"The training camps have been fully rationed," said a clerk, standing at the far end of a tent erected within Frostknife. He levitated a clipboard with his horn and continued speaking: "According to the latest reports, drills have started morning, noon, and night. The field officers state that the new recruits should be battle-hardy in approximately two months at the very least."
"Very well," Brye Chandler said with a nod. He sat at his desk, scribbling his name onto the latest document. "Send a communication to the Central Guard. Tell them that I am continuing with the plan to establish new military stations along the western shoreline." He grabbed another sheet of paper, unrolled it, and signed his name once more. "Once the Rainbow Rogue has been dealt with, we'll need to establish a military perimeter around Rohbredden." His brow furrowed. "No more monsters from beyond the Blight must be allowed to enter our Queen's lands."
"And what of the Colonialist Initiative?" the clerk asked. "I've had several military aides requesting an update. What shall I tell them, Defense Minister?"
Chandler took a deep breath. "Tell them that I must deliberate with the Council before any concrete plans can be made for a campaign in the west." He clenched his jaw muscles. "But give them my full assurance that—should the Council agree with my strategies—then we shall need every able-bodied recruit from the current training regiment in order to resupply the western stations."
"Aye, sir."
"We've been complacent for far too long," Chandler said. "Unless we want a repeat of the Rainbow Rogue, we must endeavor to suppress any and all incursion across the Seven Seas and beyond. Our Goddess would... expect no... less..." His worlds trailed off upon hearing the fervent rattling of armor, accompanied by scraping talons.
The tent flap opened, and three soldiers covered in fresh frost marched in, accompanied by Frostknife guards. A breathless griffon removed his helmet, revealing a ruffled neck of feathers. He stood before Chandler's desk, staring at the pony with bright, anxious hawkeyes.
"Defense Minister. I have been sent here from the southernmost battallion stationed within the Star Fringes to deliver some urgent news."
"What is it?" Brye Chandler stood up straight. "Is it the Rainbow Rogue?" His eyes narrowed. "Has she been caught?"
The griffon grimaced. "I... wish I could be even remotely as reassuring, sir."
Chandler blinked. His ears drooped...
Frostknife was abuzz with panic, confusion, and anger.
Ponies and griffons clambered across the platforms and clifffaces. They surged like a river of stammering souls, flowing north until they flooded the walkways immediately surrounding the Council of Verlaxion. A thick line of armored guards held the public back, desperate to maintain order.
"What's happening?!"
"The Rainbow Rogue has struck again! Hasn't she?!"
"What news from the north?! The foals of Verlaxion have the right to know!"
"Please! Somepony! Anypony! Tell me what's going on!"
"My h-husband was sent north along with his entire unit! Please... in the name of Verlaxion... tell m-me he still lives!"
"Is our Goddess safe?!"
"Why haven't we h-heard from her again?!"
The guards did their best to hold the raving crowd back.
Meters north and past them, the Court of Verlaxion lingered under a dreadful hush. Every seat was full of dumb-stricken magistrates, giving ear to the words of the Defense Minister.
"After the twelfth hour of silence had passed, both the Seventh and Ninth Regiments sent a pair of scouts to the last known location of the Eighth Regiment," Brye Chandler said. He stood beside Grand Magistrate Hymmnos, staring over the podium and at the many delegates with a somber expression. "They investigated the site where the Eighth Regiment had been assigned to lay in ambush for the Rainbow Rogue. What they discovered... was an anomalous ridge of freshly formed ice and snow—marring the otherwise flat plateau situated within the heart of the Star Fringes. Upon closer examination... they found multiple bodies... freshly frozen bodies, several of which indicated bruised limbs and the scars of combat. The Seventh and Ninth Regiments converged upon the site and performed a more detailed investigation. After ten hours of excavation... they reached a body count... of no less than fifty members of the Central Guard..."
The Council's delegates murmured in horror. Gawking magistrates exchanged pale expressions. Sea ponies flickered multiple colors from within their translucent chambers.
Brye Chandler continued: "The state... of the corpses discovered match those uncovered from past encounters with Rohbredden's most ancient foe..." He shuddered, staring ahead as he spoke: "It is the professional opinion of the military coroners that the Eighth Regiment had been executed by a herd of windigoes..." The Council exploded in commotion. Nevertheless, he grimly finished with: "Meanwhile, the location of the Rainbow Rogue and her nefarious allies remains unknown."
