Seraphim

by Salacar

Chapter 12

More than anything I learned that Equestria was a land of magic, its native inhabitants so permeated in its essence that they were practically part of the world themselves. I discovered this dual nature of pony souls early in my travels, and while it was yet another concept alien to me, I couldn’t help but feel strangely comforted by the idea.
 
Equestria was indeed a place of ancient magic and great secrets; and I’d learn that truth soon enough.
 
-         Lysander, 3 B.NMM.
 

 
 
Being knocked unconscious was starting to become a bad habit for me; it was just another annoying human weakness I’d have to get used to. Regardless, I wasn’t entirely sure how long I was out after the battle, I briefly remembered being dragged along by a group of kobolds, shifting in and out of awareness every now and then, the green crystal glow and the sound of claws against earth my only company in that world between consciousness and sleep. I could still hear Crystal Heart somewhere in the back of my mind, crying for help in fear and desperation. Despite how strongly I wanted to aid her, to free her from those reptilian monsters, there was no way for me to fight myself out of the darkness.
 
It was maddening to say the least, I felt weak and powerless, even the pony souls inside me were in an uproar, but if that had anything to do with Crystal’s situation, or my own for that matter, I had no way of knowing. Could be that they were just reacting to something we were approaching, perhaps the reason they had been so eager to come here in the first place.
 
The idea of souls being able to react to anything was still odd to me, once they had been purified they shouldn’t have had any connections to the physical realm left at all, content to simply wait around until their eventual rebirth. I had always been told that souls were purposeless by themselves, that they could develop and ‘feel’ only when they had a living mind and body connected to them, and despite how close an attachment they had to me, they still weren’t my own.
 
In those moments of unconsciousness I thought back to a time before, many centuries earlier when my own mentor had spoken to me on that very subject.
 
 

 
 
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Elysium - The White City
357 years in the past
-------------------------------
 
 
“Lysander? Are you listening to me, lad?”
 
The sound of my mentor’s gruff wizened voice brought me out of my contemplations, quickly glancing around until I finally remembered where I was. It was a beautiful day in Elysium, the sky a clear blue, the sun warmly shining down while a cool breeze brought with it the intermingled aroma of the multitude of flowers blooming in the Gardens of Tranquil. I came to a stop on the white marble path we had been walking, my gaze wandering across the gardens around me, trees and various plants in full bloom, before taking a moment to look at the man next to me.
 
I didn’t know exactly what species he had originated from; at first glance he might have been mistaken for a human, or even one of fey birth. He was big, standing at least seven feet tall and with a powerful build, bulging muscles visible even through the layers of the blue robes he wore. His head was bald, and so was the rest of his body that I was aware of, brilliant emerald tattoos adorning his skin instead, a faint light running through them every so often, and pointy ears on the side of his head. Despite his intimidating size, the two pairs of white wings on his back only making him even more imposing, he had gentle eyes, never before had I seen anything in those green orbs but kindness, a deep compassion for all living beings, and a hunger for scholarly knowledge to boot.
 
Yet at that moment he looked more annoyed than anything else, and I couldn’t help but give him a sheepish smile that I had been caught daydreaming during our conversation.
 
“I’m terribly sorry, my mind must have wandered elsewhere on its own, it won’t have happen again, Seraph Asteraoth.”
 
The giant of a man next to me merely sighed, bringing one of his large hands on top of my head, almost enveloping it with the sheer size of the limb.
 
“I’ve been teaching you for the better part of a decade, lad. Do I have to keep telling you to call me Aster, or at the very least Teacher? Or would you rather that I brought you back to the Scholars, so that they may teach you everything about cataloging the library all over again?”
 
I gave an involuntary shiver at this, the time I had spent studying with the Scholars had been interesting enough, but when it came to keeping records and making sure every tome was in the right place, they could become quite… spirited, if not compulsively obsessed.
 
“Sorry Ser-… I mean Teacher. It just seems so… informal to me, I suppose old habits die hard.”
 
