> A New Empire *Being Rewrote* > by LifeIsForPenguinHugs > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > A New Dawn > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The hustle and bustle of people and carts moving, all doing something and nothing at the same time. Voices shouting random numbers hoping for a better prices that someone was peddling. Yet that large log building was lonely and silent, but a young man was heading toward it. He was nervous and jittery, it seemed it was his first time in the Capitol. His head darted side to side and then down to a piece of paper indicating where he needed to be. As he walked up the clay stairs a pit of fear ate at his stomach and he wondered, 'Is this the right building?' Despite the building having a sign that read, 'Palace est. Year 1 Of His Rule', sadly it was a fear that many had. After ten minutes of his glaring at the sign, the paper, and the large door knocker he moved to gain entry. With a large sigh of fear he gripped the the brownish-red circle and gave it a loud three knocks as per instructions. As he stared at the log door a thump sound could be heard. It grew louder and louder until it stopped at the door, a loud serious of metal being scrapped lightly against other bits of metal happened and the door squeaked open. With said door open a tall figure covered in caramel brown metal. From head to toe nothing that indicated this being before the man was even human. Small slits for the beast's eyes was in the head and the rattling of chains could be heard before no sound was heard between the two. After what felt like years the Guard spoke, "Are you Baron?" It took the man now known as Baron to interpret what he was saying. But before the Guard felt he was a threat, he spoke. "Aye, I am Baron." The Guard's armor slits gazed at him with no emotion and he beckoned for him to follow. His chains rattled quietly, nearly eerily. Their steps echoed down the long halls, it was rather awkward as neither party spoke. Soon they were met in a sudden moon change, light flooded the halls and the guards were in a dark more silver armor. The style, however, was the same as the one in the brown armor. As they crossed a threshold of the door and entered the Throne Room and saw the King on his Royal Chair. He was slouched over, his elbows were on his knees. He gazed over and saw the duo enter and his back straightened, his mouth curved up in a smile and he spoke in his soft, yet commanding tone. "Ah are you the messenger I sent for? Baron, right?" His smile still there as he stood, Baron bowed down in front of his ruler. But before his knee could touch the ground the King's hand was thrust out, "No, Mr. Baron I don't need that now. This is a official matter that can forgo any ceremonies." Baron could only nod his head in understanding. The King rose to his full height and he towered over all in the room by one and a half heads. "Come with me," as he walked down the small stairs the two guardsmen started to follow him. He stopped and spoke, "Major, Sergeant please lead us to the observatory." The two sped up and turned a sharp right in the middle of the room and headed for a corner. Baron was confused until one of the Guard got on their hands and knees and the other climbed on their back an jumped up. They grabbed a ledge and pushed a wood plank up and out of the way, their arm disappeared in the inky black and it soon threw down a ladder. Baron was shocked to see something like that, the sudden appearance of the secret passage caused his inner-child giddy. The Guard that lifted and lowered the ladder fell from the ledge and climbed up the ladder like a squirrel climbs a tree. Soon the King jumped on the ladder and went up and disappeared into the inky blackness, then the last guard went in. He was the last, but as he stepped on the wooden ladder the weight shifted. A sudden jolt of fear overtook him and he became rock solid. The King's voice echoed from above, "Come Baron we have work to do." Baron closed his eyes tight and slowly lifted one leg up and set it on where his other leg rested. "No, you climb a ladder leg over leg not leg to leg." Baron could hear the disappointment in his voice, and it made his very soul sad. He, once again, slowly climbed up the the wooden construct of doom. A loud sigh echoed from above and a cold metal hand grabbed his shirt and yanked him up. The darkness enveloped him and he shivered, he lay on the ground in a curled position. His breathing was ragged and his shivering was hard. The metal hand still held his collar and it drug him down the pitch black hall, the light at the end of the tunnel came in a bright white wall. Soon the Guard and Baron were in a open room with many windows built inside the log walls. It was amazing, the King stood above