A Game of Destinations, Investigations
The ground beneath Sonikah's hooves was dry, covered occasionally with blankets of disintegrating leaves. The pilgrim stared at the path beneath her and the rest in her group. With a blink, she tilted her head skyward, gazing at the stars overhead.
"It's getting warmer," she eventually muttered.
It was the first thing anypony had uttered in hours. It caused Theanim Mane to glance over his shoulder. He looked past the other two monks and smiled at Sonikah, who was taking up the rear.
"Are you disatissfied, elder?"
"Hmmm?" Sonikah's eyes darted towards him.
"Well, I mean... I do suppose a lack of snow makes this trek far less arduous." Theanim motioned ahead at several steep hills, rising and falling. Their path ran straight over the forested humps, heading due west into the lower altitudes of west central Rohbredden. "Rest assured, the path becomes only more erratic from here on out. And the only places to relax are on gnarled roots and exposed stone."
"Just because I have chosen an ascetic life does not make me immune to sarcasm," Sonikah droned.
"Oh, I know." Theanim nodded. "No unnecessary levity intended. I'm just making sure you're aware that this entire journey is most certainly worth your while."
"That will depend on the destination," Sonikah muttered.
Theanim chuckled.
Sonikah raised an eyebrow. "What now?"
"Nothing." Theanim smirked as he led the group around another woodland turn in the path. "Just that it doesn't sound quite like what a monk would say."
"As of right now, my chief concern is the welfare of the pilgrims under my guidance."
"How about it, gentlecolts?" Theanim adjusted his goggles over his mane and smiled at the two Luminards between them. "Are you feeling winded yet? Hmm?"
One shook his head. "Verlaxion... gives me strength," he huffed and puffed.
"Indeed." The other nodded. "We are more than adequately strengthened for the time being." He turned to look over his shoulder. "By your grace, dear elder."
Sonikah sighed out her nostrils before murmuring, "Let us continue." Her brow furrowed. "See what the morning light brings."
"Hmmm... illumination..." Theanim hummed.
Sonikah raised an eyebrow beneath her flouncing braids.
"Simply the one thing we all seek in this existence." Theanim led the group down a forested slope. "I promise you, at the end of this trek, you will all find it." He smiled. "It won't be long now."
"I can only hope so, Mr. Mane," Sonikah remarked. "You currently how my faith, however thin."
"All I ask for is your trust."
Sonikah said nothing in return. The nightly pilgrimage continued.
Thick manacles hung around her fetlocks, and a dimly glowing cap covered the top half of her horn.
Nevertheless, with steady breaths, Longaze looked up from where she sat—slumped in a chair in the furthest corner of a rustic barn. Her deadpan expression lingered calmly, although a hint of a scowling glare glistened in her eyes.
Seraphimus stood before her. The Commander cradled her helmet in her arms while her charcoal eyes narrowed on the prisoner.
Longaze sat icily still. She said nothing.
After a cold, lengthy staring contest, it was Seraphimus who spoke first. "We have gone to great lengths to mend the wounds that the Rainbow Rogue has inflicted on you." Her headcrest lowered. "As we have likewise tended to the ponies you've ruthlessly inflicted pain on in this village."
"... ... ..." Longaze stared. Her brown eyes were solid, unflinching.
"I see you're exercising your right to silence," Seraphimus said. "You are obviously a pony of great restraint." One eyecrest raised. "When it lasts."
Longaze simply sat in place, breathing calmly... wordlessly.
"You are not from Braum. That much is certain." Seraphimus slowly paced across the interior of the barn. "The leader of this township, Sarda, has since made the Talon aware of a north passage that connects to the underground tunnel system built beneath us." Her claws scuffled to a stop as she turned to squint at the prisoner. "Did you enter the bowels of Braum from there?"
"... ... ..."
"Did you come from Steamfall?"
Longaze took another breath. She casually looked to the side, offering no expression. Not even a muzzle twitch.
"You do realize..." Seraphimus' voice took on a growling tone. "...that we have over two dozen local eyewitnesses testifying that it was you who knowingly and willingly put the lives of multiple civilians in danger." Her muscles tightened around her grip of her helmet. "Including a brazen act of arson and another act of taking an innocent hostage." She stepped closer to the seated unicorn. "While you may have been in direct combat with the Rainbow Rogue—a known criminal and fugitive of the state—the evidence currently gathered does not legitimize the wreckless tactics that you employed in subduing her, bounty or not." Her beak clenched tightly. "Do you understand the gravity of this situation? Willful cooperation could lead to a gentler sentence, should this evidence prove substantial in finding you guilty of being a public menace and a terrorist."
The corner of Longaze's muzzle curved slightly...
...but she said nothing.
Seraphimus sighed. She lifted her helmet and placed it back on her head. "I see. So be it." She cleared her throat. "In a matter of days, you will be relocated to Frostknife to be tried for your actions here in Braum. For your sake, I would reconsider utter silence. I have far more nefarious things to pursue in my hunt. Any assistance you can provide in that matter could be... beneficial to you."
