//------------------------------// // 3 - Within the Shadows // Story: Twilight Over Thanalan // by tom117z //------------------------------// “The moon’s different…” That thought had been lingering in Twilight’s mind for quite a while now. The sun had set some time ago, and in time the moon rose over the land. She hadn’t paid the distant celestial object much mind at first, focusing instead on her hunt for water and shelter. All else could wait until she was able to get her survival needs taken care of. So far, though, no such shelter was forthcoming. The mesas wove together to form something akin to a labyrinth that twisted in on itself over and over again, confusing and forcing her to backtrack far more frequently than she would have liked. Normally, she would have flown above the rocky formations, but as before when the black-masked man had dropped her, her wings were strangely ineffectual. The most she had been able to get out of them so far was a glide, and even then it was far less effective than what she was used to. Eventually, she had been forced to sit down and rest her hooves, using a small hollow in one of the mesas for cover. She spent what felt like ages there, catching her breath and going through what she knew of the situation in her mind—which was, depressingly, very little. Her eyes wandered. The desert was expansive, and the longer she lingered, the more she realized that she was increasingly unsure as to where in Equestria it could be. The geography and land formations, while similar to what one might expect to see in a place like the Badlands, were also different enough to rule that location out.  Add onto that the strange wildlife that she had caught only fleeting glimpses of. The most notable example was a group of perfectly motionless cacti that had spontaneously started moving when she drew close, scuttering quickly off to vanish between the mesas. They had squeaked and squealed in comically high-pitched voices as they ran, leaving her with more questions than answers.  She was beginning to grow concerned that she had been dropped off somewhere in the world unknown to Equestria; a chilling thought that put a lump in her throat. She turned her attention to the sky in search of a distraction. It was at that moment she realized the moon that hung in the heavens, full and bright, was not the one she was familiar with. The patterns of the craters were different, and it was smaller—or perhaps just more distant—than the one she knew. Everything about it just seemed wrong to her. In fact… the entire sky was different from the one she knew, she realized. The stars were all wrong. None of the constellations she had spent years memorizing could be seen. She never imagined her scholarly interest in astrology would be useful in such a regard, but this had been a strange kind of day.  Was she really so far removed from Equestria that she was seeing an entirely different part of space? Though that did nothing to explain the moon… Of course, there was one other instance where she had encountered such a phenomenon. A trip across a certain mirror to a world filled with beings such as… Such as the cloaked figure. “Let’s not jump to conclusions…” Twilight muttered to herself, stopping to stare at the eerie lunar surface. “Perhaps the sky here just changed the moon’s appearance… I don’t know how it would make sense to do that, but it’s a theory! Or the moon has somehow changed its axis, that’s another! Spike, are you-” Twilight paused. “Right, no Spike. No friends. Alone in an unknown place, in the middle of the desert, in the dead of night.” She gave a low whine as more of her predicament dawned on her. It wasn’t the first time it had happened, but this time she felt… distinctively further removed from them. Still, all the more reason to ascertain her current location and find a guide back to Equestria. If she could find a local map, or even a helpful star chart, she could plot her own course back home. ...Unless there wasn’t a home to go back to in this place. “Again, not thinking about that yet.” Giving a small sigh, she pried her eyes from the alien moon and returned them to the landscape. There was little point sitting and feeling sorry for herself, and she wasn’t so content with her location as to sit around for one of those weird creatures to snack on her as she slept. Instead, she elected to press on along the desert plains in the hopes of finding somepony. Anypony. It was going to be a long night, either way. The stone and mesas began to grow increasingly dense the further north she wandered. This would be of use come the dawn, providing ample shelter from the scorching rays of the sun, but for now, they did little more than frustrate her and force her to weave through an increasingly labyrinthian environment. Soon, the land fell away to her left, into an enormous, gaping chasm. To her right was a tall, steep wall of yet more red sandstone. The path she had been following ran up along the side of the wall at a steep, uneven incline. She eyed the path critically. It looked brittle, like parts of it would crumble away under hoof at a moment’s notice. However, the path led to the top of the mesa, and such a vantage point would be invaluable in finding a faster route through this accursed desert. She took a deep breath. “Okay, Twilight… just step