Tartarus, shortly after midnight...
Badwhiz hurriedly ran through the deteriorated hallways leading to the outer watchtower. An urgent order from Balor had prompted him to gather all the Knights of the Order in the war room for a matter of utmost importance.
Informing Morrigan, Ceridwen, and Mannah had been easy for Badwhiz, but Taranis, who had dueled Danu hours earlier, was nowhere to be found.
After consulting with Balor, he was only told that Taranis was in the outer tower. Although he hadn't been given further details on why Taranis was there, Badwhiz was determined to complete his mission without further delay.
As he reached the end of the hallway, Badwhiz found the door to the outside wide open. Hurriedly, he continued through the door.
Outside, illuminated by the moonlight, a desolate railing-less lookout stretched before him with no signs of his target.
"Has he gone out without permission again? Right now! Oh, hooves! How will I explain this to Lord Balor?" Badwhiz exclaimed anxiously as he gazed down the valley from the edge of the lookout.
The volcanic surface of Tartarus stretched as far as the eye could see, rows upon rows of fumaroles and geysers weaving through acidic lakes and geological faults. In the midst of this infernal wasteland, a winding path, barely recognizable as such, appeared blurry in the distance. If anyone were to attempt an escape from this place, that path would be the only safe way out.
Of course, this was only true for those who could walk; if one could control the air, it would be a different story...
Badwhiz scanned the valley clouds in search of his mentor. Taranis was a skilled master of the air; he would hardly be found on the ground crossing the path. So searching for him in the sky was the most obvious choice.
However, the deceptive vertigo of the height began to blur Badwhiz's vision. He gradually began to pay more attention to the sharp spikes sprouting beneath the tower, gleaming like teeth in the moonlight.
Badwhiz swallowed hard. From this height, a fall would be deadly. Although Badwhiz had wings incorporated into his armor, he lacked the flight instincts of a pegasus. Fear of the abyss began to grow within him, sending a shiver up his spine.
"I should perhaps shout loudly from further back, maybe Lord Taranis will hear me..." Badwhiz spoke to himself, trying to convince himself that this was the best solution, increasingly difficult to ignore the fear of falling.
Then, a gust of wind pushed him from behind. Before Badwhiz could comprehend what was happening, the ground beneath his feet disappeared, and for a moment, he found himself weightless in the air.
"Hee! Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Badwhiz screamed as he fell from the tower, flapping his wings for momentum. However, he wasn't fast enough, and the sharp spike-filled ground was rapidly approaching.
But then, another wind arose out of nowhere and lifted him upward.
In what seemed like a bounce with a cushion of air, Badwhiz unexpectedly returned to the top of the tower, right back at the edge of the lookout.
"What...? How...?" Badwhiz stammered with his heart racing, unable to understand what had just happened.
"Boy, you need to practice your flight more. Gliding is fine, but you can do so much more with your wings."
A voice spoke behind Badwhiz, who immediately turned around. The imposing figure of a creature that could only be described as a cross between a bull and a serpent stood before him. He was naked, but that didn't diminish his warrior-like aura. In fact, the moonlight, combined with the tattered bandages covering his body, further heightened the champion's shadow.
This was who Badwhiz had been searching for, Lord Taranis, knight of the order and bearer of the element of pride.
Badwhiz, unable to express the joy of having completed his search, was still breathless and speechless.
"Don't make that face, boy. The effort will be worth it. Imagine the wind as if it were your partner in a dance. Let it guide you at first and then take it by your side, reel it in towards you... let it adapt to your rhythm..." Taranis continued speaking as he sinuously moved his limbs and tail. He seemed to be in very good spirits.
"Haaa... Lord Taranis..., Lord Balor summons you... to the war room immediately...," Badwhiz finally responded, struggling to breathe.
Walking through one of the secret corridors within Tartarus...
Badwhiz, accompanied by the newly located Taranis, was heading towards the war room.
Taranis, already clad in his warrior armor, flexed his arms casually. Although he still felt some tension in his elbows, he didn't pay it much mind. Training with Danu had been as unproductive as ever. He hadn't wanted to participate this time, but Mannah had insisted heavily, and Balor had ultimately convinced him to do so. Although Mannah had fervently asked him to treat the encounter as a real duel, Taranis couldn't bring himself to do so. Training wasn't the same as fighting on the battlefield. Just as reading a recipe for a dish wasn't the same as preparing it in the kitchen.