him. His hand jutted out and Baron clasped it and he was pulled up, the King wrapped his arm around the young man and walked him to a large window. He gazed at the city, passed the city sat many villages, hamlets, cabins and miles upon miles of cobbled road. But beyond their domain in the sat a dark forest, while it was not as big as the one in the south it held a fear and superstition of monsters and witches. Yet even beyond that was the small cap of a mountain, the King's eyes were glued on it. "Baron you see that mountain?" It took him a moment to find his mouth and for his brain to remember how to talk. "I need you to go their and talk with the...Equestrians." Another pit opened in Baron's stomach and fear clawed upwards to his mouth, but before it could be expelled into the world the King spoke again. "I know, they have done many atrocities on our people. But now we have a chance to get those in slavery out and let the ones they call 'pets' free from their oppression!" The King's voice was filled with excitement and electricity as he spoke. His aged eyes filled with energy and anger as he spoke, no yelled. He soon fell quiet in is excitement, but Baron's mind created a question and he spoke it. "Why don't we just wage a war against them?" That one, simple question stopped the Monarch is his tracks. With a heavy sigh he spoke, "Their Monarchs would do one of two things. 1: Push the sun closer to us to fry our kingdom or 2: Crash the moon into us." This crushed Baron's spirit and he sat in quiet reflection. "So you want me to make them our friend?" A quiet, manly chuckle escaped from the tall guard. The King sighed once again and spoke, "No, after the centuries of them oppressing us I don't think our people would accept it. No I'm content with the Diamond Dogs as our allies. Baron please follow the Major here, he'll show you to a room and then we can go to the Royal Tailor to give you, your needed garments." The duo's footsteps echoed through the pitch-black hall, when the remaining guard spoke in a feminine tone it caused the King to jump slightly. "M'lord are you sure he is best for the job?" He blew a gust of air through his nose and replied, "No, he was at the top of the list of available couriers. Wish the other guy didn't go about wandering a lonely road to a cliff." He chuckled slightly before speaking again, "I do hope he is somewhat incompetent when he goes to that damn Fat Ass. Bitch eats cake while her frontiers need to forage for food." He looked at the mountain cap at anger and raised his middle finger towards it, "I hope you choke on your many cake forks you Fat Cunt." His anger somewhat quelled he turned and beckoned the Sergeant to follow him back to his throne. As the darkness enveloped them the sergeant spoke, "Do you think we will succeed in our endeavor?" "Sergeant we can only hope to succeed, if not then we pray we die quickly and we go up instead of down." > First Steps into Two Worlds > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- The air was still, the birds were singing their songs of life. The sun rose as it did and a small garrison of troops stood around the dark forest and watched as their king and an impromptu ambassador talked and wished each other good fortune. "Baron, this is the most important event in our history since I came to power. I trust that you can do this and lead the newly founded Messenger's Guild to great heights. And I wish you God Spede in returning home." The large man swung his arm around the boy's neck and guided him to the forest, "Remember the plan, deliver the scrolls and before you reach the Pony-Settlement dismantle the crossbow. We can't let them know all of our secrets, now can we?" The King exhaled from his humor and patted Baron on his back. The many chains clacked and rustled as he was moved forward. The many troops clapped and whistled as Baron walked into the unknown, to change the course of the world be it for good or for some other purpose he did not know. Birds became silent as he trampled through bushes and saplings, he used to spear's shaft to attempt to clear a path that became unsuccessful. He then decided, rather annoyed, to simply walk through and risk getting ticks and chiggers. Small branches whipped at his exposed legs and made him suck air through his teeth. The green tunic he wore started to itch, the sun was right in his eyes and he was starting to get hungry. In short, he hated his mission already. He quickly glanced over his shoulder and saw the garrison make their leave. When he watched them crest a small hill he realized that he only went maybe four yards. With a small swear he turned back around and walked faster than his previous pace. The crossbow clanked to his right side and he rested the long staff on his left shoulder and marched