Chapter 3: Duel
Gabriel charged, tearing up chunks of rock with his armored talons as he went. The crowd roared, many races filling the air with shouts that transformed into a near-uniform rage. Gaius could feel the bloodlust rising, his ancient blood demanding satisfaction. But he fought that down, as he had done so many times before. Gabriel would not have the discipline, and in doing so he was constantly ruled by his anger.
Gaius had to be something different, something better. If he couldn’t, then birds everywhere would have no future. The empire his ancient ancestors had fought for so many years to build, fighting monsters and rivals, would be destroyed by a random act of nature. He would not allow that.
Neither of them carried weapons—not until the last moment. As they neared, the armor provided weapons—a pair of spiked morning-stars for Gabriel, one in each claw. For Gaius, a single warhammer, so large and heavy he needed both claws to swing it.
They met with an impact that shattered more rock, and sent echoing shockwaves through the arena. As they got close, Gaius dropped his hammer completely, ducked under one of the morning-stars as it went down, and struck at Gabriel’s breastplate with a single armored fist. A single piece of the metal shattered around the point of impact, splintering with bits of still-liquid metal as it cooled.
Gaius felt a shock on his own shoulder as the second morning-star came down on him, and a section of his shoulder plate shattered. They kept on moving past one another, both roiling from the force of the impact. It would’ve been enough to shatter the bones of unprotected birds, as indeed he’d seen it do to many an enemy on the battlefield. There was a reason why the minotaur battle-lords all wore slave collars, even if they were twice the size of any bird and twice as fierce.
“I never understood you, Gaius,” Gabriel said, as they paced around one another, a pair of predators both searching for an opening. “Why would you let an enemy strike you like that? Why close with me if you knew you couldn’t parry both blows? And now here you are, unarmed.” As he said it, Gabriel kicked back against the warhammer, sending it sliding along the floor of the stadium. And to some extent the bird was right—his armor could only grant a single weapon at a time. He would have to take hold of that hammer to change it to anything else. “It’s the same way with this pony thing, isn’t it? You’re too afraid of defeat to be bold enough to take all of it. A halfway emperor for a halfway Accipio. Not for much longer.”
“I’m sorry it came to this, old friend,” Gaius answered, matching Gabriel’s pace exactly. Ready to spring if he looked like he was about to attack. “I’m sorry you couldn’t see. The volcano is set to open under the heart of your land, why couldn’t you of all birds realize what that meant? How much we need diplomacy with the old enemy?”
“That is precisely what has given me the sight you lack,” he answered. “I know what will happen to the birds you wish to rule. I won’t let my children be born into an Accipio without its soul.” He charged again, flailing both of the terrible weapons as he went.
As before, Gaius let him come, prepared to roll with the blows. He led with one side, forcing Gabriel to strike at his intact arm. As before, he had to take a few blows in order to land a few of his own. He didn’t need weapons when he had his hindlegs braced securely against the ground—Gabriel’s own charge lent force to his strikes. With his damaged arm, gauntlets still intact, he bashed against Gabriel’s back legs, breaking more plates.
This time Gabriel was determined to close, and he dropped one of the morning-stars, flailing at Gaius’s breastplate with the other.
Gaius knew the strength of his armor, and he knew that without proper reach, Gabriel wouldn’t be able to shatter it. That weapon took enormous space to swing, as well he knew.
Closing with him was a mistake. As Gabriel beat against the breastplate, Gaius himself secured a grip on the other bird with both claws. Then he started to fly.
There were no rules against flight in Voidsteel battles—why make a specific rule for something only one suit in all the world could do? He heard the shocked gasps from the audience as they rose into the air—his own wings struggled with every beat. More than that, the armor of the suit could barely lift. And Gabriel all the while kept whaling against his chest. He felt the first little breaths of cool air against his feathers. If the breastplate shattered, the rest of the armor would lose its magic until it could be repaired.
The emperor kicked out with three of his limbs at once, dropping Gabriel from nearly the height of the stadium. The armor didn’t have wing-openings, no way for the other bird to steer. He dropped to the ground.
