“Ninety nine percent of all the conflict is caused by miscommunication and misunderstanding. Someone said something, someone assumed something, then someone jumped into some conclusion, and so the Great Drama begins.”
-Snair; 1981.
“And here... we... go!”
-The Joker; The Dark Knight Rises.
Bairan General. Report entry three.
Location: Unknown shore. United camp.
Time: Day one: Early Dawn
King Ermo’s army has left to explore the land, they hope to find the inhabitants that call this place home. We are ordered to make base here with our allies, in case things go badly.
The Camp is coming up nicely, we were able to move ahead of schedule thanks to the efforts of the one named Jacque. But one thing that I could have gone without of his intervention would be the part of him spreading the tale of what had befallen of his comrades; spreading paranoia and a wanting to kill the creatures he so graphically presented. Not what King Ermo would have wanted, but if the worst comes, and the creatures of the French man actually exist, the men will follow that orders of death with glee.
If we work with the natives that Jaque has colored as monsters, which I’m sure of their non-existence, it would be hard to calm the troops enough to at least not kill them on sight.
If they exist.
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Note to self:
Do not anger the French man.
The one named Jacque is a force to be reckoned. To protect the tombs of his comrades he, I swear to God that it’s true, dragged the galley that was trying to dock near the dead ship, to another shore, by himself.
I have ordered my men to keep an eye on the man. He would be a danger to leave loose.
I tire of this place already. Too many paranoid men for my liking.
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A time after last entry, one of Ermo’s scouts returned with words of the king. He has claimed the King’s army has made contact people of these lands, peacefully. And up to that point I had no issue with the report. But afterward is where everything becomes problematic.
The ‘people’, as the scout had said, are not actually ‘people’, but creatures of myth and legend that had introduced themselves to the explorer king. I laughed, I laughed heartily and purely and asked for the actual report. But the thing of scouts, especially the ones trained by Ermo’s assassin, have this face that they make when serious.
I learned about it many years ago when I was told that a very large force of Saracen raiders were about to attack one of Ermo’s coastal ports, one of the most defended we had. I chuckled equally as I did recently, and the Saracens attacked. Only by the grace of God were we able to repel them, and since that day I swore I would never go so far as to not take into thought what these scouts say.
So I had this dilemma, there was the face I knew that told the truth. But the ‘truth’ it told me...
Era
è
Needless to say I wouldn’t believe it until I saw it myself, but I would take actions as if it was true.
The report of the scout alleged that these creatures were peaceful and that we were not to have any issue with them. The men, which had the stories of the French man in their minds, believed the claims of the creatures to be true instantly. But to enlighten the men of the passive nature of the ‘creatures’? The men were angry to put it nicely. The Templars here went as far as trying to denounce Ermo as a heretic. I don’t remember how we convinced them otherwise, but it was still a fortune that it was done.
I really hope that this is a joke of some kind, anything linked to mythologies is not good. I’m beginning to drink again, not much really, only something to calm my nerves.
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Barian General Report entry four.
Location: Unknown shore. United camp.
Time: Day one. Midday.
Many hours after midday our scouts had found some monstersdemons guests near our camp. The kind that I did not want to see. Warriors, which were head to toe armored by plates, eyes stern and strong. But these fighters liked having their joints free of protection; their heads for the world to see and for arrows to meet directly, their limbs were not properly armored, no shields either and I
questi
gli.
Their armor is made of gold.
I
gli
How idiotic.
And all this, all of this, was not what did me bad and made me add a big barrel of ale in my quarters in the galley. Oh, no. It was due to the warriors being small horses. Two with wings and one with horn.
That did it to me.
When they arrived, my surprise was quite audible by many of my men. The horses obviously meet the scouts in bad means as how they appeared. One was without helmet and one scout had a new golden addition to his armor, even if it had a hole in the middle of it. He claimed to have taken it from the a punta horned one.
But when the thing was pointed at, by one of the scouts explaining the situation, it occurred to the horned thing that it was a clever time to ‘speak’ to add fire into the oil that was my men, and the scout with a garrote replied with prejudice. My men laughed at the quickness that the creature’s body feel.
But hope of diplomatic meeting was not utterly lost as I would have supposed, the other two horses, the ones with wings, began to laugh hysterically the moment the horned one was hit, the men stop laughing immediately. The laughter was so similar to resemble that of any of my men, that it made the area very edgy. I will not write which were the theories of why the laughter sounded so much like a man, but if you know which is the language of the soul, nothing needs to be written.
It was an impossible job to have them taken inside the center tent of the camp without the creatures getting killed. Only after assuring the creatures were in shackles was that I asked my most loyal men to guards those three from the rest of the men, and to call me if anything happened.
I’m enjoying the new additions of liquid of my quarters greatly.
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Barian General Report entry five.
Location:Unknown shore. United camp
Time: Day one. Night.
The horned one woke and I was called to meet it. My loyal men told me that many had tried to make the creatures meet their end early, I was very displeased. No disobeyance would be tolerated.
It seemed that the Frenchman, Jacque, was the one to catch the disloyal men. My men claimed that it occurred when the soon-to-be-punished men tried to persuade the giant to help them end the abominations. He was also displeased.
I still wonder why.
When I arrived, the winged creatures were the ones to ‘speak’ to the horned small horse, before I did; as if they were informing it of the situation they were in. My squire, as a child he was, was still fascinated of the horned one. I couldn’t blame him, if I were still of his age I would have done the same. The ‘wanting’ of getting a better look, was a hard feeling to defeat to hear reason.
The horned one had its feature glow as the child neared it. I didn’t like it, and with reason.
My squire shrieked in pain when the horn touched his hand, the small horses faces got unbelievably pale, and the men outside heard the ruckus and passed in the tent with no resistance. My sword was already at the horned one’s neck, ready to pull its eyes out with my bare hands. But just when I was about to, it spoke porca puttana io pario in perfect Italian.
“Do you know who I” the creature yelled, but it didn’t finish la merda as I, and a couple of my men, began pounding it with both fist and foot. It was but my squire that stopped us. He was now outwardly able to understand the winged creatures as they tried to Ci pongono in una trappola reason with us.
At first I had thought that my squire had lost his sanity until I saw the winged horses nodding their heads as it they were more than fiends. I stopped my men from thrashing the pezzo se merda loud mouth and listened to my squire, but only after asking questions that only the little man knew, to be sure he was still himself.
Luckily, or unluckily, he was still himself. With my interrogation passed, I was relieved, I had already planned seven ways to bash his head under by foot and dig his grave.
The “unicorn”, as my squire said it sounded, was apparently a scout and captain of whatever kingdom Ermo had made contact with. The ‘uniconr’ wanted to fill me into details of who he was and how demoted I would be once the ruler of their land knew of their treatment. ‘He’, as it continues to direct itself, didn’t seem to understand the position ‘he’ was in. I made it clear to him with a jaw breaking fist to the face.
It was then that I understood that I needed rest as I was not thinking clearly, I called it a night and asked my loyal men that took the night shift to protect the things. My squire was displeasured with the treatment but said nothing, I could see it in his eyes.
My ale barrel has been replaced with its brother the fermented ale as I write this. I’ll take a cup and no more to get ready for tomorrow.
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Barian General Report entry six.
Location: Unknown shore. United camp
Time: Day two. Dawn.
As the men began waking to the new day, I thought it was a good idea to picchiare ask our new prigionieri guests what they knew. So if any errors and deleted words of this report are found, please don’t take it at heart. I’ll write as I do.
I preferred to have my squire by my side and talk to only the picchiare‘pegasi’ as they are said to be called, they said names after but I did not care for them. The reason of why I am not speaking to the horned one was that it kept talking highly of itself, demanding we listen to it, and also demanding to give it more food than any prisoner we had in the previous years. It seemed to misunderstand its position, again.
I will start adding the interrogatorioquestions here:
“What do you know of us?” Was my first question. They said nothing, so I decided to give them an pugno al viso incentive. I told them that for every stretch a question is richiesto asked, they are to respond, or another incentive is to be given. Again they said nothing.
Due to my incentive’s issue of adding problems to their speech features I had a more clever idea, and if you have not read of the Frenchman, please read journal entry one to three.
Jacque had no need for anything as we asked him to help us out in our questioning. And once back to the tent I asked them once again the first question. With more of a aggressivitàintimidazione happy tone. Again they said nothing.
I send Jacque, he picked up their armor, which we had stripped off in case of hidden weapon, and crushed them into one ball of gold with his bare hands. This got the pegasi shaking and their eyes widen in fear. I add the eyes due to how enormous they became, truly, they were big as a man’s hand, but the size they got to… got to me. And in that moment I requested, if no issue is too adverse, to add another type of liquid to my personal barrel in my room.
I asked the pegasi a fourth time the first question. And from there the rest of the questioning went smoothly. I had to take several pauses as they spoke, my squire was slow in transferring the information, and with reason; they answered every question I richiesto did. They will stay in our keeping until King Ermo comes and says what to do with them.
