Trial Fourteen: The Narrow
“You know, yer lucky most folk around here ain't the envious types,” remarked a voice.
Kanathara blinked and glanced over the lip of her floating disc to the ground where Applejack stood. The pony wore her armor and heavy barding, guarding her against the worst of the cold which sapped at them all. Or at least almost all of them, as Kanathara and her familiar were exempt from this minor annoyance.
They were sitting atop a levitating purple oval roughly the size of a cart which seemed immune to the frigid wind. Atop their perch, the pair lay sprawled out, sipping wine, eating fresh fruit, or reading from the grimoire hanging from her neck. Draped in silks and sitting next to a minor fire demon they were using as a space heater, the sight made many become a shade or two greener.
“Good,” Kanathara flippantly replied. “Because it's not like I would lower myself to trudging through the snow.”
The keeper of secrets then leaned back, resting her head on a pillow.
“Who was that?” asked Rainbow Dash, her mouth stuffed full of grapes.
“The apple one,” Kanathara replied.
“You know I can hear you from up there?” Applejack shouted.
“I don't think the boss cares much,” Rainbow Dash yelled back.
“Don't be too harsh on them,” Tirek remarked, trotting up alongside the young earth pony. “They’ve done a lot of fighting and will do a lot more before the end of the day.”
Applejack snorted. “Could at least toss me an apple. Ow, hey, watch it!”
“You’re welcome!” Rainbow Dash shouted back.
Applejack looked over to the thing which had bounced off her head and found that it was a bright red apple. Plucking it from the snow, the earth pony grumbled to herself as she ate it, her anger melting away as the flavor erupted across her tongue. Reluctantly, she joined the rest of the army who marched in relative quiet, at least for a few minutes anyway.
As a cry went up from those closer to the front of the army, a flare shot high up into the air. Green smoke fell from the sky as the lone shooting star careened back towards the ground.
“A stop, but not an emergency,” Rainbow Dash fell back down to her bed of pillows. “Guess we can keep on chillaxing.”
“Agreed,” Kanathara added, not looking up from her book.
“We had best get moving,” Tirek offered. “They wouldn't have used a flare if they knew what to do.”
“Wait, are you talkin’ to me?” Applejack asked.
Tirek snorted, pulling his fur jacket tighter about his shoulders. “You may think me many things, but senile is not one of them. Of course I meant you.”
“Whatever. Lead the way,” Applejack grumbled, tossing back the last of the apple.
Together the pair trotted towards the front of the army, moving past halted groups of demons and ponies alike. The various squads were parked mostly on the side of the road, allowing the duo to quickly reach their destination. Which turned out to be a side road occupied by a group of cultists and a small caravan of rag-adorned ponies.
The mass of huddled refugees stuck close to one another while they waited. Standing at the forefront of the group was a tall pegasus mare with a greasy mop of green hair dangling down the side of her head. Her fur, or what little of it was visible beneath the tattered rags she wore, was a soft blue color.
“We don't want any trouble,” she exclaimed in a low tone. “We’re starving, freezing, and just looking for some help.”
“And I’m telling you we don't have time to deal with you lot,” barked the black-furred cultist mare. “We are trying to save this whole damn plane, and you would only get in the way.”
“We could haul your carts, or cook, or tend to the camps,” offered the refugee.
“I don't-” the cultist began.
“We’ll take it from here,” interrupted Tirek.
“As you will,” the black-armored mare replied, bowing slightly before stepping back.
“Now then,” Tirek began, his arms crossed over his chest. “What do we have here?”
“Refugees, my lord,” replied the rag-adorned mare, who bowed low. “We fled Canterlot some time ago, and we’re holding out in a farmyard nearby before it was finally found by raiders.”
“How did you escape?” Applejack inquired.
“Not all of us did,” murmured the other mare.
“My condolences. What is your name?” Applejack pressed.
“May Flower,” replied the mare, who pulled up her rags just enough to reveal her wild pinkish-purple flower cutie mark. “I am, or was, a farmhand at one of the local wineries.”
“Is that so?” Tirek murmured.
“It is. I worked with my uncles and cousins before… everything,” May Flower muttered mournfully.
