With the Griffonian Empire a shadow of it's former self, many wonder when the it will finally die. However, once you hit rock bottom, the only direction you have left to go is up...
The year is 1007 ALB, and the Griffonian Empire lies dying.
Suffering from a combination of major revolts, rampant corruption and power hungry griffons vying for power, the Empire's direct holdings have shrunk greatly from it's glory days.
With the health of current Emperor Grover V in very poor condition and his son being a mere child unable to rule, the Empire braces itself for another violent power struggle. Whoever wins the coming struggle, whether it be the religious conservatives under the guiding talon of Archon Eros VII or the ever wise cousin of Emperor Grover V Gabriella Eagleclaw will still have to contend with the task of healing an Empire long on the decline.
Facing it's darkest hour, many Griffons pray for the Empire, as many of them know only one thing is certain:
May Boreas save the Empire, for no one else can...
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The amazing cover art is done by none other than the ever so lovely mushroompone, make sure to throw some love their way! Not only are they incredibly talented at drawing, they're also pretty damn good at writing horsefics! So check em out, and tell em General Soarin sent ya!
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This story is inspired by the popular mod for Hearts of Iron 4 Equestria at War, especially it's content on the Griffon continent. Please note that while I will try my best to keep the story accurate to events and characters that are prominent in the mod, I will take some creative liberties in making sure that I can tell a proper story as at the end of the day, Hearts of Iron is a war simulator. However, don't let that stop you from playing the mod if you haven't already or getting your hands on the game, it's a fantastic mod made by ludicrously talented people that I highly recommend you check out!
I hope you enjoy, for this is my first time writing MLP related fanfiction in a long time. Also...a word of warning, this story is completely unedited as I have lost contact with many of my previous editing/proofreading friends in the fandom. So if you see any spelling or grammatical mistakes, please point it out so I can fix them!
The Emperor sighed deeply as he sank into the seat of his private train car, the soft cushions feeling blissful on his tired bones. The meeting regarding various protests breaking out over the new Imperial Railway over the high price of tickets had dragged on for way too long and predictably ended with the consensus that the Imperial court would merely “Keep an eye on the protests and see what they could do about the ticket pricing”. Another pointless meeting that Grover the Vth didn’t want to attend but was required to oversee.
As he settled into his seat, Grover took off his heavy crown and placed it on the stand next to him, relaxing as he felt both a literal and metaphorical weight being lifted off of him. While he was only 47, Grover could feel his health failing as each day passed on. With the Empire almost completely collapsing in the Revolution of 978 when he was only 18 years old, his reign had been a hellish nightmare as he not only struggled with his inherently sickly nature but also tried to keep the Empire from fading from existence. It was no secret that many griffons hated him, yet he tried his hardest to be a good Emperor...an effort that few recognized.
Turning his gaze beyond the window, Grover gazed over the fields of central Herzland whizzing by as the train continued it’s journey back to Griffenheim. This railroad tour around the empire had been exhausting for him, yet he couldn’t help but enjoy the natural beauty of his realm. From the green fields and the majestic and powerful Grifking river flowing through the middle of the Empire to the dark yet enchanting woods of the Barony of Angriver...if only every griffon could see the realm like he did. It was too bad that while the land itself was beautiful, the griffons lording over it were cursed with greed and ambition.
Grover’s blood boiled when he thought of the griffons that currently ran the Empire, splitting it into their own petty fiefdoms while only officially recognizing Imperial authority. The nobles sought only to line their own pockets while he tried desperately to push reforms to help his subjects. The Emperor knew that he was the only thing keeping the Empire from falling apart all together, but that was merely because he existed. And judging by his health recently, every griff knew that he would not exist for much longer.
As his health crossed his mind, the sickly Emperor’s thoughts drifted to his son. Barely a chick at four years of age, he was one of the few lights left in Grover’s world. Despite his incredibly young age, the little Grover displayed a distinct sharpness and curiosity that filled his father with hope. The Emperor desperately wanted to live as long as possible, for he knew that once he died, the Empire might not hold itself long enough for his son to ascend to the throne. But if Grover could live long enough, the Regency would be short enough to give his son a chance to be a truly great Emperor.
