Sins of Harmony

Volume 1: Balance of Power

Chapter 10: Virulent Horizons


March 10th, 1005 ANM

Cancarta, Oceanic Alliance joint navel base [former Komodo naval HQ], boardroom 4.

"How does this connect to the dragon attacks we've been experiencing?"

Karrav had called an emergency meeting with the Oceanic Alliance leaders, a representative from each race in the Alliance, and had even requested the presence of some representatives of nations the Alliance was courting to join.

Two of those representatives happened to be a part of Karrav's contact list of agents around the Eastern Hemisphere. Beside each, their respective nation's political representatives stood.

They communicated by video screens, a satellite link allowing live communications, and the information that was of such importance was on a separate screen for each member viewing it.

From the Eastern Sub Continent region, an Indian Elephant male, a King Cobra male , a Cattle Kingdom male member and a Tiger clan female member were on screens. Only the Reticulated Pythons weren't present, mainly due to them not being directly affected by this.

On behalf of the Peacocks, one of Karrav's own personal associates, both in politics and business, was present with him.

A female Peacock clan member, or a Peahen, by the name of Shreya. Her plain brown colours were offset by white bands on her wings and neck, and her piercing yellow eyes betrayed her ruthless nature.

She was a shrewd business woman, and she had become a prized business partner to the Hephaestus Research Group for the manufacturing infrastructure she had the money to set up for them. She had come from a wealthy family, but certain tragedies and a riot in the city she lived as a teenager had made her an orphan.

Within 5 years, her family fortune had gone from old fashioned landowning, to industrial wealth. She had invested in the future, and it paid off.

Next to Karrav stood a second King Cobra, another male, but this one had been involved in a raid on Canterlot recently, namely rescuing another Hephaestus group member from prison.

Caarim was one of Karrav's top research minds, and incidentally, an unmatched interrogator for more reasons than one. He looked like a normal King Cobra, light brown and silvery in colour, with bronze eyes and black slits. But he had talents that set him apart from others of his kind.

From Dingolia, on behalf of his government, the assistant to the Congressional Speaker of Dingolia presided on the screen. He was another contact of Karrav's, and had been a well picked contact shortly after the government stabilised in wake of the revolution 29 years before.

Bruse Dunn was a trusted associate of Karrav, and was a perfect mediator between this meeting and the Dingolian assembly later today.

He was also the contact that told Karrav that Discord and Twilight Sparkle were visiting to find out about the attacks on Canterlot and the artefact thefts.

Finally, and most importantly, the representative that had the information they needed. Reporting from the Far Eastern regions, and as a dual species representative and one of Karrav's field agents, was a female Tiger, named Hu.

She had been on leave to visit her family in the city of Pandhai [Karrav still struggled to wrap his head around a mostly Panda city being accommodating to Tigers so easily].

After the recent tracking of the Dragon attacks happening, a location nearest to her was pinpointed, and she was called to lead a team to search for answers.

What they found was disturbing, to say the least.

She spoke on the video screen, as another shared image among all of them explained what she and her field teams had found:

"The site where the attacking Far Eastern dragons seemed to have started from had only a few corpses. Other than that, nothing. We took samples from the few corpses we found, it was odd that they'd been attacked and not eaten."

"After we sent off some samples to a Hephaestus group lab 2 weeks ago, we had the results. The scans showed a virus infection in the tissue, capable of jumping from dragons to others by liquid contact."

"The conclusion, to all present, that the labs determined is that the disease bears a close resemblance to the Rabies virus." Karrav made the point blunt.

The others on the screens talked amongst themselves, while the Indian Elephant male responded:

"I'm no biologist, but I thought that Rabies couldn't spread this quickly, or show effects this soon after infection."

"It doesn't. This Rabies strand showed signs of mutation faster than is possible in the natural world. More importantly, no virus can jump from a Far Eastern Dragon, to a Fire Drake, let alone any other Draconic species, and still maintain its effects." Caarim pointed out. The Cobra had been among the team that had collected more samples a week ago.