Tirek hummed thoughtfully. “What do you think, Applejack?”
“Since when do you care about my opinion?” Applejack shot back.
“Since I promised your mother to,” Tirek answered.
Applejack sighed. “Fine. I think it's mighty fishy that these folk aren't in the dirt or part of some bunch of bandits.”
“Surely there are enough farms around here to hide them,” Tirek reasoned.
“There is a valley not far from here,” May Flower offered, gesturing behind her. “It is not overly deep, but it offers some cover from prying eyes and this dreaded wind.”
“We can always use more camp hands,” Tirek reasoned. “It would free up some of the imps to do more dangerous duties or tasks.”
“Hold on a second. Something still feels off about this lot,” Applejack’s eyes narrowed. “Why don't y'all have any younguns with ya?”
“They were able to escape, or… didn't make it,” murmured May Flower.
“And you said you were fleeing Canterlot, but then said you were a farmhand here,” Applejack pointed out.
“Most are fleeing Canterlot,” May Flower replied, gesturing back to the nearly hundred-strong caravan behind her. “I was not one of them.”
“And why ain'tcha shivering?” Applejack demanded. “Y'all got less than a single pair of clothes between the lot of ya, but ain't none of ya shivering!”
“That is a bit weird,” Tirek remarked.
“We are all suffering frostbite to some extent,” May Flower hissed. “Our bodies are literally shutting down, you heartless monster.”
“Lies,” Applejack spat. “Yer lyin’ through yer teeth right now.”
“How could you possibly claim to know that?” May Flower demanded. “Can you not see how little cover we have, and feel how cold the wind is?”
“Look, lady, I don't know what yer deal is but, I’ve gotten real good at spottin’ a lie. Always been good at it, but after touching that weird artifact thingy I’ve been gettin even better,” Applejack explained. “So trust me when I say yer words feel like slime in my ears.”
“Fine then,” May Flower exclaimed, opening her forehooves wide. “Use a truth spell or something on me.”
“Nah, you’re prepared for that,” Applejack retorted, pointing to another pony further down the line. “Grab him. He’ll answer our questions.”
“No!” May Flower interrupted, stepping between Tirek and the random pony. “I won't let you.”
“And why is that?” Tirek demanded.
May Flower sighed. “I wouldn't wish to put him through that. Look, when I told you we were starving and freezing, that wasn't a lie.”
Tirek glanced down at Applejack curiously.
“It ain't a lie. Just ain't the whole truth,” Applejack exclaimed.
“That's because we’re changelings,” murmured May Flower who shed her disguise and revealed herself as a bug-like pony with a black carapace. “And we need your help.”
“My queen. Are you sure this is wise?” asked one of the other still disguised changelings.
“It doesn't matter at this point,” murmured the queen. “This plane will likely be destroyed, and even if it isn't, then the overwhelming hatred will starve us all out.”
“Changelings… I remember Kanathara mentioning something about you lot. Said you were lying sneak thieves who steal love from innocent ponies,” Applejack exclaimed.
“We steal nothing,” hissed the changeling queen. “You ponies give off more love than you know what to do with. We merely skim off what you send off into the air.”
“That sounds like another half-truth,” Applejack retorted.
The changeling gnashed her fang-filled maw angrily. “It is the truth. We can use more violent means to get a meal, but that method is usually avoided, as it rouses too much suspicion.”
“And usually kills the pony in question,” Tirek pointed out.
“And that,” the queen admitted.
Applejack nodded. “Then let's call the other commanders together and think about where best to put ya.”
“Wait, just like that?” asked the changeling. “We’ve been preying on your people for centuries.”
“As have demons, and we let this jerk wander around without a leash,” Applejack exclaimed, gesturing to Tirek.
“Nah, that happens sometimes. Ask your mother,” Tirek retorted.
Applejack’s face contorted from rage to embarrassment and back again so fast that she nearly blew a gasket. A hard exhale stopped that particular train of thought, however, and she stomped her foot on the snow-covered ground.
“I’m going to pretend I didn't hear that,” Applejack murmured, turning back to the queen. “We can find you a place, but be warned you’ll probably be banned from disguising or tricking others.”
