Chapter 43: Emperor
“Evacuate the palace,” Velar whispered to Anthony, his voice low. “You can’t raise your weapons to help me, or else be taken by Starlight’s spell. I’ll have to fight this alone.”
“You’re more than an equal to him,” Anthony whispered back, before saluting one last time. “It’s our turn for some revenge, Velar. For your old man.”
“We’ll have it.” And he meant it. House Virtue was more than deserving after all that Vengeance had done to their city. And to his family.
Anthony rushed off. The evacuation order spread through distant shouts. Velar couldn’t follow them, or help. He would have to hope that they could figure things out. Santiago was just the sort of bird to try to use some helpless creature as a hostage to make him surrender… and he couldn’t, not with the terms set as they were. He would kill far more than any one bird, even if that bird was his mother. Or if they were Starlight.
Santiago seemed to guess what he was thinking, because he laughed bitterly. “You think I would dare involve someone not party to our duel? Well, maybe you’re not as dumb as you look.” He smacked the side of his head, and the helmet clanked down. “It was supposed to be your father who knew my vengeance, not you. You should’ve made like a good bird and stayed dead.”
“Unity protects the ones he loves,” Velar said, knocking his own helmet down with a smack. With a little effort of will, Velar summoned his weapon, which bled metal off his body in little rivulets until it had appeared there. A greatsword, easily as long as his entire body, surprisingly light for its size. But not weightless—it would still have inertia.
Santiago’s own weapon—a massive spiked warhammer—appeared a moment later. “You repeat the lies your priests whisper to slaves. You and I both know that they aren’t true. If Unity exists at all, it is to reward those who triumph and to punish the weak. Unity will judge me the better ruler for the empire, and the world after that.”
“We’ll see,” Velar said, rising up onto his hind legs. It was a fairly difficult position, one that few birds could master. Ancientstance granted greater reach and flexibility than many other forms, but far less stability. Santiago was no plush bird, pampered up in a palace. He assumed a perfect stance with his warhammer, low and ready to swing. “I don’t think Unity would judge your actions as strength. Trying to take advantage of Equestria at a time when we needed them most. They gave us kindness, and you rewarded them with a dagger.”
He swung—not swift enough that he expected to hit anything. And he didn’t—Santiago backed away, then followed up with his own strike. Not really aimed at Velar either, but the ground he was standing on. Stone splintered, but neither bird was hurt. It was only the opening exchange.
Velar’s own swing had enough momentum with it that he had to continue forward, towards the empty thrones. The high table was already on its side, and many of the benches the nobility used were overturned or hacked up. Was there a battle in here already? I thought Vengeance hadn’t breached the palace yet.
“It will be good to finally return the ponies to their place,” Santiago said, lifting his hammer high for another strike. But still they remained at a distance, each just on the edge of their reach. “They’ve remained unconquered for too long. Lording over us with myths about the sun and stories about immortality. We’ll see all that torn down when this is over… or, if some of it is true, then shared. Your father never should’ve accepted a peace bargain. Mine would’ve happily led the invasion in perfect loyalty. Fighting like this… only weakens us. We will need more tenacity when we fight Equestria.
“You will need an army,” Velar said, grinning smugly in his helmet. “A single Equestrian destroyed yours. If they’re not finished killing each other, they will be by the time I’m done with you.”
Santiago roared, smashing his warhammer down again, not even aiming at Velar this time. The stone above the castle basement was far weaker than his armor—it splintered, and Velar went tumbling with a screech. His whole body rumbled and thumped for a few seconds, until he crashed to the ground like a bag full of glass.
He was standing in the granary, surrounded by barrels of ale and huge bags of grain. His sword was on the other side of the room—and Santiago leapt down towards him, ready for another mighty swing of his hammer.
It was a long fall, long enough for Velar to dodge. Well, some of it. He couldn’t avoid the blow entirely, but he’d rather get hit by a bird in armor than a warhammer specifically chosen to shatter Voidsteel. Even so, he felt his breastplate crack under the impact, and one of the smaller plates on his hind legs shatter completely.
