//------------------------------// // He Welcomes the Fallen (1 AB) // Story: In an Effort to Stay Evil // by Empirical Deduction //------------------------------// "Good, very good. Now, put it in." A heavy feminine breath, a few pants, and then, "I'm trying! It doesn't want to go!" "Relax yourself; focus. You can do it." "This is way different than those crystals!" "Calm down; no need to rush." "Easy for you to say! You're not the one trying to get this done!" "I've 'gotten that done' for years now, by myself. You're my most trusted minion; I trust you to do this too." A frustrated grunt. "Can't you help?" "No. You've got to do it." "Why?" "Because it amuses me." "What? Ack! I can't hold it!" Forgath stepped forward into the ritual circle, reaching out and gently taking hold of Puffy's outstretched, shimmering hoof. He pulled it away from an embellished steel shield and touched her frog to a gemstone in his other hand instead. Once in contact, a gentle magical nudge started the mana flowing. Soon, the gem was glowing a cheery blue and Puffy's hoof had lost its crystalline glimmer. The mare panted, pulling her hoof back the moment the magic had left it to glower up at Forgath. "Okay, first? That wasn't funny. If you could have helped, why didn't you?" Forgath gave a shrug. "I can help you fix your mistake, but for the best result in later attunement you should complete the object yourself. That's why you spent so much time creating it in the first place, that's why you need to infuse and enchant it on your own. Also, it does amuse me." "Well I'm glad one of us thinks this is funny!" Puffy turned with a huff to train her glare upon the shield. All those hours working the steel, beating it into shape, etching the diagrams and decorations with acid, finding the right crystal foci, encrusting them in the right spots - it had all come to this, and now she couldn't finish it! "Calm yourself. This is an order of magnitude more complex than anything you've attempted previously. It would be a challenge to the best enchanters in the city, myself excluded. It is not easy." "Of course not." Puffy flicked her tail in annoyance, still staring down her masterwork. Forgath crossed his arms. "But it is not beyond you. Try again." Puffy drew a slow breath, closing her eyes rather than looking at either of her obstinate tormentors. It took a few more breaths, but she found her center and nodded, eyes opening once more. "Okay. One more time." Forgath handed her the gem, and she began again. First, the basics. She felt for the magic within her, calling the faintest wisps to the bottom of one hoof. She touched it to the storage gem held atop the other and willed the power to her. It was hers, and it came readily; she gathered it to the wisps, swelling them into eddies and then ribbons. Puffy's eyes narrowed, her full concentration on the faint shimmering glow at the tip of her hoof. Now for the hard part. She stretched out her foreleg towards the shield. Immediately upon making contact, the glow began to fade. She could feel it pressing back against her, trying to flow into her body's already-full stores. The same structures that would let the shield hold her magic permanently acted as a wall to keep it out presently, just as they did for ambient energies. She drew another slow breath and pushed harder, eyes narrowing as she focused. "Feel your magic. Feel your craftwork. Both are yours. You can merge them." Forgath watched, arms crossed over his chest. Puffy hardly grunted in acknowledgement, hoof staying planted firmly against the shield. The glimmer increased as she pushed more magic into it, and translucence began to spread from the glow at the tip along the rest of the hoof. Yet she couldn't make the magic take hold. Forgath was saying something, but she didn't hear. She was focused, fixated on the feeling of her magic mashing against the patterns. There was no weakness, no way for her to just push her way in, so she began to experiment. She nudged, she wiggled, she toyed - and eventually, she felt something. It was only a sliver of her power, but it had gotten through. It reached back to her from inside the array, and it was her guide. She stoked it, feeding her mana to it like kindling, feeling each drop "leap" past the barrier and swell to fill the void within. And then it was over. Her hoof was just a hoof, the world existed again, and there was a nodding Forgath. "Good job." Puffy looked at him briefly before breaking out in a wide smile, her hoof brushing against the shield and feeling her magic within. "I did it. I did it!" A huff slipped Forgath's helmet as the green pony had herself a few celebratory pronks. "Yes, yes you did. And right on time." "Huh?" Puffy's pronking came to a close, and she tilted her head at her lord. "We have a class to give. Bring the shield; you can keep working on it." "Oh. Oh! Huh, it didn't feel like that long..." Puffy carried the shield (and its stand) over to a modest wooden case. Once packed, she slung it over her back and followed Forgath from the room. A pair of guards met them just outside the door, falling into step as they descended the Tower of Despair. They didn't have far to go; within one of the basement levels of the Tower waited a collection of Ironforge's