"Windigoes attacked the Eighth Regiment?!" magistrates stammered.
"None of the battallions are equipped to deal with such fiends!"
"Why would Queen Verlaxion allow such a travesty?!"
"Isn't it obvious?! Our Goddess has grown weak in the wake of our sins and hubris! The Rainbow Rogue is corralling the monsters of old to lay siege to her throne and all who serve to defend it!"
Hymmnos reached past Chandler, slamming her gavel. "Order! We will not make gross generalizations in this Court!" Her brow furrowed. "The Defense Minister is not yet done with his report!" She exhaled more calmly, glancing aside. "Chandler?"
Chandler gulped, then struggled to keep his voice straight. "After strategizing with the head officials of the Central Guard... we have mutually agreed that the untimely demise of the entire Eighth Regiment is a sure sign that our line of defense around Starkiss has broken." Frightful murmurs filled the air as he continued. "It is safest to assume that the Rainbow Rogue—aided by windigoes or not—has likely advanced upon the Throne of Verlaxion. To that end, I have sent messengers to our ambush squads situated within the Star Fringes with the express command to fall back. As we speak, the First through Fifteenth Regiments are relocating themselves east, congregating along the western slopes of Starkiss."
"To what end?!" A magistrate frowned. "Nothing in our arsenal has ever... ever been able to counterract the power of windigoes!"
"Without the Queen's blessing, all of our soldiers are doomed!" stammered another. "Now you expect the remaining batallions of the Central Guard to place themselves directly in the path of the Rainbow Rogue and these ancient abominations?!"
Chandler growled, "Need I remind you that the Goddess' very own safety is at stake?!" The Court instantly silenced at that. He frowned and spoke on: "Neglecting to risk our flesh and blood for her is what got us into this compromising position to begin with! Now I have been charged by the words of Verlaxion herself to protect our beloved Queen at all costs, and that is precisely what I am prepared to do! And so is every soldier enlisted in the Central Guard!" After a calming breath, he leaned back and said, "We have considered every conceivable option, and the only way to protect the Throne of Verlaxion at this point is to concentrate all forces on Starkiss itself! If the Rainbow Rogue is indeed making her way into the heart of Rohbredden, we shall meet her and stop her. By the Goddess' grace, Verlaxion shall recognize our faith and humility and aid our soldiers in fending off the abominable windigoes. History teaches us that it was total commitment that led to Unification in the first place." He fought a lump in his throat. "And it is what we must rely on now."
The delegates collectively hung their heads in sullen silence.
"My... our hearts go out to every fallen soldier and their families," Chandler said in a dry voice. "This is the cost of war. And—like it or not—we are very... very much at war right now." His nostrils flared. "There will be a time for grieving. As of this moment, our only function is to fight. You have my full assurance that I am working on contingencies every hour of every day to eliminate the threat of the Rainbow Rogue and all other monsters of the Blight." A deep inhale. "That is all." He stepped away from the podium.
Hushed murmurs filled the Court, allowing for the sounds of clambering citizens to flood in from the rest of Frostknife beyond. Random magistrates hopped down from their seats, stumbling towards Chandler and asking a flood of questions.
A group of guards gathered tightly around the Defense Minister, holding back the delegates as they escorted the stallion out of the courtyard. Stumbling along, Chandler closed his eyes and rubbed his aching skull with a shivering hoof.
Later, at night...
Hymmnos raised a glass of wine to her muzzle. She took a slow, tiny sip, then continued gazing out onto the torch-lit bluffs looming directly outside her office.
"It took another three hours before I was able to dismiss the representatives of the Council," the Grand Magistrate murmured. "Normally, I would have been... more forceful in ending a session. However, that's a frailty of the past... one of the many sins that has brought the Blight upon us." She glanced at her glass, sighing. "...and has assailed our beloved Unifier."
Chandler stood across from her. "I've been hard at work ever since I delivered my report, Grand Magistrate," he said. "Reinforcements are being sent to Starkiss. I won't rest..." He shook his head. "Not for one moment... not until the Rainbow Rogue is stopped—"
"There are those within the Council who feel that the Rainbow Rogue is more than a creature that can be slain or tamed, Defense Minister," Hymmnos remarked. "Word around Frostknife is that she's a force... a manifestation of the reckoning that is upon us for years and years of neglecting to honor Verlaxion and her faithful labors."