lightly,” she told herself before beginning her ascent. She pressed herself close to the mesa wall, but even so, she was still far closer to the ledge than she was comfortable with. Her wings ruffled in agitation against her sides at the prospect of her falling and being unable to keep her aloft. “Just one step at a time… gently… gently…” Crack! Twilight yelped as her hoof met a stone that was looser than the others. A chunk of the path came away underneath her, rattling loudly and crumbling down the slope and into the chasm below. Twilight quickly scurried up a short distance, not looking back just in case the rest of the slope began to collapse under her. To her relief, she didn’t hear any more falling rocks or debris, and so her pace slowed back down. She chanced a glance back, and she felt her muscles relax. It had only been a small chunk. Nothing life-threatening. Her relaxation ended, however, when a new sound reached her. Her ears perked up, listening intently. Something was moving. It was close… and it was above her. Atop the mesa. She looked up, frowning. Whatever was up there, the little commotion just now must have alerted it. She began to back away, not keen on tangling with wild animals. “Who’s there?!” Twilight went rigid, her jaw falling open in surprise. Part of her wanted to call out. This was her chance! People! Answers! Just above her, away from this really quite concerning chasm, was just what she had been searching for since that figure had rudely deposited her in this Celestia-blasted desert. ...And yet, something about their tone of voice gave her a measure of pause. It had been loud, gruff, and she could imagine such a voice coming from quite a… large fellow. More than that, though, there had been clear malice; suspicion and contempt carried in the tone that made the mare less inclined to reveal herself just yet. “What do you see?” another voice, one similar to the first, spoke out. Twilight pressed herself back against the rocky wall as a sizable shadow appeared from above, casting down nearby as she prayed some of the rocks jutting out above her provided suitable concealment. “Argh, not seen, heard. Someone is down here…” “A cactuar most like, but our Lord has no use for such feeble things. We cannot be delayed, the enlightenment of those captives is soon to begin.” “Hm… Indeed, and I would not miss the inferno to come. Very well, let us continue on.” Twilight let out a quiet sigh of relief as the shadow withdrew, letting out the tension she didn’t even realize was held within her muscles. She looked up, hearing heavy footsteps and the snarls of something… else, probably not from whoever those voices belonged to. But what had that been about their ‘Lord’? Inferno? Was it related to the man in black? Cautious suspicion and a need for answers burned anew in Twilight’s mind. Looking at the rock face before her, silently cursing to both Celestia and Luna for her current lack of flight, she placed her hooves on the most stable-looking rocks and pulled herself up. It was relatively slow going. This kind of thing was always her mother’s hobby… or Rainbow’s. Still, she called forth what little experience climbing she had from the few escapades her friend had tricked her into and her own research on the knowledge and density of these kinds of rocks. She did like to think she was knowledgeable enough to be a good judge of where and where not to step. Second only, perhaps, to a certain sister of a blindingly pink pony. Sure enough, barring a few moments of uncertainty, Twilight made her way up the thankfully short distance and pulled herself over the edge.  “That’s no cactuar.” Oh. Oh no. Two shadows now loomed over her, with more beyond them still. And it finally dawned on Twilight that, in her efforts to haphazardly climb the wall of rock, she’d let the ‘silently’ part fall to the wayside… She gulped, inwardly chiding herself for her carelessness as she looked up at the dauntingly large creatures before her. The creatures watching her were unlike any she had seen before. The closest comparison she could make to them would be some form of flightless dragon. Their burly, muscle-bound forms stood up on two legs. Long, thick tails swished behind them. Their heads bore tails of their own, flowing down their backs almost like fleshy ponytails, while their bodies were covered in thick, leathery black skin that blended in rather nicely with the backdrop of the night—and, Twilight imagined, provided impressive protection against the heat of the sun. Their eyes glared down at her, a furious shade of orange that reminded her of a blazing fire. Another sound reached her ears from behind the towering behemoths of muscle. She looked past them and gulped. If her previous assessment of the bipeds being draconic was even remotely on point, the creatures behind them were absolutely draconic. They stood on four legs, covered in dark red scales that looked to be thicker than the armour of Celestia’s royal guard. Their angled face was home to a wide maw filled to the brim with razor-sharp teeth, and she thought she could see the flickering of firelight in the back of their throats. “What is it?” One of the tall creatures asked, tilting its head. “Bah, what does it matter?” the other asked, shifting to point something at Twilight. It was only now that she realized