Twilight awoke with a snort at the sound of banging on her door. “I’m awake! I’m awake…” she said as the photo that had stuck to her face fell to the floor. The purple unicorn yawned as she picked it up, her brain still partially asleep as she looked at it.
The photograph depicted the back of the first person to surrender to the Equestrians since this whole thing began. The creature’s hide was a scaly green, not too different from Spike’s, to be honest, though Ammon clearly lacked the spines that ran down the center of a dragon’s back. It was actually quite interesting how similar, while at the same time how completely alien, he was from one of Equestria’s oldest species.
As she stared at the scaly, scar covered back, though, she couldn’t help but feel as if she were missing something. Something that someone had told her before, that didn’t quite match up with the information in her arcane grip.
Before she was able to grasp what it was, though, whomever was at her door knocked again, causing her to drop the photo in surprise. “I’m coming!” she said as she hastily got up from her desk.
As she opened the door, she was surprised to find several armed guards standing at attention just outside, Their golden armor shimmered in the soft glow of the castle crystals, giving her the strangest impression that she was still asleep. “Um… may I help you?” she asked, a little bewildered.
“Miss Sparkle? I have orders to see you and the other elements moved to a safer location,” the unicorn said stiffly.
“What? Safer location? What happened?” Twilight asked, still a bit groggy from waking up.
The soldier took in Twilight’s unkempt appearance, as well as her messy bed head, and immediately made the connection. “Have you been asleep this whole time?” he asked her. When he didn’t get an immediate answer, he just sighed in exasperation. “Canterlot is under siege, Miss Sparkle.”
“Siege? but what about the Princesses?” Twilight asked in confusion. “And what about the other towns and cities nearby? I’m not going to just sit in some panic room while ponies are dying!”
“That’s just the thing, Miss Sparkle,” the soldier said grimly. “They’re not here for the people, or the other towns. They’re here for you and your friends.”
* * *
“Ma’am, something strange is happening!” a corporal said as he rushed into the command center.
Lieutenant Feather just groaned at that. The word ‘strange’ never meant interesting or funny anymore these days; all it meant was that the enemy was about to throw something new at them. “What is it, soldier?”
“The zombies at the train tunnels; they’ve stopped! The ones at the mouth of the nearest opening are all looking down, as if waiting for something…”
The lieutenant swore at this. “Go back to observing, corporal. Alert me the moment they change their behavior.”
“But… ma’am, what do you think it means?” the corporal asked before taking off again.
“It means we need to double the guard I sent to the castle,” the lieutenant said as she motioned to one of her warrant officers. “Breaker! Take a platoon and reinforce the ponies stationed in the castle basement.”
“Ma’am, do you think that’ll leave you enough to repel them here?” Breaker ask uneasily.
“Not really, but I don’t need to repel them. I just need to hold for a day,” Feather answered with a nervous grin. “The Moon’s Ascent is on its way, and if worst comes to worst, we’ll pull out the local militia to help us.”
Breaker gave her a dubious look at that. “Those kids? Ma’am, most of them have never used a weapon, much less seen any sort of combat.”
Lieutenant Feather didn’t respond, choosing instead to just stare at the map, her gaze hopeless.
“R-Right, I’ll get on that,” Breaker stuttered as he left the command post.
Lieutenant Feather didn’t respond, or even acknowledge Breaker’s departure. She was too busy trying to maintain her composure for that.
“That leaves me with three hundred soldiers… and two hundred militia… five hundred in all, against a force of five thousand…” Feather muttered as she sat down on her rump. “We’ll be lucky if we last for ten minutes, much less a full freaking day, once those things break through…”
Lieutenant Feather let her head slump to the table, her hope running dry. Sure, that Ammon creature had discovered a hole in Canterlot’s security, but that had been hours ago, and there had been no word from him since. For all they knew, he was already dead, or had fled Canterlot like a sinking ship.
“I… I can’t give up hope yet…” Lieutenant Feather mumbled to herself. “I have a charge to protect this city and its people. I cannot let them down.”
Her words felt hollow, however. Feather had no illusions as to what would happen to this city; without their big guns, and with their new (and suspicious) friend missing, it was only a matter of time before the undead swept through the city streets, killing everything that got in their way.
“It’s hopeless…” Lieutenant Feather said as a dark shadow grew around her.
* * *
Izolda knew something was wrong. While she couldn’t really see much from her position on Ammon’s belt, that last scuffle had left him stumbling away from the light as fast as he could. It didn’t take him long to regain his footing, but he never stopped swearing under his breath.
“Ammon, what happened?” she asked, a bit worried.
“I got stupid, didn’t think he’d react that fast,” the lizard said with a grunt. “There’s… there’s just too many. He’s got too many under his control. Maybe if I could lure a few away, I might have a chance one on one. But him controlling them all like that? He’ll see through any tactic I make like that in an-” he said, but stopped mid sentence.
