Victoria Pro Iustitia
Atop the coarse surface of an outcropped plateau, hanging desolately overhead a valley consumed by an unrelenting shadow, stood a lone Alicorn mare; Podestiana. At that time, a celestial veil had been draped across a grayed empyrean, effectively obscuring the sun and its natural rays of soft illumination. Podestiana stood still, her brow furrowed as her hardened eyes, gold and glaring, stared deep into the masked horizon. No longer able to recognize that which had been the ground she once trod, the air she once breathed, and the home she had once dwelled. Change had alienated these otherwise familiar aspects from Podestiana's memory, and although she fought for every inch of her recollections, what was pictured in her mind's eye could not be reconciled with the distasteful truth before her. The sparing light afforded by the day's sky, shrouded in darkness as it was, dimly glistened as it reflected inconsolably off of her armor. The shadows crept up her figure, seemingly engulfing her hardened features in their inky embrace. No wind graced her cheek with comforting breeze, no bird uttered its sympathetic tune, and no crack sounded from the valley below to indicate life aside from Podestiana's own. She was alone, wholly alone, even if the elders had gathered together in the sanctuary behind her--of which she cast an inquiring eye every now and again--and were speaking with each other of the grave matters at hand. So far removed from herself did Podestiana feel that upon re-entering the waking world, she hardly recognized even her own frame from the dark and dreary country side.
The moment of shock passed quickly as Podestiana regained her internal composure and assumed a calmer air. She raised her head once more to peer into the blanketed abyss, losing herself in the deep recesses of her mind once more. She thought again about how the world around her had changed so drastically, how once towering cities had been leveled to dust. Peaceful villages and their inhabitants had been razed with no regard of the lives lost or the damage done. A threat, so incredibly terrible in nature, loomed in the frightened corners of Podestiana's mind. The greatest danger ever known to the old world. Parasitic was their nature, destructive was their drive, and powerful was their might. An army that drew strength from their adversary's own weapon, an unstoppable force that fed from the very source of the mighty Alicorn race's once indisputable defense. Many had fallen in the noble work of defending land and country from such dauntless beasts, until finally the handful of elders and their servants fled to the shelter in the mountains. An entire race, nearly obliterated by the genocidal cruelty of those monsters, who sought not peace and civility nor land and property, but simply power. It was that insatiable desire for the ability of sorcery the Alicorn possess that motivated the Centaur's slaughter, and it was their war machine that would descend upon the last of their species here in the desolate mountain side.
The failure of the Alicorn to protect their empire and guard themselves from the enemy's clutches resulted in the eradication of an entire civilization by the ravenous beasts. All would be lost to brutality under their iron fists. Podestiana shed a tear for those lost to that cause, a cause which had originated in righteous defiance only to be mutated into desperate retaliation before subsequently dissolving into bitter despair. However, a single tear was all the Alicorn would permit herself to relinquish as she lifted her head once more from its bowed status as the tear drop slipped from its surface and descended onto the cold stone terrain. She knew she must remain resilient. A steady lookout, until the elders were ready to see her, she must stand guard and wait. What little hope Podestiana retained was spent entirely on the prospect of the elders' plan, of which she had little knowledge other than that it was of the elders and therefore contained nothing but the wise and heroic judgement they were acclaimed for. As long as the situation was bestowed into the care of the elders' combined intellect, there was still hope for them yet. However foolhardy her faith in her betters was, it was the primary source of solace she could rely upon in troubling times, a trait developed since youth.
"Podestiana," came the call from behind her. The sound of her own name did not startle Podestiana's weathered nerves, although it wrenched her abruptly from her thoughts. She spun around in order to meet the other mare's eyes, her own set and steadied upon the soldier, with a pressing touch of intensity and interrogation in her otherwise professional stature.
"The elders have given word of their desire. They wish you to join them inside the cave," continued the heavy-set Alicorn mare that stood before Podestiana. She wore a similar set of armor to Podestiana, denoting her as an equal in rank, but her features divulged the expression of one further advanced in years and experience. Podestiana nodded in compliance and followed the mare onto the grass carpet that bordered the rocky surface of which she had previously taken her post. A short distance was made swiftly, crossing underneath the overhang of bent trees that offered an archway leading to the mouth of their temporary refuge.
