The Scroll of Exalted Ponies

The circle, reunited once more, gathered in the square as ghosts began to haul off the chopped up zombie remains around them.
The Deathknight known as the Bodhisattva of Resurgent Misery and Lost Causes was also with them, though he did not look pleased – of course, whether his ghost-flesh body could even emote positivity was actually unknown…

Thus, among the greasy steel walls of the soulsteel foundries, Sunrise Glow reported that she and the Bodhisattva had successfully snuck past the deathlord mansions once news reached them that a solar was running around the district of Streets of Swords, causing all the ghosts that got near to ‘jump into the river’ – using the Stygian idiom for taking to Lethe for final death and reincarnation. This had caused whatever deathlords were present to isolate themselves and lock down their mansions, as expected, giving Sunrise and the Bodhisattva a window of opportunity to do their deed: Descend the stairs down to the mouth of the void and chuck the large bundle of tightly packed oath-scrolls in.
“How was it? Being that close to the void?” Speaker wondered. Sunrise gestured for him to come with him as she walked off.

While Speaker and Sunrise chatted about the metaphysics and spiritual implications of the void and the neverborn, the Bodhisattva in turn tried to address Cash Charmer, while the Eclipse Caste solar twirled the black jade grand daiklaive he had liberated from the defeated Lord Stalwart – but before the Bodhisattva could speak Cash interrupted: “I got what you meant already. But I don’t get why just having a big sword makes me the lord of the Street of Swords district”

“Stygian politics and laws are intentionally strange and impossible to understand – but all district rulers rule because they hold a district-specific symbol of office. If you get your hooves on such a thing, you are the ruler of that district. That blade is it for this district” The Bodhisattva bemoaned, the implications of a solar unwittingly taking over a part of Stygia rushing through his mind. Oh the Deathlords were going to be pissed.

Cash looked at the blade. It was big: six feet long, three inches wide, with a hilt and handle made for something far bigger than a normal pony – and it was infused with black jade, making it flow like water through the air despite its massive size: “You make that sound like a bad thing…”
“It will certainly complicate a lot of my plans if my circle has to coordinate with you back in Creation all the time whenever we make a move here in Stygia” The abyssal grumbled, semi-transparent flesh frowning over his blood-orb eyes.

Shimmer, used to the idea of controlling and directing western island tribes from behind the scenes, suggested that Cash simply appoint a representative to act in his stead. She did so while looking at the Bodhisattva, who was quick to excuse himself: “I cannot be seen openly working against the Deathlords this soon – but… any local ghost you appoint would likely be just end up as a puppet for the Deathlords as well… argh”

It was with a heavy sigh that the Bodhisattva accepted – at least temporarily – the position as official representative for Cash Charmer, but he did so with a few requirements: “If I find someone more suited I can pass on the position to them”

“Per my approval of course” Cash noted.

The Bodhisattva shook his head: “No – you do not understand Stygian politics as well as I do. Thus you cannot make an informed decision on this. You will have to trust my judgment, just like you trusted me to bring you all here safely and help you”

Looking about at his circlemates and seeing both Sullen Hoof and Shimmer nodding, Cash agreed to the deathknight’s demands.

“Though… I do have a few ideas already about this place” Cash mused, looking around at the towering foundries. The combined output of Stygia’s biggest industrial center, if funneled through Sunhill or Chung Do, could be sold for a grand profit in Creation since the economy in Stygia didn’t use mortal coinage at all.

“That is unacceptable! The Street of Swords must be used to produce arms for Stygia, so we can protect ourselves from the Deathlord’s forces. If you funnel the production capacity here away from the city you’re no better than Stalwart was” The Bodhisattva protested, stomping hard on the ground to the point that the stones around his ghostly hooves cracked loudly.

Smiling at the deathknight, Cash shrugged and trotted around the towering half-ghost pony: “Well what can I do then? I can’t sell soulsteel in Creation – nobody there has any use for it, so if nothing else I wouldn’t mind seeing the soulforges here shut down”

“That… isn’t entirely an option either – this district, like all the other of Stygia, operate on a specific geomantic pattern. If they cease the calendar of Setesh would fail, and that is not something you want on you. This district is patterned on the constellation of The Bearer of Chains – slaves must be used here, and ghost slaves are only good for two things here: Soulsteel and labor… and we have enough regular ghost workers for labor” The bodhisattva said, his unearthly voice revealing just how much he was wracking his mind to find an acceptable solution.