Chandler frowned. "I don't believe that for a second, Grand Magistrate. I believe whole-heartedly that this monster can be stopped."
Hymmnos calmly pivoted around until she was facing him. "But... until a week ago... you didn't believe in much of anything at all, did you, Mr. Chandler?"
The stallion stood stock still.
Hymmnos sighed. She stared at her glass, drank the rest of its contents, and murmured, "We stand here... and we speak of what's righteous and what's honorable... and in the meantime it's all of our younger brothers and sisters who are dying on the battlefield... suffering the frozen sting of ancient curses that have resurfaced after eons to haunt us." She swallowed. "That a jaded Magistrate and a former atheist should be the ones leading this kingdom in a time of belated redemption is a truly bitter case of irony indeed."
"I... admit that I am new to concepts of destiny and atonement, Grand Magistrate," Chandler said. "But let us not forget that I was the one chosen by the Word of Verlaxion to lead her forces at this time of great peril."
"Please..." Hymmnos chuckled, hobbling over to her desk and placing her glass down. "I find it hard to forget, each and every day."
Chandler clenched his teeth.
She leaned against her furniture, sighing. "... ... ...the wages of our sins shall continue to torment us long after the Rainbow Rogue is dead and buried." Her brow furrowed. "You think I don't know what you have planned for the Colonialist territories in the west, Minister?" She sighed. "Whatever may happen for the extent of our lifetimes, I doubt that we can claim them as 'victories.' I only hope... that somewhere amidst the suffering to come... we will at last have made the Goddess' will manifest."
"I... am only doing what I've been tasked with, Grand Magistrate," Chandler said in a dry tone.
"I'm quite aware," Hymmnos remarked. "And you don't have my envy."
Chandler blinked.
Hymmnos stood up straight, pivoting to face him. "Defense Minister... you must stop the Rainbow Rogue at all costs. Whatever tactics you are currently employing, they are obviously not working. It doesn't take a military strategist to see that. Even a child can tell how swiftly things are going south."
"I am doing the best that I can with the resources given to me."
"Then—for Verlaxion's sake, as well as your own—you must learn to do better than 'your best.'" Hymmnos took a fuming breath, trotting past him. "Take it from somepony who's quite familiar with being helpless. True humility involves looking past your own limitations for guidance."
Chandler frowned, shaking slightly.
"...you're excused, by the way," the Grand Magistrate said.
On stomping hooves, Chandler marched through the entrance of his tent.
He paced back and forth, fuming.
At last, he leaned against his desk. His eyes clenched shut. His teeth gnashed.
"Rrrrmmmm—"
With a furious snarl, he flung his desk across the floor.
"—rrraaaaugh!" Crash! As the papers and documents flew, he stood in place, shivering... panting...
Armor rattled as two guards rushed into the canvas office.
"Defense Minister!"
"Mr. Chandler, is everything okay—?!"
"I'm fine!" Chandler barked. He stood in place, shaking. "I'm..." A lingering breath. "...I'm fine. At ease, soldiers."
The guards exchanged glances. Clearing his throat, one bowed and said, "If you should need anything, sir... anything whatsoever—"
"Nopony can give me what I need," Chandler murmured. He rubbed his brow with a sigh. "Goddess help me..."
The guards stared in awkward silence. Bowing out, they prepared to make their exit—
"...wait."
The soldiers scuffled to a stop.
Chandler sighed... then sighed harder. He opened his dull eyes, staring forward with a dead expression. His ears drooped as he summoned the courage to say: "I need an escort..."
"An escort, sir?" asked one guard.
"Where do you wish to go?" asked the other.
Chandler hesitated. He bit his lip... fighting the urge to say what needed to be said. It wouldn't be long until he gave in...
Petite blue hooves scuffled over a stretch of cold gray rock.
Rainbow gulped, staring forward at the violet figure marching firmly down the lengths of a winding granite corridor.
"You've put it off for long enough, Rainbow," Twilight Sparkle said. She floated beside the pegasus, looking at her. "Before Verlaxion... before the edge of the world... you must confront this obstacle."
"Yeah! Just talk to her, Dashie!" Pinkie insisted. "It's just a hop, skip, and a jump! Er... with your tongue! Tonge hops and skips!"
"Easy for you to say," Rainbow muttered, glaring as she shuffled along. "She didn't smash you to a pulp."
