//------------------------------//
// Usurpday 
// Story: The Prodigy Emperor 
// by The Toaster 
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"Get out of my way!" He shouted as he stormed past the guards who just stared in amazement at the intruder into the Emperor's throne room who was followed by an entire guard of soldiers bearing with the iconography of Arcturius and Boreas. "Where is he??" The Archon demanded, stopping a maid in her tracks with a forceful gesture. She recoiled in fear at the intensity of his gaze.

"H-he is in his royal quarters, your holiness!" The maid stammered, trying to contain her fear. "The doctors are-"

The Archon didn't wait for her to finish, already charging towards the indicated location with urgency burning in his eyes.

'How did this all go to shit so quickly? This wasn't supposed to happen!' His mind raced with turmoil as he traversed the palace halls. His encounter with the Changelings had been worse than anticipated. He had barely arrived at the Changeling embassy before the first clashes began. And his encounter with the insects was worse than he could even imagine. The revelation of Grover Junior's whereabouts had caught him off guard.

The queen of the Changelings was not there, it was expected, Eros knew that that cockroach would leave Griffonia at his first opportunity. The guards informed him that she was already in Equus, having taken the first plane to the other continent once Grover's birthday had ended.

However, he not only discovered that the queen had galloped for some time but also the whereabouts of Grover Junior. Because he had already been there.

The guards had seized a Griffon and a Dog snooping around the embassy, from the descriptions given both were nobles. Descriptions that immediately matched Grover and Loudbark. 'Damn you children and your curiosity.'

Those two idiots must have ventured out at night for Boreas knows why and now they must be lost in the city in the middle of a possible civil war. Said civil war was caused because of those disgusting nobles who decided to interfere just when the Emperor arrived in the city, and if all of this series of confusions and misunderstandings wasn't horrible enough, the emperor had some physical accident that caused some part of his body to stop and make many believe that he died. Making the crisis in the city even worse and the fighting escalates into even worse proportions.

This was all a disaster! An unprecedented catastrophe! All of his worst fears were coming true in sequence within the span of a few hours.

But he put those thoughts aside when he arrived at the door of the royal quarters.

Two guards flanked the door while from behind he could hear many voices talking and moving around the room. When the guards saw him arrive, they stiffened and bowed.

"Your holiness." The guard on the right greeted him. Receiving a node from Archon.

“What is the status of the emperor?” He asked. The guards looked at each other.

"He's terrible, your holiness." He announced to the dismay of the Archon. "He had a heart attack after the excessive stress caused by the recent crisis, the doctors are doing their best but...."

"But...?" The Archon insisted.

"His heart is failing." The other continued. Making the entire group that came next to Archon gasp in shock and Eros gritted his beak.

"I'm coming in." Eros announced, taking a few steps only to be stopped by the guards who stepped in front of him.

"I'm sorry, your Holiness. But the Emperor is in serious condition, we can't risk it." He said, letting the archon show the fierceness and willingness to take action present on his face, making the archon's bodyguards stiffen in response.

They stared at each other, neither willing to back down. Some priests in the Archon's retreat feared yet another conflict escalating, and now this time within the palace walls. They noticed additional guards had appeared in the corridor noticing the exchange who had now surrounded the Archon's group.

But before anything could happen, a voice came from the emperor's room. "Eros...? Are you my friend...?" It was very faint, but the silence of the standoff helped it to be heard.

"Grover! It's me! I'm here!" Eros shouted into the room, much to the outrage of the guards who had already tightened their grip on their rifles.

"Eros.... Please, my friend.... Come in..." The voice replied weaker but still firm. The guards reluctantly made way for Archon, who upon entering saw them closing the door behind him.

The scene he saw was heartbreaking. The once formidable ruler lay incapacitated, surrounded by medical equipment and attentive physicians. The Emperor was in his bed connected to various medical devices and doctors were surrounding him checking his vitals. Everyone's attention was directed towards him as he approached the emperor who was smiling weakly at his friend.

"Please....Doctor, leave us...." He said hoarsely.

"Your Majesty! You are very unstable if I-"

"I beg you, doctor." He said to the surprise of everyone in the room. "Obey me." Despite his weakened state, there was a quiet strength in his voice as he requested solitude with Eros, a poignant display of his acceptance of the inevitable.

