“It's probably not even a puzzle. What did the notes tell us about this thing?” Kanathara asked, turning to her familiar.
“Something about the teleportation nexus being the only way to reach the upper floors,” Rainbow Dash replied with a shrug. “It didn't mention anything about this.”
“Tirek did say the intelligence he gathered was imperfect,” Kanathara murmured while scratching her chin. “Hold on. Does this hallway connect all the way to the basement?”
Rainbow Dash hummed thoughtfully. “I think so. It took a few twists and turns, but it should eventually end up in the lower levels. Why?”
“Think about it. We’ve only seen big double doors like that when they ultimately lead here, right? This thing is what connects the citadel to the other paladin strongholds across Equestria!” Kanathara continued.
“Which means the compass likely has to point to the location you want to connect to,” Rainbow Dash finished. “Though wouldn't that need someone on the other side to do the same?”
“Unless this one is set up as a primary sender,” Kanathara muttered, carefully eying up the inner silver rings which slowly spun around the orb. “It would make sense, considering they didn't have any guards on the inside of the room.”
“Good thinking. So, how do we get it to send us where we want to go?” Rainbow Dash asked as she joined her mistress in giving the artifact a closer look.
“I’m not sure. Allow me to do a few tests,” Kanathara murmured.
Before the keeper could light her horn, Rainbow Dash held out a hoof. “Wait. Couldn't we just question those guards we knocked out before?”
“If necessary, but there may be a way to trigger a lockdown that we don't know about. Better to simply figure it out on our own,” Kanathara stated.
Rainbow Dash sighed. “Oh, fine. I guess we have a while before the guards rotate their shifts.”
“And you wanted to leave before those two mares finished discussing their schedules,” Kanathara teased.
The vengant puffed out her cheeks while grumbling to herself.
Ignoring her irritable familiar, Kanathara strode up to the artifact and lit her horn, casting a few surface level scanning spells. Sure enough, the demon found that beneath the first layer of magic were numerous traps and triggers. If she pushed on with her inspection without undoing them, the whole facility would be alerted and the room was sealed.
A few plucked strands here or there could undo these safety measures, but without finding what was deeper inside the spell, Kanathara chose not to. After all, those defences may have redundancies of their own which she couldn't see at the moment. Thus she was unable to pierce any deeper without using what little time she had to cast a more powerful and more subtle scanning spell.
This left her without much information save for what she had already discovered through inductive reasoning. The golden ring needed to be pointed in the direction they wanted to go and be held that way for several seconds. After that it would probably activate, creating a portal and linking the two locations through some unknown means.
Kanathara let the light leave her horn, as she had no use for magic at this point in time. It was a matter of simply figuring things out, though Kanathara wasn't quite sure where to start on that front.
It could be a combination of some kind, wherein she would need to point the ring in several directions before holding it still. This would make sense, given that there seemed to be a small window to move the ring before it activated. Where would they need to point it though? To the other paladin strongholds in some unknown order?
No, that wouldn't make sense. This device is supposed to be used even by grunts. They wouldn't have made it super complicated if they wanted the lowest-ranking members to know how to use it, Kanathara reasoned, only to pause. Though if they planned for anyone to be able to use it, then how did Tirek not receive any intelligence on it?
“Whatcha thinkin?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“That there must be some small secret to this device that allows both officers and more ground level soldiers to utilize it,” Kanathara began. “The lower-ranking members likely know how to connect it to other bases across Equestria while those in the know how to reach further up.”
“Maybe it has to do with those silver rings,” Rainbow Dash remarked.
“I feel like those are likely a red herring or are part of the internal mechanism of the artifact,” Kanathara replied. “Let me try something.”
“Are you sure this is a good idea? I don't want to accidentally connect to a whole base of battle-ready paladins or for the whole place to lockdown out of the blue,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
“Trust me,” Kanathara stated. “That small indent on the middle of the ring has given me an idea.”
