Overlord Azure Flame lounged on his throne as the minions ran around before him. Off to his left Quaver played the harp and tried to sing for their Master. Azure stopped himself from picking up the minion and throwing him off the side of the Dark Tower. “Well, the tower might be the wrong word for it.” He mused aloud. The Dark Tower that he ruled was not above ground. It was in the Netherworld and floated stationary on its own. It had many parts that he could access at any time. The great forge was one he found himself using frequently due to it being away from the minions and his advisor, Gnarl. The minion burrows were where they kept the hives for each minion type. It had taken time to retrieve them all, but he had accomplished it. Showing that he was the true Overlord and Master of all the lands. He slowly took what he decided was his and those who argued were enslaved or he killed them outright. He would brook no argument or threat to his rule. Azure had taken the towns and villages for his own and used force to subjugate them if needed.
It had been months since he had defeated the Emperor in combat and he had enslaved every person in the former Empire and they all served him with absolute loyalty. Beside his throne stood Gnarl. The eldest of the minions and one of the only ones capable of higher thought. Gnarl had advised many Overlords in his time and now was no exception. Azure looked to the minions that were scurrying around the room and leaned his head back against his throne.
His armor shifted with him and his eyes closed. His eyes glowed at all times and he always wore his armor to prevent injury from an attack. His armor was made of the best metals that his forge master, Giblet, could get his claws on. Lava itself moved through the pieces and seemed to connect them together. His skin was covered to prevent injury and a red cloak fell from the back coming to mid-calf in length. The edges were rounded and a black lining covered the underside of it. Metal covered his torso and hips. His boots were knee-high and had a cruel look to them. Azure wore a pair of gauntlets on his hands. The right gauntlet had a glowing gem the size of his fist in it. It used to be on his left hand, but since he was right hand dominant, he had Giblet remake it. The jewel sat in the middle of his forearm and the gauntlet itself ended in his fingers being covered in claws. They had been used many times as he conquered the lands around him. His gauntlet gave him the ability to control the minions at his command easier. It could be done without it, but it was not as simple. It would utter a call to summon them to him or command their directions. A flick of his fingers would sweep them after his enemies and they would continue until they either died or accomplished their task.
The Overlord was the absolute ruler of his lands and he allowed no threat to that rule. He had reclaimed the Tower Heart that had belonged to his father before him. It had taken a huge amount of power to recharge it. He had siphoned power from the last Sanctuary that Queen Faye had created. They had used it to attack the Empire and after the battle he reclaimed it. It had been low on power, but over the past months, it had recovered as it held power from him. He would go into the Heart chamber and siphon some of his power into it for safekeeping. Then he had siphoned what remained from the Fairy Queen herself. His power had corrupted her and she swore fealty to him and the elves that she commanded were now his as well. She joined the other two women that he had in the Tower as his third mistress. Though there were days that he regretted keeping any of them. The women spent a large amount of time arguing among themselves. He had declared Kelda his first mistress due to her being the only person who had stayed beside him during his time in Nordberg.
He opened his eyes as Quaver hit a particularly bad note and gave a shrill squeal. He lunged to his feet, stormed over to the minion, and delivered a powerful kick that sent the Jester rolling backward. Minions laughed at the Jesters expense. Their Master looked over his shoulder and they went back to work. Azure stood still as he tried to decide what to do. He looked to the slim blade that rested against the throne. Blue flame whispered along the blade. He had taken his name from the blade since he had no name of his own when it was crafted. He had always been called witch boy by the people so he had given himself a name when he became the Overlord. The weapon was 50 inches long and barely a quarter of an inch thick. The hilt was 10 inches long and was carved from the tusk of a walrus that Kelda had killed on a hunting trip. The blade had been a gift for him. Wolves were carved into the hilt and the head of it was a dire wolves head. He left it where it rested and as he looked to the exit of the throne room. He was up and had no desire to sit back on the throne. His armor moved with him as he looked to the Gnarl.
“I’ll be with the Tower Heart.” Azure informed Gnarl and turned to leave the throne room.
“Yes, Master.” Was the only reply that was permitted. Gnarl rarely argued with him, thankfully.