Velar ignored the pain, rolling Santiago off his back and smashing him into the ground with all the force he could. The hammer flew out of his hand, even as Velar smashed it against the stone basement. His gauntlet exploded, and Velar kept smashing, holding him down until his helmet started to crack.
But then Santiago threw him off and leapt onto him in a grapple.
It was as though all their many years of civilization were forgotten in an instant, and they were two wild predators meeting again in a jungle. Their massive armor hardly slowed them down as they battered together, first a slash from Velar, then a tackle from Santiago. They crashed together through a shelf of wine, and bright red liquid spilled all around them. Santiago held him down a second, apparently not realizing that Velar’s helmet was undamaged and that he couldn’t be drowned. But Velar reached down, gripped his sword from where it had fallen, and banished it away.
Then he was hoisted back up and kicked again.
Velar soared through the air, straight up through the opening they’d made to skid along the floor of the throne room. Benches shattered to splinters, though a few chunks sunk through one shoulder plate and into his flesh. Velar moaned, remember his training. He could hear pounding from downstairs—Santiago climbing. His armor couldn’t fly.
He burst through an open doorway moments later, clutching his warhammer in both claws again, and dripping with red liquid. Velar imagined it was all the blood of New Scythia, called back from the slaughter Santiago had ordered.
“Pitiful,” he said, advancing slowly across the room. “First blood already. I was hoping you would let me enjoy this. After the first time, I imagined you would be harder to kill.”
Velar didn’t call forth another weapon, though the sight of Santiago advancing towards him with a massive warhammer raised certainly made it hard to resist. One more blow might shatter his breastplate, and if that happened… the fight would be over. “You’re overestimating yourself,” Velar panted, backing up towards the throne. “I was ranked higher than you in the dueling ladder. Back in Accipio… you’re just seeing what you want to see.” He reached down, yanking out the chunk of wood in his knee. No sooner had he done it than the armor sealed down over him. It couldn’t heal the wound, but it would stop him from bleeding to death. At least until it’s removed, or the whole leg shatters. It was only buying time.
“Dueling is another lie,” Santiago said, smashing through the high table with his warhammer. He didn’t need to—but there was nothing stopping him either. Ancient wood went everywhere, and there was now nothing between them. Velar couldn’t back up any further, not with the throne behind him. “Think about it. Dueling is like honor—a list of rules, rules that prevent us from getting things done quickly. This war would never have happened without honor—we would’ve gone straight for Equestria’s capital, spent all those months training for an invasion. I’m sure you could’ve tortured that unicorn enough to write whatever letters back we wanted.” He lowered his voice dangerously. “When I get my claws on her, I know I’ll keep her alive long enough to enjoy it. I’ll never get back what’s owed to me after what she did to my army, but I can sure try. And… maybe pay the ponies back, once we reach Canterlot. That city is too proud.”
He shoved through the ruined wood towards Velar. Velar kept still, clutching at his wounded leg. Santiago swung.
But Velar wasn’t much slowed. While the huge hammer soared over his head, only the rod glanced off his back as he passed inside its reach. Velar tackled Santiago again, this time smashing him sideways into his mother’s throne. Broken marble showered down around them in a dusty haze, even as the back of Santiago’s breastplate cracked.
“That’s for trying to kill me!” he screamed, smashing Santiago’s head against the back of the throne. The helmet shattered into bits of dark metal, dissolving to smoke around his neck and drifting away. He gripped firmly against his shoulders, going back for another blow—but too slow. Santiago kicked him, and he staggered backward.
“Your mistake…” Santiago breathed, reaching under the gap in his armor with a claw. “...was assuming others live by the same rules.” A handgun emerged from inside, its barrel almost as wide as Velar’s eye.
He acted by reflex, trying to doge. But they were so close—Santiago couldn’t have missed if he tried.
There was a deafening explosion in the throne room. He thought he saw the gun explode in Santiago’s hand, sending bits of shrapnel in all directions and taking the claw with it.
Then Velar felt a charging buffalo strike him in the chest. The ground blurred past him, and the world turned to foggy haze. He heard a distant voice, maybe Santiago’s voice, maybe just the ringing of burst eardrums. It hurt everywhere, but he forced himself to look down. His breastplate had shattered, and the armor on his limbs was getting heavy. It had probably saved his life—but he was already losing speed.