There was a terrible crash as he hit, and a fissure split down the middle of the stadium. Armored birds could fall from such heights without difficulty—but Gaius knew this bird, he’d seen him fight hundreds of times. He liked to land on his back-legs, as most birds did. He put the most trust in those parts of the armor Gaius had weakened. Both legs shattered on impact, probably followed with the bones within. Then the breastplate hit, there too where Gaius had made a small hole. That hole became the nexus for a fracture that split the entire thing into weak sections.
Instead of a living tank, Gabriel was now trapped beneath the weight of his armor, along with the terrible damage probably inflicted on his body. His voice was barely audible from within the helmet, screaming in pain, begging for help, for mercy.
His armorers rushed in from the open doorway to their side. Gaius landed before them, and barked an order to his own Plumage Guard. They formed up in a solid line along the middle of the stadium. “Both parties agreed on the terms of this duel!” Gaius shouted to them. “Any who violates those terms forfeits their life as well!”
Gaius lifted his warhammer in both claws, panting as he made his way to where Gabriel still lay, twitching in vain as he tried to remove the armor from one arm.
“P-please… old friend,” croaked the bird from within. “I c-can live in your new empire. Have mercy.”
Gaius rose onto his hindlegs, lifting the terrible warhammer in both claws. “Let it be known to birds everywhere what fate waits for those who defy the emperor! Let them know the strength of house Virtue!” He brought it down squarely on Gabriel’s helmet. Without the chest plate to power the magic, if offered no more resistance than a tin can. The other bird’s head became a red smear on the shattered floor.
Eerie silence descended on the arena—shouts of indignation and rage from the Vengeance section had all died. Dueling was the favorite sport of birds from all over the empire. But death of the participants was a rare thing. The last time a clan lord had killed another had been before gunpowder was even invented. Gaius caught the face of the pony in his own box, sitting beside his son. She looked shocked, horrified, disgusted—the same things that many of the other birds in the audience were feeling, probably. Just moreso.
Gaius stepped over the corpse, looking out into the crowd. “Let my will be known to all birds in Accipio!” he shouted, voice booming through the silence in the stadium. “Our treaty with Equestria does not make us weak. It means we have the will to survive, even if the cost of that survival will be high. If there is any bird in the sound of my voice who doubts my right or power to take Accipio through this difficulty, let him come forward now!”
He stopped for a moment while looking in the direction of each of the clan’s boxes, pausing to find the clan lord in each one. They looked away, one after another, cowed by the terrible display they had just witnessed. Only when all three of the other surviving clan lords had turned away did he rise into the air again. “You have seen the fate of the empire decided before you. You know now what waits for any who defy my will. Go now, and honor your citizenship. Help us triumph over this terrible enemy facing us.”
The crowd gradually dispersed, uneasy tones following. Gaius had seen carefully, and he had seen no more sign of the dissention that had plagued that initial meeting. His uneasy allies in the other clan lords would all obey his will. Thus was their sacred law, to which they were all honor bound to uphold. Even so, he would have to keep an eye on Santiago of house Vengeance. Gabriel’s son would no doubt hate him for the rest of his life, assuming he didn’t already. That would be one more direction to watch for daggers.
Gaius let his armorers help him into the preparation room, and remained still as they removed the Voidsteel. One by one they placed it back into its containment box, where it would gradually melt into the pure magical essence that composed it. Charged by arcane energies, it would be ready when he needed it to fight again. He could only hope that wouldn’t be against more of his own birds. Let Gabriel’s death buy many lives unwasted.
“Well, that sure was… something,” Guinevere said, as the armorers worked. “Not as long as a proper battle, though. I thought you said you were going to give them a show.”
“I did,” he answered, grunting with discomfort as some of his fur had to be cut away to get the molten metal free. “It wasn’t about giving the senate entertainment. It was about reminding them who rules in Accipio. They won’t fear Equestria’s retribution, so they have to fear mine instead.”
“So determined for peace,” Guinevere said, only a little mocking. Not nearly as sarcastic as she had been earlier that day. “Is it really that bad if the other clans change their mind and decide we ought to conquer Equestria while we’re there? We are the rightful rulers of Equus.”
Gaius stiffened a little, recognizing this technique. This was one of his wife’s favorites—forcing him to improve his own familiarity with a subject by arguing against her actual position. “It’s so easy for birds to forget Equestria’s armies never defeated us. So easy for them to look at pony cities ripe for conquest and not consider what power makes them that way. We already have one supernatural power determined to see us slain. We could not survive three.”
