that all away.” He rose to his hooves, turning away from her. “I hope your princesses are in there sharing good news with my father. The predictions I’ve seen… aren’t good.”
Starlight looked away again. She wasn’t actually allowed to say any of what they had come to offer. “It looks like you’re doing great down here. Do you really need those weather ponies?”
“Yes,” he said, without a shred of guile. “It’s not that our crops our failing. So far as I know, they’ve just been planted. But we need desperately for them to succeed. We can’t afford to gamble this year, and count on buying from other nations. Everyone will be struggling. There will be many empty nests and desolate aeries.”
“Should you be telling me any of this?”
Velar shrugged. “Who cares? The truth won’t suddenly change because I kept it from you. New Scythia has things worse than any of the new cities. We are the furthest from the land we knew. Even making zebras and minotaurs all over the empire into farmers might not be enough.”
“If your father is as honest with the princesses as you are with me, I’m sure they’ll approve your request,” Starlight said. Then she took a step closer, lowering her voice. “You don’t know how much easier this would be if you would just give up the slavery thing. You don’t want to see what the newspapers have started printing about you.”
“Let me guess,” Velar began. “Some pony got lost in a forest or something near one of the new cities, and they’re printing that we kidnapped and enslaved them.”
Starlight had seen several such stories, though in all cases further investigation had proven they were false. But as it turned out, most readers were far more likely to notice the frontpage story than the page sixteen retraction a few days later. “That, and… well…” She met his eyes, looking up into that bright gold. He was so confident.
Starlight Glimmer remembered the burden of leading ponies before. She remembered what it was like to have to make their decisions for them. To do for them what they couldn’t do for themselves. “You have so many slaves. Zebras and minotaurs and everything else are citizens in Equestria. There are lots of unhappy people up there.”
Velar laughed. “You’re joking, right? Equestrians are making a stink out of our social castes? Who are they to talk?”
“I…” Starlight blinked. “What?”
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Oh, Velar has an opinion on their social castes?
I cannot wait to see what grievances he bears. I imagine it will make Starlight very introspective about her own governmental structure.
Feels like an odd place to leave it off. Still, I look forward to seeing more discussion.
Usually I don't really read too much into politics since I find it kinda boring, but for some reason fictional politics really intrigues me, and I love reading it.
Can't blame Starlight for being confused. There's a bit of a difference between "Alicorns rule the country" and "everyone except gryphons are slaves" that labelling them both a "caste system" just doesn't cover.
The birds from Griffonstone have been referenced before as broken and debased. I wonder if it´s true than gryphons have to be warlike and domineeering to avoid becoming like that.
...... Please tell me he's not going to try spinning that thread? He has no grounds to stand on and the 'comparison' he could come up with are so shoddy they would fall apart the moment you examined them. What? Alicorns? They were put in charge by the three tribes as mediators, there are only five and previously only one for the most part. The citizens follow them because they adore, respect, and love Celestia and her rule is rather just. Let's also not forget that Equestria is a democratic society, with individuals being able to gain status and positions through their own hard work and being elected by the people. Let's also not forget that, even though Celestia and the other alicorns have a lot of power, there are still procedures, rules, and the people of Equestria still have plenty of power to do what they wish with Celestia usually just acting as a mediator to the problem.
Comparing any of that to Slavery is an insult. There's not even 'all societies are equally viable or moral'. Some societal aspects are wrong, bad, and should be discarded. So I don't really follow the griffons in their stubborn way except that they are extremely full of themselves.
I'm guessing that Velar is going to say that while non-ponies in Equestria aren't enslaved or subjugated they're still regarded as 2nd class citizens at best and entirely disregarded at worst and will point out at Griffonstone with how the inhabitants are left mired in mediocrity with the princesses doing nothing to alleviate their situation.
Velar you have no moral high ground to stand on to sit down, shut up and be grateful you aren't dead.