Cash and the Bodhisattva kept on arguing while Speaker and Sunrise wrapped up their discussion on the eerie calm and strange allure of the void. Returning to the rest of the circle they overheard Cash proposing: “Ok, so close down all the soulsteel forges except the ones that are used for executions of criminal ghosts – all soulsteel made goes into a sealed vault. All use of it requires my personal approval. Retool the district’s industry to making weapons and armor for Stygia’s militias – and use the excess ghost slaves to reconstruct the district: This greasy riveted steel look doesn’t suit me - make it out of stone. I’ll have Speaker cook up some new architectural whatnots. Slaves work one eight hour shift per day, are free to find work outside of that and earn their own money on the side, and can buy their freedom for a manumission fee you can figure out. The city council can pay me for the weapons the district supplies in information, magical materials, magical artifacts and help directed your way. Excess steel production can be sent to Creation and sold there”

The Deathknight sighed. The prospect of having to play taskmaster to a whole district was not something the Bodhisattva wanted… and finding someone else who could be trusted to do the job? The Bodhisattva’s expression was one of resolute displeasure.

Leaving the city proved a lot easier than getting in: With control of Street of Swords, Cash had control over all the industry there as well as its products. This included a few experimental transport vehicles wrought of soulsteel and the desire of flight from birds who had wings clipped.
The monstrous soulsteel contraption, which looked like a giant soulsteel skeleton, over which a thin skin of flayed flesh from… something… was stretched. The eyes of the bird were large light-blue crystals through which the pilot of thing – Cash – looked. It smelled like death, it was bumpy and constantly jiggled – and was evidently not designed to carry living passengers… indeed it had apparently been made to deliver curled up skeletal soldiers in large numbers to drop them from the sky onto whatever target was underneath.

Speaker found the design of the thing intriguing but also rather disturbing: “The idea behind this thing is ingenious… though I’m not sure what heights a pony skeleton can survive a drop from”

“True – but if it’s filled with yassal crystals holding hungry ghosts then having them shatter on impact would be exactly what you’d want” the Bodhisattva noted.

Shimmer found either idea abhorrent – but she she did side with Speaker in the debate because the hookups that lined the cargo hold of the soulsteel bird-skeleton’s ribcage seemed to made explicity to hold on to pony sized ribs and spines.

“Pony-ribcages are often used as cargo containers for deathlord constructs… hell, just wait until you see your first skeletal pony-pede, see those things are all about built-in storage” The Bodhisattva noted, sounding disturbingly at ease talking shop with regards to undead things and uses of pony ribcages.

Sunrise sighed dreaded what response she might get from her question: “A pony-pede?”

“Imagine the front half of a pony skeleton. Forehooves, head, half a spine, shoulders, ribcage… now, take a hundred of these. One in front, and the one behind it shoves its head into the ribcage of the one in front. Repeat a hundred times over and you have a skeletal centipede with all kinds of terrifying uses” The Bodhisattva began, explaining how it was such things that functioned as siege ladders when Thorns was overrun, and that if the front one is damaged the next one simply takes over, or if it was severed it would simply keep working as two smaller ones…

Speaker found the mention of Thorns odd: “How do you know they were used at the battle of Thorns?”

“I was there… under orders and under the influence that cursed daiklaive – I was simply put under the command of the Mare of Mirthless Smiles, the Mask of Winter’s greatest warrior deathknight” The abyssal explained, his beyond-the-grave voice turning particularly sour at the mention of this other deathknight.

The Bodhisattva then told of what few other deathknights he knew of that the circle hadn’t met yet – most of them he described as the most hateful and unrepentant murderers imaginable. Others were sociopathic doctors or butchers who had been exalted to create necro-surgical horrors similar to the thing the circle was currently flying in, only made wholly of bone, flesh, bloody sinew and lots of stitches: “I heard rumors that the the Deathlord The Bishop of the chalcedony Thurible recently gave a black exaltation to a pony who in life was a leatherworker… she now crafts rainments for the Bishop’s clergy out of flayed pony skin”

“Good heavens… and you said there are thirteen deathlords in total working to end Creation? We have our work cut out for us” Speaker sighed, nervously running a hoof over one Shimmer’s.

As Shimmer gave Speaker a reassuring glance, wordlessly saying that Creation would surely prevail, the Bodhisattva noted that this was why his work against the Barbate Arbiter was so important: “The other deathlords all focus maniacally on their own plans to end creation – and few of them are in any way close to being able to bring those plans to fruition. Even the Mask of Winters could only take Thorns, not all of the Scavenger lands. Without the Barbate Arbiter helping the other deathlords, many of them won’t be able to make any kind of move for centuries”

“And what are their deadlines now, with the Barbate Arbiter’s help?” Sullen Hoof wondered.

