Cloud and Bravura were marching towards the camp, side by side. Cloud’s horn was charged with magic, Bravura’s biceps were pre-flexed, and both were ready for ass kicking.

“You focus on any of them using crossbows or anything else ranged,” said Bravura. “I’ll focus on the close quarters.”

“Got it.”

Their presence had been noticed, and six cultists of varying races with equally varying golden weapons quickly approached them. Two Horses with crossbows hung back, keeping them in their sights, while the others - a Gryphon, a Minotaur, a Zebra, and one of the ape-like creatures Cloud had seen previously - approached with a mixture of bladed melee weapons.

“{Halt, intruders!}” Demanded the Zebra. “{Halt in the name of the light!}”

In a flash of blue, Cloud teleported behind the Horses and unloaded a blast from an electricity conjuration spell into them - dropping them like sacks of potatoes. The moment the others turned to look at what had happened, Bravura kicked off from the ground and charged towards them - cracking the first of them in the head before dashing to the others. They dropped one after another like a chain of dominos.

“Should’ve ordered, uh, a chinese,” said Cloud, “‘cause d- the dominoes have got you down!”

Bravura’s stomach churned in disgust.

“Shut up.” Cloud turned towards the camp, posing in a dramatic fashion. “Let’s keep… doing the… this.”

“What is wrong with you today?”

Another small group of six ran towards them, all wielding ornate glaives and spears. Cloud was caught off guard and stumbled, but Bravura was able to pull him out of the way of a swinging glaive. Bravura kicked up a cloud of dirt, stalling the group for a moment. Cloud took the moment and zapped them with a burst of electricity. Only one fell unconscious, but the others were stunned enough that Bravura’s punches made quick work of them.

“You guys, uh, shocked by that?” Cloud taunted. “By that punchline? And… and this punchline!” Cloud smiled triumphantly.

“I should've come here alone…”

“Alright, that should last for a while…” Mawr wiped herself down with a kleenex spell. “[You ready to get going?]”

Kufn was in a heap on the ground, giggling giddily.

“[Sucks for you, I'm going.]”

In a flash of green, Mawr became a fruit fly and flew through the bars of the cell. She returned to her normal self, then changed her nose into a dog's. Following the scent of someone who had visited the room frequently, she found the keys to the cells buried in a box at the back of the room, slightly out of sight of most cells. She changed her nose back to normal before tossing the keys into Kufn's cell.

“[Try to hurry up, we're grossly outnumbered. Oh, and don't free any of the prisoners yet, wait until we've met up with the others.]” Mawr turned and left. She found herself in the ornate, marble room, and quickly spied the piles of boxes. She tried the lids of a few, and found one which could be opened. Mawr almost gasped at its contents. Oh... Wow...

It was gold. Hundreds of bars of gold, stacked tightly. That explains their weapons, for the most part...She glanced to the other door. Then could the ‘hole’ he described be a mine? She paused for a moment. ...I don’t have the time to investigate, nor to take out any other cultists in there. Which means I what I should do is...! Mawr transformed into a Minotaur, and used her newfound colossal strength to move some crates in front of the door before transforming back. That should do it...

Mawr climbed her way up most of the ladder leading to the temple, but stopped near the top without opening the trapdoor. She transformed her ears into those of a Thestral and listened for signs of anybody on the floor above. Sure enough, she could hear talking.

“[...Then rally everyone, you fool!]” Mawr recognised the voice as the one who called himself ‘Ra’. “[Nut, deliver the messages, then return. Geb, watch the entrance and inform me of anything you see.]”

“Hey! We’re not done yet!” The second voice was female, though had a tomboy-ish tone. “You’ve had more than enough time, so give it to me!”

“Would you just be patient?!” Ra exclaimed. “I already told you; whatever that fool’s body did to it, it removed the main curse’s danger, and I will not waste the chance to use it!”

“We had a deal!”

“For crying out loud, do you really think now’s the time for this, you-!” He took a sharp breath. “Look - the camp is under attack. It’s only two people, and one of them was described as a green Unicorn. Chances are, it’s Cloud Calculation, one of my scouts was attacked by him. After the damage he did to the ship alone, I don’t have the luxury of underestimating the damage he can do here with help. If you really want me to give you the crystal-”

“-It’s a book-”

“-Shut up, it became a crystal-”

“-How can a book become a crystal?!”

