There had been a rearranging of the pecking order among the ghul tribes of the Abbor-Alz. Scythe Claw was dead. Dead by jinn hooves and jinn magic. The fire had been so powerful, that it had kept on going, shattering their grand statue of T’arek as well.
Blackwing picked through Scythe Claw’s old chamber. Formerly the leader of the tribe’s hunting parties, now he was the new agha. Ruler of the tribe. The one stuck with picking up the pieces.
Reaching the altar where Scythe Claw always conducted his rights and prayers, Blackwing picked up the small statue of T’arek that always rested on its surface. He stared at it, considering just what glory the dark lord had brought them. All the power he had given Scythe Claw had come for naught in the end. Snorting, he tossed the statue over one shoulder.
“Weak-weak.”
A cold wind rushed through the chamber, sending a chill straight through his bones. Blackwing gave a startled caw, hopping back from the altar, where the breeze seemed to have come from. But then he creeped forward again, poking around the stone slab. It turned out that there was a small alcove carved into the rock, where another statue had been stowed. It was covered in dust, apparently having been there for years.
The creature it depicted was hunched over it’s leather like wings, almost like a bat, were hunched forward partially shielding its head. Brushing the dust away with a talon, he took in the glittering red eyes made from small rubies that peered past a long, thin beak. Blackwing snorted. Another worthless trinket.
He was about to toss it aside when a soft murmuring sound rippled through the room. Blackwing blinked, twisting back towards the cave entrance, half expecting to see the braying naysayers that had doubted his rise standing there.
Nothing.
...show you greatness…
Blackwing turned his head back towards the statue, the whispering growing more intense.
And he listened.
- - - -
Every emir was crammed into the High Chamber today. Sultan Pirinc knew each of them by name and reputation, especially the sea of new faces among the old. The rebellious nobles were finally dealt with and banished from his lands, while their leader would remain locked up, and his hoof picked replacements were settling into their roles nicely. Now with the internal threats dealt with, Naqah could focus its attention on external matters.
“My friends,” he called, bringing the room to order, “I am pleased that our civil strife is now at an end. I would now like to call the chamber’s attention to the other matters on the docket. Starting with Tripalania.”
At the mention of their south-western neighbor, emir Isildayan Elmas immediately jumped to her hooves. The elegant camel was invested heavily in Naqah’s shipping concerns, so Pirinc wasn’t the least bit surprised at what she said.
“While we remain glad that Ofkeli Grev has been dealt with, there is one position he took that remained sound! We have dealt with the depredations of their raiders and pirates for long enough! Let Naqahn shot and Naqahn steel drive them from their coves and annex their little strip of land!”
The rest of the chamber erupted in cheer and the hammering of hooves on their tables. Again, Pirinc wasn’t surprised. Pirates were about as popular as Corona herself as far as the world was concerned. It was even an old bit of Equestrian legislation that declared pirates hostis creaturae generis. Literally, enemies of all creature kind. Removing the corsairs would make the seas safer for all.
“So be it.”
His eyes roamed down the page to the next, more tricky, item. To the north of Naqah, across the small crescent shaped sea of the same name, a collection of small pony kingdoms sat. Not part of the Equestrian hegemony, even their names seemed to change every few years, as governments changed and rearranged. And as Naqah’s nearest neighbors it sometimes felt like they were always mooching off their comparative wealth. The suggestion to annex them had come from emir Buyuk Dag.
The mountain of a camel didn’t wait for prompting, standing to his full height. “Honored sultan. In light of Corona’s actions against our nation, I believe that Naqah must advance and expand. These countries and the vast swathe of unclaimed land beyond them are our future.”
“I renew my objection to this absolute madness!”
The chamber looked at once towards the one non-emir in the room. Imam Kutsal Senaryo, head of the grand temple of the prophet, was fuming. The elder camel swept his gaze around the room, his whole body practically trembling with fury.
“The Pillars of the Dragon are very clear! Charity, benevolence, integrity! How is going out and building an empire- because that’s what you’re doing- follow any of that!”
“What about the charity for our citizens? Those are pony lands. We have already seen that pony and camel magic working in concert can achieve great things. It would help our nation truly thrive!”
