The door opened at a slow, almost glacial pace, giving the two demons plenty of time to peer into the room beyond. The walls of the chamber were stone like everywhere else, only here they were a darker grey, as was the tall, vaulted ceiling that hung far above their heads. It was also a fairly simple space, consisting of only a single long hallway broken up by six pairs of pillars on either side.
Lighting was minimal, as there was only a single large window at the far end of the room. Not like the two demons needed it, as the shadows were far from deep, and the evening sun more than sufficient. There were only a few very minor details about the room which made Kanathara curious and more than a little nervous.
The far side of the room by the window was actually an alcove that bore within it a complex array of magical circles. Even at this distance she could feel their intent, and sense that they were meant to contain anything within them. The density of the magical weave was considerable, and Kanathara doubted that she would ever breach such a barrier if she found herself trapped.
Kanathara was also able to detect a simple teleportation rune inside of it, but it was strangely small. It felt almost like a transposition rune, one that was supposed to enable two items to be traded with one another over a large distance. Though Kanathara couldn't be sure without giving it a closer look, the demon was fairly certain that was its purpose.
The magical circles, though interesting, weren’t half as intriguing as the glass case within it, or more specifically, the jewelry it contained. One was a tall crown adorned by a six-pointed purple star, the other a necklace that bore a bright red thunderbolt. Both of which hummed with barely contained power, their energies reaching out towards the pair of demons in an almost enticing manner.
Though they piqued Kanathara’s curiosity, the Elements weren’t what made her nervous. That particular honor went to the six golden armored paladins standing before them. Each one stood impassive, staring at the two demons as the pair silently gawked at the hall they now found themselves within. Their opponents were also armed and were even more imposing now that Kanathara wasn't observing them from above.
Though their physical appearance ranged slightly, they were all nearly as tall as an alicorn and had the powerful body structure to match. Stranger than the minute differences they had was the complete lack of visible distinguishing features. She could not see their eyes or skin, only the ever present layers of golden armor, resplendent chainmail and deep cloaks.
“I knew this was a trap,” Rainbow Dash murmured through the grille of her helmet.
“They haven't attacked us yet. Perhaps there is a chance at diplomacy,” Kanathara whispered back.
“Yeah, I wouldn't bet on that,” Rainbow Dash retorted. “They are clearly guarding the Elements.”
Kanathara smiled as best as she could, hoping to hide the sheer level of exhaustion that hung heavy about her shoulders. “Greetings and well met, paladins,” she announced.
The largest of the six stepped forward, his hoof clanking audibly against the white floor. “Greetings to you, invader,” he replied without malice.
“Charges of breaking and entering aside, I don't suppose you could be convinced to part with those fine pieces of jewelry behind you by chance?” Kanathara continued, laying on the charm as thick as she could manage.
Oh, succubus magic. That's rare, Rainbow Dash remarked.
The six remained completely impassive despite Kanathara’s honeyed words.
“I wouldn't bother with that if I were you. Noone here would be affected by a fully fledged succubus, never mind the bookish cousin of one,” the leader declared in a slightly amused tone.
Kanathara cursed under her breath. “Perhaps a trade then? Or a contract between-”
“Silence,” he interrupted. “There will be no trades or contracts or deals. The only options you have before you are to surrender or be beaten into submission.”
“Just a light beating? No murder this time?” Rainbow Dash quipped.
The paladin snorted. “No. Your capture is important to Lord Armor. Now then, what will it be?”
“Easy way or hard way, huh? Hardly even a choice, really,” Kanathara muttered, silently inspecting the six armored creatures before her.
What do you think? Golems? Ponies? Rainbow Dash questioned.
I’m not sure. They hide their essence quite well. My gut says they are more than simple golems, though I don't think they are ponies, Kanathara replied.
“Speak your decision. Now!” bellowed the paladin, his hoof nearing the hilt of his enormous cleaver.
“A moment, good sirs. I was hoping to discover more about you. After all, if you were demons or some other untrustworthy entity, then we couldn't exactly take you at your word,” Kanathara exclaimed.
“I cannot speak about our nature. Now give us your answer. Lest your silence serve as your response,” declared the golden-armored creature.
Kanathara’s eyes narrowed, and she glanced from one paladin to the other, noting how each one seemed ready to explode into motion at a moment’s notice. Other than their general appearance and overwhelmingly holy aura, the demon wasn't able to deduce much of anything. A quick check told her that Rainbow Dash had also come up with nothing, the familiar just as confused as her mistress.