Despite the warm feeling of thinking of the future potential for his son, Grover soon succumbed to a horrible coughing fit that left him feeling sore and incredibly tired. It seemed that despite his desperate wishes, Boreas had other ideas for the ailing Emperor. Getting to his feet, the Emperor slowly made his way over to the bed that was graciously provided in his room and climbed into it, feeling slightly better now that he was lying down. A short nap would help him recover his strength and make it to Griffenheim …
Eros hummed quietly to himself as he looked through the latest reports from the other Archons. More of the same...some promising griffons becoming priests, a steady decline in temple attendance, and attempted interference in the Archonate’s affairs in some of the autonomous provinces in the Empire. Closing his eyes, the 93 year old griffon rubbed the bridge of his beak as he leaned back in his chair, soaking in what he had just read. What worried the elderly Archon the most was the final portion of the report dealing with the attempts to subvert the Archonate’s authority...heresy that in any other time would be swiftly and harshly dealt with. Yet now he could do nothing but compose a strongly worded condemnation, maybe talk with His Imperial Majesty when he returned from his train tour of the Empire.
What a sad state of affairs the Empire had found itself in...long gone were the days where all griffons would regularly attend temple service, where griffons looked towards the heavens for guidance. Maybe that was a result of modernity...or maybe that was a result of the moral decadence that plagued the land. All Eros knew was that Boreas was punishing the Empire for it’s fading piety, cursing the land and its population to a painfully slow decline and that something must be done about it.
Opening his eyes again, the Archon pushed the report aside and pulled out a quill and parchment, sighing deeply as he prepared a reply to his fellow Archons. He’d have to respond with the same thing he had sent to address the last report, an explanation that he’d bring it up with the Emperor and try and get him to make a speech denouncing the heathens that would dare try to interfere with the affairs of the Gods Messengers. It was deeply unfortunate, yes, but given the current situation his hands were truly tied.
He was about to begin writing when a knock on his door interrupted his thoughts. Irritated, he turned his attention to the oak door leading into his study. “What is it?” the elderly griffon snapped. There were a few moments of silence before the voice of a young guard answered him. “Your Holiness...I just got a call from Benito. He says the Emperor has fallen into a coma, and he’s been rushed to the palace hospital.” the voice reported. Upon hearing this, Eros dropped his quill in surprise, quickly feeling a tide of emotions crashing over him. The Emperor...was in a coma?
It was hard to believe...Emperor Grover the Vth might finally be passing on. Eros remembered leading the then 18 year old Emperor through the secret passageways of the Imperial Palace to flee the Republicans that were rampaging through the capital in the Revolution of 978...how he promised that the Emperor would be okay and no harm would come to him. Yet...here he was now, hearing how the Emperor was soon to embrace the claws of Boreas himself. Finding the strength to stand, the Archon made his way to the door, opening it to reveal the guard standing there, anxiously waiting for a reply. The Archon looked at the poor griff in front of him silently for a few moments before motioning for the guard to follow him and making his way down the hallway.
“I want you to call the rest of the Archons and tell them to make their way to Griffenheim post haste. Tell the Archons and only the Archons, we cannot allow the general public to know of this yet. We must pray for His Majesty.... For his fate rests with Boreas now.”
It never ceased to amaze Dutchess Gabriella Eagleclaw how beautiful Griffenheim looked from the air. From the massive ornate sprawl of the Imperial Palace to the modest brick and mortar apartment buildings and workshops that went on for miles and miles. Even the Grand Temple of Boreas, easily the largest building in the city stood majestically amongst the urban sprawl inspiring awe in the Dutchess despite the decrepit Archon who inhabited it. Such a breathtaking city would be a perfect place to live if only the griffons that inhabited it weren't so insufferable.
Making her way to the front gate of the Imperial Palace, the pink griffoness landed gracefully, smiling as the Imperial Guard at the gate gave her a salute before pulling open the massive golden gates. A refreshing flight after spending so long cooped up on the train from Readewetter worked wonders for her mental state as she would need it to face the bickering of the meeting of the next Council of Nobles. Making her way through the sprawling outer complex of gardens and administrative buildings into the main palace itself, the Dutchess hummed quietly to herself as her thoughts drifted to what was on the agenda today. The most pressing matter was the addressment of the increasingly hostile Archonate. Infuriated at Griffenheim’s attempts to reduce the budget going to the construction of yet more fancy and elaborate temples throughout the Empire, the Archons called the council's efforts “An affront to the Gods” and claimed that the nobles only wanted to stuff their pockets at the expense of the faithful..
