Once and Always the Claw
"Who do you think she was referring to?" Raptr asked.
Keris drifted closer to his wingmates in order to hear them above the whipping winds. His magenta hawkeyes remained locked on Chandler, his chariot, and the thick formation of Central Guardians ahead.
"Who, exactly, Sargeant?" the Commander inquired.
Raptr looked aside in mid-flight. "That farmer. The distraught mare who was cradling the elder." His eyes narrowed beneath his wind-pelted helmet. "She mentioned a 'Johnny.'" The rookie shook his head. "I don't remember any 'Johnny' being in Rainbow Dash's group."
"Perhaps it was a given name," Keris said. "Something that only the locals would call him." He took a breath. "I suspect Bard."
Starstorm glanced aside. "Jordan's travelling companion? Why him?"
"'Bard' never struck me as a real name," Keris remarked. "And I was keeping my eye on him while we were with Rainbow Dash in Starkiss."
"I thought you kept your eye one everyone, Lieu—er... Commander," Raptr said.
Keris simply continued: "The pegasus seemed... detached. Both in spirit and in motive. I don't think he was following Rainbow Dash around for the same reason that most of the individuals from Wyvern Point were."
"He must have gone rogue, then," Starstorm said.
"How so, Sergeant?" Windburst asked aside.
"You heard the mare!" Starstorm exclaimed. "He apparently went ballistic on his own flesh and blood!"
"They weren't flesh and blood," Keris calmly remarked. "I managed to corner a few of the locals while Chandler's group was rummaging through the debris. I spoke to a 'Kelly'... and a 'Ray'—a unicorn and a griffon respectfully. Turns out the old stallion named 'Blue' is a foster parent, and he's adopted citizens from all Tribes across the Twilight Lands."
"You're thinking this 'Johnny' was one such foster child?" Starstorm asked.
Keris nodded into the wind. "According to 'Ray,' Johnny and his companions stopped by the ranch and asked for supplies. The mare we listened to—Marie—insists that the items in question were stolen." He shook his head. "I don't believe she's being accurate."
"Why's that?" Windburst cocked his head to the side. "Because Rainbow Dash wouldn't stand for that kind of a crime?"
Keris took a breath. "Actually, I was going to invoke Jordan's moral standards." He glanced back at his subordinates. "This 'Wildcard' may be different from the brother-in-arms that I know and love... but there's still an integral character about him. I witnessed it in Starkiss, and I can't imagine it would have faltered at all since what transpired in Frostknife. If Jordan chose to make such a faithful companion out of 'Johnny,' then I suspect it's for a legitimately good reason. The kind of pony who would rob his own kin would be abhorrent to the Jordan I know." Keris gulped. "No... No, I believe that the mare we listened to was exagerrating. Besides... the farmers I spoke with had nothing but good things to say of Johnny... if not somewhat melancholic."
"Then why would the mare who spoke to Chandler and Seraphimus make such exagerrated remarks?" Raptr asked.
Windburst glanced over his armored shoulder. "The last time you and your fellow nestlings had a family reunion... was every griffon honest with one another? Truthfully?"
Raptr grimaced.
"Goddess..." Starstorm rolled her helmeted eyes. "Families just kill me sometimes."
"Mmmm... no doubt there was a very ugly scene back at that ranch," Keris remarked. "I can only wonder what convinced Rainbow Dash to tarry there for so long." He blinked. "Surely she knows that Rohbredden sent a hunting pack for her."
"I've got an even better question," Windburst said.
"By all means, Sergeant."
"What caused the windigoes to attack that ranch?"
Starstorm looked at him. "Since we flew out of Frostknife, we've caught word of no less than ten windigo stampedes across the Twilight Lands. They all seem pretty random to me."
"Yes... but Rainbow Dash just happened to be there at the ranch when they attacked?" Windburst remarked.
Starstorm's beak rattled. "You don't mean to suggest that Rainbow Dash was somehow the cause of that attack?"
"Do I?" Windburst's eyes hardened. "We still don't fully understand just what control Verlaxion had over those monsters." He gazed straight ahead. "Or what control she still might have. For all we know... she's empowering them from beyond the grave."
"How?!" Ratpr remarked. "Are those things equipped with mental Rainbow-seekers?!"