I need a drink.
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The night was at its fullest.
Death was assured.
The moon was in its third cycle, the half-moon as it is named. No citizen in the New Equestria was ever going to get used to it. If it wasn’t for the quantity of problems the newly established city had, any working astronomare would be partaking in the juvenile act of performing a fit, as they would need to start over the whole shebang of observing all of the night sky and mapping it completely.
But this night wasn’t as any other however. Most of the average individuals of the New Equestria must have heard of the massive army collected near the most recent established village, hoof-Mountville, at the bottom of the Canterlot Mountain. And if those citizens were interested enough they would have heard of a feast that the leaders of those beings were giving in the castle dining room at this very time of night.
What they wouldn’t have discovered however, no matter how close they would be to a system of rumor living nobles, is what was happening that very moment on the dining hall.
Food was the thing that could be noticed most. Many was in the air as on the floor of the large room. Many dignitaries, nobles and important creatures were standing, hiding, or running from a situation that was located almost exactly in the middle of the most important table in the place, the royalty table.
There was the ruler, the knight, the king, a squire and the archmage. These important figures that were involved had the most important roles in the room.
The ruler, even if already in the emotional stress of being in a maddening discussion with a slithering king, was now trying to interrogate the very same king and maintain peace as basically everycreature was at outrage and anarchistic panic.
The king was the next of major importance, the loudest shouter facing the ruler and horde fuming creatures. The king’s voice was between two phrases: ‘I swear he never acts like this without reason’ and ‘let him go this instant’. One of each focused on the ruler or the knight, and repeated at a speed limited my vocal function of the king himself.
The archmage was as it is, the only one in action. Even with the archmage’s not so athletic physique, the archmage attempted to take a piece of the shoulder of the next creature of importance.
The knight, the center of attention at the moment, but not actually the real attention per se. What was actually calling notice was the knight’s actions, which were the choking of what appeared to be a poor griffon servant who had a strange problem of giving his back to dangerous unknown creatures.
The squire, not so easily forgotten, was about to complete a dangerous mission. Not dangerous as if it would cause him harm, but unsafe by the harm the squire’s quest would cause the moment it was completed. As it was, the squire gripped the item called the battle horn, a horn that if sounded would make every single Templar, warrior and knight within an earshot, that included those near a lately founded village below the city, understand that the king was in danger and anything not from their own was their enemy.
It was an event of most distress indeed.
The dining room was in complete chaos. The king’s knights were with swords and shield pointing and everything outside a circle formation that they skillfully pulled in the beginning of the situation. The royal guards had arrived the moment the archmage had lightened his horn and, by shame of the circled knights, appeared behind the knight and proceeded to bite the knight’s shoulder. These royal guards, of many species, were now glaring hard at the king’s knights with spears at ready in whichever appendix permitted their grapple and were only restraining themselves of attacking due to their ruler screaming them to stop. But with so many saying the contrary it was a hard thing to do.
The king finally changed his shouting patterned.
“Jurian, as your king! I demand you to put down the griffin immediately!” Ermo commanded with rage, the persistent knight called Jurian, which for the eleventh time in the night, had ignored Ermo, had Ermo in his last option. He didn’t wish it to be true but it appeared that his friend had finally cracked, Ermo thought Jurian could comprehend or at least restrain of his thoughts, but it seemed that it was at a not. Or at least long enough for the trade to be made.
Ermo was with his hands on his sword, ready to draw and finish the night of horror.
The griffon had another plan.
The Squire took a deep breath, but then shrieked in horror as the griffin servant was engulfed into an immense green ball of fire; the servant was being burned alive for all to see. The scream snapped everyone to the green flame silencing them, some with knowing eyes, including the archmage that proceed to fall over his flank.
Ermo, who had his back to Jurian, turned and saw the most impressive thing he had ever seen his friend do. He had seen the man been able to move silently with an immense load, he had seen him track men over long distances and days on end, and he has even seen the man in combat which is an achievement of its own due to how fast the assassin moved. But he has never in all the time he had known Jurian, never he had seen the man, or anyone on that matter, on fire.
For a while everyone could only have their jaws wide open, gawking, it was until the fire subsided and showed the supposedly burn body of a gryphon servant.
But it wasn’t a griffon.
It wasn’t a griffon at all.
As soon as Ermo’s knights saw the ruler, the nobles and the pony guards staring behind them with horror, they stole a glance behind them, and quickly turned to point their swords and shields at, the thing that Jurian was holding in his hands. It was a demon, because by God’s blood if anything in the world could be a demon it would be that thing. Disgusting dead and alive thing.
It was wholly black, bare of fur and with the eyes and its form it looked like a giant insect made horse, it was like the ruler and the other nobles like her, but with holes on its wings, horn and legs.
“Jurian, what in the name of everything did you do!” Ermo asked in surprise, pointing at the black thing that was struggling in Jurian’s grasp.
“I found proof!” Jurian replied in a marvelous glee as the ‘thing’ started to go unconscious, its fight starting to slow down significantly; that was weak enough for Jurian. With a quick move, Jurian threw the thing into a column on the inside of the circle of Ermo’s knights and he quickly, while slipping his hammer off his back and into his hands, charged at the creature with hammer held up high.
The ruler looked in both horror and awe. In horror due to a changeling being inside her castle all this time, and awe on how the hammered knight managed to know it was a changeling in the first place. Questions formed in her mind, but now was not the time to ponder, but to act!
Opening her wing wide she opened her space to make a spell, caching a couple of glances of those that were not entirely focused on the changeling in the room. She was charging a fast and powerful teleportation spell, which was recently invented by Starswirl and only her, Starswirl, and a couple of his acolytes knew, to arrive before the knight to the downed changeling.
Celestia needed the changeling alive, to know what it knew. So as she used her spell, appeared next to the creature just a second before the floor had a new type of color to be painted over it. She just holded the changeling by her magic and pulled away from the hammer knight already at mid swing assured the hammer wouldn’t do much damage to her dining room.
Jurian’s hammer slammed on the ground where the ‘thing’ was, destroying the stone slab, floor and surely also the roof of the room below. Making the gaping hole was little for the man as in rage, pulled the thing back out, a little strained as he had expected something to be there. Celestia would forever ponder about the hammers actual weight, the metal was not for decorative purposes at all. But back to the matter at hoof.
“Demon you will not corrupt us!” Jurian said as he charged at the changling to finish the job. In the ‘Man’s’ need to kill he didn’t seem to be aware that the princess was holding the creature.
The changeling was unconscious, unconscious but safe from the hammer happy knight, who swung the now proved dangerous thing as if trying to kill a very persistent fly. It was time to gain control on the situation.
“Ermo get your men under control!” Celestia shouted as she moved the changeling mid-air to dodge the hammered knight’s attack, again, receiving a mighty roar from the hammer knight in response. With the sight of the stone slab destruction, Celestia knew he only needed one hit to kill the changeling.
Ermo was at a loss of words. He didn’t know what he needed to do, he could either, side with Celestia and save the...’thing’s’ life and hurt his status to his men and Jurian, or he could kill the changeling himself and only hurt his status to Celestia and a complete new realm of possibilities. Ermo knew what needed to be done.
Picking up a knife Ermo threw it at the changeling with precision. Ermo knew how to handle knives thanks to Jurians little ‘lessons’. The knife flew true through the air, striking accurate to its target in the throat with Celestia and everycreature, minus his men, in the room staring at Ermo with hushed surprise.
Or at least that would’ve occurred if there wasn’t an archmage still quite lively and with his bearings at full.
The hammer stopped in midair, the knights were frozen, and every single creature in the room was halted all big and small by a blooming gold mantle. Ermo didn’t have the time to throw his knife, or even grab it in that matter. This included Celestia and the thing.
“Starswirl, what in the name of goodness are you doing?!” Celestia asked at full volume, able to diffuse some of the magic holding her, but there was a reason she was the ruler and not an archmage as she was still kept in place. Celestia had many more enquiries for the mage, ‘why did he attacked the creature by biting it if he had much more to use? Why didn’t he do this in the beginning?’ And much more, but she kept herself, head preparatory to form her questions to not be easily shoved aside by the skillful speaker. When they had an instant of course.
“Dear princess, I know you're in a truly angry sensitive state, I would be as well if I was in the position of a servant being attacked, but I do question your approach of ringing a changeling with your magic in such an emotionally high state.” As if to prove Starswirl’s point the changeling groaned and stirred, its wound slightly healed.
“Oh.” Celestia whispered ashamed of such a unthought, laughing heartily at the stares that she was surely drawing with worry and regret.
The room was silent from everycreature, minus the ‘man’ who were struggling and cursing. It would have been transparent to the more skilled observer that only their armor was held in place. Celestia had other worries right now such as an unconscious changeling, a strained archmage, and extremely violent guests.
“Ermo!” The princess rationalized quickly, the man was able to spot his men in a worst situation, and if she was to have anyway of this ending restored, it would be with him, “The thing that your knight was trying to vanquish was one of the enemies I have spoken you about, a changeling.”