Longaze's ears twitched once or twice, but she remained silent.
"Consider that in the next few hours to come." Seraphimus turned tail and shuffled out of the barn. "I fear you will have very little else to meditate on."
At last, the unicorn was left alone in the corner of the interior. She stared at the walls of the place, felt the weight on her horn, and sighed with sagging limbs.
Sarda turned from a conversation he was having with two of his subordinates. As soon as he saw Seraphimus marching out of the barn, he gestured for them to return to their posts, then trotted over to meet with the guardian.
"Commander..." Sarda gulped. "Any luck?"
Seraphimus simply clenched her beak and glared into the starlight over Braum.
Sarda shuddered, his breath producing vapors between them. "To be honest, I didn't expect much."
"She is stubborn in an experienced... practiced way," Seraphimus droned. "There is a glint in her eyes... a steely determination not found in most common thugs." She stared across the snow-frosted village while speaking. "She is undoubtedly protecting someone... someone higher than her."
Sarda frowned. "The Consortium."
Seraphimus waved a claw. "That remains to be determined."
"But isn't it obvious?!" Sarda hissed, waving a hoof at the barn. "The Consortium has a bounty on the Rogue's head! I go to them. I inform them of the fugitive that we have in our possession. And then—while pretending to not believe us—they send in one of their most powerful agents in to steal her from under our noses!"
"It's a valid theory," Seraphimus said. "But still just a theory."
"The reality of the situation is right there before you! Steamfall wanted to rob us of the only opportunity Braum ever had! So... go investigate them already!" Sarda frowned. "I mean... are you a guardian of Rohbredden or aren't you?!"
"The safety and protection of all Verlaxion's foals is my prime concern." Seraphimus' charcoal eyes sliced into him. "And it is exceedingly difficult to live up to my oath when the citizens of this land refuse to cooperate with me."
Sarda drew back, wincing. A sullen sigh rolled through him, and he knelt in the cold snow before the griffon. "I... am most sorry, Commander." He gulped. "As leader of this village, I take full and complete responsibility for any crime of misinformation that has been committed here."
"You wouldn't be a noble stallion if you didn't." Seraphimus raised her claws and rested them on his shoulder. "However, this is a very delicate situation. One that is constantly evolving, I fear. I will need your assistance if I am to ascertain what's truly at hand." Firmly, she lifted him back to his hooves. "Morning comes in a few hours. When my wingmates return, I'll hopefully have a firm report on the whereabouts of the Rainbow Rogue. Then and only then will I make my next decision."
"She's... still your main priority, I see," Sarda remarked.
"She's Rohbredden's main priority," Seraphimus said. "Although, at this point, I'm not certain there's much that can be done to track her down." She exhaled. "I'm already dreading my report to the Council."
"Because a griffon took off with her," Sarda said. "She could be miles away by now."
"... ... ..." Seraphimus looked past him.
"I mean... right?" Sarda leaned forward, eyes narrow. "It was a griffon who took her. I saw the tracks." He gulped. "And I saw the look on you and the Lieutenant's faces when you saw them."
"Nothing is certain yet." Seraphimus shuffled away from him. "If anything, this entire mission is falling apart. My wingmates are exhausted. A new party has joined the hunt, and violently so. On top of that, it's quite possible that the Rainbow Rogue has gotten an impossibly huge lead on us. I simply do not have a strategic position to claim at the moment."
"All the more reason to conduct an investigation of Steamfall."
"We shall see—"
"Commander," Sarda spoke in a breathy, emphatic tone.
She turned to look at him.
He stared her in the eye. "It's been hours since I last saw Kayman and two others of my village. If that... creature locked up in my barn was savage enough to burn down an entire tavern, then I greatly fear for the well-being of my companions." He gulped. "Assuming they're still alive. I know that I haven't done much to deserve your trust, but please... will you help me?"
Seraphimus turned and stepped back towards him. She rested a talon on his shoulder. "Verlaxion's blessings extend to all. Including her might." She nodded. "I shall do what I can to find out the fate of your companions. And you are welcome to join us in Steamfall when we do so."
Sarda exhaled sharply. "Oh... th-thank you, Commander."
"But first thing's first..." Seraphimus' eyes reflected winged shapes soaring in from the north, west, and east. She marched firmly through the snow. "...I must hear the report from my Lieutenant."
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Oh boy...
Provided Kayman and the others aren't being used as railroad spikes right now.
-Companions have returned, inner darkness spurned. Utaan.
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Something tells me that Seraphimus won't believe it when Keris says that Dash claims that Verlax, or an avatar of her, showed up to free her. But with a little more evidence? Maybe she'd become a convert since she's more concerned with earning her families safety than political power. Can't wait to see.
6883275
6883294
She a wizard, Seraph.