best mages. Most had been members of his first class in this world, those he had entrusted with his arts, though not all had continued the practice. Each further addition had been a pony that had drawn his attention and gained a measure of his trust. Only a partial measure, of course. You never completely trusted minions; that's just begging for trouble. As they strode by a window, Forgath's gaze was drawn briefly to the moonrise. It was late in the evening already, and the moon was full. When he had first arrived in this land of ponies, the moon had been pristine; it had been part of how he had known that he was no longer on his own world. But five months ago the moon had acquired blemishes in a strange pattern - the silhouette of a horned mare. Unlike the supposed figure seen in the scars of his home's moon, this was more distinct. Purposeful. And it arrived suddenly one night, heralded by a great pillar of light from the south. This had not boded well to Forgath, and that very night he had set aside greater resources for his astronomers, though they had found nothing unusual save for the obvious. Forgath shook his head as the march took them past the window and to the stairs leading down. Whatever would come of it would come, and his astronomers were no doubt still keeping an eye on it; he had better things to do. Soon enough, two levels beneath the surface and through a few passages, they came upon the finely-crafted tower-cap door of the study that would be today's classroom. Forgath pushed it open, letting a brief jumble of noise into the hallway before the conversations within died off. He strode in, smiling at the sight of his magi in their dark robes. True, they were still various shades of pastel ponies, and they were still smiling and offering hoof-bumps to Puffy as she entered, but the dark robes instilled an air of seriousness. Somewhat. It was an uphill battle. Forgath strode to the front of the room, leaving his papers upon a desk while Puffy set up her shield to continue enchanting. Once he had everyone's attention, he began. "Today, we will be discussing mana sources." Several of the faces fell into frowns at that. Crystal Rose raised a hoof. "Sir, haven't we already done that?" "Yes, all of you understand the basics, but we will be discussing them in greater depth. Several of you have begun experimenting on the topic, and others have been working with or on spells that could benefit from a greater understanding." He stayed standing and gestured while he spoke, sweeping a hand to indicate all of them. "You already know all about your personal mana, and you know about storing mana and using stored mana. But there are limits, even when it comes to storage. So today, you will learn how other sources are used." "You already know that there is ambient magic in the world around us. You also know it can be tapped into in certain ways, as the magelight-enchanted crystals do. But there are more ways of tapping into such magic and more diverse sources of it than you might expect. The land itself carries magic, as do the sky and the storm, the sun and moon, and so forth. All of these can be drawn upon to power your spells and enchantments. With experience, you can attune yourself to some part of the world - or to an ideal - and draw more magic that way. Doing so often makes it harder for others to draw from the same source, but it can be quite effective; on my world there were several ancient civilizations that learned to attune themselves to the sun, calling upon its light and fire to smite their foes." Forgath lifted a hand, coating it in mana and frost as he created a shard of ice in his palm. "And that brings us to the first issue. Most mana has a form or flavor to it, making it more useful for some spells than others. Reaching into the frigid land around us makes it easy for me to work cold, but I could not use it to power my flames easily. Converting the mana from one form to another is possible, though often costly; you end up spending mana to make the change, and need spellforms or enchantments specifically to do so. Alternately, you can take it into yourself and change it into your own, but doing so is a risk; take in too much or without caution and the nature of you and your mana can be changed in turn. That is why most of the exercises you do to expand your personal stores involve your own mana. "The second issue, obviously, is how much you can draw. While the mana of the world is plentiful, it is not limitless; a skilled mage can draw more and quicker, but the amount around you will limit the rate and the more you pull the more quickly any given source will dwindle. Besides that, living things are troublesome; the greater the will, the more they will innately fight to hold on to their mana. If they are trained, it becomes more difficult still. It is typically not worthwhile to try to draw from anything smarter than a tree, and even some old trees can take umbrage. Further, drawing from a living creature faster than it can regenerate can do it harm, as can emptying it. Some of you have experienced mana exhaustion before yourselves, and so have some idea. So, unless you have very clever workings and a plan, the living are not worth using as a source." After shaking