//------------------------------// // 4 - The Bowl of Embers // Story: Twilight Over Thanalan // by tom117z //------------------------------// Twilight’s head hurt. She let out a long, tired groan as consciousness returned to her. Her head was pounding, her mouth was dry, her muscles were sore, and her mind was foggy, as if she could go for another few hours of sleep. The air was cool and relatively damp when compared to the heat of the desert, though the ground she was haphazardly splayed out on was hard and rough, undoubtedly made of stone. “What in the hells is it…?” “Gods if I know. They just… dragged it in. Maybe the bloody lizards got hungry.” Twilight’s ear flicked at the sound of someone speaking, their voice thickly accented. Wincing with effort, she forced her eyes to open to take in her surroundings. She was in a spacious chamber in a seemingly natural cave formation. She could just make out the sound of rippling water off in a dark corner of the room. To her surprise, there were numerous tribalistic braziers arranged, each one lit with a flame to fill the chamber with flickering orange light. The light from those flames revealed that she was not alone. She stiffened and stifled a gasp at the sight of several of the amalj’aa scattered around in the chamber, each one wielding spears, curved swords, or other weapons of war. One of the towering brutes stood right next to her, its spear pointed right at her throat. She swallowed heavily, and it snarled down at her in warning. “Right… No trying anything,” she thought to herself. Growing increasingly anxious and fearful, she turned her attention to the ones who had been speaking earlier. She blinked in surprise. They were not amalj’aa. They were all humans—or at least, all of them were humanoid. They were all seated on the ground, their hands behind their backs, and their bodies marred with ugly bruises smears of dirt. It didn’t take more than a second to deduce their hands were bound. “So, they’re captives, too…” “Seven hells! Whatever it is, it’s waking up!” “Gods, as if they weren’t bad enough, what if it’s dangerous?” “Calm, lad. Looks harmless enough to me, that chubby little thing.” WHAT!? Twilight pouted, indignant. “Chubby? Little!?” “Gwah! It’s alive!” The men were startled away from her, though the amalj’aa seemed wholly unperturbed by the disturbance. Still, for the moment, Twilight’s eyes remained on the humans scattered around the room. She cautiously sat up, and she saw varying reactions upon their faces as she studied them. One, a grizzled man with a scar across his left eye, seemed merely annoyed at his compatriots’ reactions. Said compatriots were largely surprised, fearful, or both at the same time. And now she got a good look at them, judging by the helmets and padding they adorned, they appeared to be soldiers of some kind. Though they were bereft of weapons, which made sense considering that they had, seemingly, also been captured by these ‘amalj’aa’ creatures. Past all the scared faces, however, she could make out one more at the back of the group. Unlike the others, they were not bound—whether they had shaken the rope loose or it was by design she wouldn’t begin to guess—but this man seemed unlike the rest in other aspects too. Their armour, for one, was far more elaborate, consisting of furs and varying jagged metal plates a mixture of browns, reds and blacks. His hair was a dark brown, while his eyes were a piercing blue. Said eyes, right now, looked strangely at the alicorn with a cocked eyebrow that would make Applejack proud. Her eyes met his, and he merely tilted his head further like a curious Winona might should a strange denizen of Everfree come waltzing in. Though, she supposed, she was very much a strange denizen to these people. The grizzled one looked back at the puppy-dog-head-tilting one with a questioning glance. “Warrior, you’ve travelled across Eorzea, right? Have you seen a creature such as this? Or the other Scions?” Scions? The Warrior just shrugged in a non-committal fashion. “Hey, I’m right here, you know,” Twilight spoke out again in irritation, shuffling slightly away from the guard’s spearpoint. “Guh, I… Hm…” “Sarge…” one of the younger soldiers spoke. “What do we do…?” The sergeant, clearly the leader of this little group, studied her right back for several moments. On her part, Twilight just waited to hear what he had to say. The last time she had given the friendship speech to someone in this place, after all, it had landed her here. “Hmph. You, I don’t suppose they brought you here to cause us trouble?” “N-no, that’s not it at all!” Twilight defended herself. “Two of these big guys jumped me out in some Celestia-forsaken desert and knocked me cold with some kind of sleep enchantment. I don’t even know where I am or who you people are!” “I see. What exactly are you?” Well, at least they were willing to hear her out this time. “My name is Twilight. I’m an alicorn from a land… very far from here. Then this black-robed mage showed up and I ended up here somehow.” She saw movement from the Warrior, his look of childish curiosity changing to a