I’ve got the ugly one, Rainbow Dash thought.
That doesn't exactly narrow it down, Kanathara pointed out.
I know, Rainbow Dash replied.
For a moment it seemed as though the lead paladin was ready to issue another ultimatum, only to be cut off when a burst of magic shot from Kanathara’s horn. The energy took the form of a simple bolt of electricity which was deflected easily by the taller paladin to his right who raised his staff and conjured a small, yet bright gold shield, sending the attack harmlessly into the ceiling.
By the time the bolt was gone, Rainbow Dash had already cleared the distance, her hoof outstretched towards the caster’s face. She too didn't hit her target, as the paladin to his right moved to intercept, swinging his mace down at the vengant’s neck. Forced to dodge, Rainbow Dash redirected her speed upward, sailing over the ground-bound creatures and catching an arrow to the leg in the process. Her armor took the majority of the blow, yet the impact left a strange tingling feeling that lingered far longer than it should have.
The rest of the paladins leapt into action with surprising ease, none needing so much as a single command to know where they were going. The wand-wielding soldier that wore blinders on his helm followed Rainbow Dash from the ground, his weapon pointed skyward. His companion with a longbow did similarly, somehow managing to sprint after the flying demon while still firing arrows. Lastly was the armored creature who held aloft a ruby encrusted mace, and had somehow kept up with Rainbow Dash.
The other three broke off from their fellows, making a beeline towards Kanathara and attempting to hem her in. The largest of the three swung his massive cleaver in a dramatic overhand chop, the powerful strike carrying enough force to split the demon in two. His allies hung back slightly, with the taller, thinner staff-wielding creature holding his glowing weapon high, as if waiting for something. The final, mask-adorned paladin kept his axe low, following in his ally’s wake and waiting to strike after his larger companion.
Rainbow Dash was forced upward, her momentum allowing her to stay ahead of her pursuers, but not by much. With such a narrow space to maneuver, she simply wasn't able to maintain her speed, and the vengant knew she would need to switch tactics. She had another trick up her sleeve and performed a sudden backflip, extending her steel-covered hooves in the process.
The mace-wielding paladin lurched to the side, narrowly managing to miss Rainbow Dash’s attack. She slammed into the ground with enough force to shatter the tiles and send bits of stone high into the air. It also opened her up to a flurry of arrows which clattered noisily against her armor, leaving behind several more tingling spots across her side.
Pulling up a flaming wing, Rainbow Dash was ready to rush the longbow-wielding enemy utilizing her cover, only to find that it was useless. Arrows which should have been turned to ash by her hellfire wings continued to pound into her, leaving the demon little choice but to retreat. Leaping off the ground, Rainbow Dash tried to will her body to mist, intent on reforming atop her ranged opponent. She found herself unable to do so, and a glance to her left revealed that her enemy’s wand was glowing brightly.
They have some way to stop us from using misty step! Rainbow Dash thought bitterly. They are also tough as hell.
Kanathara grunted, unable to answer due to the fact that she was ducking and dodging as best as she could. A leap to her right put her out of the cleaver’s path, which would have normally given her a second to breath as it would have stopped the axe paladin. If he had not turned to smoke and reformed directly in front of Kanathara, his axe sweeping towards her midsection.
Leaping back with all her might, Kanathara avoided the attack and, while in mid air, used her magic to reverse her personal gravity. While plummeting up towards the ceiling, the keeper of secrets leveled another spell towards the trio, hoping to burn them with a well-placed fireball. The second the searing orb of flame leapt from her horn, an identical sphere of water shot up to meet it.
An explosion of steam briefly blinded the keeper, who rolled to the side, putting a pillar between herself and any potential danger. An instinct that served her well, as a pony-sized cleaver slammed into the stone, its wielder sprinting after her. Like Kanathara, the paladin chasing her was walking atop the ceiling, his hooves glowing a faint gold.
Cursing her foul luck, the keeper silently hoped her familiar was doing better than her.
A wish that unfortunately wasn't about to be granted anytime soon.
The vengant was only just barely staying ahead of her foes’ lightning fast attacks, be it the rapid fire blows of a mace, the flurry of arrows, or the occasional bolt of charged energy. Her blood urged her to strike back, but the demon’s exhaustion weighed heavily, leaving her on the backhoof from the moment fighting began.