“Of course not,” Guinevere agreed. “If they listened to their wives read a little more history, you wouldn’t have to remind them in such a… gruesome fashion.”
As she spoke, one of the armorers placed the newly-cleaned warhammer into the case with the rest of the armor. As with those items, it started melting away the instant it was contained inside, a steadily-growing clump of liquid, living metal. This was why the breastplate had to be removed last, since once it was back inside the rest of the armor would start trying to seek out a new wearer.
Gaius didn’t get a chance to respond—the doors at the far end of the hall banged open with enough force that one fell right off its hinges. His son Valor was there, trailing behind a furious-looking pony. Despite her small size, and the comical pink color of her coat, there was an anger on her face as vivid as anything Gaius had ever seen on a bird. She was one of the horses with a horn, and it glowed faintly, with the same kind of unearthly energy that powered the armor he was removing. He half-wondered if he should jump forward into the metal box, which would return all the armor to his body. Only wearing the suit would he stand a chance against an angry unicorn.
His Plumage Guard stepped up to close the gap, forming a tight line between Gaius and the unicorn. She actually laughed as she looked at them. But they couldn’t aim their firearms at her, not with his son, who they were also sworn to protect, standing beside her.
“Away,” he called. “Let her pass.” Some of the guards looked relieved as they moved aside, others only more frustrated. Today was not a good day for guards getting to do their duty.
Gaius turned to face her, conscious that only his wife had remained at his side. None of the others in the room with him appeared brave enough to stand their ground in the face of a powerful unicorn. It was enemies like this that made a war with Equestria such a bad idea. “Welcome to Accipio,” he said, unflinching though he had only the breastplate intact on his body. “I see Celestia’s mastery of timing continues to be without equal.”
“You could say that,” she said, without bowing to him. Not that he really expected it from her.
He would not hold a foreign dignitary to the same standards of his own citizens.
“But the princess didn’t tell me I would be visiting the kingdom of a tyrant and a murderer.”
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78.media.tumblr.com/fdb90966867fcdd525b39b65fd47e375/tumblr_mma46f4SJM1qjqvo3o1_500.gif
And this is the mare personally chosen by Celestia as ambassador?!
Come on celestia, you didn't tell starlight anything about their culture or customs. Wait, let me guess, this is some sort of test, isn't it.
Time for a clash of beliefs.
Naïve pony vs. hardened Griffin. 3...2...1...GO!
Armor that is destroyed by being shattered off, weapons that appear out of nowhere, this continues to feel very Stormlight Archive.
Oh my god, Starlight. If you had any concept of the history involved you should know if this was never going to be bloodless. Be appreciative that the birds in charge are the ones who don't want to go out in a blaze of glory against Equestria. Honestly, Celestia should have sent (comics) Blueblood instead, he was shown to have a much better ability to understand non-Equestrian cultures.
Uhhh...is that supposed to be there?
Starlight is officially the worst ambassador. Intolerant, easy to anger, no official training...
It's the last one that bugs me.
8575227
I think Starlight got sent because she's so volatile and unprofessional in how she conducts herself. Celestia probably hoof picked her for ambassadorship for the purpose of scaring the more stubborn griffons into being reasonable.
8575114
That's a bit unfair - Gaius specifically thinks that killing a defeated opponent in a duel isn't part of their culture or customs, and that all the watching griffons likely feel the same way as Starlight does.
I can definitely see why he did it, but if Starlight knows that it's something barbaric by the standards of the griffons and she said nothing about it, how weak would the griffons think Equestria was?
Gaius had his reasons, but I think there's some pretty good realpolitik reasons for Starlight to call him out too.
Another one of those rare fics where I actually like Starlight. Calling Gaius out on his bullshit was completely justified, even if her own history as a tyrant makes her a hypocrite. These people are going to be squatting in Equestria for the next decade, at least . That kind of barbarism has no place there, and she needs to know that he knows it.
