The black dragon Venerax sat on a small island in the middle of a pool of magma, his hide marred by wounds from his escape from the tundra. All around him lay the elders of the dragon race on the rim of a volcanic crater. Five massive dragons, all untold centuries old. They were the reason dragonkind migrated to these craters in the badlands of Equestria. This was their territory, their uncountable hoards fed their entire species when they congregated. The young drake Venerax quaked in fear of these ultimate dragons, the undisputed kings and queens of fire. Even the pony Princesses bowed before the dragon elders. Center amongst the elders lay the stone throne of the dragon King, but that throne had lain empty since the death of the dragon king Quartz, a great leader in an ancient war.
Drumming his massive claws, Elder Ashmore presided over this trial of the drake Venerax. His face was covered with enough spikes that it appeared bearded. Craning his massive neck into the volcanic crater, he blew a jet of hot smoke onto the shamed drake.
"Young one, do you know your crime?" Ashmore's voice shook the crater walls, booming enough to shake loose stones from the crater rim.
Venerax shivered in fear of the elder, "Yes great one, I hunted the forbidden creatures."
"You flew north to the forbidden territories and dared to challenge the dread wyverns. We know that you did not instigate this forbidden act, but you amongst your brethren should have known better."
"I tried to warn them Elder! Cirzoke did not listen, he wanted to kill a wyvern and be a hero!"
"Silence! Your failure to stop your brethren resulted in the deaths of nine dragonlings! Two from my own clutches!"
Volcar and Valcor had been his daughters, neither of them had made it back to the mountain range. Venerax could remember with vivid recall how swarms of wyverns tore them apart in mid air, letting only a gory rain fall to the tundra plain. Dragons do not feel fear often, but the memory shook Venerax to the core.
"Volcar, Valcor, Az, Chizor, Cirzoke, Gramzon, Kirok, Nobaldon, and Azet. They all died on my watch Elder, I failed them to forward my own foolish goal of impressing the others." Venerax's spikes and ridges lay flat on his back, his head hung low in shame of failing his friends.
"Your pride and stupidity could have brought the wyverns back over the Dragonspine Mountains in your pursuit! It would have been more dignified and less foolish of you to die out there in the ice fields!" Elder Ashmore slammed his tail against the crater wall, shaking the entire volcano. The other elders hissed and growled their agreement.
"I will suffer for the rest of my life for this failure. I killed two wyverns with my own claws and flame, but I bear their scars as burdens of shame."
Elder Ashmore leaned his head out of the crater, his face shadowed by smoke and darkness. But his eyes glowed through the haze, penetrating the black drake's heart and mind.
"Most impressive."
Venerax raised his head, looking around at the dragon elders. Their claws drummed in applause for such a herculean feat.
"But Elder, my actions resulted in the deaths of nine drakes!"
"Yet you killed two of the dreaded ice breathers by yourself. Even the great king was said to fear the wyverns enough to never fight them. None of us hold such an achievement in our claws."
"But-"
"Enough of your foolish chatter. We have agreed that we may have a better use for you. Speak with Elder Zircon, he knows the most amongst us about the wyverns and their ways." Elder Zircon nodded his great head, "After he has taught you all he knows, fly back to the Dragonspines....and never return. Snowreach is your kingdom and your punishment until the end of your days."
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Klondike led the party of ponies again, still unsure of what he was. It just felt so natural, having his wings become weapons like that, but he didn't want it to feel natural. He had killed for the first time last night...and some part of him enjoyed it.
Spin galloped next to him, noticing the younger pegasi's emotional distress. The dragon slayers were far enough behind to where Spin could talk normally. "You alright kid?"
Klondike considered it for a few moments, "I don't know. I don't even know what I am anymore. I used to think I was just a normal pony, but these things attached to me make me some kind of walking weapon. I don't want to be a weapon, I just want to be normal."
"No such thing as normal anymore kid, the more you see of the world, the more you'll understand that." Spin skidded to a halt, "We're here."
Before them a yawning cave opening marred the side of a mountain. Small curls of smoke drifted out from the cave opening, and stalactites made it look as though the cave itself was some kind of horrible beast, fanged mouth open wide to consume the intruders. Sir Owayn and Patsy trotted up next to the locals, staring in awe at the cavern that was the home of an untouchable dragon.