The new life of an Ascended always started the same way; first they needed to go through basic education within all the different groups of the Order: the Caretakers, Pathfinders, Scholars and the Legion, the last of which was the longest by far, with at the least half a century worth of service and combat training. Then, after having been through all of them; an Ascended was given a test to determine which group they belonged in, and no matter which group you were assigned, you were always given a mentor to teach you and get you settled into the new role. Most of the time this mentor was just a higher ranking Ascended, but within the smaller ranks of the Caretakers or the Pathfinders it was very possible to have the Seraph in charge of the respective group take newcomers under their proverbial wing.
 
And that’s how I ended up with Seraph Asteraoth as my mentor, and after having spent more than a hundred years in the Legion, always acting with deep reverence towards Seraph Naya’il of the Guardians and Seraph Raziel of the Solars, well, let’s just say that Asteraoth’s informal and relaxed attitude was very difficult getting used to.
 
“That’s quite alright, lad. It’s in our nature to be slow in changing our minds and ways, comes from being so long-lived.” He gave me a low chuckle before motioning with his hand, prompting us to start walking again. “It is in fact something determined by our souls. Ours are much different from those of other shorter-lived species, for their souls aren’t nearly as strong as our own. Yet it is important to remember that this does not make them lesser beings, in fact, while our own souls are powerful they are also quite rigid, the amount of effort needed to alter and develop them being much greater than that of other creatures, whose smaller souls are much more flexible and adaptable.”
 
I eagerly absorbed the knowledge granted to me, if there was one thing I was truly thankful for, then it was the fact that I had been lucky enough to have Asteraoth as my mentor, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that I idolized him somewhat.
 
“This truth is in fact both a blessing and a curse, for while our souls grant us great power and potential, they are also much harder to truly impress ourselves upon.”
 
Without breaking the stride I looked to my mentor curiously. “Impress ourselves upon? What do you mean by that? I know that souls are like a basis for life, constantly altered and developed by our actions and experiences, but-…”
 
The large Seraph silenced me with a gesture before turning to me with a smile. “You aren’t wrong my young friend, but a soul is more than a simple basis. A soul is a living thing itself, and while it does give a creature life and potential, that creature also grants the soul something in turn, something that persists even through purification before rebirth, do you know what that is, lad?”
 
At this I stopped once more, my mentor coming to a halt in front of me, looking at me with patient expectance, obviously wanting to give me time to think the question over.
 
I couldn’t be certain of what Asteraoth meant; it was entirely true that a soul gave life to all living things, as well as the potential for growth and evolution. That was one of the first things any Ascended was ever taught, but I had never considered if the souls themselves got anything back in return, as far as I knew they were wiped almost entirely clean during purification, a necessary step for their rebirth. Pondering the question for several minutes I finally gave a sigh in resignation, looking to my mentor with an apologetic smile.
 
He for one simply laughed. “It’s not something easily answered, only few Ascended ever give much thought about it, after all, souls are just impressionable life-batteries, right?” The chuckle he gave me after that was a bit darker, almost bitter. “It’s a shame really, we’ve existed since the beginning of life itself, yet in all that time we have never stopped and asked ourselves: ‘why’? Why do souls take part in this never-ending cycle of life and death? What do they get out of it? Well, the answer is actually quite simple, yet it is not one you can find without first looking at souls like living beings themselves. For there is one thing they get out of it, something all living things have. And that’s purpose, lad.” At this he turned towards me, pinning me with gravely eyes which spoke of his millennia of existence, wisdom and strength beyond comprehension. “They grant us life, and in return we give them purpose, we give them an existence. All things are like this, lad. Always remember.
 
Purpose and existence, in all things.”
 
