The Odyssey of Xheda

"Wrath without restraint is similar
to having power without a cause;
One's own actions will spell
despair for all around him."
- Chief Iron Hill of the Oxen

"The Scholar?!"

Those two words were the only pair that Xheda had gasped in the early morn; it had been but a few hours as Biju led the foals to an above ground house of which he lived in. It was not a large structure, notably small actually, given but enough space for a bed and a small chimney which an old cauldron hung over the calm flames. Hung up on the walls, remaining true to Biju's scholarly title, were a series of shelves, two shelves with one over the other on each wall which cradled a line of soft cover to leather covered scriptures, both fictional and philosophical.

Though the insides of the small house was little to behold to the foals, the vast flat surface behind the house drew Xheda's attention the most; this flat surface was outlined by a small garden of colorful flowers, drawing to the idea that perhaps Biju enjoyed gardening which was an odd trait, even none existent, among diamond dogs. Within the outline of flowers, the flat surface had been carved into with smooth edges, taking on the design of what looked like a training ground, a sparring ground, or even a place of meditation.

The foals carefully stored their saddlebags within the small house at the offer of the scholarly dog, finally at rest and eating their breakfast. Xheda chewed on the other half of his apple fritter and eyed Biju from the corner of his sight, watching as Biju stirred a wooden spoon in the cauldron with his left hand and holding his pipe to his jaws with his right. The scent of whatever it was that was boiling in the cauldron flowed through the small house, reaching the foal's nostrils; the smell was certainly nothing of which they'd have ever smelled before, leaving a taste in their mouth that began to drive their curiosity and move them to join Biju at his sides.

"Hey, old dog, whats cooking?" Glitter Chant asked as she bounced up and down as her means to attempt trying to see into the cauldron, her mane swinging up and down and softly waving the flames in front of her.

"Just a recipe I discovered from the minotaurs of the west. A fascinating people, I might add." Biju spoke and softly chuckled as he stirred the contents of the cauldron with slow motions of his wrist, inhaling the scent everyone once in a while. "It's a rather delightful stew, consisting mostly of potatoes and carrots. It's amazing what the minotaur can think of with potatoes."

Xheda looked up at Biju and began to tap his digits together, he did not want to interrupt the elderly diamond dog from cooking, but at the same time he had questions that needed answers. Slowly reaching up, he clasped his digits firmly onto the edge of Biju's ragged vest and tugged softly to which the elderly diamond dog turned his gaze down to the young changeling with a quizzical expression.

"Forgive me if this is prying, Mr. Scholar, but...well..." Xheda then looked down at the floor, a twinge of fear lay within him for how Biju would react to his question, "Aren't diamond dogs, well...they don't speak really-"

And Biju chuckled, startling Xheda and effectively silencing him. "You're wondering how my speech and, perhaps more accurately, my vocabulary is expansive compared to a normal diamond dog? How I do not refer to myself in the third person or through the simplistic 'me' description? I'll gladly explain...but first, children, breakfast." Biju smiled as he tapped his pipe away from the cauldron before biting back down on the end, his right hand reaching atop the small chimney and grabbing three wooden bowls; his gaze shifted left and right at Xheda and Glitter Chant, observing them and smiling as they took but a few moments to take in the scent of the stew once more, put away the remainder of their apple fritters, and grab themselves a wooden bowl from Biju's large palm. "I see you two have open minds to new tastes. That's good!"

==================

Breakfast was delicious; the variety of tastes, ranging from the baked potato chunks and simmered carrots to the added herbs and gravy like base, the two foals had ate heartily and without restraint, going back for seconds and even thirds, while Biju watched in appreciation of company that could enjoy a meal with him. Loading his pipe with a fresh herb, Biju once again puffed his pipe and blew rings of smoke into the air, smiling as Xheda and Glitter wiped the stew from their mouths and turned their attention towards him, expressing their full attention towards their elderly host.

"When I was in my youth, children, I was the runt of the puppies in my family. I did not have the tenacity nor the drive like my brothers and sister did for digging for gems. Neither did I have the strength or endurance to cart them around. It was not easy to hide that I was different from my siblings, as their passion was the same as any other diamond dog, mine drew my attention towards the surface. Did I wish for a life in seclusion beneath the ground? No, of course not. So instead, when I was old enough, I took the tunnels to the surface and, when I was enveloped by the sunlight, I beheld this world with all its beauty." Biju explained, taking the time to tap his pipe to the side and puff once more. "It was not long after that, that I had encountered a pony much like yourself, little unicorn. Our exchange of fears of one another soon turned to an exchange of interests for he was pulling a cart of books, scriptures and scrolls. By perusing through just one piece of literature, I become enthralled with what I had learned and the two of us became good companions."

