Lateral Movement

by Alzrius

921 - Brawn Over Brain

Loraestil could only stop and stare in shocked fascination as Leg Legis’ foreleg of wire seemingly turned against him.

Nor was he the only one, as all fighting in the area came to a stop, the horror of what was happening being too great for anyone to ignore.

In an instant, the monstrous unicorn was engulfed in whirling strands of jagged metal, his limb having unraveled in order to let its component wires coil around him and twist viciously, spilling his blood across the ground as bloody gibbets of flesh went flying.

“What’s happening to him?!” he murmured, letting his whisper spell carry his voice to Vystalaran and Thilaera. They were an apprentice High Mage and a powerful priestess, respectively; surely one of them had to know what was going on! “One of you, explain this to me!”

“Could this be a backlash from his trying to use so many artifacts of different spiritual slants?” replied Thilaera hesitantly. “Having that ring and that halo at the same time would strain even a titan’s soul.”

She’d hardly finished speaking when Vystalaran chimed in. “Loraestil, what does his future look like? Is he dying or-”

“I can’t see his future!” Cursing inwardly, Loraestil gripped Uskeche’Kerym tighter, recalling how the spell he’d been imbued with had suddenly seemed to cut out as soon as he’d gone for the killing stroke a moment ago. “I couldn’t before, either! Your spell didn’t work!”

“That’s not possible,” came the immediate reply. “The only way that could happen would be if he had the same spell active, and there’s no aura to suggest-”

“LOOK!”

Thilaera’s gasp caused the conversation to cease, as Lex Legis – now little more than a bloody skeleton – suddenly staggered upright and roared, not in pain but seemingly in anger. His eyes glowed brighter, the green turning so bright that it completely filled his eyes, blotting out all else within them as the purple flames from the outer corners flared up.

And the wires wrapping around him...spread further.

Except, those aren’t the same wires, realized Loraestil a moment later, seeing that the lengths of razor metal that were spreading out across Lex now weren’t like the ones that had made up his foreleg. These new ones weren’t flowing from that same spot at the base of his shoulder. In fact, they seemed to have no point of origin at all, spreading out to cover him from seemingly nowhere.

An instant later, Loraestil revised his thoughts again as he realized that the new lengths of wire weren’t covering his body.

They were replacing it.

In an instant, Lex Legis was a creature made up entirely of barbed wire, save only for his glowing eyes.

And that was when he realized that he’d been wasting a valuable opportunity.

“Both of you, start casting your strongest enhancement spells. Make me, and Uskeche’Kerym, as powerful as you can.”

“What are you planning?”

Loraestil frowned at Vystalaran’s question, but didn’t rebuke him, certain that they were running out of time. Instead, just before he started casting one of his own spells on himself, he gave a quick reply.

“I’m going to try and cut through whatever that halo was.”

---

There was no more confusion. No more shock. No more anxiety.

All of those things fell away as Lex felt his body transcend flesh and blood and turn completely into barbed wire. Just like when he’d fought Kryonex, the transformation merged the various disparate aspects of his mind, leaving him clear-headed and focused despite the unpredictable crisis that was befalling him.

Immediately, he cut off his communion spell, silencing the voice that was so close to and yet so dissimilar from his goddess, which was still howling for him to identify himself.

The end of the spell did nothing to stop the wires that were rebelling against him. If anything, they seemed to lash harder, indicating that the Night Mare – or whoever it was that sounded so much like her – was further infuriated by his silencing her. Now, however, the lengths of wire that were attacking him were having a much harder time injuring him, sparks flying and tortured shrieks of metal against metal ringing out as his body was now able to resist the damage that had been tearing him apart a moment ago.

Except it’s not metal, Lex knew.

The wire that made up his foreleg was – just like the strands that had previously wrapped around his limb – a physical representation of divine power. That was why it had never mattered what spells or magic items he’d wrapped himself in; if the Night Mare wished to injure him to show her displeasure, then he would be injured simply because his magic was nowhere near enough to thwart the will of a god.