It was no secret that the nobility of the Empire was corrupt, after all it was that corruption that nearly saw the end of the empire itself in the Republican Revolution of 978. While it was true that Gabriella had led the counter-coup that overthrew the new Republican government only a year after it’s inception and reinstated the Empire, she did it in opposition to the violent and targeted persecution of nobles in the months following the Revolution. Yet in doing so, she had enabled the corruption to continue, a cancer that continued to strangle the Empire to this day.
Despite the fact that she hated the corruption of the nobility, Gabriella knew that the Archonate was not much better. Draining so much money from the Imperial budget, the Archons indulged in all sorts of pleasures with the money they embezzled by buying super pricey estates, building unnecessarily lavish temples and funding incredibly expensive excursions to the countryside under the guise of visiting the faithful. Stealing in the name of the Gods...it made Gabriella sick to her stomach.
Turning the corner leading to the Council room, Gabriella was about to make her way down the hall to the room when the sound of a griffon running towards her from behind forced her to spin around. There she saw one of the Imperial guards, red in the face as he seemed to have run quite the distance to reach her. Raising an eyebrow, Gabriella waited for the exhausted guard to catch his breath, not saying a word as she waited for him to give her the report.
Once the young griff caught his breath, he pulled out a note from his pack and handed it to the Dutchess. Gingerly taking the parchment, she looked it over before her expression changed drastically, a wave of emotions crashing over her at once.
Grover the Vth, her cousin and one of her closest friends had gone into a coma.
With a final call from the conductor, the train that had brought Gabriella to Bronzekreuz began to pull away from the outdoor station, blasting it’s whistle as it did so. Taking a moment to stretch her tired legs, the Duchess breathed the mountain air in deep, cherishing just how fresh and clean it was compared to the sometimes choking atmosphere of Griffenheim. The crisp air only complemented Bronzekreuz’s beauty however, as Gabriella awed at the amazing sight of seeing a city built into a mountain. From humble stone houses to the grand Wiesstreffen Theatre, such craftsmanship...truly only the diamond dogs were capable of making such beautiful architecture with nothing but stone.
The past two days had been...hectic for Gabriella to say the very least. After visiting the comatose Emperor in his bed, Gabriella learned that the doctors had no idea why he had fallen into a coma, only they knew was that given Grover’s underlying health conditions, they speculated that this was probably going to be the last few days of the Emperor’s life and urged Gabriella and the Archon to call a Reichsrat which was a meeting between the leaders of the Empire’s various constituent states and debate the possibility of another regency. With that information in hand, the Archon and the Duchess had quickly parted ways, moving to gain as many allies as possible before the Reichsrat convened at the end of the week. While the Archon headed south, Gabriella headed to the De Vleugels, the capital of the Grand Duchy of Featherisia where she managed to convince the Grand Duke Gerlach IVth to support her for the regency. With Gerlach and the guaranteed vote of the Council of Nobles on her side, she then travelled to the County of Bronzehill to gain the support of the diamond dogs under the leadership of Count Ignatius Bronzetail.
Spreading her wings, Gabriella took off with a powerful flap and began flying towards the entrance of Kar Friz, the famed palace that not only housed the court of the Count of Bronzehill but also opened up into a massive underground city which supported the gem mines that Bronzehill was famous for. She had never really gotten the chance to visit the palace before so part of her tingled with excitement at seeing what many considered to be the crowning jewel of Bronzekreuz, especially the famed statue of Grover II that was told to dominate the entrance to it. Yet as she flew towards Kar Friz, Gabriella could also feel a sense of unease slowly build in her.
While the diamond dogs were well known for their loyalty, the fact of the matter was that they were loyal to the Emperor and not necessarily to the Empire itself. Gabriella had no way of knowing how Count Ignatius would react to her candidacy for the regency, and she worried that the dog would take offense to the fact that there was a Reichsrat being called before the Emperor had even passed. Yet, despite her worries Gabriella knew that she had to do this. The Empire needed to have a regent before the Emperor passed, and it had to be a strong griffon like Gabriella if it was going to avoid another 978.
