The grand temple of Viirium was debatably one of the largest and most impressive structures ever created by (mostly) sentient life. Acting as both a place of worship, as well as their governments new base of operations, the crimson red pillars that kept it stable towered into the sky. Reaching towards the heavens that their goddess seeked to conquer next after she was done with the material plain. It's floors crafted from the corrupted stone of Barrad, they were an impossibly deep shade of black, almost as if stepping foot in these hallowed halls would send one straight into oblivion.
Indeed, for the majority of the Hundreds of thousands of slaves and automatons that had worked tirelessly on this mega project over the years, these hallowed halls would indeed become their oblivion, their corpses simply becoming another material for the construction . And yet, for as grand as the halls of the temple were, today they were practically empty, those few who were there doing their best to keep to the shadows. Viira was in a foul mood today, and everybody knew better than to stand in the path of an angry goddess without a VERY good reason.
She sat in her private chambers, the size of the average Griffonian peasant's entire house, stocked with the greatest luxuries from across the world that her subjects could obtain, her beautiful robes and bedsheets crafted from the softest silk. Her furnature crafted by the most talented equestrian wood workers out of exotic woods from the jungles of south Zebrica. However, there was nothing in the material world that could make her feel better about her subjects utter incompetence. Watching the battle through a magical projection of the area, until at least she could at last no longer hold her tongue.
"I have given you everything you could possibly have needed. Clockwork warriors, battalions of loyal warriors on enough performance-enhancing stimulants to bench press an elder dragon, and I directly froze all the rivers in your path solid. So, please explain to me HOW THE FUCK YOUR ARMY WAS ENCIRCLED BY ZOMBIES!"
Viira screamed into the magical communicator she was using to contact her commander whose name she did not know, and quite frankly did not care to learn. The halls softly shaking from the sheer energy her rage was producing as any subjects in the halls outside for their lives to escape another potential discharge.
"THEY ARE JUST A BUNCH OF WALKING CORPSES! I WOULD SAY THAT ANYBODY COULD HAVE OUTSMARTED THEM, ALTHOUGH CLEARLY THOSE HUSKS ARE ONLY THE SECOND MOST BRAINLESS THINGS ON THAT FUCKING BATTLEFIELD"
"W...well my goddess" the commander whimpered into his communicator, very aware that the wrong word would cost him his life "w...we were not expecting them to have tanks, I...if you could offer us some more support..."
Viira stared silently in shock at the insolence of the pathetic excuse of a man that was supposed to be holding her northern border against the dread league, her hair, and then entire body starting to glow as unimaginable magical energy flowed through her. To imply that somehow HIS failure was HER fault? The piercing gaze of her ethereal purple eyes shot daggers into the poor fool, even though he couldn't actually see her stare, he could somehow still feel it searing into his face.
If looks could kill... And very unfortunately for him, in this circumstance they very much could. The commander, and pretty much anybody within 50 feet of him, was turned to ash near instantaneously in a flash of magical energy. She then projected a message directly into the heads of her remaining subjects on the battlefield: "IF YOU HAVE NOT BROKEN OUT OF THIS ENCIRCLEMENT WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR, I WILL KILL YOU MYSELF." Just as she was finishing her message though, there was a faint knock.
Fully prepared to turn whoever was at the door inside out for daring to disturb her in her private area, she restrained herself when she noticed the familiar mechanic glint in his gem eyes. She did not bless him with a smile, but the cold gaze of indifference was MUCH preferable to her fury.
"Greetings my goddess, I have come to discuss with you another potential invention that could turn the war in our favor!"
Viira let out a groan, she should have known that Leopold would only ever show his face outside the workshop to beg for more funding
"Very well, what useless pipe dream do you wish to drain the empires coffers for this time?"
Leopolds respectful smile did not falter at the goddess's harsh barbs. Indeed, it actually grew a little stronger at the fact his idea had not already been shot down "Do not fear my goddess, the prototype is already functional, You do not have to spend a coin until you see it in action. Do you have the time for a quick demonstration, or shall we book an appointment for later?"
Viira let out a small sigh. If anybody else had shown such presumption to her, she likely would have had them whipped for her amusement, yet she must admit, she had a small soft spot for the mechanical bird, and it was undeniable that his clockwork workers and warriors had done wonders for the nation... "Very well, lead the way."
