บท 11: Chapter 10: Birth of an Empire

In a large, naturally lit hall whose ceiling could only be glimpsed if one strained their neck, hundreds of excited people were gathered. If the high, tiered dias and the two thrones atop it- one higher backed than the other- were any indication, then this was a throne room.

Tall, thick marble pillars towered over the audience. If one looked closely, they would be shocked by the unique details masterfully etched into each pillar. One pillar, for instance, had an etching of a naked giant man eating an armoured warrior and his horse while his fellow giants trampled a fleeing army to paste. Not every carving was as fearsome and grotesque, a few contained scenes of pleasure, peace and glorious triumph over unnamed enemies. Others showcased flying, robed mages hurling crackling bolts of energy down on their enemies.

The thrones presiding over the hall were wondrous and strange fixtures. They were well-crafted and regal, giving out a sense of oppression to all who looked upon them. Yet the materials they were made of were not something anyone in the hall had ever seen before.

Each was made out of a crystalline substance. The higher one was made of black, grey, and dark purple crystals, while the other was made of pure white and dark blue crystals. The crystals in the thrones played tricks on the eyes and mind, appearing as if they were twisting in on themselves or perhaps unfurling outwards. Focusing too much on these crystals and their subtle fractal dance made the observer feel a bit dizzy.

However, few in the audience cared to obsess over the odd hypnotic nature of the thrones. No, instead they were here to see two people and listen to what they had to say. Their desire to gaze upon the glory of their liberators was incredibly intense, so much so that their excitement was almost palpable.

The man standing before the black throne, wore black pants and a tunic that was embroidered with silver and gold threads. Black leather straps with silver buckles lined the chest of his tunic. Ornate steel pauldrons were molded to his shoulders in a way that complemented the colour of his attire and while still providing the necessary protection. A dark cape flowed off his back and stopped at his ankles, a rich purple could be seen on its underside. He was a tall man but not overly so. Dark haired and grey of eye, he was comely and clean shaven.

He was by no means unremarkable, however. His eyes scanned the crowd with a sharpness and alertness that belied his young age. Any eye that met his shied away and as if wary of the strange unseen energy that clung to him, the same energy that kept the crowd from any disorderly conduct.

The woman at his side was similarly formally dressed. She wore a long, white and silver silk gown that nearly pooled at her sandled feet. A silver half-cape was draped over her shoulders and a delicate silver and gold crown sat upon a head of light blonde hair. While small of stature when compared to her male counterpart, her presence could not be ignored. Her elegance and beauty, from the looks of it, had the audience enamoured. Her eyes were a striking match for the man standing beside her, and if it were not for the opposing colouring of their hair, some might consider them siblings or cousins. Many in the audience did suspect such a thing, though they dared not voice it aloud or present their rulers with such a sensitive query.

"This is a historic moment," the young man began, his voice loud and echoing in the large hall. "The holy city of the horselords is no more," a loud cheer went up at that. The man raised his hand and silence fell once more, ears were being strained unnecessarily to hear what their ruler had to say.

"In its place has risen a city far greater and glorious than any in the world. A city where no man would be a slave to another nor would he oppress his fellow man. Where no woman, no matter how young or old, married or unmarried would need fear any molestation, even if she walked out naked into the streets at night. A city where no citizen would ever fear for their lives or property," as the man spoke, the excitement and reverence of the crowd grew. Several eyes burned with happy tears, hoping that they could reach out and touch this perfect dream and bring it down into the world. Luckily for them, they did not need to, because their leader had done exactly that for them- they just hadn't realised it.

"We promise this to you, O' people! In our city- in our Empire- you would be free. Free from hunger. Free from pain, suffering and persecution. Of blistering heat and biting cold. Of illness and plague. I, Damian Antares and my wife, Ymir," he took her hand in his, while with the other was balled into a fist that rose and fell passionately with his voice, as if hammering in his point, "promise you, that as your Emperor and Empress, we will build you a nation that would rise above any and all. A nation you, my people, could be proud to call your own. A nation that shall suffer no slavers to live or treaty with. A nation that will trample the old order under the feet of titans and usher in a new age for the world!"

The man smiled as the crowd was riled into a fervour, "So, my people, do you wish to be part of such a dream?"