But his current body could. The same way it had allowed him to survive Kryonex’s attempt to will him out of existence, the wires that made up the rest of him were able to withstand the lashing wires of his foreleg.

Which means that the Night Mare gave me some sort of auxiliary reservoir of divine power. One that activates whenever my enemy is a god.

Except now, it was activating against the anger of...whoever’s voice he’d just heard.

It was the Night Mare’s power versus the Night Mare’s power.

And it was happening at the worst possible time!

Already, Lex could sense that the elves were regrouping. And while Spice, Sirrush, Dima, and Yamini were making short work of their respective enemies, Carnelia was having a harder time than anticipated against Burly, the reinforcements she’d summoned barely able to slow the massive earth stallion down. And Solvei...

Stay back!

He could foresee that she was about to fling herself against him, trying to help even though she had no idea how. It was a foolishly sentimental gesture on her part; as though her being sliced to ribbons would accomplish anything. But he could tell that his order wasn’t one she was intent on obeying, already beginning to rush forward as she screamed his name.

With a thought he used the Charismata to reach out and hold her in place-

And the wires that made up his foreleg, the incarnation of the blessing that the Night Mare had given him, suddenly slowed their attacks on his person as he channeled power through them.

Despite not having been able to foresee that, Lex didn’t waste time being surprised. Instead, he immediately channeled more power toward Solvei, layering her with defenses and protective measures. Again and again he used the Charismata, expending its power profligately, allowing each new application to overwrite the previous one as he channeled its strength to Solvei.

With each expenditure, the thrashing of his foreleg’s wires grew less and less, until they began to retract, finally reforming his foreleg as he used its power for the final time, the blessing expended until it restored itself at midnight.

Staggered by how much energy he’d thrown at her, Solvei stopped in place, and he could register bewilderment from her. Master-

He didn’t give her a chance to finish. With his mindset clear, he knew that her confusion – as well as whatever had just happened with the Night Mare – would have to wait.

Right now, he was needed elsewhere.

---

Carnelia swore silently as the last of the hamatula she’d summoned was dispatched by the hulking stallion she’d been assigned to stop. Useless, every single one of them.

They weren’t dead, since summoning called an astral form rather than their real self, but as far as Carnelia was concerned that was a flaw rather than a feature. Now that their consciousnesses were back in Hell, it was highly likely that those simpletons – all members of the ragtag collection of Bel’s remaining followers – would report on what was happening to Jezebel.

And if Jezebel heard that her designated representative was failing to make her look good to Lex Legis – such as by being unable to defeat one musclebound oaf – Carnelia had no doubt that she’d find herself replaced in very short order.

That wasn’t acceptable.

Not when Lex Legis was a proverbial goldmine of opportunities just waiting to be exploited.

Which meant that failing here was not an option.

Unfortunately, the block of muscle she was facing didn’t seem to agree. Bad enough he’d dispatched her minions, but she couldn’t seem to secure a foothold in his mind.

It wasn’t that she wasn’t able to get inside his head. Unlike Lex – who had effortlessly defeated her every attempt to invade his thoughts before easily invading her own in turn – this “Burly” stallion had no psychic or psionic safeguards of any kind. Even his will, while considerable in how much power it carried, was blunt and unpolished; it had all the force of a boulder hurtling down a hillside, but was just as easy to avoid for one skilled in mental manipulation.

And yet, Carnelia hadn’t been able to slow Burly down in the slightest.

Every attempt to beguile him into wanting her approval, every subliminal suggestion that he calm himself and talk things out, every attempt to leave him so enthralled by the sound of her voice that he couldn’t do anything but sit still and listen to her...all had failed.

But not because he was immune to her powers, or because he’d fought them off, or even because he was too enraged to listen to her.

Rather, he was simply bashing her magic out of his brain!

