//------------------------------// // Chapter 19: City of Sin // Story: The Watcher: Rise of the Purveyor // by GnollReader //------------------------------// Twilight gave a small grunt as she saddled her bags, they were filled to the brim with documents, the protocols of the day and countless requests for an audience with the purveyor... or Dorchadas, as the other deities called him. "What is wrong with them?" she huffed under the weight, "You'd think they'd be more cautious of someone like him..." Almost all of the deities had rushed her for a meeting with him, especially eagerly so once Fin'gre had proudly proclaimed he'd gotten dibs... what a silly word for something so serious. And the dragon deity, Nithhogr? He had been the strangest one of all. Granted, his mere appearance was impressive and all, but there was something about him that made her think he was enjoying this way too much. He hadn't even asked for an audience, he'd just told her that he'd keep in touch... "My, my... a new little alicorn." she mimicked his deep voice, "Give me a break..." she groaned, "This place is more like playhouse than an actual council! Don't any of them take their responsibilities seriously?" "Not as seriously as they should..." a hollow voice remarked behind her, "The real work for you will be to learn which ones you should be cautious of." Twilight whirled around as the purveyor walked up to her, his steps not making the slightest sound on the marble floor as his shadows slowly flowed after him. She let out a sigh, "Please don't surprise me like that..." she raised an eyebrow when she saw that Spike was accompanying him, "Spike? Where have you been?" she gave the dragon a questioning look, "What were you two doing?" "Nothing, Twilight." Spike almost stammered, he was looking considerably paler than his usual self and his eyes occasionally darted to the purveyor, "I... I just got lost and he showed me the right direction..." Twilight cast a questioning gaze towards the silent purveyor, "You did? Really?" "I did..." his reply was impassive and he tilted his head slightly to inspect her saddle bags, "Are those the results of this council?" "They certainly are..." she readjusted her shoulders, "Are all of these meetings going to end up with me carrying piles of paperwork?" "It is likely." Zaeres replied with the tiniest of smirks, "But it could take centuries for another council to take place..." "Thank the stars for that." Twilight muttered. "Except if there is a war, of course." he continued. "A war?" Spike watched his unmoving form with concern, "There's not going to be one soon, is there?" "At the current situation?" the purveyor paused, "Not likely. The power among the different races is balanced quite evenly and there a only a few notable pacts... it would be highly foolish for one of them to take action at this point." "You almost sound as if you are expecting one of them to do something foolish..." Twilight put on a frown, "Is there something I should know? One of them isn't secretly planning an invasion, or are they?" A soft laugh escaped Zaeres as he watched her, "Not that I know of... but only time will show what may happen." In truth, the current balance was anything but stable. There were no clear alliances, no certain enemies... and the old pacts were slowly losing footing. It could fall apart with a single word, a piece of information placed in the wrong hands... or in the right hands if he saw it fit... It would barely matter if the information was correct or not if used correctly. It felt strange to him to stand so at the center of it all... to have the power to tip the scale with a single word. He briefly wondered how long it would take Twilight to realize she would hold part of this power as well... and what use she would make of this potential he had given her. He pushed aside the thought for the moment, there was still too much work to be done. Right now, though... he addressed Twilight, "Are you ready to depart?" "Already?" Twilight asked in surprise, "I mean... of course I want to go as soon as possible..." she seemed hesitant, "But what about Spike?" The purveyor gave the dragon a short look, "He can accompany us." "I don't know..." she cast Spike a careful gaze, "Won't it be dangerous?" "There is no danger. Your concerns are without reason." "What are you talking about?" Spike asked. "I have promised Twilight to... give her access to certain knowledge in exchange for her services. The place we are about to travel holds this knowledge." the purveyor explained, "You should accompany us, I am sure you will find the experience... enlightening." Spike gave the purveyor an uncertain gaze, "If you say so..." he turned to Twilight, "I don't mind, I'll come along too." "Really?" Twilight asked, "I mean if it is really fine with you and there really isn't any danger..." "We should depart..." the purveyor interrupted them, "We have spent enough time here already and I still have work to do. Stand close to one another..." Spike carefully took a place next to Twilight, "Are you ready?" Twilight watched the shadows from his form start to dance unsteadily, a feeling of worry washing over her as he stepped closer and towered above them with both arms outstretched, "Ready for what?" Zaeres allowed the void to detach itself from him, enveloping both Twilight Sparkle and Spike in a roaring shroud of darkness, "To see the forgotten sins of the alicorns with your own eyes..." The purveyor performed the phase shift... and the three vanished, leaving behind a shroud of shadows that gradually fell apart until nothing remained. --- The few seconds that Twilight spent in the void would forever haunt her... the roaring darkness, the absolute black that surrounded her... and the whispers of countless voices washing over her like a tidal wave. It was terrifying, yet she felt strangely exhilarated at the same time. So many secrets waited in the void, so many things hidden from the world and forgotten by time. She felt... like it was waiting for her. And him... Twilight couldn't see the purveyor, not even hear him as his silent whispers carried them through the endless expanses of the void... but she could feel him. His presence... Twilight couldn't even begin to describe it... She had spent years next to princess Celestia and princess Luna, both powerful deities in their own right... but he. There was something fundamentally different about him. Celestia and Luna were deities, connected deeply to their individual elements... but only connected. He though... Twilight couldn't find another way to describe it, no matter how impossible it seemed... but he wasn't just connected to it... he was the void itself. It took her a moment to realize it, but here... he was a god. But then the moment was over and she felt her hooves make contact with hard ground, the sudden return of gravity almost making her fall over. Next to her, she heard a soft thud as Spike presumably landed on his back. When the void started to return to the purveyor's form and Twilight was finally able to see again she found herself lost in staring at the sight before her. "No way..." Spike whispered in awe. Down in a valley before them, countless spires of pure, white marble spiraled towards the sky, their surfaces decorated in delicate and intricate designs of gold while between the towers a sheer endless maze of blooming gardens, fountains and statues stood in a silence that had not been broken for thousands of years. "Welcome..." the purveyor spoke softly as he stepped past the two, "To the lost capital of the alicorn kingdom."