The sound of their jubilant cheers and shouts of agreement rang like a roar through the Imperial Palace.

A grinning Emperor Damian raised his hand once more, "Very well. Then let this day be the Day of Founding. A day of celebration for all free peoples and a stern promise of freedom for people who are yet to be freed from their shackles, and know the glory of the Aetherian Empire. I dub this city "Othrys" the 'City of Titans'. A glorious and civilised capital for a glorious and civilised nation."

The Emperor raised a pitch black blade into the air and the three large purple flags rolled up on the wall behind unfurled. The banner of the newly formed Empire was unveiled.

On a rich purple field, a perfectly circular hollow golden sun blazed, bolts of jagged gold lightning shot outward from its rim.

The people looked up in awe. These were their colours now. Their empire's banner.

"My people, let us rise and work together to achieve our dream under this banner! One day we shall put the world to right! And if it defies us? We shall force peace down its throat! For Othrys! For Aetheria!"

The sword descended and a wave of blue and purple energy swept through the crowd.

The effects of the wave were immediately apparent. Every man, woman and child in the hall changed.

Their bodies filled with strength they had never before dreamt of. Their bones, muscles, tendons, nerves, and blood gained vitality to the point of being superhuman. Their complexion improved and their hair, dull and weak, grew strong and gained a healthy shine. Their minds felt as if they had been unchained for the first time, unshackling them from their previous fears and prejudices. The colour in their eyes grew brighter as if a great weight had been lifted and new hope had arrived.

And most of all was the connection. The link and bond between each other. The metaphysical and intangible feeling of their blood knowing its kin.

It was at this moment they knew that their blood was one and the same and not much different. It was the Blood of Aetheria.

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I strode through the halls, Ymir by my side, and my five advisors trailing behind.

Giving a speech was fucking tiring. Dealing with a nation's everyday running even more so.

You know what was more tiring? Deciding on the name of things. But names were important, names had power.

Whether choosing the name of the mythological stronghold of Titans as the name for the capital will have any real consequences is yet to be seen. After all, what was the worst that could happen? Why did I say that, you ask? Because I was a firm believer of "Fuck Murphy and his fat milf momma" school of thought. Murphy and his soyboy believers could suck my asymmetric grapes.

The name of the empire was mostly because I wanted the empire to sound 'magical', y'know? Maybe Aether or Ether really was a thing and connected to the magic I had in some way. Could be. I didn't know for sure, however. If it was, then the name was just a nice little bonus if names truly did have some power in the world of magic.

Naming Magic was one of those things that I was really wary about. Wary and worried. I had only thought of the possibility of it existing this morning and it made me a bit paranoid.

Did names truly have any power? Did revealing my real name give anyone who knew of it any power over me? Obviously, I wasn't going to freak out and cry in a corner about a branch of magic that was probably just a thing in fiction. I had to test it out for myself. I had magic, didn't I?

To test if I could hold any special power over someone using their given name, I used a Dothraki woman's name. She was entirely honest about it (and nearly pissing herself with fear) and that really was her name.

Using it however, only allowed me to amplify the effects of a spell- in this case a hair growth spell. Poor girl was a bear below her waist by the time I was done. Reversing the spell was also smoother if the target's name was visualised or spoken along with the made-up spell. However, I noted that the name only helped the magic seek out the target I had thought of and whose face I had visualised.

To check if any name would work, I tried my best to think of another female name and tie it to her face in my mind and then cast the spell. The spell worked nearly as well. The effect was almost the same with little to no difference except for the amount of power and effort it required. Casting without a name or a false name required more mental effort and magical energy, the former was obvious and the latter was because I would need to provide power to guide the spell to the target the whole stretch of the way, while with knowing her real name, the spell would be pulled to the target like a steel pin to a magnet.

So names did matter but only to a certain extent. Energy and willpower, however, opened up more options than a name did.

For another test, I spoke out my full name in the Paths and felt out for it with my magic. Speaking my name did not cause my magic to react. I tried it in the real world as well, to no particular variance whatsoever.

Perhaps this was Fae Only magic? Or perhaps a name could only give "power" if some fae creature asked you for it. And it had to be you that said it, because if simply knowing a name worked then the creature could just eavesdrop on your mother telling you to clean your room.