If you use Google Docs, I recommend using comments (highlight a word, right-click, click "Comment") to note any incomplete sections of fics rather than all-caps. You're much, much less likely to miss bits like this if you do that. If you don't use Google Docs, then... I dunno, that's what I use, there's probably an equivalent function in whatever you use.
Ah, Starlight. Just... yeah. This is going to be fun!
Oh boy.
8575252
No, that's what happens when my editors miss something. They have been appropriately reprimanded, and the error has been fixed. Thanks for pointing that out!
Starlight obviously didn't read her dossier.
Hopefully Starlight's outburst will be explained in the next chapter. That one line caused believably to waver.
Because even if she only know vague things about this empire, she'd know how brutal they are. Calling out the leader is either remarkably stupid/ill thought out, or she's playing some sort of game (which, considering how manipulative she can be,) seems much more likely.
.....guess we'll see.
Seriously Starlight, SERIOUSLY!? Considering your history and what Twilighr showed you.
SHould have sent Luna
Starlight... Not everyplace is sunshine and friendship. Some beings have to kill for overall good.
Also thinking its ponies that will mess something up, if the treaty at the start was any indication.
Heres hoping griffon culture prevails from this crisis, along with some others.
8575109
Yes, the good old Sunbutt knows who to send.
Seriously, she's perfect exactly because she's as bad in the actual diplomacy as you can get. She doesn't have reservations about telling what she really thinks, and remember, she destroyed the world at least seven times because she thought it was a good idea. Who would be better in reminding the catbirds that should they even dream of misbehaving while in Equestria, their fuzzy butts would be readily handed to them on a silver platter?
8577317
Except Gaius is the one here trying to keep shit together and preventing the griffins from doing something stupid in Equestrian territory. He had to duel and kill one of his oldest friend to prevent his authority to be questioned, and now Shitstorm Glimmer has just insulted him in the face and with the nobles as witness.
This is less of a faux pax and more of a giant faux leapfrog.
8577353
Yes, he did that. A thing his own people consider a bad thing - showing everyone that he'll do anything to push his way through. Starlight must remind him that such methods won't be fine in Equestria. And what she must not do in such a situation is to show any catbird that she's weak (not speaking her mind when it's clear she has much to say is a sign of weakness). Because it would undermine the position of Gaius far more than anything else - his birds would lose what little respect they have for the enemy they can't defeat. Which would end especially bloody.
I sure hope Starlight enjoys the taste of the hoof in her mouth. Something tells me somepony didn't follow Twilight's recommended reading list before this trip.
Mind you, Gaius might need to hear what she has to say, but this is still the polar opposite of diplomacy. I can only hope that she won't try to "fix" the situation magically.
...well, everything that can be said about the ending has been said already, we'll just have to see where it goes.
The duel itself was great, showing both how ruthless and how clever Gaius is.
Still not clear on the griffins' gender dynamics. Maybe the males care more about being warriors and so just don't bother with "egghead" things like reading, but Guinevere and other wives seem to have some place of honor for it rather than regarded as necessary tools.
8577317
You do know the world wasn't actually destroyed in six of those seven timelines, right? God, you people love to exaggerate.
8577353
You clearly don't know how diplomaCy works. Best Pony Starlight Glimmer knows what she is doing.
8577851
You do know that Starlight did the right thing here, right? You really need to learn how good diplomaCy works in a situation like this, because clearly you don't know. Considering the Griffin culture, this was the right approach. It's the same way with similar cultures in our own world. The Griffin culture is not weak like the American one.
8730600
I wasn't talking about those timelines. Starlight destroyed the main timeline each time she made a new one.
The fact that Twilight was able to restore it doesn't change that.
When I heard about voidsteel for the first time I was reminded of Adamantine the metal the drow elf use in the Forgotten realms universe. I was also reminded of Sarevok's intimidating armor in Baldurs Gate.
And THIS is exactly the kind of mindset which convinced the NAZI party to attempt to take over the world. The combat and the rules thereof, if it was agreed to, there can be no quarrel of right or wrong if one dies. It is a crude but direct and effective means of settling disputes.
And Starlight *sigh* you do NOT waltz into the presence of an enemy who would rather rape, enslave, and probably eat you and start calling them names. Barbarian or no, you are still dealing with a cunning enemy who has the capacity to think and plan.
Whoah, careful with the m word there