A malevolent cloud of shadow listened and observed the two colts though his crystal ball and wondered just how fortunate he was to stumble upon the two of them. By all rights if he were able to develop them in the arts of killing, no one, not even the famed sisters of Equestria would be able to stand against him.
In addition to the two foals, He had also found the remnants of the crystal rebellion and sent out ten times more than needed to subdue them, so that they would succumb to fear and surrender. In turn acquiring more slaves as well as the fortress they resided in.
Everything was going his way today, and it seems that it would stay that way for a very long while.
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As Draco pulled the silkily red sheets off of him and looked around the room to check the surroundings again. His eyes scanned the room until his eyes reached the bone white coated pony and remembered the story he told the night before. He got up and walked to the fire and noticed that it died a little while ago, seeing that there were a few embers left in the fire place. “Where is the fire wood?” sighed Draco. He kept walking around the room to looking for the fire wood until he heard a quiet voice call out. “Morning… Draco. Do you know when we get breakfast?”
“I don’t know but do you know where the fire wood is I need to start the fire again.” Draco said in a slightly stressed tone.
“Um no I’m sorry Draco.” Phantom apologized as he got out of his bed. “So Draco what do you do think they will do use now?!” he asked
“I wish I knew my friend.” Draco said as he started to walk to the door but as he was about to open it as it busted opened and a tall muscular onyx colored pony came through with a stern face and started to talk to use.
“Draco Rydou and Phantom Reaper please follow me!” shouted the pony –most likely talking in the royal voice-
“Hey mister mind if you introduce yourself before I do what you want me to do and second I think that you should tell us more about what is going on!… also do you know where the fire wood is?” asked Draco
The onyx colored unicorn stared at the scaly dragon pony for a moment before allowing a response. “Well, I do owe you at least an introduction. My name is Comet Blast and I’m in charge of T.G.P.O. but you will be calling me by the title of Sir Blast because I’m your teacher to improve your talents. Also I’m taking you to the mess hall.” soon after mess hall was uttered the sickly Pegasus ran over to the older unicorn in rapt attention.
“So when are we going?” asked Phantom eagerly awaiting some sort of food that he had been deprived of for so long.
“Now!” Sir Blast said as he turned and started to walk away. As the three equines traversed the large stone halls they passed many closed wooden doors alike there own before making a sharp turn into a grand hallway that truly was grand. Giant stone archways a hundred meters high mounted with massive crystal chandeliers lit with a fiery yellow light, to the left the hallway went on for what looked like a hundred meters before being met by a door of magnificent size, going from the floor to the bottom of the grand stone arch. It was made of massive planks of enchanted dark wood with giant iron supports and encrested with a large red and black crystal in the middle of the door that pulsated with a light respectful to its origin color. All along that hall was many gateways leading away from the main hall to other sections of the structure. to their right was another door of lesser size and ornament than the other, but still a grand thirty feet tall and lay open to reveal large columns of granite and rows of wooden tables lined with many shapes of beings to far away to recognize. The two colts had a look of awe plastered on there face, especially for the sickly foal who could have never even imagined such things could be of such a size! as they looked around they saw that they where not on the only level of this room, there where rows and rows of balcony's showing some of each floor before it was hidden from view
.Once Sir Blast thought he had given the two a long enough time for the two to gawk he bumped the two and inclined his head towards the smaller door to the right and started to walk. Draco tugged on the slightly taller yet younger colts tail to get his attention, something at which their supposed teacher failed at. "Come on Phantom, we've got plenty of time later to explore this place if you want, but for now lets get some food." Draco said in a quiet voice. Phantom looked at him for a moment before he nodded ferociously at the promise of food and happily followed as Draco sighed and ran to catch up and followed them to the mess hall and was seated at an empty part of a table.
Now that they were closer the figures that were two far way to recognize where now clearly visible, many of them where earth ponies with the occasional pegasus, or sometimes an even rarer unicorn. they all had the same armor as the soldiers back in the town with their seemingly traditional halberd leaning next to the on the table. on closer inspection the armor of the earth ponies was fairly basic and very thick, and the helmets had no plum on them. except for a select few who had a metal fin pointed forwards as a sign of superiority, as well as the bronze trim on their armor.
The pegasi however had a far more thin variant of their earth pony counterparts, it seemed to be more sleek and aerodynamic with their metal fins atop the helms arching backwards opposed to the earth pony officers. It seemed to a darker shade of gray than the rest of the others armor, adorned with bladed plates and wickedly clawed horseshoes. Some of the older looking pegasi had red wavy trim to their armor and the metal fins were replaced by a long red plum that was sleeked back so it wouldn't fray during flight.
The few unicorns that were present were a sight to behold among the rest of the soldiers present, their armor was not as thick as the earth pony soldiers and not as thin as the pegasi troops, it was ornate with runes bound into the armor to aid in magics, and encrested with many stones to store or an outlet to magical essence. the armor itself was much more darker than the armor of the pegasi and shone with gleam of malice. built into the armor were purple robes and hoods trimmed with golden silk in the shape of magical runes. their armor seemed to have channels of what seemed to be their magic nature, some had red and orange rivers of fire, some had blue for water, some had a gray and silver for wind, some had a brown for earth, so on and so forth, and unlike the earth ponies, they wielded staffs attuned to their field of magic. and only one unicorn was present in the mess hall that seemed to be above all others. He had the same armor as all the other unicorns, but he had no helmet under his hood, instead was a ornate crown of dark steel and black crystal. with a red gem encased in a bone crest on the crown. along with that, his robes where not the usual dark purple, but a dark crimson with tainted gold trim. his magical channels where all crimson and black, with the gems seemingly encasing swirling masses of blood. but at the distance that's all that could be revealed.