After a bit of flying, she finally arrived at the large golden gates that sealed off Kar Friz from the rest of Bronzekreuz. These gates were mostly for show however, as there were several entrances for diamond dogs only that were scattered throughout the city, with the main gate leading directly to the palace section of it. Landing gently in front of the gates, Gabriella made her way to one of the diamond dog guards and smiled at him before taking a scroll out from her saddlebags and handing it over. The guard quickly took the scroll and read it carefully for a few moments before rolling it back up and giving it back to Gabriella. “Welcome to Kar Friz Duchess. You’ll be happy to know that the Count did receive your letter, and is waiting for you at the foot of the Grand Statue. Just go straight through the main doors and down the entry hallway, you can’t miss it. I hope you enjoy your stay!” he explained before stepping briefly into his guard house and pulling a chain. A loud rumbling sound began to emanate from the ground beneath the golden gates before a loud thud rang out, followed by the heavy gates slowly but surely swinging inward, allowing the Duchess to return the scroll to her bag and make her way to the main doors leading to the entry hall. The guards at the main doors bowed as Gabriella reached them before pulling the doors open, allowing her to finally enter Kar Friz properly.
The inside of the entry hall wowed Gabriella so much that she had to pause upon entering the doors. Marble adorned the entirety of it, beautiful white accented by stunning gold trimmings that were interrupted by vast, eloquently carved pillars adorned with both the Imperial seal and the seal of Bronzehill. But the thing that stood out the most was the massive statue that sat at the end of the entry hall. There he was....a sixty foot tall statue of Emperor Grover II that seemingly gazed down upon Gabriella and made her feel tiny and insignificant when compared to the massive Emperor. Upon his head sat a truly massive replica of the Imperial Crown, made with velvet and gold and adorned with truly massive gemstones that truly captured the majesty of the crown. Such a magnificent statue...a true testament to the loyalty of the dogs of Bronzehill.
Soon enough, Gabriella’s gaze found itself at the foot of the statue and onto a lone gray diamond dog. Dressed in a military uniform and sporting carefully groomed brown hair, there was no way of mistaking the ever so calculating gaze of Count Ignatius Bronzetail. Making her way over to the Count, Gabriella did a quick bow before flashing him with a warm smile. “Count Bronzetail...let me start by saying thank you for taking the time out of your day to meet with me, I know you’ve been busy lately wrangling with the KPB.” she exclaimed. The Count merely chuckled as he returned the bow, bringing his eyes to peer into Gabriella’s. “It’s always a pleasure to speak with you Duchess, the KPB is nothing compared to the troubles you probably have to face on a daily basis. I wish we could meet under better circumstances, I’d have thrown a banquet to welcome you!” he replied, his voice starting off warm before trailing off towards the end.
In that moment, the mood in the room quickly turned somber as the gravity of the situation truly sank in for both nobles. They knew that crisis was around the corner, and that what they spoke about next would be crucial. However, the Count didn’t let the silence last long, as he gestured to one of the side doors leading out of the entrance hall. “Now if you’ll follow me, I’ll bring you to a room where we can discuss the details of your visit in private.” He said rather bluntly as he made his way over to the door. The Duchess followed him quietly, taking the time to think of her strategy for the upcoming negotiation. Bronzehill would have to support her if she was to be designated Regent.
After making their way for a bit through the side halls and passages of Kar Friz, the Count finally led Gabriella to a small but cozy side room. Inside were two chairs and a table seated in front of a small yet cozy fireplace, as well as a few drawers and cabinets lining the walls. Gesturing for the Duchess to take a seat, Ignatius went over to the cabinets and went rifling through it. Gabriella meanwhile took a few moments to admire the cozy space the Count had chosen before taking her seat in the left chair, enjoying how soft the cushions were as she gazed into the fireplace. After a few minutes of silence bewteen them, the Count finally returned with two glasses of wine, placing them both on the table in the middle and taking his seat next to the Duchess, letting out a groan as he did so.
“Duchess...under normal circumstances, what you’re currently doing could be called treason. Plotting a regency when the Emperor still lives...as Count of Bronzehill I could have you arrested for conspiracy to commit treason and executed. After all...you know we diamond dogs have pledged our loyalty strictly to the Emperor and not to the corrupt nobles that try to rule the Empire in his name.” he explained, turning his gaze to meet Gabriella’s, those reddish brown eyes seemingly peering into her soul. This was the test Gabriella had been waiting for, the one she had been preparing herself for ever since she left De Vleugels.
