The light faded from Scalpels eyes and he once again touched the ground, all aspects of the other within himself disappearing as quickly as they had appeared.

“And so the deal is struck, we accept to abide by each other’s agreements and terms… and as for this..” here he turned to the alicorn horn, cradling it in his hooves like the most precious delicate thing in the world, before handing it over to Tsan, “this will go to the Inner Sanctum with Tsan and be stored until I have the necessary means of finalising my work, Tsan! Take ten of the War Drones with you and have them stationed there, I don’t want this disappearing.”

Tsan nodded, his face a picture of wonder and loyalty, and took the horn, wrapping it up in cloth and hurrying off with the War Drones on his mission. Before long the two remaining ponies heard the clanking of metal hooves on stone as they descended into the darkness on their way to the darkest regions of the house.

“Now, I believe that concludes our business here, If you wish you make leave and make your way in the world until my plans are completed with the artifice, I will send for you when the time comes for process to be put in motion. Otherwise I am sure my children will see to your needs if necessary, and provide you with food and place to sleep. You will have access to all but the Inner Sanctum if you wish to explore, but I wouldn’t advise attempting to breach my defences there for the sake of curiosity, the network of spells there is quite deadly for the uninvited.”

A heavy thumping on the door distracted him and for a moment a paralysing sense of fear settled over him, and he paused to look at Astral in suspicion. “It seems I have another visitor…”

He signalled to the Drones and Lambda to follow and they rose from their prostrated positions and hurried after him, eyes ablaze with zeal and religious fervour.

Scalpel hadn’t expected anyone else today, and the situation filled him with unease, had Astral been followed? Honestly the past two days he had seen more visitors than he had in a very long time, and the arrival of two in the same day was a very unusual circumstance. 

Arriving at the door, surrounded by a ring of Drones, and a nearby Lambda in case things turned foul, Scalpel prepared himself for a very unexpected and unwelcome guest. Dragging open the door slightly he peered through the crack into the daylight and at the brooding form which had dropped itself on his doorstep.

On his doorstep was a massive unicorn, grotesquely huge in proportion to a normal pony and covered relatively heavy armour of chain and plate. There was something rough about him, a grim face plastered over a brightly coloured coat and mane of mint green and amber colouration. Scalpel eyed him up critically.

“Well, just for brevities sake I will conclude three possible reasons for you being here, No I don’t want whatever quackery you are selling under the pretence that it works, No I am not looking for hired muscle, I have more than enough of that as it is, and no, syphilis is incurable and you should have checked before you bedded that whore, so there isn’t anything I can do for you…”

His eyes glinted, blue orbs of malice and paranoia shining in the midday sun, still holding the door nearly closed as he continued “…Now that we have concluded those possible conversations, would you please tell me what you want? If it was one of the above however, I’d be obliged if you could fuck off now, I am busy.”