Headmaster's Study.
The sentry was standing outside the transporter building; his tasking was to give the alarm should the transporter activate. It was a cloudy day for this time of the year; frequent breaks in the clouds allowed the sun to shine through just enough to give the small meadow a pleasant feel. The serenity was broken by a streak of an object that suddenly broke through a large cloud. He didn't have the chance to acknowledge the existence of the object; it slammed into the building and detonated. What remained now was flaming wreckage that was scattered around a very small crater as sparks and bellowing black smoke wafted upwards into the sky.
A large object emerged from the same cloud shortly afterwards and touched down centered in the meadow. A couple Guardian droids disengaged from its sides and moved towards the tree line; meanwhile many mammals jumped out from doors on the sides as a ramp lowered from the rear. Soon as cargo-laden vehicles drove out, the craft lifted off and slowly drifted towards right-paw side. Another craft emerged from the same cloud, landing on the same spot the previous craft occupied. Two more Guardian droids disengaged and moved near the others; more vehicles disembarked and the craft lifted off. Two more crafts arrived and unloaded their cargo in short order, leaving in the same manner as the others.
Captain Valiant, Male panther of the Zootopia Marines, looked around as his troops made a quick sweep through the nearby woods, muffled gunfire sounded as they encountered wildlife. He was not under the illusion that the cute non-sentient mammals were harmless; his troops were briefed about them and why they were introduced on this mountain eons ago. They were authorized to kill any that attacked... and these certainly did that. Nearby Staff Sergeant Stoutpaw, a Female panther was growling at technicians about placement of the Guardian droids. He took a quick sweep of the area and he agreed; the droids were too close together, one hit from a rocket or weapon from a resident droid would destroy several. He decided the female panther needed a lesson in diplomacy, these were not military and thus gentler words would get her message across. Nevertheless he still thought she was a good choice for this mission.
Guardian droids... if these performed as Colonel Kohle claimed they would these would be an excellent addition to his team. The Marine Corps was primarily a mobile branch and having something that could move quickly through almost any terrain and weather with the firepower of a small warship was something he was certain would revolutionize warfare. Now the Guardian droids moved to a better placement and distance; he decided when they started the march towards their objective he wanted one of these near the front. Technician Minkowski claimed he could disable most of the resident droids without firing a shot... if it was not alerted to their presence. This was why the mink would be traveling next to him; his expertise was something that should be protected. He also wanted to know if anything didn't need to be destroyed, reuse and repurposed local resources was highly encouraged and made sense militarily.
"Sir" the female panther said as she waited for his attention. She didn't salute; this was a tactical situation and doing so would alert the enemy who was in leadership position. The male broke out of his thinking and nodded towards her.
"We have a perimeter established and Technician Minkowski reports no enemy movement towards us. Looks like we achieved surprise."
"Perhaps. Let's get the technicians tents set up over there. Send the first patrol out with a Guardian; I want firepower immediately available should the need arise. Find a suitable listening post so we at least have a warning for ourselves should they move against us... which probably will be momentarily. By now the destruction of their transporter must have alerted them."
She turned around and quickly moved away. Momentarily he watched her as she moved quickly to get the patrol on its way. His thoughts wondered for a moment; she met requirements not only for this mission but something he had been planning. Perhaps she fit into his next assignment; he would have to see what the Pentagon had planned for her. Shaking the thought out of his mind he returned to monitoring the progress of setting up the camp. A couple Guardians moved at irregular times, something the technician told him they would have to do in order to scan the horizon both in the sky above and the area beyond the trees. Now he wished they could have brought along an additional two; but the transports were strained carrying these along with the cargo and trucks. They had to bring an additional two transports just to bring their regular amount of equipment, and now he wondered if these had enough fuel to return to base.
Colonel Kohle watched the monitor impassioned. The elder beaver seemed just as calm, his only movements were the slow scratching of his finger on his chin. Displayed on several screens were satellite and drone images of the invasion, a long thin line of smoke marked the destruction of the transporter. The dog was surprised the beaver didn't object when the Marine Corps officer briefed them on the Pentagon's plans. Perhaps it was the second attempt to transport into the library's tower that convinced him it was necessary. At the moment a new and improved one was being fabricated; this would be installed in a redesigned building with similar safeguard improvements as was done at the library... when they gained complete control of the Headmaster's Study.
The elder beaver smiled. "Looks like my suggestion to bring along Guardian droids has paid off. Are you sure another two won't be needed?"
Director Dench turned her Segway so she could better see the beaver. "We'll wait and see. The transports will be refueling at the Rorschach's estate; when they are reloaded with additional troops we'll bring them here. You have your droids ready?"
"They are undergoing diagnostics and final programing as we speak."
One of the screen changed view; two elder foxes now were displayed.
"Baron... how goes the mission on your end?"
Clifford grimaced. "That's the reason for this zphone call. The transports barely made it here, landing more like a controlled crash. Repairs are underway and thankfully these were made with anti-fire suppression systems. Fuel tanks are being tested and the engineers think all the additional metal to attach the droids helped prevent complete structural failure. Still... they don't recommend carrying the droids on this next mission."
The elder beaver nodded. "Then it's a good thing you allowed us to scan those transports. Modifying two of your transports to carry four drones with minimal room for cargo and troops will be ready shortly. These will relieve your other transports for this duty."
"Back to the situation at paw" the mouse squeaked. "How soon you think we'll be ready to attempt a rescue?"