It didn't really make sense that knowing anyone's given name would give you any greater than usual power over them. Sure, it might make magical targeting easier but other than that? Nah.

I did remind myself to keep an open mind. It could be that I didn't understand how Naming Magic actually worked or that I was going about it the wrong way. Maybe it was True Names that had power rather than given names. Like in Le Guin's Earthsea series or Rothfuss' Kingkiller Chronicles. Perhaps everything had a True Name, even people, and knowing it required more than just a few questions from the target.

The reason I was so worried about names was because I'd have to tell my people my name. I couldn't just rely on titles to carry me through Asoiaf. And so I was worried that my name being well-known would open me up to magical manipulation of the nasty kind.

Thankfully, avoiding name targeting of the kind that I knew could be employed was easy enough. Even the Worm- who I had named Nidhogg during my experiment to see if I was the second coming of Harry Dresden (I wasn't. It didn't make it grow wings or start gnawing on any roots or gain any new powers)- was able to counter name-based psychic targeting. Turns out, setting up a higher dimensional psychic lattice/web around a name could allow it to target anyone who spoke it. Especially if they spoke it with any malicious intent.

At times I think I have a handle over Nidhogg's brand of bullshit, only to be proven wrong.

Why am I even surprised that the interdimensional worm can do You-Know-Who name Taboos like it was nothing?

Ah, blast it! I was going on a tangent again.

Ultimately, I placed safeguards against name-targeting and changed my last name from Hunt to Antares just in case. Would that make any difference? Maybe, maybe not. Can't hurt to try. It also provided an extra layer of protection for my elder brother and sister back on Earth should any enemy I make during my adventures find their way back to my world of origin and look me up. It was a stretch, I know, but I was in Asoiaf and in an entirely different world before that, so I had more than enough reasons to suspend my disbelief.

There was no way I was going to change my first name out of blind fear- so I didn't.

The doors to the council room opened and we entered and took our places at the round table set in the centre of the room. The sizable balcony windows were open, letting in fresh air.

"Settle down," I said, taking my seat. Ymir sat down to my right.

I waited for them to sit down before broaching the first topic for the day, "Have the residences been allotted to the citizens?"

Marius, who was overseeing the various issues of the settlers, set down his glass of water and cleared his throat before answering, "Yes, Your Majesty, your will has been carried out to the letter. Each resident of Othrys has been allotted a home."

"Do you believe these allotted homes to be sufficient for their current needs?" I asked. I had created two residential zones- one in the north-west, the other in the south-east, while a major part of the quarter in the south-west was set aside for farming.

Marius frowned and nodded easily. "Of course, my Emperor, it will be more than enough. Most do not have any families or children, the houses Your Majesty provided are more than what anyone could dream of."

"That is true for now, Marius, but what of the future?" I asked. "Will those homes be enough to support a family should they have one in the coming years?"

"I do believe so, Your Majesty," Marius replied. "They should last a generation at the very least."

I nodded, "Very well." I turned my gaze to the Minister of Agriculture. "Minister, what has become of the seeds I had ordered to be planted in the Green Quarter? How many have been planted?"

The Minister of Agriculture, Voreon of Myr, was a thin, middle-aged man with a rough demeanour, though he showed not a hint of it whenever I interacted with him. His admiration and loyalty was clear to see. He also knew more than a little about farming, which was to say, more than anyone else among the freemen. Back in Myr, the man had his own farm and ran it like his father before him. He had kept slaves to till and harvest the land, which wasn't something I appreciated, but living as a slave for half a year had certainly given Voreon perspective.

Voreon nodded enthusiastically, "Your Imperial Majesty, I have done as you have commanded and all within a day too!" The other Ministers had gotten so accustomed to the strange impossibilities in this city, that a field several miles long being tilled in a day didn't surprise them at all.

"The strange plow worked wonders, Your Majesty, it planted seeds faster than any hand," Voreon gushed. "And the beast-" He suddenly looked a bit worried. A touch against his mind told me that the man was afraid that I'd take offense to my summoned beasts being called beasts.

"Have no fear, Minister," I waved his worries away. "Calling them what they are wouldn't offend me in the slightest. They are constructs in the form of beasts, so you would not be off the mark."