Rainbow Dash took a step back and extended a hoof. “If you say so, boss lady.”
Kanathara took a deep breath and stepped up to the artifact, noting the constant hum emanating from the machine. Her horn tickled due to the sheer amount of magic it contained, and the keeper of secrets was tempted to investigate the contraption further. It was likely one of a kind, and its inner workings were probably only understood by a very select few ponies.
The demon had to shake her head in order to dismiss the urge to discover this secret for herself. Now focused on her task once more, Kanathara stood upon her back legs and gripped the great golden ring in both forehooves. Then, instead of moving it to the sides, she heaved it upwards, pushing past the brief bout of resistance she encountered while doing so.
Once the small arrow was pointing straight up, and Kanathara was having trouble not falling into the strange orb, a click could be heard from below them. Awkwardly stumbling back onto all four limbs, Kanathara watched as the gold and silver circles began to move. The inner ones spun at an increasingly rapid pace while the larger ring moved up and down the sphere steadily.
Within the rings the orb of magic began to expand and contract, twisting in on itself before growing rapidly immediately after. Kanathara could feel her familiar armoring up, the vengant readying herself in case things went sideways. Kanathara herself remained confident throughout it all, merely watching closely as the artifact worked its magic.
A few seconds later and the rings aligned at the midway point of the sphere which bulged one final time before taking on a familiar shape. Tall double doors wrought with steel, an impressive eight feet across as well as tall stood where the orb had a second earlier. Once the entrance had been formed, the rings rose up, allowing the demons to cautiously approach the freshly summoned exit.
“Are you sure it worked?” Rainbow Dash questioned.
Kanathara nodded, pointing to the doors. “I’m fairly certain they do. As these doors follow the same overall look of the others we’ve seen while also being sturdier.”
Rainbow Dash hummed as her hoof glided across the smooth surface before her. “I suppose you’re right. That doesn't mean it goes exactly where we think it does. Wanna check it?”
Lighting her horn, Kanathara summoned a small scrying orb which she pushed through the underside of the door. The second it passed beneath, the spell collapsed in an eruption of sparks which showered the floor.
“Warded. Like all of the upper floors are,” Kanathara remarked.
“Which we also know almost nothing about,” Rainbow Dash murmured.
“Come on. Where's your spirit of adventure?” Kanathara asked, giving her familiar a firm pat on the back.
“It left the moment this entire place started feeling fishy. I hate fish almost as much as puzzles, and this whole place stinks worse than a dockside market,” Rainbow Dash bitterly replied.
Kanathara sighed. “When has one of our missions not come with complications?”
“I know, it just bothers me, is all,” Rainbow Dash replied, willing her helmet to reform around her head with a sharp clack. “Alright, let's do this.”
Kanathara lit her horn and tugged the door open, stepping quickly behind her familiar just in case. When no immediate threat became visible and only a similarly empty room appeared beyond, she relaxed. Following Rainbow Dash into the next room, Kanathara noted that it definitely felt like they were still in the citadel.
Unadorned grey walls opened up around them, with an identical set of rings hanging above them. After both demons had entered and Kanathara was able to look around, she noticed that one thing was different. Namely that there was a large red line on the ground which crossed the room and vanished under the exit. Like the door they had just passed through, it was made of solid oak and reinforced with steel.
When no immediate threat leaped out at them, Kanathara closed the portal behind her. The second it clicked back into place, the wood quickly lost all cohesion, melting back into an orb of magic. A second later the rings descended, returning to their original positions and leaving the pair with no way out.
“I don't like this,” Rainbow Dash murmured through her helmet. “It's even quieter than below.”
“Let me do a quick scan,” Kanathara offered, quickly casting a simple spell, only for it to fizzle upon completion.
No information flooded into her mind, and she quickly recognized the familiar feeling of having her spell countered.
“That's odd, it was countered,” Kanathara murmured.
Rainbow Dash glanced nervously about the room. “Did you feel where it came from?”
