//------------------------------// // 3 - Sinu a'manore // Story: Children of the Sunwell // by Dizastrous //------------------------------// Chapter 3 Luna had never seen anything like what stood before her in her many years of life. The creature was shrouded in flames, and seemed to be unharmed by the fire. It was wearing a long dark purple and black robe and had a hood over its head. The most unnerving aspect of the creature was the equine skulls that portruded over the shoulders of the robe and the equine skull that came out of the hood. From within the empty eye sockets under the hood a pair of glowing green eyes could be seen through the flames. The creature was using a lot of magic as well, Luna could see the energies swirling around in the hands of the tall bipedal figure. Something was wrong with the energies being channeled by it though, they seemed darker than magic should be. The magic itself felt as if it could be used for nothing but destroying whatever it touched. Luna took a step forward closing the distance between the creature and herself, but she stopped when the creature raised a hand in front of it. Luna's frown deepened as she watched the figure reach for its hood and uncover its face. Luna had not seen anything like it before, it lacked fur on its head other than a mane it had styled in a tight ponytail. It had a flat face, small nose, and small glowing green eyes. "I do not wish to fight you, but I will defend myself." The creature said in a strange accent. Luna's eyes widened as the stranger spoke and briefly pondered where the unknown creature had come from. The princess of the night watched the creature carefully before coming to a decision. "Guards, stand down." Luna ordered. The ponies ceased pointing their spears at the warlock and stood at attention at Luna's order. Luna then watched silently as the flames ceased to dance around the form of the stranger. "What business do you have here? You were headed straight toward Canterlot." Luna asked in a firm tone. "I came here to speak to the three beings of power that reside on this mountain. You are one of them, I wish to consult with you and the others." The creature spoke. Luna considered what was said for a brief moment. The princess of the night then looked back toward Canterlot before finally answering, "Very well, if you will follow us back to Canterlot my sister and I shall speak with you." "What of the third?" The creature asked warily. "As I said, my sister and I will speak with you. So long as you do not break any laws you are free to roam the city as well. Canterlot has had very many species visit it and even reside, a new one will not be too much of a surprise..." Luna said with a level voice. The creature seemed to weigh its options for a brief moment before finally smiling, "Very well, I shall accept your offer to visit and roam. But, will I be able to speak with you immediately uh..." Luna tilted her head questioningly before gasping and chuckling in realization, "Luna, princess Luna." "Veliraerovia Fireheart, but my friends call me Weaver." The strange being said with a graceful bow. Luna raised an eyebrow at the odd name, "Very well... Weaver I shall call you then. I hope you do not mind me imposing on a name that friends use for you but the other is a bit of a... Mouthful..." "By all means, I understand Elven names can be difficult for other races." Weaver said with a nod. Luna then beckoned for Weaver to follow, and led the stranger up to the castle of Canterlot. As Luna led Weaver through the town hundreds of pairs of eyes were focused on the regiment of guards that were circling the princess and shocked looks dawned on each and every face as they gazed upon the warlock. Fearful looks and horrified expressions were the norm for the warlock however, her reputation had earned her such treatment, and she enjoyed the reaction. "Your mask is not helping you receive a warm welcome you know..." Luna said as she looked towards Weaver as they walked. "No, this is good. If they are not brave enough to speak to me with this, then I do not wish to deal with them." Weaver said from underneath her mask. Luna grimaced slightly as she stared at the equine skull the protruded from underneath the hood Weaver wore. As the two were escorted by the guards inside of the castle Weaver immediately noticed a change in the ponies. The guards all held impassive and resolute expressions as they stared forward, unblinking at the appearance of the warlock as she passed. Weaver smiled slightly. "Brave guards, though they look a little weak." Weaver commented turning her head towards Luna. "We have enjoyed quite an extended period of peace, so yes... The guards are not very experienced, but they are loyal and have defended the capitol here against an attack recently." Luna said with pride as they came upon the door to the throne room. "Perhaps, though I wonder how much of the defense was done with your power..." Weaver remarked quietly, her grin hidden under the mask. Luna's eyes widened slightly before she shook her head to regain her composure before opening the large set of doors with her magic and leading Weaver through. As they entered Weaver noticed immediately the figure of the sun princess that dominated the room. She was speaking with some sort of messenger, a look of worry plastered on her face. "Are saying that a monster attacked Dodge City?" The princess of the sun asked with a worried tone. "Yes your highness, but nopony was harmed. It merely ate some food that was stored in a warehouse, and left by breaking through a wall when it was cornered." The messanger said as he bowed before the princess. "What did it look