B1 — 23. The Makings Of An Empire (Patreon)

Undying Empire Index

Previous Chapter

Note:  I did a massive revision to this chapter.  I've been meaning to do it now for a while to make it less stiff and boring.  I hope it's more entertaining with the things I cut, condensed, and added.

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Elinor followed the guards through the tunnels; they turned to glance at her every once in a while, quickly returning their focus to the front as they caught sight of the burning spider and ape.  Te’la had slowly stopped quivering but hadn’t spoken since she’d released Lesser Aura of Supremacy.

After a few minutes, they heard soft echoes down branching hallways; the passageways were shockingly level, and if there was a descent or ascent, it was a smooth transition.  Several Yaltha’ma caught sight of them as they passed further into the maze, and upon seeing the Undead Thélméthra, followed with low mutters.

Elinor hummed with interest as a light blue glow began to illuminate the space while following their terrified guides, and florid string-like lights began to line the ceiling.

Tiffany smiled as the vivid lights increased further down the passage, and upon seeing Elinor’s gaze, cleared her throat.  “They’re likely similar to the New Zealand fungus gnat, Arachnocampa luminosa, probably falling in line with the glowworm group.”

She trailed off as their guides froze in place, causing their mount to stop.

“Mmh?”  Tiffany’s lips fell into a frown as her orange irises darted between the Yaltha’ma.  “Something the matter?”

Elinor held up her hand, giving the creatures a short chuckle.  “Continue guiding us, Tiffany is speaking to me; don’t mind our conversation.”

“Oh,” Tiffany breathed, clapping her hands before folding her fingers together.  “Yes, yes, don’t mind us!”  She giggled.  “Go on, go on,” she chimed, flexing her clasped fingers while urging them forward.

They swallowed nervously, eyes darting to the Thélméthra before quickening their pace without a word, tongues likely still stuck to the roof of their mouths.

The Witch’s smile returned as the Yaltha’ma broke into a run.  “Now we’re talking; we’ll get there in no time!”

“You did say we were on a clock,” Elinor commented, watching their thin muscles work from her skeletal throne, air pressure flattening their colorful feathers.  She was beginning to notice wet brown spots along the ground, mirroring the patterns overhead.

“That, we are!”  Turning back to her, Tiffany pointed up at the glowing ceiling; the volume of her voice increased to compensate for the strangely salted air rushing past them.  “Pretty, wouldn’t you say?”

Her hair and veil shifted with her neck’s motion.  She surveyed the astonishing scene passing them; the patterns took on different colors, mixing into an alluring mural of lights that dimmed and brightened at various times.  It was tranquil, reminding her of their street during Christmas time when the neighbors would hire full lighting crews to set up their yard’s displays, and it brought back the memories of the videos her parents showed her of a trip they’d gone on.

“It is … didn’t my parents go somewhere that had something like this?”

Tiffany’s hands quickly shot up to tame her wild black hair as they took a corner, whipping back her long black hair.  “Mhm, mhm!  Your father took your mother to New Zealand for their third Anniversary, and one of the places they went to on that trip was the Waitomo caves.  I recall how magical it was for your mother,” she whispered.

“She talked about it a few times,” Elinor whispered with a small smile as she observed the quivering and moving lights.

Her focus lifted to Te’la as she whispered, “It’s our food.”

“You’ve found your voice!”  Tiffany commented, her soft tone echoing in the tunnel.  “Food, you say?”

“Mhm?”  Te’la mumbled, fingers hugging the ape’s color bone in a death grip.

Tiffany shifted her back against the hand she sat on with a light hum.  “How interesting.  You must have developed an immunity to their poison; of course, these types of glowworms might not be poisonous…”

Elinor noticed strange insects beginning to appear around the area, floating like gnats, but avoiding them entirely as they passed.

The Witch trailed off as a group of forty or more Yaltha’ma emerged from around the corner, but everyone’s focus darted to Elinor’s guides as they desperately tried to stop, claws shooting out; it was too late, their legs gave way.

Tiffany winced, whispering, “Oof!”

The five Yaltha’ma rolled across the ground in a fit of grunts and cries, stopping in a tangled heap before the confused crowd.

Her Quen’Talrat was sharp as a tack, reacting in that split second to quickly adjust their momentum, easing the g-forces that struck Elinor and Tiffany while coming to a halt along the left wall to the throng.

It was surprisingly quiet as the five small feathered monkeys struggled to right themselves; Elinor and Tiffany’s focus moved from the recovering creatures to the group.  They mirrored their example.