Voivod - Getaway
Now that Chandler's trusted lieutenant is out of the picture for the moment... how long will it be before he does something stupid?
Inb4 Longaze breaks herself out.
Lucky for you, Sera, your target's heading to the same place you are. Maybe you'll have one last chance to catch her face to face before she goes bye bye.
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Seraphimus waits and then plans her next move. Meanwhile elsewhere Rainbow is preparing to hijack a train (hopefully a freight train)
is ... is Lozenge considering Seraphimus' vague offer? bad Lozenge, bad
or good, depending on where you want this to go
Seraphimus delays, Dash reaches Steamfall, causes chaos, escapes in the train as the Talon arrives, so the only way out is to trigger the track switch to divert to Wyvern point, then blow up the tunnel she is in to stop immediate capture so the Talon have to go round and over the mountains, to find a selection of switchable tracks on the other side and burning cars to hide the engine exhaust on the various branches?
Well well. Looks like Rainbow's about worn Seraphimus out. And now Rainbow's getting ready to slip into one great big haystack. My hope is that, during the whole Longaze/Steamfall business and beyond, the Talon uncovers enough evidence of the Consortium's nefarious dealings to make a helluva ruckus back in Frostknife.
Also, I still have no clue what Theanim's game is.
A game theory!
...yeah yeah, I know where the door is...
6883389 I do remember that a certain unicorn that's currently tied up
tookordered an express train into Steamfall, and it might be ready to zoom off to Wyvern territory. I can't wait to see Longaze's reaction to hearing her train's been stolen by the Rogue.Sounds like we'll get some more Metal Gear Solid style hijinks with the Talon investigating Steamfall while Dash seeks to hijack a train at the same time. A cardboard box needs to be involved in this.
...Or maybe that'll be how Longaze makes her escape?
As most people have already pointed out, here we go again. At this point though I wonder how hard Seraphimus will disbelieve Keris on most of it, some of it sure but I have a feeling its not going to be as hard as before.
6883531 With any luck it'll be a few hours of much needed R&R. I imagine it's interior is decked out in luxury accommodations to boot.
Decent chapter
6881174
There have been two Terras and two Zettas so far; those are the only direct clashes that come to my mind.
I'm still suffering PTSD from the Lerris arc.
Every time we become familiar with sympathetic characters in a new location, I start to sweat. A baddy could come along any chapter and commit a heartwrenching tragedy.
6883330 YOU'RE BACK!!!!
6883639 but how many waifus?
I get the feeling Chandler, and by extension Longaze, have good enough connections to spring her once she's transferred into government custody. I doubt Seraphimus will be too happy with the news.
Good girl Seraphimus, remember your duty is to the people, not some dumb council.
Go on, be a hero for a little while longer!
6883348
I'd give him three or four days, a week at most.
6883639
I remember the Searonese Terra, but who was the other one?
6883275 well, the difference here is that she may actually believe him this time
Understandable, too. If this was reality, she'd have nothing to fear at all - too rich and too influential friends to be within the law.
+
Something something gravity.
Yeah, she's super not done yet. That's cool. I can get behind another marathon villain.
Seraphimus started to believe some of the things she heard about Rainbow. But now the Rogue is speaking heresy, insinuating the Goddess herself talked to her, when Seraphimus has been praying for years with no answer. Seraphimus now will be more ruthless.
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6883524
Now we just need a Jacksepticeye reference.
Hmm why are the Talon so shaken by WC's apparent appearance?
But Sonikah! It's not the destination, it's the journey that matters.
I mean, look at Rainbow.
At last, I've finally gotten caught up after a couple months or so of not reading!
6884026
The other one crossed the Grand Choke and died in Val Roa five hundred years ago
Seraphimius... just investigate the consortium already! Damn stuborn bird
6884457 Welcome back to the frontlines.
6885600
You know, I almost miss having something to binge read at night when you can't go to sleep. But then again, there's something about waiting for the daily continuation of the east horse's eastern travel that is just perfect.
6885674 True. I enjoy it both ways.
They aren't taking Longaze seriously enough. It's going to cost them.
6885674 This. This is why I now allow myself to fall a few days behind, so I may catch up during the week.
6884230 they don't know it's him, but they might have a good idea. If that's the case, then my theory about him being a former talon is starting to sound more plausible.
6892978 I've been seeing subtle hints at it for a while... Though I'm getting the impression they think he's dead.
I don't have much confidence in the Talon actually containing Longaze for long.
6911875
Id be inclined to agree that he’s a former member of the Talon. Remember a dozen or so chapters ago when Seraphimus was talking to Keris about recently losing a member?
I’d also not be surprised if Wildcard was related to Seraphimus.
Dammit dammit dammit, not you guys again!
I dunno, you're immune to RATIONAL THINKING, so I'd figure sarcasm just didn't register.
screams into the void
I enjoy the little asides about the Luminards, just long enough to be interesting on their own, just short enough not to wear on our patience getting through the (ostensibly) more important plot.