Redemptions Price

by ferrosxlupus

Paladins Hope

Panting, lungs full of fire. Must keep running. There isn’t much time. Dusk isn’t that far off. If I am to save everypony I must make it in time. Everything depends on this.

[8 hours earlier]
Volaren continued on at a brisk pace. The kobolds he had fought were part of a larger group. The direction they came from can mean only one thing. Forest end had been taken.

A voice whispered to him, “Master, I have located the magical signature of several high level demons in the direction you are traveling. In your current form and lack of armor will make it extremely difficult to guarantee the safe retrieval of any captured ponies.”

“And if I do nothing gray I will have failed them before even trying. That itself is far worse than the alternatives.” Volaren spoke with absolute certainty

“I want to save them master, but we will be hard pressed to do anything without armor.” Gray spoke her concern of armor again.

“We have enough life energy stored to create magic armor if need be. We must press on.” Volaren kept his voice calm yet insistent.

“Magic armor will not be enough. Given time I can locate the magic signature of the summon sign on your personal armor. We should wait till he have it.” Worry laced gray’s voice

“Look for it, but I will continue on with or without my armor. We have more than enough life energy to sustain a stronger body should we need it.”

All the while daring looked confused. Her master was carrying on a conversation with what looked to be his sword, or himself. She had no idea that he was infect speaking with the sword and not too it.

“Umm, master, why are you talking to your sword?” daring spoke aloud

“I am speaking with the soul of my blade. Gray is completely sentient and speaks through telepathy. If you are lucky she might speak with you as well.”

"If you say so master, what did she say to you?”

“She has located magical signatures that match various high rank demons. With the direction the readings are coming from it appears they have taken the town. We must hurry if we are to save as many ponies as possible.”

Volaren broke into a fast paced trot. Eating the distance and time away. Even before the break of dusk the town was in view. It was quite, the sounds of battle had long since seized to hang in the air.

Stalking the shadows, Volaren looked upon the village. He found only two things that had worried him. All the ponies, griffins and zebras that inhabited the village were placed in the town hall. The only building big enough to fit every villager. Several kobolds under the watchful eye of a demon were scrawling a large symbol into the town square.

Looking closer at the symbol, he saw what had only one explanation. It was a summon circle for a greater demon. Not merely a high demon that was overseeing the summon itself. But a being of terrible power. In the state Volaren was in, he knew that if they succeeded, this village and several others would be lost.

Retreating into the woods. At that was needed was to bide time properly. Overhead the clouds gathered. Drawn by the malevolence of the symbol being carved in the ground. Foreshadowing the need to wash what was soon to happen from the face of the earth with a torrential downpour of rain.

[Dusk]

No creature of darkness or light, saw the shadow that rushed from the woods. Unseen, unheard by all. The shadows came forth themselves to hide the stallion. Given onto him the cover of darkness.

Several kobolds gathered in a group. Nodding and speaking in hushed towns. The plans were coming to fruition. Soon they would start to take this pitiful world from the ponies and every other race that had once flourished here.

All the kobolds that had spent there last few moments speaking of easy victory, never felt there swift death. Silent as the grave, all of them were dispatched in a single swing of a blade. One swing and three heads rolled. Clean, precise, and in the pinnacle of swordsponyship.

Dropping low Volaren skirted the shadows and made his way into town. Even if it wasn’t night yet, the storm above kept all but the flashes of lightening from brightening the city. A few drops of rain had hit the ground threatening the beginning of the storm. He knew that the entire village’s fate rested on his quick action. They had been three fourths of the way done with the summoning circle when he entered the village.

Coming close to the street Volaren came close to the edge of the building. Standing on hind legs, he edged closer to the sharp corner. Looking down the street he was not disappointed. A high demon stood guard over the circle. The same one he had seen earlier. Stepping out into the street Volaren prepared to meet his foe.

“So you have come to change the fate of the world!” a grave voice boomed from the demon ahead of Volaren.

Shaking his head Volaren replied “it is not I who want to change the fate of world. You are the ones doing that. I am only here to restore the balance you have destroyed.”

Ever so slowly each combatant took their stances. Volaren took to his hind legs. Grasping Gray in a loose stance. Both fore hooves on the hilt. The tip slowly dancing above the ground. Across from him the demon stood and lowering both arms. Adopting a stance ready to pounce at a mere moment

They stood there. The tension mounting, even the wind ceased to blow. The mere fifty feet between the adversaries was not enough.

Finally it snapped. Whipping forward the demon jumped through the air. Covering the distance in less than second. Yet as he landed Volaren was no longer there. Looking back and forth, nothing was seen of him. Till the demon looked down, growing larger was a shadow.