The chamber exploded into fury of arguments as every emir began to shout over each other to make themselves heard. Sighing, Pirinc shook his head for a moment, before slamming his hoof against his table.
“ENOUGH!”
The babble ceased as quickly as it had began, everyone now focused on him.
“I will need time to consider this. We will revisit this decision next week. But, for now, I want the diplomatic corps to feel them out. See how willing they might be to join Naqah voluntarily. Now, leave me.”
He closed his eyes as the emir filed out of the chamber, focused on his own internal debate. Had he been paying closer attention, Pirinc might have noticed the shifty glances that passed between some of his newly raised nobles. He only opened his eyes again when a single set of hoof beats approached him again.
“Still unsure about Buyuk’s proposal?”
Sighing, Pirinc got to his hooves glancing towards his friend Parlak. “I hate it how he is both right and wrong at the same time. Here we sit, alone, the only camel land on the continent. Is it really wrong to want our country to be on a more even keel with Equestria? Should we make ourselves more powerful, in case Luna fails?
“The former...well, that is a question that every ruler struggles with at times. And the latter? That does assume Corona attacks. Assuming Luna fails.”
“What do you think the chance of that is?”
Parlak shrugged. “The Element Bearers are not soldiers. But they are clever and resourceful. I would say it comes down to how many forces Corona can bring to bear.”
Pirinc closed his eyes in thought again. “Send a message to Princess Luna. Naqah will officially back Equestria in any current or future conflicts with the Tyrant Sun.”
“...Are you sure that you wish to tie us so closely to Equestrian matters?”
“Corona was already willing to conduct an assassination to gain an advantage! I would argue that we’ve already become tied to Equestrian matters. And if we’re going to have the Tyrant Sun backing a rebellion in our back yard, then I would rather be damned for the full measure, rather than the half act.
“As you wish sultan.” Parlak bowed.
As Parlak strode off to see his will done, Pirinc offered a mental prayer to the prophet. May this world see nothing worse than the likes of Corona.
- - - -
A few thousand miles to the north, in the jagged mountains that formed the border between Equestria and the Griffin Kingdoms, Celestia’s volcano home was hidden. The solar alicorn sat upon her gilded throne, eyes closed in deep thought.
The offer from the Naqahn rebels had been sitting in the back of her mind since returning from the Contest of Champions. In a way, being approached to conduct an assassination was almost...delightfully quaint. As if she, Celestia, the dawn itself, was some common blade for hire! Had the rebel ambassador not mentioned the Army of Smoke and Fire, she might have thrown him into the lava then and there. As it stood, he remained her “guest”, in the volcano palace, so that its location wouldn’t be leaked. The Army of Smoke and Fire, and a Naqhan army to lure her sister’s forces away from Canterlot would be quite the prize. Still, actually conducting an assassination….
She opened her eyes to the sound of creatures entering her domain. Kindle, her voice and herald, was in the lead already bowing low in a sign of respect. Terrorwing and a few of the salamander tribe followed behind. While Terrorwings’ fowler than usual mood was something she’d have to ask about later, that wasn’t what truly caught Celestia’s eye. A jinn floated at Kindle’s side, slumped over and head hung. Celestia raised a flickering eyebrow.The elemental spirit’s melancholy was uncharacteristic. Usually, they were strictly as smart or emotional as the camel that controlled them. Unless….
“My queen, I have returned from Naqah with news.”
“What news of the Army of Smoke and Fire my faithful servant?”
“It has been...destroyed, by the Element Bearers.”
Celestia glowered but wasn’t surprised, if she was honest with herself. Those ponies had consistently proven themselves to be more capable than first guessed.
“Who is that jinn with you?”
“Bogucu Yangin. Choking Fire.”
It seemed that her guess was correct. This was one of the greater jinn that had risen in rebellion not long before her banishment. She could sense the power radiating off the jinn. The Army of Smoke and Fire may have been gone, but another opportunity might have just presented itself.
“Give me her anklet, then leave us.”
Crawling forward, Kindle popped off the platinum anklet and offered it to Celestia. The alicorn took it in her magic aura, loosely turning it over to examine its magic and construction, while Kindle backed out of the room. Slowly stepping down from her throne, she began to circle the jinn.