Velar was only half aware, but he forced himself to his feet anyway, staring down Santiago as he advanced. The other griffon limped, avoiding putting his weight on the reddish blur that was his claw.
“Meaningless…” Santiago was saying, his voice drifting in and out. His warhammer banged and clanked as he dragged it along the hall towards him “Your priestess is the best in the world, and all… blood. To grow it back. When this is over, there will be plenty of blood to spare. I wonder whose I will use… Starlight Glimmer’s? Or Guinevere’s?” He reared onto his back legs, gripping the warhammer in his one good claw. He wouldn’t have to move much to bring it down on Velar, who could barely move to begin with.
Greater reach. But less mobility. Velar faced Santiago down, his whole body shaking. His limbs were freezing in place. He had enough energy left for one more movement, perhaps, before the whole suit locked and he would need technicians to remove it.
“Goodbye, Velar,” Santiago said, spitting blood onto him. “I’ll be a good emperor, I promise you that. Say hello to Gaius for me.”
He swung. Now. Velar focused his will, calling back his weapon—a pike this time, that appeared from Voidsteel. He surged forward into it, gripping it with both claws and driving it up through Santiago’s exposed neck. He felt hot blood for another few seconds, the crash as his hammer shattered a wall behind him.
A few coughing splutters escaped Santiago, his eyes wide with terror. Then he fell limp, and his weight took Velar down with him.
Velar fell hard, feeling his other shoulder shatter as he went down. But it didn’t matter—Santiago didn’t get up.
The war was over.
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Good riddance. I wasn't exactly cheering for Velar, but I know a lesser evil when I see it. Nice chapter.
"Ding dong, the a-holes ded"
Right up until the end, he thought he would win. Not even a single Equestrian destroying his army made him doubt his victory.
That is some fierce level of denial.
Might seem petty, but you might want to change the 'For your old man' part. Unless humans exist in this setting, then nevermind me!
Awesome. Even better than what I was hoping for.
Nicely done, Velar. Now, for you to survive to become Emperor.
Yeah, nothing says "behave" like sending a single pont who wouldn't bat an eye at vaporizing every last griffon if they'd just give her the smallest of excuse to fling lethal combat spells around, even ones that can dice even alicorns into pieces or kill the physical form of a draconeques.
Who needs an army of guards to oversee small stuff like that amirite? Lol
Anywho, enough joking about. Totally giving this one a looksy, looks interesting.
Santiago is a fool. Your Empire manage to conquer all the world minus Equestria. All attempts to do so have failed and ratghe then study WHY they failed he denys it and explains it away by dishonor.
Also you are not in any condition to pull this off. the key thing your predacessors have you don't is the infantstructure they had. you are in the midst of resettlign and rebuilding.
You weren't worthy of ruling a hotdog stand much less an Empire.
9149610
Velar beleives in Peace with Equestria and his view is from centuroes of propganda.
>just a little more until the end
No.
No no no no no.
Tell me you mean "until the end of this part to be continued in the sequel". The BATTLE is over but the politics, intrigue, and personal trials have just begun. There is no possible way you can wrap all that up in a chapter or two.
Um, did he consider possibility where Starlight just, well, kills him? Or anyone else, really --- he's alone, bleeding and without helmet, and crossbow bolts in the face are known to be bad for one's health. Also, what guys with crossbows were waiting for?
Well, can't maintain a mind control spell and save a griff...
Gilda. . .
This story... is sooo....AWESOME!
God, I haven't been that engrossed in a long fic involving Equestria vs Griffons/Moose/etc in years!
Starlight was so damn good in this. The mane 6 were just a distraction and just needed to be explained away, but it worked really well obviously and the build up was great. Introducing us early on as to the what to use against the whom was well executed.
The implications of a young curious and enamored young mind taken by a more experienced and blood crazed griff... and still many short of maybe those who still remain such as a certain monk.
I wonder if Starlight and Veral will ever shag. Seems like that might be possible down the line depending what happens next when ponies find out.