more concerned expression. He made a move forward, opening his mouth to speak before one of the guards barred his path. “You, no talking. You are trouble, so is she, stay separate. Disobey and people die.” Twilight watched as the two seemed to size one another up for several moments. The man looked like he wanted to argue, but nevertheless relented and returned to his prior spot at the back. “Huh, trouble, eh?” the Sergeant pondered. “I get why the Adventurer there would make the bastards shit themselves, but why you?” “I… I’m a magic-user, though it’s not really working right…” “Magic! No magic!” an amalj’aa warned. Actually, wasn’t he one of the ones she’d fought before? It mattered little, because if she started casting then some of the other prisoners might get hurt. Not to mention, with her present handicap, things were bound to get extremely complicated if she even attempted to escape right now. “Huh, seems you really made an impression… whatever you are. Alicorn, was it? I’ve never heard of such a beast tribe.” “Beast tribe?” “You… have never heard of a beast tribe? But I thought-” “Stop talking! The prisoners will be silent!” the amalj’aa further warned with clear impatience. “Hm… Seems we’re pushing our luck. I have many more questions, but they’ll have to wait.” As much as Twilight had a million and two of her own, she couldn’t help but agree with that assessment. As the Sergeant moved back against a nearby rocky wall, not taking his eyes off of her with a clear suspicion remaining in his glare, the alicorn shifted her own focus back to the situation at hoof. A few minutes passed in tense silence. Many of the younger soldiers glanced about anxiously, shifting uncomfortably in place. Some were whispering quietly under the breath, though Twilight could not make out most of the words. She thought she heard an utterance of ‘twelve’ once or twice, and it sounded like it held some great significance, but it was lost on her for the time being. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the silence was broken. A new amalj’aa entered the chamber from an exit at the far end, this one dressed in far more elaborate garb than the others. Many of the soldiers cowered back or sneered with disdain, while the sergeant and the ‘Adventurer’ maintained neutral glares. “L-let us go, you bastard!” one of the soldiers tried to bark out, though through the tremor and terror in his voice, it came out as more of a pathetic plea. The important amalj’aa shot him a burning glare, and the soldier shrank back into silence. A moment later, he turned to one of the guards. “It is time. Bring them forth.” He said nothing else, leaving the chamber immediately, but the remaining amalj’aa went into motion without hesitation. The soldiers were forcefully hauled to their feet and pushed towards the exit. Twilight was hefted up as well, only now being made aware of a thick collar that had been strapped tightly around her neck as it yanked her onto her hooves. She gasped through its hold and shot an irritated look at the amalj’aa looming over her, but she dared not speak a word of protest. A thousand and one thoughts raced through her mind as they were led through the tunnel. The way ahead was dark and cramped, leaving precious little space for them all to move. With spears pointed at them from the front and the back, it would be a simple matter for the amalj’aa to gore them all with a moment’s notice. Twilight’s heart began to race. Where were they being taken? What was going on? Who were these people? She closed her eyes, hoping that, by some miracle, maybe her friends would find a way to come to her rescue. Or Celestia, or Luna, or anyone… The tunnel soon opened up, and the prisoners were escorted outside. It was dark outside, but Twilight recognized the desert immediately. However, something seemed… off. She looked up at the sky, and her stomach twisted in dread. “Oh my gosh…” The sun had been completely eclipsed in shadow. She could just make out its glow as a ring of fiery orange light in the sky. To make matters worse, waves of shifting energy were rolling across the sky, emanating from the sun. Dark blues, greens, oranges and reds. The land below was bathed in a glow of fire and ancient copper, and the contrast sent her mind racing. What were these creatures doing?! The soldiers became increasingly anxious as they were led down a slope. Twilight’s eyes widened as she caught sight of numerous structures built into and around the stone slopes and cliffsides, each one made of crudely shaped metal. More braziers and fire pits burned all around, and Twilight spied plenty more amalj’aa scurrying about in an almost frantic frenzy. There was a giddy excitement to their movements that almost reminded Twilight of Pinkie in all of the worst possible ways. Soon, the ground levelled out, and they passed through a narrow pass in one of the cliff-faces. When they came out onto the other side, Twilight’s breath hitched. An enormous open space was ahead of them, with yet more amalj’aa, all of them armed, standing watch over a staggering number of open crates filled with glowing