A Horse By Any Other Name (Part 26)
One Month after the Summer Solstice (Seventh Moon 1000 ALB)
Ra'ziir focuses his arcane sight upon the mirror, carefully avoiding looking into the reflective surface and notes that powerful auras of divination and conjuration are present.
As the group closes in on the mirror, the image within begins to swirl and resolves into a view of a brick and mortar passageway. Three figures stand in the shadows speaking to each other. One is instantly recognizable as Loki. The second is a man of similar height and coloration as the Trickster god but he wears a padded white tunic instead of Loki’s green and gold leathers. The third, serpentine, being stands upright on the right leg of a lizard, and the left leg of a goat. It has the head of a pony but with a deer antler on the right, a blue goat horn on the left, one long fang, different-sized pupils, a snake tongue, a goat beard, and white bushy eyebrows. It has the right arm of a lion, the left claw of an eagle.
Loki hisses, "These mortals are vexing. I cannot kill them for they would surely return as Einherjar and then I will never be rid of them!"
The man in white replies, "Banish them then. Send them someplace where they can do no harm to your plans."
"Ohhh yes!" The third speaker claps its mismatched hands together. "Send them to MY realm! The peaceful nature of the place will drive them crazy. They'll be at each other's throats in no time!"
Loki scowls and begins, "I don't think so..." but the incongruous creature cuts him off, "I can even make them see themselves and each other as ponies!" It turns in the group's direction and smiles as if he can see them, "I'll even conceal all of their weapons and magical items. They won't even realize that they are carrying them until I allow it! It will be hilarious!"
The God of Mischief shakes his head, "Fine, whatever. I'm certain that they'll be on their way momentarily." He turns to the white-clad man, "Same time next week? Or will you be tormenting your ship captain?"
"Oh, I suppose I could leave him be for a time. I do need to meet with the Continum at some point but that shouldn't take long. Discord? What about you?"
The strange creature smiles, "I'll be here. Slipping away is easy enough when everyone thinks you're trapped in stone!" It raises one arm and looks at a small sundial on its wrist that was not there a moment ago. "Oh look at the time! I should be getting back!" It gives the party another look, smiles one more time, snaps his fingers and disappears.
There is a sharp gasp that comes from behind the group. Abacus and Foil Hat stare, mouths agape.
"Those are your real bodies?" The wizardly pony shakes his head, "I can scarcely believe what I am seeing!"
Foil Hat rubs his eyes, "And everypony says that I look crazy! You look like skinny apes!"
The party looks around and sees that they have all been restored.
From the other side of the mirror, the group can hear Ra’ziir's voice shouting, "By Yag-Kosha and the Gift of Blood and Jewel, TRANSFORM!”
“Oh, please. Do you really intend to follow through on this farce?” Loki's voice replies, “Come out, come out wherever you are.”
The party then hears Raven say, “We can do this all day. Surrender, recall your army, don't make us embarrass you in your own home.”
- - - - -
• Cedron: 95% health; Light (79 minutes, 5 rounds remaining)
• Drax: 100% health; Nondetection (lasts until about 10 pm), Undetectable Alignment (lasts until about noon tomorrow)
• Grotto: 94% health;
• Kysek: 95% health; Half of the Tome has been read
• Niklas: 100% health;
• Raven: 78% health;
• Ra’ziir: 88% health;
• Shadow: 97% health; Overland Flight (18 hours, 57 minutes, 4 rounds remaining)
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