The Bodhisattva floated out a scroll from inside his armor. It was slick with ghostly ichors from having been embedded in his ghost-flesh. He skimmed the contents of the scroll: “The First and Forsaken Lion is set to finish The Final Maelstrom in about ten years. It’s a flying battle station that rivals that of a directional titan. Without the Barbate Arbiter’s soulsteel supplies it would centuries before he can finish that. The other deathlords aren’t that different in that sense. The Barbate Arbiter’s Deep Rot network provides signal intelligence and intelligence processing to the Mask of Winter – without that the Mask of Winter’s covert activities in the Scavenger lands would suffer greatly… though what you did to Typhon pissed him off greatly as well – From what I’ve been able to gleam then it was the Mask of Winters and the Barbate Arbiter who helped fund the wyld hunt coming for you”

Explaining the Barbate Arbiter’s actions in more detail, the circle was reminded of what the Bodhisattva had told them back when they had freed the deathknight from the cursed blade: The Arbiter’s actions were not only improving and speeding up the projects of various deathlords – the Arbiter was also covering for the fact that a number of the deathlords, due to their madness, personal pride or whatever other things that influenced them, were basically wasting the gifts of the neverborn. If the Barbate Arbiter was to fall, then a number of other deathlords might fall as well, since there would be nothing to keep them from going back to their wasteful private projects or inane bickering.
“You know Cash, it might be an idea to handle this deathlord before making a move to retake you-know-what” Shimmer suggested, taking care not to mention Denansdor in front of the Bodhisattva.

The Eclipse caste shrugged. With such threats to Creation he could see the logic behind what Shimmer was suggesting – but he simply didn’t know how to strike against something as nebulous as a deathlord. To this end he answered Shimmer’s request by turning to the Bodhisattva: “Perhaps – but we would have to consult you on how and where to strike at him”

The Bodhisattva bowed his head gratefully: “It would be my honor to tell you where to strike when that time comes – though for now I and my allies work to shore up our position in the underworld and fix the mess you made in Street of Swords”

The remainder of the flight east passed with quiet chatter focused on more pleasant topics – mainly about what the circle wanted to do in the immediate time after the wyld hunt was dealt with. Cash wanted to visit Chung Do and check up on things, Shimmer wanted to inform her fellow lunar elders of what she had learned during the trip to the underworld, and Sullen Hoof… wanted to visit Stygia again next time Cash was to go there.

The dread soulsteel bird-skeleton entered the shadowland known as the Walker’s Realm and immediately began to shake. Cash shouted from the pilot seat that something was interfering with the controls.

“This shadowland is cursed by the Black Herron – we would do wisely to exit into Creation as quickly as possible. Use the emerald-lever at the border markers!” The Bodhisattva answered – and suddenly the entire ship was bathed in a strange green glow. It was eerily calming, and replaced the smell of putrid flesh with a mild scent of pine and earth. It was then that the massive soulsteel ornithopter translated into Creation.

Landing not far from Great Forks, The Bodhisattva flew off in the flying machine – back into the Walker’s Realm – after saying his farewells to the circle.

By evening the circle was in Sunhill via another newly purchased yeddim… and the next morning everyone was woken up by Cash’s scream of absolute terror as Lilith woke him up with a multitude of kisses and hugs.

It turned out that Lilith had sensed the destruction of the oath scrolls days ago when Sunrise had chucked them into oblivion and had been jubilant ever since.

Shimmer found the sight of the ancient Lunar so happy quite the sight – though to Speaker it looked mostly like a 20-something lovestruck mare finally getting to unleash her affection on her special some-pony.

After breakfast Lilith bid Cash walk with him: “Come Cash Charmer – walk with me. Come uncloaked of lies, that we may speak honestly to each other”

They returned several hours later after disappearing into the surrounding forests. Speaker was in the middle of working his medical charms on the last few day’s new arrivals to the Sunhill hospital when a messenger called for him and said: “Lilith is ready to talk battleplans”

The war-room built into the manse was a simple meeting room, but made with a large table that held on of the many crystalline light and image projector panels that were built throughout the manse. Using the manse’s newly formed hearthstone Speaker had the panel project images of the ponies they were to deal with, using descriptions that Lilith supplied – evidently she had been observing the wyld hunt while the circle had been away.

