//------------------------------// // Seven - Anticipation // Story: The Dragon Master // by Cantus //------------------------------// It was like thunder. That was the only thing Applejack could think of when the beast erupted from the forest to her left, bark and leaves flying in its wake. A hulking mass of red fur and pointed teeth leapt through the air, its powerful legs propelling it in a wide arc towards her. In a fragment of a second, it came closer, and closer... It had misjudged the distance, its brain unable to quickly process information from three pairs of eyes. It landed face-first in the leaf-strewn forest floor, several feet from Applejack. She wasted no time, her instincts kicking in, as she took to her hooves and fled. She half-feared the beast would lash out at her as she passed, but it was too busy disentangling itself from its own limbs. Adrenaline pounded through her, filling her with energy and fear. She galloped forward, not daring to look back. She didn't stop even when she almost ran straight into the group of search-ponies that she'd been assigned to. Several of them looked at her in bewilderment. "Monster!" was all she managed to say. They caught onto her meaning quickly, which was just as well, because the beast didn't remain stunned for very long. The party just had time to arrange themselves into a rough line before the three-headed monster rushed through the treeline, its three throats giving its roar an unearthly pitch. The shield-wall tightened, the guardponies' practiced routine kicking in as they drew together for protection. It saw the mass of creatures, lined up together, trying to protect each other. Their smell filled its nostrils and all thought was gone. It threw itself forward, every muscle and sinew aching to smash them apart. It barreled into the line of steel like a boulder rolling down a mountainside, not even bothering with a leap. The impact was tremendous, the pressure of the beast's enormous bulk almost as much of a threat as its thrashing claws and teeth. It was attacking wildly, flailing about as its arms flew left and right. Steel Shield felt a massive paw strike her helmet, the clanging sound almost deafening her. That...thing was trying to break straight through them. She knew that if the line broke, her troop would be scattered and they'd have no chance. They were holding on, barely. They had to repel it... The beast drew backwards, trying to gather momentum for another lunge. Steel Shield's instinct kicked in, and she knew what had to be done. "Attack!" The line surged forward, Steel Shield at the forefront. She leapt at the red-furred beast, intent on retaking the initiative from it. If they could do that, they might be able to overwhelm it, or convince it to flee. The steel-armoured ponies slammed into the beast's massive chest, knocking the breath from its lungs. It staggered backwards, thrown by the weight of almost a dozen equines. She saw the opportunity - the thing was on the back foot. They had to press the advantage whilst they still had it. "Flank it and strike!" Steel Shield's voice rang out above the din of battle, betraying none of the fear racing through her veins. The line fanned out and surrounded the hulking brute, the guardponies taking care not to move behind it. If the beast thought it couldn't escape, it would probably enter another frenzy and fight to the death. Better by far to convince it to run away. The strikes began. ********************************************* It felt blow after blow rain upon its flesh, iron-shod hooves and helmeted heads slamming into vulnerable flesh. As it was struck, it became more and more disoriented. As pain built up inside it, its anger seemed to vanish, replaced by fear. They were too strong! It had to... The tiny shred of intellect within it realised something. It was fighting, but it had no reason to. The wounds inflicted upon it were piling up, and pain was starting to break through the mysterious anger that had gripped it. Escape. It had to escape. It reeled backwards, throwing itself free of the mass of equines. It got to its feet swiftly, and let out a fierce roar before turning and fleeing. They did not pursue it, but it didn't think about that. It just had to get away. It raced for the treeline, the comforting safety of the shadows. ********************************************* The shadow was displeased. The beast had proven even more cowardly than expected. True, such a confused, ungainly creature could not be expected to achieve much, but it had at least hoped for the equines to be stalled for a few hours. It shook its head. No point in dwelling on it. This was a minor setback. It stepped carefully through the undergrowth, avoiding any tree-roots. If they got too far, it would have to take action itself. It doubted that would actually be necessary, but it was not going to risk so many years of planning. As it stalked through the woods, a toothy smile crossed its face... ********************************************* The old wyrm closed the door. The Roost was sealed off, the door shut tightly as locking mechanisms older than the entire equine race slipped into place, barring entry to all. He sighed. He wasn't entirely sure how to feel. One one hand, it was stressing to have so much at stake, but on the other, it felt good to finally be so close to his goal. He kept daydreaming even as he descended the staircase, back down into the main hall. Soon, he would strike the Rune Of Life, and all the things that filled this insane, upended world would be washed away. All those who died unjustly would return, to right the wrongs that had been wrought upon them! The rightful King would return, Pangor would be thrown down, and all would be right with the world! He snapped out of his reverie just in time to avoid tripping on the stairs. That shook him out of it. There would be time for that later. He had to spend his time making sure that it happened that way, first. That reminded him of something. There was one thing he hadn't quite