The dog entered a few commands into his computer. "The captain says once they get the camp setup then the technicians can start tapping into the computer systems. Look there... they already started on the initial patrols."
Everyone's attention returned to the monitors. Cameras from a high-flying drone showed a few mammals moving along the pathway leading from the transporter towards the series of buildings that made up the Headmaster's Study. The colonel wondered why these were on opposite sides of the mountain, but at least this prevented their actions from being seen by whoever controlled the study. The ancient path that led down the mountain clearly showed where an explosion sheared of a good portion leaving behind a very long drop. But there was a very small area one could rappel down... if they could get through what appeared to be thick undergrowth.
The battle happening at the Headmaster's Sanctum occurred within and without.
High Priestess Ganieda cackled as the mammals below in the arena dodged and attempted to return fire. Yesterday she allowed the descendants of the Headmaster's servants to mock and harass the group down in the arena; but today they were still as alert and spry as the day before. Rejuvenation Orb... this was an advanced spell that eluded the dark priests; the reason for their prioritizing stealing its summoning spell lay before her. But the dark Priesthood had its own ways to rejuvenate. She ordered the sacrifice of the spectators; their life essences fueled her priests and now they were back in fighting form.
Something was wrong with these oracle priests... or perhaps the eons being stranded here fogged her memory. She seemed to remember oracles being much quicker switching between spells. Minutes went by as she remained silent, observing and trying to understand the clumsiness of her enemy. Only the honey badger seemed to be putting up a decent fight, but truth be told this one seemed sluggish as it struggled to brush off near misses as if they were flies not deadly bolts.
Then she had the answer... these were newly trained! A broad smile crossed her muzzle as she laughed manically. Her priests were breaking out of the rustiness that eons caused. They were getting back into their ancient rhythm that earned them a place on her team. These once were tasked with hitting the strongest oracles; their abilities being better than their opponents. Then again a surprise attack helped minimize injuries and ensured a few kills before return fire caused a change in tactics. But only a fool remained in place for any length of time, and these oracles were quickly catching on to this secret.
"Pitiful fools... I grow tired of your lack of battle prowess. The Headmaster put up a better fight... and it was only he verses my entire team. If I didn't know any better I'd say you just became priests. What a riot... mere cubs sent against my whirlwind. Pathetic."
Hilda let a small smile appear at the corners of her mouth. Her opponent was becoming overconfident, and this would soon have the old crone singing like a canary. Thus what happened here all those eons ago would be told without her team having to investigate and deduce it the hard way. Although she admitted she would have preferred to learn this from the residents whose ancestors fought in the ancient battle, but still there was something to be said from hearing it first-paw account from those that actually were in the battle. She looked around her; some bodies were unconscious and others genuinely dead. But there was still an ace up her fur; none of these bodies were GSD team members.
She concentrated... and the radio voices entered her ears as the stealth mammals whispered among themselves. She whispered another command... if any dark priest attempted to leave the room they had permission to dispose of it. Each agent had an ancient dagger made of an unidentified metal; this would ensure the priest assumed room temperature quickly just as it would kill a mortal mammal. She was pleased these had not followed her down into the pit. Their natural instinct to find high places to cover their assignment meant they found the balcony thus their intuition the droid was leading them into a trap had proven correct. She knew it was chafing them, but she needed them to remain concealed and telling her where the opponents were and if any more entered the building. Thus far it seemed this fight was a ten plus one against her three... she only was counting priests. The mammals outside this building weren't her immediate concern and they were not fighting.
Ganieda was growing more puzzled; by now these should be growing desperate. Something was giving them hope, and hope could prolong a fight far longer than necessary. She signaled her priestesses to end the fight, and was pleased as the group below her was quickly being whittled down until only the three oracles remained. Then all hell broke loose.
Explosions occurred somewhere outside the building and suddenly mammals came out of the air as if they were ghosts. She saw many of her priests and priestesses get stabbed and within seconds turn stiff and fall to the floor motionless. She felt something push forcefully into her side; thankfully she made it a habit to wear a thick leather girdle that was protective as it was fashionable. She spun around as two daggers impaled themselves into the wooden chair she was just sitting upon. A quick spell immobilized her opponents, another drained the offenders of their life energy; she let the bodies fall to the floor, and then pulled the dagger out of the girdle and dropped it to the floor. Her paw was smoldering where it held onto the dagger.
Captain Valiant watched as his team pushed their way through the compound; this reminded him of his first battle years ago when he was a wet-behind-the-ears Second Lieutenant. That taught him the dangers of street fighting and now he was thankful to have those Guardian droids. He only wished Staff Sergeant Stoutpaw didn't take to ridding on one; number one rule of any fight... take out the most dangerous weapons first, and these robots were definitely the biggest targets. Still she was directing the fight very well; perhaps it was the height and quick movement that allowed her to get a better view quicker than usual. Maybe it was the adrenaline rush of being in the thick of things that appealed to her.
Earlier they had encountered a few droids that were originally here; true to his word Technician Minkowski had deactivated them before they were alerted to their presence and deduced the newcomers were hostile. Their droids pushed a pre-made bridge over a chasm that surprisingly disappeared soon as one walked halfway across the bridge. Technician Minkowski investigated and found a cloaking unit operating nearby; obviously concealing the original bridge that their smaller expeditionary one now rested upon. The mink typed in a few commands into his laptop and within moments the cloaking field dropped.
