"Move! Get out of the way." Taliel shouted as Ember tore down the streets in a full sprint. Taliel watched as the panicked ponies narrowly avoided him, and his occasional potshots. He paused seeing three of the creatures cornered a group of ponies.
Taliel drew three arrows from his quiver and drew his bow. "Hey, pick on someone your own size." He called to the tainted trio. before letting his arrows fly. Each arrow piercing the creatures hearts.
'You think that you can save this city. Fool here I am a god perfection given form you have no hope of stopping me.'
"Taliel. We have this square secure get to the forest." Taliel turned to see the two stallions charge into another beast.
***************************************************
"It's okay everypony, remain calm." Celestia looked to the nobles of her court each of whom were either curled up and rocking back and fourth in fear or were shouting at one another.
"Be still!" Everypony stared at Luna who was fuming slightly. "Our sister is speaking." She turned her head back to her sister.
"Yes, we need to gather any and all available guards and get everypony to the palace immediately."
"Princess where is Captain Shining Armour?" One of the nobles asked.
"He's currently away on royal business, And he left me in charge." Claymore stepped forward.
"And who are you?"
"I am Staff Sergeant Claymore Swingblade. Current commanding officer of the Royal guard of Canterlot. Now if you would stop bickering the Princess has a plan." The veteran looked to the other guards in the throne room.
"We need to get as many ponies as we can to the catacombs beneath the city. Claymore you take the market districts and get everypony underground."
"Yes ma'am." The grey stallion saluted before pointing to one of his fellow guards. "Corvus your with me. Lets move." Celestia watched as he charged out of the throne room.
"Corporal Heart, head north with whoever can find and secure the train depot." The mare in question simply nodded as she disappeared into the shadows.
"What about me your highness." Came a voice from behind the throne.
"Major Hearths Fyre of the Sumareian special task forces, reporting for duty."
"Your a part of the STF?" one of the nobles stepped forward his face clearly covered in shock.
**************************************************
Taliel looked to the tree line the blue flames roaring with the hunger of a thousand savage beasts.
'So it all ends here, or at least for morsel.'
"Big talk for a god who's to afraid to face one mortal."Taliel shouted defiantly. As his words hung in the air, he felt a sickly wet chill in the air. Drawing his bow, he felt his mark begin to tingle with twisted waves of power.
Taliel jumped back just in time to see the spot where he stood become a crackling black scorch mark. Taliel looked to the bright flames now surrounding him like a pack of wolves waiting for the kill. Ember growled as she backed closer to her master.
"Ember." he raised his hand and placed it on her side. Her massive frame seeming to relax slightly at his touch.
"Go."
He stared his lifelong companion in the eye, a hint of betrayal spread across her face.
"Go, get to the Princesses help them defend the city." Taliel said.
Almost immediately the wolf howled to the heavens, her master soon followed suit. She glanced back to him and charged forward through the flames towards the city.
'Now then, we can continue this fight, without the filthy mongrel.'
Taliel watched as the fires in front of him parted, filling the air with the putrid stench of burning and decaying flesh. The flames seemed to dull slightly as a large serpent like mass slithered into the clearing. its scales reflecting the light of the flames, it's sickly wet back had numerous spines protruding the length of its body. Taliel looked into the beasts face. there he saw what was left of the creature he encountered in the forest, a chunk of its skull was missing from where he hit it with his wind.
"Deygoth, I am Taliel O'Carish of House blackforest. You have spread your taint to this world, and as the sole Indiri warrior here. I must slay you." Taliel drew his bow and began to focus his magic at the tip of his trident arrows.
'Fool. One cannot hope to kill me I am the taint, its vast legions are me my will is manifest. I can manipulate this worlds magical energies. I have ascended from that pitiful shell you encountered me in. I am a god incarnate.'
Taliel let loose his arrow watching it as it pierced the creatures scale before exploding in a massive burst of wind. The tainted beast cried out as more red lightning began to strike the ground around Taliel. each sending out an wave of shrapnel as the ground was turned to glass and then blasted outward.
Taliel rolled away from a stray bolt before he felt the sharp electric wave of pain tear through his body, his mark began to burn his flesh. But in the pain Taliel felt something. As he fell to the ground he looked at the beast of his nightmares, its twisted body slowly inching towards him to give the final blow.
"Get up pup."