that these creatures were holding large, threatening spears. “Begone, pest!” “Yeah, they look a little angry…” But they hadn’t hurt her yet. “So… a good sign?” She chose to take it that way. Perhaps these people had simply had a bad day? Or this was a rough land, where strangers could be a danger? She was, however, still the Princess of Friendship, as new a title as that was to her. If she could just get things off on the right hoof… “I’m so sorry to surprise you, I didn’t mean to worry anyp- anyone,” Twilight apologized sincerely with a bow of her head. “Let’s start over if I’m not being too forward.” The creature blinked. “Eh?” “Still not dead. Okay, more friendship!" “My name is Twilight Sparkle,” she introduced, leaving her title out for the time being, out of caution. “I am a pony from Equestria, a land I assume is very far from here. We value friendship and harmony to the highest degree, and would love nothing more than to coexist with your people for the betterment of all! I’m sure we could find common ground in future conversation, and I would be willing to share much with our new friends, especially if they were to point me in the direction of home?” She smiled innocently at them. They stared at her. “Kill it.” Twilight blinked and cried out as the spear pointed at her throat lunged forward. Thinking fast, she quickly threw herself to the side, barely avoiding the thrust. Her stomach jumped up to invade her heart’s space as she began to drop, and she quickly reached out to grab onto the ledge. “Wait! I’m not-” “Stop moving!” the second creature snapped, its enormous hand snapping out to ensnare her throat. She began acutely aware of the gargantuan claws on these creatures' hands, as well as the staggering physical strength held in their muscled arms. She was barely able to squeak through its grip on her neck. It lifted her up into the air, its lip curling back to reveal sharp teeth. It turned sharply, lifting her further, and she realized it meant to throw her onto the ground. Acting on reflex, she quickly charged her horn with magic. A second later, she released the charge in a burst of concussive force. The creature released its hold on her as it was pushed back, its arm flying up to cover its face from the flash of light. “Gah! It uses magic!” the staggering creature rumbled. Twilight hit the ground with a grunt of pain. She quickly went to stand, her horn already lighting up with magic. She paused, blinking in confusion. Something was wrong, but in the chaos of the moment, she couldn’t figure out what. She wasn’t given any time to try and figure it out, either, as one of the large dragon-like creatures she had spied earlier lunged forward, emitting an enormous roar. Her ears flattened back, and she quickly sprang away just in time to avoid being ensnared in its snapping jaws. She lowered her head to fire off another bolt of magic from her horn. The lavender stream impacted the drake, sending it off its feet to land on its back with a cry of pain. More movement. Twilight looked back to see the first of the brutes charging her, spear angled for her. The other drakes were charging as well, teeth bared and throats glowing with flames. They were out for blood, and she was not well equipped to fight all of them at once, especially without her wings. She had to subdue them just long enough to get away, and then she could lose them in the mesas. It would be tricky, but her mind was already setting into work, running through the calculations at high speed. With a cry of effort, she fired off another bolt of magic, this time aiming at the ground in front of the spear-wielding foe. At the same time, she kicked up off the ground and flapped her wings for all she was worth. The kickback from her spell served to propel her higher into the air. She couldn’t fly, but she could still get some airtime.  Just as she had planned, the spell struck the sandy ground, kicking up a large cloud of dust and sand and forcing the charging creature to come to a halt. She used the momentum from the kickback to sail back over the heads of the charging drakes, and she smirked as they barreled blindly into the cloud she had left in her wake. She met the ground hard, but was able to keep her footing. A crack of pain raced up one of her hind legs, but she ignored it in favour of turning to run for the ledge. She could glide back down to the ground and run from there- The air was summarily driven from her lungs as something hard slammed into her from the side. Pain exploded through her body, and she was at least slightly certain she had just experienced a broken rib. The force of the blow knocked her off her hooves to crash and roll across the ground for several feet before coming to a rest. Gasping, she lifted her head to look up at the source of the attack. The first of the creatures she had stunned had recovered and was now advancing on her once again. He was moving slower, now. Cautiously. Clearly, he wasn’t going to underestimate her again. Twilight slowly forced herself to her hooves. She winced in pain as her side flared in protest, but forced herself to push on. She had to end this, and she had to end it now. Calling on all of the reserves of magic she had, she reared up onto her hind legs. “That. is. ENOUGH!” she bellowed, sending her magic forth in a powerful wave, intending