"What was his name?" Glitter asked as she pushed her bowl away from her towards Xheda, her focus remained on Biju but her mindset was fixed on assuring that it was Xheda cleaning the bowls for her rather than her cleaning her own bowl. Xheda immediately spotted the hint and grumbled, taking his dish and Glitter's dish and stacked them carefully in the middle of the table that lay in the center of the room.

"Ballad Quill was his name. A fine fellow and a fine book salesmen. He and I ventured all around, even outside of Equestria to lands unknown to the two of us. The Iron Hills, the Mythic Glades, the Ashlands and Badlands, the Crystal Empire and even to Saddlearabia. I dare say I have even spent my time amongst the zebra and taken in their culture. It fascinated us both, Ballad Quill and I, to learn what this world had to offer." Biju removed his pipe once more and tapped it, sighing softly and biting on the end, "That is...until I made a great blunder."

"Blunder?" Xheda questioned, raising a brow and tilting his head.

"A grave mistake, young one. If you are familiar with the old tale of Arcanius and his sacrifice-"

"I am...well...I mean, I remember the pictures."

"Then this shouldn't be hard to understand. As Ballad Quill and I explored, he and I had discovered the old mountain that served as palace to the three creators. And not far from this great mountain stood the mighty pillar that formed from Arcanius and Magnus's efforts to seal in the Wrath-born. Foolishly, I approached the structure for my curiosity had gotten the best of me. I had placed my hands upon it's craggy surface, feeling it's undying heat against my palms, against the tips of my claws." Biju softly tapped his pipe over the side again, eying down at the table with an expression of oncoming sorrow. "It was then...I felt something pass from the pillar and through my palms. Something pulled its way into me. And I had blacked out. Once I awoke, I had found myself surrounded by soft flames, minor destruction, but above all, I found my companion before me, silent and motionless."

Xheda's eyes widened slowly and Glitter immediately cupped her mouth with her hooves, "You...you mean you-"

Biju nodded his hear wearily, "Yes...during my black out, I had murdered my dearest friend, Ballad Quill. I do not know what overcame me at that moment, but when I began to hear the whispers of destruction...I knew that it was those creatures, the Wrath-Born, that now plagued me." Biju sighed softly and then lifted his head, a look of determination overcame his sorrow, "But after that day, I had swore that I would control the power that plagued me, not just for my sake but for the sake of all those around me, and for the sake of my dearest friend. I spent my youth and my golden years in seclusion, up here and away from my fellow diamond dogs."

Xheda looked at his plagued foreleg and then looked at Biju, "And...did you master it? Did you master that power?"

Biju looked down at Xheda and observed his foreleg before making eye contact once again with the changeling as he nodded his head. "Yes, child, I did master it. Though mastery and perfection are two different outcomes, I cannot say I have perfected it, but I can safely say I have mastered it." Taking his pipe, Biju placed it slowly on the table and exhaled the remaining smoke, fixing his gaze on Xheda once again. "That is why you came to me, isn't it? Because you too are plagued by this power."

Xheda could not speak, feeling as though he was accused of some unspeakable crime. It was not his fault to be plagued by the power of wrath, but was the fault of the god that afflicted him. Having no more reason to hide any truth from Biju, Xheda nodded his head in agreement; remembering that Twilight's magic could not affect his plagued foreleg, Xheda's curiosity questioned what this power of his could do. What was he capable of? What effect would it have around him? Listening to Biju's story only solidified his need to know what he could do. Standing from the table, Biju moved to the front door, opening it to the sunlight of noon, beckoning the foals with his hand to follow him to the back of the house before disappearing around the corner of the doorway. Xheda and Glitter shot each other a quizzical look before they themselves stood apart from the table and proceeded outside after Biju into the flat area.

"Tell me children, what do you know of Harmony?" Biju asked, his back turned to the children as he stared left and right at the surrounding flowers encompassing the flat ground.