“Just…!” Mawr heard a frustrated sigh and a low thud she could only assume was Ra placing his face in his hooves. After a moment, he spoke again. “You are very adamant about this, and I don’t have time to explain what happened. Are you going to let me tell you an extremely brief version, or are you going to keep whining?”

“Fine,” the other person sighed.

“Cloud Calculation somehow absorbed the book’s power,” expositioned Ra, “what happened to the book itself I’m not sure, we took the power back with a magic crystal, but the curse was gone. So, the magic is in the crystal, okay? We’re still able to use its power - freely actually, it’s rather fantastic - and we’ve been making the most of it. Do you understand n-?”

“IT BELONGS IN A MUSEUM!”

There was a pause.

“...You dumbass, pigeon brained, MOTHER FU-!”

“[Lord Ra!]” This voice was deep and imposing. A clicking sound clued Mawr in that the speaker was a Gryphon. “[All units are informed, but the intruders are defeating them faster than they can arrive!]”

So Nut is a Gryphon, Mawr mentally noted, probably a big guy from his voice. Ra is a Horse, and from what he was talking about it sounds like the lasers might be from a magical artifact or crystal. Whoever Geb is hasn’t spoken, and I can’t tell who the girl is...

“[Crap…]” Ra muttered. “[Alright, this is officially red alert, we’re not going to take any chances. Geb, go kill the two mercenary prisoners and get anyone in the mine topside. Nut, take the two mercenaries you twisted and use them against the intruders.] Ms. Do…” He tutted. “Evacuate, help fight… do whatever you want, but get out of my sight!” The last words were verbally spat.

Lots of footsteps could be heard, a particular set coming towards the trap door. Mawr dived off the ladder and midair transformed into a chameleon. She shifted her body colour to match the environment to hide in plain sight, determined to see what Geb looked like. The door opened, and Geb began climbing down the ladder.

Geb was a Diamond Dog, a bipedal, subterranean race with natural expertise in mining and navigation. Though their homeland was in the south-west regions of the world, it had been invaded by Dragons and rendered inhospitable three hundred years prior. With their society all but destroyed, colonies had scattered across the globe - though they were typically more common in the southern hemisphere.

Unlike Cloud, Mawr was not an ignorant asshole and knew all this.

Geb wore armour fashioned from gold, its design not dissimilar to that of Princess Celestia’s guards. On his left hip was a golden dagger, as gaudy as the other cultists’ weapons, and on his right hip was an all-too-familiar scimitar.

As Geb reached the ground, the door to the prison swung open and out walked Kufn, looking concerned. Geb and Kufn locked eyes for a moment, then Kufn’s eyes snapped down to Riptide on Geb’s hip. His concern melted away into a knowing smile.

“[There you are…]” He muttered, as if seeing someone he deeply cared for. His gaze went back to Geb and, while his smile remained, the nostalgic bliss in his eyes was twisted into burning hatred. “[Give her back to me, NOW.]”

Geb slowly drew the two blades from their sheaths, and shifted his feet into a fighting stance.

“[Take her from me, peasant,]” Geb spat.

The two stared each other down. The room was silent. Kufn’s hatred was deafening. Geb’s total attention was focused on the Horse in front of him…

...Which made sneaking up behind him and slashing open his throat with a Dragon’s claw very easy for a master assassin like Mawr. Geb fell to the ground, and Mawr kicked Riptide over to Kufn before changing the claw back into a hoof.

“[Oh.]” Kufn blinked. “[Okay, well… thanks.]” He picked up Riptide, gave her a smile, and put her back into her sheath on his side.

“[Ra’s upstairs,]” said Mawr, her voice low and careful, “[he has someone called ‘Do’ with him, and possibly a Gryphon called ‘Nut’. Nut might have left, but chances are Ra and Do are still there.]” Kufn nodded in understanding. He walked to Geb’s body and kicked it over to lie on its back.

“[Can you-?]”

“[Yep,]” for the first time, Mawr smiled at Kufn, “[that’s what I had in mind.]”