“There isn’t much that I need from you Yangin. I aim to take Canterlot and I will need your magic to help me do it. What say you?”
A flaming loogie struck her in the face, making her stumble back in shock. The flames might have been unable to hurt her, but Celestia wasn’t any less angry.
“Thou DAREST?!”
A deep laugh echoed through the throne room. Celestia shot a furious glare at the golden eye that peered in through the window. Solrathicharon, the ancient red dragon and her ally laughed again.
“My, is that a jinn I sense?”
“Yes. A very obstinate one!” Celestia said, practically spitting.
“Powerful though,” Sorlath said, tilting his head to peer at the anklet. “And a powerful trinket. Perhaps if she doesn’t wish to cooperate, o queen, she could join my hoard.”
Celestia was about to admonish the dragon for wasting her time, when Yangin raised a hoof into the air. She brought it down in a sharp stabbing motion, stomping it against the throne room floor. For a moment, Celestia wondered what the jinn had meant to accomplish with that gesture. But then there was a loud crack sound of stone tearing way from the volcano’s wall and a roar of shock and pain- more the former than the latter- followed by a splash of a large draconic body hitting the magma below.
Yangin now stood defiant glaring right at Celestia. “I may have just been given into bondage by my sister and one of the few beings I’ve trusted in my existence, but I have not fallen so low that I will tolerate rotting away in the hoard of a blind lizard! Do your worst o Tyrant Sun! If I am to die, I will die on my hooves!”
Celestia fumed, considering giving Yangin exactly what she wanted. But then a second thought stirred in the back of her mind. If she was depressed enough to not fear destruction, then a lighter, different touch would be required. Besides, the jinn’s statement about her sister...intrigued her.
Sorlath came soaring back out of the magma roaring with unrestrained fury. “Come out little jinn! I will show you exactly why that was a mistake.”
“Hold Sorlath.”
He growled at the truncated name as expected, before pulling away to fume somewhere else. Celestia regarded Yangin carefully for a moment before speaking.
“You have my sympathies. It’s not easy to feel the sting of betrayal from family.”
Yangin snorted back. “You’re a mad mare. You don’t know anything about how I feel.”
Celestia ignored the insult, beginning to slowly circle her. “I know that you’re asking yourself ‘Why?’. That you’re asking yourself what you missed, if it was something you did, or if there was something you could have done.”
Now some of the bravado seemed to leave Yangin, the fire of her mane falling lower. Putting on the nicest smile she could, Celestia placed a wing on her back. “Trust somepony that knows. You most likely did nothing. Sometimes...siblings just turn to darkness.”
Before she could react, Celestia found herself in the vice like grip of the jinn who was now sobbing. Celestia was frozen in place, eyes wide. For one of the few times in quite a long while, she didn’t know how to react. Yangin was neither afraid of her, nor interested in showing her the respect of her station.
“I should have looked harder! I...I thought she died during the rebellions! This is my fault!”
Bringing her wings around in a loose hug, Celestia picked up her train of thought again. Again, the light touch was needed here. “No. It is not. It is no more your fault than what happened between my sister and I. But the tragedy need not be the end of things.”
Vanishing out of her grip in a gust of wind, Yangin re-appeared across the room glaring at Celestia, anger and bitterness having replaced the sorrow.
“And this is where I learn to serve the solar throne? To kiss your golden shoes as some disposable minion?”
Celestia approached Yangin again, kept her face even. She wouldn’t rise to the jinn’s taunts and mood. “Actually, I had something else in mind. You and I, oddly enough, have a few things in common. We both have the the wisdom of age at our disposal. We both have traitorous siblings.”
“What are you saying?”
“When I take back Equestria from my own back stabbing sister, I will still need competent creatures to help run things as the government is reformed. What I offer you is a chance to be a part of that. You’d never have to worry about being bound, controlled, and made to grant wishes again.”
She could see Yangin beginning to waver, the jinn chewing on her lip. “Seriously? It was your pony who took me!”
“An eager servant, trying to make something out of a failed venture. It would never happen again. You would have a place in a new, shining Equestria. No pony would ever control you again.”
Drawing even with Yangin again, she placed the platinum anklet between the two of them.
“Bogucu Yangin...will you accept my friendship?”