“Except you wouldn’t Count, if you intended to arrest me you’d have done so while back in the entrance hall. You know that while I love my cousin, I have a duty to uphold the Empire and ensure that it survives long enough that Grover’s son can take the throne. We both know that…” She then pauses for a moment, turning her gaze to look at the flames gently burning in the fireplace in front of them. “...that the Empire cannot survive another 978. I led the restoration of Imperial control after the Revolution and in my naive youth allowed my corrupt fellow nobles into power. That was clearly a mistake, a mistake I aim to rectify here and now by finally taking the power out of their claws and into mine. What the Empire needs is a firm, guiding claw that will act not in the best interest of the nobles or the church...but the Empire itself.”
The Count sits there in silence, soaking in Gabriella’s words for a bit as he mulled them over to himself. Taking a sip of his wine, he turned his gaze back to the fireplace as well. “Well spoken Dutchess, I see your wit hasn’t escaped you. You’re right on all counts, that the Empire faces crisis once again and that one griffon has to seize the reins and lead us through the coming storm. I’ve known you for many years, and I can tell that you speak from your heart unlike Eros.” The Count then turns his gaze back to Gabriella, finding it once again meeting the gentle yet firm gaze of the Dutchess.
“You can rest easy Gabriella...you have my full support.”
“Eyr, we call upon you to shower us with your love and teach your children to love each other, so that peace in our empire may continue.”
With that, the first candle on the altar was lit by the small, yet spirited Archon Erion the Twelfth before he stepped back with a satisfied grin.
“Arcturius, we call upon you to grant us strength, so that if we may fight for the Empire, we may win.”
Next, the incredibly muscular and imposing Archon Proteus the Third lit his candle, scowling as he glanced over at Erion’s candle. But now was not the time for petty squabbles, and he soon retreated, allowing the final griffon in the room to step forward and light his candle.
“Boreas, we call upon you to bless our lands and clear our skies so that our empire may prosper.”
Finally, Eros lit his candle and stepped back before leading his fellow Archons in clasping their claws together and dipping their heads.
“Amen.”
With the opening prayer concluded, the three Archons finally moved to the large circular table situated in the middle of the room and took their seats, each one steeling themselves for the confrontation ahead. All of them had been busy in the days following the collapse of the Emperor, rallying support from various different fiefs in the south of the Empire as they prepared for the inevitable clash with Gabriella and the rest of the corrupted noble ilk that plagued the land. The Reichsrat was a mere two days away, and the Archonate was feeling the pressure. Finally, Eros broke the silence as he folded his claws together and leaned forward on the table.
“Let’s cut to the chase here, shall we? Proteus...you accomplished your task of achieving an audience with Rector Mikusian and agreeing to aid us in the upcoming meeting correct?”
All eyes fell on Proteus as he leaned back in his chair, merely chuckling at the question provided to him.
“Of course I did. The Headmaster of Bruma arranged a meeting with the Rector yesterday, and I gave Mikusian the word of the Archonate that should you become regent, Yale will be protected from the ever encroaching noble filth and kept under the control of the universities. Of course, once you’re in control of Griffonheim, we will need to reassert the power of the Archonate and nudge the Universities to follow Bruma. We’ll need to find a way to displace Mikusian discretely though, something I doubt will be a challenge with the help of the KGp.” he reported, clearly proud of his forward thinking.
Eros mused over the report in his mind, scowling as he felt himself agreeing with Proteus’s plan. It was true, Yale was probably the worst region in the Empire when it came to it’s assault on the sanctity of the Gods. Most of the universities ignored the Gods, with Greenback University even going so far as to teach its students the heretical topic known as “evolution”. However, the University of Bruma was different from the rest of the universities, teaching it’s students in the art of preserving the rich culture of the Empire’s past and strongly supporting the Archonate as a bedrock of imperial society. If Bruma was nudged into leading the Universities, then there would be a great chance of snuffing out the heretical teachings of Greenback and bringing the population back in line with the teachings of the Archonate.
Without saying a word, Eros then turned his attention to the youngest member of the Archonate, a signal that Erion was more than happy to respond to as he quickly gave his report.
“After some observation and pulling a few favors, I’ve built a good picture of the situation in Romau. While the city council is corrupt and more in line with the nobles of the Empire, it’s popular support is low thanks to stagnation and endemic corruption. It’s a tinderbox waiting for a spark, and when it goes up we’ll finally have a chance to spring into action. I met with an armed pro-Archonate group in the city known as the Holy Defense Front and they informed me of a plan to spark a general uprising against the city council on the day before the council meets. Since the Romau Legion is underfunded and under-equipped, there is good reason to believe that the Legion will fold quickly and that the city will be secured by the end of the day. With the city council dissolved and the faithful running the city, the Duchess will be deprived of a vital vote in the Reichsrat. Quite a desirable outcome, don’t you think Eros?”