Celestia felt relief at the eyes of recognition on Ermo’s features. What she didn’t like was the frown that formed soon after, it was like his face cracked.
“You have speakest that they were all disposed of.” Celestia was taken aback by the change in speech the Man had, he was crushing his teeth. Starswirl left the king go as he spoke, making the interaction easier.
“They were...” Celestia said sure of Discord’s army’s defeat, also left loose.
“thou hast just lied to my face!” Ermo shouted pointing at the changeling still floating on the archmage’s magic. But Ermo was not done, if his tone was anything to suggest he was entering a rambling position.
“Not only did I enter thoustest palace without clear declaration of my safety, even when all with a horn can do magic, I still went in contradiction of what my men and loyal friends told me about this place. I was sure that at least I would be told of all the risks that could befall my person once I arrived to thoustest walls. But what did thou spur? Spit at my face and let an assassin nearly kill me!”
Celestia should have been calm and gone the high ground with a calm head, but that’s not what she felt to do, she was already stressed and it showed. “And why do you believe the assassin was for you? It is still of my enemies, why do you believe yourself to be so important!”
“Because thou hast already lied to me, just now! What would have stopped thoust from going beyond that! Thou could be as the thing without a magic mantle that covers thoustest true appearance, it could be that thou wanted to make this trade so good on thoustest side that thou got into a scheme of assassinating I and receiving what thou wanted!”
“Have you gone mad! We left you arrive at our capital city with your army on toe and with your personal knights everywhere in our castle! You have basically taken us over! I don’t think you have your mind so well placed up thoust arse to be thinking that what you had was in a bad position!”
“Thoust mean as I am now?! My warriors held in place by one of your own?! And I know that thoustest are! A liar! Due to the lies you have been spouting me since I got here!”
“What pathetic fabrications have you made for yourself to justify your words man?!”
“The trading ship full of food! And by the way it beheld it was abandoned; crew slaughtered on the same shore we arrived on! We even found a survivor! And from his statement it was thoustest guards that killed them! Was it then by pure coincidence that it wasn't thou?!”
But before Celestia could counter she was interrupted by a fuming archmage.
“That’s enough!” Starswirl roared, pushing leftover food to the end of the room he was looking at. Celestia and Ermo were detained once again in the golden mantle and were turned to look at the archmage in the eye. “I am from neither side of this muddle, not the princesses or yours King Ermo. I’m a mage of study and research, and as a stallion that doesn’t wish for any blood to be spilled I will say that as Celestia says King, the thing is a changeling, one of the enemies that were suppose to be done with. We had seen none of their kind and we thought of them to be gone.”
“Thou speaks as if we didn’t see thou with the princess giving aid on her rule and showing your political influence in all that was to see.” Jurian was livid as well as Celestia, the only one in the discussion that isn't rambling about yelling was Starswirl.
“Me? Political power? I wasn’t giving aid, I was merely advising the princess on matters she is unaware about. She continues to ignore her responsibilities, ignore me, and so overall I do not care for her nor her kingdom.” Starswirl said in a very annoyed matter, Celestia catching on his rambling looked both hurt and very insulted by the Archmage’s choice of words.
“I wish to be left alone with my research as the last king help me do before the reign of Discord took place. I live by my work, but I wish no one to die tonight.” Starswirl said rambling on his thoughts buckled in. But he was not done.
“But if you wish to kill us all in a confusion that I and the princess had told you already, fine do so.” This earned quite a lot of stares and a surprised of Ermo. “But don’t you dare in any moment place that you were right even if we had giving you reason.”
And with those final words the golden mantle left the room free to move, Starswirl calmly trotted to the nearest exit not even sparing back a glance. With the warriors free and so Celestia the tension resumed.
“Bah! Very well,” Exclaimed Ermo earning frustrated complains of his knights, “I’ll leave to the quarters provided by your servant and I will for now believe your word, but I still expect compensation towards being in such a situation and an explanation of what happened to the traders as one of them still lives for blood.”
“Very well,” Celestia replied, in her mind she wish to get over the ‘man’ quickly, she really had things to talk about with her old unbearded ‘friend’, guards moved to take the changeling to one of the special dungeons as she continued. “I shall investigate with you present or one of your loyal knights, and about the compensation, ask, but within reason.”
“Simple enough, a marrea will suffice, preferable of gold, may it be delivered to my room tonight and we discuss of what has befallen on the traders on the morrow.” Ermo demanded. He then moved to the exit, heading to his quarters for the night, accompanied with his knights and a servant which showed them the way, a servant that was pointed with swords on its neck. The seized battlehorn, which had fallen to the floor at some point, was picked up by Ermo, who ended glaring at the squire from even thinking of blowing into the horn. The warriors kept close, not giving anything a small chance to glance at the king for too long.
‘Did... did he just ask for a mare of gold fur?’ Celestia’s horror for the moment began as the ‘mans’ left the dining hall. She shivered, the idea of... that was... was... just wrong.
But there was still all the nobles in the kingdom inside the dining room that had come for a feast, and with the event just presented it would take hours to shut them up or at least get out of it.
“Hay sticks in a barrel of...” Celestia mumbled under her breath, preparing herself for a long boring section of name-calling, insults and gossip spreading all around the city, just like she did in the past when she was but a noble.
Oh, did she missed being a simple noble.
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Frederick was a templar. An practiced templar. A man of God as well as a fighter who defends the realm from any known evil. And now he would be always known as the warrior forever lost in the halls of evil.
“These no good demons of Satan cursed these halls to hide the truth...” Frederick repeated as if it was a chant that would drop the illusion, spell or whatever curse this was and show the world he was right.
Frederick’s little private crusade of the search for truth began the instant the clothed horned demon in blue with pointy hat got the ‘princess’s’ attention to somewhere else and telling his squire to keep an eye for anything suspicious. It was someplace before sunset that he began his quest and he has been... misplaced for many hours. Only when contemplating through a window Frederick could see the time, it was nearing midnight. Frederick thought the things might be hiding evil incantations, circles, signs, men as slaves, left overs of sacrifices, altars of the devil or demonic symbols. Anything.
But the extensive search was costly. And it had its evil by itself, the palace alone was proof that they knew cruising enchantments, but it would never be enough for the greedy king, even if he was forced to follow Ermo, Frederick knew that the king had already made up his mind to make a profit out of these... things.
No, he needed the proof for the men, any proof that Ermo couldn’t hide under his motives or the creatures could hide under their accursed appearance would be enough for the head of the heretic to roll and the demons to die. And one knows that the king was controlled when his most loyal subject was doubting his decisions. Jurian would need to be the first to know of the proof, having such an assassin would make things easier.
So he investigated on, and all he found that was evidence of the things true nature would be taken and showed.
He had nothing to show.
He wore his robe, the sign that signified his status as a Templar. It covered him from his shoulders to below his knees. His sword well tied to his hip as his shield was placed on his back. His helmet, which was face-plated with a large sign of the cross surrounded with four smaller ones, one on each side of the line where the cheeks would be. And his leggings were of pure steel chainmail, covering him from head to toe underneath the armor.
He took off his helmet, cleaning the sweat of his scar filled brow, his brown hair was for all to see even with most covered in a coat of chainmail. He briskly paced down the hallways until he found himself in front of another wooden door, and examined it with his brown eyes.
Moving on Frederick opened the door, locked or not. And as many have done before through the day the darkness inside showed no place.
“May this accursed spell be your doom, demon.” Frederick whispered to the demon queen, not that she could hear him, but Frederick knew that it would be mocking and laughing at his predicament.
Frederick entered the darkness, and as always the door shut behind him, Frederick could only grunt in response. After a couple of seconds the Templar veteran extended a hand, eyes adjusting to the darkness. And the place was becoming clear.
“Am I in a farm?” Frederick wondered out loud, he was surrounded with obvious farming tools and gardening leave cutters and such, all spread on the walls. The room was small, only barely having him in the middle.
Frederick searched as he did in every room he found, only one drop of holy water on each object to see if they burst into flames. All tools were clean, and the probing with his sword at a distance those he thought to be cursed. Frederick’s first experience with the enchanted palace made him throw holy water at everything including the door he came through, now he needed to conserve as much as he could. Even with a pure blessing on any water by a priest of God, which would be him, he did not want to have impure water of these lands anywhere near him.
With another room clean and nothing that seemed overly suspicious or evil. Frederick turned to the door he came from. Frederick had learned that whatever magic moved him from place to place only worked when alone, or when entering a door he hadn’t come from before. This he found useful as he could see where he was and he could see the most amount of ground.
Some of the creatures tried to capture him, but after a quick door opening and shutting he was lost forever to them. It seemed that the creatures were not completely in control of the magic, which always would place a smile on his face. Serves them right.
Frederick opened the door he came from, it screeched in proof of its elderly and showed outside Frederick’s location was revealed.