blue crystals. More were dressed in what appeared to be ceremonial garb, standing in the centre of the natural amphitheatre. There were also more prisoners awaiting them, one of them thrashing about in his bonds frantically and yelling at the Amalj’aa that stood watch over him. “W-w-what’s happening?!” the frightened soldier who spoke up earlier asked in a low, quivering voice. “What are they doing?” “We know damn well what they’re doing,” the Sergeant snarled, his brow furrowing. “The bastards are about to summon their bloody primal… And we’re an offering.” “Primal?” Twilight echoed, looking over. The Sergeant did not get a chance to answer before he was shoved forward by the shaft of an Amalj’aan spear. “I said no talking!” Twilight bit on her tongue to keep from protesting the brutish treatment. As much as it made her skull burn in anger, there was nothing she could do for now. She’d just have to wait for an opening. Oddly, the ‘Adventurer’ seemed rather calm about the whole situation. She just hoped that this ‘Primal’ was one of those deities that remained unseen by its followers… The elaborately-dressed amalj’aa stepped forward with his eyes fixed on the centre of the empty space before them. He raised his staff, beginning to chant as the excitement of the other amalj’aa only increased. “Lord of Inferno, hearken to our plea! Lord of Inferno, deliver us from our misery!” The other amalj’aa started to lift their spears into the air, seemingly chanting prayers of their own beneath their breaths. As they did so, Twilight felt something… shift. Like the air grew several degrees hotter, her own magic being tugged by something as the crystals all around them started to glow. Part of her grew fascinated by this new phenomenon, but a larger part of her still started to gain dread as she realized they were in big trouble… “O’ mighty Ifrit, Lord of the Inferno! Your humble servants beseech you! Grace us with your divine presence!” And then the sun exploded. A great wave of fire blasted out and a swarm of tendrils began creeping down towards the surface, and it was only then that Twilight realized that what she thought was the sun itself was but a conjuration—part of whatever twisted ritual they were undertaking—and it was starting to take form. Then, from within the inferno, emerged a figure. The creature Twilight beheld could only be described as a demon: a gigantic beast with leathery skin and horns befitting a devil. It let out a horrifying cry, shooting itself into the air amidst a deafening explosion before crashing down before them with enough force to shake the ground beneath them. It let loose a low growl as it stood to tower over them all, the beast’s hateful eyes glancing over them all. Twilight could feel its power. The magic it radiated. There was so much, almost like it, itself, was magic. She couldn’t help but shrink under its glare, her breath becoming shaky with fear. “O’ mighty Ifrit! We bring before you ignorant savages who know nothing of your Godhood! If it pleases you, Lord, scorch their heathen souls with your cleansing flame, and mark them as your own!” “B-bloody hells...!” the Sergeant cursed in defeat. Cleaning flame? Mark them as his own? Just as that amalj’aa said she’d be brought to serve before their Lord… Oh Celestia, was he…? This Ifrit, did he hold magic to seize their minds? Such magic existed in Equestria, but what twisted method would be brought forward here? And with her magic acting the way it was, she couldn’t even cast a countermeasure… “Bring these two as well,” the lead amalj’aa spoke, the guards stepping and shoving forward the prisoners that had already been bound and waiting when they’d arrived. “W-what’s going on!?” one of them shouted as they started to regain consciousness. “Th-this isn’t what we agreed!” Twilight looked up to the Sergeant questioningly, vaguely aware of the prisoners begging for their lives as he noticed her stare and elaborated. “The bloody fools sold us out to them. And now we’ll all pay the price for their damned greed.” Twilight’s terrified gaze was again drawn to the primal, ‘Ifrit’ as the summoner had called it, as it reared up, letting out another guttural growl. It looked pointedly at the treacherous soldiers. “Pitiful children of man!” Ifrit bellowed, his voice not so much different from his other growls and hisses. A deep, guttural thing that itself shook the earth. “By my breath I claim you! Arise once more as my loyal minions! Feed my flames with your faith, and all who stand against us shall burn!” “Gods…” the Sergeant whispered in resignation. “Forgive us…” Ifrit stood up tall, a blue flame rising up his throat and building in his maw. Twilight’s alarm building to an overload as she faced what could very well be the end. “No… NO!”  