Excellent chapter, but I seriously hope Velar doesn't think that the way non ponies live in Equestria is in any way, shape, or form comparable to freakin' slavery. Not unless you have taken some very canon divergent liberties here (it's fine if you have, but that is literally the only way that this guy isn't talking out of his ass). Hope to see more soon!
Yep, Starlight's going tsundere.
Leaving off in a conversation is certainly a change.
are failing.
...Velar has nothing to stand on. There is no way any author could spin this to make Equestria look like it has a caste system. I look forward to your representation of how woefully uninformed griffons are.
Caste system in Equestria?... Is this going to be something along the lines of; Unicorn's are USUALLY owning business or something similar wealth stuff, Pegasus quite often do the weather, Earth ponies USUALLY are in some kind of agriculture thing? And Alicorn's are usually in throne spot or other high place. Sure there are exception's to those.
Guess we will see...
8671958
Actually, we are given zero reasons to believe that Equestria is in any way democracy. It has at least four ruling absolute monarchs (by race, by the way, and Cadence is technically an Empress), one infant that is doomed to rule due to be born to the right parents and with the right set of appendages, a whole class of apparent nobility and not a trace of any significant position of the government being elected. In fact, we have proof that if the only availiable alicorn goes bad, the country is immediately becomes an evil empire (look no further than Nightmare Moon timeline). We don't see any parlament or anything like that, and about two cases of a princess being bound by law, both of which involve Twilight "Never Pulls Rank" Sparkle as a princess, and one of which involves her being unable to stop one of her friends selling another of her friends into slavery. Every time when there's a mention of Celestia punishing someone because she wishes so, everyone just accepts is as a thing that can actually happen at any moment.
So... no, Equestria is not a shining example of personal freedoms.
8672654
"Zero reasons for a democracy" When I said that, I was referring to how Equestria doesn't so much rely on nobility as it runs on democratically elected individuals. Mayor Mare is not a noble, she was elected to her office and so were other mayors and other big officials. Others like Fancy Pants and other rich or important folks were not nobility, so there isn't a 'only nobility can be this important' feature to Equestria. The only reason Rarity had any trouble wasn't because she wasn't noble. It was just because she came from a very small and not rather wealthy town in the country.
The Nightmare Moon fiasco? The reason why that's possible isn't because of her position. It's because literally there is nothing the populace can reliably do besides getting the Elements of Harmony or finding someone even more powerful then Nightmare. She is one of the most powerful beings on the planet so that has nothing to do with nobility but with 'I can just kill anyone who opposes me since I'm an alicorn' power levels. It's like if Vegeta decided to go evil and become earth's ruler. We can't do anything because of his power level, not his title.
And yes, because Equestria runs on laws. They have to follow them. I mean, Celestia even has to or otherwise she would never go to a Gala because she hates them. It's a tradition she has to follow. The show has not shown any way that they have abused or ignored fair laws for selfish reasons.
"Every time there's a mention of Celestia punishing someone because she wishes so" So you mean, never? What are you referring to? Luna and Discord? Sombra? You know, ancient evils that needed to be stopped because they were insane tyrants? The same mare who was willing to give the first two a second chance and whole heartedly believed they deserved another chance despite what they did? I'm sorry, but Celestia has never unjustly punished anyone in the show. Let's forget that the ponies have on multiple occasions gone up to Celestia and voiced complaints, been rude or pushy to Twilight as if her princesshood didn't really matter to them, and are able to share their ideas freely. Not to mention that the papers seem to have the mindset that they can right a slander piece on a princess and get away with it. "Perhaps not with Celestia but with her sister" and Luna had to just take it.
Funny, but one of the shows running themes is personal freedom. One of the biggest we see is with cutie marks, both showcasing that they are extremely important in helping the pony understand and helping them know where they want to go with their life but also not being an anchor since they can pick and choose what they want to do with their life. The show couldn't be more obvious in the personal freedoms of Equestria.
Somebody doesn't know how Equestria works. We'll see if that's Velar, Starlight, or us.