“But that would simply be a faster road to starvation,” exclaimed the shapeshifter. “How can we hope to acquire any love if we look like this?” The changeling gestured to her hole-riddled form and fang-filled maw.
“I mean, people apparently like Tirek, and you’re a might bit easier on the eyes than him,” Applejack retorted.
“Rude,” Tirek muttered, grinning with barely contained mirth.
The changeling looked the demon up and down before nodding. “I suppose our chances of starvation aren't quite as high as I first thought,” admitted the shapeshifter.
“Ya got a name?” Applejack asked.
The changeling nodded. “I do, and it's Chrysalis.”
“Can we trust them?” Rainbow Dash asked, glancing back to a changeling hauling supplies. “They are duplicitous by their very nature.”
“They volunteered for the most back-breaking jobs in the army,” Dawn Hammer exclaimed while tightening his breastplate. “They’ll be too exhausted to do much of anything, I think.”
“Besides,” Kanathara began, “they’re being watched.”
“I guess,” Rainbow Dash muttered.
“We are ready,” Daisy declared, throwing a mace over her shoulder. “We’ve unloaded all our tunneling equipment and await your order to begin digging.”
“Good,” Kanathara exclaimed. “I want you and your team to begin immediately. The second you’ve begun hitting that barricade from behind, the paladins will start pushing from the front.”
“Crushing them between us,” Daisy stated, pounding her fist into her open palm.
Rarity raised a hoof. “Um, question.”
“Yes, Rarity?” Kanathara muttered.
“What exactly was the plan again?” Rarity asked.
Kanathara sighed and pointed up at the long winding path leading up to Canterlot. Wide enough for only a half dozen ponies to stand abreast. The other tunnels or roads had been collapsed, leaving the narrow passage the last remaining way up the mountain.
“You see those demons dug in halfway up?” Kanathara prompted.
Rarity strained her eyes, peering up the path to where about a kilometer away sat a wall of demonic flesh. Most wore armor, all had weapons of various sizes, and their ranks spread from the cliff wall to the very edge. Behind them knelt several smaller entities, or at least that's what Rarity had been told anyway.
“Yes, and?” Rarity pressed.
“They are protecting a group of sappers seeking to destroy the last remaining way up the mountain,” Kanathara continued. “Which is why we need you and your diamond dogs to dig in behind them and take out the sappers. While that happens, we will slowly advance the paladins up the hill, keeping their attention focused on us.”
“We’re tougher than the other units and can take a beating,” Dawn Hammer declared, clanging an armored hoof against his chest. “They’ll be prepared for a long, drawn-out fight and won't scramble to blow the tunnel until you hit them from the back.”
“I know all that,” Rarity claimed. “I’m just wondering why we can't bring Grooty with us.”
Daisy rolled her eyes. “Honey, look at the size of that thing. We’ll be digging as fast as possible so that means a tight, narrow corridor barely big enough for us.”
“I suppose that means I’ll be staying here,” Rarity murmured, brushing a hoof against her armored chest. “And I just polished it too.”
“Shucks. Guess you’ll have to sit back and make sure Grooty doesn't mess anything up,” Daisy exclaimed.
“Oh, alright,” Rarity murmured, stomping forward and pulling the diamond dog down to her height by grabbing the taller creature’s undershirt. “But you better make it back to me in one piece. I’m starting to like you.”
“I will, I promise,” Daisy exclaimed, planting a kiss on the unicorn’s nose.
Rarity giggled. “She’s all yours, just don't run her too ragged.”
“I’ll try not to. We’ll need her later,” Kanathara replied.
Daisy watched Rarity leave before turning back around. “So, we ready to get this operation started?”
“Go ahead,” Kanathara exclaimed. “In the meantime, we’ll remain here and support the paladin’s advance.”
“Do you think you can get there in time though? You won't have long,” Rainbow Dash hesitantly inquired.
“We’ll get there, don't you worry,” Daisy stated. “If there's one thing we know, it's digging.”
“Right then. I guess I should get formed up then,” Dawn Hammer offered.