There's so much I want to touch on like Gina and Isabel, loved those two. Luna and the batponies. The few instances of Starlight, adorably, bringing up all the "Why Can't You This or That" that was used to explain away stuff as if some readers would immediately before continuing would charge to the commentsbox to cry foul. Lol Yes, readers, others did it too, but Starlight did it adorably.
On that last part. It's more a testament that it didn't disrupt my immersion, you always had characters mo ing, acting, or in a situation that demanded another's insight that all made sense and feel natural enough that it could be taken with a simple eye roll and a grin. Many if not most people would even notice these moments so again props on never overdoing those moments where author invades characters to explain away the how come you cant just, parts.
Typing anymore on this phone really aches my bone fingers so yeah, I just binged this story and it is HELLA MUST READ BY ALL!
I only wish we could have seen some Starlight vs griffon battle ahe couldn't just easily Starlight herself out of. Well, fic is still far from over potentially so here's hoping.
Kick ass job!
9151001
To be fair, the ponies were just as deceitful in their gestures purposefully giving them almost inhabitable lands or places rife with danger and even going so far as to even move, granted this one comes after grievances over wording, to a place that would almost immediately spell their doom should they try to do anything or cause enough concern over possible safety concerns for ponies, a frozen death for all their people. Essentially forced banishment.
In almost all options offered to the griffons by ponies, they almost all rely on griffons needing Equestrian help in order to survive their stay. Smart move, strategically,but they would fool no one.
I wouldn't want my way of life taken from me either, ponies wouldn't stop at just free all the ponies. It'd be war eventually. I can sorta respect house Vengeance in taking steps to make a sort of backdoor to ensuring their people would be able to takeup arms should ponies impose too much authority over their way of life.
Too bad he only cared for absolute dominance.
9151250
Yeah, but in this case, the way of life the ponies would be objecting to would be the large-scale use of slavery in the griffon nation. To put things in perspective, that was the same argument the Confederates used when they rebelled against their government -- they didn't want to lose their way of life, but the way of life they wanted to protect was fundamentally based on the enslavement, oppression and dehumanization of millions of people.
In this situation, I would ask what's more important -- the griffons' desire to be a slave-owning society like they've been for centuries, or the slaves' desire to be legally people instead of property and chattel?
9151791
It's not my place to force a people to change. At best, one can only work towards slowly attempting to reason, and provide a doorway for helping those who truly want freedom away from their masters. Much how a slave that entered the northern states that didn't allow for slavery. Once you set foot on that soil, you're free in a sense.
It's easier to do with a younger generation at best. But 10 or even 30 years won't guarantee change.
In the end the best I can see is Accipio returning home with a little less slaves at best. They know they'd need help rebuilding their homeland and with how their system works it's not one you can call wholly unfair. We have millions of slaves in our prison system constantly exploited for cheap labor and it's a lucrative business for them to keep people flowing in and out of prison.
Ever heard of the zero check system? A system made to seek out and add at least one crime onto those who've committed none?
It's always easy for outsiders to look at a society and assume the worst of its people. Like America judges and continually attempts to force other countries as to their views on consensual age for marriage, polygamy by some that view it as oppressive when it's more political fear of a house growing too wealthy and influential, and views on punishment and more. But fail to see the way the world views them as barbaric and oppressive and find disgust in how America treats its people.
Imagine if a world power existed that viewed us the way a majority of non-americans view our current society and wished to go to war to remove our government, corporations, and federal systems out of power. Then leaving us to fend for ourselves. Or worst yet, what some would do if we were taken over. Told us our old ways aren't healthy for us.
And so what if in 50 or so years our country developed into a more submissive but peaceful country. Would the you of today agree to changing and giving up whar you know and indulge in now for the promise of a better tomorrow?
It's a common practice to exploit a moral highground. Get the people behind you and any attack can be justified. All wars were paved with good intentions. But we never question the possible motives behind these pretty sounding words.
So no, I do not abide by slavery. But nor would I force the slaves and their masters to give up their culture for my own beliefs in what is right or wrong. At best I can only enforce zero tolerance for any attempt to enslave or attack my own people. Enforce border laws like asylums and such. Beyond that, I'd attempt to foster trust with a firm show of force to show we would be more than willing to defend our people.