like?" Celestia asked, unaware as Luna and Weaver approached closer. "It was wearing glowing golden armor, and stood on its hind legs. It also had a very large sword and appeared to harness some kind of magic from what was seen of it. It had a flat face and these glowing green eyes, horrifying if you ask me..." The messanger said raising his eyes toward Celestia. Weaver removed her mask and put down the hood as she looked sideways towards Luna with a frown, as the princess of the night gave a similar look to the warlock. "You mean it looked somewhat like that?" Celestia asked pointing a hoof at Weaver, only now seeming to notice the warlock. The messenger looked over his shoulder at Weaver and then turned back to the princess, "Yes a lot like_" The messenger halted mid sentence and seemed to freeze up before looking back at Weaver who gave him a predatory smile, showing off her teeth. The stallion whimpered as he looked back at Celestia. "Sister, who and what is this?" Celestia asked calmly as she closed her eyes. "Tia, this is the being we detected approaching Canterlot. She has come to seek an audience with us." Luna said with en eyebrow quirked up at the cowering messenger. "I would love to grant this audience, but unfortunately I have to deal with this issue. If this is not the one who attacked Dodge City, then we still have a dangerous criminal on the loose." Celestia said waving a hoof dismissively. Luna frowned at being waved off by her sister, her ears falling back slightly. "I believe I know the one responsible..." Weaver said with an air of exasperation. "Then you can tell us how to deal with him?" Celestia asked, her attention fixed on the warlock. "Yes, leave him be. If he did not harm anyone, then he probably was simply looking for a place to spend the night and got chased off by the locals. Not to mention you really don't want to pick a fight with a Blood Knight, his magic makes him very difficult to kill." Weaver said with a frown. "You sound like you know this individual. I take it he is from the same place you are then?" Celestia said with a mild interest in where the warlock came from. "Yes, he is a friend of mine. And I will tell you more about why my friends and I have come here if you would grant me an audience..." Weaver said casting her gaze around the throne room, taking in the scene of servants and the like staring at her. Celestia considered this for a moment, " Very well, if you can tell me to my face that he means no harm then I have no reason to doubt you. But, did you say friends? As in implying there are more than two of you here?" Weaver nodded, and Celestia grimaced at the implication that there could be more strange beings causing trouble somewhere in Equestria. The Blood Knight waved a hand over his chest as he grimaced at the polka dots that now vanished from his skin. After marching through a field of strange blue flowers, his skin had become speckled, with large blue dots. Nothing however, that a good magical cleanse could not cure however. "I have half a mind to set the field ablaze for marring my skin like that..." Dizastrous mumbled to himself as he stomped through the forest he now found himself in. The Blood Knight would have destroyed the field too, had he not found a sever lacking of warlocks to ask to do the task. Though, he was still glad his friends were not there to see the silly dots that had covered his flesh just moments ago. As he marched on, Dizastrous began to get the feeling he was being watched. He did not let on that he knew about it though, and continued to act as if he was disgusted about the situation while he strained his long ears to pick up the faintest sound of a follower. But while he had the feeling that he was being watched, he heard no sound of a pursuer. Dizastrous did not like the implications of that. If he could feel another presence keeping up with him, but not hear a pursuit that meant one of two things. Either he was being stalked by an assassin who was trained well enough to mask their approach as they followed their prey. Or he was walking right through a group of things, oblivious as to where any of them were, and judging by how far he had gone while having the feeling of being watched, it was a big group. Dizastrous stopped moving and clenched his fists as he made a decision to stand and fight whatever came. In the worst case scenario he could still escape any danger he faced as long as it did not have the capabilities to shatter his divine shield. Reaching one hand over his shoulder to grasp the hilt of his sword, and opening his other palm as he readied a spell, Dizastrous prepared to defend himself. The Blood Knight was already feeling the beginnings of fatigue however, he did not manage to sleep the night before after being chased out of that building by the ponies. He was going to have to end the conflict quickly. Dizastrous's ears twitched and he strained them as he picked up a faint buzzing sound. As if an insect was flying past his ear, only the sound was muffled as if from far away. The Blood Knight's eyes widened as the buzzing grew louder at an alarming rate, meaning something was headed his way at a substantial speed. "Those sound like large insects..." Dizastrous mumbled to himself as he glanced around the forest. Pairs of large glowing eyes sprouted up in the forest surrounding him. The eyes were far larger than what he was expecting, and as the forms arose they seemed to black ponies that had chitinous shells and insectile wings. These insect ponies that seemed to be able to meld into the environment had him surrounded. Dizastrous's head jolted to the side as he heard that the buzzing sound was almost upon