Smiting Flames

Lasgro rubbed his beard of tentacles after the dust finally settled. He watched as clerics and priests hurried from their hiding places to tend the wounded guards. The grand paladin was tended to rapidly but he could overhear them talking.

“We can easily heal the damage. But something is affecting our ability to return his sight.” A unicorn cleric said as she knelt before Sacred Faith. Her horn, hands, and a small sun bracelet flowed in a soft golden light as the flesh mended itself shut. The Grand Cleric looked on with a frown before turning away with a sweep of their robe.

Lasgro nodded at the mercy shown before he stood up and walked towards the front doors. He had places to be and things to see, so he would leave the chosen one to do as they saw fit. His mistake had set them on the path of the hunted, it was up to them to fix the mess or go down the path of living up to the title. Lasgro waved a hand as the doorway shimmered before becoming a rift into the void for him to walk through.

A few moments after Lasgro’s departure Sacred Faith bolted upright, making the priestess tending to him fall back. He raised a hand up to his face, looking over the gauntlet as both eyes seemed to move. His dark green one easily followed the lines of his hands as the left was left with a milky white pupil. In anger he balled his fist before slamming it down into the floor. “Damn that fallen angel. I swear upon the fire within my soul I shall destroy them.” Quickly he glanced around before tearing a necklace off himself to hold to the priestess. “Choir mistress, take this and bring me a hunter from the catacombs.”

The room was silent for a few moments as the clerics began to fidget and grow nervous at the orders. His healer didn’t even hesitate as she bowed her head and snatched the key from his hand. She moved with a purpose towards the back of the church and out towards a small yard beyond.

Not a moment after she left the front doors were blasted open as a unicorn wrapped in golden armor strode into the room. A soft silken cape billowed behind them as did a golden mane and tail. “No need to fear holy beings. Prince Purple Heart is here to save you!” A claymore rested in their hands as they held it skyward. Guards in matching golden armor rushed in after him, shields and long swords cast dazzling reflections across the room.

Sacred Faith groaned as he slowly began to stand, using his hammer as a staff. If there was anything he despised besides demons or evil doers it was a prideful stallion. “Great Prince we have the situation under control.”

Purple Heart looked at the Grand Paladin for all of a single second before he started laughing heartily. “As I can see mighty Faith for you are the only one left alive after the fallen angel left.” Sacred Faith took all of a moment to realize what he had said before the guards acted.

Purple Heart had stride towards the crater, claymore held at the ready as his guards had sealed all doors and windows with both magic and physical means. Then they all proceeded to surround the clergy. Before Sacred Faith realized what happened swords and spears pierced the bodies of his brothers and sisters. Yet he stood there with no way to avenge them.

Purple Heart seemed to have a sick smile upon his face as he stabbed down repeatedly into a corpse of a paladin. “Oh Faith how fun will it be to avenge your brethren. The council will be saddened by this news. But alas even the mightiest Sacred Faith was injured by the fallen angel so none of the less powerful fighters had a chance. Though I wonder how severe your wounds really are?” Sacred Faith grabbed his hammer with both hands and held it in place just before Purple’s claymore struck down, sliding against the metal of the handle before crashing into a specialized grip Sacred had built in to protect his hands.

After a brief moment of contest Sacred Faith shoved the sword away. “May the light of Celestia give me strength!” He quickly retreated from the captain before swinging his hammer towards the stallion. A loud thud filled the air as Sacred Faith saw his hammer impact a guards shield, the warrior had rushed forward to protect his commander. Though his shield had taken the impact, even in his weakened from Sacred Faith has dented the shield outward and clearly broken the arm holding it. The shield hung loosely at his side as the guard tried to raise it back up.

Purple Heart saw the guard struggling a bit and raised his sword a bit. “Here allow me to help you.” Sacred Faith saw what was coming but couldn’t call out fast enough before the captain gave the guard his severance package. His head rolled towards Sacred as the body crumpled to the floor, a pool of blood starting to from.

Sacred Faith growled as he readied his hammer, though before anything could happen a ring echoed around the cathedral. All eyes turned towards the source to find an elderly unicorn mare standing there with a gold tipped cane. She began walking forward slowly, tapping her cane hard against the ground with each step. She wore simple clothes, a set of plain leather pants that hugged her hips and thighs, a soft cotton shirt with a leather jerkin pulled right to her. Soft white fur covered her body as a blond mane and tail trailed behind her. “Well then, seems there is no fallen angel to be seen, but instead a dog that forgot which hand holds the leash.”

Purple Heart gulped audibly and knelt down, bowing his head before starting to grovel. “Sorry I-“

He was interrupted by a smack of the cane across his face, sending him sprawling as the woman spat in his direction. “Dogs that turn need to be put down. You shall be dealt with later filth.”

Purple Heart looked towards the ground as his cheek started to swell. “But mother...”

“I have no children, I am the Grand Councillor of the unicorn race. My people are my children.”

Sacred Faith watched solemnly before coughing into his hand. “Councillor Golden Dawn. I thank you for reigning in the mongrel. But if you excuse me I must organize the church for a mass funeral, a sermon, and then a hunt for a fallen angel.” He held his arm to his chest as he bowed before turning on his heels to walk away.

Golden Dawn turned around to face her son as the guards began to from in a circle around him. They striped him of his weapon and were doing the same with his armour. She stood with both hands resting atop the top of her cane. “Seems you went wild before the time was right. A single fallen angel is not a legion of demons under our command to conquer the realms my son.” With those words she began walking towards the entrance, the guards following behind with a chained Purple Heart.