//------------------------------//
// Malady 
// Story: Dire Vale: Say Goodbye 
// by SymphonicSync 
//------------------------------//

Flurry Heart wrapped her teeth about the final strap on her training gear and pulled it taught. As she started to walk across the room, she saw the pegasi drop from the tower roof, its black form gliding off towards the horizon. As she opened the door with a quick spell, she thought to herself that the pegasi likelyrealised that she now went further in to the palace where they could not track her. All Flurry knew was that some number of the black armoured pegasii were always to be seen whenever she took to the streets or returned to the outer chambers of the palace.

The moment she walked through the door her escorts allayed their vigil to accompany her to the arena. Every motion made by the three were in sync, from every hoof-fall to the sway of their withers. Proceeding down the corridor, Flurry's thoughts turned towards what was to come. Years ago, when she was still under tutelage of the Grand Sorceress, her curriculum was focused on the culture of the Empire and the study of the magical arts.

That all shifted once the Warden had taken on the responsibility of educating her, just after the court selected her as an Assessor. From then on her lessons were concerned with the application of her existing knowledge, often in a ruthless and calculated fashion. The methods used to teach her were driven by much the same mindset.

Down spiraling staircases and through long passageways she came closer to the arena. Tapestries, statues, guards on patrol all blurred past her vision. She had walked this halls since she was a foal, many of the details she knew by heart or just didn't care about. The palace felt larger and smaller all at the same time, for two main reasons. It felt smaller because as she grew the guards and banners began to seem shorter, the carpets not as wide.

It seemed larger because she could now clearly see to both sides, the Warden's form no longer obstructing her veiw as he walked beside her in Flurry Heart's younger years.

In pondering her past, half her visage was a swirl of magenta plates and white fur. She could remember his hulking form leading her about on his visits to other officials or attendance of council meetings. Only when she retired to her quarters or if Shining had a summons from the King would he trust her safety to the elite guards, the same ponies that followed her.

At least she thought they might be the same; they all looked alike. She had never even seen the color of their coats, always hidden beneath their armor. None had the personality to distinguish them from another either.

For the lack of communication with them, Flurry Heart always preferred her dealings with the rank and file guards. She could at least see the color of their manes, coat, and eyes, hear their voices as they addressed her.

Just in front of her, stationed by the entrance to the courtyard the guards used for training sessions, was a group of such guards. Though all wore the same golden armor, each had just slight personification even while standing at attention. The closest to the door held their spear lower than the others, and the furthest to the right let his eyes wander about the room. He was not searching for threats, which rarely rose whilst inside the walls of the palace, but rather was bored and spent his time searching for something to occupy his mind. 

Pausing a few steps in front of them, Flurry Heart spoke. "You are relieved from duty, return to your quarters." Though none answered, all responded in different ways. The gray stallion to the left trotted off almost immediately. The bored one simply wandered towards the gates to the marketplace, no doubt seeking some more commotion to entertain himself. The last one to move, a rather tense pony who was dedicated to remaining on alert, seemed confused that his shift had been ended early. Walking a few steps away from the door he looked from side to side, his scarlet eyes darting between a half dozen corridors, unable to pick somewhere to go.

Cantering forward, Flurry called out behind her "Report to sector 416 for rudimentary patrol." Hearing the pommel of his spear enthusiastically strike the granite tiles as he headed off immediately, she smiled to herself. Some ponies had clear, simple pleasures. Most all the guard would deny any emotion tied to their work, but they all had some amount of personal investment. "It is our duty to the empire and in duty," they would say, as one would stand guard bored to death in a dusty old library. Yet another could be found grinning whilst striking down a pony of the other race for some infraction of the law and public safety. In all their actions, they spurred feelings of joy and sadness, rage and remorse, and in all their actions Flurry reveled. Behind her, stoic and deceptively serene strode her two escorts. 

There was no deviance in them, not a shred of personality. Maybe that is why the Warden had decided to always leave her to their care, as if he was aware of the affect they had on her magic. 

The normally packed 'arena' as the guards called it, was empty save for a series of almost two dozen of the elite guard encircling the main sparring area. On a balcony overlooking the courtyard was Shining Armor. Upon Witnessing her arrival, he yelled down "A minute later and I would have called for the pit to be prepped. Do not really on luck in your punctuality."

Ignoring the comment, Flurry Heart meandered past two of the elites as she took to the center of the arena. As she turned to face Shining, her escorts ceased their mimicry and proceeded in front of her to fill the gaps left underneath on the opposite of the room. "Very well, let the training begin. You know the drill, for every mistake one more shall join the combat. There are no other restrictions. I'll see you in the morning." As Shining turned to leave, Flurry Heart saw the eyes of one of the guards ignite with a furious green glow. He charged forward, blasting a spell at her haphazardly. It careened towards the ground in front of her as she rolled to the side, and upon impact it sent a spray of sand and glass shards flying overhead. 

Looking at where the bolt had struck the ground she saw that a thin layer of glass now coated the area, the sand being heated to excruciating temperatures within a moment. From experience, she knew that such a spell would cause incomparable pain if it made contact to any section of her body. Limbs would instantly go limp, and a direct hit to her abdomen or head would cause an instant blackout. Normally the guards would only rarely use such magic in these sparring sessions, but Shining was in a mood due to her actions earlier that day. 

Rising from the ground, Flurry Heart met the advancing unicorn in stride, blocking his punches and dodging several close-quarter hexes. A mixture of fury and ecstasy ran through her mind. 

It would be six hours until dawn.