This last thought sparked an idea in him.
"Hey, kid! Are you feeling tired? How about before we go to Balor, we take a moment to visit the kitchen? I think Morrigan still has some soul-vanilla fritters in the pantry..."
"Hee! No, no! Thank you very much for your offer, Lord Taranis, but I don't think it's the right time to do something like that. Lord Balor is very urgent for you to join the others as soon as possible," Badwhiz responded immediately, visibly fatigued by how late it was.
"Haha! How serious! I like it, but you should relax a little more. So, how about we go to the showers first?"
"Please, don't continue with your offers, Lord Taranis. Remember that you're a knight and must also follow orders."
"Are you telling me I'm not fulfilling my duties?" Taranis stopped with a look of anger.
"No! I didn't mean that! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you!" Badwhiz responded immediately, bowing before Taranis seeking his forgiveness.
Taranis, for his part, dispelled his angry look as quickly as it appeared. He was just playing with Badwhiz; that colt amused him greatly.
"Haha! You really resemble Danu a lot, kid," Taranis laughed heartily.
"I don't think I resemble the great feudal lord much," Badwhiz responded hesitantly, realizing Taranis's game.
"Ah, right, not like him now. He wasn't always the great feudal lord of Cunabula. So serious and inflexible. I knew him when he was your age. He didn't act much differently from you back then. Those were good times..." Taranis continued laughing, looking up at the ceiling.
Badwhiz looked puzzled at Taranis's nostalgic gaze. He didn't know how to take his master's words; it was really difficult for him to imagine Danu being young, even resembling him...
Lost in his thoughts, Badwhiz was abruptly snapped out of his reverie by a powerful voice.
"Hey! Stop daydreaming! Let's go to the war room at once," Taranis said to the colt. With a flick of his tail, he created a gust of wind that wrapped around his body and shot down the hallway, leaving a surprised Badwhiz behind.
Alarmed at the thought of being seen as negligent if he couldn't keep up with Taranis, Badwhiz spread his wings and also flew down the hallway, trying to catch up with the knight of the order. After turning a couple of corners and nearly breaking his neck three times, he finally, exhausted, caught up with Taranis in front of the war room doors. The knight was waiting for him with an arrogant posture.
"I win. Do I have to inform the rest of my comrades about this?" Taranis asked with a mocking smile.
"Please, no," responded the sweaty and somewhat pale Badwhiz.
"Haha," Taranis laughed again. However, his laughter was interrupted when the war room door swung open, revealing the silhouette of a dragon-like creature.
Balor had a cold look, as usual, but also exuded palpable tension. Taranis immediately went on guard.
"You're late, Taranis, but I'm reassured to see you're here," greeted Balor in a unsettling tone.
"I apologize, Balor. I needed some fresh air after my training with his excellency," Taranis replied.
"It's fine, please, come in," said Balor, opening the war room door wider. Inside the room, darkness prevailed, only illuminated by the ornamental candles on the meeting table and the faint ceiling lights.
Taranis, with his sharp eyesight able to see in the dark, noticed the presence of the other comrades in the dark room. However, his gaze shifted towards Balor, as if asking him what this tension meant.
Balor noticed his companion's gaze but didn't react. Instead, he turned his attention to Badwhiz.
"Boy, I need you to go to the pantry and bring some drinks for us, as well as some snacks. And also... take a shower beforehand. You have 30 minutes," Balor ordered Badwhiz, who was still sweating.
"Yes, right away!" the pony responded affirmatively, but before leaving, he couldn't help but look worriedly at his master, who entered the war room with a tense expression on his face.
A shorter time than indicated had passed, and Badwhiz had bathed, prepared the drinks, and arranged the snacks on a silver tray. Now he stood once again in front of the war room doors.
Before he could even touch the door, it swung open on its own, inviting him to enter. The interior remained shrouded in darkness, so Badwhiz used the light from his armor horn to cautiously proceed.