A compromise at best, allowing slaves to accompany their masters on Equestrian soil so long as those slaves wish to stay with their house lords under the stipulation that should that slave ever call out for asylum and be freed, than those lords would have to release them from their service willingly or it shall be done so by force which would also come with fines and temporary ban from doing business within our borders. Permanent depending on any proven grounds of abuse and or repeated offenses of denying one their right to freedom should they seek it.
But hey, I'm not the Princesses. If they want to make more stringent demands and risk a civil war that could decimate cities and its ponies, by all means. Considering the odds, the griffins still hold a significant advantage and if anything Giovanni had managed to prove the Alicorns not to be the unstoppable force they were once perceived as. Giving possible credence to perhaps ancestors did pne time slay an alicorn. For a warrior race that's quite the awe inspiring tale.
P.S. I got tired of redoing this reply. It's all I'll say on the matter. But things can't be solved with attempts at strong-arming someone into submissiveness. That never ends well.
For a given value of civilization.
Turns out that being a better duelist did mean something.
9151001
I am aware.
Get wrekt Sandiago. Sayonara.
9152150
Well, it worked on the Germans, the Russians and the Japanese very well. Hate to break it to you but violence will need to be used sometimes.
And the prison labor thing is stupid. Idiots break the law, and get punished, they are given free food, better health care then most people can afford, and taught skills that they might use when they get out. All at the taxpayer's expense, having them pick up trash on the side of the road is not "slavery". Its making use of labor from people who would otherwise be sitting around wasting tax money. Read about the prison systems before you claim people who broke the law are slaves.
Taxpayer dollars.
You also claim the bombing on Japan was necessary but it wasn't. It was also wholly unnecessary to target only main highly dense civilian non-military location which was used to strike a critical blow to their population. It was also rushed out to show a force of might to the Russians who were offering aid and about to enter the war. Denying help and snubbing their president left a bit of a rift in relations to say the least.
American Prison Institutions are a joke. Skills? How many ex-convicts, many of whom haven't committed a single violent act or paid for their crimes with a good chuck of their life behind stone walls, are able to get a job good paying respectable livable wage job after getting out of prison? Hell, most minimum wage job places fast food and other won't even give them a time of day. It's damn hard to find a job that would take you with a criminal record much less one that pays a livable wage, and that's IF you have high demand skill sets.
If you've a problem with how taxpayers are 'forced' to pay for prisons, prisons that only give the basic of healthcare with a HUMAN GOD DAMN RIGHT and which maybe NEXT TIME YOU GO TO VOTE TRY VOTING FOR SOMEONE THAT CARES about HEALTHCARE.
*cough*
But they do that mainly since they are forced to, as to prevent spread of disease and such that can spread to others and those entrusted to maintain security.
There's a difference between protecting and enslaving. And there are damn well many forms of enslavement. It exists today on a proverbial and literal sense. It's all around us. It's an epidemic everyone turns a blind eye to. With minimum wage having stagnated for over two decades now, and having even many democrats fight against raising minimum wage and imposing penalties on big corporations making billions on the backs of its under-payed employees still having to get food stamps, is it any wonder why we have so much crime?
Healthcare could be free today. For everyone. Right now. Everyone get equal access to the same care. But do people like you bother to blame the politicians you voted for is voted at all? No. It's always some sense of entitlement like one sole person pays for everything as if our government couldn't run without them. The same government that spends 2 times more in military spending on shiny new toys that go almost completely unused most the times than two of our biggest rivals China and Russia combined.
There's so much wrong with people's way of thinking. They think only of their own benefit. There are real world problems that can't be solved the more individuals keep that sort of mentality of "Why do I have to pay for them" instead of "Why isn't my government doing more for us" instead.
Comparing mentalities in Equestria to our own world's wars isn't quite the same. You can try to force change overnight, or take it a step at a time. Subjugation on a people, especially slaves who only know one way of life no less, will cause unneeded bloodshed. The fact this so-called overpowered griffon society was able to conquer a whole world's other sentient species outside of Equestria, not sure if Equestrians are powerful because of how rich Equestria is in magic itself or that's the result of ponies having such innate gifts, says a lot.
