June 10th, 74 BNM

Early Afternoon

Equestria, 'Oracle' mount

Savant's Academic Guild

Main courtyard

Grumbling under his breath, Chack tightened the straps on his travelling cloak, fighting the mountain breeze chilling him. He'd found what he was looking for, Starswirl's seal let him into the archives. But he found no trace of the 'associate' of this Siral. A helpful few students had suggested coming back over the next few days, when she was sure to turn up.

He just wished the trek down to the small town and the inn he was staying in wasn't as long as it was.

Around a small corner of the buildings, a set of eyes watched the Salamander walking methodically down the winding mountain path.

Her eyes narrowed, she'd stayed out of sight today for this reason alone. He'd never make it back to his inn if she had any say.

Her magic flaring, she teleported to where she knew nopony could see the path, from the mountain base village or the academy up on the slopes.

Oracle mount, path slopes

Wolf creek pathway

Creek was being humble, as the small river was at least 30-foot-wide, and deep, and steep. The path crossed over a 5-foot rise above the stream, passing alongside the white stream for a long way down the mountain, until it turned left to head for the village it was then level with.

Ambling down the path, Chack let the noise of the stream beside the path calm him, as the mountain slopes reared up slightly behind him, and the small lowlands beckoned far ahead a half mile away.

In no particular hurry, Chack turned to the stream, watching some minnow fish in the waters swimming in a calmer side pool, with no true current to speak of.

The black salamander bent down to cup his slick skinned hands to the water, taking a mouthful, avoiding the minnows as he quenched his amphibian thirst while also moistening his face.

Yet his Salamander sense of touch warned him of somebody moving towards him, unseen. He had perfected his sense of touch to be just as good out of water as it was under it, and he now had more awareness of his surroundings than anyone, be it eye seeing pony to more vibration sensing, poor eyesighted Salamander.

Under his cloak, Chack tightened a grip on the sword he always kept with him, and the light armour. He was travelling light, but not unarmed or unprotected. But he wasn't as prepared as could be.

Turning around, Chack looked around at the forests surrounding the path and creek. This was no wolf, it was alone. Sensing around him, Chack felt something familiar in the air, around where the marauder was.

That tingling sensation in the air he felt, that hardly anyone besides a Salamander or well sensed species could feel. An impending energy buildup. That was usually a sign of a lightning strike.

But in Equestria, it more likely meant a magic user was readying themselves. And they were hiding from him, looking for him.

Chack's grip went for his sword, right as he heard a twig snap a surprising distance from where he thought the enemy was in the forests. His head turned to the sudden noise.

A flash of white and blue appeared out of the corner of his eye, blue/grey magic flashing as they teleported into existence and charged him.

Cloak flying, Chack leapt back, avoiding the magic infused charging Unicorn as he drew his sword, going into a combat stance as he eyed his would be attacker.

The Unicorn Mare, white furred with a Blue/Grey mane, and a slightly odd looking horn, perhaps damaged and regrown, stared him down, her horn glowing as her eyes bore into his own with a look Chack understood perfectly.

Keeping his guard up, Chack remarked in an unimpressed tone:

"Trying to sneak up on me, a fool's error. You can't hide from my honed senses."

"The only thing that will be hidden is your body when I'm done with you." Teal Quirt spat at him, as she charged her horn to unleash a beam of heated energy, which Chack leaped sideways to avoid, his sword bathed in the energy beam.

Feeling the drag on his blade as he leapt sideways, Chack brought his sword to the front as she finished her attack, and slightly stared at the now red hot tip of his blade, where the beam had bathed it. She clearly wasn't bluffing.

Flinging his other hand from beneath his robe, Chack hurled a throwing dagger he always kept handy, forcing Teal Quirt to magically deflect it as he kicked off in the dirt, charging her across the pathway, sword swinging upwards towards her face.

Some blue/grey hairs flew as his sword barely scraped her mane, while Teal spun around and let loose a swiping wave of magic at the Salamander's back.

Side-ducking, Chack gasped as he felt some burning energy grace his side through his robe, but knew it was only skin deep. Spinning, Chack knew he had to keep her on the defensive, always moving, not focused.