I don't need to put power into my hits. I just need to hit in the first place, Rainbow Dash reminded herself.
The next mace swing was deflected deftly off to her right, allowing the demon to smack her hoof across the paladin’s. The stud nearest the limb lit up, and a glowing red thread connected it to her foe, a jolt of power briefly arcing between them. The soldier took several quick steps back, his gaze going down to the affected body part curiously. This sudden retreat would have left an opening, had not a flurry of arrows and a single larger bolt of golden energy not been fired at Rainbow Dash.
Cursing her opponents bitterly, the vengant ducked under the bolt, the passage of which left an uncomfortable burning sensation across the top of Rainbow’s head. Holy magic, potent too, Rainbow Dash quickly realized, silently adjusting her strategy and prioritizing dodging as opposed to blocking. Accepting the hits from the arrows, Rainbow Dash rushed her first opponent, surprising him with a flurry of light, but numerous attacks.
Come on and die, you jerk! she thought.
I’m going to die! Kanathara thought as she snapped off a short range teleport and dodged a cleaver swing which would have split her skull.
She barely had a moment to think however, as the ghostly axe soldier was right behind his leader. A burst of kinetic energy drove the creature back, but was not able to do any kind of lasting damage despite the power behind it. The keeper continued to run away from her two melee-focused enemies, her horn building power as she eyed her lone ground-bound foe.
Who remained impassive, his bladed staff raised high, just waiting for an attack to negate. Kanathara poured her magic into the ground beneath him. Stone spikes shot out of the floor, but were rendered harmless not by counter magic, but rather simply nimbleness.
The paladin had somehow leapt up out of their range and was now standing atop the spines, his staff pointed towards Kanathara. Feeling the bolt of holy energy before it could even be launched her way, Kanathara focused hard and turned to mist. Though doing so took more energy than other times, it was enough to let her avoid the projectile and land on the ground, her gravity returning to normal.
Great. Back at square one, Kanathara thought to herself.
Rainbow Dash poured on the speed, her forehooves becoming a blur as she pummelled the paladin ruthlessly. Though he deflected some attacks and dodged others, he couldn't evade Rainbow Dash’s onslaught completely. That was until the vengant felt another surge of holy magic, and was forced to leap back, lest she be blasted by a beam of the stuff.
Smirking to herself, the demon deflected a trio of arrows and watched as the mace-wielding paladin dropped to the floor. Or at least that's what it looked like he was doing, as instead of hitting the ground, he merely relinquished his hold on the mace. He then opened a pouch, produced a stone and crushed it, causing the numerous red lines to vanish as well as what few dents Rainbow Dash had managed to inflict.
“Hey, no fair, that's cheating!” Rainbow Dash shouted, only to yelp when a glowing golden arrow came flying at her face.
Forced to dodge once more, Rainbow Dash ducked and reflexively tried to turn to smoke, but was blocked again by a glowing wand. Now annoyed and growing fearful, the vengant started to heat up, drawing demonic power into her lungs. She then unleashed said energy after leaping over a bolt of lightning, unloading everything she had into the soldier’s face.
A great eruption of hellfire exploded from the demon’s maw and shot into the seemingly empty helmet of her foe. For a moment it seemed like her attack was working, but then something heavy slammed into her chin and knocked Rainbow Dash back. Confused and off balance, the vengant took a second hit to the cheek, and a third to the neck, stumbling backward all the while.
Kanathara wasn't doing much better and only narrowly leapt out of the way of an errant beam of holy energy that originated from the other side of the room. The keeper had to immediately turn to mist, as a cleaver was swinging at her from one direction and an axe from the other. Reforming behind the lead paladin, Kanathara reached out and touched his side, intent on laying one of the more deadly curses she knew.
The magic never completed, as the second her hoof met golden armor, a white hot spike of pain shot through the demon. Stumbling back, Kanathara was too confused to react when a pair of hooves slammed into her chest and sent her flying. Her brief flight ended when she met the wall, leaving behind a small crater which she quickly pulled herself out of.
A forked bolt of lightning impacted the spot Kanathara had been only a second earlier, scorching the broken stonework. The woosh of an axe as it descended towards her skull stopped Kanathara’s attempt at retaliation and pushed her to continue evading their attacks. A snap teleport did just that, putting her next to the staff-wielding paladin who at least for a moment seemed startled.
This is going to hurt, Kanathara thought.