Taliels body strained as he attempted to will himself into movement, each and every cell in his body screaming out in pain. He managed to crane his neck towards the creatures face. Its lone eye serving as a hub for hundreds upon hundreds of reptilian pupils narrowing in on him, ready for the sheer primal joy of the kill.
The beast opened its maw its hot sticky breath filled his vision then a spark of red, then more and more all forming around a glowing orb of raw power. Taliel watched as it began to glow brighter.
Grandmother, I've been waiting for this moment ever since you died. To be back at your side. your little pup.
He raised his hand to the mass of energy waiting for its final burst the one that would end his life.
"No, think of your mother and father, your brothers, Joric, the clan and Ember. Move child move now."
Taliel watched as his world was filled with the blinding red light, he felt the beam touch his hand. Its power surging through his body, but instead of the the final and abrupt pain of death he felt something more, warmth and power. The barrage of energy stopped as the beast reared back to roar in victory.
Taliel tried to move, his body's pain seemed forgotten. he numbly glanced to his right arm. Where is was normally a charcoal black line from his elbow to wrist had changed. Instead of its typical black color it glowed a brilliant orange. It pulsed with the warmth of a fire.
Taliel rose to his feet, his body felt stronger lighter, he could fell magic radiating from the ground beneath him, he reached for his dagger. Its normally cold black metal vibrated at his touch singing in his hand.
"Hey, were not finished yet." He shouted. He felt his heart beat each beat coursing with renewed energy. Taliel felt the world around him disappear, before nothing more the the beast and the infinite void.
The beast opened its mouth once more sending a burning red arc of energy to him. Taliel raised his hand, he felt a wave of power surge through his body, he felt stronger. Taliel started to laugh hysterically as he step closer to the beast.
" Looks like your not the only one any more." He smiled darkly as he pointed his finger at the beast and slashing the dagger across his wrist.
The vibrant orange glow of Taliel's mark grew crimson. Taliel saw the memories of his ancestors, all those who had performed the sacrifice before him. He felt a intense burning in his mark as it drew all his magical power into it. Taliel saw ancient runes illuminate his vision.
"A madman would do anything for those he loves."
He watched his vision blur as he saw the runes freeze in the air.
************************************************
"Now" Hearths Fyre shouted to the sisters. She felt the pull of gravity as she was dropped into the clearing. She wrapped herself in a magical bubble.
Remember your training, make the bubble strong but malleable.
As the surrounding orb of magical energy shattered at her land, she knew she only had seconds to do this. She charged forward, each millisecond seeming to drag on for hours, the only noise she heard was the thunderous roar of her heart as she pulled out the inhibitor cuffs.
This has to work, this just has to.
Her vision dimmed as her body finally felt the effect of Taliels magic it clouded her leylines and started a dull throbbing in her head. But she knew she couldn't give in, though nothing in her training prepared her for a near total magical cut off.She lifted the cuffs with her right fore leg, she knew that she just needed a little more time. Thats all she needed. she flashed back to what her drill sergeant used to constantly shout to her. "You quit, and so help me I'll make you wish you never been born."
She felt the cuff skim over his wrist, she knew that if she quit now everypony in the world would pay for her mistake, she tried to will her hoof down so that it would lock on to him.
All I need is one...one piece of metal to save the world.
Time seemed to pause, it was a scene of three. Fyre looked into his eyes gone was the dark violet and white of his eyes, instead they glowed with a bright crimson hate of a time long past. opposite them stood the beast born of only the most twisted minds nightmares could conjure up. Its lone eye piercing her soul with its ravenous gaze.
Click.
And with that one sound time resumed is infinite march forward. Fyres momentum, long forgotten to the mare sent her and Taliel tumbling to the ground. She felt a massive ripple in the air, her limbs started to grow numb, she knew this feeling.
"Oh screw me sideways." She groaned as she slammed her face into the ground.
A several sparks cracked as the air became a maelstrom of pure magic filled the air. Fyre felt her body grow numb, then she felt as if she were on fire while in a icy lake. Then her vision began to fade.
The detonation of the raw magic caused a small singularity, as Fyre looked at the gaping maw in the leylines she felt the tingle of someponies magic envelope her, as she lost consciousness she saw the singularity swallow the twisted creature, its ear splitting death cries the only noise piercing the chaos. Then her world turned black.....