“A welcoming party?”  Tiffany questioned, tilting her head with a perplexed smile while adjusting her hair.

The five Yaltha’ma found their voices and instantly started babbling.

“El’co!  The Forsaken One…”

“Te’la was right!”

“What should the Hidden Ones do?”

“Elinor is so powerful!”

A Yaltha’ma with faded feathers and a scarred left ear, mumbled, “How … is this possible…”  Her tone was as elderly as El’Ra’Ca’s.

Elinor ordered both her skeletal ape and spider to stand tall.  She crossed her legs, leaning back against her minion’s long skeletal fingers to give them an appraising stare; Tiffany followed her example, folding her hands across her lap as she waited for the scene to play out.

The Hidden Ones around them hushed, observing the reanimated Thélméthra, and they slowly inching forward, cautiously circling it.

After a few seconds of study, Elinor had the spider swiftly swivel around, glaring down at the creatures with its hollow, burning eye sockets; its fast fluid movements made the fox-like animals scatter with shrieks, echoing throughout the cave. 

Elinor spoke in the ensuing silence as they hovered at the edges of the corridor.  “How long will you hide your face from me, El’co?  Are you afraid?”

She watched several of the creatures lick their lips nervously, prancing back and forth, likely trying to decide if it was best to run; the fear was palpable with the low whimpers, and their tails and ears tucked back.  However, after a moment, the elderly leader stepped out, ears laid back and tail low as she approached.

“El’co was warned by Te’la … El’co sees Te’la atop the flaming Quen’Talrat; El’co doubted Te’la, and—and El’co is regretful of El’co’s decision.  Is—is such a thing possible?  Can Elinor bring back the Forsaken Ones?”

“What has Te’la told you about me?”

Te’la flinched as she focused on her ghostly green irises, likely thinking her account was being brought into question.

“That—there is a mighty one that has descended upon the Yaltha’ma … the leader over the dead—one that is above the White God … even the Forsaken Ones.  Empress Elinor, The Empress of the Dead—is what Te’la told El’co … El’co is to bring Elinor to the Shrine of the Queen—to the remains of the Queen and the Queen’s daughters.”

Elinor’s eyes sparkled, and she refrained from licking her lips, but couldn’t help sitting a little forward with the revelation.  “The Queen, and her daughters?”  She emphasized.

“How fortuitous!”  Tiffany clapped, causing El’co to jump and a lump to drop down her throat.

“Y-Yes … the Hidden Ones f-found the—have protected the remains since—since El’co organized the search party to recover the Queen’s legacy.  The Hidden Ones have done everything…”

This is perfect, Tiffany!

“Yes, we don’t have a moment to spare; your energy is draining rapidly.”

Cutting the El off, Elinor said, “We must go to the shrine as soon as possible.  Lead the way.”

“El’co understands, but—but the Hidden Ones must…”

On command, she was raised further into the air, near the glowing worms above.  Her bright irises appraised the cowering creatures before her.  “Are you unconvinced of my power or your place within my Empire?”

“W-What is the Hidden One’s place—E-Empress?”

Elinor took a long breath, closing her eyes for a moment; she added a warm smile.  “That is a perfectly reasonable question.  Gather around and relax a little.  I will tell you what your place is within my Empire, but we must be swift.”

The Yaltha’ma gave each other nervous glances but complied, quickly moving to sit around her and listen.  While they organized themselves, she consulted Tiffany.

Rushing things will only cause issues.  Right, Tiffany?

“Well, that is a possibility, but I don’t see how your first approach was necessarily bad.  Let’s see … a quick examination on Empire building—I should have explained this first.”  She gave a short chuckle.

“We’ll need to be quick … okay, umm—an Empire is a mass of individuals within a state, governed by a supreme leader, you.  There are three C’s that are the pillars of an Empire, Communication, Control, and Commerce or Resources … one reason why I was so adamant about getting our communication network in order.  We can also get into the five points of Control.

“Oh … this will take too much time, they’re already getting all snuggled up together for storytime.  Umm … this is what I think you want…”

Tiffany quickly explained the gist of her thoughts, giving her a framework of what to say as the small creatures looked up at her with worry, likely concerned about their futures.

Flipping her legs the opposite way, Elinor had her minion lower her to a level that they could more easily gaze upon her.  Clearing her throat, she said, “The Hidden Ones have done a wonderful service for me and the Thélméthra, the true name for the ones you call Forsaken.”

