>>5914762You needed a clearer picture of what was going on in that sprawling tower before you could feel comfortable committing your forces fully. A pegasus knight could easily get a bird’s eye view of not just the inside of the tower, but the bridge connecting to it, as well as the large crowd of pilgrims below. It was potentially a dangerous task, but there was one person you had in mind for the role. Anemone was no stranger to reconnaissance work. It was something she’d been doing for several years. You inform her of the task, and she readily agrees.
“A good idea.” Anemone says. “I don’t particularly trust how calm things appear to be here. I’ll try and find what I can and report back.”
>“Be safe.”Anemone nods reassuringly. She mounts Stormy and takes off. You watch as she sails over the crowd down below in the canyon, making her way towards the massive tower. The sun was high in the sky, casting its unbearably warm light all over Zanado. You’re reminded again just how unhospitable this place really is. To think that some of these pilgrims have been here for weeks now was unfathomable to you. Even from this height, you can make out the squalor and filth in which they’d been living in. And yet despite the harsh conditions, there were still so many of them, eagerly awaiting what they thought was the end of the world. It gave you an eerie, queasy feeling. They had such a strong fervor for a false messiah that was leading them astray. Would killing Bennett really get them to leave? Or would it just drive them madder?
“They’ve noticed her.” Ingrid says urgently. You realize quickly she was talking about the pilgrims down below in the canyon. The skies were clear, and there were hardly any birds to be found in Zanado. With so many people present, even Anemone would have a hard time maintaining any stealth. The crowd below breaks into a panicked frenzy as the sight of the ominous black pegasus.
“They’re freaking out down below.” Corrine observes.
>“Ebon pegasi serve as an ill-omen for some. Their reaction is no surprise, given where we’re at.”As you watch Anemone draw closer to the tower, a bad feeling overtakes you. You weren’t sure if it was the pilgrims, or your own nerves, but something about this suddenly didn’t seem right. You watch the tower intently, waiting for something to happen. Just at that moment, your worst fears come true. It happens in an instant. Had you blinked, you would have missed it. Stormy is shot through the wing by a thin blue light. The pegasus is thrown back, with Anemone hanging on for dear life. They spiral haphazardly, trying to stay afloat. However, the wound is too great. They spin forward further and further, until they eventually fall out of sight.
“NO!” Eulalia breaks down, screaming in anguish. She rushes forward, even as the Blackwings restrain her. Her cries of horror drown out the cheering and jubilation from the pilgrims below.