“Do so,” Kanathara ordered. “If we’ve timed this correctly, then we should be able to make it out with a clear path to Canterlot and barely any casualties.”
“Let's hope so. It would be embarrassing to lose so soon against such a sorry lot,” Dawn Hammer stated with an irritated huff.
“I’m going to rejoin the mages. You can do whatever,” Kanathara exclaimed, gesturing vaguely at Rainbow Dash as she walked away.
“Cool, I'ma go throw grapes at the changelings,” Rainbow Dash declared before flying away.
Kanathara rolled her eyes and ignored her familiar, focusing instead on locating the other mages amidst the army. Which was more difficult than normal, as there was a great number of creatures moving about the area. Paladins were assembling at the base of the hill, while diamond dogs had already begun tunneling into the mountain.
Others were ferrying supplies, assisting the paladins, or standing around, watching and waiting. Kanathara soon located the rest of the magic corp standing nearby, a tall androgynous unicorn stallion in their center. Every once in a while, some projectile would fly down from the hill and be intercepted by a conjured shield.
Small fireballs exploded against the barrier and were dissolved, and the odd crossbow bolt was turned aside. The fire was intermittent at best and seemed to exist only to test the army gathering near the bottom of the mountain. In return, the odd magic missile was shot back and was intercepted by a dark crimson shield that sprung out of nowhere.
Seeing her mother amongst the gathered group of demonic and pony casters, Kanathara made her way over to her. Thankfully she was unaccompanied by any embarrassing succubi, allowing the keeper to breathe a little easier.
“Ready?” Kanathara asked.
Velvet didn't look up from the scroll she was reading, merely giving an affirmative snort. “In a second. We were going to try and finger of death the defensive caster in their midst, but most of us don't know the spell.”
“I can handle that,” Kanathara stated, lighting her horn. “Which one is it?”
Velvet pointed up the hill. “That one with the six arms and cloak made out of flesh. Watch out though, they have a masochist demon amongst their ranks.”
Kanathara inspected it a little closer and found that the demon in question was far larger than normal. Standing at least thirteen feet tall, the creature wore a writhing cloak made of what looked like still living creatures. There were no eyes or other sensory organs, only hundreds of arms reaching weakly in all directions.
This long piece of morbid clothing hung down from its head to its feet, shrouding its face in gloom. Only the nine glowing red eyes were visible, the crimson orbs glowing brightly while the monster's six arms twisted in constant motion. Switching from defensive to offensive casting, the titanic demon seemed to be the only mage the force had or needed.
Beside the enormous demon was a single bipedal figure wrapped from head to toe in what looked like black leather. Their many arms were bound securely to their sides, and only their beady green eyes could be glimpsed from between the folds of their strange attire. Standing only half the height of the titan next to it, this smaller demon had a hunched, warped appearance.
“A daemogoth,” Kanathara reasoned. “Cruel swamp-dwelling creatures that relish in tempting mortals with forbidden knowledge.”
“He seems quite old,” Velvet pointed out. “It's rare that they can collect so many victims and grow as tall.”
“He will die like the rest,” Kanathara declared.
Her horn darkened, and a twisting rune appeared above the sharpened appendage, turning slowly. Words written in an unspeakably dark tongue flickered in and out of existence around the spell matrix, attracting attention. The titanic demon reached down and plucked an imp from amongst the ranks of his allies, his massive hand clasping the smaller creature.
A tiny shriek could be heard borne upon the wind a second before the great demon muttered something. It then threw what remained of the imp down at Kanathara’s position, revealing that there were only shards of bone left. These shards were coated in a blackened edge, and they howled through the air, screaming towards their target with impressive speed.
Kanathara didn't stop her casting, however, trusting her allies to protect her from the attack. Her trust was rewarded when it was indeed blocked, but not by the primary defensive caster whose shield popped instantly. Rather it was Velvet conjuring a multi-layered barrier that stopped the bone shards, draining them of their momentum.
Seeing that his attack had done nothing, the titanic demon readied another spell but was too late. Kanathara released her dark magic in a burst of energy, the air rippling as the ambient light was drained away. Mere milliseconds later, a large gaunt, almost skeletal hand appeared from above the demonic barricade.