Owayn grabbed a stick and began to draw out his plan of action. "Alright Patsy, today is the day we become legends amongst our order! I'll draw the dragon out into the open while you hide above the cave entrance and hit him with your poisoned arrows. It'll take awhile for him to go down....where is he going?"
Klondike had taken off for the entrance at a canter, completely ignoring the slayers. Stopping at the entrance, he took off his sword and laid it aside. Spin appeared next to him, "Kid, don't you think about going in there! This isn't some normal book delivery or tax day for him, who knows what he could do?"
Klondike stared him directly in the eye, "He won't hurt me."
"By Princess Celestia's golden aura, I hope you know what you're doing."
"Not a clue, old colt." Klondike crossed the threshold into the dragon's lair. Inside it was nearly pitch black, the only light being the occasional flare of flames from natural gas leaks or the sunlight coming from the cave entrance. The stench of sulfur and dragon pheromones felt thick enough to cut. A low rumble could be heard, rhythmic and even, the snores of a truly powerful dragon.
Swallowing a lump in his throat, he called out. "Venerax!" His call echoed into the cavernous depths, and for a moment Klondike believed the rumbling was his imagination, that Venerax couldn't possibly be home.
Something moved, something huge. The nearly metallic sound of scales scraping on stone, coming closer with each heartbeat. In the darkness of the cavern, a pair of red eyes flickered into being, a jet of smoke coming from beneath them to envelope the pegasus.
"Little-wings. Why do you disturb me?" The great dragon's voice was like an avalanche; gritty, rumbling, coarse, and deep enough to vibrate the stones that Klondike stood upon.
Klondike suddenly remembered that he never quite got over the terror of being around such a super predator. Shaking, he managed to spit out what needed to be said. "I need information."
"You claim to be a knowledgeable pony, if there is something you do not know, what makes you think I would know?"
"A monster! There's a monster that we don't know anything about, going around killing ponies!"
"Lament your troll problems to your Company, I am sure they will actually care." The sound of scraping again, and Venerax's eyes disappeared from view.
"Stop right there, Venerax!" Spin stood next to Klondike, hood down and standing tall. "Krag na'al urik dim tose sim lar'ac!"
From the lack of the scraping sound, Venerax had frozen in place. His eyes reappeared as he turned back to look at Spin. "Boldly stated, but who comes before me, speaking the language of the elders with such arrogance?"
"We need your help, old wyrm. Who I am is of nopony's concern anymore." The dragon's head reared close enough to make out some details in the dark, Klondike never stopped underestimating how absolutely titanic Venerax was. A gust of wind whipped the cloaks of the two ponies towards the dragon.
"I know your scent, old one. It is an honor to be around one of such infamy. Tell me, why should I help you instead of slaying you where you stand?"
"Little-wings here isn't lying when he says there is a monster about." Spin said defiantly.
"Prove it."
Spin reached into a saddlebag, pulling out the ivory scrimshaw of the Sun Eater. Placing it on the ground, he backed away, motioning for Klondike to do the same. Both pegasi crept back slowly. A massive clawed paw reached out from the darkness, slamming down on the scrimshaw and lifting it to the dragon's eye.
Venerax's eyes flared open, small jets of flame exuding from his nostrils. His claw clenched, and a fine white powder fell to the floor of the cave.
"Is this a joke of some kind? Another attempt by your Company to drive me away?"
Klondike jumped forward, "No, this thing has been going around, killing without mercy. It even destroyed the mine!"
"This is the one thing that arises anger out of me, Little-wings. You must be incredibly brave or unbelievably stupid to show such a graven image to a dragon!" Venerax's tail slammed against the wall, showering the ponies with small chunks of stone.
"I'm sorry for offending you, but what is it!?!"
"A wyvern! The eaters of the Sun, breathers of ice and rulers of the north! And you say with such profound ignorance that one has come here!"
Klondike leapt into the air to hover in front of the dragon's face. "One has! It killed my friends, it tried to kill me! It had yellow eyes and wings like the sails on a ship, breath colder than the depths of Erebus-"
"And a tail like a great whip...." If it was possible with such a deep voice, Venerax sounded incredulous.
"Yes... it attacked Windshear, all those ponies think it was you that did it. They even hired dragon slayers to kill you!"
"What color was it?"
"How is that important?" Venerax's great claws closed around Klondike, pulling the struggling pegasus close to Venerax's black face.