Sword digging into the path, Chack hurled up some dirt and dust into her face, Teal's magic deflecting the dust, but letting Chack get in close with his sword flying.

Swiping left, right, and any opening he saw, Chack forced Teal backwards, using magic to enhance her speed, but she saw she was being driven back towards the path edge, and the drop off into the running river. She was tiring, she'd tried a heavy attack to take him out before this got out of hoof.

She had to use more creative magic to fight back. A blade or two to counter his.

Focusing her magic, Teal's eyes widened as Chack's blade swung for her head, right for her horn, again. She vanished in a quick teleport behind Chack, and kicked backwards.

A grunt sounded as Chack was hurled into the river, sword flying from his hand, splashing to vanish beneath the waters.

Fuming, Chack began to already swim for his sword, but stopped as he saw bright blue streaks like spears begin raining down in the water.

Up on high, Teal fired more precise magic bursts to skewer the Salamander, hoping she slowed him if not killing him.

Catching her breath, Teal looked around, and saw what she needed. Her magic worked, and the rocks nearby began to split apart into 4 segments, quickly seeming to shed and be carved as they flew towards her.

A sound of splashing water behind her, as the rocks came flying over, forming into socket like shapes and sporting sharp edges and jagged spikes from them, like a mantis's legs.

The rock formed gauntlet slipped onto her 4 hooves, her magic working subtly to keep them there, as she heard a louder splash behind her.

Whipping around, Teal saw water erupt as Chack came flying at her, sword raised, a cry of bloodlust coming from him. Raising her hoof, Teal saw the blade meet the stone gauntlet's jagged spikes, locking it between them.

Landing, sword still caught, Chack's eyes widened, while Teal gave a sneer as she spun around.

His sword went flying, and Chack leapt backwards as Teal began to swing her forehooves at him, the rocky spikes on her gauntlets, gauntlets formed from one piece of stone, slashed and stabbed into the ground where he stood seconds before.

Standing ready, Chack saw her charge another magic beam, and knew he had to get his sword back and get in close.

Jumping, Chack felt the heat blast of where he stood propel him onto the ground, as he scrambled behind a tree to get some cover.

Incinerating blasts hit the tree, as Chack smelt burning wood around him. Panting hard, the Salamander ripped off his cloak entirely, eying the sword now 20 feet away from him.

Close quarters it was then.

The cloak flew from behind the tree, and Teal blasted it to ribbons with a beam of magic, as her rocky gauntlets clacked as the lowermost spikes cut into the dirt path. But there was no blood.

Her head turned, she heard the sound of metal on a dirt path, and spun around to see the blade swinging for her, in Chack's hands.

Whipping up a forehoof, her stone gauntlet blades deflected blow after blow, but she lacked skill, and was being forced to backstep the whole way.

Sword flying down again and again like a hammer, Chack mentally cursed with every time she blocked and deflected. He was aiming for her head or chest, as she was not wearing armour, unlike he was. But his armour was useless against magic.

Teal raised her forehooves in a cross, catching Chack's blade between them as she slammed it down to the ground, Chack still clutching the handle as he came to stare into her face.

Her glowing horn lit up her own fierce grey eyes with his widening green ones.

Blinding pain hit Teal as Chack had quickly headbutted her, a fist coming around to catch her temple, sending her falling backwards, horn still aglow as her head pounded.

Staggering up, Teal saw the Salamander jumping back into the river, and not giving him a chance, as she saw him vanish in a splash, she fired the magic she'd built up at the river, her head and aim still swimming from the blow to her head.

The small path section beside the river was lit up by the blue blast of magic, as a cloud of steam engulfed the area, her magic attack vaporising a large amount of water all at once.

The stone gauntlet clad Unicorn mare stared around, visibility for now cut down by what was effectively a cloud she'd made.

Staring around, probing, Teal heard a splash further down the river, and surged towards it, magic aiding a leap through the air to come smashing down atop the source, stone spike gauntlets skewering it.

A large stone, hurled from the river to fool her.

Sensing her mistake, made when she thought victory was hers, she barely heard the noise of something else leap from the water.

Spinning, her stone gauntlet forehooves flailing desperately as she also fired as powerful a magic burst, a wave and a slicing sort, as she could in her exhausted state, Teal felt something pierce her side as she unleashed it.

