854 - Pantheon in Perturbation
“Everything is ready, Your Radiance.”
Noble Bright kept his face down as he gave his report, wings folded at his side and one hoof placed over his heart. But in his chest, he could feel the organ beating faster than usual, reflecting his own anxiety over what was about to happen. It was enough to make him grimace inwardly, ashamed at his own lack of discipline.
A moment later a gentle laugh reached his ears. “Haven’t I told you that you don’t need to call me that when we’re alone?”
The voice was warm and mellifluous, like a warm breeze on a spring morning. Simply hearing it made the tension in his body ease, his heartbeat slowing back to normal. In spite of himself, he closed his eyes, suddenly reminded of when he’d been a colt, laughing with his parents as they’d all worked in the garden outside his childhood home. It was one of his happiest memories, and thinking of it always brought a smile to his face.
Even so, when he opened his eyes a moment later he didn’t raise his gaze, keeping his head down despite the overwhelming gratitude he felt in that moment.
No matter how much he cherished her, it would have been improper to treat his goddess with anything less than the utmost respect
“I beg your forgiveness, Sun Queen.”
He could almost hear her pout in response to his using her most common appellation. “I meant you could call me by my real name, not a different title.”
“I must regretfully decline. With your guests due to arrive soon, it is incumbent upon me to harden my resolve.” With reverent slowness, he stood upright, taking in the sight of the goddess.
As always, she took his breath away.
Appearing as an alicorn, she was currently half-again his size, though he knew she could change her proportions with a thought. It was simply because she didn’t care to look like she was looking down on worshipers – even here, in her own realm – that kept her of similar height to them. Even then, she was only slightly taller than they were because she knew it made some of her faithful uncomfortable if she didn’t give at least some indication that she was above them.
Her mane and tail looked as though they were made of sunbeams, each strand of golden hair shot through with a soft iridescence that seemed like they were reflecting some unseen rainbow. Her wings were multihued, with the feathers closest to her body being a deep blue that gradually warmed into a vibrant pink as they moved further out, showcasing the promise of a sky that was just lightening with the coming dawn. That promise was itself made manifest in her coat, the understated yellow that of the sun’s glow, warm and welcoming without being overpowering.
Only a few adornments served to enhance her resplendence. Gilded chaplets were woven through her hair and tail alike, as well as along her legs and over her horn, each shining in the soft light that the goddess exuded. They were complemented by the ribbons – with colors ranging from magenta to purple, each woven through with runes that listed the virtues she championed – that floated about her of their own accord, like silken clouds that drifted across the sky.
On occasion, one of her faithful would be lent one of those ribbons, using a fraction of the power contained within them to help work her will.
Noble Bright was very familiar with that, having been given that honor on two separate occasions. But as proud as those memories made him, he knew he couldn’t afford to dwell on them now.
Not with what was about to happen.
But once again, his tension melted away as the Sun Queen smiled at him, shaking her head a little. “Paladins,” she sighed wryly, and even that made Noble Bright’s discipline falter as he fought down a grin, pleased to have amused her.
But a moment later the goddess’s expression turned serious. “Noble Bright, I know that you’ve said that it’s your honor to be here, but I won’t think any less of you if you don’t wish to stay for this.”
He bowed, placing his hoof over his heart again. “To be present at a gathering of your pantheon is an accolade of the highest order. If you would have me, then it is my desire to remain at your side.”
The Sun Queen nodded, but her troubled expression remained as she sighed again, this time without the wry undercurrent. “You said the preparations are complete?”
“Indeed,” replied Noble Bright crisply. “The wards are all in place, and I’ve personally overseen the dispatch of two squads to keep the area protected. None shall approach who haven’t been expressly invited.”
