The three Equestrians have their own thoughts about the situation; Big Macintosh was not even expecting this turn of events, and to be honest neither did everypony else that was summoned to the room. Should he cooperate with the authorities? Should he resist? What should he do in this situation? As the Eternals take their steps, Big Macintosh's mind is going a little too frantic for his own good. Nurse Redheart on the other hand is looking at the Emir, trying to see any indicator that would help her understand what is going on with the Emir.
As for Vinyl, she is still in her rather weird dream-like state, and all she could see are a bunch of Equestrian police coming to get her for having a stockpile of purified sea salt that is way above recommended levels. Unfortunately for everyone involved, Vinyl's instinctive response when it comes to arrest by authorities is one that would not help in the situation.
"BUCK NO! NOT MY SALT!" Before anyone could even say anything, she blasted one of the Eternals with a bolt of magic, causing the Eternal to be propelled a considerable distance towards the Emir. This simple action is all it takes for the Janissary bodyguards proceed form a protective circle around the Equestrian and Sheikh Abu Hamza. Nurse Redheart immediately gave Vinyl a tight slap, causing the blue-maned mare to have a rude awakening.
"What the buck? What did you do that for?"
"You just shot a guard towards the Emir!" The pink-maned mare is now looking at Vinyl with both the expression of utter rage and what amounts to a certain amount of doom about their current fate.
"Whaa? I did not do that....." The mare's clueless state is either a very expertly attempt at denying her actions, or that she she is utterly cluelesss about what she did.
"Yes you did!" Both Big Macintosh and Nurse Redheart shouted at the mare.It was not long before Sheikh Abu Hamza is pointing towards something, causing all three Equestrians to turn their attention to the source of the Sheikh's pointing.
To the surprise of everyone in the room, the flying Eternal is how hovering in a red glow frozen in mid-air. The other Sheikhs in the room are now confounded beyond belief as sorcery is a rare ability in Saddle Arabia, and surely no Saddle Arabian horse could use it. Which makes their utter shock having more impact as the source of the magic comes from none other than their Emir. Soon enough the Emir is now smiling wickedly, sending a chill down their spines.
"It seems that there is an attempt against my life. Kill them all." Immediately the Eternals are now brandishing their scimitars and started charging. Suddenly the loud bang from the Janissary's weapons signify that things had indeed went down the deep end. The maelstrom of combat is now around them, the shrieks of some of the Sheikhs and ministers being hacked by the weapons of the Eternal only solidify the truth to the Equestrians that there is a purge going around the room.
"Ah didn't know that you folks could use magic!" Big Macintosh shouted as he bucked one of the Eternals, turning the unfortunate soul into a projectile flying towards a group of Eternals.
"They don't!" Sheikh Abu Hamza shouted back as he parried an Eternal's scimitar. Suddenly a loud bang could be heard, and the assailant of the Sheikh is now on the ground.
"We out now!" Amanar barked at the rest of the group. Immediately the group moved as once towards the door, evading and fighting their way through the whirlpool of carnage. Vinyl immediately tried to pull at the door but it is not budging at all.
"Buck it is locked!"
"Allow me!" Big Macintosh turns around in a fluid motion and with one kick the door shattered into many pieces, causing many of the Eternals to be utterly surprised at the strength of the little pony. However, Big Macintosh did not bother to admire his handiwork and soon the entourage just runs out without even a care in the world and some of the other members of the council soon make haste as well. Some of the Sheikhs fell when they attempted to run, while others were crushed by the ensuing stampede. Soon the Sheikh, the Equestrians and the Janissaries are galloping as hard as they could.
As the group gallops through the hallways of the palace, the Janissary bodyguards are now firing their jezzails at their pursuers, felling each one with a single well placed shot. However it was not long before the arrows from the pursuers started making their mark upon the camel bodyguards, but it is done by quantity of shots rather than quality of shots. Those Janissary that are down upon the ground and are unable to keep up with the rest of the group waits upon the ground until their pursuers managed to get close enough to them. With a single spark, the explosion from the gunpowder brought down many of the pursuers with them. However, there is no end to their pursuers.
"Tsk, they are not called the Eternals for nothing.....We have been declared an enemy, but does that mean we're not even worth listening to?" Sheikh Abu Hamza cursed as he gallops on.
"Talking?!?! Ain't nobody got time for that!" Big Macintosh shouted back to the Sheikh.