I do look forward to seeing how Velar views Equestrian society. I don't expect it to hold any water, but it should be fascinating to get a sense of his perspective. He's in a position of ignorance, working with his own preconceived notions, personal experiences, vague assumptions, and about six square inches of concrete data. Let's see what he makes of it.
8672902
We don't know that. The only elections that we've ever seen in the show were the one in the school.
...and we know it because..? (no, we don't know it, but we see them acting as nobles all the time).
Oh, of course not. But it has everything to do with the simple fact that if an alicorn really wants to do something, you need that universe equivalent of a nuclear weapon to stop it. Such beings don't obey the law, they write it.
Well, the thing is that the kings of old ruled not because they were the kings. They were the kings because they had enough power to rule.
I'm pretty sure that going to the Gala is her decision, not a law. Like her raising the sun is her decision, no one can really make her do it. Celestia might look like she's bound by the law because she decides to follow them. That's what you get in any absolute monarchy - the monarch obeys the laws until they want to change them. Then they write the new ones and follow those instead. It might look similar to how the things work in democratic states if the ruler is benevolent, but it's ultimately nothing in common.
We see very little of Celestia. We never see her stopping due to some law or another.
We do see her pardoning a criminal just because she thinks he can be useful, though. And not your average wallet-stealer, but a guy who had enslaved the entire country and brainwashed the population not once, but twice.
No, I mean every time. Like, in Philomena episode, for example. Notice that Celestia never mentions that she can't banish Fluttershy and throw her in a dungeon in the place she banishes her to. She only asks why anyone would consider her wanting to do something like that.
No, good old Sunbutt.
Of course she hadn't. But the ponies are quite sure that she can. After all, Daybreaker wasn't Celestia's dream, it was Starlight's.
Yes. The funniest part is that the show has quite a small amount of it, if you look closely. The country is an absolute monarchy where the nature itself is under the direct control of the rulers. The main character of the first three seasons is directly manipulated by her beloved teacher into freely making only the right decisions. Every pony gets a mark of their true talent - the only certain thing about which is that if you interpret it the wrong way, you are doomed to extremely miserable existence - a lesson that was repeated multiple times just to be sure we've noticed it.
nitpicking warning
actually it is the pony’s themselves who would control the weather, I mean celestia and luna probably give a budget to cloudsdale but it’s likely that either a elected official decides what gets things like rain and when or a farmers union or something cloudsdale just seems to make the clouds FOR the weather though either them or the princess do seam to decide when winter comes
8671958
I feel like he's going to say that "Slaves" aren't Actually slaves, and that it's the closest equestrian word they could use to label that social caste. I.E. The citizens at the bottom of the barrel would be the "slaves"
8673600
You would think then if that is the case, the griffons would have done a bit of research into the word or just used their own word for it to avoid confusion.
8673623
Maybe using the word slave is just to make them feel superior and they are more like serfs.
8673680
Yeah, but in many cases in medieval history, serfs were basically slaves to their lords. Given how a number of uprisings happened over its history, not exactly the best system. So while it might not be as bad, still not the best word or system.
8673426
They control the sun and the moon. Pretty sure the effect of the sun being up an hour more each day would have more effect on the nature than the effort of the entire pegasi population of the planet combined. And Luna effectively controls the tides.
8674598
that actually falls under “heavenly bodies” or space or whatever the hell is up with equestrias sky (if that even is a sky, thats actually up to the author. ( indecently if you do read this starscribe how does the sky work in this story?))
8674718
Well, it's still fails under "control the nature as they see fit" category, unless every Equestrian that saw Celestia raising the sun is delusional (including Celestia herself).
Lol... Well, Starlight, you received your own (if former) argument right into face. Try to counter that now
As a changeling lover I have to wonder how they faced this supervolcano... Among other races of course.
9109739
Since they have been hibernating in one for several hundreds of years. Don’t think they mind too much.