"With Verlaxion, anything is possible," Keris said with a shudder. "And I... do not mean that in the same triumphant way that I once so gleefully believed."
The rest were silent. The starry heavens around then broiled with thunder as they pressed on towards the dim east horizon.
"If the windigoes are honing in on Rainbow Dash," Starstorm remarked, "Then we're going to be facing a bigger threat at Bleak's Plummet than just the Seventh Tribe. Whether Rainbow means it or not, we could be flying into a huge trap."
"Yes..." Keris droned. "We could..."
Starstorm looked curiously at their leader. "Commander?"
Keris was staring at Chandler and Seraphimus.
"Something... you want to share with us, Keris?" Windburst remarked.
Keris sighed. "I've been thinking." He gulped. "If any of these Central Guards perish under our watch... it's a tragedy. But..."
Silence.
Raptor muttered: "If... Chandler perished...?" He let the thought linger as fragmented as it began.
Starstorm shuddered heavily. "Can we please not entertain such thoughts? We've broken enough ethics as is."
"At ease, Sergeant," Keris said. "I wasn't even remotely tempting that idea. And besides..." He took a somber breath. "I've come to realize that it wouldn't matter."
"How so?"
"You saw how quickly we were forced to abandon those poor farmers back there. What was the precise reason for our taking off in such a hasty fashion?"
"Chandler told us to take wing, didn't he?" Starstorm remarked.
Keris simply glanced back at her.
Starstorm's feathers paled beneath her helmet. "...Seraphimus took control." She gulped. "She forced the information to come out of the mare's mouth."
"It goes far deeper than that, I fear," Keris said. "I've worked with the former Commander for a long time. I know quite well when the atmosphere of the moment is being conducted by her and her alone." He gazed in the direction that they were flying yet again. "Nopony here in the Central Guard actually believes in the Defense Minister. He's a jester in a comically large suit of hastily-forged armor. He knows nothing of a proper hunt. But Seraphimus?" Keris slowly, icily nodded. "Everypony believes in Seraphimus. She is both the will and the anger that is empowering this pursuit. Even if Chandler was to drop dead of a heart attack, these soldiers will follow Seraphimus anywhere... even into the jaws of death."
The other members of the Talon exchanged nervous expressions.
"So... so what do we do?" Raptr stammered. "How do we take control of the situation?"
Keris exhaled heavily. "I'm not sure we even can at this point..."
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The real question, Keris, is what are you going to do when Rainbow and Seraphimus start trying to kill each other?
7439577 Talk about conflicting loyalties.
I kinda wanna read this series, but I don't wanna die from old age before I get to the finale.
I predict that Keris and the rest of the Talon will have to side with Seraph when the time comes, if only to keep up appearances, but by that point, they will be the only ones who are capable of keeping up with Dash, so Keris will at least get to exchange some banter beforehoof.
-Companions are abound, frozen spectres hound. Utaan.
7439615 3-4 months is around the estimated catch up time right now,
Though I believe if you sacrifice a weekend to a pair of books each week, you'll catch up in about a month.
7439624 Thank you for your information. By the way, would you recommend this series?
Yep... We will definitely get Rainbow vs Seraphimus round 2.
7439628 It took me 6 months but I was reading slowly, but I would really recommend it without a second thought. Just be prepared for a long ride.
7439645 Ok, thank you for your input!
7439577 He'll have to pick a side. Hopefully he picks the right one.
And this just makes me think even more that Seraphimus will end up killing Chandler in the end, likely when he gets in her way.
7439628 Well.. I've been reading it for... *checks my first comment on the first story* over 3 years now, so yes. I can honestly say that without a doubt, I would recommend this series.
Having said that, I understand this series might not be for everyone, but, the common way of looking at is thusly.
Read the entirety of the first book, Austraeoh, if you want to continue, then head on over to Eljunbyro, if not, then you've reached a good point to jump off.
7439714 Thank you.
7439615 If you're under 50, you probably have a pretty good chance of finishing the series eventually
I'm starting to get a bad feeling about this. I mean, more so than before. I'm starting to sense a blood bath. There have been relatively few fatalities among major characters in this series, and I fear that won't last much longer.
This....this is setting up for a bad situation later on down the line...