Voreon sighed quietly, smiled and bowed. "Of course, Your Majesty. The beasts were incredible! They pulled the plow faster than any beast I've ever seen and didn't lose their breath or their strength."

"That is to be expected, Voreon," I replied. "The constructs have a fragment of the Power of Titans in their flesh. They need no rest while they work. However, let them rest through the night, that is when they recuperate their strength." Voreon nodded vigorously, believing my reasoning.

I hummed, "What about the men who volunteered to be farmhands? Have you assigned them the appropriate tasks? Idle hands are the devil's tools after all."

"I have, Your Majesty. They have been given a variety of tasks, some of moving the seed crates and feeding the right number of seeds into the seeder, others of managing the water supply or killing any troublesome vermin that they see. The braver ones, I've assigned to the beasts themselves," the others chuckled and I smiled. "They attach the seeder, guide the beasts to the next row and take the tool off of them when the patch is done."

"And have you informed them of their pay?" This was important. The Aetherian Empire had to be fundamentally different from its neighbours. It had no serfs or slaves and so any working citizen had to be paid accordingly. Most importantly, I wanted the Empire to be generous as that would bring an influx of people seeking better opportunities and a higher standard of living.

Was I afraid of spies from other nations and bad actors? Hell no.

As of today, Aetherians had a distinct genetic and psychic signature. Their blood and muscles were also different- stronger and healthier with a robust immune system. They were also bound to the Power of Titans. I could go through an impossibly detailed genetic and biological registry of my people right now and change things. I could peek into their thoughts and emotions if I focused hard enough. I could implant suggestions and fuck with their neurochemistry. Yes, this was insane and unethical by most human moral standards, but if this helped me govern my empire with a firm hand then I could hardly give a shit.

This also meant that any outsiders would stick out like a sore thumb among Aetherians, making it easy for me to surveil their every move and prune any 'weeds' should they try to take root.

"I have done as commanded, Your Majesty," Voreon bowed his head. "They were delighted to know that their Emperor and Empress care so much about their needs and wants. I have ordered the men under my command to distribute the rations equally. I have personally overseen the first distribution and heard no complaints from the workers."

"They were satisfied with the food then?"

Voreon's head nearly popped off with all that ferocious nodding, "Most certainly, Your Majesty! They were overjoyed! These people have only known hunger and despair for all or most of their lives. To be given something other than hard bread and grain slop is more than what they expected."

Ah, yes. I did expect them to be pleasantly surprised by the clean and shiny fruits, vegetables and fresh meat that I secretly made in bulk with matter manipulation. All citizens, in fact, would receive a set of daily rations whether they worked or not, the workers would naturally receive more. This would continue until the fields planted with bioengineered seeds bore a fruitful crop and the dairy and meat industry took off. After that, it was only a matter of time before a farmer's market sprung up and the newly minted coins sitting in my palace coffers circulated.

"That is good to hear, Voreon, keep me informed of any difficulties or problems your department faces." Voreon bowed his head.

"Minister Lyra," I spoke to the Volantene woman placed in charge of education. "I've healed all Aetherians, that includes any with missing limbs, deformities, scars or trauma. You'll also find that the bloody act of birth will be far less painful for Aetherian women. Their bodies are robust enough to survive childbirth easily." Lyra nodded along, though I could see she was trying to hide her shock.

"Your duty will not only be to oversee the education of the masses on worldly subjects but also to help them understand the glory and power of their blood and flesh. They are different from any other race of men, they heal faster and live longer. It is your responsibility to make them understand the new limits of their bodies. Make them proud of their identity and simultaneously curb their arrogance." Lyra kept jotting down notes on the ringed notepad I had provided my Ministers. I slid a booklet to her, one detailing the barebones basics of Aetherian biology. Any deeper exploration would have to wait. It was best to keep the true secrets of Aetherian blood out of common hands. For now. She picked the book up and slowly flipped through it.

"Make them understand, Lyra," I made sure to stress this point. "That Aetheria is better than the rest of the world in every way, shape or form. The people of the world outside are misguided and barbarous and need to be brought to the light of the Empire. Aetherians have a duty to their rulers to advance, innovate, breed and spread their glory across the world. Remind them that the world will resist our advances, but we must be patient with misguided, small-minded peoples. They shall understand soon enough that it is better to live under the light and protection of Aetheria than to continue down a ruinous path," I finished.