There were excited whispers at her words as they shifted upon the ground, mumbling to one another about the discovery of the long lost name.

“I’m happy with what you’ve accomplished … the sacrifices you’ve made have not been in vain; the memories of your loved ones will live on within your hearts and the values … the traditions you’ve passed down.”

She ordered her skeletal ape to bring her beside the large spider to her left and ran her hand across the smooth, metallic surface.  “Your hopes and expectations … to live without fear, with full bellies, and serve those with power to grant you a better life.”

Turning to smile at them, she guided her minion’s hand to the smooth stone floor to stand; she walked to the front row of the Hidden Ones with a soft smile.  “Hiding away in these caves … unable to see the stars and dreaming of being free to live without worry of being killed for your beliefs.  I’ve come to answer those prayers,” she said, bending down to stroke one of the fox’s heads.

The creature’s tone was feminine as she lowered her crown, trembling as a whimper escaped her throat.  However, after a moment, she released a pleasant moan resembling a cat, and she pressed her head up, applying pressure to indicate she wanted her to be rougher.

“I’m here to take you to those dreams, and far away from those terrible memories.  I’m here to hold you in my arms and guide you to a place higher than you could possibly imagine.”

Elinor straightened, and a male whispered, “E-Empress Elinor—the Empress will really do that for The Hidden Ones?”

Her smile appeared genuine, and in truth, she honestly wished to better these creatures’ lives.  They’d done nothing but wait patiently for someone to take them by the hand and lead them to happiness, holding onto a belief that something could help them combat this cruel world.

“I am Empress Elinor, and I rule an Undying Empire; I am the military might, and all those that follow me will be safe.  If you serve me faithfully, then you will no longer fear the outside world, and my Empire will thrive with your aid.  Become one with something larger than yourself, become a citizen of my Empire.”

There was a moment of silence before questions began flying around, and they began to crowd her.

“How does Ti’ku become a citizen?”

“Ul’to wishes to be a citizen!”

“Praise be to the Empress!”

“The Savior has come!”

“Ge’la wants to be useful to the Empire!”

Elinor gently stroked a few of the creatures’ soft coats; the excitement and hope were palpable as their anxiety turned to expectancy, just as Tiffany had predicted.

Looking back at the Witch, Elinor watched her former mother laugh softly, observing the clamoring throng of hopeful believers.  “Such simple creatures.  Now, you can transition.  I’ll explain it further as we go; what you’ve gained is Control.”

Elinor was about to thank her Royal Ritualist and advisor but quickly caught herself, knowing Tiffany’s support was something natural to the woman.  Gratitude was best shown through the use of her advice.

“Settle down,” Elinor said with a light giggle.  It took half a minute for the excited foxes to regain control of themselves, but it was almost unanimous; they darted back, turned to face her, and bowed their heads with respect, waiting, leaving only one to stand.

El’co’s pink tongue slid across her lips as she glanced back at her people before looking up at her.  “El’co doesn’t wish to be—to be i-impertinent … what about the Yaltha’ma of the White God?  The Hidden Ones are small … the Hidden Ones are hated,” she whispered, head held low as she nervously scratched her left ear.

Her soft smile still compassionate, Elinor walked forward and bent down to her level.  “I’ve made it very clear; there is no longer the Yaltha’ma of the White God or Yaltha’ma of the Thélméthra; there is only the Yaltha’ma of Empress Elinor.  Everyone within the Empire is under me, and under me, there is protection.”

“El’co may—even El’co’s brother?”

“Don’t tell me,” Tiffany giggled, causing the elderly leader’s head to snap toward her, eyes wide with hope.  “No, it couldn’t be … but if she figured out how to read the Quen’Talrat language, perhaps it isn’t so far fetched.”

“Don’t be afraid,” Elinor whispered, stroking her ruffled neck.  “Your brother is El’Ra’Ca, isn’t it?”

“El’Ra’Ca … El’co’s brother … El’Ra’Ca revoked El’co’s Ca … saying El’co disrespected the proud Ca name.”

Elinor released a soft sigh.  “I’m here to set you all free … El’Co’Ca, you no longer need to shoulder that burden.  Both you and your brother have now united again; within the Empire, you are family once more.”

Tears fell down El’Co’Ca’s cheeks.  “El … words fail El’Co’Ca—Empress Elinor.”

“No need,” Elinor replied as she straightened, still following Tiffany’s amused tone in her head.  “Today is a day of atonement.  Let us go to the shrine.  The Queen and her children have been waiting for long enough for their chance to recount their tale.”

