Chapter 18 Vethtizo Aicithājuls (Call of the Windigo)
One can learn much from a dragon's roar if one knows what to listen for. ~ Unknown
Šizra fought to keep from grumbling in irritation at the foalish greeting the two mares were engaged in. At least the delay gave him a moment of relative peace to recover a bit more. The use of athulēt had disrupted several spells that he was using to help him move his nigh on unresponsive legs. Thankfully with him wearing his cloak no one could see how stiffly he was moving, yet. It would only be a matter of time before his protégé would notice.
His gaze and attention quickly locked onto the guard that was standing at attention near the throne. There was shimmering haze around him indicative of a changeling but he could see no radiating lines. Given the size of the haze the changeling was most likely a praetorian guard. Šizra carefully and surreptitiously scanned the room further but could see no other changelings. That didn't mean much given the limitations of the leeching spell he was using, all the windows, and the changelings ability to communicate through their hive mind.
"Interesting..." Šizra muttered when he adjusted the spell, hoping to get a better look at the changeling. As far as he was aware, Chrysalis' hive was the only hive on this continent, and while he could not fully see past the disguise he could at least see that the changeling was not from Chrysalis' hive. This was unexpected, as between Chrysalis' egomania and the low emotional yield Equestria had, neither would allow a second hive to survive. Although with the return of the Crystal Empire that may have changed.
"I can clearly see you are not hers, and last I knew, hers were the only ones anywhere near these lands."
Šizra watched as the guard switched from making a show to actually gathering mana to his horn. It was not surprising as changelings did not like their masquerade publicly broken and he was really close to doing that very thing. Unfortunately, he still needed to warn this hive as the potential emotional output of the Crystal Heart, if activated, far exceeded lethal levels. And if the Heart ever did detect a threat best case scenario was the Heart flinging the hive out of the Empire worst it would burn them to all ash...
"Hey, don't look at me. I need Index to help me understand him, remember?" Not-Spike muttered.
"Also," Šizra continued, ignoring his protégé's comment, "when I said I wanted to see your leader I did not mean the ruler of the Crystal Empire."
He was not surprised when the changeling guard reacted with deepening fear and anger, but the reactions from Shining Armor and Princess Cadance were, however, unexpected. He had earlier noticed the spikes of confusion from both Twilight and his protégé at his use of doublespeak, but not from those two, they had remained steadfastly fearful. Why?
"Why... am I detecting only fear from you two and not confusion?" Šizra questioned as he pointed towards the two in turn. When fear became fully visible for just a moment suddenly he understood. His eyes widen in shock as he realized that they knew about the hive. What?! That made no sense to him. This was contrary to typical changeling hive behavior, either they went full masquerade or not at all. "They know. Don't they?"
And with those words a ripple passed through the aura of the changeling. Sadly Šizra could feel the backlash starting from his earlier use of athulēt so he would not have to strength to safely hack into the hivemind to confirm his suspicion. If he was not mistake the guard had just issued a flee order. After all, it was standard changeling procedure for when their masquerade was threatened. Although, given that this hive was already bucking normal hive conventions, what he saw may have meant anything or nothing.
"Stand down captain." A voice behind them spoke. Šizra's eyebrow lifted slightly as the praetorian changeling guard facehoofed while muttering a barely audible curse along with the words 'idiot brother.'
Šizra nearly stumbled as he attempted to turn when one of his legs was slower to respond than he expected. He flashed a glare to his protégé who has giving him a look of concern. With any luck, his protégé would keep quiet until they had a private moment. Shifting his gaze fully to the matter at hand Šizra saw another disguised changeling standing only a few hooves away. This changeling had more then just a haze that surrounded him there was also hazy threads that went out in all directions. Here was the royal changeling of the hive that he needed to speak with.
He watched passively as a shell of green mana enveloped the stallion momentarily as the changeling shifted out of his disguise.
Interesting...
The revealed form of the changeling confirmed Šizra's earlier summation. This hive was different from Chrysalis'. And if his mandible like antlers were anything to go by, this hive's changeling base form seemed to be based after stag beetles. Also bit more colorful than normal for changelings, but it would make them a bit less threatening to the equally colorful ponies. As long as one ignore the massive scars. The changeling had been gravely injured at some point in the past as half of his left mandible was sheared clean off along with the entirety of his left ear while a massive jagged scar ran down the right side of his head from the top of his head through his blind, right eye before finally ending near the changeling's shoulder.
