Drake's Empire

by Pentel123

Chapter 37: My World Now

Chapter 37: My World Now

"And I've got friends on the other side." -Dr Facilier from Disney's Princess and the Frog

Idrytikó stumbled as the void swirled and shifted. When it stopped, he was standing in a gray stone brick hallway. The bricks were hard against his hooves, an odd sensation after so long in the unfeeling void.

”Looks like that Drake creature is more up to the challenge than I thought.” Idrytikó looked up and down the hallway, before jogging on in the direction he was facing. ” I hope I find him before the others do. For a supposedly grand rulers, my successors have always been a little short sighted.”

As Idrytikó loped along the hallways, he passed windows which showed the downward sloping layout of Forum flowing away from wherever he was, but the city was no ruin. Strange buildings of glass, metal and a uniform grey stone filled the area outside the windows. Their windows glowed with a soft white light that washed out stars in the sky.

Taking another look at the sky, Idrytikó realized that the constellations were the same as those that filled the void. ”I wonder if that was intentional?” He thought, rounding a corner and losing sight of the outside world. The stone hallways echoed with his footsteps as he continued deeper inward, searching for Drake.

* * * * * * * * *

Elsewhere, Drake sat on a throne rising from the center of a room that had formed around him as he exerted his will over the void. Initially, he’d collapsed into the chair, not realizing how much energy putting Kallyn’s advice into practice would take. The room was roughly the same size as Forum’s main library floor, but instead of bookshelves, an open expanse laid out before him. The walls were lined with images of his past. Some bright and clear, others darker, and some fading into obscurity.

Behind his throne, banks of screens with a running status of the various magical systems of the Empire provided information to whoever could read them. A bar running across the floor from either side of the throne separated them from the rest of the room.

“And here I thought.” Drake muttered taken a deep breath. “I wasn’t supposed to get tired while on these astral planes.” Composing himself, Drake pushed out of the throne. Catching a view of the screens, he mosied over to the nearest one. Red highlighted text drew his eye. Drake started to read, but quickly cried out in frustration.

“FUCK!” Drake shouted when he saw the language on the screens. “I shouldn’t be surprised. I really shouldn’t.”

Everything was all written in Minotaur runes which Drake had barely begun to learn. Modern Equestrian had taken most of the time Spike was with him. Learning the common script used by most texted in the library hadn’t been that hard. Despite Discords potential millennia of rule, the alphabets were mostly the same. The only real obstacle to overcome was differences in spelling and sentence structure.

Runes on the other hand were a whole different beast. Each rune was a word, sometimes even sentence unto themselves. For additional complexity, runes took on different meaning depending on the other runes around them. Drake was learning how to read it, but still had a long way to go.

Just as Drake resigned himself to trying to work through the runic text there came a loud knocking from the front of the chamber. Indecipherable shouting followed by more knocking made the door infinitely more interesting than the rune filled screens.

As he walked, Drake realized whatever was on the other side probably didn’t want to have a civil conversation. If they did a single series of knocks would have been enough. Perhaps a second after a reasonable waiting period. As he mentally prepared himself for battle, grey steel plates began to form around his body. In his hands Seeleformer took shape. By the time he stood outside the door Drake was ready for whoever desired his attention.

The door itself shook as what lay on the other side pounding rhythmically. Already the wood cracked and splintered under the force. The hinges groaned in protest. The bar across the door bent and creaked further each time. Drake shifted uneasily. As he debated throwing the door open before it could be knocked down, the pounding stopped. In its absence the sounds of shouting grew.

Curious as to what could distract such a motivated force, Drake placed his ear against the door. Whatever was said was badly muffled by the door. All he could tell was that two voices were arguing, and one sounded familiar. Drake stepped back and looked at the door, the only thing between him and whatever stood on the other side. It also prevented him from knowing what was going on.

Deciding ignorance was worse than whatever lay beyond, Drake carefully opened the door. He hoped the ongoing argument outside would be enough to distract them from noticing him.

Drake cracked the door and peeked out. A crowd of Minotaurs stood near the door, their backs turned. They had formed a horseshoe around two of their number. On the side closest the door a truly archetypal Minotaur stood pontificating. His flesh stretched taunt over bulging muscles. His blue fur shone in the light, drawing all eyes to him.