Azure looked ahead as the minions scrambled out of his way. The Overlord walked out of the main keep and stepped onto one of the floating stones that could take him to any part of his domain if he chose. The Netherworld had its own laws and they were remarkably flexible. His will determined what nature did in his domain. The stone flew through the vacant air and he looked around him as he passed by other sections of his home. The magic-user waited for the stone to stop beside a platform before he stepped off it. He had made that mistake once and had to explain to Gnarl why several minions were talking about the Master being a klutz. That had been an embarrassing explanation. He had stepped off too early and had ended up hanging onto the edge of the platform waiting for the minions stationed around the area to reach him and pull him up onto the platform. He made it a habit after that escapade to wait till it completely stopped before he moved.
Ahead of him, the Tower Heart floated in place. The minions that guarded it stood at attention as he walked past them. He set his right hand on the Heart and closed his eyes. He started to send his power to the Heart when he startled. A vision went past his eyes. Pieces, parts of cities and villages passed by him. Azure gasped as the vision ended and he backed up several steps. His breath tore from him. He panted as he leaned down putting his hands on his thighs as he breathed. A shudder went through the Netherworld. The shaking stopped for a time. He looked up as the Netherworld pitched violently under him. He was thrown backward, off his feet. Azure rolled into the cage that surrounded the Heart. The shaking stopped again, as his hand gripped the cage behind him. The minions yammered as they held on as well.
“Master!” One of them yelled.
Azure pulled himself to his feet and walked to them. “Hold fast. I don’t think it’s over.”
He looked back to the Heart as his body seized up. The muscles in his body screamed and he fell to his knees, pain tearing at him. A soundless scream tore from him as he fell to his hands and knees. He could hear his heart hammering and his blood rushed through him. All he could hear was his heart. The Overlord looked up and saw a pulse of color go through the Tower Heart. The ground pitched and he rolled toward the Heart. He reached out his hand and the claws on his right gauntlet grasped the Tower Hearts smooth surface. He looked up to it as colors went through it. His vision began to dim at the sides and he gasped for air. The Netherworld pitched once more and he rolled away from the Heart and collided violently with the cage around the Heart. The last thing he saw was a vision of a castle of crystal.
A jolt went through his body, but he was still. A second shock arced through him. Blue lightning pulsed over him in rows. Within his chest, his still heart began to beat. A harsh gasp went out as he gasped for air. Azure sat up swiftly and panted as his breathing was rough and violent. Pain went through him and he gritted his teeth against it. He hauled himself to his feet and looked around. The minions were sprawled across the floor. He listened and he could hear them breathing. The Tower Heart shone to the side of him and he turned to look at it. It shone back at him and he could feel the power held within it. A sigh of relief escaped him. A quiet groan caught his attention and he turned to look at the unconscious minions. One sat up and shook his head, his long ears flapped against his head.
“Master?” He said aloud.
Azure recognized him as Rasp. One of the minions that had been with them when they found him in Nordberg. “I’m here.” He voiced and looked back to the Heart.
“Master! You...okay?” He was hesitant as he approached the Overlord.
“I’m fine.” He said aloud. He was sore and bruised, but he would live. A claw poked his leg and he looked to Rasp, who was staring at him. “Yes?”
“Master?”
Azure felt annoyance bubbling in him as he looked closer to the minion. “What?” His voice was harsh and sharp. The minion startled and looked up to his Overlord, who looked less than impressed at being questioned.
“I sorry Master!” He squealed and fell to his knees bowing low. “Master look different.” He explained.
“Different?” He looked to the minion.
“Yup.”
“How so?” Azure gazed down at Rasp, who looked about as thoughtful as a Minion could.
“Master look like...horse.”
Azure felt his eyes widen. “Pardon?”
“Horse.”
Azure stared. “I can’t tell if he’s kidding or not.” He thought to himself.
“Master!”
Azure looked up as Gnarl’s voice caught his attention. “I’m in here, Gnarl.”
Gnarl ran into sight and stopped in his tracks. He stared at the Overlord. “Master?”
Azure rolled his eyes. “Yes, Gnarl.” He glared at the minion master and waited.
“Sire, have you seen yourself?”
“Clearly not. Rasp has been telling me I look different and that I look like a horse. I can’t seem to decide if he is being serious or not.”
“Master...Look at the Tower Heart.” Gnarl instructed him.
Azure growled under his breath as he turned to look at the Hearts surface. He focused on the image and his eyes widened. A pair of brilliant red eyes looked back at him, they had been gold last he checked. His skin was now covered in fur that was a deep red in color. His hair was normally hidden under the helm, but this was not the case now. His onyx hair now had streaks of silver and dark blue. Looking back at him was the face of a horse. His helm sat in place as he leaned back and fell to the ground. Upon looking down he found his arms were now forelegs and he was indeed a horse. His armor fit his new body just as well as before, but now the gauntlets were open at the end and the jewel still glowed as colors went through it as before. He pulled himself to his...hooves and looked around him. ' I can’t lose my composure. I am the Overlord and I can’t lose my mind yet. Maybe later.' he thought to himself as he kept his head high and looked to his servants.