“Everywhere and nowhere,” Kanathara remarked. “It's like a powerful enchantment was placed over the whole area.”
“So, we are going into this place blind, then?” Rainbow Dash asked in a bitter tone.
“No, not blind, just… hampered somewhat,” Kanathara replied.
Rainbow Dash snorted a plume of black smoke through the grille of her helmet. “Sounds like blind to me.”
“Well, let me double check a few things,” Kanathara exclaimed, lighting her horn once more.
Several more countered scanning spells later, she knew for certain that no spell in her arsenal was capable of piercing the wards. Again, she could feel the strings of magic all around her, but without the time necessary to dig through them, it wasn't safe to mess with or alter them. She couldn't even see them clearly, meaning that whatever enchantment had been placed over the area had been laid by an expert.
“No. Nothing can penetrate these enchantments,” Kanathara muttered. “Worse yet, I think Celestia herself placed them.”
“You mean the greatest enchanter in Equestrian history is responsible for the upper level’s defences?” Rainbow Dash sighed. “Great.”
“It's fine. She usually anchors her enchantments to a physical location. Most likely a rune of some kind,” Kanathara explained. “Which goes along with the information given to us by Tirek.”
“Well, at least that part is consistent,” Rainbow Dash remarked.
“Right then. Remember to keep your eyes open for anything. We’ll be in the dark the rest of the way,” Kanathara stated.
Rainbow Dash nodded. “Got it. Slow and steady all the way.”
“Exactly. Now, whenever you’re ready,” Kanathara offered, gesturing towards the exit.
“Right, gimme a sec,” Rainbow Dash replied.
The vengant lay down gently in front of the door and peered beneath the exit. “Two ponies. Both armored from head to hoof in an enchanted armor by the looks of things.”
“Similar to the last hallway,” Kanathara inferred. “This time we don't have an easy way past them.”
“We can't just distract them again either. Chances are, they would hit the panic button the second they heard anything amiss,” Rainbow Dash remarked, standing back up.
“Give me a moment. I want to give a closer look at this line,” Kanathara offered.
The vengant watched as her mistress trotted a few feet back before lowering herself to the ground as well. Once on the floor, Kanathara poked and prodded at the slight indent in the floor, inspecting it closely. Rainbow Dash wasn't entirely sure what her mistress was looking for, but either way, it didn't take long for her to find it.
“Aha, there is a small space between the ground and this line. Which seems to be made of a mixture of ground up ruby and simple red paint,” Kanathara explained.
“Please tell me we don't have to squeeze into a crack that small. You know how unpleasant it is to do that,” Rainbow Dash remarked with a shiver. “It feels like I’ve been flattened into a pancake.”
“You’ll just have to suck it up, I’m afraid,” Kanathara replied. “Unless, of course, you have a better idea?”
Rainbow Dash sighed. “No. I don't.”
“Then follow me. I’ll guide us out,” Kanathara stated.
“Fine, but just make it quick. Unlike for you, spreading myself out like that is super draining,” muttered the vengant.
Kanathara rolled her eyes. “I’ll do what I can to make this as brief as possible.”
“Good,” Rainbow Dash muttered.
Kanathara moved quickly before her familiar could muster another complaint, turning to mist and slipping beneath the ground. The space was tight, with little more than an inch of space to squeeze her ethereal body into, but she made it work. Surprisingly it wasn't nearly as bad as the last time Kanathara had been forced into such a tight space, and she reasoned that was her new crown’s doing.
It still felt like her body had been put through a trash compactor though.
Pushing herself forward, Kanathara maneuvered beneath the door and out into the hallway beyond. She was vaguely aware of the paladins standing above her, but with the demon’s senses stretched so thin, they were hard to locate. Either way, they hadn't moved even as Kanathara and her familiar slipped right under them.