"WHAT COLOR!?"
Klondike felt the heat of a volcano pouring from the dragon's mouth, his nearly flaming eyes boring holes straight through the pegasus. "Brown and gray, it was all brown and gray!"
Venerax let go of Klondike, letting him fall to the floor. The cave shook with Venerax's rage, the dragon roared with enough strength to nearly deafen both ponies.
Spin grabbed Klondike and forced him up. "Time to go kid!" and took off for the cave entrance. Running as fast as they could, Klondike had to take wing to avoid being toppled over by the earthquake inducing footsteps of the dragon right behind him. Jumping out the front of the cave, Spin grabbed the aloft pegasus and pulled him to the side.
Another roar resounded from the deep cave, and Venerax's massive head reared out of the cave. He deserved his title of Obsidian, his scales were black as night and as hard as solid obsidian. Multiple scars ran down his body and he pulled his massive self out of his cave. Shaped like most dragons, there was a leaner quality to Venerax, like he was underfed. Venerax craned back his spiked and horned head, letting out another ear splitting roar.
"WHERE ARE YOU!? COME AND FACE ME!" he shouted to the wilderness.
Sir Owayn trounced out from behind a log, levitating his heavy mace. "Haha, foul drake! Feast your eyes upon the glory of Sir Owa....HOLY CELESTIA!" Owayn looked as though he could wet himself from the massive mountain of dragon that stood there, scanning the skies and completely ignoring the knight. Shaking free of his astonishment, Owayn swung the mace, slamming it down on Venerax's front claw.
With burning hatred emanating from him, Venerax looked down at the minor annoyance, lifting a claw to flick him like a bug. Owayn crashed against a rock, stunned but still alive. "I shall deal with you later." Spreading his sky shadowing wings, Venerax flapped and caused a dust storm as he took off.
Spin slapped Klondike on the back, "After him kid!"
Klondike scrambled to take to the air and pursue the black dragon that was hellbent and determined on finding the wyvern.
Pushing every ounce of energy into flapping his wings as fast as he could he caught up to Venerax. Narrowly dodging Venerax's enormous wings as they beat, he tried to yell him down.
"Venerax! You have to listen to me, you can't kill it alone! You need our help!" The dragon either ignored him or more likely did not hear him. Still scanning the wilderness, Venerax roared to draw her out. Pouring on even more speed, Klondike flew straight to Venerax's head, grabbing him around one of his huge horns and hanging on for dear life.
Stomping a hoof near the dragon's ear hole, he finally managed to make the dragon acknowledge his existence. "Leave me Little-wings! This does not concern you!"
"Like buck it doesn't! I have just as much reason to hate this thing as you, if not more!" he shouted over the gale force winds that blew past as the dragon continued his flight.
Venerax responded by landing his great bulk on the top of a mountain, wrapping his tail around the peak and shaking the clouds from his head. Reaching up with a claw he plucked the pegasus off of his horn. Holding him in front of his face, Venerax opened his claw for Klondike to stand upon.
"You do not know these beasts as I do, Klondike. They are responsible for all the suffering of my life. My best friend as a whelp was torn apart in front of me by wyverns, him and eight others who I had known since the egg."
Klondike shook off the trauma of being manhandled by the dragon, "So you've seen them before? Do you know how to fight them?"
"Yes. It is why I am the master of this territory. I have killed wyverns before when I was young."
"Why does this one make you so angry? What does the difference in color have to do with anything?"
Venerax shook his head, "All the difference in the world. Had you said it was a colorful beast, I would have lain much more content and not been afraid. But the difference amongst wyvern color is gender."
"Gender? What does that matter?"
"You have seen a queen wyvern. A massive and powerful female of their species. I have only ever fought males and lived, the queens are dominant in wyvern hives, and they are apex and unstoppable predators."
"What do you mean 'unstoppable', you're a dragon! Dragons are symbols of power in every culture, the very icon of invincibility!"
"There is much you must learn about the world Little-wings. I cannot stop her by myself, but I am bound to try by an oath of blood to my kin."
Klondike stomped a hoof, flaring his wings, "Then let us help you. We want the wyvern dead as much as you do, and you need all the help you can get stopping her."
Venerax lowered the pegasus in his claw to rest on a cloud, "With such allies that you have brought, we may have a chance at stopping her. Come Klondike, if I am right, the threat is greater than you could ever imagine."