“It would appear as though something unexplained has befallen all of us, Gnarl.”
“Yes, Sire.” Gnarl came forward and bowed his head in front of his Lord.
“I want an exploration conducted of the Netherworld. I want to know if anything is out of place or wrong. I want this done immediately. Send the fastest we have. I want our security level raised and all minions on alert.” Gnarl nodded and stepped back. “Now.”
Gnarl whirled around and made for the stones to leave. Azure waited till he was gone before he breathed deeply. “Okay...Okay...Stay calm.” He whispered to himself. “This could be worse. I could be dead. Or I could have been turned into a slug.” He shuddered. “All right, I can’t stay here with the Heart. I have to move and that means I need to learn fast.”
The magic-user turned stallion looked back to the Heart and leaned forward to look at himself once more. A sleek horn now came from the helm above his eyes. It was around a foot long with smooth sides. He was glad that he was not the type to panic. He looked back and found that his armor and cloak were the same, just altered to be worn by a horse. Azure had not looked at himself in depth when Gnarl had told him to a moment ago. He looked to Rasp and the other minions as they waited for directions.
“Rasp, remain on guard.” Azure started walking forward and was pleased when he didn’t fall flat on his face.
Rasp stayed behind him as he summoned a stone to carry him to the throne room. He stepped onto it and tried to remain still, as it moved. The stallion looked around him and found that the Netherworld was still underground but it was a different landscape. Gems glittered in the walls, lava still flowed, but its heat seemed diminished. The stone stopped at the platform and Azure stepped off it, his ears flicked to listen.
“What is going on here?” Kelda hollered.
“Maybe I should have stayed with the Heart.” He muttered to himself. His head raised, as he strode forward, the image of the proud Overlord. He refused to allow his status to slip as he moved. The minions saluted as they were meant to but they still stared. Azure snarled at them and they focused on the wall opposite them. He approached the throne and Kelda. Her body was also now a horse and her fur was a deep cream color with her former hair color intact. Unlike him, she didn’t have a horn coming out of her forehead. The bright red contrasted with her pale coloring. She still had her dress but it was open in the front to accommodate her rear legs, without tripping her. It was the same color scheme. A red cover went over her flanks and under her tail, covering the white gown underneath. A deep blue corset went around her waist accenting her chest and thin waist. She opened her mouth as he approached.
“That's enough of your wailing, Kelda.” He said aloud.
She spun and stopped to stare at the Overlord. He kept his head raised as he looked back at her. “My Lord, what is going on?”
She had finally stopped calling him Witch Boy only recently. Mainly because he threatened to demote her from her place as his first mistress. “I’m not sure, Kelda. What do you remember?”
She looked away from him as she thought about it. “Well, I came down here and the ground started to pitch and I fell down a few of the stairs and I suppose I hit my head.”
“How do you figure?”
“The headache.” She quipped to him.
'Walked into that one.’ He commented to himself. His face remained impassive. “Well, I suppose we should check on Juno and Faye.” Kelda grimaced. He looked to the mare and scoffed. “Kelda, act like an adult.” He admonished her and walked past her to the stairs that led to the private chambers. His was at the top of the Netherworld tower while Kelda’s and the others were closer to the throne room. Her room was closest to his due to her status. As he ascended the stairs he could hear the argument even before he reached the chambers. He stopped and looked over his shoulder to the mare with him, who shrugged and shook her head.
“Darkness preserve me.” He muttered and Kelda snickered at his expense.
He looked up to the hub that split into the separate rooms. Juno’s was on the far left and Faye the far right. Kelda’s was further up in another antechamber then his was after that.
“You did this, you insane fairy!” Juno’s voice was outraged and accusing.
Azure sighed and looked into the room. Juno was standing on his right. Her dress was in the same style as Kelda’s just with other colors. Her white gown was the same length and had the royal purple going over her flanks, she had tan boots on her front hooves. Her coloring was a light gray with deep brown mane and tail. He looked a bit further and saw Faye. Her coloring was pale cream, even paler than Kelda. Her dress was a deep maroon and with silver accents. It was in a similar design to the others except that her tail was hidden underneath it. Her forelegs had boots on them with the spines from her original wrist bracer and she had a line if spines going behind her head as well. He looked back to the mare with him, who looked past him.