It was not a threat, the emperor seemed finished, demoralized, and above all tired. The Doctor had a look of shame on his face.

"Of course your majesty." He bowed and made a signal with his claw for the rest of the doctors to follow him. Leaving the room and leaving the two alone.

Eros had not been able to contain his grimace on his face. To think that the boy he had saved one day, ready to take a throne that was rightfully his, refused. Having survived a revolution aimed at ending his life and the total collapse of the Griffonian Empire, he found his deathbed only in his forties.

He didn't deserve this, his son didn't deserve this...

Grover seemed to notice his friend's sad expression. And he would just lower his eyes to stare at the ground.

"It's over isn't it?" The Monarch asked the Archon who looked back with a question on his face. "The Empire."

This time it was his turn to refuse to meet Grover's eyes.

"I know what's happening. It's all falling apart." He said with a humorless laugh. "I failed."

As Eros stood by Grover's bedside, a heavy silence hung in the air, punctuated only by the soft hum of medical equipment. He struggled to find the right words to offer solace to his friend in such dire circumstances.

"G-Grover," Eros began, his voice choked with emotion. "You're not a failure. None of this is your fault."

Grover's weary eyes met Eros's gaze, reflecting a depth of sorrow that pierced Eros's heart. "Isn't it?" Grover whispered, his voice barely audible amidst the hum of the medical equipment. "I couldn't protect my people. I couldn't prevent the chaos that now consumes the capital, nor the needless bloodshed."

Eros's heart found defeat in Grover's voice. He reached out, placing a reassuring claw on Grover's trembling hand. "You've done everything you could," he insisted, his tone earnest. "You've faced challenges that no monarch should ever have to toughen up. You've shown courage and resilience in the face of adversity."

But Grover shook his head weakly, a bitter smile playing across his beak. "Courage? Resilience? What good are those when my empire lies in ruins, torn apart by strife and betrayal that I failed to stop?" he murmured, his voice laced with despair. "I may have worn the crown, but I was never truly in control. I was just a puppet, manipulated by those fucking nobles and their damn petty ambition and greed for more power." His voice dripped with venom while his claws clutched the blank of his bed. "Ever since I have been born that's all I have been. A tool, something for them to play around and use to advance their interests. Something even you did recently." He accused making Eros to flinch aggressively, while a look of shame in his face.

"I'm sorry...." But Grover ignored him, and continued.

"And I always caved in. I never had the strength to combat this damned influence. Because that's what I am, a weakling," he growled. "My father wanted a warrior, a statesman, and a great diplomat. That's what he wanted to teach me and what he hoped for my future." Grover's voice became increasingly sad as he returned his gaze to the Archon. "Am I, Eros? Am I a great warrior who fought bravely for our empire? Or a great statesman who revitalized the empire with his laws? And with my diplomacy, kept it unified?" He looked at his friend, who remained silent, refusing to meet his eyes.

"O-of course, your-"

He jumped when Grover delivered a blow to the bed. "DON'T LIE TO ME!" Eros gaped at the furious monarch.

"I'm tired of all this! The lies, the manipulations, these damn politics!" Grover ranted. "Be truthful with me, Eros! For once, not as a monarch to a subject, but from a friend to another."

"Was I a good leader?"

Eros hesitated, his heart heavy with the weight of truth. "No," he finally admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

A Resounding silence followed as Eros simply refused to meet the eyes of the emperor, who maintained a stoic face upon the declaration of the Archon.

Then a snicker. The old Griffon looked up surprised once again, at the monarch who was now in a soft chuckle, who turned into a burst of full-blown laughter.

"Your majesty...?" He asked with concern as the emperor had his claw upon his face to try to contain his laughter. A laughter that quickly was replaced with endless sobbing.

"M-my s-son.... I f-failed the only t-thing that mattered t-to me the most...!" he cried out between sobs. "T-to be a good father..." His claws clutched the blankets tighter as his heart began to beat faster and stronger. "I w-wanted to be a good father.... So that.... At least he wouldn't suffer like I did...!" He said, his cries slowly growing weaker and weaker. "B-but I c-couldn't.... He'll.... He'll probably be even worse....!" Grover's body weakened, and the beeping from the machines connected to him began to accelerate. 