This time, his words failed to have any effect on the goddess’s mood. Though that was to be expected; normally, there was no part of the Soothing Meadows – the Sun Queen’s divine realm – that was off-limits to those who dwelt there. But from time to time, she would cordon off the Synedrium, the portion of her realm set up as a council chamber where she received her most important guests. Doing so never failed to impinge on the goddess’s disposition, as though she found it upsetting to tell her faithful that there was a part of her home where they weren’t welcome.
Of course, none of the Sun Queen’s faithful held that against her. Everyone who dwelt in the glow of her divinity was more than happy to follow any orders she gave, and if she had told them never to go near the Synedrium again, Noble Bright couldn’t think of anyone who would have so much as questioned her instructions, let alone entertained the notion of disobeying.
Nevertheless, she goddess had also instructed him to lay down spells and set up patrols to make sure that no one could come anywhere near this corner of her realm. Noble Bright knew that it wasn’t distrust that motivated her to do so, but rather that she preferred not to take chances where the welfare of her faithful was concerned.
After all, many of the other pony gods were petty and cruel, and wouldn’t hesitate to torment a wayward member of their leader’s worshipers just to spite her.
As it was, Noble Bright himself was allowed to remain only because the Sun Queen had invited each god to bring a single retainer with them. It was an antiquated gesture, one that dated back to when the pantheon had been little more than a loose collection of pony deities. In those days, Noble Bright had heard, each god had gathered only in force, bringing small armies with them to be deployed in case the conference was a prelude to treachery or simply descended into violence. Now that the pantheon was united, it was tradition more than partisanship that had each god bring a single individual as backup.
In Noble Bright’s case, it was his first time meeting the other gods that followed the Sun Queen’s leadership, and try as he might he couldn’t help but be nervous. His role in the proceedings was to be little more than a silent sentinel, standing at attention in case his goddess needed anything of him. Still, he couldn’t help but feel on edge, anxious that he’d embarrass himself – or worse, her – in the course of the meeting.
But that mattered less than doing what he could to restore the smile to his goddess’s face. “If it pleases you, I could arrange for a contingent of angels to come-”
“Now that sounds like some quality entertainment.”
The voice that reached Noble Bright’s ears then was the single sexiest thing he’d ever heard, containing a playful lilt that was as teasing as it was enticing. It was all he could do to keep from gasping, and even then he immediately felt his face reddening at the innuendo, even as he turned to regard the new arrival.
And across the Synedrium strutted another alicorn, but one as different from the Sun Queen as could be imagined.
Her coat was a study in grey, contrasting with the stark white of her mane and tail. Jewelry had been threaded through them both, with flower-shaped ornaments containing emeralds, sapphires, pearls, and rubies all woven in with thin braids that were islands of order amidst a larger sea of unbound hair. Bangles of gold adorned each of her hooves, and silver piercings could be seen on each ear. The overall effect was stunning, her body looking like an exotic statue come to life.
But even beyond her appearance, the other mare’s every move was a languid dance. Curves bobbing in sinuating motions, Noble Bright swallowed as he realized that the newcomer was completely naked save for her jewelry. Even so, her wings and tail somehow managed to obscure anything...inappropriate, from his sight, no matter how she moved.
“And here I thought this little get-together was going to be boring,” grinned the mare. “But if there are angels coming, then I definitely will be too.”
Standing up, the Sun Queen smiled warmly, as though her anxiety had been dispelled by the gray mare’s arrival. “Kara, it’s good to see you again.” With one wing, she indicated the far side of the Synedrium. “You’re the first to arrive, so please, make yourself comfortable.”
“Oh, Sunny, you should know by now that I’m always comfortable.” Stretching, the love goddess – Noble Bright recognized her now, scowling as he recalled that she was one of the evil gods – gave a low moan, eyes closed and mouth open as she flared her wings before tucking them back at her sides. “But if you want to show me a good time, what do you say the two of us have some fun before your little meeting starts?”
“That would be lovely,” agreed the Sun Queen, still sounding completely at ease. “Would you prefer that I set up the senet board? Or is twenty-squares more to your liking?”
