The String of Fate

by Omior Falroc

"Arc1: Mitm" Ch4 Dark Beginnings

A glass plate was thrown across the small, rather enclosed room, shattering against the far wall.

“Urgh,” the shadowed being angrily yelled as he threw more objects in reach away from himself. He was infuriated to say the least. This unforeseen miscalculation had done more damage then he would have liked.

The veiled individual gathered his thoughts as he told himself, “no matter, just a small setback. The plans are still in motion, ready to proceed without much halt.” He smiled viciously as he stared back upon the orb which viewed the human and pony escaping the cave. “Yes, even without one of our behemoths we can still win. It’s only a matter of time.”

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Omior and Vigil collapsed from exhaustion a little ways from the cave, they had quickly devolved their panting into mindless laughing out of relief to be through with the situation beforehand.

After a minute of them laughing together, they stopped. Slowly, the world caught up with the two, and the quiet nervousness of the situation revealed itself from under the covers.

“So....” Vigil started, it hung in the air as the two looked at each other.

“What now?” Omior didn’t realize it until now, but he had nowhere to go, no purpose, no drive. He was just... there.

The two were sitting there, wondering what would happen now. It hit Vigil and he decided to make his thoughts vocal. “How about.........you just stay with me for now? I mean, you need to make yourself known if you don’t want to be viewed as....” He stopped as he didn’t want to offend the warrior.

“Seem like a monster? Yes, I do believe your idea is the best to go on, it will help Celestia know my presence still lingers and that I will need help. As unfortunate as it may be, I may cause a problem by just being there.”

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*Eclipse Sanctum, inner chambers 32; location unknown*

The air sizzled and crackled, steam hissing venomously at the air and shadows that threatened to entangle it to the shackles of the ground. Within the steam stood a figured, relaxing among rocks with which the steam arose from. The frame was slender and feminine by human standards. The upper half hidden in a shadowy trail of steam which masked her self. A kind of antenna poked through her forehead and out into the cool air, breaking slightly at the edge of the steam. The lower half of her was long and thin, also very scale-y and rough. It stretched out into a tail that ended sharply, with soft fur surrounding it in tufts as well as small patches here and there all over the scaled form.

The figure purred as a gryphon soldier marched into the room, saluting his mistress, concealed by steam.

“Nnnnh...” She uttered as she stretched out, repositioning herself on the boiling rock. “What iiiissss it my soldier? Why hath you disturbed your mistress in my wonderful heating chamber?” She watched as the soldier gulped nervously tugging at the neckline of his armor.

“W-w-well yes your ladyship, the uhm, master wishes to sp-speak with you.” The poor gryphon looked to be almost in tears as the serpent lady stared him down in a silent judgement.

Slowly, she rose from the boiling rock and slithered off of it, over to the recruit. “Mmh.. yess, I am aware he would need my service soon. When does he request my presencccccce?” She circled the gryphon as she said this, looking him over on all sides.

“N-n-n-n-n........” He tried to say as he slowly followed her movements around him.

In annoyance, she raised her voice. “When does he wish of me? Do not make me repeat myself once more.” She started to increase her speed as the soldier cowered even more.

“N-n-NOW! Alright...” He raised his claws to his face as he prepared for the worst. After a few seconds of nothing, he tentatively lowered his arms.

The serpent lady was staring right into his eyes, but before he could cower away again she grabbed his chin carefully with a clawed appendage. “Be calm young one. You are but a novice, they are given a chance to make one mistake,” her face darkened as her grip tightened around his jaw, “but only one.” She released him as he suddenly backed away from her reach. “Tell the shadowmaster I shall arrive in but a moment.”

The soldier nodded dumbly as he turned and bolted out of the room in fear, a small puddle lay in front of the serpent lady on the floor. She looked at it with disgust and yelled out, “Servant! Clean this mess up!” She slithered out the door as a peach yellow pony in a maid’s outfit rushed into the room with a rag.

As the serpent lady slunk across the stony surface, she smiled viciously to herself. She turned a corner which opened into a massive room covered in torches. A room carved from simple rock, smoothed several times over. The center held a large wooden table, seemingly miles long, chairs evenly aligned to each and every side, except for the shortest of sides which had overly fancy chairs, one adjacent to the other. But she wasn’t interested in her “feasting room” as she liked to put it. She was interested in a door behind the farthest fancy chair.

The door had smoke seeping through the bottoms of it, nipping away at the clear air around the door. She glided up to the door and opened it, eyeing everything for the thousandth time for the shadowmaster before closing it behind her.

Author's Note:

Chapter 4, in all the bright glory of hard earned work. Hope you guys like it.