The night sky above his head told Frederick he was outside, grass under his mail-covered leather boots and clean wind passing through his armor helped him give a little of the heat he had accumulated. It was a garden, or at least, the back garden as the palace was from a side Frederick hasn’t seen before.
Frederick inspected each tree, plant and leave he could find, anything that tried to bite back was going to be proof of the creation of demonic plants. But in his search a loud thud came to his ears. Frederick unsheathed his sword, ready for anything.
The sound came from the other side of the garden. Holding his sword in his right and picking his shield on his left Frederic moved carefully surrounding the palace towards the sound. The grass seemed to stop growing in the direction he was heading to, Frederick readied his weapon.
“By God’s blood.”
There was a pile of flesh, blood and waste on a pile on the side of the palace corner. The blood speeded through the dirt it fell on adding truth to the big fall it must have withstood. The remains of a man. The remains of a ritual.
Frederick was in no mood to celebrate the discovery, gritting his teeth he gazed to the place on the palace he could deduce it had fallen from. A ramp that extended out of the palace had a hole, proving the purpose of getting rid of wasted material from the room. Frederick swore he would find the room and give retaliation to those that worshiped the devil.
But not before giving a lost soul his way to God.
Moving to the pile Frederick rifled for the head of the suffering man, whoever that may be, or even if the head was there at all. At least he could say he tried, all children of God deserved to be judged by him, and those that served him.
But what Frederick found was not a man’s head, but that of cattle. It only took a moment but Frederick got rid of the thoughts he was giving to give vengeance to the demon worshiping scum. But it didn’t get rid of his purpose of finding the place, they were still obviously doing sacrifices, even to cattle it was still a sacrifice.
Taking a few steps back of the pile Frederick took a good look at the room, trying to picture how it would look from the inside. But Frederick saw something way better.
A silhouette.
It was one of the horses, that was nothing to wonder, but the appearance was something he had never seen before. The horse’s mane was of pure curliness, too immense to be real. The tail had the same silhouetting form curl to none belief. From the size of the horse it would be obviously female, Federick may not know how to differentiate the creature’s gender by appearance, but he could tell when he was looking at a male or female. And that was definitely a female.
With the form in his memory as well as his mental image of the room, as well of the floor and place it would be, the Templar looked for another door to use the spell or random movement. Once inside the palace he would not go through any other door, he was going to find that room, the room where sacrifices were made.
The door was on the rout after the pile, it was an obvious side door, used by those that were placed to get rid of the evidence. Frederick knew that the mutilated cow wouldn’t be enough proof, the ones loyal to Ermo would probably say that they were going to use the cow as food but for some reason they would invent they had to get rid of it. Pathetic liars.
Frederick sheltered his sword and hanged his shield, ready to make the jump of location once again. Opening the door the same eerie darkness presented itself, he entered fearless. The door closed on its own and he waited. After a familiar amount of time he was now accustomed to, he stretched his arm, and as if it was a signal, a couple of curtains opened on the side of the room and with the silvery light of the moon he was able to see.
He was in a cleansing room, a place of privacy and the cleaning of the body. And by the impressive design of the place, wooden columns, marble floors and such, Frederic deduced he was once again in the palace. Even if in the private quarters of a thing.
Frederick opened the door to continue his quest, or at least he tried, the door was sealed shut, he cursed under his breath. Frederick struggled as he attempted to push the door with his whole body, but it didn’t give in. Cursing loudly he tried pulling and pushing but it didn’t even budge.
“My journey will not be challenged by a mere door!” Frederick loudly yelled at the wooden construct, giving a couple of steps back to prepare himself to give it a hard kick forward.
But unaware to Frederick, he wasn’t the only one looking at the door with ire.
“How in Tartarus did a man enter my bathroom!” Moonstone hissed, the day was already bad but now it had become worse.
Moonstone had searched high and low for any blacksmith to buy the rings he had tried so long of getting rid of. Even with the warning of his friends he needed the coin, he wouldn’t survive a day out of the city with no real way to expense on necessities.
After a day long on searching, he found no buyer. And after more searching he found no place to hide the evidence of his guilt. But after such a shitty day he was certain that he could at least have one last night of good sleep on the bed he had worked so hard to obtain, giving a noble griffin one bag of his weekly supply of food was a hard time indeed. And the half-moon wasn’t adding any comfortable points by being perfectly placed in front of his window hurting his sensitive eyes, making it an irritating endeavor to move around the room. That noble must’ve known.
And now there was a man in his bathroom, the yelling and language was indistinguishable with the one of his nightmares. But that was not all that made this day worse, oh no, what made it bad was the he was still holding the ring suit in his talons.
Moonstone only had a second to think of where to hide the thing and his eyes fell on an old pot he had been carrying for a long time.
“You will not hold me back!” Frederick yelled slamming the bottom of his sword hilt on the wooden door until it cracked, split opened. When Frederick finally got through the damned timber gate Frederick looked around the empty room.
The room was with three pieces of furniture, bed, chair and drawer. All with the impression that they were attempts to make a wooden equivalent to gold by the amounts of details that they had on the sides and corners. The room, Frederick noted, was made of white marble, the roof and walls, pure white. Only the floor was free of the bright color with a rocky pattern.
“Is anydemon here? I have a nice holy blessed sword, just for you.” Frederick said jokingly, already expecting no response. Which he didn’t receive. But it didn’t mean that there wasn’t one living creature nearby holding his yelp to not accidentally respond.
‘Retarded scabby gorbellied onion-eyed harpy lewdster reeling-ripe folly-fallen roguish clack-dish canker-blossom--’ Moonstone was on a role, his mind had started cursing the moment his talons had, at the same time as the door, nailed into the marble wall right above the door the man had now opened. He couldn’t believe how many insults he could come up with, all telling him the thoughts that were directed to himself for not going straight to the window instead of the place he was now.
The man looked around the room, sword on the ready, checking the room for something; searching for him. The man began inspecting the ceiling, and then was when Moonstone’s heart dropped, he was not missing a spot. It didn’t take long for the man to move around the wall and gazing directly at Moonstone’s existence.
The gryphon froze, no idea what to do or how to react, he could only hope this human didn’t carry any of those deadly arrows, that way he could at least keep away and maybe survive the ordeal. Just maybe.
The man just as quickly as he had unsheathed his weapon to cut Moonstone down of his pathetic hiding spot, he placed it back, confusing Moonstone to the point of insanity. Was the man not there to kill him? Did Moonstone die and was now in the plane of the dead? Was he seeing things?
But Moonstone’s answer came to him by his only good friend, his brain, which quickly and perfectly showed Moonstone his salvation by the lack of a hurting eyes.
Moonstone was engulfed in darkness, not only that his feathers, if he recalled correctly, were completely white! Ha! And his friends made fun of him from always cleaning his feathers extra carefully! Who’s the dumb Moonmoon now?!
But his victory was short lived as the man inspected with care everything in the room. Using a small silvery metal sphere inside a water chalice, he sprinkled everything with the water and was nearing-- the pots!
Moonstone was now sweating up a storm, the man slowly went to the jars’ location... and sprinkled water on them. Moonstone didn’t know enough of the creatures senses to go by, he was too busy trying to survive his first encounter with them to learn of them. But this was a delicate situation in which the smallest error could mean death.
Correction. It meant death.
As soon as the creature finished sprinkling the jars, it seemed ready to leave, entering the water and metal sphere in his clothing. Moonstone mentally signed as the terror was now close to be over, his legs wiggling on the strain they were in.
The position he was in, basically standing on the tips of his talons balanced with the wall, was a horrible way to be. But it did added creepiness to his person, staring the man in such a position would at least give him the element of surprise if worst came to worst, but he was going to be really happy at having his life out of danger. But the man had other ideas.
It unsheathed its sword once more and started to prod, everything. Moonstone mentally groaned in irritation, due to actually saying his opinions would be quite a bad move.
The man first started at the mattress, five times before moving to the furniture and probing it as well. Moonstone, in his intensive watching and working brain, finally deduced what was going to happen if this didn’t let up. The jars... yeeeaaahhh, he’s screwed.
The man touched one of the jars, Moonstone’s heart stopped as he saw the rings fall out to the floor. The man didn’t seem surprised by the contents of the jar, as if it was expecting it. It did long moving gesture of sorts on himself. Clearly saying something in its language, once done ‘talking; a slow and creepy chuckle came out of the man. It picked up the jar and proceeded to walk out of the door.
Moonstone is now ultimately screwed. There was only one thing to do now; pack and fly as fast and far away as he could manage.
______________________________________________________________________
It took a while, but the nobles gave Celestia a rest, which she thought it would be impossible if she hadn’t mentioned that she really wanted to speak with Starswirl. They even gave her words of advice to what to say to the slithering archmage, and added comments on the king’s likes on mares. Celestia ordered one of her dignitaries to take charge of that, she wanted nothing to do with it.
She left and her guards followed, not leaving a chance to any new surprises to happen.