him, and saw one of the insect ponies that was much larger than the others. This one wore a crown and had a tattered mane that hung like greasy turquoise drapes from the top of her head. The large crown bearing one landed in front of Dizastrous and began to slowly circle him, humming to herself as she seemed to take in his features. She smiled as she made her way around to behind him and saw the large blade he was grasping over his shoulder. Dizastrous never took his eyes off her, but dared not to make a move yet, standing stock still aside from swiveling his head to make sure he could keep vision of her. After making a full circle she stopped in front of him, her smile still plastered on her face, fangs gleaming off the light of the morning that broke through the tree tops. "Speak your business" Dizastrous said in a stoic voice, unwilling to show his apprehension at being outnumbered so drastically. The creature adopted a confused look and frowned slightly. Chrysalis had never seen a creature such as this, it stood on two legs as a Diamond Dog would, and was very well armed. She could not tell what kind of metal or magic made up his weapon and armor, but it all glowed with power, and a crown floated above its head, glowing with a golden light like the shoulders and chest plate of its armor. This creature must be a prince of its people, wherever it was from. Its handsome features and crown had to be proof of that. The only thing Chrysalis did not like was the fact it was speaking a strange language. She would not be able to entice something into her service if her honeyed words meant nothing to it. The creature frowned at her as if waiting for a response, Chrysalis was about to speak when a look of realization crossed the face of the tall creature. "You speak this language as well don't you?" The armored being said. Chrysalis's face broke into a smile at hearing the equestrian language, "Yes, that is much better. Now, since you can understand me I have_" "Friend or foe?" Chrysalis was cut off. Chrysalis blinked a few times, taken by surprise at the open hostility that was in the voice. "W-what? Now, don't be hasty I merely wish_" "Friend or Foe?" The being said with more force as he began to draw his large sword with one hand, a ball of light filling his other. Chrysalis heard her children buzzing their wings angrily, and she feared violence might break out before she could even attempt to have this strange creature side with her. "Friend! Friend, I mean you no harm... But you are making my children very nervous with your open hostility towards me..." Chrysalis said, a slight panicked tone to her voice. The ball of light faded from his hand, and he slowly slid the sword back into its sheath. His hand remained on the hilt of the sword though, and the changelings, while no longer buzzing angrily, glared at him. "Children? All of them?" The stranger said, an eyebrow quirked up in a questioning look. "Yes, I am Chrysalis. Queen of the changelings." Chrysalis said placing a hoof on her chest and smiling in a charming manner. "Fandu'talah Sunblade, High Paladin of the Blood Knights of Silvermoon." The elf said with an air of pride. Chrysalis was at a loss for words at the long title and strange name she had been given, the look was not lost however and the elf smiled. "You may call me Dizastrous however." Helix fidgeted slightly as he poured over a book. He was hoping to find some lead on an artifact from the assorted books of lore and history the library had but to no avail yet. While he hoped a race that used magic as a daily convenience like the unicorns had at some point come across the same problem the Blood Elves had, there was no sign that an addiction had befallen their people, or that a cure existed for such a thing. The anxiety being given to him as the purple mare that was hiding him in her home was not helping. The craving to feed on magic normally would not have hit him so early after visiting the mana house. But the amount of raw power the unicorn was able to tap into was driving Helix up a wall. Though she seemed unable to use even a quarter of the power at the current moment, he could still sense her full magical might as she worked and practiced at a spell. 'If she could harness her natural talent in a more destructive school of magic she would be able to bring armies to their knees.' Helix thought to himself, thankful that the mare knew no offensive magic. Though he himself knew only demonic magics that were meant to kill others, he still found a sense of joy when he saw someone who only used magic to help others. Twilight sighed as she completed her spell, she had finally mastered the spell to change the physical properties of gems, turning a gem of one kind into that of another. "Are you having any luck finding what you were looking for?" Twilight asked as she turned to Helix. "No, unfortunately your collection does not hold the knowledge I seek." Helix sighed. "You could try asking the princesses." Twilight offered. Helix shook his head as he closed the book, "No, Weaver was headed that way. It will do no good to have our search focused in one area." "You mentioned that your other friend was making his way to here from where he fell as well... Does he know how to get here?" Twilight asked, a look of concern on her face. "Yes, I told him before we came to your world about the direction to travel from the... map..." Helix said a look of horror and realization donning his face. "You said our map was terribly inaccurate didn't you..." Twilight said with her ears flattened against her head. "Nether blast it, he could be anywhere..." Helix mumbled as he stared out the window of the library.