As servants brought in tea and biscuits, the circle and Lilith began to discuss their options and strategies. The Sidereal Hearth Rose also appeared just in time, though obviously still frightened greatly by Lilith’s presence… though that wasn’t her main issue: “Do you have any idea what the situation up in Yu-Shan is right now? After you lot raided the Palace of Oathes Eternal? Gods and spirits across heaven are panicking, the bronze factions wants all of your heads on sticks! If it wasn’t for whatever you did for the Raven King you wouldn’t be talking with me, but a circle of elder Chosen of Endings!”

Lilith scoffed at the chosen of secret’s worries: “They did so to destroy the oaths that kept me bound and shackled. If anyone comes for them for doing so, they will have to get through me first”

Heath Rose’s look upon hearing Lilith’s declaration of protection went from distressed to a mix of mirth and hopeless despair – mainly from thinking how many of her sidereal peers Lilith have to end up killing to stay true to that commitment: “Ok… I’ll be sure to tell Ketchup Carjack that”

With that out of the way and a good cup of Oolong tea enjoyed, the actual talks on how to deal with the wyld hunt commenced. With Lilith there, Heath Rose re-stated the gold faction’s desire to see Peleps Blueblood, the much hated butcher and leader of the wyld hunt, survive the engagement: “The bronze faction has ensured that all the potential replacements that could take over from him, should he die or become unable to perform his duties, are well liked and supported by the realm noble houses. Right now none of the houses like Blueblood and have thus delayed all their support to the hunt indefinitely. A wiser leader would have resigned in shame, but Blueblood is about as stubborn as they come…”

“How does this hunting organization fund itself if not from the dragonblooded nobles?” Lilith inquired.

Cash’s ears perked at the chance to learn a little about realm and Immaculate Order economics. Heath Rose bit her lip for a moment as she awaited the return of her heavenly information seeking secretary spirit. A moment later a tiny crystal spider appeared in her left ear and whispered her the information she had requested: “Ah right – currently the hunt taxes the surrounding kingdoms near its headquarters, as well as exacting tribute from other realm-friendly places in the north. Blueblood has made enough examples of those unwilling to cooperate that nobody dares question his demands there, but everyone hates him for the same reason”

Lilith laughed. It was a haughty laugh, combined with her first age accent, making for a menacing sounding chortle: “Very well –and you want him to remain able to do his job so that the hunt stays poor and ineffective?”

Heath Rose nodded: “Yes – and that’s why the gold faction handlers who spotted that the bronze faction had sent him to get killed at Chung Do pulled all the strings they could to get the Grandmaster tacked on to this hunt…”

“Don’t forget the extra funding they got from the deathlords “ Sunrise added.

Heath Rose looked… not surprised… at Sunrise’s statement: “Right – well that explains where they got all the money for this hunt. Lovely. What deathlords specifically?”

“The Barbate Arbiter and the Mask of Winters” Sunrise said, looking at the holographic image of Grandmaster Ragara Bulk Biceps and wondering how a pony of such a pious position could reconcile being taught martial arts by a pony who, by all rights according to the Immaculate Faith, was anathema – since the holy scriptures explicitly stated that anyone claiming exaltation other than unicorns had been given their powers from vile demons.

As Heath Rose took note of this bit of deathlord-related information, Lilith told of what she had planned: “When we reach the hunt I will approach it and speak to this Bulk Biceps. That should be enough to get you the evidence needed for your celestial audit”

To emphasize that she and Cash had both agreed on this Cash floated over his Recorder of Everlasting Glories to Lilith, who effortlessly caught it with her short-cropped mane – the black hairs seemingly springing to life and hiding the device within their midst.

“Ok… Lilith gets the Grandmaster to incriminate this Anys Sunshine – how long for the auditing to begin?” Sunrise inquired, worried that any time wasted processing the information might allow the wyld hunt to lay waste to Chung Do.
Heath Rose gave Sunrise a calming gesture and retrieved an empty door-frame from elsewhere: “The moment Lilith can get that recorder to me with the Grandmaster showing that he has been taught sidereal martial arts I’ll leave for Yu-Shan immediately. It shouldn’t take many seconds for celestial lions to come pick the Grandmaster up, or terminate him on the spot”

The rest of the circle discussed what they would do following the Grandmasters removal from the equation. Lilith noted that once her part in the deception was done she would have to leave… she had to check on personal business: “It has been a very long time since I’ve been active in civilized Creation. There are ponies, Lunars and spirits I have to get reacquainted with - hope you can understand”

The rest of the circle, and Heath Rose, agreed that depending on whether or not the Furious Five, the Grandmaster’s five apprentices – each a master by their own right – would leave, the circle should pull back and observe the hunt. The hunt was still several weeks away from Chung Do – though it would only be another week or so before they would be in reach of the outer-most northern farming villages.