Crossing the threshold into the tunnel chiseled into the face of the mountain, a noticeable lack of light constrained the visibility inside. The mare in front of Podestiana, who in earlier years had come to be known as Stella, provided light from her horn in a manner so as to allow the two sight in the dark confines of the cave. The echoes of their steps resounded off the convex walls as they moved quickly along the tunnel. Finally, a warm gleam appeared at the end of the cave. The cordial beckoning of the natural glow that emitted from the blaze supplanted the need for Stella's own light. The flame, ignited atop a torch, was suspended by black metal chains protruding from the ceiling to which they were bolted. Beneath the flickering source of illumination sat several figures, encircled by the constricting walls of the cave, in turn encircling a cask hewn from glistening marble. Upon the walls were cast the shadows of those who had set themselves in that semicircle, their movements replicated an erratic dance indicative of the same sense of urgency felt by all in the room. Podestiana surveyed the room around her, her eyes lingering on each of the elder's faces. Fond memories flashed through her mind of more favorable times as she recognized each and every one; the Archduchess, her two aids, the prestigious High Commander, the venerable Lieutenant, and the Ministress of Archaic Texts. Six in total, not including Podestiana and her escort. Upon approaching the marble cask, it became apparent its cover had been removed, revealing a silent and motionless mare laid inside. Podestiana recognized this last figure as the Empress Helena, but instead of the flushed cheeks, the soft features, and the kind eyes--all of which had been most notable and recorded as her most recognizable trait--a supposed corruption of such physical attributes. In their place, a stressed frown wrinkled the good Empress's brow. Her eyes shut to the world around her, and a crease folded downwards in the corners of her mouth, indicating an expression of pain. All of which listed would eternally stain her countenance. She had died in a moment of intense pain, and, in her final throws exerted herself to the bear a small wooden box clutched in her lifeless hooves. A strange design had been carved into the polished case, resembling that of a bowed head, peaceful and tranquil, greatly contrasting the expression of the Empress herself.
Podestiana raised her head, and once again scanning the countenances of those who assumed their seating around the coffin, and the hope of which she had held so dear outside dissipated as she realized the solemnity of everyone present. Podestiana felt a lurch in her stomach, her heart consumed in grief and fear. She had not wanted to entertain the idea of ultimate eradication, but now it flooded her thoughts, drowning out her hopes. Even the glow of the torch above, previously warm and welcoming, seemed to morph into a depressing evocative incandescence. The weight of pain and anxiety suddenly became too heavy for her to tote, but before Podestiana could voice her despair the Ministress, Elba, rose from her station and stepped forward approaching the cask by which Podestiana stood. Although still solemn and clearly afraid just as much as Podestiana, the Ministress spoke clearly as she held back the obvious emotions that manifested themselves behind her collected facade.
"Podestiana, we have mulled over the dire situation at hand for many a desperate hour now," began the Ministress, meeting Podestiana's eyes with her own. "We have come to our conclusion regarding what must happen to us, and to you, in order to preserve what little time we have left."
Podestiana swallowed with great difficulty, mentally bracing herself for what remorseful quest the elders had prepared for her in their hours of thoughtful contemplation.
"We have come to realize the preservation of our own species is a futile objective," at this the speaker shuddered, forcing her to pause momentarily before resuming with a deep sigh. "Even so, we must keep in mind the best interests of the world we are soon to leave behind." The tone in the Ministress's voice seemed to grow weaker, but she persevered regardless, forcing her tone to stabilize while delivering the fatal communication.
"As you know full well, the Centaur's primary advantage over our concerted efforts is their innate ability to usurp our own sorcery-based powers for their own manipulation. Their greatest strength relies on our greatest strength, a weapon actualized by our power wielded maliciously against us. That being said, they're incentive to destroy strongly resides in the knowledge that such power is indeed obtainable."
Ministress Elba's horn illuminated with an intense velvet glow, matched moments later by the aura that enveloped the case held by the former Empress's lifeless arms. Elevating the box to chest height, she undid the singular lock clasping the lid shut.
"Our--" Ministress Elba hesitated, considering her next words carefully, "your new mission is simple, yet essential. If we are to protect this realm from the destructive force of our Alicorn sorcery in the employ of those demons, we must sacrifice it ourselves and entrust you with its safe guarding."
Within the opened case, a padded interior, where a lone stone was bathed in a flood of light cast from the lamp overhead.
She peered at the stone in stark confusion, unsure of its role in the arranged forfeiture of powers. She did not immediately believe a lonely stone and a lonely mare was to present the solution she had dearly hoped for out on that ledge in solitude not moments before. Such a concept seemed equivalent to the imaginative vision of a youth, and yet it was conferred to her as not just reality, but as an imperative employment for her own undertaking. Podestiana flashed an inquisitive glance at her elder, who responded with a raised hoof before speaking aloud.
