Chains and Ladders

The machine began moving, flexing the bronze legs that would allow it to move across the land. The machine resembled the ancient proto-Arabian race, but bore a pair of bronze wings upon its back. As the ruby red eyes began to glow, the machine fixed its gaze on the figure standing before it. Daemon had a childlike grin on his face as the machine’s joints creaked while the head slowly approached him. The Panoptes madstone was hidden inside the machine’s anti-magic armor, while Baphomet’s twisted black Horns adorned the crown of its head.

Even Daemon had to admit that Halos was awe inspiring. It had been crafted by Mazda before the Dawn War, but had been abandoned in favor of another project once Mainyu and Ahriman had shown up.

Daemon watched with glee as Halos turned its attention to the Sultana’s body.

Melek Taus sat in the center of his temple, flanked by a pair of black maned Janissaries while he meditated. He breathed in, on average, every four minutes according to the guards. A rainbow aura seemed to play around his figure as he concentrated. The stone pillars that supported the domed roof stood as silent sentinels to his continued efforts. Sunlight streamed in from the open patch at the apex of the dome.

Suddenly, the Peacock angel stood up and opened his eyes wide. He had been using his abilities to try and find Daemon, but now that he knew where he was, Taus was livid. For his bastard brother to be desecrating Mazda’s forge…

Taus growled slightly. He spread his rainbow wings, and took off through the skylight in the center of the stone temple. His Janissaries watched with awe, and awaited his return.

Taus soared quickly through the sky, his eyes flashing through different colors as he sped toward the dormant volcano that housed the forge.

Before he could arrive, however, he felt a massive wave of energy overwhelm the land. It felt like… him?! Taus shook his head in confusion as he hovered. How could something feel like him? He redoubled his efforts as he shot toward the forge.

It didn’t matter. Taus would crush his imposter beneath his hoof, then tear Daemon apart to see how he worked. Taus licked his lips as he considered the possibilities. With Lillith gone, he couldn’t rebuild Lucifer, but he could still absorb Daemon’s strength.

Celestia and Luna thought that Daemon was a bigger threat. Melek Taus would show them how wrong they were before he exiled them. Or should he try to absorb them too? Would it work?

Taus cackled, a shower of golden energy cascading around his body.

Celestia and Luna stamped as they felt Taus flinging himself toward Daemon. For all his faults, at least Taus would crush Daemon. Wearing their Royal armor, the sisters took the sky with an escort of pegasi and flew towards the confrontation. Like Taus, they were stunned to feel another energy source that felt like the spawn of Lucifer suddenly arise beneath the forge.

“Sister!” Luna cried out in alarm, as Celestia’s jaw dropped.

“I don’t know.” Celestia replied. “But it can’t be good.”

“How do you feel, Gulbahar?” Daemon asked the statue. As promised, he had forced Gulbahar into the machine that had been designed to house a reborn Lucifer. He couldn’t have put himself in without giving up his true physical form, so the Sultana served as an acceptable surrogate.

Halos’ gears whirled within the armor frame, as if trying to answer. Daemon had neglected to mention that Halos hadn’t ever been given the ability to speak. He rather liked that feature. If he was going to go through the trouble of turning her into a daevish spirit and anchoring her to the madstone, he had earned the right to mute her incessant speech.

Halos bent its head down to look at the prone body of Gulbahar, the Sultana Valide. All color had faded, and the eyes had filled with blood to the point that they appeared black. The slashed throat sat in a pool of crimson. With a nudge, Halos tossed the old body into the magma. It had no need of that form any longer.

Halos stamped its right fore hoof in anticipation, before slowly maneuvering forward. Daemon jumped to land on its shoulder, with his wicked smile still showing. He felt the presence of three demigods approaching. Good. Let them come.

As Halos slowly walked up the ramp to the surface, Daemon couldn’t control his elation.

Inside the mind of the machine, the Sultana found that she had little control over proceedings. She wasn’t controlling the machine, in truth, and she wasn’t sure if Daemon knew that.  Instead, she watched the machine steal her mind while relegating her to a glorified cheerleader. The metal brain had copied most of hers, but her actual soul was stuck in the madstone. Still, Halos would do what she couldn’t… even if the form appeared a bit too masculine for her taste.

Watching, Gulbahar awaited her vengeance. As if reading her thoughts, Halos released a massive vent of steam with a loud hiss. Mazda’s penultimate creation would soon see the light of day.

Aquila felt the disturbing energy from her palace. She was seated on her ruby encrusted throne, with a dragon’s skull hanging above. She smiled subtly as she remembered when she fought that beast.  Before her, a host of griffin nobles were prostrating themselves and offering empty words. Politics sickened Aquila. Twists and turns, backstabbing and talk, bah! She much prefered battle, where a griffin’s worth was truly proven. Perhaps it was time for another civil war. After dealing with Taus and Daemon, of course.

So Daemon had some sort of Taus clone… intriguing. Aquila silenced her groveling audience with a wave of her talons, and dismissed them. As they walked away, Aquila inspected her armor. She could never resist battle.

Plunging out her open window, Aquila led loose a mighty scream as she prepared for bloodshed. She wasn’t about to let somegriffin, or somepony, else steal her glory.