“Of course,” El’Co’Ca sniffed, trying to hold back her tears.  “P-Please, follow El’Co’Ca—Empress.”

Her skeletal ape reached down, and she sat back against the smoothly polished bone, rising to join Tiffany again as they followed her new fervent citizens.  At that point, she noticed Te’la was bawling, sniffing back her own tears.

It worked perfectly, Tiffany.

“Yes, well, they’re rather simple creatures, and it does fit into your overall plan.”  She chuckled.

You mentioned five things that are a part of Control besides the two other pillars?

“Indeed, but we should arrive fairly quickly to our destination, so I’ll be quick.”  She paused, lifting her head while squinting down at the throng as they rushed ahead.  “My, they’re moving faster than the five we nearly frightened to death.”

They do seem rather fervent.  Elinor mused.

“Mmh, there are five means by which an Empire exerts its influence over its people, and we went through quite a few of those points just now.  Although, note that the Undead are entirely different because of our undying loyalty.

“It is the creatures like these that you wish to assimilate into the Empire where these principles will come into play, which is actually an exquisite didactic opportunity, I suppose, since you are getting into cause and effect.”  She mused.

Elinor hummed softly.  Because all of my minions exist solely to fulfill my wishes, right?

“Right, and if this is an experiment you wish to exercise, then how amusing it will be.”  Tiffany chimed.

Her ghostly green eyes moved back to the throng of Yaltha’ma as they ran down more tunnels filled with dull blue lights of glowworms, guiding them toward a moment that could mark a turning point for her young Empire.

She kept a neutral expression as she listened to her advisor comment on the situation and shared the wisdom granted to her.

“Ahem … as I was saying, the five means of control which an Empire may employ to gain the obedience of its citizens are terror, propaganda, self-governance, preferentiality, and assimilation.

“Generally, losing those means of control follows with the loss of taxes, resources, commerce, members of the military, coordination, the ability to move your forces through a given region … the erosion of those five paths is what causes the downfall of normal Empires.

“However, your military and power far exceed the means of normal Empires.  Therefore, these principles mark how you wish your subjects to feel about the Empire.  We used a mix of all those means of control; the fear of not being a part of a group is quite the terror, and now, they’re citizens of the Empire.”

Elinor’s mind returned to how she had left her relationship with her friends back at school.  I started to feel that fear.

“Mmh, Katie,” Tiffany shook her head, lips turning into a soft frown.  “I think I recall that conversation, but memories from such a short time ago are still a bit fuzzy to me.”

She said she couldn’t hang out with me anymore.  Elinor stated, now feeling oddly detached from the event.  Something about me being a goth and a cheerleader not mixing well.

“Her loss, then,” Tiffany stated with a mild shrug, but she could feel the slight embers in her former mother’s chest.  “It’s not like she’ll have the opportunity to be friends with an Empress at this stage.  At most, she could brag about knowing you if we ever make it back to Earth.”

I suppose your right, Elinor mused, knowing Tiffany was feeling more dejected for her sake than she felt herself.

“Well,” Tiffany took a quick breath before turning back to the Yaltha’ma, shifting the conversation away from her former fears.  “They obviously fear you, and being left out, but that also breeds resentment over time, which can backfire, if not curtailed.  Eventually, they’ll see the price for inclusion, obedience, among other things, is too high, and sacrificing their lives is of equivalent exchange for their chance at freedom to do as they please.  It falls apart when death is preferred to living under the Empire.”

I don’t quite see that being an issue with these little guys.

“Quite!  Second, propaganda is lovely, and if it’s based in transparency with the accomplishments of the Empire, it thrives as the people relish being a part of something greater than themselves.  However, if there are setbacks or bad decisions with transparency, then the leadership can be questioned, and revolts happen.”

Then, is lying the best option when faced with a defeat?  Because I doubt we’ll have a perfect track record.

“Eh, we shall see,” Tiffany mumbled.  She paused for a moment, lips tightening while thinking.  “Mmh, if you instill lies as propaganda, then it is only a matter of time before the facts come to light and the legitimacy of the populous to put their faith in their leader falters.  Doubt is the antithesis of propaganda; you need them to have confidence and hope to keep them complacent with their lives or fear of living outside the safety of their nation for propaganda to flourish.”

Alright, Elinor hummed.  So … what we did with the Yaltha’ma, playing to their belief in a stronger power?  I told them exactly what they wanted to hear; they get to serve a master that will give them purpose and shelter, but what if someone starts whispering lies in their ears?