"Has it showed signs of infecting Komodos? Surely their close genetics to dragons place them at risk?" The Cattle Kingdom male representative asked next. His kingdom had many trade routes with the Komodo clans, and trade routes were prime for viral spreads.

"This Rabies virus isn't as fatal as the normal kind, at least the one for Draconic races. Its fatality rate is so far 25%, but it has a much shorter incubation period. In short, the infected show the aggression, and other symptoms, within 2-20 hours. Fortunately, this means that it kills Komodos too quickly for it to spread much." Karrav sighed as he said the next part:

"Unfortunately, the virus causes extreme aggression, and periods of calm, in Dragons, Fire Drakes and Far Eastern Dragons."

"What can we do? Last I heard, Rabies can't be cured when you're infected once the symptoms start."

"We found a potential flaw, this new Rabies virus has more target points to neutralize it. Its a trade-off of the decreased incubation. We can synthesize a cure, but it will take 2 weeks still." Caarim explained further.

"What about the continuing attacks? And you're forgetting that the Great Dragon migration will be occurring in about 1 week.. If this isn't solved, the virus cure released globally quickly, it won't be just the Eastern nations that have this problem. And the North Western Continent will be next."

Karrav realized what the King Cobra male representative had pointed out. His mind suddenly had a vision of fire and death spreading over the Equestrian and Gryphon Kingdoms.

A small part of him couldn't help but relish in that possibility.

But his more rational mind realised that scenario would happen alongside Dragons worldwide going beserk.

"And now the subject of some of your, assets, Karrav. Its known now that the Hephaestus group has had success with recruiting more rational Dragon species members, to the point where two of your most highly ranked associates are a Fire Drake and a Western Dragon. As with any Komodo associates, what are you doing about them?"

"Rest assured, all draconic members of the Hephaestus group are being closely monitored, and will not be dispatched until a cure is ready."

"By which time, the usual migration patterns place the majority as over the Frozen North of the Crystal Empire." The male King Cobra representative once more highlighted the time frame they had.

"If I may, representatives. The best course of action, until the cure is ready, is to spread the message to all Eastern nations to arm as usual for the Dragon Migrations, just as the Western countries will be. In the case of Komodos, I suggest extra defensive forces be sent to protect their cities until this matter is resolved, and if a city undergoes an attack, the trade routes are cut off until we can resolve the infection."

"As for the various Dragon clans, we have a small degree of contact, so any warning of this virus may help, even with how stubborn dragon clans are at listening." Bruse Dunn's well thought out suggestion, both to take action and to avoid initial panic, was agreed by all.

"The Far Eastern Dragons, and the Fire Drakes, are usually the more approachable species, provided you give them tribute for safe passage. Unfortunately, the Western Dragons are less approachable, and the most involved in the migration." Hu responded from the link in the Far Eastern mountains.

"Hu, coordinate with the Pandania government, have emissaries sent to all known Far Eastern Dragon clans warning them of the virus."

Karrav spoke his last words: "I have contact with a notable Fire Drake colony near Orang-utan territory, and they can easily spread the message to other Fire Drake clans that will listen. This should minimize the spread."

"Very well, but that still leaves the case of the Western Dragon migration."

The Indian Elephant male's point was true. Caarim responded with a confident flex of his hood:

"We'll double our efforts to make that cure."

The question remained though, whether doubling their efforts would give them much more time. Sure a cure could be developed to return these dragons to normal, along with immunizing other Dragons, Fire Drakes, Komodos and Far Eastern Dragons.

But what about the destruction that would be wrought until then?

Karrav wanted this to work. He had seen the Wyverns made near extinct by a different plague, an accidental release of a bio-weapon lab 41 years ago, and the gradual loss of all the survivors.

He didn't want to have to set up cloning programs for all 4 other Draconic species.