Those suggestions – both were games that children regularly played – were so at odds with Kara’s flirting that Noble Bright nearly laughed, watching as the love goddess snorted. “I prefer games of a more adult variety. But that’s fine; I can always just play with myself.”
Making her way across the chamber toward a recliner, Kara draped herself over it in a way that highlighted her body’s contours. Despite the tension having been broken, Noble Bright couldn’t help but watch as Kara brushed her hair back with one hoof, which then slid down her chest and over her belly, reaching lower-
“I like you.”
Noble Bright’s training kicked in, and he sprang back as someone whispered directly into his ear, reaching for his sword before he had time to think...
Only to stop in mid-motion as he caught a glimpse of the speaker.
The wedding dress that she wore covered her from head to hoof, completely hiding her identity. From the train that obscured her tail to the veil that hid her face, nothing could be seen of the mare underneath; even her tribe was a mystery, as the frills on the sides of the dress obscured where wings would have been if she was a pegasus, and the garlands between her ears were thick enough to make it impossible to tell if there was a horn underneath.
But far from being a vision of loveliness the way Kara was, this mare looked like something out of a horror show. Her dress was tattered and ripped, the ends of it torn and blackened, as though having been caught on fire. Further up, the fabric was marred with stains of a different sort, with bloody hoofprints splattered across her torso.
“Do you want to get married?” asked the bloody bride, stepping closer to him. Even more unnervingly, her voice was that of a child’s, sounding like a filly of less than ten years old. “I could be a good wife for you. All you’d have to do is give me babies. Lots and lots-”
“No, Honey,” sighed Kara. “We talked about this, remember? You have to be good and sit through this meeting first. Then I’ll find you a new husband.”
Drooping in place a little, “Honey” turned her veiled face toward Kara. “Okay,” she huffed, sounding as though she’d just been told she couldn’t have any candy before dinner. She walked past Noble Bright without another word, going to sit down in front of Kara’s recliner as though she’d completely forgotten he was there.
Swallowing, Noble Bright stared at her for just a moment before looking pointedly away from the love goddess’s horrific servitor.
He was starting to understand why the Sun Queen had been worried about his being here.
Making an effort to collect himself, he managed to maintain his poise as the other gods arrived. Luminace came next, adjusting her monocle as she shared a friendly greeting with her host, accompanied by a dragon with silvery eyes and cobalt scales shaped like shields. The Unspoken – the only male member of the pantheon – arrived next, his various parts of his body all changing shape independently of each other at differing intervals. But even that seemed pleasant compared to the protoplasmic blob that accompanied him, the thing’s gelatinous body looking as though it were trying to morph into multiple different creatures at once, but couldn’t sustain any of them longer than a few seconds.
When Blaze, the war goddess arrived, it was in a massive column of fire. Unlike the other goddesses, she was a pegasus rather than an alicorn, her hooves and tail aflame. But she was dwarfed by the towering monstrosity that came with her, a bipedal creature that Noble Bright had never seen before. Wreathed in flames that were white-hot, its entire body stank of burning meat, and the flesh that could be seen beneath the fires was of such a deep red it was almost black, as were the two large wings extending from its black. And yet no screams escaped from its protruding muzzle, an obsidian axe clenched in one hand and a long dagger in another.
The Moon Princess showed up next, her features a dark counterpart to the Sun Queen’s, which earned an approving nod from Noble Bright. The two goddesses were sisters, after all, and so their shared appearance was a show of unity. Alongside her was a pony he didn’t recognize, a pegasus like himself, but with the wings of a butterfly rather than feathery ones like his own.
The Night Mare was the last to arrive, sneering from beneath her armor as she strode forward, a leatherwing stallion with red eyes accompanying her.
It was then that the Sun Queen, who had quietly greeted each god as they’d shown up, looked around the Synedrium. “I believe we’re ready to get started...?”