"Allow me to explain. This is an enchanted prism, that which the Empress and I designed as such a fail safe that would hold for us a last resort, should a day like this day arrive with no alternate means of victory or escape. This crystal is capable of containing an immense store of power, the aptitude for which it will require given that we bestow it with the sum total of our own, and will accommodate it for eternity."
Mistress Elba's explanation shocked Podestiana as she began to piece together the grand scheme which the elders had assembled. With the full realization of their intentions clearly processed, Podestiana found her own voice.
"Then, that means," she began, "we must dispel our own powers to the containment of this stone?"
"Only as a measure to restrict the Centaur's access to it," came the reply. "As long as we possess it, the Centaurs will continue to hunt us. Running would only lead their destructive forces across the known and unknown world, negating retreat as an option. We must give up that which makes us who we are for the sake of those who come after us. We cannot leave behind ruins as our subjects' inheritance because of our own unwillingness to make these sacrifices. The only course to dissuade the tyrants from their pursuit is to remove their target from the equation."
"To reiterate, young one," spoke up the High Commander, her gritty vocal inflections causing Podestiana to flinch as she ground out her words, "this operation is only necessitated by the inevitability of our end. Our decision is made, there is no more room for discussion."
Podestiana nodded her head affirmatively, although prompted less by a total understanding of the reasoning provided and more by the influence of the reality that no other choice in expression existed.
"I assure you, if there was any possible option other than the drastic motion we are inciting, we would have suggested it first and foremost," explained the Ministress reassuringly.
"I know," breathed Podestiana, still unsure of her specific role in the prescribed procedure.
"As for you," began the Ministress, "you will be tasked with safe guarding this terminal artifact of our reign. It is all that will remain of an era when this violent storm subsides, and will be forever more."
"How can you entrust this into the care of one who will have no means of defending it, or herself, from those that would threaten its security and secrecy?" pleaded Podestiana in response.
"You will conceal yourself," came a fourth voice, assertively echoing across the haunting walls, the fire seeming to flicker more wildly than ever in reaction. It was the Lieutenant, staring intently at the box holding that beacon of hope, who had spoken.
"To the East, fertile land," she continued, "a simpler civilization resides in the hills. There you will seek your refuge, find a place to hide your secret. The Alicorn lineage cannot be continued without your power, nor will your life span endure as it otherwise would have, but there you will be able to spend your final days in relative peace. Moreover, there will remain the Prism, known to none, spoken of only by the hallowed whispers of the dead."
The Ministress, who had turned toward the Lieutenant, turned once more to Podestiana. A look of warmth and calm settled on her features as she communicated to Podestiana her own emotional support with a glance.
"You are young and strong, more so than any of us. It may not appear fair to burden you with such a vital task, but it is that vitality that requires it. If any of us were more capable than you, we would gladly take your place without hesitation. Not as a ploy to claim the honor of this mission, but to relieve you of such intense responsibility."
Podestiana once more stared into the crystal, encased in the cushioned protection of the mystical container. No longer did it appear to be a mere insignificant stone in her sight, but rather a rare jewel, one that would bring salvation to a dying nation. To Podestiana, this gem could raise the dead, cure the ill, and redeem the invalid. It was that last glimmer of hope that she had momentarily believed been lost to her and her kind. Now, it was a chance to survive, a chance to reconcile past failures as well as avenge those who had died in the service of righteousness--and those who had yet to make that sacrifice--so that this last bastion of hope would not fall into the power hungry claws of the monstrous Centaurs. A long silence followed as Podestiana sized up all this new responsibility, what it would entail, and what this unknown future might hold for her. Regardless of her anxieties, she recognized the importance of her mission, and she would do all that she could to follow her instructions to completion.
"Are you ready, Podestiana?" inquired the Ministress, breaking the lengthy silence. The other elders, as well as Stella, stepped forward, forming a ring around the two mares and the stone casket. Podestiana looked around, taking in what she knew would be her last moments with her own kind. There would be no turning back, no one to seek aid or advice from in times of need, no external force to assist in her journey. She felt tears begin to well-up as she gave all around her a final solemn, yet hopeful smile.
"I am," came her reply, although Podestiana in that moment barely recognized her own voice or felt her own lips utter the phrase. Regardless, it corresponded with her own feelings on the matter, so she issued no correction.
Ministress Elba returned the smile before turning to the others. All nodded in unison their affirmation, prompting the master of the Archaic Texts to begin. She closed her eyes, bowed her head, and concentrated as she cast what would be her last spell.