As they pushed through the courtyard which was where the fighting actually began, it became obvious the droids inside wasn't fooled: something must have alerted them of his team's coming. His first droid traded shots with a resident droid and both were destroyed, something that obviously alerted the whole facility if they weren't already. Captain Valiant was relieved this wasn't the one that the staff sergeant was riding on.
He ordered the exterior doors blown open and watched his teams rush inside, reports were fuzzy but soon it was obvious which ones were guards and which were non-combatants. But it was the purplish bolts of energy that made it clear who was the most dangerous. His droids traded shots and he was impressed as a mammal stood her ground; trading fire with a droid without flinching. Now he understood why the report told him to be cautious when fighting something called a dark priest; the proof was before his eyes. What amazed him; the dark priest succeeded in destroying the droid... then succumbed to a dagger thrust into it by a mammal that appeared out of stealth.
Soon the battle was over and he looked around.
Bodies of dark priests lay hither and yond, as were those of the original group he was sent here to rescue. His casualties were remarkably light, considering the mammals they were fighting. He was appalled but interested as the oracle priests went around and beheaded the dark priests. When he questioned their motive they simply said the body couldn't be revived once the spine was severed. This allowed the fluid in the brain to drain and thus the body's natural electrolyte was permanently removed. Historical records told of no dark priest being able to heal or mend the spine once a head was decapitated, theory being that their bodies lost the natural healing process. This would be a major obstacle to a mammal that operated on energy instead of chemically digesting food.
He noticed Staff Sergeant Stoutpaw directing teams gathering the survivors and putting others into body bags. As his eyes moved around the room he was making a mental tally of the dead and injured, as well as which side and whom they worked for. GSD agents lost a few but the technicians were hit hardest. He hated losing non-combatants and these were new allies. But perhaps the one bright spot in all this... were the three priestesses going around and using their magic to revive as many mammals they could. He found it interesting when a pillar of light flashed above a body and out of nowhere stood the same mammal that only seconds before was lying lifeless on the floor... now only a skeleton lay in its place. He walked over to one of the priest and asked the question.
"The body is renewed whole with the soul inside. Unfortunately the old skeleton remains behind as a reminder of what happens, it is itself a thin shell of what it once was and deteriorates upon a touch."
To emphasize this she gently put a finger upon the skeleton and both saw it quickly turn to dust, some falling to the floor and some blowing away in the breeze. He wanted to ask more questions but the lioness walked away and preformed the same resurrecting spell on another body. This time no pillar of light fell over the body, to which her head hug low and she whispered a silent prayer. Before he could ask a voice behind him gave a simple answer.
"The spirit of the mammal left before it knew we would be victorious. It is now in the after-life in the world beyond death. Remember this should you find yourself in a similar situation, especially if a priest is nearby."
He turned around and saw an elder vixen standing near him. He nodded his thanks and now could contact his superior... mission accomplished: phase two beginning. He asked her a few questions and then allowed her to use his radio to talk with someone back at the oracle library. When she was done he ended the call and she explained what she knew.
"These dark priests were the ones that attacked the Headmaster's study same time the library was; it was a joint venture made possible because the Caretaker had been converted into one of them. Being a newly converted thing, he was more valuable for his knowledge and he was used as such. The original Guardian droids here were containing them... until the Caretaker shut them down, those that didn't detonate their cores. This allowed these dark priests to break into the sanctum. I couldn't get any information beyond this, so his fate is still unconfirmed. Thus I must continue my search."
He watched her turn and joined the other two priestesses, so he returned his attention back to the mop-up operation and started getting his after-action report written. The staff sergeant's voice could be heard as she moved throughout the building; he made a mental note to have words with her how she talked to the non-military mammals. She was cute; something he suspected might be starting to affect his thinking.
High Priestess Ganieda rested in the richly decorated room that once belonged to the Headmaster. She looked over to the skeleton that once was the mammal; his robes still clung to his bones and his body had long since rotted away. She kept him alive for centuries, trying to break his will. But he proved impossible to break even as he underwent pain, dehydration, his soul ripped from his body and returned shortly thereafter... through all this he remained stubborn. All she wanted was him making her the new caretaker... the previous one had been killed by an arrow. The Headmaster's guard that shot the arrow was killed shortly thereafter.
She promised he would live a life longer than most mortals; he reminded her she already gave him centuries which were nothing more than borrowed time. Should he give-in to her demands she would not merely be caretaker of this sanctum; she would change the computer's programing and change the control crystal on her necklace to authorize her to control the Oracle Sanctum... thus control all equipment and outposts that belonged to the Oracle Council.
Like Hilda said before traveling to the Gatekeeper's Valley, any priest with sufficient mental stamina could control an oracle necklace. Only a properly attuned necklace to the wearer's soul would allow the priest, including a dark priest, to operate the abilities the necklace afforded to its full potential. This meant learning and using the advanced spells, which was dependent on the binding of soul and necklace. Where and how Ganieda obtained the necklace was uncertain, only that it made her more powerful than she normally was. Thankfully she remained clueless on the soul-necklace connection.
She knew she was beaten and immediately drained his life essence. Nearly a millennia gone by and the old codger never wavered; her efforts were wasted. Meanwhile she and her priests remained trapped here; they would have starved if not for the generator supplying power for the transporter... it had been a lifeline for her priests. The nearby beasts proved a satisfactory source for their needs as well; and these multiplied quickly for their numbers to spread nearby mountains. Thus as those nearby were drained and died, those on the nearby mountains replaced them. But after millennia of doing this the generator broke down and they were consuming the beasts faster than they could replace themselves. The descendants of the Headmaster's servants were not reproducing successfully; inbreeding was taking its toll. Even capturing the occasional rock-climbing enthusiasts wasn't providing sufficient diversity.
