//------------------------------// // Chapter 3: Elemental, My Dear Sombra. // Story: The Shadow Of A Broken Heart // by WanderingPony //------------------------------// A will o' the wisp bobbled through the snaking tunnels below Tartarus, like a fallen angel ascending through the circles of Hell. The dancing wisp of aura illuminated it's horned maker, sword-clad and armored, but only stretched far enough to render massive, bat-winged shadows and outlines of the light-bearer's companions. These had no need of light- indeed, more than the witch's glow of their leader was annoying at best, painful at worst. Save for the occasional rasp of skin against rock and the tapping of Sombra's stony hooves against the tunnel floor, words were an un-needed luxury as well. At least, spoken ones. The unicorn conversed with his master as nearly twoscore Kindred followed the trail Seeker had laid along a goblin march. "So, what you are saying is that nearly every civilized spell has dropped straight into the glue pot.", Sombra's mind reaching into the black blot he felt hovering inside his soul. "Belike those spells have developed a....temper, aye.", Jolfr replied. "Wild, feral even. There be a change in the air that has spread from above to below, something so small twas hard for mine ahriman's keenest eye to espy, even when we had light. A dust that feeds on conjury, breaking the spell asunder- or worse, a spell will give unexpected, raw life. Should it find a strong source of magic to feed upon, it grows into crystals that chain the magic it devours. Too much magic, and... A vision of what seemed to be a hovering black hole orbited about the crystal binding Jolfr's form, until an irritated Kindred attempted to smash the vortex to bits. The vortex responded by lashing out with... "Is that thing using SPELLS?", Sombra thought in disbelief as the vortex first grew ebon spikes that sucked life from the angry demon pummeling it with it's fists, then proceeded to harass the beast with a hail of vitality and mana-draining magics, all the while spinning it's edges to gouge at it's attacker. Half a dozen more Kindred ganged up on the thing until the dark energies gave out with a visible implosion, leaving a cluster of crystals that rather resembled Jolfr himself, filled with inky power. "Surely so. Mine creatures resist dark magics, being mostly darkness-wrought themselves, but... The first demon looked visibly damaged, a webwork of missing chunks oozing a tarry fluid from it's abraded skin. "...twas harder to harm it, than it was to harm mine. And they find mine presence....attractive. The things live, Sombra. Dim and with nary a thought in their little crystal cores, but life. And magic. Pure, elemental magic. E'en as it be natural for thine horn to lift things, it does seem these "elementals" conjure. And tis' on such raw power they feed. Watch." In Sombra's mental "eye", the darkness-beyond-darkness that was Jolfr's natural state withdrew as it was gathered inwards, becoming nothing more than a congealed blot at the center of the spirit's home-stone. Another of the vortices ceased it's wandering across the cave, shuddered and began to crumble- then vanished, it's core returning to dust as the shadows around it faded. "So, they latch onto you like a tick, do they? If these things can use magic, I will learn how they use it- one stony little cluster of crystal at a time. They do you no harm?" "They harm none- unless someone be fool enough to attempt spells near it. Then, they attack, much like wild spells oft do- and as thou hast seen, they defend themselves if struck. The view flickered to the surface, an icy plain strewn of snow-covered bits of crystal. Floating above the ground was another crystal-cored elemental, but six frozen prisms formed a body much like a child's jack, with a bluish center-cluster. "Strong enough weather seems to stir them as well- when mine Kindred fetched thee those statues, these appeared about the ruins when the storms came. And instead of darkness, they spin..." "Ice, of course. This is a sign, Jolfr. Crystals are power. These elementals are crystals, magic...", Sombra licked his lips as if savoring a sweet, "the key to victory. The first to learn the lessons of magic will be the one who steps on the neck of those who fail to pass it's test...and I will be the first. Unicorns were the masters of magic, and a unicorn shall be the first master of the new magics...me." With a nearly inaudible hiss, Seeker's one-eyed form slid out around the curve of the tunnel ahead and held up a paw, halting the advance of it's larger kin. "Gaahblins clooose, Sooombra. Maaahny claws of gaahblins, caaahn seeee, caaaahn heaaar, caaaahn SMEEEL. Stinkything there. Sprrrreads stink, sprrreads fear.", the ahriman reported. "Saaad stinkything. Weeeeak. Waaahnt skullll noooow?" "Soon, Seeker. You may have it's skull when the time is right and it has done our work for us. Kindred!" The glowing gaze of nearly two dozen Kindred warriors swiveled to focus on the relatively diminutive quadruped in their midst. "Advance with me. Kill anything that is foolish enough to attack and make it suffer, but slaughter them not without cause. We come to take slaves and break wills, not useless corpses. Seeker, point out anything stupid enough to think it can hide and ambush our warriors." Sombra's blade sang as it cleared the scabbard, the weight a solid heft in the unicorn's fist of willpower. Walking forward, the beasts formed ranks around the floating blade, bringing their own more ponderous weapons to point. "For the glory of Sombra! BOW AND BE BROKEN!" Rumbling like an avalanche, the horde galloped into their first assault on goblin civilization.