She saw a Salamander go flying backwards, sword once swinging around mid-jump still in hand, a bloodcurdling scream coming from him as he splashed down into the river further away, hidden as the steam was still dissipating.

But looking down, Teal had more reason to find it hard to breath.

A small throwing knife had been hurled before Chack brought his sword around, a bid to not take any chances. The knife handle protruded from her flank, and she saw blood beginning to seep from her wound.

Her chest was constricting, but as she looked ahead, she saw her opponent had fled. He had used the river to make a hasty escape, already gone. But she saw he hadn't come out of this unscathed. Half of his tail lay floating, burnt and severed, along with almost one of his entire arms.

Her vision was quickly turning black, and her own heartbeat became all she could hear. Stumbling up the river bank rocks, Teal found each step was growing more and more strenuous to perform.

Half a mile downstream, 1 mile from the oracle mountain village.

Dragging himself from the riverbed, Chack gasped as he hauled his body up onto the riverside, throwing his sword onto the shore to get a better grip. His entire body was slightly burned from her last magic burst, but the cold water of the river had helped alleviate that pain.

His left arm was gone from the shoulder down, sliced off by the magic. But as he glanced down, he saw it was still bleeding slightly, as was his half of missing tail. Chack almost smiled, he would survive.

Salamanders were renowned for their healing abilities, even re-growing entire limbs if given enough time, and not cauterised, as he was lucky to have been. That mare's magic was not quite as powerful to be hot enough to that as it sliced his limbs off.

It was why Salamanders, bushido or not, were told that if killing another, don't assume they died, finish it.

Even so, Chack had never lost an arm before, only his tail on occasion in the past, before he met Starswirl. He'd not be fighting until it healed and regrew, but already he could see the bleeding stopping on both his shoulder stump and tail stump.

He only hoped the knife he knew had gone into her had done enough damage.

And yet, that mare was the one Starswirl wanted him to find out about. Why had she attacked him when he had done nothing in the academy to warrant it?

Chack had experienced enough stealth attacks in his bushido youth, now over 58 years ago before he lost his master. And in his entire now 88 year lifespan, he knew when something was afoot.

He had used Starswirl's authority, she had been unable to be found, and then had attacked him on the road back down. This was more than coincidence.

For now though, Chack knew the nearby village could provide him with a new travelling cloak. Bitterly though, that same cloak had held the archive document copies Starswirl wanted.

Chack's tale was enough to tell the wizard something was afoot.

For now though, the Salamander calmed himself on the muddy river bank, as the rainclouds overhead finally opened up.

Oracle mount pathway, riverside segment.

She couldn't focus, as her breathing constricted. She had to keep the knife in, but her strength was failing.

Slumping onto the shores, Teal sat in the mud, thankful the rainfall and mud of the riverbank could hide her tears of shame and rage. That Salamander likely survived his limb loss, and she would die here for disobeying Siral's warnings.

She was weak, Chack had robbed her of her Alicorn potential, and now he had robbed her of her life when she tried to repay the favour.

Her vision began to fade, and Teal Quirt let sleep take her.

The rainfall didn't faze the grey cloaked, black unicorn wizard who had been watching.

As the white Unicorn, covered in mud in her coat and blue/grey mane, lay unconscious and bleeding slightly from her knife wound, the stone spike gauntlets having fallen from her hooves, a grey flash appeared.

Siral had been watching from afar, waiting, to see the outcome of his servant against the loose cannon servant that Starswirl still clung to in his foolish devotion to the prophecy.

Even so, he hadn't wished her outcome to be this serious. How shaming, but it showed Siral that Teal was indeed compromised. So distraught by her robbed potential was she, that she had charged headlong to try and prove herself.

But this presented a unique opportunity. Siral would have preferred to run more tests on prisoners and animals with his enhancements, but perhaps those enhancements could also serve to save her life.

After all, her gratitude and begging for forgiveness as he resurrects her, stronger than ever, would ensure he would have one servant among his eventual 7 who would never step out of line.

Walking over to the unconscious Unicorn mare, the Black Unicorn, his grey cloak covering his mosaic-like scars, leant down and laid a hoof on Teal's head, focusing his magic as he quickly began to teleport them back to his citadel.