the ice from his hand, he crossed his arms and completed the overview. "Extra sources can be used to power your spells, charge enchantments, and otherwise provide ease and power when used properly. A creative mage will find further uses." A hoof raised up, and Forgath nodded to Granite Batholith. "Do you have a source that you use for your flames? Or the Pillar?" Forgath nodded. "Indeed; though I have plentiful mana to begin with, I use other sources when I can. As you guessed, the local mana is not eager to produce flame. My armor is heavily enchanted, and that includes enchantments that can gradually build stores of unformed mana for me to use from that around me or directed at me. And of course, I have my bound source." He raps his chestplate with gauntleted knuckles. "Your...what?" "My bound source; I thought showed it to you before?" Puffy interjected, shaking her head. "No you haven't." "I haven't?" A silent chorus of curious shaking heads responded. "Hm. Well then, I suppose it's about time." With practiced motions and the occasional touch of magic, Forgath loosened the straps of his chestplate and removed it, revealing the layer of fine chain beneath. He separated the joined pieces, setting the front half upon a table, and turning it around so his mages could see the inside. A pattern of sharp red lines resembling a wrinkled, scowling face was painted or enameled upon the concave surface, stretching across the breadth of the plate. "Everyone, meet Sock." The assembled ponies moved closer, staring at the strange drawing, occasionally whispering to one another as they took notice of the runework surrounding the odd drawing. "Oh, that's right, he's gagged. Let's give him the ability to speak." Forgath brought a glowing finger into contact with one of the arrays. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! The ponies recoiled, ears flattened against the screams rolling off the armor. Forgath chuckled darkly. "What...what is it?!" The speaker had to raise his voice to be heard. "He is a creature of magic, a sapient elemental manifestation of pain." AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! "You...you have a demon trapped in your armor?" A different pony asked. "That's an oversimplification, but yes." AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! "H-how could you do that?" "Using a containment vessel aligned to his nature." MYYYYYY LIIIIFE IS AAAAAAGONYYYYY! At the pony's horrified looks, Forgath shrugged. "He likes it." KIIIIIIIIILL MEEEEEEEEEEEIIIIIAAAAAAA- "That's enough out of you." Another tap, and the armor fell silent again. Several of Forgath's magi were leaning away from the scowling decoration, as if it might try to bite them. Many had inched towards the door. "Don't listen to his jokes, he's having the time of his life. Or whatever passes for living for such creatures." For some reason, the ponies did not seem to be much comforted. Forgath continued, undaunted. "The work you can see here contains his essence - he's mostly made of magic in the first place - and prevents him from manifesting a more physical form. Because pain is his nature and the nature of his magic, my array uses pain to keep him contained. You can also bind using opposed forms, and it's often easier to do so, but it would be less useful as a source if I had. As it is, I can draw off large portions of his mana and forge them into my magic; my flames especially benefit from them, and he regenerates quickly. None of you should attempt anything like this yet; the workings are too complex, and this sort of creature is tricky to deal with." Several worried looks were exchanged, and Crystal Rose spoke up once more. "You're...sure...it's not hurting him?" "Oh, it's hurting him more than most beings could imagine - but pain is his very essence; he likes it." Forgath rather enjoyed the various expressions that played over the faces of his minions before Puffy ventured the next question. "...You named him 'Sock'?" "Well, no, that's just a nickname; his name is a phrase meaning 'agony' in another language, but the first portion of it sounds like 'sock' or 'sack'." Though that took a moment for the magi to process, there were clearly more questions coming and Forgath could tell that his discussion on sources of mana was going to be derailed for a while yet. He did not expect the derailment to come from a knock on the door, however. He nodded to Puffy, who answered it while he donned his chestplate once again. At the door was a guard, who entered and snapped a salute. "Lord Forgath, your attention is needed at the gates." "The gates? Do we have visitors?" "No sir. Refugees." Forgath paused only a moment before striding for the door. "Puffy, with me. We will postpone the remainder of this lesson until after this is dealt with; dismissed. Sergeant, clarify. I thought that all the other crystal ponies were gone; we haven't gotten stragglers for years now." Puffy hastily put her shield away, closing and locking the case. She fell into step with Forgath's other guard as they left the babbling mages behind. The sergeant strode beside Forgath, hurrying to keep up. "They're not crystal ponies, sir. They're pegasi." "Pegasi? Winged horses?" "Winged ponies. Much like us, but without our affinities