“If they leave I can infiltrate the mortal pony forces of the hunt and poison them with a sedative. Sunrise and Cash can work them over once Peleps Blueblood is dealt with” Sullen Hoof stated confidently.

Thus the circle, as well as Lilith and Heath Rose, left on Nah to cross the northern half of the hundred kingdoms, finding the wyld hunt’s trail by the afternoon. Lilith leapt off Nah, turning into a magnificent snow owl, gliding down towards the seemingly unsuspecting wyld hunt from high above. The rest of the circle circled back to avoid being seen, then flew around a nearby forest to come around in front of the wyld hunt’s path. There the circle dismounted and made their way into cover under Sullen Hoof’s directions. The hooting of a northern snow owl signaled to them that Lilith was ready – though not even Shimmer or Sully could see where the owl was…

The wyld hunt marching through the forest was a big one. The trees rustled as they passed, the spirits of the forest shuddering in the presence of martial arts specifically made to defeat and subdue divine beings. Speaker’s essence vision revealed many an enlightened ponies approaching, and indeed at the front of the hunt trotted Peleps Blueblood, the butcher of the hunt, in his fine black jade armor bulking out his light blue monk robes.

Behind the flowing blond mane of Peleps Blueblood marched five unicorns in identical ornate monk robes, though each had a unique elemental symbol embroidered on the flank of their robes. These were the furious five – no doubt about it: The five unicorns had an air of elemental potency about them, their dragonblooded heritage shining through clearly. One of them, a mare, had a mane of fire which only accented her bright orange mane. Another, a stallion who looked very bored, had a mane that looked as if it was wrought of braided leaves. The one walking next to the bored stallion was a mare with a dull stony grey pelt and a purple mane – she was droning on about her poetry about rocks according to Sullen Hoof, who noted that it was very dull poetry. Behind the three walked two ponies in monk robes, one a stallion with a mane that seemed to buoy as if in water, and a pale mare with a bright blue mane done up into multiple braids.

Following the Furious Five trotted eight mortal ponies in worn if not slightly ragged garbs – slaves. They were pulling a wagon which was replete with golden filigree, ornate wooden carvings of dragons and unicorns, and other immaculate symbols. It was the grandmasters private wagon – and it floated off the ground by the power of a pony-sized chunk of blue jade under the thing.

Following these marched a very long column of mortal ponies in monk robes, though these robes were a lot less ornate than the ones up in front. Most carried un-stringed bows and un-headed arrows on their backs, while about a fifth carried long naginatas, basically realm-style swords on staves. There were hundreds – indeed according to Heath Rose roughly 500.

It was then that Lilith in her own form hooted loudly and swooped in in-front of the hunt, then up again, banking and landing on the Grandmaster’s wagon. She then began to preen her feathers.

Speaker looked Shimmer: “That… doesn’t look like trying to tease out anything from the Grandmaster – what is she doing?”

“You don’t speak animal – she talking to him, simply without words” Shimmer admonished. Sunrise nodded, evidently knowing how to speak with animals.

Sullen Hoof hastily added: “He’s whispering to her – hmmm… it sounds like they’ve talked together earlier”
“What? What are they saying? Did she warn them about us?” Cash quickly said in a worried tone.

The night caste solar remained quiet for a moment: “No, it's as if she has already offered to train the Grandmaster in styles he’s never even heard of… probably while we were in the underwold. He says that he’s considered it, and considers it very tempting. She’s pressuring him to reveal the extent of his abilities and known martial arts styles to her, but he says he cannot… says he took an oath before his sifu”

“Figures Sunshine would do something like that – what’s she saying to that” Heath Rose quipped, looking nonplussed but also not in any way surprised.

This continued on for about half an hour, Lilith tempting the Grandmaster with styles he had apparently never had a chance to learn. White Reaper style, Hoof of the Daystar, The Art of Forceful Declaration, Black Claw style, and several others that likely had not even been mentioned among ponies since the first age. Not even Speaker, with his wealth of memories from that time, could recognize all the styles mentioned.

As the elder lunar and the elder unicorn continued to speak without any of the ponies around them noticing, the wyld hunt began passing the rest of the circle. With expert stealth charms Sullen Hoof helped the circle move unseen in parallel to the front of the hunt, while Shimmer ensured that they left no tracks or scent behind for the hunt to pick up on.