"You've talked to her before, darling," Rarity said. "And, besides, hasn't she sworn to protect you?"
"Yeah... in her own style of 'protection,'" Rainbow grumbled. "Which I'm still not very cool with."
"One way or another, she respects you, Rainbow," Fluttershy said. "If that was the case, would you truly have survived all this time?"
"She could at least have shown respect for a lot more ponies," Rainbow said.
"Perhaps." Twilight nodded. "But I think we've learned by now that even Divines can't do everything."
"Yeah, except Verlax!" Pinkie said. A lavender hoof swatted her head. "Ow!" She rubbed her scalp, frowning. "Really? This early in the morning?"
Twilight sighed and smiled at Rainbow. "She's taken great risks to be in the position she's in... and all for the sake of escorting the Austraeoh. Shouldn't that count for something, Rainbow?"
"Mrmmmf..." Rainbow clenched her jaws. "Tell that to the ponies she could have saved in Aridstone... and Lerris..."
Remna's voice echoed from up ahead: "If you're going to despise me, at least do so to my face, Austraeoh."
Rainbow's marefriends winced.
Their anchor frowned. "Believe it or not, I didn't come all the way up here to hate on you."
"Then what brought you here?" Remna maintained her brisk pace. "I'm busy scouting ahead."
"Which is redundant, 'cuz I've got Rarity checking on the landscape twenty-four seven."
"Speaking of which, darling!" Rarity spoke in a chipper voice. "We haven't much to go before the cavern opens up to the surface again—"
"That wasn't a request for an update, Rares."
"Oh..." Rarity upturned her nose and folded her forelimbs. "Very well, then. Carry on with your brooding conversation."
"Return to Mortuana's side, Austraeoh," Remna muttered. "You're safer in the center of the caravan."
Rainbow sighed, galloping until she trotted side by side with Remna. "You and I both know that Mortuana won't last forever, Axan."
"She still have some energy in her left—"
"We need to own up to the fact that she likely won't make it to the Throne of Verlaxion." Rainbow frowned. "You and I need to face reality... and that reality is one in which you and I have to share the full extent of this journey together."
Remna stared ahead, jaw muscles clenched.
"Because that's the nature of the beast, isn't it?" Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "If you really... truly want to get me to the Midnight Armory, then that means you're coming along for every step of the way."
"I am not concerned with my steps," Remna murmured. "Only with the Austraeoh's."
"Unnngh..." Rainbow rolled her eyes.
"It is your safety that matters above all else."
"Can I ask you something, Axan?"
"You may attempt to."
Rainbow huffed. "Exactly when did you switch from being a giant pony-tormenting freakazoid and become a selfless guardian of Austraeoh?"
"I fail to see the difference between what I used to be and how I employ my talents now."
Rainbow gnashed her teeth. "You destroyed an entire kingdom," she growled. "I watched with my own eyes as you roasted Silvadelians alive and sent your broodlings out to eat them alive!"
Fluttershy whimpered, shivering. Rarity held her gently, patting her shoulder as she glared at the violet mare.
Remna exhaled. "I was protecting the sanctity of my nest," she said. Her eyes turned to green slits and reverted back between breaths. "My brood depended on me and I depended on my hoard. If anything challenged that—mortal or otherwise—then I compromised my power as a draconian matriarch."
"And all for what? To die in angsty seclusion while the world wasted away around you? Was that really worth sacrificing an entire culture of innocent ponies over?"
"It... was a misguided decision on my part, admittedly."
Rainbow breathed evenly. "Well, that's nice to hear at least."
"I meant my motives within the knowledge of the world's dying state," Remna said. "I couldn't have cared less for the feculent mortals who stood in the way of my nest."
Rainbow groaned.
"Alright, perhaps you are right, Rainbow," Rarity muttered. "This cretin is most detestably hopeless."
"Axan... it's..." Rainbow tongued the inside of her mouth. "...nifty that you've turned a new leaf in wanting to protect this piece of Urohringr and all that jazz."
"Duly noted."
"But..." Rainbow glared at her as they shuffled past a line of stalagmites. "It takes more than just... heroic actions to be a hero. You gotta change who you are and what you believe in."
"It is not my desire to be a hero."
"You wanna save the world, don't you?" Rainbow's voice cracked. "That's pretty heroic, don't you think?"
"Such is your position to fill," Remna droned. "I am merely an accessory to it." Her violet nostrils flared. "It is not a choice that came easily."