Yay! Imperial fascism! Ultranationalism go weee!

Lyra noted my words down furiously as I spoke, looked me in the eye and nodded. As an educated woman, she understood. She knew what I wanted her to do. She had seen similar sentiments in Volantis when her father was still alive. Only this time those sentiments were being applied to an entire nation instead of the ruling families. Her heart was beating loudly in her chest, and her thoughts went to the past glories of another empire- Valyria. She wondered if this was how it all started.

She was wrong. Valyria was hardly Aetheria. It wasn't founded on principles of freedom or the desire to bring world peace through short-term war. Valyria was founded on the excess of a few with no regard to the benefit of all.

"You have doubts, I can see," I smiled genially.

Lyra's eyes widened and she shook her head rapidly. "No, my Emperor. This one has no doubts about your masterful vision-"

"Speak," I interrupted her. "Speak your mind. I am listening."

Lyra gathered up her courage and did so. "My Emperor, if we encourage our racial supremacy, would this not ultimately lead to sentiments of disdain for 'others' and 'outsiders'?"

"Nay, Minister," I honestly didn't expect that Shakespearean 'nay' to come out of my mouth. "Any who are conquered will be turned into Aetherians. They shall leave their weakness and barbarism behind and join our cause, worry not. As for those who we do not turn into Aetherians? Well, those shall slowly die out. Aetheria and its children will outlast them. Our men are better, our women are better, our society is better. Who would mate with a common man when they can mate with an Aetherian and live in our empire?" I smirked seeing the dawning realisation around the table.

Lyra bowed her head, her eyes shone with admiration. "I understand Lord Emperor. Your will shall be done!"

"Wonderful! That's what I like to hear, Minister." I touched the minds around the table and was relieved to find no opposition to literal fascism. Probably because it wasn't a term in this wretched world. When everyone was miserable everywhere, a little kindness, freedom, good food and roof, and an upgrade to near superhumanity would make ultranationlism easy to accept.

"Farwan," Farwan perked up with smile. "Galmar here," a large, well-built man bowed, "will take up the position of Minister of Defence and First General of the Imperial Army."

Farwan bowed, I could see that he felt that perhaps he had done something to anger or disappoint me. This was not the case. I wanted Farwan for a more sensitive role.

I told him as much and assured the Neferi that he hadn't lost Imperial favour.

"Farwan of Nefer, you are hereby appointed as the Minister of Imperial Intelligence. The details of your duties will be provided to you. You may employ under you whoever you deem best and are charged with the safety of the Empire against threats internal and external." Farwan looked shocked but quickly collected himself and bowed as low as he could while sitting.

"I- I thank you, Your Majesty, for this," his voice choked up and he had to cough a little. "For this honour." He looked up with a ferocity that would make most people extremely uncomfortable. "I will do my best to protect this nation. Even if it requires my life to do so."

I smiled, "I am heartened by your declaration, Farwan but I believe you shall better serve this nation living than not."

I slapped the armrests of my throne, "If anyone wishes to bring something to my notice, do so." There was nothing but an awkward silence where everyone was just looking at each other.

I hid my grin. "Very well then. Let us reconvene tomorrow. General Galmar and Minister Farwan, stay behind, the rest of you may leave."

The chairs emptied and the room now had only four people in it. I walked up to Galmar and Farwan, while Ymir sat.

"Your positions, gentlemen, require much more than mortal power. Your departments will be the instruments of war and the keepers of Aetheria's peace in its conquered territories. And so…" they knelt. "We shall impart gifts unto you. Gifts unlike any the world has ever seen. You shall be warriors of unequalled might and your prowess will make the enemy shit themselves." The men trembled as a warmth filled their bodies.

"Rise, sons of Aetheria. Make us proud." A golden light flashed through their eyes.

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Author Note: "Glory to Aetheria, greatest country, mother proud!" ~ Jacksepticeye. <--- For those who didn't get the joke, it's alright (uncultured heathens…). On a more serious note: Fuck! Empirebuilding agghhh! It kicked my ass more than I would admit. The next chapter will expand on the Empire's progress and the first Dothraki hordes arriving. Joy. Well not for them. :]