Placing her forehooves against the creature’s side, Kanathara channeled the most powerful scanning spell she knew. The mere touch burned her very soul, but she held on until it was completed, and not a second too soon either. For a bladed staff had slammed into her side, driving the demon back and towards the cleaver paladin she had narrowly avoided a few seconds earlier.
Damn that hurt, Rainbow Dash remarked to herself as she hopped out of range of her opponent.
Dodging another bolt of holy magic, the vengant was ready to launch herself into another attack when the mental voice of her mistress suddenly popped into mind.
We need to switch! These creatures are connected somehow and made up of little more than steel and holy magic, Kanathara all but shouted.
Smoke is going out, Rainbow Dash replied immediately, pulling forth more demonic power.
This time it didn't take the form of hellfire, but rather black smog that poured from every chink in the vengant’s armor. Thick and obscuring, this demonic hindrance spread quickly, covering nearly everything. While this happened, Kanathara leapt out of another cleaver swing and turned to mist, her ethereal form surging across the room.
Their six opponents weren’t about to just let this happen however, and with a startling speed, a strange golden smoke cloud surged after Kanathara. It then placed itself in front of the opposing mass of mist, which in turn caused a moment of distress and confusion to pass through the keeper. Losing consistency of her body, Kanathara tried to go around, but found herself hemmed in by a bolt of golden magic.
Rainbow Dash wasn't doing much better, as her mad dash across the room under the cover of smoke had been interrupted almost immediately. Tackled from the side, the vengant found herself in a desperate melee with the mace-wielding soldier she had just disengaged from. Striking him in the head and neck seemed to do little to the paladin, who seemed intent on hanging on as best as he could.
By the time she managed to fling the creature off of her, Rainbow Dash’s smoke was gone, dissipated by a magical gust of wind. Not only that, but the same three enemies were still right there, meanwhile Kanathara had been forced to reform. She too was facing down the same foes she had been stuck fighting for the last few minutes, their gambit having accomplished nothing.
I can barely do anything here, and it won't be long before they pen me in, Rainbow Dash desperately thought as she scrambled off the ground. What do we do?
I don't know! Kanathara replied, the keeper dodging as best as she could. They seem custom built to take us down.
If I wasn't so exhausted from spending all day in this damn place, I could probably take them, Rainbow Dash lamented, deflecting an arrow before pounding a hoof into the mace-wielding soldier’s chest.
I know, but we can't think of that right now. We need a plan, Kanathara exclaimed, blasting one foe with a conjured mass of acid that seemed to do nothing.
What about your entropy thing and my nova attack? Rainbow Dash offered, only to grunt when a mace slammed into her chin a second before a bolt of holy magic knocked the wind out of her.
That might not even work, and even if it does, we will be incredibly vulnerable while we recover, Kanathara pointed out, her conjured trio of imps getting crushed flat a second before she was kicked in the face and sent sprawling to the ground.
At this point I’d give up a leg just to have a chance here! Rainbow Dash mentally shouted.
Fine then. It looks like we don't have any other options anyway, Kanathara replied.
Rainbow Dash dodged to the left, putting the mace-wielding soldier in the path of his two ranged allies. The move bought mere seconds, but it was enough for the vengant to begin pulling on the deep well of demonic power which lay in the very core of her being. Strength and heat poured through her body, both of which rapidly increased until her armor began to bulge, and flames erupted in all directions.
The ruby mace slammed into Rainbow Dash’s cheek, shattering the bottom half of her helmet and badly dislocating her jaw in the process. Her movements slowed due to the sheer amount of power she was channelling, Rainbow Dash was forced to take each hit. Which kept coming, the mace slamming into her face several more times, breaking her jaw completely.
Her other two opponents didn't let up either, with numerous arrows continuing to pound into the demon. One unfortunately lucky pierced straight through her destroyed armor and tore its way into the demon’s eye. Stopped only by Rainbow Dash’s thick skull, she narrowly avoided death, though one thing she didn't avoid was a beam of holy magic.
Which obliterated her right foreleg completely, the limb simply evaporating under such an intense barrage of energy. The demon was unperturbed by it all, as her armor was now white hot, and each step she took left behind a glowing hoofprint. Thankfully for her, the energy had reached its uppermost limit and was released in an explosive burst of speed that even Rainbow Dash found impressive.