“Well,” Tiffany folded her arms, crossing her legs in the opposite direction as they turned a corner, wind rushing past them.  “The Empire is the primary source of information, and we control the communication devices; we will be informing them about the borders and diplomatic news, not a third source.  However, there will likely be instances of the occasional traveler that will give some news, which usually isn’t terrible unless it’s a major event, and they can provide more proof than the citizens have faith in the Empire.”

She lifted an eyebrow while observing the bouncing tails and waving feathers of the small creatures.  “I doubt these sweet creatures will believe some random traveler over you, but it isn’t impossible.  I could craft a Ritual to bind their loyalty more to the Empire.  Still, in essence, most Empires choose to publicize the wins and meticulously cover-up or downplay the losses while keeping those that travel through their land heavily restricted, such as North Korea.

“That being said, a little transparency with the State’s mistakes goes a long way to curbing suspicion, showing there is a chance of failure, but everything is going much better than the alternative, and they can easily come back from this setback.”

Elinor hummed thoughtfully as she glanced over at the Thélméthra, telling it to run across the vertical walls to see if it could climb them, and to her delight, it could.

So, I should let them know that we have a lot of work to do?  They’ll feel like they have a goal to work toward, and they’re contributing to the betterment of their lives.  I mean, you already basically had me tell them that in the first place.

“Most definitely!  Any rational creature … well, I assume that every intelligent beast needs a purpose and place, but I’m sure there are exceptions in this vast existence.  As I stated before, Kierkegaard wrote that creatures need to struggle, at least a little.

“We’re evolutionary creatures of a violent biological history, and we need to feel the sweat of labor; it’s a fascinating drive within us that if curbed breeds depression.  They’ll love to take part in the restoration of the fortress; wonderful propaganda, they’re contributing to building their own home.

“And if we can get these assassins, then we’ll also be able to pull them back as scouts and focus all their force on maintaining and repairing our base.  The sooner we can expand your military might, the happier and safer they’ll feel, which brings us to self-governance.

“You don’t want to give them the power to govern their own military might; all force should be directly under the influence of one of your intelligent Undead officers.  Your Undead will not conspire against you and bypass that part, but allowing a community to self-govern, generally with their own cultural beliefs and keeping a part of their heritage, helps to keep a nation and its people happy.”

She smiled while watching the throng work hard at keeping a fast pace, contacting Edmon through their link.  “Edmon, do you have an example of self-governance and why it’s so important?”

Tiffany’s cheeks bunched to the side as she lifted an eyebrow.  “Yes, Edmon, what example would you bring up?  I would talk about the United States and the complex dynamic they share with the Federal Government.”

“Eh, hmm, give me a moment to finish giving a group of Yaltha’ma an assignment,” Edmon muttered.

“You’re just caught off-guard,” Tiffany teased.  “I doubt you have any input worth noting, to begin with; maybe you should stick to building plans.”

Edmon only replied with several puffs of amusement, taking a few more seconds before clearing his throat.  “To be clear, Tiffany, that conversation you mentioned?”

“My examination of…”

“Yes, yes,” Edmon grunted.  “It’s boring.”

Tiffany’s dark eyebrows drew together, mouth dropping open.  “Excuse me; I’m boring?”  

“Something about the U.S. and government or politics?  Yes, boring.”

“Well, then,” Tiffany fumed.  “What’s your expert topic of self-governance?”

Elinor just listened with a small smirk, knowing she shared a bit of Edmon’s opinion on some of Tiffany’s rants.

“Self-governance?  That’s easy; teenagers.  Enough said; can I get back to work?”

“I … umm,” Tiffany’s nose twisted as her arms tightened under her chest.  “Teenagers?”

I like that answer.  Elinor chimed in.  I can get behind the concept with my own experience.

“Right…”  Tiffany mumbled.  “We’ll save the governance side of it for later, then,” she grumbled.

Te’la shifted her weight against the collar bone she clung to, catching Elinor’s attention as she tried to stabilize herself with their swift movements, and she directed their ride to hunch in a manner to help her.

Tiffany breathed out a long breath while fingering the underside of her bra.  “You know, talking about historical accounts would have been so much fun, but I suppose we are in a bit of a rush, and there’s more to discuss.  David Shannon once wrote, life is not simple, and therefore, history, which is a part of life, is not simple.