A single long, bony finger extended and pointed down at the titan, energy coursing from its palm. This burst of energy coalesced into a reverse star made of darkness that flashed with unlight. The titan, however, merely smiled as the spell did nothing save cause the black-clad creature next to it to begin glowing.
“What, how is it…” Kanathara’s question fell away as her spell began to fade, absorbed by the hunched and bound demon.
Who radiated a perverse emerald glow, its clothing opening to reveal that it wasn't leather at all. Rather it was hundreds of arms that had been wrapped about its body like a tight cocoon until that moment. Now no longer hunched, it rose up taller and taller until it nearly reached the level of its fellow, a rancid green halo appearing above its head.
“Great, a martyr,” Kanathara muttered. “As if we needed something else to get in the way.”
“I’ve never seen one of those, and I’ve read about a lot of demons,” Velvet admitted.
Kanathara frowned, watching as all but a few of the creature’s many arms began to wave around it. The only one that didn't continued to obscure its face, though even still, Kanathara knew that the creature was smiling. Its skin hung from its body in great flayed hunks, the midnight flesh dangling in sections before slowly crawling back onto its body in a perverse form of regeneration.
“It's one of the few creatures in existence that are truly, utterly immortal,” Kanathara began. “Though its offensive capability is low, so long as it’s standing, its allies will be all but invulnerable.”
“Hmm, that's going to be a pain to deal with,” Velvet remarked.
“Let's hope the dogs both literally and metaphorically can handle it,” Kanathara exclaimed.
Velvet chuckled. “They are fairly ingenious. I’m sure they’ll be fine.”
“Let's keep up the pressure regardless,” Kanathara declared. “We may not be able to do much from down here, but we can at least keep them distracted.”
“Say,” Velvet began curiously, “they may not be able to be killed, but they can still feel pain, right?”
Kanathara raised an eyebrow, only to chuckle darkly. “Oh, I like the way you think.”
“Let's annoy the piss out of them,” Velvet stated.
The mare then lit her horn and began casting another spell, a bright ball of burning light gathering above her head. Predictably, another barrier was erected in defense of the demonic barricade, the group attempting to block Velvet’s attack. Only once released, the orb exploded before it hit the wall, blinding everyone who was looking in its direction.
With demons clutching their eyes and even the titan blinking rapidly to clear the spots, Kanathara began her own assault. Like her mother’s, her spell wasn't actually intended on killing the defenders and came in the form of a tiny purple portal. The opening appeared directly next to the barricade, hovering over the side of the cliff, far out of reach of the demons.
Out of which poured not demons, but a swarm of fist-sized bees the color of a particularly hot flame. The angry insects swarmed over the malformed creatures, stinging repeatedly and causing a stir amongst the line. Defenders ran out of their place on the barricade, only to be smacked and directed back to their assigned spot by those behind them.
“Oh, you’ll like this one,” Velvet offered before casting a second spell.
Once released, the magic formed into a single smoky white note that hovered over her head. This note then winked out and reappeared above the barricade blocking access to Canterlot. The moment this happened, a jaunty and unpleasantly twangy tune could be heard echoing down the hill.
“Is that… the song that will never end?” Kanathara muttered.
“And it goes on and on, my friend. Some people started singing it not knowing what it was, and they’ll continue singing it forever just because it's the song that never ends!” Velvet sang, quickly breaking down into cackling. “Oh, how I hated when you and your brother came home bellowing that horrible thing.”
“Can… can they stop it?” Kanathara asked curiously.
“Nope!” Velvet stated. “I used an empowered version of ghost sound to make it uncancelable. They’ll have to deafen themselves to be saved from that horrible thing.”
“Now I know where I get it from,” Kanathara remarked.
Velvet chuckled, patting her daughter on the back. “The Sparkle family girls always have been a little on the vengeful side. Now then, got another in mind?”
“Well, I was thinking of casting noxious cloud, but I think I might add the primary rune of taste of death,” Kanathara exclaimed.
“It would make them taste like their mouths were full of excrement,” Velvet reasoned. “Dastardly.”
“What can I say, I get it honestly,” Kanathara exclaimed.