and with the ability to fly." "Hm. Where are they from?" "Equestria." The group passed up and out through the Tower's large doors, onto the Path of Despair. He questioned the scout further as they walked and soon Forgath stood at the main gate. He met the gaze of the gatekeeper waiting above, giving her a nod. "Open it." The guard saluted, and with a few shouted orders the twin iron doors swung inward and Forgath started through them. The first thing the ponies on the other side saw was the biped dressed in full plate armor, his purple cape billowing behind him, and the red glow of his eyes. In turn, the first thing Forgath saw was the slit pupils and rustling bat-like wings of the pegasi, the nearest of which stepped back in alarm. Forgath strode a few paces past the gatehouse, his two guards flanking him. Before him, now in a rough semicircle, stood nearly a hundred bat-winged ponies looking at him with fear and distrust. He found it nostalgic. "Greetings. I am Forgath Ironblood, ruler of the city of Ironforge. And I bid you welcome." A voice called out from the midst of the crowd. "What are you?" Forgath grinned lightly, unseen behind his helmet. "I am offering you sanctuary." This sparked chatter among the pegasi, skepticism edged with curiosity. Without turning, Forgath raised a hand outward and back, indicating the walls and Tower visible behind him. "The city of Ironforge was founded and settled by refugees under my guidance. They now grow strong and wise." With that, he turned and began to stride back towards the gate. "Come, warm yourselves and see their works; you have my word that no harm will come to you by my hand or those of my minions." "Their...hands?" A confused pony called out. Forgath held back the urge to sigh. "Nor the hooves of my minions." With as much said, he resumed his pace. The guards, smiling quite warmly as their dark lord started to walk away, nodded and beckoned the pegasi forward; at their urging, the crowd became a procession. Forgath and his ponies led them through the gates of steel and ice and along the cobbled streets. The pillar of flame acted as their guide and destination, much as it had led to the pegasi finding the town originally, and many couldn't help but glance up at its strange ruby glow. Hushed conversations flitted through the ranks, mostly between the pegasi themselves. Occasionally, one would catch the attention of a guard and get a question answered. Much was familiar; signs made of a strange pale wood hung before shops, advertising a smith here and a baker there. A few foals spotted the procession and darted into the mouth of an alley to watch their lord and the strange winged ponies pass. Ponies on the street stopped to wave or bow in equal measure. As expected, the questions were mostly about the differences; questions include why there was so much ice on the buildings ("extra mortaring and insulation"), what they ate ("mushrooms are a staple"), and just what was that shop with a sign bearing a maggot and the word "whir" above it ("the dairy, obviously"). Soon enough, they arrived at the plaza. It had undergone some changes since the last time Forgath had met with refugees; a large stone stage of sorts had been constructed in the center, circular and surrounding the pillar, with three equally-spaced pairs of side-facing stairs allowing ascent. The buildings at the plaza's edge had grown, most now standing three stories tall; between them and the addition of the stage, the rest of the plaza still felt to Forgath as if it had been lowered. Various vendors with carts of the same pale wood milled about the plaza, occasionally hawking their wares to ponies passing by, though they gave Forgath and his procession a wide berth. Conversation throughout the plaza drifted to a halt as the bat-winged visitors drew more and more attention. Once he was standing beside the stage, Forgath turned and addressed the group. "I have been told you have come from Equestria. Your journey must have been long and difficult, so those who need food and rest will be seen to first. Our mess halls are well-stocked, and you may eat your fill. While we have no inns, we will make room for you in our barracks and any unoccupied housing. My guard will escort and guide you, and once I have spoken to your leaders you will be allowed freely through Ironforge - so long as you do no harm to my city nor my minions. I will say this once: they are mine, and they are under my protection. Do not betray my hospitality, nor theirs." After a series of nods rippled through the assembled pegasi, Forgath nodded. "Good. See to your hunger and fatigue; when your leaders are ready to speak, send word with one of the guard." A particularly large stallion, tall, muscular, and armored under his cloak, stepped forward from the midst of the herd. "I am ready. We may speak now." "And you are?" "Captain Shadow Mane of Her Majesty Princess Luna's personal guard. I protect my ponies." Forgath nodded. "Can you speak on their behalf and of your circumstances?" Shadow Mane looked about, meeting the gaze of several individuals before turning his attention forward once more. "I can." Forgath nodded once again, making note of the others he had looked do. "Very well. Will you accompany me to my Tower so