Proceeding further down the hall, Kanathara felt herself turn again, meaning she was likely out of view of the guards. Not completely confident that there weren't more ponies waiting to ambush her, she pushed a small tendril upwards out of the crack. Lucky for her, there were no more paladins waiting to attack the keeper, only an empty hallway lined with doors.
Slipping out of the confines of the floor, Kanathara reconstructed her physical form once more. Rainbow Dash emerged a second later, an irritable grimace on her face. Thankfully the annoyed familiar had enough sense to resist the urge to complain verbally.
I feel like I just flew halfway across Equestria, Rainbow Dash thought.
Stand watch while I find a room we can hold out in and gather our bearings, Kanathara commanded.
Rainbow Dash nodded, her armor creeping down her body.
Kanathara looked around the hallway, noting that it was nearly identical to the others, save for the red line in the middle of the floor. Pushing a tendril of darkness from her hoof and under the nearest wooden entrance, Kanathara found that most of the rooms were empty. They also seemed to be devoted to all manner of magical experimentation, though the equipment to do so was mostly gone.
Through here, Kanathara exclaimed.
Becoming ethereal once more, the keeper of secrets slipped under the door and reformed into the next room. Her familiar followed her, though when she regained a face, it bore a noticeable frown.
“Can we not do that for a bit?” Rainbow Dash whispered.
“Just take a break. It will be a few minutes before we move again,” Kanathara replied, gesturing to one of the nearby chairs.
Rainbow Dash snorted and did just that, seating herself next to one of the lone tables beside a blackboard. The vengant gave the number-covered board only a cursory glance before settling into the slightly too small chair.
Now left alone, Kanathara focused and, after a moment of concentration, was able to extend a long, thin tendril of mist from her forehoof. She then pushed it under the door and, determined no one was around, snaking it back into the line. Once there, she allowed more of her hoof to dissipate, enabling the tendril to work its way deeper down the hallway.
After a few minutes of having her entire forelimb turn to nothing but smoke, Kanathara pulled back. Though a little shaky, she had managed to map out a good section of this floor while evading any prying eyes.
“Well? What are we working with?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“There are a couple of long hallways leading deeper,” Kanathara began, starting to pace nervously. “Patrols are heavier here, though I think we should be able to avoid them with some difficulty.”
“But?” Rainbow Dash prompted.
“But I heard the guards talking about how Shining Armor’s personal retinue is working its way through the base and checking on its guards,” Kanathara explained.
“That's… not good,” Rainbow Dash muttered while scratching her head. “Do we know anything about them?”
Kanathara shook her head. “Not a single thing.”
“Damn. It's always something, isn't it?” Rainbow Dash remarked with a sigh.
“Gotta keep it interesting, right?” Kanathara added, nudging her familiar with an elbow.
“I suppose so. Wouldn't want to get bored,” Rainbow Dash replied.
“Right. Follow my lead and stay quiet. Their patrol routes are fairly simple, but will likely change when these head honcho types get down here,” Kanathara remarked.
“Got it,” Rainbow Dash exclaimed.
The keeper took a deep breath and steadied herself. “Right, let's do this.”
Kanathara clung to the metal strut that supported the vaulted ceiling while her familiar slipped out of a nearby vent and reformed next to the keeper. After ensuring that the vengant wasn't about to fall and had also manifested with all of her limbs, Kanathara looked down to a large open room littered with cages, the center of which was dominated by a circular table flanked with a dozen chairs.
Off to one side was a summoning circle that looked surprisingly advanced and was likely capable of bringing forth fairly powerful demons if needed. Directly beneath her was the entrance to the room, while on the other side stood the door to a more well-protected elevator. It was fortified with a large glowing rune that made Kanathara’s eyes itch for some reason.
The table was covered with scattered pages as well as a few writing materials, all of which were enchanted. There was even a small but sharp dagger the likes of which were used when signing a blood contract. Kanathara knew that such an item was integral to binding more powerful demons, but why it was here was anyone’s guess.