Velvet squeezed her daughter around the shoulders. “I wish you were talking about my devilishly good looks, but I’ll take it.”
“Devilishly… Augh, that was awful,” Kanathara muttered in disgust.
“Don't worry. You’ll get that one in time as well,” Velvet remarked.
Kanathara stuck out her tongue. “I hope not.”
Dawn Hammer stomped forward along with the rest of his soldiers, marching in a tightly packed formation. Standing shoulder to shoulder with his allies, most ponies would have found it claustrophobic, but not him. Years spent training alongside those around him, combined with many nights in cramped barracks eliminated that feeling.
The only thing he felt was a slowly burning righteous vengeance that flickered hotly in his breast. This sensation was slightly dampened by the ever looping son,g though thankfully this cut out as they began to draw closer to their foes. Who were breathing a collective sigh of relief and either undoing their deafening spells or regrowing their ears.
Dawn Hammer continued his slow, inexorable march as the demonic horde scrambled to get back into position. The clang of each of his steps was punctuated by the thump of a hundred other hooves moving alongside him. Moving as one, the paladins loudly proclaimed their intentions, challenging their hellish enemies to stay and fight.
With only about a block between them and their enemies, Dawn Hammer raised his voice.
“Shields, forward!” he shouted.
A flickering wall of three dozen golden barriers appeared before them, creating an angled shield wall between the two armies. This magical fortification moved along with them, blocking the fusillade of spells and bolts that rained down on them. Fireballs and arrows alike were turned aside, with none so much as making a dent in the paladin’s defenses.
“Who are we?” Dawn Hammer bellowed at the top of his lungs.
“Paladins!” replied his soldiers in unison.
“And what do we do?” Dawn Hammer shouted.
“We burn the wicked, kill the demon, and purge the unclean!” they declared in response.
“And what stands before us?” Dawn Hammer demanded.
“Corpses, corpses, corpses!” repeated the ponies, punctuating each word with a thunderous stomp of their hooves.
The challenge was made, and the demons couldn't help but answer in kind, with the more daring of their number charging. Winged creatures with long pointed noses charged alongside great lumbering demons whose open ribcages displayed several trapped souls. Towering mountains of demonic flesh with fire for hair sprinted next to great wolves as black as night and covered in spines. All while imps of every size and shape sprinted, flew, or otherwise threw themselves at the paladins.
“For the princess, for Equestria!” Dawn Hammer shouted.
The slavering horde charged toward them, throwing rocks, firing crossbows, and loosing spells as they did so. In their frenzy, they covered a significant amount of ground in very little time, exactly as Dawn Hammer planned.
“Raise pikes!” bellowed the paladin commander.
Horns flashed, and the shield wall shifted, becoming a four-layered wall of long spears pointed at their foes. Lesser demons attempted to backpedal, imps tried to slip away but were either pushed or crushed by those behind them. In their mad dash to meet the challenge, nearly a dozen of the demonic entities found themselves impaled.
“Hammers, forward!” Dawn Hammer yelled.
The spears vanished, and he, along with every other paladin in the first row, surged forward. With their own signature weapon held high over their head, the paladins struck hard at the disoriented creatures. Skulls were smashed, limbs shattered, and demons banished, their forms melting away under the onslaught.
The lesson was learned, however, and the horde retreated, attempting to get back into range of their support caster.
“Fire ballistas!” Dawn Hammer commanded.
A surge of magic rippled across the paladin line, and a second later enormous golden spears were fired at their fleeing foes. Most were killed on impact, the magical bolts ripping straight through them and out the other side. Others were less lucky and were sent tumbling down the mountain or escaped back into the protective aura. Where they found themselves very much alive, but with a two-foot-long magical construct jammed through their mid-sections.
“Now,” Dawn Hammer whispered, “the real fight begins.”
Daisy’s clawed paw ripped through the stone like it was wet earth, the clump thrown behind her out of the way. Next to her were a half dozen of her clanmates, each of whom was digging as she was, though not quite as well. Behind were the rest of her fighters, who were digging, carting away stone, or waiting patiently with weapons gripped tight.