Late Afternoon

June 10th, 74 BNM

Equestria, North Midland valley lake

Military Fortress, the Stone Citadel.

Basement halls, 'forging' chambers

There were to be 7 commissioned stone 'vats', in which he would create his 7 'enhanced' servants, and be able to also brew in vast quantities potions or other creatures that could serve his goals. Experimentation on an industrial scale.

3 of the caldron vats were still under construction, but 4 were complete.

Standing atop a small stone walkway that ran past each of the 7, Siral used his magic to carefully lower Teal, her knife having been removed and healed enough with basic bandages, into the now murky grey looking liquid Siral had transformed from water. A medium in which a great number of potions and related spells could act upon.

As the Unicorn mare floated, Siral's grey magic worked on the liquid inside the vat's 30-foot diameter, and 30-foot depth. The grey liquid glowed grey, and then turned a slight blue as Teal's body was bathed in a blue glow, and gently pulled under the liquid.

The multipurpose 'brew' had been imbued with a basic stasis and healing spell. Now, while he worked, Teal could remain inside the now slowly turning translucent blue/grey liquid vat for as long as he needed, alive, and unconscious, healing from her wounds.

But these vats weren't to be wasted merely healing.

For now, Siral had done what he needed to.

Having come down out of concern for the eldest of the other 5 she would be with, and as their sort of defacto 'nanny' as some of them begrudgingly called her, lady Ave-Dol saw Siral wander over from the walkway, to the stairwell she waited at.

"What exactly kind of concoction is she in?"

Feigning uncertainty, Siral admitted:

"She is, close to death. I am doing what I can for her, but the brew is, not completely tested. She will heal, but I cannot promise that is all it will do."

"She may not be the same coming out?" Lady Ave-Dol's eyes widened slightly at this prospect, as Siral stared back at the vat, hiding the slight glint in his eyes:

"I highly suspect that she won't be."

With a slight sigh, Lady Ave-Dol offered an apology: "I tried to also warn from pursuing vengeance, but she wouldn't listen. But this price was too much to pay, why would she even go after him?"

Siral said nothing. He knew fully well that his letter had successfully goaded her, in the disguise of a warning not to. And he knew how to play all the others as easily as he had Teal if the need arose.

"If it is any consolation to your worries, there shall be no punishment waiting for her disobedience. She will come out of this better in the end."

Lady Ave-Dol's face brightened only slightly, worry for the rather youthful by magic 63-year-old Unicorn mare plaguing her. She would be sure to calm any of the other 5, or the castle staff who knew and respected Teal Quirt, to expect her to recover, albeit changed

As for Siral, things had gone exactly as he had planned in the end.

And besides, that Salamander, Chack, would serve as the next hint, a more obvious one, to his 'old friend', that things were happening that his wisdom hadn't forseen, or been too busy serving power corrupt royalty, getting involved in the struggles of the Alicorn powers, wasting his talents.

Late Night/Near Midnight

June 11th, 74 BNM

Equestria, North Midland valley lake

Military Fortress, the Stone Citadel.

Basement halls, 'forging' chambers

She had been in the forging vat's potion depths for over 24 hours now, and was fully healed in body.

But now, with the lanterns flickering brighter than normal fire by aid of magic, Siral set to work.

In his studies, he found that specific attributes in magic were hard to make from scratch, and as he tried to find a workaround, he found an unorthodox way of boosting physical or magical abilities.

Some animals in nature, while unable to perform magic themselves, had traits that made them more malleable by way of magic. And physical traits that if they were scaled up, would make them dominant among ponies and greater.

Siral decided that with magic as the glue that held them together, the best way to bring out the greatest potential of magical and physical abilities, and feeding off any powerful traits of emotion or physicality in the host, was to take what nature provided.

In the vaults, in pickled jars to keep them intact and preserved, Siral kept many different creatures for 'parts' in his potions. Entire creatures, or just parts of them.

And now, using his magic, the black wizard sensed what creatures would be best suited to 'merging' with Teal Quirt as she lay dorment.

And as a side effect, by their very nature of being a transformed creature, every single one of the 7 servants he planned would have transfiguration magic abilities beyond even Alicorns, to the point where changing objects would be like a toddler's skill to them. But Siral was interested in what specific skills and powers he wanted from them, ones exclusive to them.