" All of you desert dwellers are crazy!" Vinyl could only scream as she barely dodges a flying arrow. Suffice to say, they are in a very dire situation, especially when the Eternals are slowly coming closer upon them.
However unknown to the group, a silent archer with a crossbow is now aiming his arrow at a particular member of the group. With the bowpony's breathing calm and his aim true, he slowly closes his eyes and opens them again. Only when his sights continuously upon the target did he fire his shot.
The burly blue Sheikh is now catching his breath from his attempt to escape, and barely did so. What is going on with the Eternals? Is there a coup in place? However, one though suddenly came into his mind, and that is of telling the others about this most dire of incidents. He will have to rush back to the room to tell everyone of the dangers. Indeed he will have to do it, for the sake of his own safety. The more people he have between himself and his attackers, the more likely he will survive.
As he started to come out from his hiding place, Sheikh Fahd immediately regretted taking a step out. Just a few feet away from him are two Eternals, and it seems that they do not take kindly to the presence of the Sheikh in their sight. Soon enough the chase begins again.
Amanar is doing what he was born to do, and doing it excellently. With every shot, an enemy of his Sheikh is slain. There is no better purpose in life than to serve one's purpose in life. However, the euphoria of battle have caused his senses to dull down, and it was not long before the scream of his Sheikh snapped him out from his trance. Assuming the worst, the camel turned around to see that the red stallion had pulled the Sheikh down to the ground. Impaled upon the wall is the sheikh's headpiece, barely missing the head. Immediately one of the other Janissary returned fire at the sniping archer, and a wail confirmed that the shot has hit its target. The head Janissary immediately rushed to the side of his liege.
"My Lord, are you alright?!?!"
"Yes, just barely. If it were not for Big Macintosh pulling me down, my brains would have been the one impaled on the wall. How's everyone else?" Amanar immediately looked around to see that his fellow Janissaries have suffered many casualties, annd they could not keep this up any more. The female Equestrians are trying their best to help, with the healer carrying one of the Janissary while the blue-maned one shooting bolts of light from her horn.
"Not very well it seems. We will not last unless we could do something or Ista provides us with a miracle." Amanar said grimly.
The Sheikh's pursuers are still on his tail, and given enough time they would catch up to him and Ista knows what will happen to him. It was then that he realized one simple thing and one very simple thing indeed. If this were to work well, he will have to do it without any mistake. But first of all he will have to do the unthinkable.
******************************
The stallion stopped in his tracks. His pursuers immediately halted as well, surprised that the stallion had stopped. Sheikh Fahd immediately turned around, and started to face his pursuers. The two Eternals, realizing that they have the upper hand brandishes their scimitar. Both of the Eternals could smell blood, and the time will soon come for their just reward.....
"So my esteemed warriors.....why are you chasing me with scimitars! Answer me, for this is a crime against the nobility!" The burly stallion shouted, as defiant and proud as any Sheikh would be. The two Eternals are now silently grinning behind their mask, as they could see that the Sheikh is unarmed and indeed quite helpless. Now that he had stopped to do a stupid questioning session, his fate is already sealed. The shorter of the two Eternals could not help but to toy with his potential victim.
"You have no right to speak like that.....you are at a disadvantage here...." Said the short Eternal.
"Why are we wasting our time here.....let's just kill him just as we are going to do with all of them in the dungeons once we get them." The other Eternal started speaking. Immediately both Eternals charged towards the defenseless Sheikh, screaming out their bloodlust.
However to the surprise of the short Eternal, by an improbable chance the loud sound of something exploding could be heard and his fellow Eternal to his right took the brunt of the damage. The Eternal turned to see that his partner in crime is now lying dead in a pool of blood with several smoking trails coming out from his wounds, and immediately realized where he is.
There is a door beside them with several holes in hit, and as the door started collapsing on the marbled floor, the Eternal saw what appears to be a line of camels in odd white headdress resembles hat with a large flap of cloth, wearing ornately gilded black frowned mask with snarling fangs and wicked-looking shoulder pads that are gilded with gold aiming their smoking long-barreled weapons at him, while another line is standing up aiming those same weapons at him. Several other Janissary could also be seen brandishing their scimitars, ready to attack. It was then that the Sheikh started walking into the room where he is now surrounded by his Eternals, and also the Janissaries that remained to guard Fatimah.