She was looking at a very slow death; her priests were succumbing to exhaustion and slipped into unconsciousness. Their chance for survival looked bleak.
Perhaps she miscalculated when the transporter miraculously turned on and these oracle priests stepped foot on her territory. Now she cursed herself for not thinking clearly; it would have been better if she simply used guile to allow them to repair the generator as they obviously were starting. But her hatred for the other priest faction and her starvation affected her judgement. Once the battle began and it was clear a smorgasbord had been replenished she gorged herself as did her minions. But then the impossible happened; the intruders used daggers made of the only metal alloy capable of draining them of their energy. She was enraged soon as she realized what was happening; but many of her priests were killed before she issued the retreat order.
Now her faction was pawfull of the hundreds that originally accompanied her... but they were well-fed.
She led them to where their brethren lay slumbering and she was the first to give the first renewed life as she discharged a portion of the life-force she recently took from several of the Intruders. As the priest yawned and shrugged off its slumber, her minions followed her lead, each reviving a slumbering member. There were many more to revive but this was a good start. Now everyone was hungry but they were alive and their numbers replenished, if only enough to start a comeback. She explained the situation to the newly awakened, and the plan to use the generator to restore their energy and thus revive more of their brethren until all were restored. If they could reach the recently killed she wanted them reclaimed and restored; this was an advantage being an undead had over the Living... resurrection was easier. Unfortunately starving was even easier.
Technician Minkowski was frustrated. There was an unexplained power loss and after trying nearly every trick in the proverbial book he was at a loss. He should not have been surprised that Agent Ricardo would be right there helping him. The pika had helped him design and oversee the construction of the tower at the Oracle Library, now he was here helping him rebuild this one. The pika's ears flew up, which the mink learned meant he thought he had the answer... usually he did.
"It isn't our equipment, you made the quality check yourself and I was there. So it must be somewhere in the cable from here to the generation room. By the way... why is it nearly halfway around the mountain? Why not make an independent one like we did for the library? It will greatly solve the power issue and allow a duplicate system. Maybe not as many transporter pads."
The mink thought for a moment.
"Perhaps you have something there... this system assumed only mammals would be traveling here, which truth be told is correct but it also meant that the later technologies, like the Guardian droids, had to be brought over piecemeal. If we follow your idea... we could put an industrial transporter over there."
The pika looked where the mink pointed towards; it was a small cliff along which the mountain had sharply risen and continued upwards. After all... the Headmaster's Sanctum, which everyone now was calling the ancient buildings, was itself on the other side of this mountain. It was depressing to find out the Dark Priesthood had conquered this area back in the great war, but at least the technicians in the Valley of the Oracles still had technical data on many of the systems. Thus it was an excellent idea to do as this GSD agent now suggested. Perhaps one day he might consider a career change when he got all that adventurism out of his blood.
"Do you think priestess der Fuch will ever find the Study?"
"Who?" The mink eye's had a slight rise in an eyebrow.
"Oh... excuse me. I meant Oracle der Fuch."
"Are you trying to say Hilda?"
"Yes! Do you think she'll get the answer she came here for?"
"Maybe. Your military is still sweeping the ruins. I told them not to use the Guardians willy-nilly, but you Zootopians do love to use everything to extremes."
They were startled by a feminine voice.
"It's called a battle; the one that is more ruthless usually wins."
Both turned around. The female panther was still dressed in battle gear and truth be told both males had an instant attraction. Quickly they shook off and put on their best bravado face. This was not lost on her but time was of the essence and the captain needed answers quickly, hence why she was here in the flesh; her zmail went unanswered and her team was now scouring the nearby vegetation for what appeared no more than boogiemen.
"Gentlemammals... the captain needs answers and neither of you answered my zmail. So... status?"
"Computing the power requirements as we speak. But we have an anomaly... there's an unexpected and unexplained power drain in the old system. I'd normally send a diagnostic droid to check the cables... but Agent Ricardo has an excellent suggestion. We'll build a duplicate tower here just like the one at the Oracle Library; modified of course. Over there in that cliff we'll put an industrial transporter so large things can be brought over. We'll install a power core here so these will be independent from the other system, but I'll have an emergency connection installed after we determine the leakage."
"Thank you. Power loss? Want us to do a quick check... never mind. We'll go ahead anyway. Since we can't verify where those *things* disappeared to, it makes sense they might be somewhere inside. This will be all, gentlemammals."
The two males watched as she walked away at a decent pace; naturally how she walked made the two males gawk. When she was a decent distance away they shook off their fascination and returned their attention back to their tasking.
"Think she noticed?"
"Probably. Teasing us by the way she put her footpads on the ground like that. But... let's get back to work. This tower isn't going to build itself."
She was in a hurry as she double-timed back to the captain. She knew the two males noticed something and she wanted to get away fast as possible. Males... almost the same no matter the species. At least in the military they had to keep a proverbial mask on or else she could reprimand them; officers were less likely to hint or express their desires.
She shook her head. The captain needed this information ASAP... his report was late and the pentagon was inquiring on the status of the mission. She knew he had another upcoming mission and only took this one because it seemed to be a quick get in - get it done... type of mission. But Murphy's Law was mucking things up.