The questioning tone in her voice came as she directed her eyes toward the Moon Princess, who nodded. “Lashtada will not be in attendance.”
“And Soft Whisper didn’t answer me when I sent her the invitation,” sighed Luminace, giving the Sun Queen an apologetic look.
“It’s alright,” replied the Sun Queen gently. “This is more than enough for a quorum.”
Smiling, she took another look around the chamber. “Before we begin, I’d like to thank all of you for attending. Right now, it’s more important than ever that our pantheon remains united, and shows of cooperation like this help to demonstrate-”
“Spare us your drivel,” spat the Night Mare. “You bleat about unity even as this pathetic pantheon continues to disintegrate under your so-called leadership. Or do you think your vapid prattling has disguised the turbulence that prompted this conference?”
“You’re one to speak of turbulence,” cut in the Moon Princess, her voice harsh as she glared daggers at the Night Mare.
“It’s because of your champion, Lex Legis, that our pantheon stands on the brink of annihilation!”
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Hi everypony!
I wanted to let everyone know that the next chapter is going to be delayed for a little bit. I'm going on my annual vacation to Gen Con in a few days, and this year I'm taking a bit of extra time off to better relax and recuperate. As such, chapter 855 of Lateral Movement will be posted on Thursday, August 10th. Please look forward to it!
Did the Night Mare somehow go overboard when she turned Lex into a titan? Cause the Moon Princess' words at the end sound quite dire.
I have to doubt she meant it literally since they are full on gods whereas Lex is a demigod and in the realm of the Everglow, there are bound to be beings or individuals with similar or greater power than he possesses.
Though I suppose the Moon Princess could be referring to the 'balance' of the pantheon's unity since even if Lex might not be on par with the gods, he is still a titan, one that serves the Night Mare, albeit loosely, but it would still make him a potential threat to their pantheon. One way to balance it out would be for the other pony gods to have similar champions but that would spiral out of control, especially if it draws the attention of other pantheons.
The other alternative is to remove Lex as a factor but I'm sure the pony pantheon has some sort of agreement to not directly intervene so the loophole would probably involve sending chosen champion(s) to get rid of Lex. If so, I can imagine that was the reason why the Night Mare warned him ahead of time.
P.s:Hope you have fun and plenty of rest and relaxation on your vacation!
Even when he do nothing ( that he know of ). He still find ways to cause problems.
That’s the cost of living in interesting times I guess.
11652876
Happy Con. Thanks for the heads up.
Im trying to place the various secondaries, especially the big guy who looks like a cross between Doomguy and a Warhammer Titan?
With discord and Smooze along, its suprising thre isnt cupcakes for everyone.
Or is that what the Sun goddess is most worried about?
So, Many, Cupcakes.
11653029 There's clearly something that we're not aware of if the Moon Princess is issuing such an ominous proclamation! Exactly what she means is uncertain, though it must be fairly extreme if she thinks that their entire pantheon is in so much danger. Far more ominous is what exactly they'll do about it, since although that depends on precisely what sort of threat they're facing, if Lex is the cause then I doubt that the rest of the gods will sit idly by while their own welfare is jeopardized.
Doubtless, we'll find out soon, though at that point I suspect Lex will have new troubles to contend with. He's already been put through the wringer several times by having two goddesses take notice of him; imagine what will happen when so many more decide that he needs to be dealt with!
And thanks for the well-wishes! I'm very much looking forward to kicking back for a little while!
11653054 The problem with gaining incredible power is that it brings you to the notice of others with similar clout. The Night Mare herself said something to that effect when Lex ascended, though I have to wonder if even she foresaw whatever threat the Moon Princess is talking about.
And thanks for the kind words! Enjoy the cliffhanger in the meantime.
11653086 Each god's "plus one" is still a mystery, though I suspect that each of them is notable in their own right, in terms of power if not fame. Though it's hard to tell now; perhaps we'll see more of them in the near future?