“You cannot apply Occam’s Razor to history, no matter how hard you try, and there were some interesting things your mother found during her many studies of the past.  Most truth is usually found in the middle of opposing opinions on a subject.”

Tiffany licked her lips, eyes alight with excitement, but Elinor quickly shut her little detour down.  Could we move onto the next point?  I think Edmon’s statement tells me how vital self-governance really is.

“I … very well,” Tiffany conceded, features dropping in defeat.

“So,” Edmon slowly cut in, causing Tiffany’s face to turn rosen; she’d definitely forgotten he was still listening.  “Should I just get back to the gatehouse?”

“Yes, you can leave,” Tiffany snapped, showing a bit of embarrassment in her tone, causing her lips to tighten.

“Right … well, just ring if you need me,” he chuckled, cutting the connection.

Te’la gave Tiffany a confused look as she plucked at her shirt front with a flustered expression.  “Have I told you how much your mother loved Southern cooking?  I, umm … although, she couldn’t eat it often,” She sighed as Elinor gave her an amused smile. 

“Right, well … propaganda can quell rebellions or give rise to them, distorts the truth, and pushes ideas like the machine of religion.  How prevalent the belief is, shows how zealous you can make people without them even being aware.”

I believe we already covered propaganda.  Elinor chuckled.

Her voice trailed off as they moved from the smooth tunnels to a crystal clear underground lake, spanning a vast distance with pillars, stalagmites, and stalactites running along the ceiling and dry sections of the floor.  Unusual fish with massive eyes and strange glowing colors dotted the pool, weaving slowly through the liquid. 

The various glowworms above cast an eerie multi-hued atmosphere that seemed to draw the pockets of buzzing insects toward them, and ripples dotted the large pool every so often as the fish poked their sucker-like mouths out of the water to suck in low hanging swarms.

Elinor’s focus moved to the cavern’s far end, where a thin layer of tinted mist obscured the opposite side, making the cave seem larger than it probably was.

The view momentarily caught both her and Tiffany’s interest while they swiftly moved past the area; their guides didn’t even glance at the scene, racing toward one of the several openings to descend into another cave opening.

“How pretty,” Tiffany said, voice practically bubbling with the desire to check it out.  “It really is a shame we’re pressed on time.  This world has such mysteries to explore!”

It really does.  Elinor whispered.

“Ahem … right, so, eh—where was I?”

Getting a little off track.  Elinor said with a quick smile in her direction.

“Guilty,” She said with a weak chuckle.  “Oh,” she cleared her throat.  “Did we talk about borders in relation to self-governance, and how far we should allow freedom of travel?”

No, but is it really that important?  Elinor questioned; the bizarre cavern still keeping her focus.  I understand the problems with the citizens gaining information from outside sources in regards to countering our propaganda, which ties to self-governance, and the freedoms I allow.

You’d hammered home the need for their culture to be somehow incorporated into their Empire experience, but with your mention of North Korea, I’m not entirely sold on the idea of closed borders.  If someone wishes to be a part of my Empire and receive that protection, they have the right if they choose to follow my rule, and if not, they can leave my land.

Her vision narrowed, falling to the damp stone floor.  I will carve my own nation out of this world, and take what I need to make my Empire thrive.  I will align with kingdoms or countries that choose to offer a hand and crush those that offer a sword.

I suppose strong borders are a must, in that regard, and not just anyone can immigrate into my nation … I remember my dad talking about borders and why they were necessary, but the details escape me.

Tiffany’s lips pursed to the side at the mention of Edmon.  “Okay … borders, well—why don’t we ask Edmon himself about that, but before that, let’s backtrack for a second.  If a citizen chooses to leave, then they may end up signing up for the Enemy of the State Club.

“We need to be careful … speaking of North Korea, yes, they do use the closed borders strategy, and in the nineties, if you tried to skip the border, then you’d be killed, and they force everyone over the age of twelve to watch as a reminder to never attempt to flee the country.

“Now, however, through smuggled in cell phones, it was discovered that your entire family going back four generations is killed if one person tries to escape three times.  Looking back at World War Two, you also had the effective Nazi propaganda where two in five people in your family were spies and would turn you in.  There are many things we need to take into consideration.”

Elinor’s brow creased.  Seems a little extreme, even for a tyrant.

“Effective, actually!  Fear of an individual can be overcome; fighting is worth more than dying; however, when you add the lives of your entire family into the mix, and that they could turn you in to save their own lives, that is a much higher price than people put on their own happiness.  It’s a ruthless yet productive ultimatum!”