And so the feast continued. Even as Celesta left she could hear the nobles gossip about what was going to happen next, or how they are worried about Celestia have her heat act up again and even if she was going to comply at Ermo’s shivering demand, or if she was going to offer something else.
But that was not in Celestia’s mind, she was now in the hot pursuit of a loudmouthed condescending arse of an archmage that she was going to eat out. With her words, with her words!
Celestia could feel her face turn red in anger as she repeated the words of Starswirl in her thoughts, then he wasn’t her friend? Not even a little?
It was easy asking around for the mage, she was directed to an unoccupied room that she was told Starswirl had entered from the moment the event had happened and hasn’t left ever since.
“Leave me to speak to him, but unless I call you with an emergency spell do not enter.” Celestia ordered. Ready to have a fierce discussion.
Such a hurt Celestia felt in her heart that it burned and twisted like a sword scratch. She thought Starswirl as a friend, an actual friend, but it seemed to be an illusion she made for herself. One that she would confirm tonight to be a lie. Celestia took a moment to breathe, closing her eyes and leaving the only tear leave her eye.
Cleaning her face, she was ready for a fight.
Celestia did not need to look at the guards as she entered the room and closed the door behind her.
The room was dark and with no sources of light from itself, but it didn’t mean the outside was at not, as the almost silver like light reached everything she could see. A noble room presented itself to her, at least the ones that no noble wants to see. The room was bare of any luxuries of any kind, Discord had no use for such things.
Celestia flared her horn and placed a muffle to the walls, wouldn’t want others to hear. She stepped further inside squinting her eyes looking for Starswirl, she was told he was there but she say nothing anywhere. Flowing water could be heard. She took another step.
Her hoof feel in something liquid.
Irritated already, the ruler quickly shook her hoof letting the liquid slide from her golden shoe deducing it was from the water she heard. Following the water that glistened with the moon as its reflection she was able to see its source, the bathroom. But as she did a coughing resounded from the bathroom of the bare place. Heavy coughing.
“Starswirl?” She asked, waiting for an answer. She had learned that it was not appropriate to enter in the bathroom of the conserved mage, thinking back, she had never seen him without his eccentric clothing.
“Starswirl I need to speak to you, and if you don’t get out I’m going in.” Celestia reasoned him, she was not going to let the stallion get away with his words by using his problems with nakedness.
The coughing stopped.
Time passed.
Feeling that the mage was attempting to see if she would go away, leave unscarred after the words told to Celestia. She narrowed her eyes and spoke. “I warned you Star.”
Celestia opened the door to the bathroom, very dark, with the curtains closed. The water seemed to have spread through the floor earning a groan from the ruler as she couldn’t see, and the wet feeling in her hooves was making her uncomfortable.
“Starswirl!” She called in the darkness, not really willing to enter herself, the mage could surprise her, it wasn’t in his nature to do so but she thought he was helping her for her good in mind also, so everything was possible. And before she thought of anything else she almost smacked her face on the stupidity of her thinking, damn the heat and anger.
Flaring her horn the light gave her a perfect view of the room. A stumbled bucket, a towel on the floor, pieces of the remaining of a chair and water. Lots and lots of water.
Starswirl was there, his body prone; curled over; not moving. He was in pain, the groans he made were comparable to the sound of a diamond dog makes when, in the middle of a roar, have their head squashed by magic. It was a horrible sound.
“Har-dee har, Star. I know you can do Illusion better than me, so stop it. I need to talk to you about your earlier thoughts.” Celestia eyes narrowed seriously, but Starswirl didn’t respond. She was accustomed to the mage’s ways of getting off of her rage. But in the back of her mind there was a shout of logic.
~’He hates horror illusions.’~
But she didn’t listen.
Starswirl tried to look up, aware of the newly added light. He coughed again, this time it was a little different from the heavy coughing as in the end of it he threw up a mixture of blood and food on the floor.
~’He hates horrific illusions!’~
“Star I’m w-warning you, stop it! Or I will.” Celestia shouted, anger distorted by worry, snot that she let it show. Celestia didn’t like the images and she was not going to wait for the mage to stop making them. Glowing her horn she easily pulsed an environment illusion dispel.
She looked back confident at the room, observing as everything continued existing in fluid reality, every turned bucket and towel, the destroyed chair and flowing water, all still there. Something of the illusion irked her more than her anger which got weaker. She tried again, but the illusion didn’t go away, Starswirl was more powerful than her after all.
Starswirl raised his head at Celestia, with his eyes seeming as a dead stallions stare, they bled like his ears and nose, face slightly paler and teeth red from blood. Celestia became pale herself feeling her stomach tighten at the sight, but held on with her strong stare. In the inside she was already going to give up.
Despite his supposed condition he tried to get up, earning a sigh of relief from Celestia that the bad joke was over, which made it thousands of times more worrying when his legs wobbled in weakness. The water in the floor became clear sight as she looked at his legs, streams of blood seem to spread in it.
She couldn’t take it anymore.
“Alright! Alright Star you win, I’m not mad anymore, I’ll not yell at you, just... stop it, it’s horrifying.” Celestia said defeated, too affected from the illusion to be angry anymore. Bowing her head in defeat Celestia gave a heavy sigh waiting for the stallion’s signature ‘very well’, as he always did.
A thud was her response.
Confused she looked once again at the stallion, worry evident. He had won, why did he continue to torture her?
But then a small eerie voice of the past passed through her mind.
~’He hates horrific illusions.’~
“Star?” She asked once more. “Just be joking”, she pleaded, “please just say you suddenly became evil. Please don’t be real.”
But the stallion was very still.
Celestia worries got the best of her, breaking into a quick dash she rushed to Starswirl’s prone body.
“Don’t... call the guards, don’t... tell.” Starswirl whispered as Celestia was over his body, he seemed to have been saying it for a while as his voice was scrachy. But it was the last thing he said as then stopped talking, looking at the wall as if it was a late friend. The stallion had stopped breathing.
“Hey! Star! Starswirl! Don’t you bucking dare!” Celestia, now over the stallion, gripped his body with magic, holding his blood from leaving his body. Using her manipulation ability she forced air to enter his lungs, and only after a second she forced it back out. She continued the motion moment and moment again.
The stallion didn’t respond. Celestia continued, using the three main words that came to her mind in the process, not sure in what to think anymore and she was good in healing spells, but even if she had none so refined to heal this and she needed Starswirl to recover consciousness for any to work. And so all she could do, was to continue making him breathe.
“Don’t. You. Dare. Don’t. You. Dare.” Celestia got a rhythm and followed it, keeping her mind in stand by, not thinking of anything other than getting Starswirl to breathe.
“Don’t... you... dare.” Celestia’s throat became dry, she coughed now and then, eyes wet, vision blurry.
“Don’t... you....” Her magic was straining.
“Da--dare...”
Celestia was crying for the first time she had for a while. But there was no evil lord to vent it on. No friends to help her. Nothing. At all.
She was alone again.
And she didn’t even know why.
_____________________________________________________________________
Ermo was mad. His way of walking, frowned eyes and grinding of teeth was a simple expression of his anger. He wanted to kill the assassins that remained in the palace, the king was certain their ilk was sure to be more.
Walking with Jurian and his knights close by, towards where their rooms were assigned as they were being led by a horse servant, Ermo tried to calm down. But he couldn’t, nearly assassinated by another faction was quite a memory, more so if the assassin can change its form. Celestia has some serious explaining to do.
“So Jurian, how did you know the assassin if it was like one of the servants?” Ermo questioned feeling relieved as some of his anger began to dissipate. He doesn’t like being angry, it gets in the way of you wanting to trick your opponents, and his speech was always ridiculous.
“I didn’t knew exactly,” Jurian replied honestly actually calm on the situation, “I saw this one change from its hideous nature when it tried to do some spell in secret. I was sure they were all demons:”
“A luck that you did.” Ermo complemented. “But do you know anything special about them? Something to identify them when they become another creature?” Ermo questioned already paranoid, he didn’t know as much as he wanted to.
“Remember from Jacques tale that the griffins and small horses bled red Mi’lord.” Jurian said stopping and looking around for something.
“Aye, aye Jurian, where are you getting at?” Ermo questioned with a small twist of his head as he stopped.
“Apparently,”Jurian began as he showed Ermo his hands, green stained hands, “the assassin’s blood are green as you can see here.”
“So you're saying that they can’t change the color of their blood, right?” Ermo said, a plan started to form in Ermo head, trying to assure his plan.
“I’m not too sure if they could be able to change the color of their blood, Mi’lord.” Jurian answered the King as he understood where Ermo is getting.
“Then it’s our only defense against them, I will require two knights to inform our men at the palace walls and the village about this new threat by performing a small cut, and if green I want the creature taken alive. I want to show its friends what happens when you try to take my life.” Ermo commanded calmly with two of his men doing a small bow with their hands over their hearts and stood together as they walked through a different hallway, alerted at everything that moved, at least they won’t be caught off guard.
Ermo resumed his walk to his room. ‘Please God no more mad surprises, I just want my money and sleep.’ A tired Ermo prayed in his mind, hoping God will hear his prayer.