Izolda didn’t have to ask, she already knew what was happening. “Must have some way to track you. Keep moving, you’re dead if he catches you,” she said as she listened to the distant stomping coming closer.
“I don’t think I can stay ahead of them,” she heard Ammon say with a gulp.
“Why? What happen?”
“Well, the hall I ran through led to a shaft straight up. Normally this thing would be no problem for me, except…”
“...Except what?” she asked, trying to keep him talking.
“Except I’m pretty sure that last hit cut something important in my arm, I can’t even move the darn thing,” he finally said with a hiss. “Even if he didn’t follow me up here, I’m pretty sure that I’ll bleed out before I can reach the top of the shaft. After all, I’ll only have two working limbs, and a partially busted leg to haul me up, and this thing’s bleeding pretty bad...”
Izolda swore at this. If she could, she would have been shaking her head in disbelief. “I’m surprised you not screaming pain.”
“Oh, don’t worry, as soon as the adrenaline wears off, that’s the first thing on my list of things to do,” he said, his voice having that scared, humorous quality that Izolda had heard from her patients before.
“Ammon, how much time we have?” she asked quickly.
“Not sure, but it has to be at least a few minutes. He doesn’t move too fast, and I booked it pretty quickly,” Ammon answered.
“Then put me against cut and hold there. No matter how bad hurts, cannot let go, understand?” she asked him.
“Why? You got some sort of painful, yet useful healing power?” Ammon asked as Izolda heard him draw his knife. There was a cutting sound, followed by the sensation of weightlessness, which was quickly replaced by a dull, distant pain as she landed on the stone floor of the cave.
“Ow… not exactly. Have power of fire, can cauterize wound, to keep from bleeding out,” she said as Ammon picked her up again.
There was a pause at that, before she felt a wetness on the back of her head. “Just do it, I’m probably going to die anyway, so there’s no use even thinking about it.”
There was a pause as Izolda focused her attention on that wetness. She could feel the fire that raged inside her, so she called to it, dredging it up and focusing it on that spot on her helmet. She didn’t release enough of it to catch the air, or the person holding the helmet, on fire; just enough to turn the back of her helmet into a bright, cherry red.
“GHAAH!” Ammon screamed at the top of his lungs. Yet, even as he screamed, he still held the helmet steady against his arm, trusting her despite the pain that seared his flesh.
Izolda counted under her breath, then stopped her power, cooling the helmet instantly once she was sure that the wound had been sufficiently seared. “Okay, you should be able climb without fear of blood loss,” she said quickly.
She felt him let go, then a dull pain as she hit the ground again. “Holy… that freaking hurt…” she heard him gasp, his voice sounding as if he were in tears.
Izolda was about to say something else, but stopped when she felt her patron’s breath on the ear that she didn’t have. “Even though he’s stopped bleeding, he won’t be able to climb high enough to escape them…”
“Hah… hah… okay… I think I can do this,” Izolda heard Ammon say, though honestly she wasn’t paying attention to him at that point.
“He won’t survive this. You know this, so why help him?” her patron continued to whisper to her.
“Just… just give me a second. I’ve never done something like this before…” she heard the lizard mumble as some sort of warm, living rope wrapped itself around her helmet.
“You will, though. You’ll survive so long as a single piece of your armor remains. You can abandon this helmet, and wait until you can find another one…”
“We… we have to get up there… warn the ponies… before it’s too late…” Ammon said as she felt him unsteadily mount the wall. Even though Izolda could see a faint light down the tunnels, heralding the lizard’s approaching demise, he still pushed forward, hoping that he could somehow get out of this alive. Not only that, but get out in time to be of use to others!
A hope that both she, and her patron, knew was in vain.
“You know what to do.”
“Yes, i do,” Izolda thought back grimly as she called upon her power once again. This time, however, she didn’t bring the heat up to the levels where it would hurt the already injured lizard. No, this time she just wanted to startle him into dropping her.
“Ow! What the…? Izolda… what are you-” Ammon started to say as Izolda fell to the cavern floor. He was cut off, however, by The Knight of Dawn’s voice.
“Get out of here, warn ponies. I protect your rearguard,” she said grimly.
“Don’t be silly… You’re just a helmet! What could you possibly-”
“No argue! Just go! Maybe someday you see, you know. But today, you run, you live. Just… make sure find replacement helmet for body,” she said as the light grew closer and closer.
Izolda heard the lizard start to scamper back down, but took a bit of satisfaction when he stopped, the billowing wave of heat she was emitting clearly deterring him from doing what she knew he would be doing. With a brilliant flash, the area around Izolda lit up as pure fire magic condensed around her, causing the air to shimmer and distort, as well as the stone to melt around her. She could still barely see through the haze that she was causing, but she didn’t really care.