Eros looked in desperation between the emotional wreck that was the emperor and the machine showing his deteriorating physical state. "Y-you did what you could your majesty, you did everything you-" 

"It wasn't enough... Nothing I have ever done was ever enough in my whole life...." He cut off Eros once more, his voice was now almost a whisper. "I failed my empire... I failed my people...." He leaned the back of his head on his pillow. "I failed my son...." The machines were now screaming as the sounds of gunfire from the outside grew every closer to the palace. Grover's eyes slowly drifting off. 

"No...! Grover! Doctors!!" Eros shouted in desperation. The door opened immediately with guards and doctors rushing inside, their faces filled with shock and urgency.

Grover's hand reached out, grabbing Eros's arm with surprising strength. The Monarch's eyes, filled with fear and desperation, stared into Eros's with a final plea.

"Please.... Save.... My.... Son...." He managed to utter his last words before his hand fell limp, and the heart monitor emitted a long, continuous beep.

The room descended into chaos as doctors tried desperately to revive the fallen emperor, but Eros knew in his heart that it was too late.

Grover was gone, and with him, the last vestiges of stability that had held the empire together.

"No....!" Eros tried to approach and try to help his friend before a claw pulled him back.

"Your holiness! We have to leave! Now!" One of his bodyguards shouted.

"I refuse! I can't leave the Emperor behind!" The old griffon attempted to free himself only to be stopped by another guard. "Release me in this instance!"

"We have no time! Mutineers are attacking the palace's gates!" The archon hadn't noticed the now sounds of distance gunfire while talking with Grover, but now they were closer and he could even see some flashes of light in the windows. As frantic Royal guards rushed by the corridors shouting orders and organizing themselves. "We can't guarantee your safety if you stay here!"

Eros hesitated, he gave a glance at the now fallen Emperor, with a rebreather in his beak as the medical staff attempted desperately to save his life.

'I will my friend... I shall guarantee the boy's safety. Even if that kills me.' He looked back to the guards and hesitantly nodded. Using his determination to save the boy in an attempt to cloud his immense grief and at the idea of having outlived yet another emperor.





Griffenheim burned.

Despite his years of training as a soldier, Scheer couldn't help but feel a sense of helplessness in the face of such destruction. It was so sudden, so unexpected. From day to night the city erupted.

Shots could be heard breaking the calm of the night, with concentrations of fire in different parts of the city, war cries, and more pain were drowned in the chaos that suddenly emerged in the capital. Amidst the turmoil, the officer couldn't shake the feeling of dread that gnawed at his insides. The once-proud city now was on fire, its streets echoing with the sounds of violence and despair. Griffenheim, the crown jewel of the empire, had become a battleground, torn apart by forces beyond their control.

He just shivered seeing the clouds of smoke that dominated the skies of that daybreak.

"Major General Scheer!" A griffon soldier approached, saluting sharply. "What are you doing here?"

"Watching the city..." Scheer's voice held a tinge of sadness as he gazed upon the burning Griffenheim.

"Anything... new, sir?" The soldier's concern was evident as he stood beside his superior officer.

"Besides the screaming, fire, explosions, and more screaming? No." He responded with a scoff as he adjusted his officer cap. "The fighting has only intensified but it has stayed in the exact same spots since the beginning."

"Is it true?" The soldier's question cut through the chaos like a knife. "That the emperor is dead?"

Scheer's expression turned grim. "I don't know... No one knows anymore...." 

An uncomfortable silence settled between them as they both stared at the horizon, where smoke billowed into the sky.

The orders from higher up had been quite vague when he was summoned back to the capital for an unplanned reassignment.

And as the city fell into chaos. He didn't know what to do, even though he had the rank of Major General, he didn't have a field command! He was the head of logistics for Boreas sake! But the soldiers believed in him, and so he took command of the local royalist garrison, or at least one still loyal to the crown and not to nobles or the church.

When communications were not cut, he had already checked repeatedly and sent incessant requests for orders or permission to march to the capital to bring order, his division being close to the walls of Griffenheim. But the answers were always the same. 'Stand by and await further orders.'

This was before the shooting began in the early evening when the sun had just set.