After some time the group finally reached the room, but not before Ermo could ensure his safety.
“Knights if anything draws near, a small cut should suffice to see its blood. If red, knock once, but if green knock thrice.” Ermo commanded hoping the only thing to come tonight would be his money.
“Jurian.”
“Aye Mi’lord?”
“I want to apologize to you for not believing you. After what happened tonight I have you to thank for, please forgive my ignorance old friend.” Ermo said sadly, as if his friend won’t forgive him after what he did to him today.
“I’ll forgive you if you at least believe me when I say there's a demon-princess being in a satanic dungeon under this palace.” Jurian said finally getting some room to convince his friend that there is, by God, a freaky demon in this palace.
“If you show me the dungeon with the Frederick tomorrow, I will consider your words true. Now, let’s wait until-” Ermo was interrupted by a loud knock. One.
“Come in.” Ermo said calmly, but Ermo could see by a glance at Jurian who grabbed a throwing knife and hid it under his armor just in case.
The door opened, and in walked a gold colored small horse with large golden-brown eyes. It started everywhere, pupils as small as pins, and legs shaking.
“I came here when I was told I was...” It made an audible swallow. “Needed.” The golden colored mare said fearful, ending her comment with a voice barely above a whisper.
‘Why is she so afraid?’ Ermo thought as he looked at the mare’s appearance, the mare seemed to wear some kind of white transparent robe, and a ‘saddle’ on her back. ‘And where’s the money?’
“So are you going to give me my feoh or do you want my knight to help you?” Ermo asked calmly, curious to the mare’s purpose. But as Ermo finished the mare squeaked eyes going wide as she looked at all the men in the room afraid, her squeak was as strong as a yell, which could be heard throughout the palace.
‘What is wrong with her?’ Ermo thought.
“I thought the horse princess was going to give it to you Mi’lord?” Jurian stated with a cautious tone, he was replied by a negative gesture of Ermo’s hand. The small horse moved her tail behind her legs, her ears touching the sides of her head.
Ermo was thinking over the strange mare’s arrival, but as he did he almost fell on his face, his body was tired from the amount of armor he was carrying throughout the day. And thus Ermo proceeded to take off this first layer of mail.
“Please excuse me, I will be taking off my armor so that I may be more comfortable.” Ermo said as he went through the process of taking off the multiple layers of mail. The horse started to slowly back away hitting the door with her back, eyes closed.
‘Alright, something is definitely wrong with this mare.’ Ermo though getting annoyed by its weird actions. But before he could act upon his confusion.
“Which is the quantity? I was promised a rape.” Ermo’s question with a inserted lie made the mare stop breathing.
“...A-a-a-a a rape?” The mare said with a stutter as she slowly bringing herself to the floor.
“Yes, or two if its possible, my men would help in the ordeal if needed.” Ermo stated the innocent reply.
“Mi’Lord, please don’t try to exaggerate the exchange, the princess would surely not be able to get you such a thing.” Jurian said disappointed of his lord’s greed as usual.
“The princess has her own palace and kingdom, I’m sure one simple rape is not so much for her.” Ermo explained eyeing the mare, who now was trying to open the door, stopped by the knights.
“Come on mare is the money here or not?” Ermo said a little louder than intended, his patience was already wearing thin.
“But--But you said--”
“Aye a rape, it’s about... five hundred gold pieces where I’m from.” Ermo lied with a grin at the very confused mare, earning a disappointed look from Jurian .
“You-- you are asking for gold?” Asked the mare, standing again a look of hope in her eyes.
“Aye, a very large sum of it, five hundred gold pieces or I might have different ideas.” Ermo threatened slightly at the end.
The mare seem to laugh, a hysterical laughter at that, the men stood confused as the mare continued to laugh all the way out the room. The knights were going to stop her again, but they didn’t as Ermo made a dismissive gesture with his hand. Letting the mare leave with her strange laugh.
“Huh, I seems she came to assure what I asked. But we are still short on knowledge of these creatures, I have no idea what kind of... dress that mare was wearing.”
“It’s not that much to concern us with such things, we need to understand what we are to do and you m'lord need to be less forgiving. But about the creature, that was incredibly rude, simply laughing at our faces as it left.”
“Aye Jurian, but could you stay outside and wait for until money arrives?” Ermo asked yawning, “I’m going to rest.”
Jurian nodded his head to his king leaving the room with two knights ready to keep themselves alert throughout the night. Once outside the room however Jurian spoke to the warriors at the door.
“I’m out to hunt hunters, keep this door closed.” Jurian said cryptically as the knights remained still, the leveled gaze of the assassin would alert anything alive.
__________________________________________________________________
“Sugar.”
“Salt.”
“Sugar.”
“Salt.”
“It is sugar.”
“I don’t think you understood me, you call it sugar but by the translation it means salt, I’m not correcting you, I’m saying that what I know as salt, is your sugar!”
“No salt is dry and... salty, and sugar is incredibly sweet.”
“Maybe you have something else to define as salt, because this thing you are showing me, is assured salt.”
A prince and a night guard turned leader were at a heated discussion. Both sitting on a stool on the bow of the leader’s ship. The dragon that has followed along to have a taste of a civilized liquid called tea, was having trouble to earn his desire as the two ‘need to be right’ gentlecreatures were constantly shifting the tea.
“Give it a taste and you tell me if it is as you say it is.” Said Wadi helmet on the table, his uncared dark hair giving him a less intimidating appearance.
“Having salt? At this hour? You must take me as a slat addict! I am needed to be alert in case anything happens to me, especially if your men get a little too aggressive with their... bows? Is that the name?” Sombra replied insulted at first, but then wary at the name of an unfamiliar weapon that was pointed from him from various directions.
“I had you told that you could leave, it’s like this or no tea.” Wadi reminded to the prince, he was still in constant reminder that he was speaking to something from someone's nightmare but he was quite calm having a conglomeration of bowmen all ready to fire from the beaches in which they came.
A huff of smoke stopped the discussion, the dark smoke of a dragon’s huff. “Let me end this simple dispute, give me a taste of the thing you call sugar.”
The dragon was not asking as Kyong grabbed the cup of sugar offered by Wadi on the middle of the table and lifted it to his cup/barrel to give it a taste. The bowmen reacted with pointing the arrows at the massive thing. Kyong was at the side of the ship, lower body on the ocean sitting next to the ship, the red-orange dragon didn’t wore his armor as it was placed on the beach the bowmen stood. The dragon smiled involuntarily.
“Well, color me interested, this salt is no salt at all.” Said surprised the dragon as he drank his tea with glee.
“You do as you wish,” Added prince Sombra, “if you wish to do in danger with this go ahead, I will prefer for it to be another unicorn to taste anything before I ever do.”
Before the giant could make a comeback a buzzing sound filled the air. Prince Sombra reacted immediately by coughing his tea and looking into the sky.
“Sir Wadi, could you tell your ‘men’ that we’re about to receive a guest? I wouldn’t want to initiate anything bad now.” The prince said.
“Alright? What kind of guess are we talking about?” Wadi asked cautiously praying to allah it won’t be another dragon or worse.
“Just a simple messenger.” Sombra quickly replied.
“Ah, alright.” Wadi replied as he made sure the next ‘guest’ wasn’t going to be impaled by numerous arrows by informing his men a messenger is coming. The buzzing sound was now obvious and it had a direction, he turned to see it, but what he saw was stuff of a horror tale.
The thing that came into the ship was horrid. It was black and bare any kind of fur, but when Wadi moved closer he saw it was more like petrified fur, there were numerous holes in its legs and wings, but what got him the most were the eyes and horn. The creatures’ eyes were as an insects and its horn jagged horn looks as its rotting by the shape it takes.
‘What kind of creature is this?!” Wadi shouted in his mind.
“Oh, aye. Emir Wadi, you’ll need to excuse me it’s a very urgent message and it requires my full attention, I’ll speak to you at our convenience. Tomorrow maybe?” Sombra ended asking as he tries to confirm their next meeting.
“Then we think I’ll rest for now, it was a pleasure speaking with you... Hoard Master Kyong and Prince Sombra... was it?” Wadi asked politely, not really sure.
“Aye.”
“Then we can continue our meeting tomorrow good morning.” Wadi said to the exiting of Sombra followed by the giant dragon that with a powerful flap of its wings took height.
Only when the creatures had left his sight was that Wadi calmed himself by taking a deep breath. Some of his warriors approached him, to ask questions. But Wadi would have none of that.
“Prepare one of our galley’s to head back home, we have a message to deliver.” Wadi ordered rubbing his head with both leather covered hands.
“Aren't we also leaving, Emir?” Asked one of the warriors not comfortable with what he was thinking his Emir was thinking of.
“Of course not, this is an opportunity to get things far beyond what is possible, we are not to leave until the Sultan has ordered.” Wadi confirmed the warrior.