"Thorax! What?! Where?! How!? I thought... The hive was... Your mandible! Your eye!" Twilight shouted, her mane frizzing more and more as she struggled to get a full sentence out. "What happened!?"
"Equestrians."
"Pharynx!" 'Thorax' scolded hotly before his countenance fell with a sigh. "Now is not the time..."
"Of course not!" Pharynx snapped back. "You should be fleeing with the rest of the hive!"
Thorax rubbed a hoof over his forehead before gesturing wildly with the same hoof. "And flee to where, Pharynx?"
While Šizra was pleased that his hunch was correct and that, in a small way, the breaking of the masquerade was facilitating the hive's leaving he needed to make to press the importance onto the Hive Leader that his hive needed to leave the Empire for their safety. "Your praetorian guard, Hive Leader Thorax, is right, your hive is in danger and needs to leave the Empire."
Both changelings turned to stare at Šizra.
"And just who the buck are you?" Pharynx demanded, his eyes narrowing menacingly.
"I am known as Šizra."
"Wait. 'Šizra?'" Thorax questioned, his single seeing eye widening in fear. "As in the Šizra who is wanted in both the Crystal Empire and Equestria for crimes including orchestrating the dragon rampage on Equestria and the coltnapping of Spike?"
"Ended, not orchestrated." Šizra corrected, huffing a bit at Twilight's loud scoff. "And as for Spike, if I had not 'coltnapped' him both Spike and my protégé would be dead. I had to make a choice. The future of all dragonkind or its deepening twilight. Between one life or two. Spike or both Spike and my protégé. "
"Between Spike and your... protégé?" Thorax echoed, blinking.
"Yo." Not-Spike smirked, giving the changeling a two finger salute.
"S-Spike?" Thorax sputtered in disbelief.
"Please tell me that I am not going to be fucking dealing with this for fucking forever." Not-Spike grumbled, rubbing a paw across his forehead, "Because I if do..."
"He may look like an older Spike, sound like an older Spike, have mannerisms like Spike, but he is not Spike." Šizra quickly explained before anyone, most likely Twilight, could, once again, piss off both him and his protégé.
"Then who-"
Šizra sharply raised a paw, interrupting Thorax and cutting off his protégé's reaction before it escalated further. "When he is ready he will give you a form of address to use. Until then, whatever you do, do not call him Spike."
Thorax blinked twice, mouthing the word okay in clear confusion. The others in the room seemed to share in his confusion with various stunned looks of their own. The only exception was Twilight who had already been told about the use of the name 'Spike' and was glaring hotly at Šizra.
The pause in the conversation gave a moment for Šizra to think. He understood the dilemma that the hive faced. Going south towards Equestria to avoid the dangerous winter conditions of the Frozen North could lead them back into conflict with Equestria or worse Chrysalis' hive. And to cross the Greater Western Sea towards Traxti had its own dangers. Not helping was the political mood back in the Traxti Federation. If word got out about the trials this hive had to endure it could be enough to tip the scales towards war, impassible sea and ice be damned.
I hate politics...
Šizra shook his head to clear his thoughts before they completely spiraled out of control. As much as he wanted to help, it was likely that their fate was beyond his help, not when he had very little energy nor time left.
"Why is there a statue of Spike holding out the Crystal Heart?" Šizra questioned, wanting to return to the original reason for his coming to the Empire, his protégé.
"And why the hell is he called 'Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious?'" Not-Spike added with a growl.
Šizra eyed his protégé for a moment. He had heard the notes of jealously and attraction under the anger and irritation of his protégé's growl. He also glanced over at the changelings and wondered for a second if they too noticed the undercurrent of emotions, but if they had they gave no indication that he could detect.
"Well?" Šizra huffed in irritation as both his and his protégé's questions were met with silence.
A glance was shared among the ponies before Twilight sighed deeply. "It started with a summon from Princess Celestia..."
As Twilight spoke of the return of the Crystal Empire and its eventual salvation from Sombra Šizra found himself clenching his paws over and over in rage. He almost couldn't believe that Celestia would put the lives of ponies of the Empire and more into mortal peril by sending a group of untrained civilians into a deadly situation against a powerful necromantic lich without the Elements all so she could 'test' Twilight! If only he had more time...