Literally, each and every time she began to weave her influence over his thoughts, he’d grimace – his face twisting in an expression that seemed to say he’d smelled something foul – and then reach up and slam his hoof against his head, not in some minor tap but in a hammer-blow that was heavy enough that she’d been able to feel the impact through the ground.

That shouldn’t have accomplished anything except to fracture his skull, and yet each time, Carnelia had felt her magic shatter under the impact.

And now, she had no one left to keep his attention while she tried to figure out how to bypass his ridiculous means of dispelling her magic.

“Don’t take this personal, toots,” snorted Burly as he strode toward her, rolling one shoulder as he spat out a glob of blood, looking more wounded from how he’d defeated her magic than from the hamatulas she’d summoned. “I know any chick who dresses like you gives it up easy, but you’re gonna hafta wait. I wanna see just how tough that titan really is, and ain’t no one gettin’ in my way.”

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.” Carnelia kept her face cool and impassive, one hand coming up to adjust her glasses. The gesture was designed to be eye-catching, distracting a viewer from noticing that her other hand reached behind her back, grabbing the ruby she’d secreted away in the pouch sewn into her waistband. There was more to manipulating others than simple spellwork, after all. “Prince Legis has greater concerns than indulging your barbaric impulses.”

“He ain’t gonna have a choice, cutie. Now” – he rushed her then, cocking his hoof back – “outta my way!”

But despite the juggernaut bearing down on her, Carnelia didn’t take so much as a half-step backward. Instead, she brought the ruby forward and pointed it at the stallion, focusing her magic.

Manipulation was her area of expertise, but it wasn’t all she could do!

“Burly, was it?” she replied coldly, a dim light beginning to shine from within the ruby. “How about I put you up in your own personal accommodations while you wait for Prince Legis’ schedule to open up? All expenses paid, and you can stay at long as you like.”

The magic of the binding rushed out, invisible but unstoppable. It curled around Burly like a monstrous python, pulling him – body and soul – toward the ruby. Despite herself, Carnelia couldn’t help but smirk as she saw the crude stallion stumble, before digging his hooves into the dirt with a grunt. “Or rather,” she murmured, a trickle of spiteful delight leaking into her voice, “as long as I like.”

“Hate to...break it to you, toots,” huffed Burly, muscles flexing as he fought back against the binding magic. “But they ain’t...never made a prison...that can hold...”

Carnelia didn’t answer, instead focusing on the ruby in her hand. The light within grew brighter, and Burly slid forward a few more paces. In response, he clenched his jaw, grunting loudly as he strained, veins standing out across his muscles.

Her smirk falling away at the level of resistance Burly was managing to put up – having spoken his name during the binding, it should have been almost impossible for him to resist – Carnelia put all of her concentration into her spell. This was her last resort; she could only use this particular magic once in a twenty-four hour period, and even then she’d need another gem to try this again.

Which meant that if this failed, then so had she.

She had combat training, of course; no one in Bel’s service was allowed to be poor at fighting. Even Jezebel, who was a seductress of the highest order, still had to keep up a brutal training regimen that would have killed a mortal. Nor were pleasure devils exempt from such training; there were plenty of creatures who couldn’t be manipulated – ranging from golems to alien entities from beyond the boundaries of the known planes – and so could only be fought physically, rather than psychically. Carnelia even had a weapon hidden on her person just in case things came to that.

But given how much punishment Burly had absorbed, and yet was still acting as if he didn’t feel it in the least, Carnelia couldn’t imagine being able to defeat him in his preferred method of combat.

Fortunately, it won’t come to that, she reassured herself, concentrating fully on the ruby. The binding will work, and I’ll have a useful captive. With any luck, Lex will forget about this brute’s existence, and I’ll be able-

In her hands, the ruby shattered, unable to take the strain her magic had placed on it.

“TOLD YA!” roared Burly as he rushed forward, foreleg cocked. Already, Carnelia could feel an immense sensation pulling her toward it, his hoof seeming almost to waver from how heavy it suddenly seemed, and in that moment she realized that she wouldn’t be able to block or avoid what was about to happen.