After all, she really didn’t need to see in order to go through with her plan.
“What do you think you are doing?” the voice whispered in her ear again. She was surprised, however, when instead of being demanding or angry, it was… curious.
“Shut up. I don’t care if I’m breaking your rules, I won’t lose another one!” she snarled at the voice.
“No, that’s not what I meant. If you simply release all your power uncontrolled like this, you’ll cook the very person you’re trying to save,” The Herald said in a matter-of-fact sort of voice.
“…”
“Instead, try directing your power out through the front of your helmet. You’ll find that will not only work far better, but also give your friend a bit of a chance,” The Herald advised.
“You’re… you’re not mad?” Izolda asked as she did as the voice directed.
“Mad? With you? After a show of loyalty like that?” The voice asked, his tone completely mild. “I had my doubts about you at first, but we’ll make a knight out of you yet!”
“I… I don’t understand…” Izolda said as her helmet began to crack under the strain.
“No, you don’t. Give it time, though, and one day you might,” The Herald said as the world around Izolda disappeared in a river of molten stone.
* * *
“Wait… wait… hold up, what in the name of me was that all about?” The Queen of Shadows asked in shock.
The Herald just gave her a flat look. “Why are you still here?” he asked, clearly not amused by her continued presence.
“I like watching how things go after I get knocked out,” The Queen said stiffly. “Despite the wins under my belt, I’m still fairly new at this, and I could do with some pointers. Especially given the experience of some of the members of this game.”
The Herald just gave a snort at that. “If that is your wish, then stay. But you’re not getting anything from me.”
Desolation just snorted at that. “Oh, come now, Herald! The you could stand to explain a little about why you pulled that little mind game with your own champion. After all, you did make Defiler nearly explode with that little stunt. Don't you want to gloat a little? Revel in your victory?”
All he got from The Herald was silence.
After a few seconds of this, someone piped up. “The Herald plays for different stakes, and reasons, than you do,” The Lover said, redirecting all attention towards her. “He doesn’t play for control, or power, or destruction. He plays his own game pushed by his own reasons. You just happen to be playing on the same board, and by the same rules, that he does.”
“Well, if that’s true, then if he completes his objective before the game is over, will he withdraw?” Defiler asked, his gaze smoldering with anger.
“How would I know? I am not him,” The Lover said quietly.
Defiler huffed at that, then slumped down and glared at the two across the table. “That was a pretty decent move, but I still have about half of my original forces down there. One hundred of my Renders are enough to turn the garrison to mush, and you expect to beat three hundred of them? That’s not even counting the other forces knocking at the door. You two still have next to no chance at winning this.”
The Lady smiled at that, her gaze flashing in glee as she stared down the table at her opponent.
Defiler suddenly felt very nervous for some reason.
“Herald? If you would please?” The Lady asked as she held her hand out to the being next to her. He dutifully handed her the dice, which clicked together ominously as they fell into her grip. “Now, if we may continue? My next move will be here.”
As The Lady reached for the board, The Deceiver suddenly stood up, his face a mask of rage. “What do you think you’re doing? That piece isn’t yours, it’s a neutral!”
“Actually, it has been her piece the moment that she freed it from The Queen’s control. In fact, all of those pieces have been hers, whether they know it or not,” Fate said, rapping his cane against the floor.
Deceiver just shook his head at that. “Be that as it may, she cannot give orders to that piece unless it is near her champion, or inside her temple!”
“Uh, Deceiver? You should-” Desolation started to say, but was ignored as the Deceiver continued his rant.
“Not only that, but you don’t have a temple! You chose not to place one in favor of spawning your hero near Devourer’s hero!”
“Deceiver,” Fate said, his eyes flashing dangerously. “You’re forgetting what is defined as a temple.”
Deceiver just snorted at that. “What? ‘A temple is a structure that is placed on the first turn, to increase the player’s presence, as well as empower that player’s champion and act as a fortress should he need to retreat’! How am I forgetting-”
He was interrupted, however, as The Lady finished his quote for him. “Alternatively, any place that has a strong connection with the player’s aligned power may also serve as a temporary temple, though its ability to channel the player’s power is significantly diminished. Pieces inside the temple cannot receive the player’s blessing in these temporary temples, though they may still receive instruction. The champion of that player is the exception to this rule, though the boon he may receive cannot be above level four in power.’”
The Deceiver looked at The Lady carefully at that, then quickly reached for his own rulebook. After a few seconds, he slammed the book closed and grunted in frustration. “I really wouldn’t call that disgusting pit a temple…” he said grudgingly.
“Nevertheless, it has a strong connection to my aligned power, and I may direct my pieces as I wish there,” The Lady said smugly. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have a move to make.”
The Deceiver just grunted in defeat at that. He knew where this was headed, and he didn’t like it.
It was time to accelerate his plans.