It was more than apparent that Erion was quite proud of his plan, something that Eros found amusing as taking advantage of an armed and violent uprising was definitely against the teachings of Eyr. Despite this however, it was a well known fact that the Romau City Council’s control was tenuous at best and would certainly crumble in the face of revolt. Timing it to coincide with the vote was also a smart move, as the Imperial Army would hesitate to move in to stamp out the unrest while the matter of regency was hashed out, a hesitation that would leave the already weak Romau Legion without reinforcements and vulnerable. A solid plan for sure, something that pleased Eros greatly.
“Wonderful news, from both of you. We’ve laid out the groundwork for a return to the full worship of the gods, but that does not mean we’ve won yet. The upcoming battle will be fierce, as there’s no doubt that the accursed Duchess of Strawberry will want to claim the regency for her own. She will do whatever she can to undermine us and separate the Archonate completely from the government, but it is our holy duty to stop her. The meddling of the nobles will end with my regency, and we will finally become a nation that the Gods can be proud of again.”
Both other Archons did not hesitate to nod in agreement, each banging the table as a sign of support. While the Archons rarely shared the same opinions on matters as each represented different Gods, this was a matter that definitely united them. If the nobles won, there was no doubt in any of their minds that the Archonate would continue to be targeted.
With that, Eros got up, and once again approached the altar, quickly being joined by the other two Archons as they stopped in front of it before dipping their heads in silent prayer. After three minutes of silence, all three raised their heads and blew out their respective candles.
The young Grover flinched as another series of distant gunshots rang out, doing his best not to think about the implications behind them as Eros led him through the Imperial Palace and towards the throne room. This had to be one of the most shameful times in his entire life...the Emperor running for his life as the Imperial Guard tried their absolute best to turn back the hordes of commoners that had breached the palace. How did it come to this?
It had started simple enough...a protest against the repeal of another one of his father’s policies in the Groverplatz near the center of Griffenheim. The Regency Council ignored it as the police had moved in to clear it up. However, this would quickly change as a group of soldiers from a local artillery regiment showed up to the protest. While the crowd had initially believed that the soldiers were there to disperse them, their fears were quickly dismissed as the leader of the soldiers took to rallying the crowd to get angrier and fight the police.
Soon, the small protest ballooned as the police, unable to take on armed soldiers, retreated, and the crowd began to march. More and more griffons piled on, until thousands had reached the Imperial palace. Some loyal troops had managed to assemble at the main gates, but the sheer numbers of commoners was too much to disperse. Eventually one of them fired into the crowd, and before any of the rest could do the same, the commoners exploded in anger and stormed the gates, killing the guards and forcing their way inside.
Finally, the Emperor had arrived at the throne room, looking around nervously to see if maybe some of the radicals had beat them there, but was ultimately thankful for the fact that they had not.
“Eros...why bring me here? Should we not be escaping the palace before the commoners arrive?”
The Archon turned around to look at the young teenage Emperor in his eyes, placing his claws gently on his shoulders.
“Don’t worry Your Highness, I have no intention of letting the peasantry get their claws on you. From what I’ve heard, our foes have the palace surrounded, so we must use the catacombs to escape. Boreas knows how good the tunnels have held up though, so I urge you to stick close to me.”
And with that, Eros walked over to one of the many torches that lined the sides of the throne room and pulled it firmly. A loud rumbling could be heard before a set of stairs formed leading into the ground right before the large ornate throne that Grover had been set to occupy in less than a month's time. As Eros removed the torch from it’s holder and began walking towards the newly formed exit, Grover stumbled forward and stopped Eros by reaching out and grabbing his left wing gently.
“We’re witnessing the fall of the Empire, aren’t we Eros? Let’s face it, the palace is falling and the military is nowhere to be found. If we do manage to make it through these tunnels and find ourselves out somewhere in Griffenheim, we’re still in hostile territory. What hope do we have of actually escaping, and even if we do escape how will we ever recover from the loss of Griffenheim?”
The Archon stood there quietly, processing his answer very carefully for a bit before finally turning around to face the young Emperor again, the torch’s flame being held in his beak lighting up his eyes to reveal the eyes of a griffon filled with a steel determination.