Captain Valiant listened to her report and agreed to the mission; as usual she would lead it, but a few members of the GSD and a technician would tag along. GSD had specialized equipment to detect stealth items and the technician would identify the spot of the power loss, even if it was a microscopic tear in the covering. He wanted the group to return at the first sign of trouble... and Hilda wanted Clare and Paulina to go along just in case the power loss was due to dark priests; now that they were aware these were here it would be much easier knowing the signs of their presence. Good mammals were lost on their watch... and these had a score to settle.
The mission went well... until they discovered the power leak. Indeed it was because of the dark priests; this time the battle was clearly one-sided. Bullets quickly incapacitated the priests just long enough for the two priestesses to kill them. Afterwards the oracles ruthlessly removing their heads thus permanently ended their reign on this mortal plane. As they moved through the tunnel every dark priest they encountered received the same treatment; incapacitated with bullets and their heads physically removed. When they reached the end of the tunnel they faced off with High Priestess Ganieda herself. Unfortunately the old crone proved difficult to kill but certainly neither did she kill any of them. The smoldering of her body showed where bullets grazed her as the near misses encouraged the monster to keep moving.
Staff Sergeant Stoutpaw and the two oracle priestesses watched the old crone jump off the side of the mountain and fall towards the valley clearly thousands of feet below them. They were stunned as she displayed clarity of mind to grasp the legs of an impossibly large bird and sailed away until out of sight. Obviously the old crone intended to deny them her head as trophy, but apparently had the mental ability to beckon the nearby bird to do her bidding; her outstretched arm towards it was proof of this. If anyone doubted the Dark Priesthood had this ability, now there were witnesses to verify it.
The report they gave sent grave news back to Zootopia... and to the remainder of their allies. But since the Headmaster's Sanctum was physically located in a territory that was not friendly or at least neutral to the Zootopians... going after High Priestess Ganieda was now a diplomatic nightmare. This was a classic *Damned if you do, damned if you don't* situation. You'd be blamed if attempted to warn of a dangerous mammal... and blamed if you didn't do anything about it. Letting a dark priest feed and gather followers from as many mammals as she wished was something that couldn't be allowed.
Governor Darcy, Baron Rorschach, Mayor Lionheart, Commissioner Ursus, Director Dench, High Priestess Ishanah, High Priest Aaron, Priestess Hilda der Fuchs, Grand Tracker Marquis and Mr. Big... these along with their senior staff were. Tracker Kimberly Canter was here as a guest of the GSD; she suspected her presence was mostly due to closely operating with a few GSD teams these past few months.
The governor rapped his gavel to start the meeting.
"So... this dangerous mammal escaped. Now I'm told it requires action by this government to authorize a mission. Dare I ask to what territory?"
The mouse pressed a button on the Segway. "Pachydermia. Last week we traced the Headmaster's..."
"Who?"
Ishanah spoke up. "The Headmaster once was a mammal that controlled a faction of the priesthood once known as Oracles. His center of operations is high on a mountain in the territory of pachyderms. Eons ago there once was a great war in the priesthood, his center of operation was cut-off from the others and only recently we discovered why. The mammal in question led an attack that decimated him and his followers. With the aid of the pentagon we were able to reclaim his sanctum. Although we eliminated most of its followers, the high priestess escaped."
The elder elk thought for a moment. "So now we're calling this mammal a high priestess."
Aaron waved his paw. "Yes governor, a mammal equal to our rank. It was identified as *female* only due to basic biology. Dark Priests, as her part of the priesthood is known as, their bodies make subtle changes outward but major changes inward. For example... outward their skin turns pale and almost whitish and their fur turns white if not translucent. Inwardly... their bodies' metabolism changes from chemical changing food to energy and into absorbing energy directly from other living things. This caused them to treat other mammals as food, and it is no surprise they viewed others as beneath them."
"Nice condensed history. Now why does this inter-faction squabble need the government's action?"
The baron motioned the others to remain silent. "Governor... the foul priestess is currently allied with those that are attempting to conquer the great city of Zootopia. While she cannot do this alone, she can do so by joining those we already know. This high priestess was isolated up on that mountain until your forces enabled her escape. This is viewed in my country as a problem you are responsible to clean up. I'm certain the Matriarch of Pachydermia will see it same way once she becomes aware of the particulars."
The governor sat in silence for a moment. "I assume someone has a plan? You would not have said this was urgent if one was not already in the works."
Mayor Lionheart grinned. "Yes we do... it requires you to be aware of the plan before it is enacted. After all, I would not want to be blindsided... hence this meeting. GSD and the priest factions have a plan to track, isolate, and kill this high priestess. Unfortunately anything can go wrong... another reason why you need to be aware. We will need diplomatic cover, at least permission to enter this territory to approach the matriarch."
Hilda grinned. "Governor... we propose to send in an emissary first. Someone already known to them who can explain the situation in a manner they will believe. A priestess... one that their matriarch owes a debt of gratitude."
Mr. Big motioned for quiet. "My former associates had one of its members making trouble for the Zootopians within this nation. With the death of Alpha Five, aka: Armand Stout... this effort has stalled. We will attempt to mend fences if only enough to be allowed to accomplish finding this priestess and remove her. I suspect the matriarch will have severe travel restrictions; this can be countered by those who owe me... a favor or two."