to freeze her adversaries in place. It was a trick she had performed before, freezing her friends in place in the old castle, and could easily be used for a wider group than that. In the hooves somepony like Celestia, it could probably stop whole armies in their tracks. It was an advanced incantation, as well as a power hog of a spell, but against only four enemies, it should be sufficient. The wave of light washed over the creatures before her, and she grinned triumphantly when they all stopped in place. Her victory would be short-lived, however, when she felt resistance from all of them. Her eyes flew wide in panic. She was losing ground against them! They were moving against her magic, slowly advancing, and growling with strain and effort. Only a few moments after she began casting the spell, her magic sputtered and faded, like a candle in a blizzard. A spike of pain ran through her skull, and the light holding back her enemies winked out of existence. She collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath. How…? How had they done that? That shouldn’t have been possible! It was like… like the spell itself had failed to fully manifest. All the steps had been there, the conjuring had been a success, but it was as if… as if the magic inside of her just hadn’t fully channelled enough to maintain the effect. It didn’t make sense! What was this place? Why couldn’t she fly!? Why couldn’t she cast like she should be able to!? Why… why did the magic here feel different? Familiar, compatible, but like there was something… shifted, just ever so slightly, out of place. The shadow of a spear flashed over her. “NO!” Not bothering to give her mana form, knowing it would be all but useless for advanced spellcraft anyway, she just pushed it out of her. A giant explosion of lavender magic that kicked up sand, dirt and rock erupted out of her horn, propelling them in a full radius around her like a storm of stone. The creatures, likewise caught in the blast, were sent hurtling away from the mare at high speed. Their landing was a rough one, the bipedal creatures giving groans as the wind was knocked from them while their animalistic companions shrieked in pain and alarm. Then, for a few moments afterwards, all was silent. Twilight, feeling her magic unnaturally straining, could only stand and gasp for breath as she watched for movement from her foes. Sadly, it came. The two talking ones began to rise, clearly pained. One of the beasts likewise started to stir, though the second appeared to have lost consciousness. Still, its steady breathing indicated it would survive any wounds it sustained. They were still conscious, but battered. Far worse than Twilight was. She was a little tired, more than she should have been, but aside from that one broken rib she had suffered, she was fine. They, on the other hoof, looked at the end of their tether. “Grrr, this creature has impressive strength…” the first of the creatures spoke. “You are no ordinary creature... I could feel it in your magic. It runs deeper than you know. Yes, the Amalj'aa could use power such as yours.” Amalj’aa? That was what this species was called? “I… I think we should go our separate ways…” Twilight keenly suggested. “I still have my magic, and I don’t want to fight you.” “Indeed, but it is… unbalanced. Odd. But correctable, when you are brought to serve before the Lord of the Inferno.” Twilight tilted her head. Unbalanced? Yes… that would explain the feeling. How her own magic felt alien to her like something fundamental had changed enough to throw off her calculations. But how would he know about magic? He didn’t seem to be- The amalj’aa reached into his waistband, pulling free a small rod topped with a diamond-shaped crest that began to hum with arcane energies. Twilight was really starting to dislike this place. “My skills as a mage may be undeveloped compared to some, or your own, but my balance is firm and true. Let your tutoring commence.” His arm shot up, a ball of smokey grey magical energy building at the wand’s tip before he sent it hurtling towards Twilight faster than she could evade. She lit her own horn in an instant, bringing her magic to bear once again. Highly experienced with barriers as she was, instinct compelled her to form a lavender shield around her form as she had done on many occasions before this. They withstood Tirek’s blows and myriad impacts of all shapes and sizes. The spell coming towards her may have been ‘balanced,’ as the caster so boasted, but even with a split moment to analyse, she could tell its power was minimal. The shield formed, shining brilliantly as the spell came dashing towards her. It all happened in under a second, the alicorn bracing as the arcane energies struck her barrier with as much strength as it could muster. Despite it all, she couldn’t help but allow herself a small smile. After all she had suffered that day, at least this one thing would be like child’s play to the equine mage. Her confidence shattered along with the barrier. Once again, her magic betrayed her as the flow of mana ceased, her experience meaning nothing in this land that stifled her every attempt to use advanced magicks. Whatever had changed, it had thoroughly crippled the formerly formidable alicorn. With her final defence breached at the slightest touch, the spell hit