Tiffany released a short sigh.  “Edmon…”

“Woman … I’m busy with a lot of stuff.  What is it?”  He groaned.

Actually, Elinor cleared her throat.  I wished to ask you about borders.

Edmon’s tone instantly changed, causing Tiffany’s lips to lift into a smirk.  “Of course, Empress.  What is your question?”

Tiffany has been talking to me about how to build my Empire, and she’s brought up North Korea as an example of closed borders.  I remember my father explaining a bit about it before and was wondering how you saw the topic.

“I see,” he paused for a moment before clearing his throat.  “You wish to create a nation of many people, an Empire, and Empires generally cannot function properly without trade.  I would not shut out the world, personally, but that means there will need to be strict border controls in place.

“Some people are very reductive when it comes to the topic; borders exist because they are a physical manifestation of shared, or even more importantly, unshared values.”  His tone became crisp.  “It’s not like someone just decided to place a line down on a paper for no reason, it’s because that line represents the values that you’re expected to live by once crossing.”

Tiffany spoke up.  “For instance, you cannot attack citizens beyond this line, or you can’t make them your slave!  We wouldn’t want other nations coming into our land and snatching people away.”

“Right,” Edmon muttered. “The reason for an immigration process is to ensure that those people will share the same values that are expected within that nation, and they’re willing to follow the laws required of them…”  He trailed off with a low growl as Tiffany cut in again.

“Of course, there’s also the issue of documentation for taxes, quarantine for diseases, and many other reasons people tend to forget until something bad happens, but that’s just more details in an endless list of benefits.  That is one reason why there is a citizenship oath … or a Ritual, that I’d personally create, and boundaries that I’d set observation points at to monitor who’s coming in and out.

“When we left, the United States was the largest immigration intake country in the world, which isn’t always a good thing; moderation in all things, and you can only care for what you can support.”

When she stopped, Edmon dryly asked, “It seems you have this conversation covered, Tiffany.  Why don’t you just finish it off?”

“I’m just trying to be thorough,” she defended with a short huff.

Elinor cut in with a short sigh.  I suppose you’re both right; we do need to be careful with how we handle our borders and citizens leaving or entering.  Let’s move onto the fourth point.

“Which is?”  Edmon asked respectfully.

“Preferentiality,” Tiffany chimed.  “People within your nation receive the majority of the wealth within that Empire, not other countries.  It’s the same aspect of first putting your mask on in a crashing plane before helping someone else.  You can’t help if you’re starving yourself; it’s a very short term project to give everything you own to a people that aren’t producing anything in the first place.

“People want to be taken care of, and if you can take care of your hard-working citizens, then they’ll love you and offer what they can to the rest of the world.  Edmon?”

Silence followed for a few seconds, causing Elinor’s attention to move back to the running creatures.  This is quite a maze.  Her internal thought cut as Edmon spoke.

“Excuse me, Elinor, I was giving El’Ra’Ca some instruction.  Hmm, a government generally takes certain weights or responsibilities and hardships off the shoulders of its citizens; it’s what it was designed for, and helping other nations can also put your citizens’ conscience at ease, as Tiffany was likely about to say.”

Tiffany huffed, glaring over at the wall, and Edmon continued.  “However, your citizens must take priority as citizens of that nation, that the leader swore an oath to protect first.  Tiffany?”

“Ahem, right, well, that, and most governments aren’t that efficient, which can cause massive economic, health, and safety concerns.  It’s like, we could take over all food production and distribution means within the Empire, and sure, there would be no stores or fast-food restaurants that our citizens could build on their own, but hey, it would be cheaper.  Your people may not get what they want, and it may be just rations, but the price will go down, and the nation would save money!”

“The point,” Edmon muttered, “being just because an Empire can do something, doesn’t mean it should or that it would be most beneficial to its citizens.  People want the right to eat what they want, but there are some countries that don’t afford that right to people.  It depends on how you want your subjects to view you.”

“Oh, we need to hurry this along,” Tiffany chimed.  “I believe we’re getting close to ending our little game of tag.”

“How would you know that?”  Edmon questioned with a deep chuckle.  “Didn’t you tell me the place was a maze, and it’s not like you’ve been there.”

A hint of annoyance touched Tiffany’s voice.  “Call it an educated guess; do you want to make a bet on it?  Hmm?”

“I’d rather not after the last experience,” Edmon grumbled.