"Oh! oh! I know! Twilight says that Harmony is what binds us all together! Loyalty, Laughter, Honesty, Generosity, Kindness, and Magic! And Twilight is never wrong, that's why she's my teacher!" Glitter immediately responded, jumping up and down as she explained gleefully.

"Good, good. And Chaos?" Biju asked, awaiting the next answer.

"Well, that's everything opposite of Harmony, right? Greed, Deceit, Disloyalty, Anger, Cruelty, and Hopelessness." Glitter spoke up once again, thinking hard on the lessons taught to her.

"Yes, quite. Now then tell me. What is Wrath?" Biju asked as he slowly turned his head back and eyed the two foals. Both Xheda and Glitter looked to each other but neither could form an answer for Biju. They turned their heads back to the elderly diamond dog and shrugged, clueless. Biju closed his eyes and softly sighed, "Harmony is all things good, Chaos is all things bad. But the difference between bad and evil are defined by the actions taken to express their teachings. Children, Wrath is nothing short of evil. Harmony binds us, Chaos breaks us, but Wrath ends us in body, spirit, and mind. Death, Malice, Tyranny, Desire, Destruction. These are what fuels Wrath, what fuels the power to destroy everything utterly."

Biju held his left paw out at his side, his palm pointed upward and his claws pointed towards its center, "When one is plagued by Wrath, they cannot simply conjure it up like a unicorn can with their magic.They cannot muster magical energies into spells with Wrath. No, for one to call upon Wrath, they must muster up their deepest emotions, their inner pain, every memory, every recollection of being hurt, every desire that has called for the harm of another. Mine of course is the loss of my friend and the malice I have towards myself for allowing it to happen..."
As he spoke, as though on cue, deep flames began to rise from the center of his palm, slowly engulfing his left hand and rising higher into the air, not burning bright but burning deeper as though the flames themselves maintained its own light yet ate any source of light around it. Opening his eyes, Biju hurled the collected flame from his paw and watched as it collided into the mountainside, effectively burning through the rocky surface and leaving its traces as linger, light absorbing flames and a coating of magma. Holding both his paws out, red cracks appeared throughout his claws, fingers and even up to his wrists as soft clouds of smoke drew back the flame and magma towards Biju's palms, effectively vanishing them from sight. Biju lowered his arms and sighed softly before turning to Xheda and Glitter.

"When Wrath is done, children, only the one who caused it or one with greater Wrath can undo it.

Glitter blinked her eyes at the demonstration, almost feeling frightened to not only hear of the concept behind Wrath and how it is fueled, but to witness its destructive capabilities. Slowly, she turned her attention towards Xheda who could not hide his fear as easily as she could; witnessing this power frightened him, more than that perhaps. Staring at the flames before their vanishing stirred the memory of the fire that claimed the melon farm, the beasts that roamed those flames and the afflicted alicorn that in turn afflicted him. It wasn't until Biju placed his hand on Xheda's head that brought him back to reality, the young changeling stared up at the elderly diamond dog who slowly knelt down in front of him.

"This is the same power you and I contain, young one. Just as anyone else who has touched that forbidden pillar. Though strange as why you would touch the pillar, let alone find it." Biju questioned, itching at his stubble-like fur on his chin.

"But I didn't find the pillar...Arcanius came to me, he became a wrath-born! And he infected my leg back home when...when they burned the farm down." Xheda nervously explained, shying back from Biju slightly, gauging his reaction. The elderly diamond dog gave a brief wide eyed stare of disbelief before scowling.

"This isn't something to joke about, child. Many would take great offense to what you just said about-"

"But it's true! He told me himself! He told me to look for the scholar, the um...the battle-master, um...the...tower...and uh...oh! The cripple! And you yourself said you're a scholar! And look! You have power with Wrath!" Xheda frantically explained, pointing as many details as he could to soften the situation. Biju stared once more in disbelief at Xheda, yet this time he then stared at the ground in thought, itching his stubble, a look of both deep thought and worry came across his face.

"So, the time is in fact coming, isn't it? Magnus's spell is about to resolve itself...the end of the world is coming, isn't it?" Biju looked at Xheda, whom now had Glitter come to his side in his defense.

"Y-Yes sir...3 weeks and...6 days now." Xheda confessed to Biju, rubbing his plagued leg in silence, chipping at the flakes of chitin around its cracks. "Within that time, the four separate nations must unite with Equestria to fight it back. That is why Glitter and Me came to the mountain. We came to speak with the king of the diamond dogs, Titan."