Seconds ticked by as they dug, the sound of battle becoming increasingly loud as time passed. Then, light emerged through a crack, and the dogs remained quiet, holding their enthusiasm as they tore through the earth. Mere moments later, an opening not quite large enough to allow Daisy through had been created.
With her two-handed mace hefted tight in her paws, the diamond dog shoulder-checked her way through the last obstacle. Appearing out onto the narrow pathway leading up to Canterlot, Daisy quickly took stock of her situation. To her right lay the winding pass up to the top of the city, while to the left stood several confused demons staring at her.
“Surprise!” Daisy shouted before smashing the first demon’s skull in with a downward strike.
She then stepped forward, wading into the throng of now panicked imps and other low-level creatures. The rest of her kin emerged a moment later, sprinting up to her and joining in the slaughter alongside their leader. It wasn't long before the motley assortment of demons was either dead or running away, leaving behind a glowing purple orb.
“It's the bomb,” someone shouted. “What do we do?”
“I got it,” Daisy snorted.
The diamond dog hefted her weapon over her shoulder, securing it into a strap while she ran. As she did so, she reached down, plucked the pulsating sphere, raised it over her head, and threw it over the side. Heaving the ball of crackling energy as hard as she could, Daisy sent it flying into the ever-present blizzard.
Daisy smirked and turned back to her fellows. “Well, that was eas-”
A thunderous boom stopped her dead in her tracks, the explosion briefly causing a ripple in the air. For a single instant, the snow stopped falling, merely levitating in the air before proceeding to fall like normal. The mountain, however, continued to rumble and shake, with fist-sized stones falling down from above. A tense moment of barely contained panic later, the diamond dog stood back up, though her legs remained shaky.
“That was close,” Daisy muttered.
“Boss, look!” yelled one of her underlings. “That's the thing that's making them all super tough.”
Daisy looked down to where a strange bipedal black creature with more arms than she could count stood. Beside it was the titan she had seen before, its attention fixed on the gleaming paladins beyond. The martyr wasn't looking down, however, rather it was looking up at the dogs, and walking slowly toward them. Its strange, lopping gait carried it surprisingly quickly, causing the dogs to begin to scramble.
“Form up!” Daisy demanded.
A second later, just as the tall many-armed creature had reached their line, her dogs had assembled. Immediately, the demon extended its many limbs downward, reaching out and attempting to touch the dogs. Though unsure of what would happen, the furry sappers weren't about to let this happen and batted the limbs aside.
Daisy herself swatted aside two of the oddly rubbery arms before stepping forward and slamming her mace against the beast’s knee. The limb bent briefly before snapping right back into place, its owner unbothered by the loud snapping noise it had made. Many other of her dogs repeated this motion, striking, slicing, or stabbing at their attacker to no visible effect.
“What the hell do we do?” Daisy muttered.
A scream caused the diamond dog to spin to her right, just in time to see the martyr’s finger retract. The soldier it had touched was lying on the ground, clutching at his neck, his body spasming in agony. The sight made Daisy see red, and she renewed her assault on the many-limbed creature with increasing ferocity.
A strike to the creature’s midsection caused ribs to snap and organs to pulp, while a swipe shattered one of its arms. Despite all this, the creature didn't slow and wasn't even fazed, no matter the damage done to it. In a last-ditch effort, Daisy leaped into the air, and brought her mace down on the demon’s skull, crushing it inward.
Only to watch as its caved-in head popped back out, its eyes flickering with life once more. All while it continued its attack on the dogs, forever reaching for some unarmored part of them to touch. Now forced back onto the defensive, Daisy stepped away, swiping at the hands attempting to grapple her.
Looking back down at the paladins revealed that they weren't doing much better than the dogs. Though strong and resilient, the full plate armored soldiers were making absolutely no progress. Their foes rose the moment they were felled, their injuries healing much like the black demon standing before Daisy.
Another scream, followed by a third, drove home how little time the diamond dog had to figure things out. Thankfully, a glance at the cliff gave Daisy an idea, one that may have been crazy, but had, in her mind, a good chance of working.
“Cover me!” she shouted.