The elder stag looked at the arctic shrew with caution. He had heard stories of what this mafia boss could do; he also knew it worked closely with the mayor and the ZPD. Still... he was certain there was a deal worked out behind the scene.
Grand Tracker Marquis stood up. "My friends... ancient records in our archives told of hidden caches of treasure in various places worldwide. While what was inside has been debated since eons gone by, I suspect these once belong to an ancient race long since gone extinct. My chosen profession, trackers, has on occasion gone in search of these. For me it was more of a chance to sharpen my skills; being out in unfamiliar territory where anything can happen really makes one feel alive. One of these hidden caches is thought to be in this land of Pachydermia. It would not surprise me if this cache turns out to be more than ancient relics and jewels. It could be something useful to this priestess."
The elder wolf grinned.
"Some of the technology we... the Dark Council of the Twelve... used was based on that from a civilization far more advanced and itself abandoned to the wilds. How else could our ancestors build a civilization so quickly in such short time frame? We were not the only ones that used such technology... the priesthood were the first. Admittedly they were the ones that in ancient times were the most intelligent. I suppose it was logical to hide this from the average mammal... thankfully after the Great War it hastened the sharing of such with the general populous."
After he sat down he saw from corner of his vision the priests having not-so-subtle anger in their eyes. He didn't care... it needed to be said in his opinion.
Governor Darcy cleared his throat. "I've heard all that's necessary. You'll receive my decision no later than tomorrow morning before noon."
With that he gavel the meeting over and promptly left. Everyone else left in small groups according to how they arrived.
Something about what the elder wolf said troubled Hilda. His claims about the technology the ancient priesthood used possibly came from an earlier civilization was troubling. She would not have entertained this if the technicians from the Oracle Valley didn't confirm the Headmaster's Study was actually an abandoned monastery from an earlier civilization. Could it be the Oracle Council had discovered the technology and converted it for their use? Could they have somehow conquered them and claimed it as plunder? Maybe the ancient civilization simply shared it and for some unknown reason left and never to be heard from again.
Hilda knew stories about the ZPD officers Judy Hopps and Nickolas Wilde; how their relationship lead them to be proclaimed as prophecy fulfillers and how a strange ancient pair of rabbits lived in an advance burrow worked on their behalf. There also was another prophesy saying this duo would free the Cavern Dwellers.
The elder vixen shook her head. This was something best dwelt on at a later date... when they found and eliminated the dark priestess.
Stories of strange things were going around in the jungle. An old crone was dropped by a large bird, a condor, and she killed by simply pointing her finger towards any mammal. Villagers told stories as the strongest mammals were brought down as if an unseen paw struck them down.
The Matriarch of Pachydermia sat among her advisors, listening as they tried to decide what action was best to take. As one was presented it would be riddled with plot holes and thus it seemed there would be no suitable strategy. She had them leave her while she meditated, being in a calm and tranquil room helped her mind search her vast memory for something... anything that would help. There were many stories, some dating back to the beginning of sentience.
"Your excellency... a moment of your time."
The voice had to speak a few more times, each louder until the elephant cow could not deny it wasn't a figment of her imagination. She opened her eyes and looked around the room; looking into the crevices and shadows carefully until it seemed nothing was there that could harm her.
"Your excellency... a moment of your time" the voice repeated, enunciate each word carefully.
"Since I can clearly hear you but cannot see you, show yourself... before I order you hunted down."
"Your excellency... I am here to solve your problem. One that affects us more than you know."
"Show yourself... first."
"You do not have formal relations with my pack. What is there to keep you from simply throwing me into the gator pit?"
"So you know our ways. Surely you must know we don't do such things without cause?"
"You do so to those whom you see as lesser than yourselves. I seek nothing more than to remove the old crone. The one terrorizing your citizens."
"Show yourself now or else I end this conversation. Do so and you have a truce of convenience. This is all I allow until your claim is verified."
Before her eyes in the far end of the room next to a window appeared a hare; one that instantly was recognized by the old cow.
"Agent Jack Savage of the GSD. Why are you here in my empire? Choose your words carefully."
The hare moved slowly towards the empress until he stood at the appropriate distance, making the proper bowing motions and paw gestures.
"Empress... I would not be in your empire if the one I once chased did not herself enter in an attempt to escape my paw. But there is one who can tell the story better than I. Do you give her permission to show herself? I promise she is known as neutral to you."
The elephant nodded in the affirmative; moments later a shimmering revealed a lioness. The matriarch's eyes widen as it was obvious she did indeed recognized the priestess. Her trunk beckoned the female towards her and once the priestess was within paws reach the old cow motioned her to stop. Her trunk gently touched the tiara then the necklace and then slowly moved over the robes. When the cow was satisfied this mammal smelled exactly as she remembered she motioned the priestess to stand next to the hare.
"Priestess Paulina Lionheart... you are known to me and my kingdom as one that genuinely seeks peace. Why are you with this hare? More importantly... why are you in new robes and jewels?"
"Empress... I am no longer a Priestess of the Moon. I am now a member of an ancient order of priests, one sworn to end another order that seeks to enslave all mammalkind under its terrible paws. I seek with the GSD's assistance... the one that has entered your empire and now attempts to establish her new foothold. Her name... is High Priestess Ganieda of the Dark Priesthood."
The matriarch held up her trunk. "Pause your story for now, priestess. I must consult with my council; if your information is true I will allow a limited number of your group in my empire. But I want to know how you intend to remove this enemy. Wait here."