Nearby, a few silent lab assistant Unicorns, ones from his own academic guild he established so long ago, stood ready to help with the selected body parts.

They had tested these hybrid creations on prisoners enough to ensure they survived, and then killed them quickly to prevent any loose ends.

Looking down at the bubbling, grey colored liquid filling the vast molding cauldron, the Savant knew this time the hybrid would work. Like with the other 6, he and his followers had experimented with enough magical methods to ensure they'd survive this time. And flourish.

The bodyparts, harvested from their owners, be they beast or sapient being taken prisoner, were dumped into the mixture from a platform above. A large scorpion, slaughtered Unicorn horns, a Chimera's tail, a dragon's arms, and a gorilla's body.

It was all coming together.

Inside the cauldron, as the potion had turned the grey opaque, the animal body parts dissolved into swirling colours slowly, and began to bond to the unconscious Unicorn mare in the mixture, hidden from view.

Down below, with his magic attuned to the vat of potion, Siral began to carve with his magic an image of the creature to emerge. He had no choice, as he let what the potion was working on dictate it to him.

Finishing, on the stone tablet he saw the carving.

Almost like a Haygyptian hieroglyph symbol, it showed an odd, centaur like creature. But this one had the lower body of a scorpion, 8 legged, and also with a front pair of clawed arms. Atop it, another set of arms, these ones more like dragon arms, though they had long scythe like claws running along the wrists. The head and torso was like that of a gorilla, except it had a set of 4 downwards and out facing Unicorn horns, akin to a headdress crown of sorts. And from its rear end, the snakelike tail of a chimera extended, snarling in the picture.

Siral mentally considered the image, and decided that a carving like this would be only a vague picture. What Teal Quirt truly looked like, in detail, remained to be seen.

For now, she would continue to be molded, until she was ready to awaken. The first of his enhanced servants.

How fitting that she was to be 'made' like this by one of Starswirl's exemplary beings, one supposedly of kindness no less, forged from his cruel treatment of her in recent days and first wounding her magic and limiting her from her full potential, like a cripple in many respects. The saying was right, Starswirl had in a way created the very threat he set out against. Siral just decided to be on the right side of things, in control.

After all, a threatening force, like any tool, could be used for good or evil. And good and evil were just a matter of perspective.

And when teal Quirt emerged, Siral was certain he could persuade the others to volunteer themselves. Lady Ave-Dol would be the only potential resistance, but if so, it wouldn't be the first time Siral had forced his will upon another's, whether they knew it or not.

Everything was proceeding as Siral intended in his broad strokes, and he foresaw no reason to doubt that trend would stop.

Mid-Morning

June 12th, 74 BNM

Equestria, midland mountains

Canterlot, city outskirts

Chack walked briskly towards the distant city, his shoulder and tail still throbbing slightly as they had now covered over by an epidermal layer of white skin as they slowly regrew the 1 and a half limbs, a process of another few months still to come.

Starswirl was in Canterlot still, whether or not he was attending this series of inter faction sporting events to promote unity he didn't know. But the Salamander had been to this city on at least 4 occasions since he came to Equestria 38 years ago, this would make it 5.

He was thankful he'd kept a hold of Starswirl's seal, he needed to get to Starswirl fast.

Something was afoot in Equestria, and the Salamander had an arm and half a tail gone to show somebody wanted those secrets kept for now, and they were tied to those who supposedly had links to Siral.

Author's Notes:

Teal Quirt [Envy to be] and Chack [kindness, not yet] come to blows, and both come out of it worse for wear. Chack would survive his losses, Salamanders having absurd healing, like in real life, whereas a lucky knife got Teal.

All the while though, Siral feels this presents an opportunity to begin the first of 7 enhanced being projects.

Meanwhile, the sporting events in Canterlot went on, the events lasting 5 days up until the 14th, meaning Chack had time to get to Canterlot before they ended.

In later chapters, when the time comes for the other 5 to be enhanced, I may consider request suggestions for them. They are to be unique hybrid forms like Discord is, but different, be it smaller/bigger, fiercer/cuter, obvious/subtle, depending on their unique traits.