“If I wished to curse you, you harlot, why would I do it to myself as well?” The dark fairy replied.
Juno paused. Azure shook his head. “Enough, both of you.”
Both mares turned to their Lord and bowed their heads as he approached. They looked up as the armored stallion approached them, Kelda at his back. Faye managed not to glare at the other mare. Juno was not too subtle. He said nothing as he stopped in front of them.
“Well, at least you are all right as well. Granted, I could hear your bickering all the way to the Tower Heart. And that bickering ends now. Both of you will come to the throne room.” Both mares opened their mouths. “Now,” Azure said flatly. He turned and walked away from them, Kelda on his heels. He looked back as Juno and Faye fell in behind her.
They returned to the throne room and he looked up to find Gnarl walking into the room as well. Azure walked to the throne and sat down in it. The throne itself had been altered as well, to accommodate a horse. Kelda took her place in the small throne at his side while Juno and Faye went to the other side and sat down on the stairs. Gnarl approached and bowed low to the stallion.
“Sire. I bring news.” The minion master said as he bowed low.
“Speak, Gnarl. Where in the blazing Hell's are we?”
“I do not know, Sire. I tried to activate one of the Tower Gates and got no response. It seems as though the other Gates are non-responsive as well.”
Azure looked to his Adviser. “You mean to say that I cannot access my kingdom?” His voice deepened at the implication, a growl just under his tone.
“Yes,” Gnarl said, he visibly shrank a bit at the tone from the stallion.
Azure stood up and walked down to the Tower Gate that was in the throne room. He looked up and his gauntlet flashed. The Gate activated and moved as it was meant to. It lowered as though to swallow its master then went silent. The light that came from it vanished and it moved back into place.
“What in the Hells?” Azure stared up at it, dumbfounded. After a few breaths, he looked down to his hooves. “Well, shit.”
Kelda watched as he turned and came back to the throne. “Gnarl. I want the surface scouted. Find a way to reach it.”
Gnarl stood straighter. “Already did, my liege.”
Azure nodded. “And?”
“The land is very different. We could not see any of the normal landmarks and Nordberg is not in sight.”
Azure started. “Even Nordberg is missing?”
“Yes, Master.”
Azure sat back, his haunches pushed against the back of the throne. “What can we see?”
“There appears to be a town fairly close by. I sent several green minions to investigate then report back.”
“I want that report immediately Gnarl. The moment they return have them brought to me.”
“At once, Sire.”
Azure watched as Gnarl waddled off to follow his commands. He set his forelegs on the arm of his throne as he considered the news from Gnarl. “Nordberg is missing.” He muttered.
“Does he mean that all of the areas around us is different then?” Kelda asked.
Azure looked at her. “It's safe to say that it most likely is. I tried to use the gate that is inside of Nordberg. You saw the result.” Azure looked to her as she looked away from him.
The mares were silent as time went by them. Azure looked to his gauntlet and watched as the stone inside it flickered with colors and the magic inside it. He set his leg back down and waited in silence. His ears turned to face forward as Gnarl and several green minions ran into the throne room.
“Master!” Gnarl hollered to the stallion.
“Yes?”
“There is a Gate active.”
“Where the Hells is it?”
“It's in the town nearby. There are many ponies investigating it. It seems like horses are the normal animal for this area. There appear to be 3 types of them. One has wings on their backs, the other looks like the mistresses and the last have horns like you Sire.” Gnarl informed him. “Well, not like you. They are shorter in stature and the horn is smaller.” He amended.
“Hmm.” Azure considered his words. “Did you see anything that would give us the name of this town? Perhaps if we know the name we can use the Gate.”
“Ponyville, Master.” One of the Greens stepped up and spoke to him.
“Ponyville? What a ridiculous name.” Gnarl commented.
“I agree. But, with that name, we can use the gate, hopefully. We need to find where the others are.” The stallion stood and walked to the Netherworld Gate. He looked to it and his gauntlet flared. The Gate activated and descended, just before it fully activated Azure released the power that moved it, allowing it to ascend and go dormant. “It worked. I have no desire to go there until I have more information. I refuse to run blind.”
“Understood Master. I will send out...” Gnarl began but stopped when Azure raised a hoof to silence him.
“Have the greens monitor this town and send Grubby and the diggers out to find the other gates. If they find one, get the name of the place it's in so we can test them.” Azure commanded.
“At your command, Sire.” Gnarl turned and walked away.