And that still left the larger question of how this virus came about. It definitely wasn't naturally occurring.


March 10th, 1005 ANM

Late afternoon

Flight back to Singapaw

On a private cargo aircraft, with a built in passenger cabin of relative comfort. Karrav, Shreya and Caarim sat aboard as they made their way back to the Hephaestus group HQ.

Shreya had an appointment there to approve construction of some new vehicle designs in her factories, but she had an obligation to the Peacock city kingdoms to be on hand for the cure's development.

Caarim spoke to her: "You shouldn't worry so much, the cure will be ready, and your kind and mine at least are lucky. Dragons don't attack or species much."

Shreya looked at him coldly: "Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Get inside my head."

"I can't help how easy it is to read people. But I'm sorry if it unnerves you."

Sighing a bit, Shreya just said: "Just don't do it with me. I like my secrets to stay secret."

"As I wish they had when I was a child."

Caarim bitterly recalled how his odd talents among his family had forced him out. He'd been picked up by the Hephaestus Group as he reached maturity, his reputation in academia preceding him. It was when Karrav met him in person that how special he was revealed itself.

Caarim was a genius level intellect, intelligent among his own kind, but he had been hearing voices in his head as a child, and couldn't help buy ask his parents for help.

They'd thrown him out when he turned out to be a telepath.

Now older, Caarim had used his gifts, and his genius brain that came with it, to advance in biological sciences at an astounding rate. He kept his 'gift' a secret however, until he met Karrav, who became suspicious of the Cobra's sheer talent.

After coming clean, Karrav had surprisingly welcomed him as much as ever.

Caarim looked over to Karrav, his friend of 20 years now, who was busy on a phone call to an important agent. Though Karrav was cold, and didn't express himself much, he was as trustworthy as they came if you stood with him.

Karrav's conversation didn't need mind reading to hear it:

"Himari, tell Kynok and Razak that until further notice, they are off any missions until the cure for the Dragon Rabies virus is ready. As for Lucius, tell him that he is to meet up with Ohmen Magnes after he gets a call from him."

"And Himari, one more thing. I need you to get a set of quarantine hangers ready, up to 3, for some dragon members who will be under direct watch by the HQ until the cure is ready."

Hanging up on the female Salamander researcher back at HQ, Karrav made one more call:

"Ohmen. I need you to do something for me. I trust you heard the news of the dragon virus?"

"Good. Now, first, tell Smoulder that I need her to go, with an escort, to her Fire Drake Clan. Get her to get them then news, so they can spread it. Tell her also, that I need her to get in contact with Cal'vel. He's a rogue from the Dragon Clans, he doesn't associate with them since his own threw him out 10 years ago, and I need him to come to HQ to make sure he stays uninfected."

"Second, I need you to contact a friend of yours. We need some of her subjects to go with you undercover to Equestria, so we have some eyes in the place in case any Dragons arrive early. I'll be sending Lucius with you as a backup, but tell Chrysalis that her kind has recovered enough to afford to send a dozen or so of her Changeling drones."

"Tell Chrysalis that you may need Al'kur also, in case things go wrong. Her son can keep the drones working efficiently, and you have overall command of him and Lucius."

"And Ohmen, use a different Unicorn disguise from your old form. I know you're fond of how you looked before your incident with the old Hephaestus splinter group, but go for something less recognizable."


The clock is ticking.

To readers, this sets up a showdown later, but that will be at least 5 chapters down the line from here. No more than 8 chapters down the line though.

This was a chapter to set up a brewing situation, but not much will happen with my OC characters until closer to the time, so focus can be shone on canon characters and their roles more.

Note: The Mane 6 have been the most frequented Ponyville citizens mentioned, but others will have a degree of presence, whether emotional, side, background or otherwise.

As usual, I would appreciate any reviews or constructive criticism you readers have for me. If you want me to improve my writing, just saying something about it is a start.