"What, did you want the world to die off for the longest time?"
"It's not a matter of the ends, but rather the means." Remna exhaled hard. "If I had my choice, then the Austraeoh wouldn't be the means of redeeming this dying realm."
"Just what would you prefer?"
"The Divines were birthed on this plane long before the alicorns arrived. Seems only fitting that we would be the ones to bring about its salvation."
"Sturke seems like a pretty cool gal," Rainbow said. "You could work with her, can't you? Some way or another?"
"I've attempted to. We've communicated at great lengths from long distance." Remna sighed. "Alas... she has grown weak over time."
"So?" Rainbow shrugged. "Strength isn't everything. You've said so yourself."
"What it takes to save this world is a persistent, tenacious spirit," Remna remarked. "That is long gone from what remains of my siblings and I. We are all fragmented, dying shells of what we once were. Even Endrax—for all her might—could not maintain herself on the Light Side. She vacated to the far end, a bold but foolish maneuver. Now, I sense, she has suffered for her endeavors. I am finally starting to understand the fact that the torch has been passed. The fate of this plane lies in the hooves of mortals... and I couldn't feel even more nauseated."
"Does it really burn you up inside that badly?" Rainbow remarked. "That the flame of Austraeoh lies in ponydom?"
"It is a bitter pill to swallow, yes," Remna said. "But much of the pain is behind me. It only stings when I hear your voice."
"Is that a fact?"
"Lest we forget what you did to my brood."
Rainbow frowned. "You didn't give me much of a choice."
"A mentality that my demented sister Verlax would have you adopt," Remna muttered. "Every day, you think about the consequences that your actions have on ponykind... on nations of equines and griffons and elk. You constantly strive for their sanctity of life and survival. But do you ever put a thought towards dragonkind?" Her ears folded back as she grumbled, "Do you ever wonder what became of my broodlings? Cast asunder and led astray in the defeat of their matriarch?"
Rainbow squinted. "What do you mean?"
"They have all wandered off, Austraeoh. Without a hoard, they have no honor. With no honor, they have no purpose. They will either be devoured by other dragon clans or hunted to death by the future descendants of the angry mortals of Silvadel. Even now, so far from my place of nesting, I shudder to think... are even half of them still alive?"
Pinkie winced. She and Fluttershy exchanged nervous glances.
Rainbow gulped. "That... that's really really sucky, Axan. But you can't pin all of that on me," she said firmly. "Especially when—"
"I was not attempting to garner sympathy," Remna growled. "Even in this putrid state, that would be below me." A heated breath, and she marched along. "Suffice to say, I realize now how wrong I was to have holed myself up into such a position of inaction. What you did—however careless—was the right kind of push I needed to pursue the salvation of this world... even if it will not have dragons in it."
"Wait... what do you mean?"
"Do you not realize?" Remna glanced back at her for the first time since Rainbow approached the mare. "The Divines are all dying off. Even Sturke—for all of her providence—shall not last forever. And when we have finally all dwindled away, the life essence flowing through the broods will also fade. The clans will dissolve, and one by one... every dragon that has ever existed will go extinct without us."
"That's... crazy..."
"It is not our lot in life to pass judgment on our destiny," Remna said. "We have been afforded many years to live and die. Only now—upon the cusp of purpose—can we make a difference in this plane. For all we know, it may be the one true reason why we were hatched here."
"Hatched by who?"
"A question I've never had the wherewithal to formulate." Remna's nostrils flared. "Nor does it matter. A world this complex does not deserve to go fully sterile. It is the task of Sturke and myself to make sure that some sort of legacy persists... even if it is ponydom's." She sighed heavily. "As evidence would have it, this plane belonged to some form of ponydom to begin with. Perhaps it is only fitting."
"Wow..." Twilight blinked. "That must have taken a lot for her to admit."
"She... she may be sincere after all, Rainbow," Fluttershy remarked.
Rainbow took a deep breath. "That's pretty cool of you to say, Axan," she said. "But if you truly mean it... then you got to show it."
"I do not believe I understand. Have I not displayed my loyalty to the Austraeoh's journey?"
"Girl, all you've displayed is a tall bottle of flankhole," Rainbow grumbled. "And a pretty broken one too."
"Is that a fact...?"
