//------------------------------//
// Chapter 14-Through The Ice Hall 
// Story: The History of the Alicorn Amulet 
// by Old Ben Kenobi 
//------------------------------//

Limlung opened his eyelids, but his vision was obscured by strange white spikes in front of his eyes. He groaned, and using his claw, wiped the icicles away that had formed around his eyelids. For two days now, the company had been trekking through blizzards and snows, with Starswirl striding ahead of them, seemingly the only one with any indication of their destination. Each night, they were forced to sleep inside ice caves which, whilst freezing cold, offered respite from the bitter wind that had plagued them on the surface. Limlung couldn't even light a fire to keep himself warm; Starswirl had reminded them that if he tried creating a jet of fire in an ice cave, the only thing it would be likely to achieve would be to cause the cave itself to melt. As he slowly became awake, Limlung reflected on what a terrible situation he was in. Dragons are creatures of fire, he thought, I have no place in this land of ice. All this for a moment's hunger.He stretched his claw to the sleeping figure of Moonswift to awaken her. She jumped.
"I am sorry to awaken you," growled Limlung "But it is time for us to move on."
They found Starswirl staring at a wall of snow.
"Starswirl," Limlung rumbled "It is time to go. Why are you staring at a wall?"
"Limlung," said Starswirl gruffly, "Can you aim a small jet of fire at this snow?"
"But master..."
"Do it, dragon!" Barked Starswirl.
Limlung stopped for a second, then looked at the snow wall. He concentrated, and a column of smoke rose through his nostrils. Then, a jet of purple fire erupted into the snow, causing it to melt. Behind it, a long blue ice tunnel was revealed. There was a thin layer of water over the ice.
"Let's go," said Starswirl, "Before this water freezes our hooves off, or in your case, Limlung, claws."
The company walked through the ice tunnel into the unknown.
They had been walking for about half an hour in silence, with nothing but the clip clopping of hooves and clicking of claws on ice, when Moonswift broke the silence with a question.
"Starswirl, how did you know this tunnel was here?"
"The dragon must have climbed into the mountain somehow," he said, half to himself.
"Wait, what?" said Moonswift ,"What mountain? What dragon?!"
"Ah, yes," said Starswirl, chuckling "I have not told you the mission, have I? I suppose I could tell you a bit more. There is a single peak in these mountains that rivals all others nearby. The inside is filled with all kinds of natural gems, but nopony has been able to go inside and look. This is because, before ponies had even found these lands, a creature of unmatched power and wickedness settled in the mountain. A great Northen Fire Drake, larger than all others known, heard tales of the mountain, and settled himself inside,   resting on his hoard of gems. He calls himself Orm,after the legendary first dragon, for he believes himself to be the most powerful being in existance. And he has something, something of great value to me. That is why we are travelling to this mountain. That is why we are going on this quest. I will not tell you any more about the quest, most of what you already know is top secret, and there are some things I may not confide in anyone, until the time is right. And keep in mind we are the first ponies to ever come to the mountains this far North:even the Crystal Ponies never made it this far."
"Starswirl," came Limlung's deep voice, "I see some kind of cavern up ahead."
The company cantered forward, and stopped. What they beheld was so shocking, it left even Starswirl in stunned silence.
They had stumbled on some kind of cavern, but it looked much more like a cathedral. The ice floor was perfectly flat and there was some kind of altar at the other end of the room. But the most unnerving things were the statues. They were of what appeared to be ponies, but very strange ones. Their legs and necks were too long, and they had hollow eye sockets. Moonswift felt a strange sensation in her head, as though there was a mosquito buzzing dully in her brain. As Moonswift stared at the altar, she could have sworn she saw something move.
"Starswirl," she whispered, "I thought you said nopony had been here before us..."
"They haven't," Starswirl muttered, his eyes darting back and forth between the statues "There's something not right here..."
Moonswift looked at at the statue, and thought for a wild second its eyes had blinked. Don't be stupid, she thought. They don't have eyes to blink with. But she felt the hairs of her mane stand on end. The buzzing was getting louder.