“I did win before, didn’t I?”  Tiffany gloated, and when Edmon didn’t respond, continued, tone brightening.  “Leading us to the final point, assimilation.  Now, I would recommend we let these races keep aspects of their culture, but also give them something to assimilate with their lifestyle to imprint the Empire within their minds.”

A lot of these seem to connect together, Elinor whispered.  We touched a bit on this earlier. 

“True, but they all play off each other.  Many Americans identify with their cultural roots and backgrounds from Scottish to British to Spanish.  Your parents had many friends that had entire rooms dedicated to their cultural heritage.”

Elinor chuckled.  Yes, we had our own reception rooms … mom had her French room and dad his Venezuelan.

“People like being connected to their culture, and if you can incorporate that with the Empire, then it will be that much stronger!  I’ve been doing a bit of thought on their religious beliefs,” she muttered.  “I’ll have to look further into it, though; give me a day or so to get the proper information.”

There’s so much to learn with building an Empire.  I suppose we’ll just have to take it one step at a time … thus, the five forms of control, terror, propaganda, self-governance, preferentiality, and assimilation, and the three pillars of an Empire, Communication, Control, and Resources or Commerce.  We’ll have to discuss the details as events pop up over time; it seems like we’re coming up on the shrine.

“Finally!  I’m so excited!”  Tiffany squealed.  “The Queen and her daughters must join us!  They must!”

Why are you so wound up about them … wait, right … you got the dress-up addiction of my mother…

“Guilty!” 

Elinor released a tired chuckle, recalling all the times her mother had dragged her around stores to doll her up and take pictures; she might as well be a fashion model with the number of photo albums her mother had created.

It took another minute before they entered the shrine, and Elinor spent the time looking at her spider minion, trying to conceptualize how the Witch would try to mold the creatures into something pretty, but it was turning out utterly terrifying in her mind.  She kept thinking about half-human and spider monsters with multiple eyes, mandibles, and big crystal-like butts.

Her attention snapped back to El’Co’Ca as she panted, “The—the shrine—up ahead, Empress—Elinor,” she swallowed, trying to ease her pumping heart and lungs.

It was clear that the elderly Yaltha’ma had been pushing herself to get her here as fast as possible, and what greeted her was magical.

The room was well lit by massive jagged spikes of green and blue crystals that emitted a mysterious glow and light colorful mist; the fog didn’t extend too far past the structures but gave a mystical feel to the expansive room.

Glowworms dotted the ceiling like falling stars, and the floor was made of the same black marble as the fortress, mixed with veins of white and red that branched out to create strange patterns that seemed unnatural.

A small pool of red water fell from two holes along the back left wall to weave around the glowing crystals, turning it blue as it fed into an exit cavity closer to the entrance.

Yellow and purple mushrooms seemed to be growing out of the red moss that framed the stream, and the moss only extended four feet past the liquid.

The cavern was at least seven meters high, and twenty meters wide.  It was in a circular shape with broken Thélméthra bodies littering the stony floor, framed by the crystals where four giant corpses sat, mostly intact; each one was notably different in shape and color than the throng of crushed bodies.

Elinor’s eyes passed over the three smaller Thélméthra that were probably the Queen’s daughters; they surrounded a slightly larger spider-like figure, likely their mother.  The daughters were around the same size, while the Queen was large enough to be seen above the colorful spiders around her.

To the far left was the smallest of the sisters.  She had a black body with a white cross that was noticeably brighter than her mother’s shade, running across the top of her back; her backside was larger in comparison to her body than the others.  She was a bit more curved, with less rigidity to her structure.

Right of the smallest was a colorful spider; her dark and light blue exoskeleton was spotted with three pink diamonds and a gold teardrop in the center of the middle plate on her butt.  She was less rigid than the third and slimmer than her siblings.

The third sister had the sharpest features with the thickest looking exoskeleton; she was covered with deep red thorny vine, snaking around her abdomen.  It almost appeared like she was more of a stalker than a trapper.

The one she assumed was the Queen sat in the center; despite being battered and broken, she still managed to express her beauty and elegance in death.

Elinor’s eyes slid down her fragmented torso and abdomen, decorated in large red and gold flower-like designs of different hues with a mixed glossy white and black body.  Her steel-like exoskeleton appeared to be made out of the same metallic-like material as the rest of her kind, and with Ke’Thra’Ma’s recount, was no doubt harder than steel.  However, two of the plates on the Queen’s back were missing, and parts of her hard outer casing were fractured, showing cracks spiderwebbing across her body.

Elinor took a deep breath.  Here we go … what will a Spider Queen be like? 

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