Quickly looking up, Volaren was plummeting from the skies. Swinging downwards, the demon testing his abilities and fraught with overconfidence reached out to catch the falling stallion. No sooner than outstretching his arm, did he receive a wide gash down, destroying the outside of his arm. Growling with anger and pain, the demon jumped back. “You filthy creature. How dare you harm me, I am Marukonag the Balor, and I will end you!”

Saying nothing in return, Volaren danced lightly on his hooves. Changing tactics he initiated the next assault. Dashing in low, dragging the blade against the ground. Trying to jump back, Marukonag lashed out with a vicious kick, again only catching the business end of gray. Another gash was left along the inside thigh of his left leg. When he landed, his leg could no longer support such a weight after the sudden movement. Collapsing to the ground, the injured demon tried to stand as quickly as possible.

Failing to do so cost Marukonag immensely. Before he finished Volaren was standing on his chest. Pushing him back to the ground.

“You have failed demon. You were doomed from the start.” Volaren calmly stated.

“What manner of creature are you. No one in this realm should have had this kind of power?” the demons voice still dripping with venom even when wounded and on the verge of death.

“I am the Gray paladin, and I am here to restore the balance.”

With those final words Volaren plunged the blade into the demons neck. Instantly killing the demon. The soul instantly consumed by the ever hungry weapon.

After stepping off the body of Marukonag it began to burn. No smoke and no flames. The body incinerated leaving nothing behind. With a huff of discontent, Volaren watched as the lesser kobolds began to flee. Watching the spectacle had shown them that staying here meant instant death at the hands of the stallion.

It was in short order that they were all gone. The town left in an eerie quiet state.

Placing Gray back in to her clip harness, Volaren set about to abolish the almost finished summoning circle. Leaving no trace of what was carved into the dirt. All that was to be vanish, as it did, the sense of impending doom slowly left the air.

From the center of the village, the door of the largest building opened. From the crack a single eye was seen. Fully poking his head out, the lone colt only saw Volaren. A smile quickly growing on his face, he ran outside. A voice quickly yelled that it wasn’t safe but it was too late. He was out the door and running to the lone stallion in the middle of the square.

“Mister! Mister! Did you defeat the monsters and come to save us!” the colts enthusiasm was barely contained inside the small body.

Turning and looking at his young visitor, a slight grin formed on Volaren’s face. “Yes young one. I am here to deliver unto you freedom, if you would have it”

With a look of confusion than realization swept across the colts face. He was free. No more monsters, he could have fun. He started jumping up and down with pure joy.

More ponies and other inhabitants, left the building to see what could make a colt that had been afraid for his life less than 10 minutes ago, jump with such happiness. To the surprise of the townsponies. There was not a single demon present. Only one strange stallion, with a small colt bounding around him.

Slowly it dawned on them all. That this single stallion had saved them. He had rid them of all the demons. Preventing the unspeakable horrors that would have befallen them in no time. What was at first a slow process sped up enormously. Several ponies were crying with happiness. All of them repeatedly thanking their savior. Several of them had tried to hug him or the nearest loved one.

the sound of marching slowly echoed in the air. It went almost unheard by the townsponies, but the sound grew louder. The sound of marching hooves. Looking down the road in the distance, armored figures appeared and were keeping perfect time. It took several minutes for them to reach the edge of town. When they did they were confused. They had come here looking for an enemy. Yet there were none to be found. Only the citizens were celebrating. Several looked a little worse for wear.

Two ponies with looks of seriousness approached Volaren. He was now standing off to the side of the group of ponies. One was a mare wearing a slightly disheveled business top and the other was a fully armored stallion. Other than the crescent moon adorning his blue armor there was no other way to identify him from the rest of the armored ponies that had shown up.

Immediately the mare spoke first “on behalf of the town and all its citizens, I once again thank you for your timely arrival. We surely would have perished if not for your act of valor. I am Mayor Chartreuse, if I may ask for your name kind stallion”

Looking at her and the armored stallion, Volaren slowly drew to his full height. Dwarfing both of them. Against so many ponies it was easy to see how large he was compared to normal stallions.

“I am the Gray Paladin, Volaren Arclite”

Both ponies looked stunned, their faces adorned with shock. He had just claimed to be the pony from the stories. Not only that, it was the greatest of stories. A fairytale and a myth of the highest standards. To simply make such a claim was outlandish, Unheard off. Yet he had made it.

The shock slowly wearing off, the armored pony spoke next.

“I am Leftenent Black Star, regardless if your claim is true or not. The princess’s will want to meet you. If you would follow me back to Canterlot we can sort everything out.”

Nodding his head he replied “let me gather my student than we can leave.”