“Weird,” Rainbow Dash muttered.
“It looks like a summoning room, but why all the cages?” Kanathara muttered.
“What are those things?” Rainbow Dash asked, pointing down to a crystal embedded in the top of each enclosure.
“They look like…” Kanathara frowned as she focused on the bright gold pyramid sticking out of the pens. “Energy dispersal crystals. But I’ve never seen a gold one before, what type of magic do they collect?”
“Well, they seemed designed to contain demons, so…” Rainbow Dash offered.
“It has to be holy magic, but if such energy was used to reinforce the cage, it would burn the demon inside,” Kanathara muttered.
“Unless they don't care,” Rainbow Dash pointed out.
Kanathara sighed. “True. Though I suppose there are plenty of demons who deserve and have done far worse than that.”
“And that rune thingy?” Rainbow Dash inquired. “It looks like it's reinforced by some holy magic as well. How are we going to get through that?”
“Since it's bound to the entrance, we could remove or otherwise damage the door, though something tells me it wouldn't be that easy,” Kanathara murmured.
“What if we-”
“Hold on, someone’s coming,” Kanathara whispered. “Shrink down as far as you can and enable the obscurus enchantment on your armor.”
Rainbow Dash hastily nodded and did just that, squeezing herself down to the size of a small cat. Kanathara followed suit immediately, nestling her mouse-sized body between the V-shaped support structure as much as possible. Compacting their physical forms in such a sudden manner was painful and more than a little draining, but neither demon was about to complain.
Especially when the armored form of a paladin strode confidently into the room, accompanied a second later by five more. They were each different from the other, though they did have one overriding feature that they all shared. That being the fact that their forms were completely obscured by many layers of armor, or clothing.
Golden armor encased nearly all of them in a shell of overlapping plates between which was a layer of thick chainmail. There were no chinks in their armor which weren’t covered, and not a single inch of flesh was visible. Not even their eyes could be seen from under the narrow slits of their helmets, each one of which bore a slightly altered design.
The largest of the bunch had what looked like a meat cleaver strapped to his side, seemingly unbothered by its no doubt considerable weight. His helmet was more angular and had three breathing slits added, though nothing could be seen through them. His steps were long and made the square of silver that hung from a black chain around his neck jingle slightly.
To his left was a slightly less massive, though no less intimidating paladin who had a more rounded helm. His armor wasn't quite as bulky and upon either flank bore a strangely shaped mace which had a ruby encased in its head. His armor was unadorned, save for the row of pouches that were strung across the paladin’s chest.
Behind him stood a smaller, more stealthy individual whose armor wasn't quite as thick, and who had a longbow strapped to his back. His helmet was completely featureless save for the single long strip over where his eyes would be. Arrows were attached to his underside, and vials of some kind were strewn down both of his forelimbs.
Behind and to the right were three more paladins, two of which seemed to be casters, given they wielded some combination of staff or wand. They also had differing kinds of robes which covered their armor and hung low to the floor, obscuring their bodies in deep shadow. The taller of the pair had a more ornate helmet which bore both vertical and horizontal lines across its silver face.
His companion’s helmet was stranger still, as it had thin slips along the sides, much like blinders. His robe was less opulent and dangled down from a shoulder plate that was wider on one side than the other. This second paladin had a wand attached to his breastplate while the other had a bladed staff strapped to his back.
The final paladin to enter was the most bizarre of them alll as he wore little visible armor and had a tattered black cloak tossed over his shoulders. His hood was deep, and the shadows it cast were long, but Kanathara could still see a strange mask visible beneath. His weapon was also the oddest of the bunch, an axe belted tight against his spine.
Are they all earth ponies? Kanathara wondered. I don't see any horns or wings, though both may be hidden beneath illusions.
They are giving off some weird vibes, Rainbow Dash thought.
Kanathara nodded slowly, noting the odd way the paladins moved, as if they were unused to walking on four legs. Kanathara’s inspection stopped the moment the elevator opened to reveal one of the most disturbing demons she had ever laid eyes on.