Leopold beamed, leading the Goddess, still faintly glowing from her earlier magical outburst, down the hall "As you know, we have been experiencing a... Shortage of qualified leadership", Leopold explained as they made their way down the seemingly never ending halls of the temple. Of course, he left out the part about the reason for the shortage being viira's refusal to properly train them, as well as killing them at the slightest inconvenience.
"However, Asinti and I have been working on a solution to that particular issue. And we believe we have finally figured it out" Viira raised an eyebrow at that. Asinti and Leopold had both always been loyal subjects to her since she obliterated that insane fool Ambrosius, but they occupied 2 very separate spaces. To see them collaborating on a project like this, without her having to force them no less, was a rare event indeed.
The 2 finally arrived at Leopolds workshop, finding Asinti, and to her surprise, a very confused-looking silver star already waiting. Although the zebra and lich both straightened up and stood up in respect as viira walked into the room. Frankly, to call it a room did not do it justice, it was more like a warehouse. Across the long stretch of its walls, hundreds of prototypes for Leopold's toys dangled in various states of completion, half of which she could not even guess their purpose.
Especially mysterious was the contraption in the center of the room. It seemed to be a computer like the kind they used in overseas universities, however it was gigantic, towering at least 3 times her height. From it, wires flowed like vipers leaving their dens, all connected to a strange table. Leopold gestured for the other 3 to follow as he made his way over to the table, dismissing any clockwork workers into the halls so they could talk in private.
"This, my goddess , is the answer to our high commands lack of experience. "Leopold then flicked a large switch on the wall nearby as the slumbering giant whired to life, the lights flickering at the intense energy demands required by the groaning computer before eventually stabilizing, causing Leopold to let out a small sigh of relief that he did not plunge the temple into darkness. Suddenly, an explosion of light erupted into the space above the table.
It took their eyes a second to adjust to the magical projection. It was split into 4 separate sections facing each side of the table, each of them displaying the same message. "Input required". Viira stared at the device in confusion. How could this possibly train her men in leadership?
"Now tell me, what's the problem with mock battles?" Leopold posed the question rhetorically. Although he did not have any cards with him, viira could tell by the way he stood that this speech had been rehearsed many times in preparation for this moment
"they take forever to set up, cost too much equipment needed on the front lines, and they do not simulate the harsh realities of war. They don't simulate being ambushed, they don't simulate disease ravaging your camp, they don't simulate the fog of war, they don't simulate death! We need to train in actual combat. However, we cannot risk sending green generals against actual opponents, and decimating our own forces is not cost-effective. However, I believe me and Asinti have figured out a way to accurately simulate-"
Suddenly, the ex-slave made his way to the front. Viira could not help but let a small smile inhabit her face at this. They were clearly quite proud of this. "This is no simulation." Asinti corrected the mechanical bird. "This is hardly even a computer program, one would more accurately call it a machine-assisted spiritual projection. It works by-" Viira was paying half attention to her subjects torrent of mystic jargon with her conscious brain, however, she was deep in pondering about those words with her second mind. Of course, her powers already allowed her to project her consciousness where she wished, but for such a power to be possible for the non-magical could be truly revolutionary.
"Please Asinti, our goddess is a busy woman, she does not need to endure your rambling." Leopold suddenly cut off his companions rambling, the zebra shooting him a glare in return. Viira was glad to see working together had not changed those two. "We could sit here and explain the technical aspects of this marvel until the Blue Moon festival, however..." Leopold bent down next to the chair, pulling out a strange looking mask of some sort, connected by wires to the table
"Perhaps it would be easier if we just showed you."
Author's Note
Hey! This is part 1 of my submission for the EAW contest that I'm publishing early to get general feedback. So, any praise/critisism you have would be greatly appreciated
Chapter 2: Conquerors and corpses
The first thing Viira noticed once she regained consciousness was the cold.
The corrupted plains of Barrad were a cold and inhospitable place in the best of times; however, that was nothing compared to the feeling currently washing over her. It was not just a lack of heat; it was as if the very warmth of life was being sucked out of her bones by the surrounding terrain. The very concept of life itself was not welcome. However, despite all of this, she did not feel herself shiver. She lifted her hoof to her head, her eyes still slammed shut as a deep ache stabbing through her brain.