7439965 That's what I said last chapter. However, I guess I should have added members of the Talon and other hanger-ons.
While the situation does certainly seem to be aiming towards a bleak outcome for a lot of people involved, especially for Seraphimus, she does have a slight advantage Shell lacked; she still has people that care about her. Keris and/or Wildcard could still play a role in snapping her out of it. Or it might just get one or both of them killed.
You know, a part of me kind of wished Dash, realizing the kind of clusterfuck that could result in leading the Central Guard all the way to Bleak's Plummet, might've decided to just say screw it and turn around to face them. Just get the fight out of the way on ground of her choosing, set up an ambush somewhere to just break the pursuers and take down Seraphimus one way or another. At least in such a fight, even being heavily outnumbered, she'd had the capacity to choose the location of the fight and get a shot at taking the leaders down before the regular troops could respond. Letting the Central Guard chase them until they catch Dash and the Herald at an inopportune instant with the sarosians just seems like it's asking for more bloodshed, rather than looking for the best way to mitigate it.
I feel like Sera is going to kill one of the Talon by the end of this.
Heh Chandler is a fool and Seraphimus is mad.
Seraphimus the Hammer is now on approach. Theyre approaching the anvil that is Bealks Plummet.
Lets just hope it doesnt live up to its name, or Flynn is going to have to Simon the Waterfall.
Seraph has those who still care about her genuinely, while by the end of things Shell threw all of those away. So Verlax's copy is not perfect, and that may allow an out, though at this point I doubt it.
That about sums it up. The only one in control is a certain lemur with an affinity for Disney princesses.
....We're doomed.
Well, we all knew this. Seraphimus is the wind in the sails of this mission to kill, and Chandler is merely the decoration.
To be honest, I think it was the symbolism with his armour in earlier chapters that tipped me off. :u
I really want someone to ask Seraphimus "Are you mad?!" At some point, just to see what her reaction is.
So,
1) It looks like Luna will rally the sarosans to her side, only to have them butchered again in her name by Chandler's army. Damn you, Skirts, will the tragedies of the past ever stop repeating?!?
2) We're all aware of how long Dash has been chasing the sunrise... You guys do realize that she's won, right? She's flown so far that she's outflown the damn sun! Jam that in your pipe and smoke it, history!
7440384
7439965
7440079
Anyone else see an encroaching bloodbath in Bleaks Plummet that will make the Red Wedding look like a minor scuffle?
I don't think I'd put money on Remna/Axan surviving. Also, depending of how cruel Skirts feels, we may embark with only half the Desperadoes left.
7441683 Eh. I wouldn't make Red Wedding comparisons, because in a real Red Wedding scenario Rainbow Dash would be counted amongst the dead.
7440384 You monster. Now I have sadness and feels.
Never in my life have I shed so many tears over a fictional squirrel... I'm gonna go lay down for a bit.
Raptr fought autocorrect and lost.
7441314 Why would you expect any answer other than "no"?
Seraphimus is best Shell.
The Verlax in the back said " everyone attack" and it all turned into a ballroom blitz.
7443791 And the Dash in the corner said "boy I want to warn you, it'll turn into a ballroom blitz".
7439628 Highly Recommended! A+! 5 stars on Yelp!
7443791 I love you for this
At least Sera is less of a shell than she was before if she can get people to follow her that faithfully again...
Ah, the hunt traps the hunter as much as the prey.
Sera is very conniving indeed. Patience is indeed a virtue because it was only a matter of time for her to regain control. I hope that someone can stop her.
Okay, I think it’s time. I’ve been waiting to comment a few things but I think the time has come.
I’ve been holding out some hope that Seraphimus’ family was still alive. I hoped for a long time there would be a great happy and tearful reunion between her and her family. I think I can say now that cannot happen. It’s a shame I was really anticipating when they’d wake up, it would’ve been one of the most powerful scenes in the whole series.
Up until the time when Twilight was restored, I was just going with the flow, and really feeling the heartache of losing the Noble Jury, I think the Grand Choke chapters really made all of us feel alone, but now that there’s a goal...an endgame plan with the Herald...now I’m just counting down the time until we get back to Ponyville just like Dash.
And I know now Seraphimus is being compared to Shell, it we all have to remember, even she isn’t as bad as him, Shell butchered his wife.
Once a commander, always a commander. She's a sly one, don't doubt that.
Do your best Keris. We're counting on you.