finished. He enjoyed telling stories as much as he enjoyed listening to them, but the Prince still didn't grasp the full scope of the situation, as well as his own importance. They had less time than Gravil had planned for, so he'd have to abridge the tale, much though it pained him. He decided that he might as well make good on the tale whilst the idea was still in his mind. Spike, on the other hand, was thinking. The things Gravil had revealed to him were surprisingly interesting, and he'd sort of taken to using them as a form of dealing with his situation. But now, with rescue a possibility, there was more to think about. Who'd be coming, exactly? Would it just be Twilight? The rest of his friends? Or would there be more? What worried him more was what might happen to them. Spike had seen what Gravil was capable of with his own eyes, and from what he'd heard, there was no doubt in Spike's mind that the old wyrm would show no mercy to any ponies that crossed his path. Oh sure, they would probably outnumber him, and they'd probably win if there were enough of them, but he could still badly hurt them. What if somepony he knew was in the group? What if... His stomach turned as he imagined Rarity being attacked by that demented wyrm, claws- No. No, he couldn't think that. He couldn't bear the thought. He screwed up his eyes and forced it to go away. He was still lying like that when Gravil appeared. "My Lord? Why are you-" The baby dragon's eyes snapped open. He saw the wyrm, and stood up, not wanting to betray his feelings about this crazy situation. "Just...takin' a nap!" Spike forced a smile as soon as the words had left his mouth. If Gravil was bothered by Spike's faux cheer, it didn't show on his face. He waved his arm and gestured to a nearby door. "Well, if you're quite rested, My Lord, there is something I ought to show you." The wyrm turned to the door, opened it, and walked through, Spike following behind. As they walked, Spike grew curious. He decided to voice his thoughts. "So, is this more history?" Gravil grinned, his pointed teeth showing. "You guess correctly, My Lord. However, I have come to the realisation that my abridged history of Dragonkind is far too long. Thus, I will have to move even more swiftly than before. Ah! Here we are." They had stopped before a pair of white stone doors, a stark contrast to the black-flecked granite that made up the rest of Anbel. Gravil placed his hand upon the door and mumbled. Is Rek Den Ilc Es Olni Spike heard: Olni is King of the earth. The door swung open soundlessly. Beyond was a tunnel, rough-hewn from the mountainside itself, oppressive, dark, and slick with precipitation. It made Spike's spines stand straight - well, straighter than usual, anyway. Technically all of Anbel was underneath the ground, but this was the only part he'd seen so far that actually *felt* like that. "W-what is this place?" the little dragon asked. "The Tunnels." The wyrm responded. When he noticed that the look of puzzlement hadn't disappeared from the Prince's face, so he explained further. "This is where my people worked. The Wyrms toiled down here day and night, gladly dredging up the Earth's treasures for their King. Perhaps my father even worked here." Spike spoke up again. "Perhaps? You mean you don't know?" Gravil growled in response, as if he didn't like talking about it. "Wyrms are raised communally. We do not know our parents, or our siblings - and thus all wyrms are our parents or our siblings." Gravil raised a hand to indicate that he would tolerate no more discussion. Spike had to wonder why they were bothering to go this way - he'd much preferred the Tomb of Tales - at least that place was dry. "Ah, here we are", Gravil said at last. Spike didn't notice anything different about this particular patch of tunnel. He was about to say something when Gravil spoke, in a voice that rattled the stones. "Lin". In an instant, lights burst into life, lines of brightness against the dark stone. Spike marvelled at what he saw. Now that there was light, he could see that they were standing in a huge cavern, perhaps as large as the Grand Hall of Anbel itself. "Whoa..." Gravil continued to speak. "This is the result of centuries of toil by the wyrmfolk. It represents us, and survives us. But more importantly, there are things down here that you must see." Spike was about to ask what sorts of things before Gravil began walking again. The little dragon had to run to keep up, so brisk was his pace. "Hey, wait up! What's so...so..." He huffed and puffed the last few words, as he struggled to catch his breath. Gravil offered no response, until he eventually stopped. When Spike had finally caught his breath, he looked up, and noticed what they were looking at. They were standing in front of a statue, or the remains of one. It coiled upwards, around a stone pillar. An orb was set atop the pillar, and the stone dragon's hands were wrapped firmly about it. There was enough left to tell who it was supposed to be, although a large segment of the torso had worn away. "Olni". Said Gravil. Spike gazed at it for a moment, before an idea occured to him. "Y-yeah, so it's a statue of Olni. Why'd we have to go all the way down here to see it?" Gravil turned to the young dragon, a look of irritation on his face. "This", he said curtly, "is important. It is a shrine, used by those mine-wyrms who have more cause to ask for Olni's protection than most." His gaze crossed the statue again, and again, pain visible in his eyes as he observed the many flaws left by time. "For many, this was their sole source of hope. The knowledge that The Dragonfather's love reached them, even here in the bowels of the earth, was what kept them going. This statue has saved lives, has healed wounds, has strengthened the weak. And now look at it." The outrage in Gravil's voice was audible. "It simply shouldn't be this way. This, which has done wonders, should be respected, yet it is abandoned and left to rot away, unthanked." Gravil swung round rapidly, turning to