The falling mace of her enemy was caught by a hoof, its haft melting in her grip before being tossed aside. Its wielder attempted to strike back, but his forelimb crumpled upon connecting with Rainbow Dash’s chest. The vengant batted the appendage aside before lurching forward and wrapping him in a white hot bear hug.
Armor melted while its wielder struggled, a strangled cry not unlike the sound of twisting metal erupted from his throat. Then, with a final gasp, the soldier crumpled to the ground, his attacker already on the move once more. Unbothered by the lack of a fourth leg, Rainbow Dash ignored the attacks of her enemies and lowered her head.
The wand- wielding paladin barely had a moment to consider dodging before a metal horn grew from the vengant’s skull. It pierced the underside of his chin and went straight through the top of his helmet, killing him before he had a chance to respond. A sharp jerk tore the seemingly empty helmet from his head before Rainbow Dash continued her warpath.
The final paladin was faster than the others and was able to line up several arrows before Rainbow Dash could close the distance. Unfortunately for him, none of his strikes found another vulnerable section, and his bow was shattered with a lightning fast jab. His breastplate was then caved in by a second blow followed by an uppercut which tore through a section of his helmet.
Rainbow Dash wasn't about to let him off easily and rose up, flaring her powerful wings before bringing them forward. Golden armor bent and melted, the paladin’s body unable to resist such massive amounts of heat. Unable to stand or fight, the creature let out one final grunt before toppling forward into a pool of what had once been its body.
Kanathara did not require as much time to build up the necessary power, but that didn't mean she would come out of this fight unscathed. Memories of her second childhood flowed through her, reminding the demon of the time she spent as little more than an imp. With only a tiny shred of entropic power to defend herself, Kanathara remembered well the feelings of helplessness. Emotions she was reliving once more as her enemies bore down on her, weapons raised and ready to end her.
Her horn pulsed with a sickly greenish aura, and from deep down in her belly, a profoundly unpleasant sensation emanated. This primal revulsion didn't last long, as the keeper channelled it into her forehooves, giving the limbs a bright emerald appearance. All of this took only mere seconds, but in that time her opponents closed the distance, with a cleaver swinging towards her while an axe swept down at her legs.
Now unable to turn to mist or cast a spell, Kanathara was left with few responses save to rely on her physicality. Thankfully she was no slouch in that department and was able to roll to the left before she could take a direct hit. The axe still managed to clip her back leg, leaving a deep gouge.
It wasn't enough to stop her, as Kanathara bum-rushed the staff-wielding paladin first, aiming to remove the caster from the equation. He was fairly quick however, and Kanathara had to duck and weave through several sweeping attacks before closing in on him. A final two-handed swipe leveled at her would have knocked her to the ground, but the keeper did something unexpected.
Shifting her weight suddenly, Kanathara slid across the ground, rolling onto her back at the last second, and rammed a forehoof up into her enemy’s stomach. A second hoof joined the first, and the armored creature managed a gurgled yelp before its front and back halves were made separate. Kanathara’s victory was short-lived, as the slam of a massive cleaver ended the staff-wielding paladin while also removing the keeper’s back legs completely.
Unable to reform her limbs, Kanathara ignored the pain and quickly extricated herself from beneath the dead paladin. Only to come face to face with the axe-wielding soldier who moved to cut off her escape with a brutal chop to the shoulder. Unable to dodge and lacking half of her limbs, Kanathara was forced to take the blow, grabbing the weapon in the process.
The head was first to rust away, though the haft quickly followed, with the axe’s wielder dropping the weapon and stepping away. His retreat was stopped by Kanathara using her stump legs to push her forward and allow her to latch onto his neck, squeezing the paladin tightly. Her surprising strength combined with the entropic energy flowing through her quickly began to destroy his armor.
He began to turn to smoke and attempted to slip away, but Kanathara was faster still, exhaling a great mass of acidic vapor which mixed with the golden smoke and caused both gases to annihilate one another in the process. Again, Kanathara wasn't able to enjoy her success for long, though this time she at least tried to dodge the attack she knew was coming.
Due to the exhaustion, pain, and missing limbs, the effort was largely wasted and Kanathara was sent sprawling when a hoof slammed into her belly. The lead paladin strode over to the keeper as she coughed and struggled to rise, only to be grabbed by the throat before she could do so. Lifted off the ground, the keeper was forced to stare into the dark expanse where the paladin’s eyes should be.
“You’ve made a lot of trouble, little one,” he rumbled, seemingly unconcerned or unbothered by the fact that his armor was beginning to corrode away.