However, instead of the familiar comforting feeling of her hoof against her temples, her eyes shot open as she felt multiple sharp daggers digging into her skull. Once her eyes were open, she was shocked to see that in the place of her hooves, there lay a set of... Claws? Swiftly eyeing up her body, she very quickly realized it was not, in fact, her body. In the place where she should have been, lay the lower half of a griffon. Her feathers buried beneath a coating of bronze armor, an emblem engraved into the chestplate; however, it was so caked in what Viira could only presume was dried blood that she could not make out what nation her new vessel once belonged to; however, it was clearly long before her time. Rubbing her pounding head, this time making accommodations for her new claws, she looked around the area for any sign of life. But, she could hardly see 20 feet ahead; the area smothered in an unnatural fog.
"I do hope that the vessel is to your liking, my godess."
Leopold's voice suddenly rang out from seemingly nowhere, yet simultaneously from everywhere. It was as if his words were being directly carved into her mind, a feeling she was not used to being on the other side of.
"Fear not; however, your material shell is completely safe; my warriors have assured that. With that out of the way, may I have the honor of welcoming you to... The 4 hearts of iron!"
Suddenly the world exploded into view, the fog vanishing on command in a blinding flash. Her new, much more sensitive griffin eyes taking some time to adjust to their new found freedom from their foggy prison. She was in the air. However, she was not flying, she was seemingly on some sort of platform that was suspended by some sort of magic. Beneath her was... Oblivion. Seeing the real thing up close, quite frankly, her floors did not even come close. It was not just black; it was empty. True, uncorrupted emptiness. Staring into it made something inside her tug, as if the void were trying to suck something out of her in an attempt to remedy its unnatural existence.
Forcing herself to rip her gaze away from the void below, she turned her attention to her surroundings. There were five other platforms, all seemingly identical to hers, hovering around the area; however, as far as she could tell, hers was the only one showing any signs of life. Inspecting the platform itself, in the center lay a circular slab of stone, presumably some kind of table, judging by the accompanying chair. On both sides of the table lay two identical blue buttons, with the top containing a larger red one.
"Now, please allow me to demonstrate how this works."
After a few seconds, the lines carved into the table began to glow a faint red before they started moving. The grooves in the stone twisting like worms as they eagerly began to form a picture of... Griffonia?
"This is the map selection. Could you please press one of the two buttons?"
Her curiosity only rising higher, she pressed the button on the right. Suddenly, the lines sprung back to life, swarming across the smooth stone surface until finally coming to rest in the shape of the Imperial City, the capital of the republic.
"Our simulator is capable of running a number of locations, from historical battles of the past to hypothetical battles our generals may face in the future. Please, go ahead and pick one you like the look of."
Viira tapped the button again and again, taking in her options. Lake city, Skyfall, Falcor, Magehold... It seemed as if every major city in Griffonia was on this thing, but as she was mindlessly scrolling, she paused. She did not know why she had paused, the scene itself looked pretty plain. The battle of Cordenons. One of Arantigos's early feats, him and his legions beating back an ambush of tribals during his march east while outnumbered 4-1. She did not know what drew her to it, but something inside of her was insisting this was the one.
"Oh? A very interesting choice, my goddess. If you are certain this is the battle, please hit the red button."
She considered continuing her scrolling for awhile longer, but ultimately decided that she wasn't likely to find anything better, so giving in to that strange part of her mind, she pressed the red button. Upon pressing it, there was a groan. Not from any person or creature, but from the very earth itself. Slowly, out of the void began to rise... Trees? Their tops penetrating the impossible barrier of nothingness, soon to follow were the rocks, the water, and then the very ground itself. Within a matter of minutes, Viira had gone from being surrounded by nothingness to flying over a thick griffonian forest. She could almost believe she was back in her home realm if it were not for the unending cold drilling into her very being. Yet, despite this unnatural cold, there was no sign of frost of any kind.
"Now, for this demonstration, we shall only use a small number of troops, as a proof of concept. Let's say... 100."
Suddenly, Viira found herself on the forest floor. She did not have even the faintest idea of how she got down there; one second she was miles above the treetops, and in a blink she was down here. She did not have time to ponder this question, however, as the ground began to shake around her. Suddenly, dozens of claws began to rip themselves free from their earthly tomb. Viira examined the strange sight with curiosity. The birds that emerged were clad in armor not unlike hers, a full bronze, although despite being buried in the earth not long ago, it seemingly kept its shine. Their weapons in similar, unnaturally good condition. What was not in condition, however, were the griffins themselves. On the outside, they were perfectly fine. You could easily mistake them for any other griffins... if not for the eyes. Looking into their eyes, there was no glint of life. No thoughts, no feelings—it was as if she were back to staring at the void once again. They were hollow, a mockery of life, albeit a rather convincing one.