Across from him stood Idrytikó with a tired and bored look on his face, like a father listening to the seventh hours of his toddler’s story telling. The speaker finally ceased and Idrytikó started speaking.

“Trelós Tha, I knew you were crazy, but I didn’t know you were stupid. You want to smash down those doors and kill the one hope we have to bring any sense of stability or restoration to the crumbling ruin that the Empire became because your obsession with perfect order eventually gave birth to a spirit of chaos.” Idrytikó lead off.

“There is no proof-“

“Now when for the first time in millennia, and it has been millennia since anyone tried to take the crown and responsibility that you usurped after a civil war, you want to refuse them the crown. A crown we let you take because we saw the declining state of the Empire without an Emperor to lead it.” Idrytikó said. A number of heads in the crowd nodding along with him.

“The Empire is mine and my descendants. I won it through strength of arms and they kept it.” Trelós said, a few voices rising in agreement.

“And the Tha lead to its destruction. It is over Trelós, let the new era begin.”

“What right does this pretender have to the Empire. It belongs to the Tha.” Trelós said angrily lowering his horns and menacing Idrytikó with them.

Drake had been listening to the debate. He now saw an opening and called out. “As much right as you cow!”

The mass turned and faced him, the angry eyes of Trelós’ supporters and the concerned eyes of Idrytikó’s scanned him over. Trelós stomped up to him, towering over Drake.

“What are you?” Trelós asked before seeing the hammer in his hands. “Are you a joke? You are the one to have falsely claimed the Empire? You aren’t even a Minotaur!”

“No, I am something far different, but that’s not important right now.” Drake said, refusing to back down. “And like I said I have as much claim to it as you. I have taken it by force of arms, with an army at my back and the willful surrender of your only living descendant.”

“I refuse to believe something as scrawny as you could possibly defeat my descendant or his forces.” Trelós said.

“Your inability to think is not my problem,” Drake said, causing the crowd to close in.

“You think you are better than me,” Trelós said drawing back a fist. “You are nothing.

Trelós threw his fist forward. Drake acted quickly, having seen it coming and deflected it with his hammer. Trelós fist hit the ground, leaving a crater where it hit. His supporters prepared to jump in, but Idrytikó’s voice stopped everything.

“Cease this foolishness Trelós. I have spoken with him at length. He is the new Emperor. I pledge for him. Who will have the courage to do the same and see the Empire restored. Who will see it made more than a bunch of degrading ruins, occupied only by a bunch of trapped souls incapable of doing anything. Shall we instead continue to wallow in our memories and misery?” Idrytiko asked the crowd.

A number of voices rose up to join him, but those closest to Trelós remained silent. His jaw tensed, and veins stood out on his forehead as hair stood up right now his neck. Finally, he snapped. Turning on the others.

“You fools, this is not some group agreement matter. I am the Emperor. I make the decisions!” Trelós roared. My descendants are but extensions of my will that answer to me, and the thought that any other will rule is-“

Drake laid into the back of Trelós head with Seeleformer. He had heard enough to know he was going to be impossible to reason with, so he wasn’t going to bother. Before Trelós could react Drake hit him again, again, and again.

“I said I have as much claim as you. You who say your claim is based on strength of arms.” Drake said smashing Seeleformer into Trelós’ skull, splatter brains across the floor.

“How is this for strength of arms.” Drake stopped and lifted the hammer only for Trelós to start moving as his skull reformed. Drake smashed his skull again leaving the hammer in place this time.

The other Emperors and Empresses backed away from the scene. Idrytikó moved forward and spoke. “If there are no other objections?”

None of those gathered spoke up. “Then let us consider this done.” Idrytikó said. “Galakto, and Panikós please find something to deal with Trelós. Drake, let us move on to the next step of your coronation.”

“Alright, let’s go into that room,” Drake said pointing back over his shoulder with his thumb.