Despite the futility, she lit her horn and raised a shield around herself and the other prisoners. Unperturbed, Ifrit bore down upon them and unleashed his flame across them in a torrent of magical energy that ripped away at her barrier and consumed them all. Twilight clenched her eyes shut, cursing her failure, her inability to save anyone… “Girls…” She felt the heat bite at her, could feel it forcing its way into her soul. She could hear him, he was… ...And then it stopped, like whatever was trying to intrude into her very soul was swiftly denied and expunged. The flames died away, Twilight opening her eyes to find her mind still very much her own. There wasn’t a hair out of place on her body. Confused, Twilight looked around as hope ignited that her barrier had worked after all! “O’ mighty Ifrit…” the Sergeant’s words killed that hope before it gained true traction. “My one true God…” another soldier muttered as if entranced. “Your words are my bread…” She… she failed to save them. All of them. The Sergeant she had been speaking with moments ago now prostrated himself before Ifrit with a hollow reverence that clearly advanced well beyond fanaticism. She just stared at him in horror, taking an instinctive step back as she processed all that had occurred. “No…” “Huh? The creature, it yet defies our Lord’s will!?” an amalj’aa shouted in alarm. All eyes turned towards her, the guard brandishing a spear in her direction. But then, out of the blue, the Adventurer stepped in his path. The armoured man glared at the approaching amalj’aa, stopping them in their tracks, protecting Twilight from their wrath. “You’re… you’re okay…?” The man looked back at her, a hard look on his face. He gave a quick, curt nod. The lead amalj’aa gave an infuriated shriek. “Impossible! By what sorcery do you resist my master’s will?” He peered around the Adventurer, staring in shock at Twilight. “What… is this magic…?” Twilight frowned, following his gaze to… her cutie mark? She blinked in surprise. Her cutie mark glowed with energy, the star shining brilliantly as if it were truly the Element of Magic it represented. “Could it be…? Your souls already belong to others!? Yes, this is the only explanation!” A roar of unparalleled rage bellowed from Ifrit, echoing all throughout the natural bowl of embers that surrounded them. He stepped forward with clear intent as even the amalj’aa who worshipped the beast scrambled back in fear for shelter and safety. “Forsooth, thy mortal frame can serve as vessel for the blessing of but one!” the primal declared with horrid spite. “Yet, I smell not the taint of another upon thee. The aether preventing thy cleansing differs for each soul... Yet the truth of thine allegiance waxeth clear enough—thou art of the godless blessed’s number.” “W-what do you mean? I don’t worship any deity!” Twilight protested. Well, except for Celestia maybe, but that hardly counted. Ifrit merely snorted. “No matter. The paragons warned of thine abhorrent kind. Whoever you may each serve, your existence is not to be suffered!” With that, Ifrit slammed his open palm down onto the ground. Twilight yelped as a wave of flames blasted out from the point of impact, entrapping her in a circular wall of flames with Ifrit and the thus-far silent adventurer. She took a step back, her breath starting to come in frantic gasps. This was bad! What was she supposed to do in a situation like this?! She couldn’t fight against a creature like this without the use of her magic or wings! Even if she could call on some of her power, it wouldn’t be nearly enough on her own. No magic… No friends… She was useless... The Adventurer, however, stood his ground. Unmoved by the so-called God’s boasts and displays of power, he stood against his aura of rage and hatred unflinching in his resolve. The Adventurer glanced to the side; Twilight followed his eyes to a scattering of weapons that had been left behind as the amalj’aa fled. One axe, in particular, matched the aesthetic of his armour, and it was this weapon that he dashed towards. Ifrit roared, sending his claw towards the man as he rolled from its grasp and took hold of the weapon. With a determined shout, he raised the axe into the air and brought it to bear against the blackened claw. The blow met its mark, Ifrit recoiling in pain as the Adventurer returned to Twilight’s side. “Can you fight?” he asked plainly. Twilight stared at him. This man... he didn’t have any magic as far as she had seen, just his armour and an axe in hand, and yet here he stood. Even before that, unarmed and surrounded, he had placed himself between her and their captors without hesitation. A common man as he, standing up to resist this horrific abomination… And here she, an alicorn and Princess of Equestria, was cowering in self-pity. No longer. Twilight lit her horn. Her powers may have been stifled, but she was still the Bearer of the Element of Magic! No matter how much she had to channel, it would obey her! She nodded to the adventurer, moving to stand at his side with confidence channelling back into her being. She imagined her friends by her side, encouraging her, waiting for her return. She wasn’t going to let this apparition of magic stop that. Ifrit studied the two, his rage growing further still at their defiance, if that were even possible. He gave one last roar, the flames around them billowing in response, preparing his next attack as the Adventurer swung his axe into motion and charged.