Rather than reply with words, Kanathara spat a wad of acid directly into her opponent's face.
“Damn, you cheeky little brat,” he muttered, dropping Kanathara to the ground and wiping his helmet free of the burning substance.
His hoof clattered to the ground a second later, having rusted from the inside out. Kanathara smirked and was ready to fire back with a witty retort when the paladin’s good hoof slammed into her horn. Shocked and suddenly disoriented, Kanathara couldn't even make her eyes focus before she felt a second blow crack the delicate appendage.
A third sundered it completely, causing a sudden explosion of magic to knock both Kanathara and her opponent from their hooves. The keeper slammed into a pillar and came to a rest in a lopsided sitting position, with the paladin landing on his remaining hooves a few feet away. With a grunt, the armored creature rose completely, only for his other foreleg to shatter into a million pieces.
“Damn it all to Tartarus,” he muttered.
“Give it a rest. You only have a few seconds before you’re little more than dust,” Kanathara weakly exclaimed, pulling herself into a proper sitting position.
The paladin slumped to the ground. “Aye, I suppose you’re right. No point in fighting anymore.”
Kanathara watched in confusion as the creature whipped its head to the side, casting away its helmet and revealing its true face. Though its features seemed equine, Kanathara quickly realized how wrong her first impression truly was.
“You’re a demon? But how?” Kanathara muttered in shock.
Rainbow Dash limped over to the pair and ripped the arrow from her eye socket, inadvertently removing the organ in the process. With a grunt, her smoking, almost lava-like form began to rapidly cool, the vengant collapsing near her mistress.
What's going on? I can't see shit, and my face is all messed up, Rainbow Dash thought.
I’ll explain in a moment, Kanathara replied, her own magic slowly returning to normal.
“Yeah, I was one of you, and, unlike my brothers and sisters, I chose to keep this face as a reminder of my crimes,” declared the paladin who waved a hoof over his dark green scaly skin and glowing red eyes.
“Jealousy, right?” Kanathara muttered.
The paladin nodded slowly, his armor beginning to crack as deep, rust-colored lines began to spread across its exterior. “Killed my wife after finding her with another mare. Spent about four centuries in the lowest pits for that,” he bitterly explained.
This guy sounds like a douche, Rainbow Dash remarked.
Kanathara stifled a snicker. “So then what? You got stuffed into some holy armor and allowed to walk around up here again?”
“That about sums it up, yeah,” he replied with a smirk. “Lord Armor gave me the chance to do something good, and I’m glad for it. At least I did a single decent thing with this miserable existence of mine.”
“But you failed,” Kanathara pointed out, grunting as she regrew just enough flesh to cover her stump limbs. “We’re still alive and now we have the Elements.”
“Not yet, you don't,” he retorted, his voice growing raspy. “Why do you think we didn't go for the head when we had the chance?”
What is this guy talking about? Rainbow Dash questioned, the vengant’s body having finally returned to normal, albeit with a shattered jaw, a missing eye, and one less foreleg than before.
“What do you mean?” Kanathara questioned, a hint of fear worming its way into her voice.
“Ha! And he said you were smart,” barked the paladin. “Do you really think we couldn't have ended you if those were our orders? Or at least trapped you within the containment rings.”
Boss, I think someone is com-
Kanathara tuned her out. “Why? What was the point of all this then?”
“Simple,” spoke a familiar voice. “To ensure that you were too weak to resist.”
Kanathara turned to find her brother striding down the hall, a black orb resting in his upraised hoof.
“About time you showed up, my lord. Sorry I won’t be able to assist you further,” remarked the paladin.
“You have done what you were meant to. Rest now,” Shining Armor commanded.
The former demon released a final sigh and collapsed into a heap, his armor turning to dust and leaving behind little but several hunks of rusted gold.
“Now it's your turn for redemption,” Shining Armor exclaimed, raising the orb high above his head.
Both keeper and vengant felt the familiar and deeply unpleasant pull of the strange, monstrous artifact. The unsettling tug on their very souls was powerful, and with so little strength left in their bodies, the two demons knew they had little time to resist.
That’s the black hunger, boss, we gotta go! Rainbow Dash mentally shouted, grabbing her mistress around the shoulders and pulling her away.
“Save your strength, Rainbow Dash,” Kanathara muttered bitterly, her head hanging low. “We’ve already lost.”