Not to mention they're supposed to be masters of alchemy. Piss off enough of these griffons and who knows, you could end up losing more than you ever hoped for. Sorry, but if might alone solved problems we wouldn't have such high crime rates and terrorist attacks all over the place. Just be thankful other countries haven't entered the Arms Race yet to try and catch up to the US. Eventually we'll all be pretty equal. It's an inevitability, so flaunting your power now to force others into your own beliefs will eventually backlash. People have an eerie level of patience. They can bide their time until they feel the time is right to strike a crippling blow to win back any lost freedoms and it can and will come without warning.
Anyhow, it's whatever. I'm not one for giving a damn about money. All that shit is good for is ego boosting and self-indulgence outside of getting what you need and paying for living expenses. We as a society of complacent individuals with the look out for yourself mentality is why we get presidents that could care less for improving healthcare for all its people or making college less of a paywall so all can aim to get equal higher and more mandatory education.
There is so much wrong. Anyways, it's my birthday and I'm not going to sit around wasting anymore time on a horse site debating morality to people who want to justify genocide and prejudices.
The griffons as I said before will lose a lot of their slaves. But short of a bloody war or shown a proper and true way to be self-sufficient without giving up their ideals, their traditions, I don't know what to say. It's someone else OCs in an AU that's basically a moral compass fic. Judge how you all see fit. I'll just be here waiting on a new chapter whenever that comes.
9152150
You can make people change. That was the purpose of the Nuremberg trials after all.
I realize I should have shouldn't have brought an argument into the comment section, I should have sent directly to Telaros instead of posting here. I apologize.
So, here's a review instead, as I've managed to finish the story!
First off, the world building is incredible. It sounds real, and is very rich in background lore. You have done a remarkable job of showing, and not telling. The pace is great, and the characters don't sound like they're part of a reality TV show, having everything they do narrated.
And on the topic of characters. They feel, real. Both flawed and with redeeming qualities that balance and complement the characters. Starlight is extremely interesting, and her changing view and understanding of the griffins culture was very enjoyable to watch unfold.
Velar is by far my favorite though. While a great number of people (like, wow, I don't understand why so many people are pissed at the griffins in general) see to cast all the griffins in the same light, I think Velar is the most realistic and relatable of the characters. He's seen what the rest of the world is like, and realizes that while the griffin way works, and works well (like the Roman Empire did), it has flaws that need to be addressed if they want to survive. Watching him battle his upbringing and changing understanding of the world is the best part of the story in my opinion. He is also the most "moral" of the griffins.
The antagonist is also interesting, he actually believes he's in the right, which makes him scarier then he would have been otherwise. He's also cunning, a trait that sadly I don't see in villains very often anymore. His stunt with the gun in the last chapter before dying showed how far he was willing to go to reach his goals, as bad as they were.
And portraying Celestia and Luna as not utterly godlike was a nice change of pace. It takes the conflict and stakes out of the story if they can't be killed or hurt by a "mere mortal", the fight for survival became, a fight for survival when they were both injured. If they could just swat the griffins aside like it was nothing and were "just holding back" the story would have been much duller. (Though I would have still read it, your prose is magnificent.)
I really enjoy your writing style, not cramped and fast paced as some of the other authors I follow. The word variation is great as well. I don't recall noticing any repeating words, and the words complexity and depth varied as well.
And finally length and location of scenes. Damn near perfect in my opinion. One of the worst things a writer can do is drag a scene on and on with no change in view or location. In the last battle in void armor, the constant movement and chance of location, however minor, made it more engaging to read. Its better to make a description of a scene too short then too long. Yet you manged to balance it perfectly.
I really look forward to the last chapters and seeing what happens to Starlight now that she has used such a devastating dark magic spell.
The worst one is finally dead, hopefully along with the rest of his honorless house, not that they were much worse than the rest to begin with. Let's see if anything changes, or if the same barbarism is left in place to do even more damage.