Now? The city was in full-blown conflict and communication with high command had completely ceased along with most normal radios. The city's electricity was effectively cut off, either due to sabotage or as a side effect of the conflict.

Only Morse code through unorthodox means still worked and he had already communicated with his longtime friend and part-time rival Oberst (Colonel) Cornelio Galluzzo, who was stationed in the nearby town of Vinnin and had confirmed that the capital had gone totally dark.

Only the forces around the capital had an idea of what might be happening, while the vassals in Herzland had no idea that anything had happened.

At least he could reconcile himself that there was hope, action could still be taken and pacify the capital before news of the Emperor's possible death came out and caused even greater chaos in the empire.

"Look, I came here because the current shift is over. Three hours have passed and the guards are already shifting." Scheer looked at him in surprise.

"Already? I didn't even see time pass..." He said with worry, he came to see developments from afar and didn't even notice how much time he wasted there.

"It's difficult with so much going on, go inside, the others are gathered in the Barracks trying to see if any news arrives." The soldier informed, the General nodded.

"Any orders from high command?"

"Nothing, Marshal Elias must be firm in the idea of neutrality in all this chaos. Not that I blame him, I don't know who's who in all this shit." He laughed spitefully and dropped the formality much to Scheer's relief.

"Ain't that the truth?" the officer commented bitterly. "Alright, I'm going back to the barracks. Good guard."

"Thanks, Sir."

He descended from the roof, passing by fellow guards stationed around the military base. Their attempts to maintain stoic expressions did little to conceal the fear and apprehension etched on their faces. Each salute and nod of acknowledgment as he passed spoke volumes, a silent acknowledgment of the shared uncertainty that gripped them all.

Upon reaching the entrance to one of the barracks, Scheer felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. This building, the imperial barracks, his home since he first donned the uniform of the imperial army, now served as a refuge amid chaos. As he approached, he noticed the bustling activity around the entrance. A mix of soldiers in various states of readiness, some just coming off duty, while others seemed to have been roused from their slumber by the turmoil outside.

The scene before him was a snapshot of life in Griffenheim's military, a melting pot of emotions and experiences, all brought together by the common bond of service to the empire. Scheer couldn't help but feel a sense of camaraderie amidst the chaos, a shared understanding that transcended rank and status.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the barracks. 

"What's going on here?" Scheer inquired, scanning the room filled with soldiers, their faces etched with fatigue and apprehension.

"ROOM! ATTENTION!" All of them snapped in attention and robotically jumped into a rigid military stance at the shout coming from one of the soldiers in the crowd.

"As you were." He relieved them as they all returned for their current activities, just now more professionally with his presence.

A Sergeant turned to face him. He didn't recognize it, maybe he was from a different battalion or he was just being forgetful. "Sir? Came to check on us?"

"Of course, it's already four in the morning." The officer replied, a weary smile playing at the corners of his beak.

"Already? Fuck time went by so fast." The soldier's surprise was evident.

Scheer chuckled softly, nodding in agreement before turning his attention to the center of activity in the barracks. "What are you doing?" 

It was another soldier's turn to respond, the one called 'Bones', who for some reason was without the upper part of the uniform. "Watching Glasses fix the radio." he explained, gesturing towards a griffon soldier nicknamed 'Glasses', who was tinkering with a radio set amidst a flurry of tools and wires.

"But the capital has been without power since early in the night. How?" The officer asked, his curiosity piqued by the sight of the makeshift repair.

"Some scientific shit he learned at Yale, I don't know," Bones replied with a shrug. "But it seems to be working. The box is screaming static like hell," he added a hint of admiration in his voice despite the dire circumstances and his blatant impatience by seeing his paw hitting the floor repeatedly without himself noticing.

He could see everyone agitated around a griffon who wore glasses that bore his nickname (Very creative). The griffon was deeply engrossed in fiddling with the radio, surrounded by tools and amidst a flurry of voices offering suggestions and assistance or simply debating on what could be going on in the capital.

After a full minute spent with him there, waited anxiously, his hopes dwindling with each passing moment, until suddenly, sparks burst from the radio, causing a collective startle among the nearby soldiers. Insults were hurled and the nerd-looking Griffon was with his hands in a defensive stance trying to calm down his comrades, but they were swiftly silenced as the radio began emitting a normal transmission noise.