And unlike those hamatulas she’d summoned, she was completely here, which meant that if she was killed, she’d actually die.

The thought made her cringe, instinctively trying to plane-shift away. But she could tell that she wasn’t going to make it in time, being pulled forward face-first as Burly’s hoof swung out-

Suddenly, she was yanked backward, feeling someone grab her around her waist and draw her to safety even as they stepped in, palm raised...

And a shockwave rippled through the air as Lex caught Burly’s punch without flinching.

L-lover! sputtered Carnelia, shocked that he’d stepped in to save her. It would have made more sense for him to let her die; he’d pledged to Jezebel that he’d protect her, of course, but that sort of promise was pro forma nonsense. It would have been easy to say that she’d been killed because she was incompetent, and then indict Jezebel for that, accusing her of deliberately sending an inept go-between as an excuse for pressuring her for more treasures...or even severing their relationship while keeping what he’d already gained from her. Either option, Carnelia knew, was far more valuable than her own life.

And yet Lex had saved her. Why?

Oblivious to her shock, Lex – the barbed wire that made up his body already receding, leaving him flesh and blood once more – glared at Burly.

“You want to fight me that badly?” intoned the titan, his voice dark.

“Here I am.”

Author's Note:

Lex faces off against Burly Brawl at last!

Will the antean and the titan be able to fight to a conclusion? Or will the elves regroup and renew their attack before the winner can be determined?

Comments

[Booster Spice]

Burly keeps making me think of Hawking and Adagio.

Hes had a Singularity Suppository.

Hawking:If naked Singularities exist, then so does The Pudding That Ate Chicago.

Twilight:Puuuuuuddddiiinngggg.

Author corrupted Night Mare will be back tomorrow?

[Alzrius]

11839289 The convenient thing about magic is that it doesn't really need to worry about how science works. It can basically ignore things like preconditions, side effects, and residual consequences that would happen if the same process were done scientifically. (Or, you know, couldn't be done at all.)

As for what will happen to Lex when the Charismata replenishes itself, well, he's got quite a few problems that need to be taken care of before then.

[Not so New Brony]

If there is one thing Lex has shown time and time again, is that he'll always keep the promises he makes and uphold his end of the bargain no matter what. Still, this ought to endear Carnelia to Lex somewhat(though its hard to say if it will be genuine or not given what she is as well as her mindset) and given her apparent role as a secretary, she'll be quite useful down the line if and when he goes back to Equestria to properly establish his Kingdom.

[Alzrius]

11840981 Lex does indeed hold himself very stringently to his promises and agreements, regardless of what it ends up costing him later on. That latter part is what's confusing Carnelia.

Hell, and devils in general, take a flavor of Lawful Evil that epitomizes twisting agreements to your own benefit, often by butchering the spirit of the accord even while agreeing to the letter. If you can screw over someone else in the course of doing so, that's a benefit as well, because devils can't help but see almost everything as a zero-sum game, where winning necessarily means making someone else lose, and vice versa. The end result is a system where people can work together and coordinate, but without any trust or investment in each other, since it's universally understood that as soon as A) there's an opportunity to betray you, and B) there's more value in doing so than not, while C) being able to get away with it, then you're going to end up betrayed.

Carnelia is well-versed in that paradigm, and recognizes that one of the quickest ways to set someone up is to give them a job where failure is a foregone conclusion (even if you have to put your thumb on the metaphorical scale to ensure it), and then punish them for it. Or in her case, let her die trying to carry out Lex's orders, and then complain to Jezebel that she sent him an incompetent ambassador, and so better give him someone better (and an apology gift of some sort) to soothe his irritation.

Instead, he put himself in harm's way to save her, causing Carnelia a great deal of confusion. How she resolves remains to be seen, though if she assumes it's naivete on his part, I suspect that Lex will correct her quite quickly.