"That shell of Remna's you're inhabiting might be 'invulnerable,' but that doesn't give you license to bumble around like a maniac!" Rainbow's voice cracked. "Need I remind you of how you nearly killed us both while mountain climbing?! Or came close to needlessly slaughtering a manticore just because it growled at me funny?"
"Wisdom is... not my strong suit," Remna grumbled.
"Then forget wisdom and just work on restraint!" Rainbow Dash insisted. "I know you're a dragon on the inside and crud... but try to stave off the hot-headedness! Learn to cool it and take things in stride. Sure, we're bound to butt heads with Verlax and her minions, but that doesn't mean you gotta go ballistic on everything you see! Especially when you don't see it!"
"I cannot afford to put my guard down or else the Austraeoh's entire journey may be compromised."
"Then lemme make it simple for you, Axan."
"You are welcome to try."
"Axan..." Rainbow Dash galloped ahead, then stood in front of Axan. "Look at me."
Remna scuffled to a stop.
"You want to help the Austraeoh and her journey?" Rainbow fumed. "Then let the Austraeoh lead the way. You do what I say... when I say it, understand?"
Remna's eyes narrowed. "You remember what happened the last time you spoke to me in such a tone—?"
"I remember everything." Rainbow frowned. "That's how we learn and grow. Now say it. Say that you will follow my commands... the Austraeoh's commnands... or else your 'loyalty' doesn't mean didley squat to me."
Remna leaned back, breathing deeply.
"Don't make Mortuana's sacrifice into nothing," Rainbow said. "It's clear to me that you respect her. Try respecting me for a change. I'm the one headed to the Midnight Armory, after all."
The ghostly mares stared at Rainbow, then at Remna.
At last, the mare spoke, "I shall protect the Austraeoh by any means necessary. If that means abiding by her authority..." Her eyes narrowed. "Then so be it."
"Good." Rainbow nodded. "Glad we could come to that agreement." She waved a hoof. "Now... you may proceed with the scouting."
"Very well then." Remna nodded back, then gestured behind Rainbow's shoulder. "Behold. Daybreak."
Rainbow blinked. "Huh...?"
"Rainbow!" Rarity grinned joyfully. "Look!"
Rainbow spun around... and found herself having to squint.
The cave opened up to bright daylight. Beyond the mesmerizing grayness, Rainbow could make out the jagged shapes of the Star Fringes. Cold air wafted in, coating Rainbow's and Remna's figures with frost.
"Well... that's a start," Rainbow said.
Remna blinked. Her violet ears folded back. "There's something amiss..."
"Huh?"
"I think she's right, Dashie," Pinkie said, squinting at the mouth of the cave. "I... I think I see someponies up ahead!"
"I see them too!" Twilight remarked. She looked aside. "Fluttershy?"
"... ... ..." Fluttershy gasped. "Ohmygoodness..."
"What?" Rainbow jolted in place. The cave echoed with the sounds of hoofsteps as the rest of the Herald and Central Guard caught up from behind. "Who is it?"
Fluttershy twirled to face Rainbow. She smiled wide.
"Rainbow Dash!" a voice echoed from the mouth of the cave.
"What in tarnation?!" Bard could be heard gsaping from Kepler's wagon. "Who is that?"
"Stand behind me," Remna growled, marching forward on heavy hooves. "Now! I'll drive them back—"
"Dang it, Axan!" Rainbow shuffled around her with a frown. "What did we just get done talking about?"
"But they could be—"
"Fluttershy's giving me good vibes! Just hang back and wait for my signal!" With a huff, Rainbow marched forward. She squinted at several figures standing against the blinding brightness. "Hello? Who's there?"
"So it is you..." The closest body came to a stop. Silver armor glinted. "...I see you're not alone."
"Wait..." Twilight blinked. "...I know that voice."
"You should." Fluttershy nodded. "But that's not the only one."
"Huh?"
At last, Rainbow trotted to a stop. The lead figure before her came into focus, squinting into the cave with magenta eyes. "Keris..."
"Do not be alarmed," the Lieutenant said, flanked by Starstorm, Windburst, and Raptr. "We have come to do many things indeed... but first and foremost we are here to talk."
Rainbow stared, muzzle agape. "... ... ...talk..." She gulped. "Yeah... sure..."
Swooooosh! In a murking streak, Wildcard glided in, landing between Rainbow Dash and Keris. He took on a defensive stance, reaching for his nighsticks.
Keris' eyes darted towards him. His headcrest drooped beneath his helmet. "...Jordan."