"Holy shit Glasses you did it!" A soldier exclaimed with cheers now ringing out around completely forgetting the whole debacle.

However, 'Glasses' seemed oblivious to the commotion, his attention focused solely on adjusting the volume button. Slips strained to hear amidst the excitement, catching a muffled voice amidst the cheers. "Everybody shut the fuck up! Shut the fuck up!" 'Glasses' shouted, commanding silence as the others quickly quieted down, allowing the transmission to be heard clearly.

Now with the volume turned up and the room hushed, Scheer could hear the feminine voice emanating from the radio, her words echoing through the barracks. "Tonight has been a total shock. The city under martial law; gunfire, and the roar of tanks echoing through the streets..." Her somber tone mirrored the gravity of the situation unfolding in Griffenheim.

"Despite the clear present danger of getting shot or blown up by the rampaging soldiers, people are flocking to bars, communal baths, and other places to share information and try to find out what is going on." Her words painted a picture of a city gripped by fear and uncertainty, yet Griffons were stubborn and fearless creatures, the danger of getting shot by soldiers wouldn't stop them until their curiosity was satiated.

"I'm jealous. What i wouldn't do to get shot or some beer right now." A ripple of dark humor spread through the room as someone quipped, "Probably more of the latter." Laughter mingled with the tension as soldiers sought solace in gallows humor amidst the turmoil, the radio continued.

"We don't have any type of concrete information at the moment; however, there are many rumors from various sources reporting this as an attempted coup in the capital, who attempted it is even less clear. Many blamed the Archons, others the Nobles." The mention of a coup ignited a flurry of whispers and gossip among the soldiers, each one fervently defending their own beliefs by the situation. 

"Those greedy sons of bitches! Of course, the nobility is behind all this!" shouted one soldier, his voice dripping with contempt for the upper class.

"No! It's those old pigs from the church who are doing all this! They never knew their rightful place in the empire!" countered another, his anger directed towards the religious hierarchy. The barracks erupted into a cacophony of voices, each soldier fervently defending their chosen sides while lambasting those of their comrades. The air crackled with tension as accusations flew like arrows on a battlefield, creating an atmosphere thick with animosity and discord.

"It's the Nobles' treachery that's led us to this chaos!" shouted one soldier, his face flushed with righteous anger. "They've always sought to manipulate the empire for their selfish gains!"

"It's the Archons who are to blame! Their thirst for power knows no bounds, and they'll stop at nothing to seize control of Griffenheim!" retorted another, his voice dripping with scorn.

"You're all blind fools! The real instigators of this turmoil are the scheming changeling bugs, those damn bugs are probably loving that the capital is burning!" A third now female soldier interjected with equal fervor, his eyes blazing with indignation. "Fucking bugs..."

The barracks reverberated with the echoes of their heated arguments, insults, and retorts flying back and forth like daggers in a battlefield, each strike deepening the divides between them.

As tensions reached a boiling point, Scheer stepped forward, his voice booming and mingling with the shouting match that was happening around him. "All of you knock it off!" he roared, his words cutting through the din like a thunderclap. "This isn't helping people! We don't even know what truly is happening!" But his pleas fell on deaf ears as the soldiers continued to argue, their voices rising in volume and intensity with each passing moment. The once-united force of brothers-in-arms now stood fractured, torn apart by conflicting loyalties and irreconcilable differences from past experiences with one ruling class or another as he could see them forming little 'groups' that supported their arguments. 

In the midst of the turmoil, Scheer couldn't help but feel a sense of despair creeping over him. How could they hope to stand against the chaos consuming Griffenheim when even those sworn to protect it were divided against each other?

Were they truly doomed to complete destruction from infighting...? He could see the same shit happening in other neutral camps that still existed in the capital.

Despite the chaos that the barracks now found themselves in, Scheer returned his attention to the radio and tried to continue listening. "- the fighting between the military forces in the capital shows a deep divide in loyalties of the armed forces if allowed to spread. The empire could truly find itself in a state of civil war." Giving a quick look at the 'sides' formed in the barracks only calmed down by some sergeants who were now unto the scene shouting at the soldiers and re-establishing order.