She pulled a thick cord with her trunk, a large bell rung somewhere high overhead. Several mammals entered the room and became aware of the unexpected guests; especially those they were supposedly in conflict with. Before they could object, the matriarch directed them to bring the Head Librarian to her throne room. He was to bring with him anything he could find about ancient times with an ancient war in the priesthood. Specifically anything about a dark priesthood.
While they waited for the librarian to gather the requested information, the matriarch was given a short history of the conflict that happened on the mountain located in her empire, both recently and in ancient times. The matriarch listened intently as it was a known pachyderm trait displayed when committing something to memory. She asked questions and requested certain things to be repeated. By the time the Head Librarian arrived she was certain she had enough to determine if what was said would be confirmed by whatever the librarian had to present.
"Your Excellency... there has indeed been records of the priesthood faction you requested. The records are quite ancient but unfortunately not much throughout the years since. Overall... what has been recorded does not paint them in favorable light."
"Head Librarian, tell me in your own words what is written. I'll allow you to talk at your leisure."
He bowed and his staff moved an aged book upon an easel so the Matriarch could see the pages, turning them as the Head Librarian indicated.
"This book tells the ancient history of the priesthood as a whole. Some were gifted with the healing arts, others with command over plants. Over time these grew in their abilities; the healers with ability to raise the dead and mend wounds and bones, and the nature priests in ability of having plants fight for them as well as mend plants. Somewhere in time a few priests developed the ability to weld energy in many forms, in this they became protectors of the hunting parties and those working the fields. This allowed warriors to concentrate on protecting the village from other tribes."
"It is not known when those known as dark priests first adopted the moniker, but it is known why. Dark priests were originally members of the other factions. These felt mammalkind needed a firm paw to force them to behave properly towards each other, and they felt the other factions were too lenient. They were dealt harshly when they mistreated the villagers which they protested. This resulted in a cycle of increasing mistrust and soon they felt like the black sheep of the priesthood... unwanted and unappreciated."
A different aged book replaced it and opened to page marked with red velvet ribbon.
"When their physical appearance changed and their... feeding habits changed... is up to speculation. Our books only tell second-paw stories from various lands. What can be speculated is it happened shortly after they secluded themselves from the others. If our books are correct, this happened not too many years before the Great War."
The book was closed and the Head Librarian stood alone before the matriarch.
"We don't have any recordings what became of the Oracle Priesthood. Since the ending of the Great War we only heard second-paw stories about them being decimated. In the centuries since then we have noted few priests being able to perform great feats beyond their normal training. Since then we have had decent relations with the Priests of the Moon and the Priests of Mother Nature. If the Dark Priesthood has gained new numbers it is something we should take action against."
He looked at Paulina and nodded his head.
"Priestess... if what you say is true, reforming the Oracle Council is something that is sorely needed. What supernatural power has caused this couldn't have occurred at a better time. But I suspect your numbers are not enough; surely you will need allies. In this land you need us."
The matriarch trumpeted her trunk. Everyone became quiet and looked towards her.
"Thank you Head Librarian. What has been said within these walls explains the foul deeds done. Priestess Lionheart, our records confirms your story; therefore I am moved to grant you and your companion authority to travel throughout my lands. But this will only be done with selected mammals as escort. After all, we were convinced by the Dark Council member Armand Stout that the Zootopians were working against us. Now that proof is before my eyes that this is not so, I must ensure your safety. I must also ensure you go only where this foul one resides, and assist you in eliminating her. Now... I give you five days to return here in my presence with your team."
Agent Savage and Paulina bowed and the matriarch waved good bye with a flourish of her trunk. Before reaching the door they heard a voice.
"Paulina, please give Ishanah and Aaron my regards. I look forward to their visit soon, as I am aware they often travel together."
The lioness turned around and motioned she understood, and then turned back and with the hare exited the building. They engaged their stealth units and quickly made their way to the hidden helicopter. The movie hero Agent 007 would have been proud; this had sound dampening unit as well as stealth. Once inside the agent turned it on and flew it under stealth towards the Headmaster's Sanctum. The new transporter should be operational by the time they arrived, at the minimum the military outpost would have communications they could use to talk with their superiors. Time was of the essence and the ancient crone was busy terrorizing the natives.
The three oracle priestesses were standing in the Headmaster's private quarters. It was not what everyone wanted to find how the elder oracle's fate was determined. When they followed Agent Minksin through the ancient monetary it was Staff Sergeant Stoutpaw that met them and told them their search was in vain. Only when the panther was convinced the priestesses were ready to view the corps did she allow them into the room. The skeleton was still sitting on a richly decorated chair and wrapped in his robes was clear as anything what had happened.
"So... the Matriarch was receptive to our proposal?"
Paulina smiled at Hilda.
"Quite. Their archive was limited but impressive; the history of the priesthood they had detailed more than I expected. It is the different viewpoint why the dark priesthood separated that concerns me. From their viewpoint it seems the dark priests separated because they were abused, not because they were abusing the citizenry."
"Elephant trait... their love of details is not as well-known as their long memories. Mammals mistakenly think their memory is due to their brainpower, although this is true to an extent it is attributed to their refreshing by reviewing history. Pachyderms keep certain information in readily accessible forms they discretely review at will with no one the wiser."
Clare gently moved her paw over the ancient dead fur on the skeleton's scalp.
"Was this the condition he was found? Where are his necklace... and his tiara?"