Standing taller than even an alicorn, the great horned creature had to duck in order to leave the elevator. Once free of the metal confines, he rose up to an impressive eleven feet tall, while his spiralling ram-like horns added an extra foot to his overall height. Between those great horns burned a raging inferno which rose out of the empty space where his face should be.
The twisted mass of blackened horns connected at the front of his head, giving the vague impression of a chin and nose. Where his torso and legs should be was a pillar of shifting black stone pitted with deep red holes and narrower slits. These holes and cuts emitted a constant stream of strangely thick blood, leaving behind a magma-like puddle wherever the creature went.
Long arms adorned with clawed hands emerged from the creature’s jagged, spiky shoulders. He didn't seem bothered by his lack of legs as he glided across the ground despite his missing limbs. None of his features grabbed Kanathara’s attention more than the blackened halo which hung above his head.
At one point the circle had likely been a dull gold, though now it was almost completely black and covered in burnt, sky blue chains.
What in the endless hells is that? Rainbow Dash thought.
A blood demon, Kanathara replied.
You mean those nutjobs were right, and that a deep one actually exists? Rainbow Dash asked incredulously.
The banished blood god must be real, for one of his servants stands before us, Kanathara exclaimed.
Rainbow Dash shook her head as she watched the two groups meet. I never would have thought a piece of a demonic god from a far away plane would be here of all places.
“Smh mijy haf tiddyv py orap ph sarc?” demanded the blood demon in a thunderous tone.
Augh, I hate infernal. It always feels like it's being whispered and shouted right into my ears at the same time, Rainbow Dash complained.
Focus. This could be important, Kanathara reprimanded.
The largest of the six paladins stepped forward. “Our benefactor merely wishes to confirm that you have been maintaining the array as ordered. He noticed a brief fluctuation not long ago and seeks an explanation.”
“Al ygzyruar sidd ul aly ao zmy dasyr dyjydw siw euyrtyv,” replied the blood demon. His flaming head flickered irritably.
“Why?” asked one of the robed paladins in a soft tone.
“Xe clas laz. Oldh zmiz uz tipy orap zmy dasywz dyjyd,” explained the demon who rose up to his full height proudly.
“An intruder?” inquired the mace-wielding paladin.
“Pawwukdy, kfz flducydh. Tmy ylzrilty siw oir zaa wpidd oar vorh tryizfry za ylzyr zmrafqm,” answered the demon.
“If you knew of this, why weren't we notified?” demanded the closest paladin.
“Tmy vihkrulqyr'w syk uw iw flryoulyv iw uz uw flryduikdy,” spat the demon in a dismissive tone.
“We must send a squad immediately,” murmured one of the paladins. “Lord Armor’s work cannot be interrupted.”
“Uw zmiz yjyrhzmulq, ziwcpiwzyr?” hissed the demon.
“That is all. Return to your duties until summoned once again,” replied the largest paladin.
The blood demon nodded briefly before entering back into the still open elevator.
The six paladins quickly turned and left the room, with only one remaining behind in order to look around. The black cloaked soldier inspected his surroundings in a slow, calculating manner. His head rose, and the two demons quickly tucked themselves away, ducking out of sight at the last second.
That was close, Rainbow Dash thought.
He hasn't left yet. Don't move, Kanthara warned.
For several long seconds the two miniature demons dared not breathe, merely lying as still as the dead.
“Come, brother. We have a battle to prepare for,” called a powerful voice.
The cloaked warrior’s gaze lowered. “Yes, of course,” he replied in a low tone.
A second later the doors closed, though neither demon relaxed until nearly a minute had passed and no one reentered. Only then did they release a collective sigh of relief, and wilted into heaps, their forms rapidly expanding.
“What in the heck was that?” Rainbow Dash asked breathlessly.
“I have no idea,” Kanathara replied.