'I can see that...' He thought with a sigh. 'If they decide to simply ignore the higher-ups and start fighting with each other...' He shivered. 'Better not to think about it.'

"Who do we turn to in this darkest hour? We need a beacon of light to show us the way…" Then the voice was cut off and static was quickly made. Making Scheer raise an eyebrow, an interference on the radio? The soldier 'Glasses' seemed to also notice it and was already attempting to fix it.

But he didn't need to, as a new voice boomed from the radio. 

'Soldiers, friends, and countrygriffs!' A new voice sounded from the radio. Drawing everyone's attention in the room again. It was a deep, masculine voice, different from the woman's previously. 'Today, the gods cry. They cry when they see the last bastion of civility and grandeur in flames, torn apart by the ambitions of petty obese nobles and false prophets. They cry when they witness the treachery and cowardice that have brought our glorious empire to the brink of destruction.'

Wait a second. He knew that voice, he recognized it! His pupils dilated. 'Dawnclaw?'

The barracks were now in a tense silence, every griffon's attention riveted to the radio as Dawnclaw's voice echoed through the room. Scheer felt a chill run down his spine as he recognized the commanding tone. 'Oh no...' Dawnclaw had always been a charismatic orator, and now, in the empire's darkest hour, he was using his gift to rally support for his cause. 'He isn't doing what I think he is doing...'

"But let us not weep with the gods, my brothers and sisters," Dawnclaw continued, his voice rising. "Let us not surrender to despair. For in this darkest hour, we are given a sacred duty, a solemn charge. We are the guardians of Griffonia's legacy, not only for the empire but for the entire continent! The protectors of its honor! We cannot, we must not allow our empire to fall to the schemes of those who would see it shattered and enslaved."

There was a murmur of agreement among the soldiers. Scheer saw sergeants nodding, their resolve hardening as Dawnclaw spoke.

"The so-called leaders who claim to govern us, who sit in their opulent palaces and stuff their faces while our people starve, they are the true enemies of Griffonia. They have betrayed us, and sold our birthright for their own gain. They have allowed our empire to fall into disarray, to be torn apart by internal strife and external threats."

Dawnclaw paused, letting his words sink in, before continuing with renewed fervor.

"But we, we who stand here today, we are the true heirs of Griffonia's glory. We are the warriors, the defenders of our people. We are the ones who will restore honor and justice to our land. And I will not be silenced. I will not be cowed. I will rise up and take back what is rightfully ours!"

The soldiers were now visibly moved, some gripping their weapons tighter, others clenching their claws in determination. Dawnclaw's voice grew even stronger, filled with anger. He was a heck of a good orator, knowing when to shout and controlling his voice well.

"Those who are brave, those who are still loyal sons of the gods and of the empire; Join me in this fight for our future, for the future of our children and our children's children. Together, we will overthrow the corrupt, the treacherous, the weak. Together, we will reclaim our empire's greatness. An empire of the true Griffons! Of the Strong and of the Pure! Together, we will forge a new Griffonia, one that stands tall and proud, a beacon of strength and honor in a world of darkness and barbarity!"

Scheer could feel the energy in the room shifting, the uncertainty and fear being replaced by a burning resolve. Dawnclaw's speech was having its intended effect.

"This is our moment, our time to stand and fight. Let the traitors tremble in their palaces, let the false prophets flee in terror. For we are coming, and we bring with us the wrath of a betrayed nation. We are the storm that will sweep away the rot and corruption. We are the dawn of a new era."

Dawnclaw's voice dropped to a fierce whisper, filled with unyielding determination. "By my orders, we march unto Griffenhem and free the people of these parasites! BY MY WORDS, LET THE DIE BE CAST! FOR GRIFFONIA!!"

The radio went silent, but the impact of Dawnclaw's words lingered in the air. Scheer looked around at his fellow soldiers, seeing in their eyes the same fire that burned within him. Dawnclaw had done it. He had roused them to action. The coup was no longer a distant possibility. It was happening, and they were ready to follow him into the fray.

"FOR GRIFFONIA!!" someone shouted, and the cry was taken up by others, echoing through the barracks.

"FOR GRIFFONIAAA!"

'Dawnclaw what have you done??!'