"... ... ..." Wildcard stared back, his body motionless.
The Sergeants exchanged nervous glances.
Keris sighed. "Then... I suppose this was indeed the wise decision..."
Flynn and Logan caught up, squinting curiously. "Who the Hell is 'Jordan?'"
Wildcard spun about, he gestured swiftly to the Herald.
"What are ya even goin' on about, Dubya?" Bard said, craning his neck from the wagon.
Mortuana shuffled to a stop. "I trust, Wildcard, that the Midwest Passage is secure?"
Wildcard nodded.
The alicorn nodded back. "Very well..."
Ariel grimaced. "I'm confused."
Pinkie rubbed her head. "She's not the only one..."
"Rainbow Dash," murmured a calm voice.
Twilight and Rarity gasped.
Rainbow pivoted slightly. Her eyes widened as Theanim Mane and a cloaked Echo shuffled around the Talon and into the shadow of the cave.
"...it is... good to see you again," Theanim spoke in a dry tone.
Rainbow gulped. "What's up, Doc?"
"Hey yourself," Echo remarked. His slitted eyes squinted at the petite pegasus' shaved head and battered figure. "Wow, Rainbow. You look like shit."
Seraphimus sat, meditative and still. She calmly breathed in and out, eyes closed to the blue aura wafting off the frozen shards containing her loved ones.
Several feet away, along a platform of the subterrannean chamber, Brye Chandler marched up... accompanied by members of the Central Guard.
The stallion's teeth chattered as he hugged himself beneath his bejeweled cloak. "Verlaxion's Sleet, it's cold in here..."
"It's necessary, Minister," explained a robed elder who had led the escort to that spot. "The Goddess' power flows through the heart of Frostknife and manifests itself here to protect the infirmed foals of Verlaxion—"
"Yes yes... I know what this damnable place is for..." Chandler shuddered. "I just... never stepped in it before."
"Do... do you need our assistance with—?"
"No." The Defense Minister gulped. "Leave me... leave us."
The elder and the members of the Central Guard bowed before quietly shuffling off to a higher platform.
At last, Brye Chandler's eyes fell on Seraphimus. He clenched his jaw tight, fighting the urge to shiver as he trotted towards the griffon. Within seconds, he stood behind the Commander. The stallion fumbled, fidgeted, and at last opened his muzzle to speak—
"I assume this is about the tragedy that befell the Eighth Regiment," Seraphimus droned.
Brye Chandler blinked. "How... did you know?"
"You have a very peculiar smell about you, Mr. Chandler," the griffon spoke without opening her eyes.
"No... I-I mean how did you hear about the failed ambush and windigo attack?"
"News travels fast in Frostknife," she said. "And even faster in a place that echoes." She swallowed. "Those who come down here to meditate are... quite accustomed to tragedy."
Chandler gulped. "Then you must know that the Rainbow Rogue has yet to be stopped."
"Indeed. As I have yet to be surprised."
Chandler shuddered. Composing himself, the stallion trotted a few brave steps closer, squinting at the icy shards and the avian bodies suspended within. "Is this your family?"
"Indeed." Seraphimus nodded blindly. "Verlaxion's greatest blessing."
"They are... quite beautiful, Commander," Chandler said. "It's no wonder you care so deeply for them. A... a treasure like this must be priceless to—"
"I am willing to settle for pedantic pleasantries within the walls of the Court, Mr. Chandler," Seraphimus spoke, her voice taking on an icy, hissing tone. "But I shall not... and will not humor heartless rhetoric here in this sanctum. So you may quit while you are ahead... or even have a head."
Chandler winced hard. At last, he exhaled. "Very well." He turned to face her directly. "I have ordered the remaining Regiments to move east from the Star Fringes and defend the outer walls of Starkiss."
"Yes, and...?"
"It goes without saying that they are no match for a single solitary herd of windigoes—never mind how many more are likely to be unleashed upon the advent of our Goddess' weakening state." Chandler frowned. "But you and I both know that the windigoes—albeit a manifestation of Rohbredden's failure—is not the true heart of the problem."
"The Rainbow Rogue is."
"Yes. And history has proven her to be unbelievably elusive. The Consortium could not stop her. The Eighth Regiment was incapable of eliminating her."
Seraphimus nodded. "As she has likewise proven to be more than a competent foe to the Right Talon of Verlaxion."