“Very well. There is much yet to do.” Idrytikó said falling in behind Drake who lead the crowd into the room. As they walked Drake cast a glance over his shoulder at Trelós and wondered if he was heading down a similar road. As quickly as the thought came he shook it away. He would worry about that later.

The Empress Galakto turned to Emperor Panikós. “What do we do with him?”

“Drag him to the cell block I started in. I think I remember where it was.”

“Works for me.”

* * * * * * * * *

“There are three steps to becoming Emperor Drake. You have completed the first two. Acceptance by the living and acceptance of your predecessors. Now you must accept the responsibility of your rank. It is good we came in here. Before you changed the astral plane an Emperor candidate would trace the map of the Emperor across the sky. Now...” Idrytikó trailed off with a shrug

“I can figure out details of the first two steps, but you do you mean by ‘accept the responsibility’ of my rank.” Drake asked.

“What was the reason you bothered to hunt down the last Tha, now called Will I think you said, when you could have left these enchantments to the distance past?”

“Because Epistaties said the Emperor controls enchantments and it should let me bring the golems under, oh.” Drake said as he realized what was to come.

“Exactly. By accepting responsibility, you will be taking control of the Empire’s enchantments. Though I have no clue how you are supposed to do that.” Idrytikó said.

“Well someone is going to have to help out, because I am at the ‘See Spot Run’ level on reading your runes, and that is being generous to myself.”

“What do you mean everything is in runes?” Idrytikó asked.

“Take a look for yourself. I am pretty sure the enchantments are all over these screens.” Drake said, inviting Idrytikó to look more closely at the banks of screens behind the throne. Idrytikó looked closely for a moment before turning to the crowd.

“Nános Tha are you here?” Panikós called out looking over the crowd. “Nános if you can hear me please come here.” There was some jostling in the crowd and eventually a very diminutive Minotaur worked his way to the front, a Minitaur as it were.

“What do you want Idrytikó.” He said doing his best to stand tall next to the oldest spirit in the room.

“Can you read these?” Nános looked at the screens for a moment then answered.

“Of course I can. What can our illustrious new hope not comprehend his own creation?” Nános asked turning a critical eye on Drake.

“Look for someone from a completely different reality, in a different body than the one of his birth, learning a bunch of other shit already I think I am doing pretty well to even know a few of the words on those screens.” Drake said

“Pah, do not give me lies and excuses.”

“Actually Nános he is telling the truth.” Idrytikó said, nodding calmly when Nános looked at him like he was crazy.

“Alright then. We will talk more about this later. You take great liberties thrusting an Emperor not of this world on us and withholding that key tidbit of information.” Nános said, holding up hands to stop retorts. “I’m not going to try and withdraw support or prevent it, not now anyway.”

Nános began reading then turned to Drake. “It want to know if you accept responsibility for control and maintenance of the Empire’s Information Enchantment. It was a system that let the emperor know the status of all the other enchantments within the Empire.”

“Okay, how?” Drake asked

“Place your hand on the interface panel.” Nános said not taking his eye off the screen. “The rest is warning with keywords highlighted and examples of the information it will provide and how.”

“Coolieo, now what and where is the interface panel?” Drake asked looking around until he spotted an indented square on the stone platform the screen rose out of. “Think I found it.”

When Drake placed his hand on the indent it lit up with a bright green light before fading way. The screen changed and filled with red highlighted lines. “Let me guess, it is routing the information to this screen and it is all bad.”

“Yes. Shall we continue on?”

“This is going to take a while ain’t it?” Drake said looking at row upon row of screens.

“Yes.” Nános said. With that the two of them began churning their way through the myriad of controls Drake had to accept to become Emperor. As Nános read, the others would speak with Drake trying to impart wisdom and recommendation. Drake listened, but most recommendations were discarded once he realized that, trapped on the astral plane as they were, the Emperors and Empresses had no clue what they were doing.

Instead, his thoughts drifted to what kind of Emperor he was going to be. Since the moment he arrived in Equestria, he’d been driving headlong to achieve his desires. He had fought, killed, manipulated, connived and guided others into his wake or the grave. What kind of ruler would he been in a year, ten, one-hundred? How was an Emperor a guiding hand? How did being a despot allow one to be subtle? Was he going to be another Trelós who was consumed by his own ego or was he better than that? These thoughts occupied his mind as they continued through the enchantments.