“I wonder if they have someplace to go shopping?” Juno wondered aloud.
Azure couldn’t stop himself from putting his hoof over his face, exasperated. “A topic for another day, Juno,” Azure said to the empty-headed mare. ‘Why did I bother saving her?’ Azure shook his head to clear it.
“I need a new outfit if I’m going to be a horse for some time.” She added.
Kelda looked at her. “Be quiet, you harpy.” She said.
Juno opened her mouth only to have Azure slam his hoof onto the ground. “Enough.” The three mares went silent as Azure stood up and started walking around, pacing. He paced under the now working Gate as he waited for more news. Time ticked by and Azure could feel himself growing more restless. He was more suited to being out and gathering the information that way. He hated waiting. His hooves continued to pace over the stone flooring. He snorted and looked away from the mares.
“If Gnarl comes back, tell him I'm at the Heart.” He said and walked out of the room.
He stepped onto the stone and it took him where he wished. “Least the mechanics of the Netherworld haven’t changed.” He said. When it stopped he hopped off of it and went inside the cage that held the Heart and hid. His breathing panted from him for a moment as he allowed himself a moment of panic. “I’m a damned horse.” He breathed and turned to the Heart. Its surface shimmered and moved. Azure leaned his head against its surface, keeping his horn from smacking into the surface. His snout ended up pushed against it but he barely noticed. His eyes closed as he breathed quietly. He opened his eyes to see that an image was in front of his snout. He whinnied in surprise and fell to his rump on the ground. The image remained as he looked up.
“Master?” The minions looked into check on him.
“I’m fine.” He said as he got to his hooves.
The Heart remained as he looked to the image. It was the Netherworld Gate that Gnarl had mentioned. He could see the horses gathered around it. None of them seemed brave enough to step onto it. He watched as a mare came forward and began speaking. He looked away from her and started trying to see more through the image. He brought up his hoof and started to move when the image moved with his hoof. “Hmmm...” He shifted his weight and used his right hoof to move the image. He stopped when an image caught his attention. It was a castle, of pure crystal. He startled and stared. He knew that image. It was the last thing he saw before blacking out. The castle stood tall in the image, keeping his attention.
“Must belong to the ruler of this area. This could be a problem. I’m no one's serf.” he said aloud.
“Master!” Gnarl yelled as he came running to the stallion.
“Calm down, Gnarl. I’m not going anywhere.” He admonished his adviser. The minion panted as he breathed.
“Master, this area is ruled by a Princess.” He panted out.
“Oh? Only a Princess?”
“Yes, Master. She is called Twilight Sparkle, the Princess of Friendship.”
Azure stopped and looked to Gnarl. “The Princess of... What? Named Twilight...Sparkle?”
Gnarl waited for Azure to turn to him. “Friendship, my Lord, and yes that is her name.” The minion gagged on the word as he spoke it.
Azure blinked as a smile crossed his muzzle. He snorted as he tried to hold back a laugh, he failed in the attempt and fell to his knees laughing. He fell to his side as he laughed, uncontrollably at the notion. “By the Hells.” He gasped as he laughed. Gnarl watched as his Master rolled on the floor laughing. After a minute or so he calmed and pulled himself to his hooves. “I needed a good laugh. Well done, Gnarl.” He said as he looked back to the Heart.
“What do you plan to do, my Lord?” Gnarl asked him, once it was clear he had recovered.
“Plan? I plan to take that town and those that are in it.” He told the minion. “But first I will do this differently. Judging by what I have seen these horses are very different. They seem to listen very well to each other. Come, Gnarl.” He said as he pulled the minion's shabby robes to stand with him.
“Master! The Heart!”
“Yes. I saw this image just before I blacked out before awakening here. It seems the Heart has the ability to show me this world.” He said to the stunned adviser.
“So what will you do?
“Well, if this Twilight really is the Princess of Friendship...” He suppressed a laugh. “Then I’m sure she would love to meet a new friend.” He said as a malicious smile crossed his mouth.
Gnarl looked to his Overlord and smiled as well. “At your command. Sire.”
Azure looked back to the Heart, he moved his hoof and went back to the Netherworld Gate in the town. “I wonder how they will react when someone comes through that Gate?”
“We will find out, Master.”