 
 
 

 
 
 
I was brought out of my reminiscence by familiar pain, my body deposited roughly on rocky ground, jolts of agony leaping through my form from the two stab wounds I had sustained earlier. The world was blurry and my senses dull, despite my best efforts I wasn’t even able to get back on my feet, forced to brace myself on my arms in order to stay above the ground and avoiding getting dirt in my wounds. Another moment later I felt something sharp poke me in the back, causing me to let out an involuntary yelp, and prompting a collection of sadistic chuckles from the creatures around me.
 
With great effort I managed to get on my knees, gazing lamely around the cavernous room I was in while taking heavy gasps of air. The place was lighted with numerous green crystals, and all around me were piles of gems and various crystals of different colors, in the same room were at least a dozen kobolds, including the four leather armor-wearing kobolds from before. They were all giving me evil glares, sneering and obviously enjoying seeing me in pain. Giving them my best death glare in return, I managed to gaze around the space. That’s when I saw it.
 
It was without a doubt the dragon. Great body of blue scales, large leathery wings, claws each the size of one of my kobold escorts, a maw of sharp teeth, and yellow cat-like eyes, which were staring down at me with both menace and amusement, as well as quite a bit of curiosity. It looked like a predator observing a strange prey more than anything else, and I was quite incapable of hiding my fear at the prospect.
 
“Greetings strange creature, what unlucky fate has brought you to my lair on this day?” It spoke in a deep, gravely tone, each word carrying great strength and causing me another fit of pain.
 
It obviously didn’t notice, if it cared at all, simply staying back in its prone almost cat-like position, gazing at me curiously with those slitted eyes. Despite my best efforts at answering him, the only sounds I managed to get from my mouth were throaty painful coughs, causing me to spit up quite a bit of blood. Internal organs weren’t meant to be stabbed, fancy that.
 
Eventually the dragon grew tired of my constant coughing and groaning, emitting an annoyed moan which caused the cave to rumble ever so slightly. It then spoke something in a language I was unfamiliar with, pointing at one of its servants, who then left shortly after.
 
“My minions told me you were capable of speech, so I’m guessing you’ve sustained some damage during your fight with my elite. It’s really such a shame how fragile you non-draconic creatures are.”
 
The best I could do in response was sending it another glare, which only caused it to chuckle humourlessly. Another few moments passed while we waited, the dragon growing increasingly impatient if the tapping of its claw on the ground was any indication. At some point it even grabbed a handful of gems from a nearby pile, nonchalantly tossing them all into its great mouth, chewing contently with a noise which sounded more like as if he was chewing gravel.
 
Another minute passed with even more painful coughing, until eventually the kobold from earlier returned, carrying with it a cup made of blue crystal, in which was a clear liquid, possibly water. The dragon stopped its snacking as it looked down at the servant at me side, gesturing with a claw to hand me the cup.
 
“Drink up, I’m eager to get started on our little conversation, can’t decide what to do with you until then.”
 
He said the last part with an evil smile, and for my own part I simply looked to the crystal vessel offered to me. The liquid seemed harmless enough, and if the dragon had planned to kill me I very much doubted it would resort to poison, considering that I was pretty much at its mercy already. So with another glare I accepted the cup, taking a short sip of the drink, which turned out to be a very sweet spring water of some sort, before downing the entire thing in one go, feeling the cool water soothe the burning pain of my body. When I finally lowered the cup, giving another cough in the process, I felt much rejuvenated, guessing that the drink had carried some sort of healing quality.
 
“Excellent, do you feel like talking now? I’m not one for wasting my time.”
 
I gave the great beast my best glare, attempting to stand on my feet before promptly being prodded back down with the tips of multiple spears.
 
“What do you want beast? Considering you haven’t outright killed me yet, I figure there’s something you wish from me.”
 
“Quite right my little friend, you have invaded my territory, killed my servants and attempted to take that which belongs to me, why?”
 
Another attempt at standing up was foiled by the kobold guards, and I clenched my hands into fists, searching through my essence for some measure of power. No such luck, I was almost entirely drained, the pony souls being the only active power inside me. They were urging me to go down now for some reason.
 