As Draco finished surveying the room he was served a platter of food. His white companion was served a platter of vegetables and some fruits and he himself was served a platter of rare cooked steak. Which he was glad to see form the hunger of not eating for Luna knows how long! As he happily grabbed it and sat down next to a surprisingly still Phantom eyeing his plate suspiciously. “So Phantom are you liking your meal?”
The somehow taller foal huffed and turned towards his new friend with his front hooves crossed “Well now that you mention it, no I’m not. I would prefer a meal that has meat with it!” Phantom nagged prodding his food experimentally as if he was trying to see if it was alive or not
As Draco chuckled a bit and handed him his meal and took his plate. “I’ll have yours and you’ll have mine eh?” Draco said with a warm smile, but in the back of his mind the dragon hybrid was curious as to why his newly magical companion eat flesh if his species where supposedly herbivorous.
Phantom looked dumbfounded for a moment before shaking his head a bit. “Thanks Draco…” the younger foal said in a upbeat tone. As they ate there swapped meals. Sir Blast, who was sitting across from the two foals, got up from the wooden bench and started to walk towards the massive doors of the mess hall. As he left Draco looked at Phantom for a moment and wondered if he noticed how strange it was on how much that sir Blast knew about them.
“Don’t you think it was weird that he knew our names even though we haven’t even told anyone but each other ?” Draco asked with a skeptical voice not liking the speciousness of it all.
“I guess that it’s a little weird” phantom said in a halfhearted way digging into his newly acquired food as a few watched as a naturally born herbivore pass up his food for cooked meat.
“I’m not liking this at all," Draco whispered to the ravenous pony next to him. "Just go along with a bit so we can get more information about this situation.” Explained Draco wondering what he got himself into as he finished off some broccoli and reached for a peace.
“Okay Draco whatever you say, but I’m a bit lost here though.” Phantom whispered unsure of what he was supposed to do now that he was fully aware of the situation they were in.
“After we finish with our meal well go look around okay?” Draco whispered back. Phantom nodded in agreement liking the idea of not wandering the halls without somepony else with him. After they finished their meals they head back to their room on Draco’s order he need to check on something. When Draco opened the door and walked in he could hear the sound of fire crackling and he sighed in relief to hear the fire was started up again but a quick chill went down his back and ran to the fireplace. “U-um Draco are you alright you seem jittery? Is something wrong with the fireplace?” Phantom asked confused by the behavior of the dragon pony.
When Draco look into the fire place and saw that the eggs were still there. “Nothing’s wrong… just checking on something.” Draco said his eyes lingering on the fireplace before looking back at Phantom.
“Well come over here there are notes on our beds.” Phantom picked up his note and skimmed it. “Most likely they say the same thing so let me tell you what it says.” Phantom paused for a moment and then continued . “Our uniform is in the closet and we have free time at the moment but in about…. 45 minutes it will end and somepony will come and get us.” Phantom explained.
“Well let’s check out those uniforms.” Draco mumbled as he walked to the closet. When he opened it he was greeted by two rich purple cloaks with a red velvet trimming. As Draco look at the broader one that was most likely was his and gave the longer more slender one to Phantom, both were amazed by the beauty of the cloak. After they put on Draco mumbled to himself “I might like this uniform.”
“Hmm Draco?” Phantom asked in a low tone as he was putting on the cloak himself.
“Oh nothing really just saying that I’m going to like this uniform.” Draco replied
“Me to…. I guess I wound have picked better colors though.” Phantom replied in a joking manner but still having a serious tone. “So we still have free time let’s go walk around…?” As Phantom said that he noticed a symbol on both of his and Draco’s cloak it was a golden shield with green writing on it saying T.G.P.O. “ Those letters again what do the mean?” Phantom thought out loud when he asked.
“It really doesn't matter lets go check this place out.” Draco sighed as he was walking out the door.
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Sir Blast walked through the stone doors to the throne room. “My lord your soon to be exalted pupils are getting their uniforms and have started to learn the insides of the castle.”
“Good. That is good Comet. NOW LEAVE ME AND START THEIR TRAINING YOU MISERABLE CUR!!!” boomed a malicious voice clearly annoyed by something. Comet bowed and left in a hurry, but as he was about to close the door he heard “AND YOU BETTER TRAIN THEM RIGHT, I DON'T WANT THEM TO DIE WHEN I START THEIR PERSONAL LESSONS!!!”
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After walking around the enormous keep for about 35 minutes, which they didn't even get to the second floor the headed back to their room were Sir Blast was waiting. “Greetings Sir Blast, are you to be our escort?” Draco asked in a very sarcastic way.
“You will not talk to me in that tone of voice youngling!” Comet replied in a rude and irritated tone. And slightly angry at the uncouthness of the dragon hybrid.
Phantom squirmed under the stare before voicing his question. “U-um a-are you going to take us... to the place said by the note o-or not Sir Blast?”
“Yes now follow me you whelp’s.” Comet snapped at them as he started to walk down the hall, slightly fuming at the fact that he was yelled at by his unholiness not an hour ago.