"But that's just it. You and your subordinates were able to track her." Chandler's brow furrowed. "Even if she slipped from your claws, you at least managed to stay one step behind her on every turn." He took a deep breath. "And right now, more than anything, the remaining battallions need to know of her whereabouts in order to properly stage an ambush."
"I doubt we can do much of anything at the moment," Seraphimus murmured. "We do not have the blessing of our Goddess."
"But I do."
"Meaning...?"
Chandler bit his tongue, holding it in place.
"Defense Minister... if I may have the honor of calling you that... then you must have the honor of properly using that title."
"I have to stop the Rainbow Rogue, Seraphimus." Chandler gulped. "Soldiers are dying and I'm running out of options."
"Running out of options? Or out of sins?"
"Huh?"
"Humility is not an occupation, Mr. Chandler." At last, Seraphimus stood up, cracking her stiff joints. She smoothed her headcrest back and turned towards him, finally opening a pair of narrow hawkeyes. "You don't earn half as much as you sacrifice. All your life, you've lived off the backs of ponies you've swindled, cheated, and exploited. And where has it gotten you?"
Chandler's voice positively squeaked, "I need to know that I-I'm doing right by the Goddess' will..."
"Just as I am waiting for a sign..." Seraphimus stared the stallion down. "A sign that our ailing Goddess' wisdom is not misguided... and that the warriors in her employ are willing to make the necessary steps to humble themselves for the sake of defending righteousness."
Chandler blinked.
Seraphimus glared. "Well, Mr. Chandler?" A calm, patient breath. "You've presented yourself in this Sanctum. What have you to offer before Verlaxion?"
He stared back at her. The shivers stopped and his ears folded back.
Thud!
The metal door to the Talon's armory slammed shut.
Seraphimus strolled briskly into the heart of her headquarters.
"Claws of the Talon!" her voice boomed. She stripped herself of her robe and approached a table where her armor resided. "Gather around!"
She grasped a breastplate and swiftly attached it to her feline torso.
"Our hour of destiny has finally arrived! The newly appointed Minister of Defense has called upon us to assist the batallions defending Starkiss to the north! We must strategize a plan to aid the Central Guard in apprehending the Rainbow Rogue before she reaches the Throne of Verlaxion!"
Her authoritarian voice merely echoed off the sterile walls of the torchlit place.
Seraphimus' brow furrowed as she slapped on piece after silver piece of armor. "Lieutenant! Sergeants! Fall in this second! Verlaxion has given us a sign that she still has need of the Talon!"
More silence.
For the first time since arriving, Seraphimus froze in place. She raised her head, squinting into the recesses of the place.
"Sergeants?"
She shuffled past the table, then peered down the hall leading towards the bunks.
"Starstorm... Windburst...?"
All was still.
She raised an eyecrest. A hopeful breath: "Keris?"
Further silence.
The Commander clenched her beak. In swift motions, she resumed slapping her armor on.
Minutes later, the Commander landed at the huge iron gates to the Frosted Shelves.
Members of the Central Guard instantly jerked to attention.
"Commander!"
"Commander Seraphimus!"
"At ease..." Seraphimus marched towards those standing at the door. "I need to speak with Lieutenant Keris."
The guards blinked in confusion. "Commander...?"
"Lieutenant Keris." The Commander stared them down, hawkeyes narrow. "He is here, yes?"
The guards exchanged glances.
"Up until now, the Court had no tasks for us, so he must be assisting the prison guards along with the Sergeants of the Talon." Seraphimus inhaled. "I did not find them in the armory, so I came straight here."
"Uhm..." One guard cleared his throat. "The Lieutenant was here, Commander. But... but that was over two days ago."
Seraphimus stared blankly. "...two days ago."
"Yes." A soldier nodded. "He came to relocate a prisoner."
"Relocate a prisoner?"
"Yes. The midnighter who testified against the Syndicate in Shoggoth." The guard blinked. "The Lieutenant and his wingmates left to escort him with the help of a representative of the Scientific Order."
Seraphimus headcrest angled back sharply. "Professor Theanim Mane...?"
"Indeed, Commander." The guard cleared his throat. "We... assumed that you had authorized the matter..."
Seraphimus glared into the gray bluffs of Frostknife.
"Was... was that not the case?"
"Soldier, do tell me..." Seraphimus' voice resonated with an icy tone. "...precisely where was the Lieutenant headed...?"