Trusting in her clan, Daisy strode forward, ignoring the many limbs reaching out to strike her. Her allies moved to protect her, throwing shields or swords between them and allowing Daisy to strike first. A thunderous blow to one leg was swiftly followed up by shattering the other just above the knee.
It only made the demon stumble for a moment, but that was all Daisy needed to land the more important blow. A sideswipe to the chest made the demon stumble backward, driven ever closer to the ledge by the powerful strike. This was repeated several times before the martyr seemed to realize what was happening and attempted to stop it.
Its many limbs converged down on Daisy alone, but the diamond dog still didn't let up, trusting fully in her allies. Who threw themselves between their leader and her foe, not hesitating in the slightest. Even as they began to drop, screaming on the ground and clutching at their bodies, the dogs did not let up.
Hauling aside their incapacitated friends, they continued shielding their leader from harm. Until at long last, the martyr teetered on the edge of the cliff, its arms scrambling to grab at anything it could. Daisy wasn't having any of it, and with a swipe, shattered one of the beast’s legs, dropping it to one knee.
The hands surrounding the demon’s mouth receded, revealing a screaming maw of sharp teeth shaped like that of a lamprey.
“Cry some more!” Daisy shouted before kicking the demon with all the strength she could muster.
Its arms scrambled, its eyes widened, and it tried to grab onto anything or anyone that may be able to save it. The dogs were too nimble, however, and stepped back, allowing the creature to tumble over the side. Its unearthly scream was almost immediately swallowed by the ever-present wind, its dark shape vanishing.
Daisy hefted her mace. “Now then. How many casualties do we have?”
“None. They appear to be uninjured, and are only in extreme pain,” remarked a club-wielding dog.
Daisy blinked and looked down at one of her fallen allies who lay on the snow-covered ground, tears pouring down their face. Though in utter agony, they were indeed relatively undamaged, sporting only minor bruises and scrapes. The sight made Daisy’s skin crawl, but the dog kept a brave face, taking a small amount of joy in having dealt with the monster responsible.
“Haul them back into the mines. The rest of you, on me!” Daisy bellowed.
In no time her order was carried out, and she charged at the backline of demons. Only to be disappointed when she noticed that the paladins were already pushing hard and taking considerable ground. Their gleaming armor repelled all but the strongest attack, and their perfect unity ensured no opening was created.
“We can't let them have all the fun!” Daisy declared. “Let's go!”
Kanathara watched in silence as the pincer closed, and the demonic barricade crumbled, their lines fracturing. What little organization they had was swiftly destroyed, allowing the diamond dogs and paladins to outflank the confused mass. The daemogoth seemed to realize that it was fighting a losing battle and tore an opening in reality, revealing the hellish plane of its birth.
Though it escaped, the paladins charged up a collective spell and fired off a beam of concentrated plasma through the opening. As the portal snapped shut, a howl of agony could be heard echoing down the mountainside, though it was swiftly cut off. Leaving behind only a few surrounded and outmaneuvered demons to struggle desperately for at least a single kill.
“Well, that was that,” Kanathara remarked.
“I told you they could handle it,” Rarity declared.
Kanathara snorted. “So they were. Perhaps I judged them, and you, too quickly.”
“Perhaps so,” Rarity agreed.
Kanathara nodded. “Right, let's get everyone moving. We have little time.”
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Wait a second
11258937
If you're talking about what the hell Chrysalis is here, if she was in another place, then I'm also interested.
Yeah, that song is really annoying, though I also find endlessly listening to "Happy Happy Joy Joy" to be its own brand of torture.
11258937
Didn't we get introduced to her a few chapters ago? I believe she was captured by the army along with a dozen or so lings
11259330
chrysi^2
Is that a Hellsing reference?
11267185
I thought about the meme "Who are we?"
I even came up with my own variation:
- Who are we?
- Paladins!
- What do we want?
- Burn the wicked, kill demons and purify the unclean!
- Why do we want this?
- Celestia’s vult! (A reworking of the phrase "Deus vult!", which means "This is what God wants" and is the battle cry used by the church in the first Crusade)
It seems the author forgot they already introduced Chrysalis and the changelings
11347403
Keep reading.