It was about an hour later when the hunt exited the forest, entering a vast plain with scattered farms and small lakes and streams. Cash recognized the positions of the lakes: This was an area only about three hundred miles west-north-west from Chung Do.

“Fuck… how can they move this quickly? I mean, this puts them less than two weeks away from Chung Do – a force this big shouldn’t be able to move this quickly” Speaker fumed, knowing quite well the speed of marching mortal troops from his time in service of Lookshy.

Shimmer patted Speaker on the shoulder: “Isn’t it obvious? They’re using charms to bolster their marching speed – and with all the money from the deathlords they don’t have to stop nearly as often to restock supplies. They probably commissioned suppliers to have supplies made ready ahead of time”

“Shush – I think we got him” Sullen Hoof suddenly said, making a very quiet but frantic gesture towards the rest of the circle. Heath Rose in particular perked up: “Do tell”

“Lilith has been trying to make the Grandmaster tell her everything he knows about magical martial arts – reveal all the styles he’s been taugh – well, she tried again – and he again he said he couldn’t, but I got a pattern out of it” Sullen Hoof explained.

Heath Rose gave Sully an incredulous look: “That doesn’t prove anything – I need something concrete to show the censors to initiate an auditing”

“I said I got a pattern out of it. The grandmaster keeps referring to celestial martial arts as common styles among exalted, and terrestrial styles as lesser. He not only knows about sidereal styles, it’s… ugh how do I explain this – my profiling charm: Learning and mastering a sidereal style is all this pony is thinking about, but it’s the only thing he’s not saying. It’s like looking at a puzzle where there’s only one piece missing, so you know the shape of the missing piece” Sullen Hoof said, his voice behind his mask betraying the fact that he found it difficult to explain what his charms allowed him to intuit.

Cash Charmer nodded: “I get it. I have a charm that can confirm what you’ve found, but I’ll have to actually speak with him…”

“It’s not just that… he’s rejecting Lilith’s proposals because he thinks he’s close to succeeding. That means that someone’s teaching him” Sullen Hoof explained, struggling for words.

“Well this… this complicates things a bit – but I think I can work with it” Heath Rose said, her brows furiously furrowed as she tried to restructure her plan mentally to account for this new development.

After a moment Heath Rose nodded at Sullen Hoof: “You’ll have to come with me to testify before the censor” then she turned to Cash: “and you’ll have to come along as well, in fact all of you should come – the moment the bronze faction discovers that they can stop what we’re trying to do by killing off the witnesses they’ll have more assassins on you than you can count”

“Hey, I already took out one sidereal assassin in the Jade Kitchen – if they try anything on me again I’ll just kill whoever they send” Sullen Hoof said dismissively.

Heath Rose didn’t look entirely certain. She noted that ever since the circle’s heist at the Palace of Oathes Eternal the bronze faction had been looking for ways to counter the individual abilities of everyone in the circle: “The sidereal that came for you in the Jade Kitchen – that was a rash decision, likely one the bronze faction only made because they found that you had discovered the food transportation network. They won't make the same mistake again – and they won’t send a young and inexperienced sidereal assassin after you, in fact they’ll likely send more than one elder since this will threaten Ketchup Carjack’s right-hoof assistant”

“Between me and Speaker we have two solars who’ve mastered each of our own style of magical martial arts, plus Shimmer is a beast in battle, and Cash isn’t that bad either – If we stick together I doubt any sidereal plot to kill us will work as intended” Sullen Hoof proclaimed adamantly.

Shaking her head and quickly flicking a few errant strands of mane away from her face with a hoof, Heath Rose sighed: “Ok – but I would hate to see any of you die to this”

Having said that, Heath Rose very quietly stepped away – bouncing silently on a taut strand of fate – having gestured for the others to follow.
As they left Lilith came to them, having sensed that the circle no longer in need of her services and wordlessly communicated: “I am sad that I wasn’t able to deliver the unicorn’s confession – he is much more strong willed than I expected”

“You gave us enough – Sullen Hoof got a read on the Grandmaster, that’s enough to give testimony, and when the heavenly censor yanks the Grandmaster up for interrogation I can confirm it with my own charms. Thank you for your help” Cash quietly said, appearing genuinely grateful.

Once they were all far enough away from the hunt Heath Rose conjured up the spell that summoned the calibration gate while Lilith flew off to piece her life back together.