"The second line have not fired yet, and they will fire if you decided to do anything funny. Now, answer me for it is you who is at a disadvantage here." Before the Eternal could even say anything, two of the Janissaries went up to the Eternal and using the stock of their jezzails knocked him to the floor. Immediately Sheikh Fahd is met by his chief Janissary.
"Milord, what is going on here?"
"We are in a messy situation. Who's the one in charge?" Sheikh Fahd asked Abu Hamza's Janissaries.
"It is I Milord." A Janissary answered from one of the scimitar-brandishing Janissaries.
"Your name?"
"Ikhbar, Milord."
"Take Lady Fatimah. We are leaving together. The more of us there is, the more likely we will get out from this death trap alive." With the efficiency seen nowhere else in Saddle Arabia, the Abu Hamza's Janissaries immediately proceed to obey the commands of their leader. It was not long before the chief Janissary to Sheikh Fahd speaks to his lord.
"Shouldn't we be taking advantage of the situation with our superior numbers and take the filly with us?" The Janissary asked.
"No, that would not serve our purpose now. I rather be alive to plan for another day than to enact a plan and can't escape." Sheikh Fahd said in a matter-of-factly way. The politics can wait, his own survival is of greater importance. He then turned to his captive, and with a wicked smile, he is ready to extract all the information that he needs from this Eternal.
It seems that time is not on their side, for Sheikh Abu Hamza could see that the group has already suffered a ridiculous amount of dead or injured. The three Equestrians are shwoing signs of fatigue, while only Amanar remains out of the retinue of Janissaries that went with them to the council room. There is nothing much that they could do other than to run, but even then that option is disheartening. To make the situation even more bleak, a new group of Eternals are now coming towards them with haste. Sheikh Abu Hamza prepares his scimitar, ready to make his last stand and Amanar had also opted to do the same thing. Big Macintosh is now staring at the oncoming horde, while Vinyl's horn is ready to shoot down anything that would kill her. Nurse Redheart could only watch powerlessly as the inevitable happen. With the sound of galloping hooves coming towards them, Big Macintosh gave the Sheikh a smile.
"So....It seems that Ah would not be able to do what ya want, Sheikh." Big Macintosh said in an oddly sardonic but at the same time happy tone.
"Unfortunately that is true my friend." At the same time the two stallions are talking to each other, the two mares are also having a conversation. Nonetheless, the warcry of the incoming Eternal cut most of their dialogue short and as they galloped towards the group, Vinyl could not help but to say a line before they all bite the dust.
"Well, live hard die young."
However , before they could go out with a bang, a section of the wall between then rotated like a revolving door and out came several Janissaries. Before there is even a chance for alarm in the ranks of the Eternals, the Janissaries fired their jezzails and each bullet pierced through their targets instantly killing them. Within a split second, the pursuers are now the fallen. As the Janissary took out their scimitars and stab those that are still alive, a young, child-like voice echoed in the ears of the Sheikh and the Equestrians.
"Father!"
"Fatimah?" The presence of the little filly took the Sheikh by surprise, and the little filly ran up and hugged her father tightly. Both father and daughter are glad that they are able to meet each other again. However, their moment o joy was cut short by the presence of a Janissary walking slowly towards them. The Equestrians could not help but to watch by the sideline as the Janissary and the Sheikh converse in their language.
"Wow....never expect some big damn heroes to save us like that. And from a trap door nonetheless." Vinyl said.
"Eeyup."
"Well, it seems that somehow luck is on our side then. Just hope that we have enough to get us out of here alive." Nurse Redheart said despite her reservation. Soon enough they noticed the Sheikh carrying his daughter on his shoulders and started walking towards them.
"It seems that your hidden passage leads somewhere after all." The Sheikh said to Vinyl and Fatimah, and for once Vinyl wondered if he is really thanking her or putting in a snide remark.
"Ur...yeah....sure." Vinyl said nervously.
"Nonetheless, we now must go towards the teleporting room if we are to get out from this castle."
"Wait what? But I though you guys can't use magic? Except the mad pony....ur...I mean Emir." Vinyl tried to save her remarks, but rather unconvincingly. However the Sheikh did not show any sign of being insulted in any way.
"We can not cast magic, but that does not mean that we are utterly devoid of magic. We must hurry now before the others catch up to us."
With that the group galloped as a whole towards their new objective, their path laden with peril.