Twilight directly and sent her falling to the ground. It left no mark. No burn. No wound of any kind. It hadn't even hurt all that much, yet her vision was beginning to grow faint. All sound around her became distant and muffled, and her thoughts dulled with drowsiness. She felt the telltale effects of a sleep spell eroding her will to remain in the waking world. Maybe, in the world of dreams, Luna would find her…? With that dim hope, and with the shadow of the amalj’aa covering her once more, she drifted off into a deep slumber. The Praetorium was an impressive structure… by the standards of mankind, perhaps. It rose high over the darkened sands of Northern Thanalan, an enormous fortress of steel and iron. Within its numerous metal halls, men and women of the Garlean Empire flocked to tend to their myriad duties, dressed in their dark uniforms and wielding their sophisticated technology. Hundreds, if not thousands of highly trained, elite soldiers and scientists filled the fortress, all of them working with a unified purpose, be it shared or imposed. Indeed, by the standards of man, there were precious few structures erected in Eorzea that were as impressive as the Praetorium, but to the black-masked man looking upon it from afar, it was little more than an eyesore when compared to the majestic images in his mind, and the stories he had been told. A metallic tumour that would soon have outlived its usefulness.  He looked on at it all for a short time, lost in thought. His fingers twitched over a hidden pocket in his robes, where the gem he had stolen from that other world had been carefully hidden. He did not doubt that its presence would not elude his master’s awareness for long, if he felt so inclined to investigate, but that was not what worried him. His thoughts wandered back to the pony. Though he had given her his warning, he had been playing this repetitive game long enough to know that people like her would not bow down just because he told them to. She would no doubt be trying to come after him, and after the impressive display of power she had made when they had met, he was half-convinced she could manage to reach him, too… He shook his head. No, now was not the time for doubts such as that. The pony was irrelevant. An irritating mistake, but not one he needed to concern himself with. She was lost in a world not her own with no knowledge on how to properly wield her magic. He had taken the time to acclimate to the different feel of the aether on their star, letting his body learn to let it flow as he was used to. Time and preparation she did not have. Doubtless, she would be slaughtered by the inhabitants of that desert before she could find what few sympathetic ears there may have been. With that thought in his mind, the man stepped forward. A swirl of shadowy energy erupted before him, a tear in reality. With one step, he passed through the gate and emerged within the bowels of the Praetorium. The chamber was almost empty. Almost. A single guardsman recoiled in surprise at his appearance, the garlean fool reaching for his weapon before the robed man glared at him from behind his sinister mask. The guard froze, clearly at a loss for what to do for a moment even as recognition dawned, before he made the wise decision of leaving while he had a chance to do so. Not even watching as the guard cowered and ran in fear, the figure merely crossed his arms as he waited. He doubted there would be other interruptions, and what better place to converse with his fellows than the dark depths so reminiscent of the void they’d been forced to endure in for so tediously long. And then he arrived. Shadows emerged from thin air, much as they had for him, and out stepped another figure so much like himself… and yet… more. This new arrival was draped in a black cloak as well, though more ornate in certain details that all led to the most glaring difference of all. The mask. It was red, denoting a status far higher than his own, far higher than he could ever hope to achieve. A station etched into the stars themselves, one of the driving hopes for a world long forgotten. Even by himself, despite his servitude to them spanning into the annals of history. Such was his curse as one of the black, those who served the will of the Convocation of Fourteen. For they were Ascians, the last of their kind. And before him stood the one claiming the Seat of Lahabrea, an unsundered soul in a sea of ghosts and half-things. The figure was nothing compared to him. And Lahabrea knew it. “Scarmiglione,” Lahabrea cooly greeted. “You have made yourself scarce as of late…” Scarmiglione resisted the urge to ball his hand into a fist at his derisive tone. Oh, how he longed for the respect such a station as his brought. Yet the Fourteen held dominion still, despite their failure to save their home. Despite any misgivings he held, he could not deny their strength remained the one hope they had.  