“You’re right Your Majesty, the odds are definitely stacked against us. But then again, the odds were stacked against Grover the First when he led the armies of Griffonstone against Wingbardy and Aquileia, the two strongest Kingdoms of the time. He defied the odds, and forged the greatest Empire Griffonia had ever seen, an Empire which has lasted hundreds of years. If we stay here and you get captured, I can assure you that the Empire will certainly die with you. However, if you live and escape, we can rally the rest of the military and eventually crush this revolt, as they have many times in the past.”
With that, Eros turned back to the tunnel, closing his eyes for a few seconds before gesturing with a talon for Grover to follow him. “I can promise you...that as long as I live, I won’t let them get you. The Empire has endured for three hundred years...and it will endure for hundreds more. Now let’s get going, we don’t have much time.”
Another couple of gunshots rang out, this time considerably closer to the throne room than last time and emphasising Eros’s words. Grover needed no more persuasion, and with that the two griffons descended into the secret tunnel. Despite the heavy doubts hanging over him like a cloud, he knew that what Eros had said was true.
As long as he lived, the Empire would endure…
Two weeks had passed since Grover’s escape, and as Eros had promised the military had been quick to act. While Imperial forces had been driven out of the Duchy of Griffenheim after decisive defeats in the Battle of the Griffking and the Battle of Vinnin, the republicans stopped short of invading Bronzehill and Strawberry as they worked to consolidate their power. This decision had proven to be a fatal mistake though, as a coalition of nobles under the newly ascendant Duchess of Strawberry Gabriella Eagleclaw launched a brutal counterattack. Republican resistance crumbled and soon Imperial forces had retaken Griffenheim.
As he looked around from the seat of his open carriage that was being pulled through the streets of the frighteningly quiet capital, Grover couldn’t help but notice the damage the Revolution had done to the city. While some damage had been cleaned up in the two weeks since he had fled, there were still scars of the angry pillaging and looting that the peasants had enacted in the name of their revolution. Graffiti covered some walls, with phrases like “Death to the Grovers” and “Long live the Republic!” scrawled in blood red paint. To see the glory of Griffenheim ruined by these vandals...truth be told it made him rather angry.
However, his attention was soon taken off the destruction surrounding him by a sigh from Gabriella who was directing the cart from the front.
“It’s heartbreaking to see, isn’t it Grover? The desecration of the greatest city on the continent, the murder of so many griffons in the name of republicanism...it’s tragic.”
Grover liked how Gabriella talked to him like another griffon instead of as her Emperor, and he couldn’t help but nod at her statement. The past two weeks had opened his eyes to the serpent that hid in the shadows, and once he finally came of age he would finally be able to deal with it.
“It is. Their definition of justice has seen so much blood running in the streets...so many families destroyed for no reason other than revenge. I’m glad the Imperial army was able to counter attack before the Republicans could entrench.”
To be honest, Grover was amazed at how the 17 year old Gabriella had managed to rally Imperial forces and lead them to victory, her sheer force of will matching the determination of her troops as they decisively defeated Kermanski in the Second Battle of the Griffking. Despite being Emperor himself however, Grover couldn’t bring himself to help her command, a fact that he quietly loathed. After all, what good was an Emperor if he didn’t lead his troops?
Despite his worries however, he knew that he could redeem himself as long as he steered the Empire through the coming weeks as the Imperial Army moved to mop up Republican resistance. After all, one thing was certain:
As long as he lived, the Empire would endure.
As he lay there, struggling to keep his eyes open, he looked at the various griffons assembled in the room in front of him. Grover had only woken about an hour ago, only remembering feeling incredibly tired on the train ride home before falling into a deep sleep, a deep sleep that the doctors had told him had actually been a coma. Yet instead of feeling better, he felt everything in his body slowly starting to give. The only reason he was awake was probably Boreas giving him one chance to make peace with the world, a chance Grover would be foolish to pass up.
As he surveyed the griffons in his room, his eyes fell upon his son, being carried gently by the ever so kind Gabriella as she looked at him with tears in her eyes. Grover desperately wanted to hold his son himself, to hug him close to his body and find the strength to continue.
Finally, Grover looked at the window behind the griffons that had assembled by his bedside, witnessing the rays of Boreas’s sun start to slink behind the towering buildings of Griffenheim. Sighing deeply, the Emperor closed his eyes and asked the only question he could to Boreas.
“Boreas...did I do good?”
And with those words, the 47 year old Emperor Grover, the Fifth of his name, was embraced by the claws of Boreas.