“Indeed.” Azure swiped his hoof over the Heart, removing the image. “I want a group of 10 greens prepped for surveillance. That means they can’t stink. They will smell them and ruin it. So clean them, well. I want my 5 best browns at my side with 3 reds and 2 blues.” Gnarl nodded and waited for the stallion to pass him. He stepped onto the rock with him and they moved through the netherworld. “Go ahead and prepare everything Gnarl. I’m going to the Arena to practice. I need to be able to move like a horse or the act will fail.”
Gnarl stepped off the rock and turned back to the Overlord. “It will be done. Will you be taking one of the mistresses?”
“Not at first. I’ll introduce them later. Oh, and don’t let Juno through any of the Gates. She’s an idiot who could ruin the whole plan. Kelda and Faye are the only two who can keep their mouths shut. If she acts up I’ll bring her a toy from that town. That should silence her for a time.”
The minion nodded and left the stallion to prepare. Azure looked to the Arena in the distance and the stone under his hooves moved him to it. He stepped off and walked through the doors to the Arena floors. Usually, he watched the minions and various creatures battle in the arena. He participated at times, but not always. He moved to the center and stopped. He stomped a hoof and targets appeared. He looked down to his gauntlet but left it alone.
“How do I access my magic?” He looked to the target dummies. He felt something go through him and the dummy erupted in flame.
The stallion snorted as the dummy turned to ash. He looked up and found his horn surrounded in a red aura. ‘Interesting.’ He looked to another dummy and thought of other spells he knew. The target spell was best used on an actual person, due to its ability to either enslave or kill. It needed a mind to attack in order to bend it to Azure’s will. The minion spell could overcharge one minion to turn it into a bomb that would kill anything caught in it’s path. Or charge one that he could sacrifice to recover his own health and strength. He used that rarely due to having to resurrect minions more often than he liked. The final one was the Halo spell and it was used to strengthen the health and toughness of the minions around him. Or he could use it personally to create a devastating shock wave that could either kill or knock down enemies that were foolish enough to get too close.
He looked to the dummies and backed up from them. “Best to try moving faster before I fall on my face in front of the horses of this world.” He walked forward and then broke into a trot and stumbled. He stopped before falling and breathed in relief. He stood up straight and looked around him. Walking was proving to be fine, it was going faster than that, that he was having issues with. The blood-red pony lengthened his stride and started to move up in speed slowly. He tried to trot once more and fell forward. After landing in the dirt he let his flank fall to the ground as well, to avoid the image of having his tail in the air while his head was on the ground. The Overlord gave an angry huff and sat up.
“It can’t be this difficult to trot. This is ridiculous. Foals can walk within a few minutes and run just as quickly. So why am I...Wait.” He looked to the target dummies and thought it over. “Foals run because if they do not stay with the mare they can die. So they have to move. While I have never had a mother, I have been in battle.”
He got to his hooves and shook himself to get rid of the dirt. He looked to the dummy and lowered his horn at it. ‘If I look at it as though it is an enemy, then perhaps I can charge it.’
Azure backed up and stared at his target. An Empire soldier came forward and the stallion charged it, his horn lowered. His hooves gained speed as he galloped and collided with the straw dummy, tearing it in half. He slid to a halt on the other side of it and shook himself free of straw.
“Well, that worked better than I thought it would.” He looked back to the wreckage that was the training dummy. “All right, time to see if I can do this without falling.” The Overlord started forward and broke into an easy trot and kept his head up, to avoid looking down to his hooves. He looked to the entrance and found Gnarl standing at the doors, waiting. The stallion broke into a gallop and charged the minion, skidding to a halt a few feet from him.
Gnarl clapped as Azure arched his neck and pranced in place for a moment, pleased with himself. “Well done, Dark Master. The mistresses are still working on walking normally.” Gnarl praised.
“Well, if I am going to mingle with them I need to be able to move like them. How go the preparations?”
“They are done, my Lord,” Gnarl said to him as he stepped out of the way.
“Good. I am finished as well.” Azure said as he approached the traveling stone. They stepped onto it and it took them to the throne room. Azure walked in and ascended the steps to the throne and sat down. The minions that were to be his guards came forward and saluted. The stallion gazed down at them and nodded. They spun and sat down to the left of the throne, waiting for instructions. Azure glanced to Kelda who was sitting at his right with the others and watching him. His helm was sitting off the side and he looked to it. His horn lit and the red aura surrounded the helm, it floated to him and descended onto his head gently. When it was in place he let the magic go and a small grin flit over his mouth. ‘I could get used to this.’
Azure stood up and descended the steps until he was in the center of the room with the minions at his side. He stomped his right hoof and the Gate activated. The dark Lord closed his eyes and waited.