Lahabrea. Emet-Selch. Elidibus. Even the sundered seats… All but the long-absent Azem, all working towards the resurrection of the one true God and their world. He would do his part if it meant the return of Zodiark. Even if they didn’t always agree with his way of doing so. “Apologies, Lahabrea. Recent events have done much to divide my attention, but I do believe the progress I have made is quite worth the wait.” Lahabrea’s lips drew back into a thin-lipped frown. “Is that so…?” Scarmiglione winced, then nodded. “Yes.” Lahabrea eyed him for several long seconds, before turning to start walking down the corridor. The intent was clear, and Scarmiglione began to walk beside him. The two began to speak to one another in their ancient tongue, that none may eavesdrop. “Well, then, Scarmiglione. Tell me, what ‘progress’ have you made?” Lahabrea asked, not turning to look at his inferior. He made no effort to hide the scepticism in his tone. Scarmiglione frowned but kept his eyes trained carefully forward. “First, I would ask you a question, if you would permit me.” “Speak.” Scarmiglione took a deep breath. “As of late, I have been giving a great deal of thought to the conundrum of the Thirteenth, and the state it has been left in,” he began carefully. “Enshrouded and oversaturated as it is with darkness, it is unfit for our purposes, is it not?” “Indeed,” Lahabrea acknowledged with a nod. “But you know the story already. Our methods were unrefined and untested. We fumbled with that world, and it is now lost to us. Why?” Scarmiglione took another breath, and a moment to formulate his thoughts. “...I have a theory as to how it might be restored.” That got Lahabrea’s attention. The two ascians stopped in the middle of the silent corridor and faced one another. Lahabrea crossed his arms over his chest. “Is that so? Do tell, then.” Scarmiglione nodded. “As the thirteenth was swallowed by a flood of darkness, would it not then be possible to push back the shadows by bringing in a comparable flood of light to restore balance?” Lahabrea frowned. “...In theory, perhaps. But, pray tell, where would one find such an abundance of light? To counter an entire world of darkness, one would need an entire world of light, would they not?” “Such as the First, yes.” Lahabrea looked warningly at his underling. “The First is Emet-Selch’s project. I would not have you meddling and making the perilous situation there worse, lest we lose both shards.” “Do not worry, I merely used it as a point of reference. Whereas the First is close to being consumed by its light, I have found a world bathed in such aether and yet held in near-perfect harmony.” “I do not know of such a shard, and I have visited all that remain.” “Not a shard. A star. An unsundered world entirely separate from the Source itself, across the Rift.” “An unsundered star from another reality? Such worlds are known to exist, but for our purposes, they are useless.” “Not so. I am close to finding a way of harmonizing the shattered Thirteenth with this star’s light and breathing life back to the shard. Then the rejoining can commence anew.” “No,” Lahabrea swiftly denied. “Such worlds are beyond our purview, and should not be tampered with. An unsundered star that is not only whole but from another plane of existence being aetherically merged with the Thirteenth? The risks of such an endeavour are unknowable, never mind the lack of a suitable link such as that which exists between the Source and the shards.” “And that is the problem I am soon to solve, Lahabrea. For the sake of the world and our Lord, you must at least listen to my research!” “No, I do not have to do anything, Scarmiglione. Your efforts could undo everything. The aether of one unsundered star invading the sundered could result in a calamity ending everything,” the red masked ascian concluded spitefully. “Cease this, lest you face the judgement of the Convocation.” “I…” “Enough. Soon, the weapon shall be complete, and the next era shall be born from the rejoining. Assist the Legatus in his preparations and spare no more thought on this ‘project’ of yours. We shall deal with the Thirteenth in due time, but Eorzea must fall if Zodiark is to return.” The lesser ascian’s lips curled into a snarl, but he otherwise stood in defeat. There was no defying the Convocation, and he knew that fact all too well… “...Very well. I shall see to it that suitable primals are prepared for the Black Wolf’s crusade.” “Good. Remember your place, Scarmiglione. You are an instrument of the Convocation, just as we are of our Lord. Never forget this again.” Without another word, shadows enveloped Lahabrea as he vanished from view. Scarmilgione was left alone once more, seething at the backhanded rejection of all his work. This! This was why they lost their home! Their world! For all their power, their might, their supposed genius, their stubbornness and lack of imagination was their doom. So mired were they in the tried and true, so slow were they to embark into new territory despite the obvious benefits to their ultimate plans! So, Lahabrea wanted him to assist with the current rejoining? Fine. He would do so, as he wouldn’t want to ‘disappoint’ his masters, after all. And yet... Scarmiglione’s hand slipped into his robe, and when it emerged again, within his vice grip shimmered the Element of Magic. “Such secrets you have to share, the key for our world’s salvation… no matter what must become of your own.” He caressed the crystal in an almost doting manner, a wistful smile finding its way onto his features. He had no intention of stopping. Not for some small equine. And certainly not for the Convocation’s hubris. The power of the Elements would be his, and with it, he would save the world.