we may speak without intrusion?" "Give me your word that no harm will come to me or my ponies, and I shall." "I gave it to you at the gate, but I will say it again: no harm will come to you by me, nor my minions." He nodded, apparently satisfied, and made his way through the crowd to stand before Forgath. Despite standing tall compared to the other ponies, the stallion still had to tilt his head up to avoid looking Forgath in the midsection. With the wave of a hand Forgath turned and Shadow Mane fell into step beside him, guards moving to flank both their lord and his guest. As they started, Forgath turned to the nearest. "Glaive, get a head-count and have room prepared in the main guard complex. If more space is needed, contact Cap Stone and Feudal Effort; they'll be able to find more housing." Glaive snapped a salute, and broke off to go about his assigned duty. After watching him go, Puffy turned to her lord with a tilt of her head. "Aren't those two still having a spat?" Forgath shrugged. "They can argue all they want so long as it doesn't affect Ironforge, and if it does I'll have words with them." "Oh, you'll do more than glare this time?" Forgath let out a little huff behind his helmet, the faintest hint of a laugh, and Puffy smiled wider. Forgath had a throne room, if only technically. It was Forgath's, he ruled from it, and it contained a large stone chair that he sat upon. However, in actuality the room was closer to council chambers; Forgath did not hold court and did not have a list of courtiers stand around while he sat and acted the judge. His throne sat before a rounded table, which was surrounded by more typical chairs. It was at that table that he now sat across from the pegasus. Puffy had picked a chair between the two, while the other guards stood. Drinks had been provided, a wine made from the mushrooms grown beneath the plaza, though Forgath's guest seemed reluctant to try it. "So, Shadow Mane, tell me: why do your people wander?" "Because of our loyalty. We will not serve the traitor-princess." "Ah yes, Equestria is ruled by two princesses, correct? Which did you say you serve?" "We were the servants of Princess Luna, Maiden of the Night, Mistress of Dreams, -" "And many further titles?" The pegasus snorted his displeasure at being interrupted. "Yes, all well-earned." Forgath raised a placating hand, fingers spread. Puffy began to sip at her drink as she watched the exchange. "Peace; I mean no disrespect. I would like the full name later, in fact, but right at the moment I must know: what has happened? She ruled with her sister, correct?" "She was betrayed! Her sister, Celestia, ruled the day - and like the blazing sun, she cast her glare into every crack it could reach. With sweet words she wooed the nobility and wound the ponies of the land around her hoof. They glorified her, flocked to her, worshiped her, and her sister was forced, slowly but surely, into the shadows. Princess Luna was patient but wise, and she saw through her sister's scheming. But when she confronted Celestia, her sister refused to give up any of what she'd taken. She sought to keep all the power to herself." He paused long enough to try a swig of his wine, then continued. "Celestia betrayed her position as diarch, and my mistress was given no choice but to take back what was hers by force. They fought over the capitol and Celestia was overpowered by Princess Luna's magic, but the traitor called upon an arcane relic, expending it to banish Princess Luna to the moon. My ponies knew what was coming after that, so we took flight. Not all of us; some stayed to hide or fight, and some have sworn fealty to the traitor-princess. Much as I admire those who now rise in rebellion, we have not the numbers nor means for a prolonged conflict, and the turncoats among the Lunar Guard knew our secrets." Forgath nodded as he considered. So not only did Celestia successfully usurp her sister's influence, she was magically potent and clever enough to keep a trump card hidden away. As a result, she was now the sole ruler of their nation after a failed coup by her sister. And all that after having previously toppled King Sombra with her sister. Forgath found that he was beginning to like this Princess. Or would that be "Queen", now? Either way, he would need to be careful with his southward expansion. "So, you fled?" "We did what we must. I guard many who cannot fight, and if we cannot win then we must retreat and lick our wounds until we are strong enough to do so. This is not over, so long as even one true thestral draws breath." "Thestral?" "Thestral. Lunar Pegasus. There are several names for our kind; we have leathery wings rather than the feathers of the Solar Pegasus." "Ah. I will want to know more about your people, but first allow me to make an offer." "An offer?" "Join me." A mug was returned to the table with a clunk. "And betray my mistress? Hah! I would not do that for her sister, why would I do it for you?" "I ask no such thing. Your mistress is defeated and gone, so how do you plan on serving her? By biding your time and strength. Join me and grow strong, as the crystal ponies have. They started much like you, but now they are fed, housed, and growing. My might and magic empowers them, and by our