At long last, they finished. Drake turned to Nános and Idrytikó. “What now? How do I get out of here?”

“All you need to do know is wake-up. I don’t envy you the head rush that comes next.” Idrytikó said, the assemble chuckling when he did. With that he thrust a hand out catching Drake off guard and knocking him over. As he fell, the world went black.

* * * * * * * * *

Drake opened his eyes and moved a hand to shield his eye from the sunlight shining in his face. A feeling of fatigue slammed into him. Sore feet, stiff knees, and tired arms let their anger at his long idleness be know.

A cry rose up from guards posted around him. One flew off quickly while the other approached him.

“Emperor Drake, welcome back. How are you feeling majesty?”

“Tired, how long was I standing there?” Drake asked. He took a step and stumbled, Seeleformer falling from his hands.

“Close to a week, your majesty.” The griffin said looking over Drake. “Epistaties is on his way. He has expressed a desire to speak with you.”

“You aren’t a -” Drake started to ask the griffin. He was interrupted when information began pouring into his skull. It felt like his brain was on fire as thousands of years of stored messages poured in. He fell to all fours and laid his head against the ground as the pain darkened his world.

An unknown time later he opened his eyes again and found the griffin standing over him.

“Are you sure you are well majesty.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Drake said shaking his head and working through the dull pain. He could feel the information and control in the back of his mind, but ignored it for now. At least you know what Idrytikó had meant by head rush now.

“It was just the enchantments making a connection. As I was saying, you aren’t a MacFarweather are you?”

“No your majesty, I’m a Mistral.” The griffin said standing at the ready to serve, and likely report back to the heads of her Family.

“That explains it then. Do me a favor and go get me some food and water. I don’t think I am going anywhere anytime soon.” Drake said, dropping to all fours and stretching gingerly as a gnawing hunger grew in his belly and the dull pain in his mind join the rest spreading to the rest of his body.

“Right away your majesty.” The Mistral griffin said. She bowed then rushed away. A few moments later Epistaties arrived at the head of long train of griffins, ponies, and changelings looking to make of for a week’s worth of his absence.

“Welcome back to the world of the living Emperor Drake. You will be happy to know the Golems starting working properly two day ago. They aren’t attacking anyone anymore anyway, so if nothing else this has been a success. If you don’t mind my asking what happened to you these past five days?” Epistaties said. Drake chuckled. Then began laughing.

“Five days, really. I didn’t realize it was that long, and yet it feels much longer. I will tell you everything later. For now it is sufficient to say I am in control, but we are going to have a talk about my title and the government later. I got to see something- I can't describe it well here. We’ve got to talk though, okay?”

“Understood your majesty. Now-“

“DADDY!” A voice called out before bounding over the crowd and landing next to Drake’s face. “Finally back in the world of the living. Good, there are a pair of griffins you have been ignoring and it has been making our room foul.” Emerald whispered into his ear as she hugged him.

“Yes I am back Emerald. I think I have to take care of some governance then I will be right there.” Drake whispered back. Emerald broke the hug and settled down in the crook of Drake’s arms as he turned to see the six Family heads waiting to speak with him.

“Are you ready to get down to business?” Tempest said the others nodding with him.

“Yes.” Drake said, feeling content to finally have achieved a level of the power he desired, but concerned by the vision of a possible future Trelós had offered.

---

Trelós is crazy
Galakto is short for Galaktokomeío which means dairy
Panikos is Greek for Stampede
Nanos Tha is Midget Will

Author's Note:

New chapter for you folks. After this we will take a break from Drake and go see how Spike is doing.

Thanks as always for Likes, comments and Favorites. Remember that comments and feedback are welcome and help make this story better.

Comments

[Ravatar]

This sounds pretty interesting.... Imma give it a shot XD

[Elitrino]

Eyyyy

[stephen51991]

~He's got friends on the other siiiide~

[Hoppa_21]

7662354

I'm no animal expert. I only know the raw basics. But I thank you for the information regardless!

As a side note, my point still stands though.