“But sir, could we at least have most of the men leave? None of us want to be close to a camp full of monsters.”
“Monsters that came here to have tea warrior, remember that, or do you want to prove that your sword too short? You understand what I mean don’t you?” Wadi backlashed the warrior, making him narrow his gaze when Wadi wasn’t looking.
Wadi was equally eager to leave, but he was not in the camp next to the ‘monsters’ searching for a mystic pool for magic, meaning that unless Asad was to return before late he was not to leave. Various minutes passed before a voice reawakened Wadi from his trance thinking.
“Emir, we got the messenger crew and galley is ready. Do you have the message?
“Yes, yes I do.” Wadi replied as he wrote the note, reading it to himself.
“My gracious and powerful Sultan we have encountered the natives of this land and made peaceful meetings with them thus far. As far as we know the Christians have not arrived as of yet, bring as many troops as you can to ensure this lands as yours. As I am sure they will come and claim it for their God.” Wadi said with dread at the end of the message, every muslim knows of their disadvantages. Now was not the exception.
“Here’s the message,” Wadi said passing the letter to the head messenger, “Make sure to cover as much distance in less time possible, we need his response immediately.”
As the messenger took the letter he looked at his superior and asked. “My Emir, this letter is too short to explain the creatures we have seen this day, are you expecting to hide their existence?”
Wadi hearing the messengers’ accusation turned to the man, staring at his eyes with a calm that comes after a major loss of fear.
“You try, and don’t be called a madman in the process. I’ll give you my position as Emir myself to help convince our Sultan or the very least his advisor.”
The messenger silenced and nodded his head before heading to the prepared galley, ready to leave. Wadi sighed serving himself a fermented drink as he looked at the ominous forest that the monster camp laid on.
“Hopefully the Sultan will want nothing to do with the cursed place. But hope is not reality.”
______________________________________________________________
As soon as Sombra was a good distance away from the ‘boat’ of the ‘Men’ with the changeling messenger, he immediately changed his facial expressions to that of rage grabbing the changeling with his magic.
“Why would this require my attention?! Isn’t the general in the camp? Did you not see I was speaking to a potential ally?! Why is this so important, changeling?!” Sombra bombarded the changeling with questions as he carried the messenger towards the camp.
“Its green color important, there was no general at the camp, it’s still green color important and it’s about your new possible ‘allies’.” The changeling answered each question unaffected by the prince’s ranting. The Prince huffed, dismissing his horn.
After some time Sombra and the messenger reached the camp entrance, Kyong waiting at the entrance
“Are you going to receive it here or inside?” Asked Kyong curious.
“This is a message of green color, it needs to be received in secrecy.” Sombra answered back receiving a roll of eyes from the immense dragon. Which proceeded to enter into the small tent.
Sombra waiting with the messenger as the tents doors closed and waited to enter to enter. Once ready he entered the tent.
The inside of the tent was dark and empty, the only light source from the silvery outside as the Prince waited for the changeling to stand next to him. Once ready he glowed his horn, reaching into his pocket and showing in the light a small. A crest of strange features and decorations, the only obvious things about it was the center circle that looked like a yellow eye with red cornea.
The tent closed,
As soon as the tent flapped closed the room darkened, Sombra saw a small shimmer dissipating, but then it grew until the tent as a whole disappeared. The light came back illuminating an artificial underground cavern entrance. But the dark empty entrance was not without dangers, guarded by changeling soldiers whose dark hide perfectly hides their bodies. Sombra simply trotted closer to a shimmer of light with no fear of the protection.
At the end of the tunnel it revealed the ‘real’ discord camp. Big to describe it would be an insult.
The camp was busy, as always.
The Diamond dog warriors were digging to make the camp even bigger to house the rest of the dragon horde coming to camp in a few more days, the griffins were training with the changeling swarms in aerial combat, the true ponies were sparring between themselves or the remaining minotaurs, and the zebras are practicing with some wooden swords dodging and using their superior ability to not get hit by some changeling magic users. The secret weapons, the naga, rhinos, goats and elephants, all polishing their weapons and armor, readying for their time, they were getting anxious.
An impressive sight all around.
It took some time for Sombra to reach ‘that’ part of the camp. Perfect location for anycreature to be seen by Sombra’s personal guards and close enough to react if there was an attack. Sombra entered only to see the changeling messenger tapping its hoof on the ground as if telling him it wants him to hurry.
“Do I play memorial? Or visual?” The changeling asked, annoyance heard by Sombra because years of being close to the creatures.
“Best to play memorially, it has green priority after all.” Sombra answered. The changeling moved its horn to touch Sombra’s head and the moment it happened time just... stopped. The world began to change, mold into the walls, ceiling and floor. The walls changed color and the floor changed texture, the ceiling grew big and high as shadows of pillars appeared from the silvery light from the moon. Sombra knew where he was.
He was at Canterlot castle.
Sombra was moving, not actually himself but the changeling he was now. The memory was a success as he could sense what the changeling could sense. He could still feel the touch of the changeling’s horn in his face, reminding him that the things he was perceiving with his senses, were not actually there.
Hearing was strange, as the hearing came from ‘his’ legs, better yet, in the hole on ‘his’ legs. The sounds resonated and gave a very clear point of origin to each, easy to notice one sound from the other. The smell was also weird but bearable, only because it got mixed with taste as the sense came from the same place. His frozen ‘fur’.
The hardest thing to get used to was the difference in eye sight. He could see in such a wide angle, he could see the ceiling above him and the floor below at the same time. In long messages he would be in pain for days on end as he could see details that he hadn't thought possible before his first memory insertion. He could see the texture of the walls of polished marble, broken in layers, and when a ponies passed by he could see each and every individual hair as they moved with the wind, he shuttered each time he looked.
He could sense by his horn the form he was now, a servant wearing a blue robe, his appearance a basic construction but only changeling can go into such details on the fur and smell, he smelled like a servant! Goodness it was a bad feeling.
‘He’ was inside a room in which he seems to be pacing around. Sombra knew of the pattern of pacing, something is wrong.
The changeling memory began to speed, reaching the point in which the message began. Sombra saw nothing of interest.
“What has occurred here that can’t be said, changeling’? Are the rotted nobles here planning something involving us? And how does this include our new guests?” Sombra rambled to the changeling as the world speeded to ‘normal time’.
But there was something wrong, the memory accelerated dramatically to Sombra’s dismay. He felt ‘his’ legs moving too fast for anything alive. He had runned before, but what he was feeling was ridiculous, and that wasn’t even compared to everything else. The touch, smell and the sound...
“‘Pleasedon’tseemepleasedontseemepleasedont-” “Silent gallop, tell me this is a joke” “What was th-” “magic hoyte what happened” “Icy joke their something here it-it-AH!”
“Wh-”
Sombra forced his mind to pull free from the bond, pausing the memory. ”Changeling, clean this up to some degree I can understand, it’s nothing but gibberish! Show it from the beginning.”
“Give me a minute,” The changeling responded, Sombra noticed the changeling’s breathing was actually heavy, was the memory straining?
Sombra got his senses re-molested as he was forcefully inserted in the changelings form, the memory thankfully began immediately in normal time.
“Speak up I can’t hear you.” ‘Sombra’ spoke, at least he felt like he did. ‘His’ voice was raspy, but the voice ‘he’ was hearing was of an old pony servant, calmed and condescending. Dozens of whispers surrounded his head, all in all a mashed together experience that he was not too fond of having.
“Icy Joke, the thing is following me! It’s the white one! The one from the feast! Help me out here, it’s freaking catching up to me!” Screamed a changeling through the changeling hive link, Sombra would think it more to be a sound coming from ‘his’ horn.
“Codenames are not necessary forty twenty eight, and when you buck something on the top of its hindlegs, but being a biped it would be more of legs, anyway it isn’t going to make you its best friends, now will it?” Icy/Sombra answered back with a slight amount of sarcasm. A sarcastic comment Sombra could only hear in between hive mind speaking, it seemed that changeling could do the closest thing to emotion in it.
But Sombra was getting the picture now, an agent seemed to have been seen by a white creature, surely a noble that the dumb changeling didn’t even elaborated on, it could be a old white minotaur, the guards were surely on the thing. Even with how bad the memory was placed he was at least getting answers. The whispers became louder, Sombra could now tell that the whispers were the thoughts of the other changelings.
“He bucking popped out of nowhere, I was sending my report-”
“What-- how? I thought you said you were clear? Isn’t your watcher spell activated? That’s how Never Bend got caught during the feast.” Icy Joke interrupted, the memory going slow and fast in oscillation.
Sombra’s last theory just got thrown over a balcony. The changeling was not being tracked by the guard? Then what’s the problem?
“I kno- Oh buck, buck-buck buck! It’s gone!” The changeling interrupted himself clearly scared. How could a creature with such a good variety of precise senses lose anything that wasn’t another changeling was something that Sombra considered greatly curious as ‘he’ spoke again. The whispers were now spreading wide and loud, all trying to make sense of the situation.