Once inside, he felt the intense tension permeating the room. Around a circular table were six seats, facing a circular mirror that projected images, illuminating the room. All the Knights of the Order were present, except for Danu and Taranis. This caught Badwhiz's attention, but he preferred not to ask questions and proceeded to distribute the drinks among those present. None of them spoke to him or took the drinks directly, so he simply left them on the table. The unsettling silence that had taken hold of the room felt strange to him, very different from the knights' previous gatherings.
Everyone was watching expectantly the images reflected in the circular mirror across the table.
After finishing distributing the drinks and leaving the tray of snacks aside, Badwhiz positioned himself next to Balor's chair, awaiting the next orders.
"Do you really believe your brother will come to power?" a clear, firm voice broke the silence. It was Morrigan addressing Mannah, with a slight mocking tone in her words.
"He's the most suitable given the current crisis. The council and the temple won't be able to refuse," Mannah replied, not taking his eyes off the mirror.
"I'm not so sure... The king still has many supporters on his side. Plus, the 'Great Primate' has the support of the Grand Patriarch. The 'Great Primate' would be..." Morrigan couldn't finish her sentence before Balor interrupted her, taking a sip of his drink.
"The worst option at this time," Balor completed Morrigan's words. Then, staring directly at Mannah, he continued: "But that's getting ahead of ourselves. Please, Morrigan, wait until everything is over to draw conclusions."
Morrigan shot a sharp look at Balor, but he completely ignored her.
"Pay attention, it's about to begin," Ceridwen ordered her companions. The images in the mirror began to move, and Badwhiz, seeing the mirror for the first time, began to understand that the images were a projection of what was happening elsewhere, although he couldn't identify where.
Then, as if an audio were activated, sounds began to emanate from the mirror, which until then had remained silent.
The mirror whispered for a moment, as if trying to tune in: "Bzzzz... Council of Cunabula, temple members... bzzz," before the images fully settled. It showed a large amphitheater, with white and gold seats surrounding a silver podium. The atmosphere was charged with anticipation; all the creatures resembling the Knights of the Order were seated, awaiting the next speaker.
Infected by the tension in the room, Badwhiz sharpened his gaze and his hearing as much as he could.
After a standing ovation and a long silence, a figure cloaked in black emerged from one side of the podium and swiftly moved to the center of the amphitheater, assuming the position of a speaker. The mysterious entity seemed to scan everyone present with its gaze, and a shiver ran down Badwhiz's spine when their eyes met for an instant. a figure cloaked in black emerged from one side of the podium and swiftly moved to the center of the amphitheater, assuming the position of a speaker. The mysterious entity seemed to scan everyone present with its gaze, and a shiver ran down Badwhiz's spine when their eyes met for an instant.
Instinctively, Badwhiz averted his gaze from the mirror, feeling an inexplicable fear. How could that being have seen him? Confused by the unsettling sensation, he slowly returned his gaze to the mirror.
The mysterious entity was still watching him. It couldn't be, could it? Perhaps it was just looking directly at the other side of the mirror, where Badwhiz was. That was the explanation he tried to give himself to calm his nerves.
But then, for a moment, despite the slightly blurry image in the mirror, Badwhiz noticed that the being was smiling.
Suddenly, arm-like limbs emerged from the mysterious entity, which removed its hood, revealing its true form.
Badwhiz held his breath, terrified by what his eyes beheld. Several of the other Knights of the Order were also taken aback, and Balor, watching closely, clenched his claws in fury.
The mysterious entity spoke: "GREETINGS, DENIZENS OF CUNABULA. FEAR NOT, I HAVE COME TO YOU WITH A MESSAGE OF PEACE." Although the words might sound friendly to many, they were mere dust when uttered by that being, which could only be described as monstrous.
In a corner of the war room, Taranis, still reeling from the news that the King had abdicated that night, gazed at the noble flag of Cunabula hanging on the wall. Sensing the commotion of his comrades, he turned his gaze to the transmission of the magical mirror in the war room. A deep hatred reflected on his face as he beheld the true form of the one who had violated the order of the world he so loved.
"Damned midnight emissary," Taranis muttered with a tone laden with resentment before taking a seat alongside his comrades in the war room. Though his words were barely a whisper, they resonated in the tense silence of the room, and none present dared to contradict him, for they all shared the same sentiment.