Starswirl, meanwhile, looked deep in concentration.
"I know I remember these statues from somewhere..." said Starswirl out loud. He was growing more agitated, and the buzzing in Moonswift's skull was increasing. Suddenly, there was a rumbling growl from Limlung.
"You don't know, do you?" he snarled. "The great and mighty Starswirl the Bearded has led his friends into danger and death with his schemes, and now, he doesn't know where we are!"
Starswirl whipped round.
"Friends?" he scoffed "None of you are my friends. You all owe me! Know your place, worm!"
Moonswift felt sick. The buzzing in her head was making her see images; her sisters, torrmenting her and insulting her, flickered through her head. She felt angry, but not as much as she felt scared. She thought, in some far off plane, she heard cackling, in the manner of wind through snowy trees.
Meanwhile, Starswirl and Limlung were getting angrier and angrier.
"Do you not know who I am?" Roared Limlung. "I am a Fire Drake- my very breath could incenerate you where you stand!"
"Try it, lizard!" Snarled Starswirl.
"Stop!" shouted Moonswift. She was lying on the floor, with her hooves over her head. "Both of you. Can't you see? It's this horrible buzzing-you wouldn't be acting like this if it weren't for this sound."
Starswirl and Limlung stopped, and started shaking their heads, as if trying to ward off the noise they had only just noticed. 
"What is this?" Hissed Limlung. He would not have felt this kind of fear had the threat been visible or tangible, but here was a threat that could not be seen or touched. 
Suddenly, Starswirl clapped a hoof to his face.
"I've been such a foal," he muttered.
"What-what is it?" panted Moonswift. She was lying on the floor with her head spinning.
"Windigos," He hissed "This place is a Windigo dwelling."
All three of them looked up and saw a terrifying sight.  A host of white, horse-like spirits were slowly circling each other on the ceiling. They looked like they were in some kind of slow, ethereal dance, their ghostly moans howling like winds.
"Come on," whispered Starswirl "We should start moving, before they notice us,"
The ponies and the dragon crept out of the hall and through the next part of the tunnel. 

As they walked through the ice, Starswirl explained the nature of the spirits they had encountered.
"Windigos are parasites," Starswirl told Limlung and Moonswift "They foster feelings of hate and ill will in the minds of any travellers they encounter, and slowly feed off their emotions.  I had only heard about them from other sources before this, most recently my former student, Clover the Clever. She was there when this same kind of spirit cornered her and her allies from the other tribes in a cave, which led to the formation of Equestria. And remember that noise we heard back there? That was them, whispering into our minds."
Limlung and Moonswift were left walking in silence. The idea of a creature that could invade and feed off their very minds troubled them. Starswirl, however, continued.
"However," he said "What troubles me most is that Windigos are much like the creatures known as Pilot Fish. These fish swim alongside larger fish, such as sharks, and pick up the scraps of food they leave behind. Likewise, these spirits will normally be found near much more powerful spirit beings. I understand that the Windigos encountered by Clover were a starving group who were cut away from any other kind of food supply. But these ones here are different. I have a feeling something is wrong. There is something darker at work than the dragon here."
They continued further and further up the sloping tunnel.  As they did so, the ice got thinner and thinner, and the air started to feel warmer, but also more constricted. Eventually, the ice was all but gone, replaced by dark rock on all sides. As they reached a corner, Starswirl stopped. He turned around to face his companions.
"Well, " he said gruffly, "It has been a long journey, but I think we have finally made it. We have reached the mountain."
Starswirl paused, the gravity of the situation surprising even him. He was finally here; the place he could find the final part to the most ambitious idea that he had ever concieved.
"My allies," he continued. "This is it. We have but to turn this corner, and we shall look upon the end of our quest. Are we ready?"
Limlung and Moonswift nodded simultaneously. Starswirl smiled.
"Then, onwards to victory!"
He charged through the corner, followed by Moonswift and Limlung.