onward. The sun was now in its zenith and the heat was starting to slow Baron down and made his walking became slower than a crawl. The tunic's armpits were now soaked in sweat and the salty liquid dripped down his forehead and into his eyes. Using the scratchy wool Baron wiped his eyes and managed to cause more suffering with a grumble from his mouth and a roar from his stomach he decided to take a rest and eat something. He threw down his leather pack and nearly instantly any pain started to ease away at a steady pace. He smiled in bliss as he flomped down and jammed his hand into the guts of the bag and pulled out a small cloth bag containing beef jerky. His smile widened greatly, nearly dividing his entire head, and tore into the dry, salted meat. He groaned as the meaty strips entered his stomach it felt as if a party was happening and nearly everything was invited. He started to grope inside once again as another hand continued to eat, he found a squishy leather sack that contained water. Baron yanked off the top and started to drink it in many gulps until he realized what he was doing. "Why am I doing this?! I could be out here for days or weeks and would and...and I may not find anything edible again!" He looked at what was left and sadly only found one strip of jerky and less than a quarter of his water supply left. With a sigh he picked up his dropped equipment and slowly went on. Within the next day he was out of his food and water supply. The sun was once again sweltering, his arms and legs were covered in bumps that itched incredibly and his mouth was dry and his stomach was roaring for food harder than it was the day before. He was more miserable than he was the day before, but his day was starting to look up. Baron's body was bent down breathing heavily but he stopped when he heard the magical sounds of hope, running water. His ears perked up and his body jumped up straight. His heavy frown instantly turned into a madman like grin as he sprinted to the source of the sound, he ran through bushes and was whipped by many tree branches as he sprinted for his last hope in the world. He fell to his knees in joy as he found the small creek of bubbling water. He used his hands as a cup and took many small sips before diving his head into the cold water. He took many drinks before resurfacing for air, when once again he dove his head in and drank like it was his last. It was a long while before he drank his fill as he, for the last time, resurfaced he shivered from his now lower body heat and gazed around at the banks. And saw another hope filled miracle: a berry bush. Baron stood and took a step backward and leaped across to the other side, he did not entirely make the jump as his boot covered feet landed in the cold water. Now as they squeaked when he walked he started to pick the bright blue berries and many of them were overripe and leaked their purple juices onto his hands. With many of them in his hands he nearly threw them down into his gullet and he was happy for once since he started his journey. He could not sleep, for the monster was following him. He had no clue what the monster was but it followed him. The berries, for some reason, caused him to vomit repeatedly and he had to stop crawling every five minutes to relieve himself. Tears streamed down his face as Baron used his arms to crawl over sharp rocks and weird roots, the birds laughed as they puffed on a pipe. He screamed and yelled out but the monster did not waver. It persisted and kept on waiting for him to keel over, but he couldn't die here. He had a mission to accomplish but he wanted to die but he could not, he had to do this. He cried harder as his stomach cried in pain and damned him to an eternity of pain. He wanted to let loose a torrent of tears but he could not find them but from his mouth came the sounds of some dying animal, he rolled on his back and his face contorted into fear as he saw more eyes and heard clicks of some unseen monster. His arms slowly reached for his crossbow and he throw it at the many eyes with all his might, the wooden body made a hearty whack as it hit something hard as if it was oak. He kicked his legs backward and he threw the quiver containing his bolts, now came for his spear to do what it was intended for. He used the staff to help him stand and he as he stood. The unseen beast roared at him and the eyes flew at Baron and the beast roared in pain as the pointy stick was now jammed into its body. The eyes reeled backward in pain and a sticky tree smelling liquid hit his tunic and stained his skin. With the last of his strength spent on slaying a monster he fell on his back stared at the Pony on the Moon and his last thought was, 'This ground feels like a dirt road.' Before he slowly passed off into a heavy slumber.