That rage quickly shifted to bewilderment as Twilight went on to explain that is was Spike's actions in saving the Empire that lead the Crystal Ponies into calling Spike 'Great and Honorable, the Brave and Glorious.' It made no sense to Šizra as not only was Spike's role in the liberation of the Empire relatively minor in comparison to Twilight or to Cadance but their praising of a dragon being their savior over a pony seemed incongruous to their history. It was their ancestors after all that had massacred the Letuscktüis of the Frozen North before stealing the Crystal Heart.
The bewilderment gave way to concern when Šizra saw Not-Spike's reaction to Twilight's explanation. The young dragon was staring straight down with a sad, contemplative, almost guilty frown. Šizra had seen that look twice on Spike but never on Not-Spike. He was aware of his protégé's mixed feelings and tense relationship with Spike so why was the story of the liberation of the Crystal Empire by Spike bothering him in such a way?
Šizra's emotions then flipped back to anger, now mixed with envy and jealousy. Now, normally he could handle the emotional whiplash, but between the exhaustion he was experiencing from over use of magic and the constant physical and spiritual pain that he lived with thanks to the shattered ward that once kept his soul intact it was too much for him to handle and something within him snapped. He started to bitterly laugh as he ranted. "Thisss is joke! A joke that even Ilcktulsivitātes Hzathtola would findzz needlessssly crrrruel! All that worrrk anzz livesss wasssstzed! My parrrrentsss sacrrificezz allz forrr NOTHING!"
Tears clouded Šizra's vision as he shifted from crazed ranting to sorrowful lamentations, his voice thick with choked gasps and hiccups. "I... I could have... They could have liv-lived... but nooo... The only thing- The only thing needed was ponies abused... and oppressed by the worst tyrant this side of the cataclysm... to be saved by a dragon that despised what he thought he was... with a simple letuscktüis artifact!"
And then, just as fast as it collapsed, his emotions coalesced into a simmering and furious resolve. He closed his eyes for a moment before snapping them open as a single word from his mouth. "Fine."
Without another word Šizra stumbled his way to the nearest window. It would not be him they would answer to but the Letuscktüis' of the north (if any still survived the latest massacre). What he was about to do was going to be tricky as he did not have access to his reference library and with his waning strength the methods he could normally employ to get the book he needed were impossible. That meant he would have to make the attempt with only a hazy recollection on how. At least his current turbulent emotional state should make it a bit easier.
Šizra raised his paw gathering a bit of mana to it as he did he than slammed it on the window shattering it into thousands of pieces. The chill of the night rushed in as he took a deep breath before roaring three times in quick succession. Panting heavily he watched as the Spire pulsed brightly three times before several aurorae burst out from the top and spread out in all directions. He let himself smile a bit when he saw that the colors of the aurorae, red, orange, and green edged with a darkness that was just outside of his normal visual range. It looked like he did it correct and if the Amulet of the Winds had been claimed then...
"What the buck did you do?!" Someone yelled, who exactly Šizra was not sure with the sounds of roars echoing in his head.
Still reeling from effects of his emotional collapse Šizra answered the person without thinking. "I called for the Windigo."
Without warning a mana bolt slammed into Šizra sending him flying into and along the wall at a high rate of speed. The impact on the wall was so great that it momentarily robbed him of air, cutting off his roar of pain. He continued to tumble along the wall for nearly forty hooves before finally sliding to the floor in a crumbled heap.
Šizra's vision faded in and out as he struggled to keep conscious. He could barely make out his protégé rushing to his aid shouting something but what he was shouting Šizra could not tell with his ears ringing. He growled in irritation as his protégé stood guard over him. Of course, they wouldn't know what a Windigo really was and thus would naturally react negatively to the revelation that he had just summoned one. He should not said what he had said without also being ready for an attack, but he had let his control and guard slip.
"Do you.. want a repeat of what... what happened ten years ago?" Šizra panted as he struggled to get back on his hooves. "Because... if I am not here to receive... the Windigo, if there is one, the Empire... will be wiped out."
"You- You monster!" Twilight yelled her horn painfully bright with mana.
"Do not lecture me on who is a monster!" Šizra roared back at Twilight as he slide back down onto the floor, his legs unable to muster the strength to stand. He was glad his protégé was guarding him as he doubted he had the strength to defend himself against whatever spell was on the tip of her horn.
"Hermit Sage?"
"I am fine protégé..." Šizra softly reassured his protégé unable to look into his eyes. "I just need to rest..."