Biju looked down at them with a light scowl; it was not obvious to outside races that the king of the diamond dogs would not allow anyone to hold an audience with him, especially something as vile as a changeling. The elderly dog shook his head and sat down in the center of the flat ground, resting his paws on his thighs. "it will not happen, children. Titan will not allow you an audience with him, nor will his guards. I'm afraid your quest here was futile."

"But you haven't been down there in, like, a SUPER long time! What if things have changed?" It was Glitter this time who spoke, questioning Biju of whether or not they were eligible to seek an audience. Biju looked at Glitter Chant and, even after a long thought of the fact that he separated himself from his fellow diamond dogs for years, looked defeated as he sighed, surrendering to the fact that Glitter Chant was right..

Xheda pondered quickly on the situation; the two of them couldn't just walk away from the mountain after coming so close. And regardless if they did leave to seek the aid of another kingdom, they would eventually have to come back here and try again to convince Titan with even less time. The King of diamond dogs would have to understand that the world is coming to an end, and that it would even affect him and his people eventually. And then it hit Xheda: the journal that Twilight made for him! Running back inside, Xheda dug through his saddle bag, extracting the journal from its confines and ran back out to Glitter and Biju, sitting down and dropping the journal open in front of him.

"Princess Twilight made this journal for us, Biju! It contains current information on, well, stuff like this! Maybe there's something new that-"

And immediately, obligated by his scholarly nature, Biju snatched up the journal, despite the complaints from Xheda. It was remarkable to both Xheda and Glitter how attentive and entralled Biju looked as he flipped through pages, reading at a remarkable pace. His tail began to wag at as he perused the details of the pages, word for word, sentence by sentence.

"Stupendous! Twilight's writing is fantastic, informative, and thorough! And atop of that, you are correct, young unicorn, Titan has indeed changed a few laws of conduct." Biju than began to itch the stubble around his chin, looking perplexed. "Though it is not entirely impossible, it is not entirely easy either. If you wish to seek audience with his lordship, then you must show proof of strength to even attain his glance."

"And how would we do that? If you haven't noticed, we're not, well, diamond dogs." Xheda asked, pointing out the rather obvious, yet crucial complication in the matter of planning.

Snapping the journal shut, Biju nodded his head and turned to the foals. "Why, it is simple, Xheda! You stand before one who has studied the powers of Wrath and nothing occurs to you of the possibilities of such a coincidence? A scholar is but a well versed teacher, and I have often thought of teaching younger, open minds." Reaching up to his jaw, Biju then stopped when he realized that he had forgotten his pipe within his home. The elderly diamond dog grumbled and shook his head, smiling once again, " I don't think I need to explain myself on my credentials, children. My knowledge on Wrath and its uses could prove useful if you wish to learn, Xheda. After all, we're in the same metaphorical boat, aren't we?"

"And his cooking is just un-be-lievable!" Glitter Chant pointed out, nudging Xheda with her hoof. "C'mon! He's like, smart and stuff!"

"Well...that may be, but for all this help you offer...what do you get out of it?" Xheda slowly tilted his head, curious of Biju's motives.

"Simple, really. I get to see the world again. I had only known it when it was young. Now I wish to see how it has aged with me." Biju explained, slowly tucking the journal under his right arm as he held out his left paw to Xheda. "Will you grant this old soul such a small request?"

Xheda stared at his paw, observing from the tips of his claws up to his wrist, to the elbow and finally up to the soft smile of the old dog. He then turned his attention to Glitter Chant who, without fail, continuously nodded her head for Xheda to agree. Once more, his gaze returned to Biju's outstretched paw and he raised his own hoof to it, much smaller than Biju's palm, and clasped onto it with his digits. Shaking on their agreement, Biju released Xheda's palm and gave him back the journal; taking a few minutes to collect his pipe, Biju returned to the foals with pipe hanging from his jaw, firmly gripped between his finger and thumb of his left paw, puffing rings of smoke.

"Then we only have today to give you a chance at earning audience with Titan. Ready yourself, Xheda, for my lesson will be beneficial, but it will not be easy." Biju spoke as he blew a ring of smoke into the air; raising his right paw, Wrath began to glow and engulf his hand, a determined smile came across his face, "Class is in session."