“Those ponies aren’t your possessions! You have unjustly taken them and forced them into slavery, I only attempted to free them because that was the right thing to do.”
 
The great reptile looked at me for the longest time, until finally it broke down into peals of laughter, reverberating clearly throughout the cave and causing rocks to fall here and there.
 
“So you did all of this, simply because you wanted to free those pathetic creatures? You would go against a superior foe, enter into a battle you have no chance of winning, just because you couldn’t stand to see those ponies in chains?” It wiped a tear from its eye with a claw before turning its attention back to me, bending down to look me into the eyes. “You’re an absolute fool, I had hoped that such an exotic creature like yourself could have served me in some way, but I wouldn’t be able to stand being around such stupidity.”
 
I felt my blood start to boil, it’s not that I cared in the slightest what he thought about me personally, but I wouldn’t stand for hearing him spouting nonsense about rescuing those ponies being foolish. This monster was no better than its servants, it was just another creature which shouldn’t be present in the same world as Crystal, or any other pony for that matter. The souls in my being were in strong agreement, and as their demeanor got more and more agitated, for reasons entirely unknown to me, I started feeling power build within my very core, it was almost as if the pony souls were leaking into my own, charging my essence dangerously fast.
 
The dragon seemed to notice this as well, and just as it directed its guards to kill me I leapt to my feet, roaring in anger and indignation, letting out all of my defiance for the world to hear. I felt a burning sensation spread throughout my body, my skin glowing like a great torch as the light of my empowered soul sought any release into the physical world, any way of channeling the pent up energy without the use of a lantern. Just as the kobolds were about to leap at me, I felt the pressure reach its apex, and with one last great scream I exploded in a surge of light, impossible pain coursing through my body while the light blinded me entirely to my surroundings. The only sounds I heard were the dragon’s yells, the screams of agony coming from the kobolds, and the sound of rock and stone collapsing all around me, and just as the light dimmed I felt myself fall as the floor disappeared under my feet.
 
The dragon roared somewhere to my side, and I could feel it flail its great limbs around in anger, obviously intent on getting at the troublesome creature which had just blown up its lair. I felt grim satisfaction, which quickly drowned as the familiar pain returned to my body, opening my eyes I saw that the skin of my hands had been burned off entirely, red flesh visible underneath, yet surprisingly my clothing seemed mostly unharmed. Off to the side I saw the dragon falling next to me, the great hole we had fallen into much too narrow for it to bring its large wings around to bear, and in that very moment its hate filled eyes locked with my own.
 
It was angry. Very, very angry. Just as I managed to turn around to face downwards, the tunnel opening up only into more darkness as wind rushed past me, I felt the air heat up and glanced over at the dragon, its maw filled to the brink with fire, which shot towards me only moments after. With a scream of pain as the wave of fire barely passed over me I continued my fall, doing my best to right myself in the air. The dragon had other plans however, as no sooner had it released its fire at me before I felt its claws swiping at me, trying to get a hold of me in order to squeeze the life out of the damnable creature.
 
With what little power I had left I managed to stay out of its reach, gathering my arms at my side as I went into a dive towards the dark depth below us, falling past the dragon as I became more aerodynamic, the wind whipping past me as I fell at ever greater speed. Once more I felt the air heat up behind me, a great burst of fire just narrowly missing me as I brought out my wings, using them to swiftly shift to the side, feeling some degree of pleasure in hearing the dragon roar in its frustrated anger. The light produced by the flames illuminated our destination for just a moment, and I could have sworn that I saw a reflective surface of some sort, as well as a lot of very jagged rocks and stalagmites. Glancing behind me I found that the dragon had managed to fold its wings to its sides, facing down at me with murder in its yellow eyes, doing its best to go into an even faster dive after me.
 
With a groan of effort I shifted to the other side, making sure that the dragon followed my trajectory itself. A desperate plan had started forming in my mind, and even one mistake would spell the end for me, the whole ordeal made even more difficult by rampaging agony and a pounding headache.
 