"These, my goddess, are your men. They are... on loan, for the purposes of this game-"
"SIMULATION!"
Interrupted Asinti, who had apparently reached his limit of how long he could maintain the role of silent spectator.
"... Simulation. Your objective is easy: defeat the enemy. How you go about that, however, is entirely up to you, my goddess. Have fun."
And with that, the two voices had gone silent. She turned to examine her men—500 in total. More than enough to destroy whatever forest rabble Leopold had softballed her with. Suddenly, her ears caught the sound of rustling. A goblin, armed with little more than a primitive spear, jumped out of the bushes. Acting with warrior reflexes she did not even know she had, her muscles drew her bronze blade from its scabbard, slamming it between the ribs of the small ambusher. The goblin let out a screech and then lay meekly, impaled upon her blade. Their ambush foiled, the goblins, 200 in total, charged out of the bushes. It would appear that "kill the important one first" was the limit of their tactical prowess.
She then spent the next 20 minutes barking orders at her troops, keeping them in formation throughout the fight. Although the fight was very one sided, the short, stubby creatures were hardly ever able to get a swing in before being ran through by the much longer Griffin blades and spears. She could not help but begin to feel her heart race. She never had this feeling in her living wars, yet down here, it was as if every fiber of her being lived for the thrill of the fight.
"I remember that feeling. Victory is a drug quite like no other, is it not?"
Viira froze. Thankfully, the last of the goblins had already broken ranks, her legions chasing them down. Who had said that? It was the same feeling as when Leopold spoke, yet it felt more... personal. It was as if somebody else's thought had been produced by her brain. It was then that she noticed him. In her mind, there were always two entities. Herself and her second mind. Yet, as she checked her mental space closer, she felt a third entity. This one was new.
"I offer thee mine own apologies for the fright, I did not wisheth to inturrupt thou while yee were experiencing the throes of battle"
"Identify yourself immediately, spirit!"
Viira shouted into her own mind. Nobody had ever entered her thoughts without her consent before, and she found the idea of somebody else having influence in her mind quite repulsive.
"Me? i knoweth not how the annels of history remembers me. In mine own time, i wast called many a title. Warlord, savior, conqueror, devil, but in truth, i am little more than an addict, not unlike thouself. "
"Do not presume to know me, worm! Do you have any idea who you are speaking to?"
Viira snapped furiously at the disembodied voice, her body shaking with rage. Spirit or not, nobody could dare speak to a goddess this way!
"I will admit, I hast not an idea as to who thou are. However, I knoweth perfectly WHAT thou are. In that, we are shamefully alike. However, I must profess, thou has chosen a much more potent drug than I."
"Congratulations on your victory, godess! Please give me a second to begin the retrieval process."
Leopold's voice rang out once again, but despite being beamed directly within the confines of her brain, it was little more than a distant echo compared to the booming waves of rage directed towards the mysterious voice in her head.
"YOU KNOW NOTHING OF ME, DEMON! YOUR FAILURE MEANS NOTHING TO ME!"
At that, the disembodied voice offered up only a small chuckle.
"Thou art not the first to call me devil, nor art thou the first to liveth in denial of her true nature. And nay, i did not fail. Perhaps fate would smile upon me more if i hadst the courage to alloweth the blood stains upon my honor to be my own."
As she looked down at the blood caked logo on her chest, she suddenly started to feel somewhat lightheaded. Her grasp on the vessel she was inhabiting was growing weaker, and in turn, the disembodied voice grew stronger.
"Prithee, doth not taketh my words incorrectly. I am not judging thou, nay, I am advising thou to indulge upon thou vice as deeply and greedily as possible. After all..."
She began to feel her mind fading, as if her very being were being extracted from her body. However, just before she lost consciousness all together, she saw a bird. It was her vessel, and he stood there, smiling at her.
"Nay matter the vice, sooner or later we all endeth up in the same lodging. Thee've just made it here a little early."
Arantigos Featherin stared at the self proclaimed goddess one last time, his eyes filled with nothing but pity for the fool as her consciousness faded away from his body.
Author's Note
Chapter 2 done :). Same story as the first, any criticism is always welcome!