Šizra sighed as he laid back against the wall. The cool temperature of the crystal walls felt so good against his injured body. He was sure that at least some of his ribs were, at the very least, bruised with the way it hurt to breathe. It was very likely that the estimate that he had given his protégé had been cut in half due to not only his current injuries but his earlier confrontation with Twilight the day before.
"Hive Leader Thorax you must recall your hive back to the city or they will freeze to death." Šizra warned Thorax before turning his eyes towards Candace. "And you may want to warn your citizens to bundle up. A blizzard is coming."
"A blizzard is coming? OF COURSE A BUCKING BLIZZARD IS COMING!" Twilight ranted, pointing an accusatory hoof at Šizra, strains of her mane popping out of alignment. "You just summoned an ice demon!"
"ENOUGH!" Not-Spike roared, unsheathing his swords. He flinched when the ponies, particularly Twilight, recoiled in fear. Lowering his swords, he took a deep breath before continuing at a near whisper. "Please, please do as the Hermit Sage has said. Get the hive back to safety within the city and warn the citizens that a blizzard is coming. I don't want to see the crystal ponies nor the changelings dying because you are too stubborn to do as he says."
A tense moment passed before both Thorax and Cadance nodded in consent to Not-Spike's plea. This, however, only served to upset Twilight further, who gritted her teeth before swearing. "I swear I will find a way to stop you, Šizra, and then I will personally throw you down the deepest darkest pit of Tartarus!"
"Wait, Twiley!" Shining Armor called out as Twilight stormed away.
"I'm not going to stand here and let Šizra bring the Empire to disaster like he did Equestria!" Twilight exclaimed loudly as she kept walking away not slowing down in the slightest. "There has to be something in the Crystal Archives..."
Šizra shook his head as the rest of Twilight's rant faded as she disappeared down the hall with Shining Armor close behind. "A Windigo is not a ice demon." He absentmindedly explained, "The term 'Windigo' is used for the leader of the Letuscktüis much like Dragon Lord is used for Uzuthscktüis..."
"Yeah, maybe next time you should start with the explanation." Not-Spike grumbled, sheathing his swords.
Soon... Šizra sighed, his gaze turning to the aurorae that were still visible through the window as they weaved around in the night sky. Very soon...
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And then this type of guy wonders why people research and build vaccuum wave detonators.
MAD.
11677903 Wait vacuum wave detonators?
11677908
Dont think about it.
Its one of at least half a dozen ways I thought I remembered over the years suggested that destroy everything.
they dont have to be powerful.
They work similar to the pin in an overinflated balloon.
In this case, the balloon is the fabric of reality.
11677932 Oh... Um... yeah that would be Chapter 8...
thought i'd surprise you and post this the same geologic age as you posted the chapter
ch18
leeching spell his was using
he was using
This was unexpected, as between Chrysalis' egomania and the low emotional yield Equestria had neither would allow a second hive to survive, although with the return of the Crystal Empire that may have changed.
maybe this could be more clear with commas setting off 'and the low emotional yield Equestria had'? I'm not completely sure, tbh.
Sizra quickly explained before anyone, most likely Twilight, could, once again, piss off both him and his protégé.
aww what a precious snowflake, explaining one of his hangups so nopony will upset him
the trails this hive had to endure
trials
As much as he wanted to help
news to me
"It started with a summon from Princess Celestia..."
how about "He saved the crystal empire and all the ponies in it. twice." that seems like more explanation than Sizzy deserves, and it's still enough to be useful
Sizra emotions
Sizra's
Still reeling
i am wondering if he would be ammenable to a half dozen iron-tipped crossbow bolts to the back of the skull right now. Weakened, and all...
Without warning a mana bolt slammed into Sizra
wow, timing! too much to hope that it works, of course
in consent to Not-Spike's plead
be aware that using plead as a noun is non-standard. i'm totally fine with you doing so, just be aware.
11679889
Well, normally, you comment within 24 hours... It was last chapter that you seemed to be taking forever to say anything.
Yeah I had some issues with getting this line to come out right during the editing... Maybe a period after survive and have although start a new sentence...
Will work on this and the other editing boo boos when I have a moment
Yeah I know some of this is snark as you don't like sizra to put it mildly
but its not because of no skin that Sizra gets easily pissed off with twilight's usage of 'Spike'... well technically... maybe a bit... But that is so not the case for Not-Spike. (more on that in 2 chapters)
If it was just Sizra, sure. Except it's not just Sizra that is asking the question but Not-Spike as well: "And why the hell is he called 'Great and Honorable Spike the Brave and Glorious?'" Not-Spike added with a growl.
