They flew above them; the twin corrupt pegasi of Prometheus. Their bodies were gaping maws. They dove into the ranks of the knights, raking their razor-sharp teeth through metal and flesh like a knife through butter. A vicious ballet of two predators and their prey.
Clay abominations spewed from the cave atop a distant hill. Amalgamations of body parts that rolled through and devoured the brave ponies mounting an offense against Prometheus’s stronghold. His orange glow polluted the sky, making the early morning feel like a smog-covered afternoon.
Intermingled amongst these atrocities were the monsters that slipped through the cracks. Horrors let into the world by the fractures caused by the Corrupt Pillars’ mere existence. They were indescribable. Things that defied the natural laws of their world.
The Order would not fall to these monsters.
“Forward, knights!” Stygian shouted. “Hold the line!”
He was in the center of the battlefield, his voice amplified by magic while he flung spells at the various monstrosities that threatened his people. He was weathered from decades of struggle against the Pillars, but kept young and strong by Artemis’s blessings.
Generations of knights had already come and gone, their lives cut short by the threat they hoped to one day defeat. Despite this, they continued to fight back against them. Recent times had provided to the Order a clear goal, a way to end the threat. This was but the first stage of that goal.
A shriek, unnatural and terrifying. One of the clay pegasi dove toward him.
Acting quickly, Stygian blasted the abomination’s wing with a burst of arcane magic. Clay-like blood spewed from the wound as the creature overshot and impacted into the ground behind him. Stygian conjured an arcane shield to ensure no blood would touch him. Shortly afterward, the gore burst into spiked balls and rolled back to their owner, leaving behind cracks in his shield.
Flash Magnus stood up laughing as his wing repaired itself with the recovered blood. It was a harsh guttural sound made worse by the gaping maw in his body splitting open with his mouth.
“This was a mistake, Styggy.” Flash gave him an expression halfway between a smile and a snarl. “Never knew you to make stupid unnecessary decisions. Gotten desperate lately?”
“There’s a plan, Flash Magnus,” Stygian responded. He converted the remains of his shield into a long sword. “I never make ‘stupid unnecessary decisions’.”
“No, you don’t.” Flash’s voice darkened. “What is your goal here?”
Stygian smirked. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Anger overtook Flash’s expression. “You know what, I do. I’ll just find that out after I kill you.”
There was a wet schlock as Flash’s body morphed. It opened along its seam into a massive maw of teeth. The teeth propagated and grew as wings stretched into a multitude of hideous arms similar to a minotaur, and innumerous legs that scuttled along the ground like a millipede.
Flash charged at him, his teeth snapping at Stygian. A quick teleport brought him out of range and a slash of his sword cut a line through the inner lining of Flash’s mouth.
Another snap. This time, Stygian waited patiently. As his teeth were about to close around him, he conjured an arcane shield, then burst it, the arcane shrapnel causing Flash to shriek as the shards embedded inside of clay flesh.
Several arrows of moonlight shot into Flash’s side. He retreated further.
“I would ask that you not instigate our opponents,” Artemis remarked as she trotted up next to Stygian. “It makes them angry and causes them to transform into more difficult-to-manage monstrosities.”
“But where’s the fun in that?” Stygian replied.
“Are you not too old for such things?” Artemis retorted.
“It’s because I’m too old that I do this,” Stygian replied. “Are you not supposed to be with the forward guard?”
“The Knight of Moonlight was more than capable of breaking through Prometheus’s defenses and is on his way toward the corrupt god alongside the Music Knight.” As if on cue, an explosion of musical notes and arcane magic burst forth from the cave. “I thought it prudent to regroup with you, as you have a tendency to get yourself into trouble if I’m not watching you.”
“Artemis,” Stygian said in a flat tone. “I am not a toddler. I am perfectly capable of handling any instigation I cause. I do not need—”
Flash screeched. His body morphed yet again. It elongated into a multitude of bulbous bodies each connected by the facsimile of flesh. He was growing. Soon, Flash had grown to the size of an average two-story home and showed no signs of slowing down.
“What did you do?!” Flash shrieked from his many mouths.
“... Will you need to be burped later after receiving your milk?” Artemis asked. Her tone was dull, but Stygian could see the twinkle of bemusement in her eyes. “You appear to have caused a bigger problem than you would reasonably be able to handle.”
Stygian, a very strong and masculine stallion, shot back a very stallion-like pout. “I resent that remark.”
“And you’ll resent the missing part of your flank once Flash is done with you. You’re immortal, not invincible,” Artemis replied.
“Well, at least we know that our knights have succeeded.”
“Yes, now, come foal. Let us do battle.” She conjured a quiver of arcane arrows around her.
Stygian rolled his eyes and readied his sword. They both charged forward toward the abomination, shouting a war cry.