“What? How can you lose a creature. Wearing. White!” Icy Joke said seething in rage. Sombra raised his actual eyebrow, did the changeling just say ‘wearing’? Was it not the fur?
“I don’t know! All this is Hurghghhruhrhgh--” The changeling screeched and gargled as a flow of liquid seemed to splash in the background. And the implications of what just happened made Sombra feel his fur stand on end, or it could have been the changeling’s sense.
“Zipping?! Zipping Hoof, forty twenty eight, what’s going on?! Report!” ‘Sombra’ yelled in the hive link, feeling ‘his’ heart beat faster, breathing getting slightly heavier. “All agents! Beware of the creature wearing white! I repeat, beware the creature wearing white!”
Now Sombra was confused, what in the seven corners of everything was going on?
“Icy, is it the one with the red thing on its chest, the big version?” Another Changeling questioned through the hive link. ‘Icy’ mumbled of obscenities in between names and words Sombra had never heard in his life in such context. What in the bloody goat was a crusader? Thoughts came to ‘his’ mind, Sombra tried to figure out what creature ‘he’ was thinking of, bipedal, white clothing and weird characteristics like of two crossed sticks flashed in the memory, but it wasn’t defined, as if a memory of a glance.
“Yes, Wisp. Did it see you? You should be in the same hall that Zipping was, remember it should be a drawing feeling, and make sure that the watcher is active again, I want this thing located.” ‘Sombra’ asked as ‘his’ heart calmed somewhat, his true mind rose in confusion. The whispers calmed but didn’t cease, if he paid attention Sombra could hear ideas of what was going on, but they were too away and low to be overheard.
“Yes, it’s active! But I can hear it coming! I can’t see for drone!” The changeling called Wisp replied yelling, breathing heavily in fear. “I’m getting out of here!”
“You cowardly larvae! Don’t run! It will--” Icy Joke tried to ‘comfort’ the new agent, but he might as well be talking to a wall.
“AH! Sir! I’m amplifying the link can you hear it?! I can perceive it, I don’t want to-- its right behind me! Help me!” Wisp screeched in the hive link, thumps in the back of the message was clear and heavy. There goes any theory if the creature being a diamond dog or a minotaur, too light thumps, but there was another sound, even if distant, or coins being shuffled.
“Wisp!” ‘Sombra’ cried trying to get the rookie to calm down so she could at least survive.
“Pleasedon’tseemepleasedontseemepleasedont--huruh--” Wisp shrieked quickly as if was a spell to ward off evil beings before being cut off. Icy Joke’s breathing got heavier again, trotting in a circle as he ‘felt’ Wisp go off the hive channel, permanently.
“Buck, he’s coming for me! What do I do, Icy?” Said a new Changeling, the one in the next position three halls away, what was this thing? Icy Joke was determined to stop the abomination before any more spies got killed, but his mind kept repeating ‘What is it with this creature!’ over and over, making it an irritable experience for Sombra, and that was not counting all the other thoughts.
Three agent-class already caught in one night, that's a feat in itself.
“Magic Hoyte, track Wisp’s body, anything of her that moves is the thing, you know the spell. Everychangeling regroup and fall away, I want no more dead tonight! Reclunt, don’t panic look for Architect and--” Icy Joke yelled ordering his agents to a safer location, with as many places to keep hidden as possible. But unknown to him as he commended thirteen silent screams passed through the link.
But that was Icy, Sombra on the other hoof, with no attachment to the situation, was way beyond surprise. It was a massacre.
“The man disappeared!” Magic Hoyte yelled in horror knowing he might as well be considered dead if anything he heard in the hive link was to consider. Sombra listened to the first thing that made him actually have a reaction.
“A man?!” Sombra shouted in surprise as he just spoke to one moments ago, the memory flickered slightly on his activity, but other than that it continued.
“For the Queens right eye! Buck me! How is everychangeling losing the thing! It has Wisp’s insides on it for all that is hole-y, it can’t simply disappear!” Icy Joke complained as he repeatedly lightly banged his head on a nearby wall. “Either I am working with fools or this creature’s has magic of its own. Probably the latter.’
The queen was going to have his head if he gets out of this alive. Sombra flinched at the very vivid image of Icy having his head separated from his body, it was not a good thought to think.
“Huh? Oh my--Icy?! I’m going to you now, I think I found it, it was heading to your ro-HUGH!” The changeling’s voice was violently stopped, Sombra could hear the gargles and efforts to breathe through the link before Magic Hotye died, or lost concentration and the link ended.
“Magic! Magic Hotye! Don’t-- !” Icy Joke yelled again but now it was actually out of the link, which Sombra found really unusual. ‘Sombra’s’ heavy breathing was now of an enraged feeling.
“Anychangeling in the castle! Magic is dead! I repeat, Magic is dead! The man is still on the loose, anyone inside the castle call out! I know that there are thirteen yet to report!” Icy Joke’s vision became somewhat blurry and a new light filled the room, silence filled the hive link. Sombra deduced that the blurriness was what it was like to have a blind rage of a changeling, it was the closest Sombra has been able to see a changeling show emotion.
Through glowing green eyes.
“I heading out!” Icy did one final call as the link closed and no more whispers of thoughts were transmitted. Sombra sighed in relief, but didn’t waver his attention.
Icy galloped, no time wasting in trying to be secret, the man was seen just around the corner of his room and he wasn’t going to trust his watcher any longer. It took a couple of minutes of constant effort on keeping a high speed but it seemed that it was going to pay off as the back door for the servants came to sight.
“Almost out, just a little more.” Icy Joke commented statically, his eyes glow seemed to waver as he had calmed on the trotting. He was able to evade the man and that was enough. But as the door became more defined something else entirely caught Icy’s attention.
“Mein mut ist mir wetrübet gar...” A rambling voice could be heard clearly.
Right In front of him.
“How did it get in front of me?” Icy commented as statically as a changeling could ever do, but Sombra in the inside could feel the fear and anger behind it. Icy wanted to fight, but he was no fool.
“Vor Kummer muta ich sterben...” The second verse was all it took for Icy’s legs to make a quick turn and dash right where he came from. Moving with haste and stamina on the low the changeling made an effort to reach anything to save his hind.
Icy turned a corner, his legs slipping against the polished floor, he could now hear the thumping, the man did not need any more stealth with him. He accelerated as much as he could, giving it his all. And as he passed lightning speed in between each intersection, in one of them, to his right, he glanced and saw a small group of possible salvation.
‘Royal guards, perfect!’ Sombra heard echo in his mind, he was aware of the walls beginning to corrode and fall apart, he did not want to think of what it meant.
As Icy was going too fast he planned on going in a loop and enter the guards’ location from the other side. Sombra noticed about five seconds before Icy did.
There was no more thump sounds.
Icy noticed the lack of pursuit once he turned the corner. And he stopped completely. The memory began to shake.
There was the thing, the man that caused all the trouble, hiding in the shadows of a wall in between two windows. The black figure waiting in the shadows for him to arrive, the pathetic escape making it chuckle. Or it could be Icy’s mind playing tricks on him.
The memory became brighter as details from the background faded.
“H-hmphhmprh.” Icy’s throat was closed before he could blink, disguise forgotten as he wailed and struggled to get free, but the thing seemed to have taken a good practice in killing his kind as he couldn’t even deal an effective blow. He knew no effective spell in such a situation, and even if he did, he was still being grappled. He was going to die.
The oblivion of the hall began to fade as well, leaving an empty void in which Icy struggled to give his last spit on the creatures face.
His horn heated and glowed, the creature gripped tighter as the spell quickened. Icy did his best to recall everything he could of the night, not leaving anything out. The memory was barely sustaining, the creatures breathing and arms around Icy’s body was all that was left.
Icy turned his head as fast and hard as he could, eyes in full focus, he was not going to leave the spell go without one final detail, and thanks to his horn’s glow it was impossible not to see.
His killers face.
Then darkness and a crack resounding within it.
Sombra gasped hard as he fell on all his knees. He placed a hoof to his neck as if it hadn’t just recently felt it break.
“How many... more are dead?” Sombra asked between breaths, amazed, surprised and a little scared of the ordeal.
“Wow Prince, are you alright, you were having pretty bad in there, found anything useful?” Asked Kyong truly fascinated with the exchange, if not a little grossed out on the contact. Sombra simply glanced at the dragon as he nodded his head.
“To answer your question Prince Sombra, thanks to agent-commander eighty six fifty four, there was no more deaths after his own, and from the ones that remained I confirmed that your new ‘allies’ had a direct involvement. They are with Celestia.” The changeling said simply as if asking for the time of day.
“Yes,” Said the prince as he rose from his knees and looked at the changeling directly to the eyes, eyes that he was sure he was seeing a little more defined, “we need to have a chat tomorrow with the allies.”
_________________________________________________________________
All the pieces are at place, one small touch and chaos will reign. My enemies will soon be killed and the rest be raised, your harmonious works will be soon in vain.
Soon it shall begin.
Soon...