Suppressing a desire to pass out I went into an even sharper dive, prompting the dragon behind me to pick up the pace and fire another torrent of fire at me, this one had gotten closer, but the opposing wind pressure made it almost impossible for the fire to reach me. Another second passed as I viewed the ground below us in the wake of the flames. I couldn’t help but smile internally. The ground came closer and closer, and with every moment I managed to position myself closer to my desired destination, at the same time I made sure the dragon kept on my tail.
 
Just before the ground below us became visible I whipped around, gathering what little energy I had left to release the seal on my sword as I did so, and as I finished my 180 degree spin I hurled the blade towards my target, the dragon’s linear trajectory making it that much easier for me. Before the dragon could even react to what was happening, the silvery blade of my sword impaled itself through its eye, going all the way to the hilt as the dragon roared in pain, thrashing in the air as blood poured from the painful blinding wound.
 
Gritting my teeth for what I was about to do, I quickly flapped and locked my left wing, the sudden pressure sending me into a wild spin as I felt the bone of my feathered appendage break, roaring in pain even as I felt satisfied that my plan had worked. By sacrificing my wing I had managed to change my trajectory, going into a dive towards the reflect surface of the great underground river beneath me, bracing my wings the best I could manage to take some speed off of my dive.
 
The dragon on the other hand, had followed me beautifully into a path leading directly towards the very deadly stalagmites.
 
The last thing I heard as I hit the water’s surface with a great splash and the sensation of all air escaping my lungs; was the satisfying sound of several thousand pounds of dragon being utterly crushed by a combination of gravity and very pointy rocks.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Despite my victory I couldn’t help but feel a shrivel of despair as I was embraced by the watery depths, having no chance to actually catch my breath first meant that I could already feel the water entering my lungs, choking me and promising me a dark grave at the bottom of a mountain.
 
Darkness was all around me, no light to show me the place of my death, and just as I had come to terms with my end, my last thoughts wandering to Crystal; who I dearly hoped would be okay, I felt something within me stir. A surge of spiritual activity caused a ghostly light to shine from my abdomen, illuminating my surroundings as the pony souls started fighting to escape, silent screams escaping me as the more than a dozen earth pony spirits escaped my form in a long stream. As they did so I noticed a great light shine from below me, and as I shifted my gaze towards it I saw a long line of bright blue energy running the length of the river’s bottom. The escaped souls were heading towards it at an almost frantic pace, as moths drawn to a flame. But the Flame of Life was gone, where could they be-… Realisation hit me.
 
 
‘Is that… a leyline?’
 
 
I would have laughed if I still had air in my lungs, looks like I had managed to at least let the souls return to Equestria with my death. It was fitting really, that at the end I would discover a way for Equestrian souls to be reborn without the use of the Flame. The unique magical connection I had found in all pony souls; looked like it could serve an alternate purpose.
 
It was odd though, despite the fact that I had just lost a large amount of spiritual presence, it still felt like they were there, or perhaps something else entirely. At the very least I felt at peace, and I closed my eyes to embrace my death.
 
 
 
 
 
‘What do you think you’re doing?’
 
 
 
The voice rang through my head, it sounded familiar, eerily so, yet I couldn’t quite pin it to anyone specific. Just as I had dismissed the voice as a product of my oxygen starved brain, I felt myself being pulled upwards by someone, strong limbs embracing me, my numb senses incapable of feeling much else. There was no way anyone could have found me after all; anyone else who had fallen from that height would have died.
 
Just as the impossibility of the situation hit me I felt myself breach the water, then deposited roughly on the bank of the lake, a spout of water escaping my lungs as something hard hit me in the stomach. The pain was tremendous, but I actually felt like I might survive the entire ordeal. Then, an all too familiar voice spoke to me nearby.
 
 
“Getting yourself into a situation like that, almost drowning too.
 
 
Don’t you give me any more trouble than necessary, lad.”