will the ice gives way to Ironforge. Join us." "You still ask us to be beholden to you, do you not?" "Yes, with a condition." "A condition?" "Should your princess return, should she rally you once more, I will release you from any oaths you swear to me so that you may go to her. And just think; if you serve me well, you lay the grounds for an alliance between Princess Luna and Ironforge. What better service could you do your Princess than to secure a potent ally?" The stallion furrowed his brow in thought. Coming to a conclusion, he lifted his mug to throw back the rest of the odd drink. "I cannot make the decision for my ponies, but I will relay your offer to them." Forgath sat back in his seat, satisfied. "That is all I can ask." "But I must know. Why?" "Why?" "Why trust us? Why make this offer?" "I do not trust you. Trust is earned, and should you stay you will either earn it or your betrayal will earn you fire. And besides, you know the sting of betrayal; you would not do as Celestia has done, would you?" Shadow Mane's snarled reply died on his lips as Forgath carefully removed his helmet, revealing the patchwork of burns and scars beneath. "As to the offer? Because it will strengthen my city. Because it will bring me glory. And, perhaps, because I have a certain sympathy for those banished to the cold and dark." He kept his scarlet gaze upon the stunned stallion until he got a shaky nod of recognition, and then he took the opportunity to bring his mug to his exposed lips, drinking deeply. While Shadow Mane was taking in the alien before him, Puffy looked upon her lord with a slight frown, the frown of someone who knows that something must be done, but not how. She sighed inwardly, finishing off her own drink just in time to witness the end of the conversation. "I will relay your offer, Lord Ironblood." The stallion stood, his discipline overcoming his surprise. "See that you do. I do not need your decision immediately; rest, recover, see to your people. My guards will attend you." "Thank you, on my people's behalf." He nodded, and turned to leave, a guard going with him. Puffy waited until the doors were once again closed to rise, approaching Forgath's seat. Forgath finished off his own drink in the meantime, luxuriating in the cool air on his skin. "You know, seeing you without your helmet still surprises me." "Mmm?" An empty mug clacked lightly against the tabletop. "All...that." She gestured with a hoof at his face. "You're always armored, always untouchable. It just seems like you'd never get hurt like that." Forgath's grin was faint and humorless. "I was not born armored." "You know...if you ever want to ta-" Forgath rose abruptly, his helmet secured atop his head with a clank. "I think that went well, don't you?" Puffy blinked a few times, sighing before she nodded and met his gaze, her own smile at least partially true. "Yes, I think they're gonna stay. Most, anyway." Forgath nodded. "As do I. They will make good minions. Loyal too, going by their dedication to their Dark Lady." "That could just be him, you know." "If it is, then the rest have even fewer reasons to refuse the offer." "True." Puffy drew a long breath, then ventured a more natural smile. "So, what else are we doing today?" "I trust my minions to handle arrangements for our guests in the short-term, but we will need to adjust our expansion plans to account for their stay." "So speeding them up?" "Mostly. I imagine they will require some sort of special accommodation. New types of minions generally do." "We're gonna have to consult them before we start building, got it. That means waiting until they're ready for more questions - so what are we doing tonight?" "We should still send tentative word to Granite and her quarriers; we'll need more stone, and we can always stockpile it. It won't go bad before we use it. Aside from that, I think I'll spend more time with you, getting that shield finished." "Oh my. Lord Ironblood, are you asking me on a date?" Forgath huffed, crossing his arms. "You know, I have ways of handling my disrespectful minions." Puffy cocked an eyebrow in turn, grinning cheekily. "So you're saying you wanna punish me?" The red eyes were narrowing now. Forgath leaned forward towards her. "You know, I think I will." "Wait, what?" "In fact, I recently discovered that you ponies have a unique form of punishment, one I've never done upon any minion before. I doubt its effectiveness, but I'm willing to try it until I get it right." Puffy took a few steps back as Forgath loomed, raising a waving hoof disarmingly. "Hey, it's all in good humor, you know I don't mean anything by -eeep!" Forgath had reached out and prodded her nose gently with the very tip of an armored finger. Puffy stared up at him wide-eyed, hooves shooting up to cover her snoot, torn between indignation and incredulity. "W-what?" The word was muffled slightly behind her hooves. Forgath straightened up and began to stride off, a few barking cackles echoing around the room. "Would you look at that? Seems like it works on more than just foals; I'm going to have to thank Cap and Feudal for suggesting it. Come along, you've got a shield to enchant." The other guards in the room managed to keep from snickering until after Puffy had cantered out.