The other oracles looked at the corps and rubbed their chins. Before they could answer Technician Minkowski and Agent Ricardo entered the room. They obviously overheard the question and the technician sat down at the table and typed a command on his laptop. Moment later he spun the screen so everyone could see. A series of short videos were of every encounter they had of High Priestess Ganieda; he stopped every spot where her forehead and front of her throat could clearly be seen. These were magnified so whatever was on these could clearly be seen.
"I took the liberty of pulling up archival footage of what the Headmaster's tiara and necklace looks liked. It seems Ganieda is wearing his necklace... possibly as a trophy unless she understands how to use it. Alone it makes here quite powerful; but combined with the tiara she would be absolute master of all things arcane. Perhaps you should search for the tiara."
The three oracles looked at the screen. Displayed was the tiara; it didn't look any different from those they wore, except this had a large gemstone centered above the forehead. Hilda asked for any pictures of it on previous Headmasters; her suspicion was confirmed when everyone saw the gemstone glowing as it rested on each mammal that held the position for at least several centuries. Hilda had to stop the slideshow because it was clear it would have gone on for many more minutes.
"I will begin the search here; both of you will go hunt down this crone. Colonel Kohle has given us two teams for security and you'll have a technician going along. This doesn't include what the Matriarch will send along."
The pika looked at the mink.
"I'll go with the priestesses since the colonel has assigned my team to go along. I'll contact you if I find anything interesting. Think you can handle the final troubleshooting of the tower?"
He grinned as he dodged the mink's paw.
"I'll be more useful here helping to search for the missing tiara than you may be. Take care of yourself and don't get your soul sucked by some priestess."
The pika patted his bandolier. It held numerous small daggers made from an unknown alloy that Senior Technician Pangolin made for him. How the computer system in the bunker identified and was able to make it in exactly a throwing style he wondered but did not lose sleep over. It also made bullets and flechettes which would come in handy in the upcoming search.
"I might be overconfident, but I think this little trip will be a one-sided affair. Unless we come across that group of priests that eluded us back in the other tower."
Paulina and Clare hugged Hilda and ushered the pika out the door before them. Hilda sat beside the mink and they started going through the recordings of the ancient security system. She wanted to see what actions the Headmaster might have done; this might give them clues where the mammal may have hidden the tiara. Unfortunately most of the ancient recordings were hard to tell what was happening. The mink made a copy onto his laptop and needed to return to his workshop back in the Valley of the Oracles. Hilda summoned another technician and had him help her walk through the ancient buildings; as he scanned she used her oracle abilities to sense if it were nearby. She hated to admit... this might take awhile.
The white mouse moved her Segway slightly further way from the roaring fire. Being at the Rorschach estate was always a nice excuse to get away from the office. The old fireplace and hearth was something she admitted to herself was something she enjoyed; having someone else tend to it was even better. She pressed a button and the mechanical arm returned and held a toasty marshmallow above a plate. It was a favorite from her kithood and tasted just as good today.
"OK... is there some way we can even the odds for our priestesses? We still have no idea where that group of dark priests transported to."
Director Dench sighed. The colonel was correct; she suspected he already had a plan and was saying this to give someone else in the room a chance to voice theirs.
Clifford and Margret rubbed their chins.
"Senior Technician Pangolin told us she was working on some new metal alloy. Said something about it reacting violently with these... priest things."
Colonel Kohle grinned. "Yes. Two teams that will be going along are being equipped with daggers made from it. Agent Ricardo and Agent Rogers will be our technical experts, although the pika has more paws-on experience with this ancient technology and has been working quite well with one of the oracle technicians. These teams are being supplemented with extra members; this should give the priestesses more security if not a bodyguard for each."
Clifford raised an eyebrow. "Aren't these oracles? Otherwise known as battle priests?"
"Barron," the mouse squeaked, "the first encounter they had with a dark priest nearly resulted in one of them becoming a burnt hot dog. Like it or not they are getting a personal protector. I will not be the one with it written about having an oracle die on my watch. We just had that faction reestablished; it would be a shame if it collapsed just as quickly. I'm not certain even if we eliminated every dark priest it would be worth it. Besides, I happen to like them."
Colonel Kohle held up a page of paper. "We've received something else that should increase our priestesses' chances for success. Agent Savage reported not too long ago after arriving back with Oracle Lionheart that the Empress of Pachydermia wanted a meeting with the current priest factions. Apparently the Pachyderms have been keeping track of these factions and have a favorable opinion of them. How they could have been convinced Zootopians harbored ill will towards her empire must have taken some time and a silvery tongue."
"Well... let's not jinx our good fortune. I'll have them escorted same time our teams leave to begin the hunt for the crone. Colonel... have our surveillance procedures in place. I want both groups under our keen eyes; we need to react quickly should something unforeseen occur. While I don't doubt the empress genuine intentions, it nevertheless behooves us to be prepared. Besides... it's the priestess group I'm more concerned about. That group of escaped dark priests could be anywhere."
Margret tapped a small bell.
"Let's put work aside and enjoy the fire. Our Wilde-Hopps family is scheduled to visit this upcoming weekend and I'm looking forward to what the young vixens have been learning. Audrey says they have discovered a detective story series, I hope it is the ones I grew up reading over many times."
Her husband looked over to her. "Nancy Shrew and the Hardy Boars? Those are a favorite nearly every den in Vulpinstan."
She nodded in the affirmative and soon everyone took turns tell their favorite story from the series.