I know you have a hatred for Sizra which is justified to some extent but I have been putting nuance and subtext to sizra character from the beginning that should show that he does care and is willing to help. And this one minded hatred is making me wonder if I have made it too nuanced and needed to add a touch more telling to the show don't tell 'formula' when it comes to sizra... Your thoughts?(That includes other readers too)
11680307
Yeah, sorry if i'm just being a bitch about Sizzy-chan. I am sure i'm missing some of the more subtil (soooo done with hearing that other word you used) clues, and maybe forgetting other clues. He annoyed me pretty hard at the beginning and if he's on a redemption ark, i guess i missed the boat. (see what i did there? LOLOTH!) Anyway, i'm just one random loser, don't worry too much about it. eff me, imma go downvote some of my own stories.
11680325 No no no no... NO! NO you are NOT some random loser. Do not put yourself down like that again. And so what if your "just being a bitch about Sizzy-chan?" You are entitled to having that opinion to him. And its okay if you are missing or forgetting clues. Nature of reading fanfiction piece meal over a long period of time. I just wanted to be sure I was doing everything correct on MY end and wanted your opinion (if you were willing). Sometimes it can be difficult as the one that knows everything to make sure I have also told my readers what they need to know.
11680334
Oops, mood swing mid-sentence, that is a thing that happens, lol.
I think my initial dislike of Ŝizra could well be clouding my perception of his progression. Maybe he could use a little more 'tell', but to try to be fair to him and his creator, i'll briefly play his advocate. He did actually explain a couple of things this chapter, that is an improvement even if one of the explanations just was so that others could cater to his (and un-spike's) strange preferences. I still think he could explain a lot more. Also in his favor, he's trying to contain his rage -- his rage that on another hoof might get better if he explained what it was about. Was my liege Celestia involved in some draconic genocide? Even if Twilight doesn't believe him until he submits reasonable proof, she would at least know where the rage came from if he came out and said it clearly. And the un-spike deal, he could have explained that more -- "the dragon you see before you was once spike, but he is no longer; when he achieves [whatever] he will receive his name". Of course, if maturing as a dragon means having one's personality traumatically ripped out and replaced, i might be on the side of genocide. (I felt that way about the Piggies in Ender, too. Some life processes are too gross to exist.)
BTW, have you seen this graph?
imgs.xkcd.com/comics/fiction_rule_of_thumb.png
Sorry, I couldn't resist, this came to mind when you called the Wendigos something new and weird. Have you read Algernon Blackwood's wendigo story?
11680445BTW, have you seen this graph? Sees graph
BWHAHAHAAHAAAAAAAA
Better not let any JRR Tolkien hyper fans see that...
I think my initial dislike of Ŝizra could well be clouding my perception of his progression. Maybe he could use a little more 'tell', but to try to be fair to him and his creator, i'll briefly play his advocate. He did actually explain a couple of things this chapter, that is an improvement even if one of the explanations just was so that others could cater to his (and un-spike's) strange preferences. I wouldn't say strange preferences on the part of Not-Spike... Although to be fair, Sizra irritation on the use of the name more is on the behalf of Not-Spike then anything else...
I still think he could explain a lot more.Yeah he could...
Also in his favor, he's trying to contain his rage Yeah... no. He is so not trying to do that. -- his rage that on another hoof might get better if he explained what it was about. Doubtful... For one the rage is a product of a different though related character flaw
Was my liege Celestia involved in some draconic genocide?Again no.
And the un-spike deal, he could have explained that more -- "the dragon you see before you was once spike, but he is no longer; when he achieves [whatever] he will receive his name". The issue isn't that Sizra didn't explain it. The issue was that when he did in chapter 15 he did it in a way that was... well insensitive would be putting it waaay mildly...
Of course, if maturing as a dragon means having one's personality traumatically ripped out and replaced, i might be on the side of genocide. (I felt that way about the Piggies in Ender, too. Some life processes are too gross to exist.) It is interesting that you brought up the Piggies in Ender and said this line: "if maturing as a dragon means having one's personality traumatically ripped out and replaced"... And I will say nothing more because one I'm evil and two I really love River Song's favorite line...