face Spike, his voice full of venom. "Do you know why the world is this way?!?" The tone of his voice was intimidating, but Spike had his answer ready this time. "No! Isn't that what you were going to tell me?" The wyrm blinked in surprise, not having expected that response. His eyes then widened, as he realised just what he had said, and to whom. "I...forgive me, My Lord. I seem to be forgetting myself. I should not have raised my voice against you, and this is the second time..." Spike shivered. He really wasn't used to being spoken to so reverentially (despite Gravil's best efforts), and being asked for mercy just made him feel uncomfortable. "Er, sure. Just, uh...forget about it." Gravil smiled gratefully. "Thank you, My Lord." Spike, still discomforted by the silence that followed, spoke up again. "So, er...wasn't there a reason for us being here?" Gravil's eyes lit up as he remembered. "Ah, yes. Apologies, My Lord. My age seems to be getting the better of me." He stood up to his full height, and his eyes took on that glassy look that Spike now understood meant that he was remembering. "The reason why we have come down to this place is simple. You have seen the great and noble of Anbel, the glory of its rulers. However, to be a just King you must also see our underside. This place is dark, and unpleasant, yes?" Spike nodded. "And you would much rather be upstairs than down here, yes?" Spike nodded again. "Yet this place is, or was, vital to the survival of Anbel. We could not have lived as we did without the bounty of gemstones hauled from this place by my people." The old wyrm stooped down, so that Spike was at eye level with him. "The King has a duty to all of his people, whether or not he likes them. He must embrace both beautiful and ugly if he is to prove himself worthy of sovereignty." Spike almost trembled, such weight did Gravil put on the words. He could tell that the wyrm believed firmly in what he was saying, that he would die to defend this belief if necessary. Gravil's tone softened. "But you need not worry yourself with that just yet, My Lord. You will not be expected to rule for many years yet." Spike was about to point out that there was no longer anyone left for him to rule, but stopped himself as he sensed that that would be a very bad idea. Gravil went on. "The reason you need to understand this is also simple. Pan-Gor is not the rightful ruler, and she has absolutely no respect for this sacred rule. She cares only about her own power, and as a result the world has suffered." Something occurred to Spike. "Really? The world seemed like it was doing okay last time I checked." Gravil's face betrayed shock, followed quickly by pity. "Ah. I had forgotten how long they had spent indoctrinating you, My Lord. Whilst it might not look horrible at first glance, I assure you, this is not how Olni meant things to be. In the days of Galdor, the world knew how to care for itself. Rain fell, trees grew, animals fended for themselves! The world was held together in the tense balance of life, life as Olni had meant it to be." His eyes shut, and he drew a deep breath. "Now, now look at it! The land does not even know how to live! Pan-Gor's servants must do everything! In the past, all things depended on one another for survival. We respected life, and Olni, and all was well. They have shown incredible arrogance by making the world depend on them for its very survival!" He had worked himself up into quite a frenzy, and was panting heavily. Spike decided it would be safest to say nothing. Eventually, he caught his breath, and went on. "Well, My Lord, now that you know of the state of the world, would you care to hear how it came to be this way?" Spike replied, knowing he should probably go along with Gravil for now, but still not sure exactly how to feel about what he'd just said. "I guess so..." Gravil smiled, although his smile was tinged with concern. Did the Prince not realise how serious this matter was? Never mind - he would see soon enough. The old wyrm gestured in another direction. "Right this way." ********************************************* Rainbow arrived too late to help. She set herself down on the soil, next to the battered-looking column of guardponies. "What the hay happened here?" The sergeant turned to her. "Monster. Fought like crazy, but we handled it." Rainbow felt dread, then relief flood her in quick succession. She looked over to the group of guardponies assembling behind the sergeant. Most of them sported injuries, and all of them looked tired, but there didn't seem to be any fatalities. None of them were lying on the ground, at any rate. She saw a squad of pegasi fly overhead, and remembered what she was supposed to be doing. She turned to the sergeant, and said: "Good to know." Without another word, she leapt into the air, spread her wings, and took to the skies. Twilight needed to know about Anbel. ********************************************* "So, where were we?" the wyrm said. Spike wracked his brain for a minute, looking for the answer. "Uuh...I think Renka had just come back.". Gravil's face lit up with comprehension. "Ah, yes. A good place to start." He began to speak again, his voice taking on that now-familiar nostalgic tone. "Galdor realised now that Renka was a dire threat to his people, but he had not been prepared for the full extent of what she had done. As Nobles arrived to pledge their support to the King's campaign, word arrived of another tragedy. Several clutches of dragon eggs had been stolen, taken in the midst of the night, with no hint of intrusion, no sign that would tell of how the deed was accomplished. Though this worried Galdor, and he feared that Renka was somehow connected with it, he did not know what purpose this evil might serve. It would become apparent soon enough." The wyrm took a deep breath before continuing. "Wyvern scouts reported back, having discovered something amiss. The peak of Mount Iktena was surrounded by a huge, roiling thunderstorm, swirling black clouds blotting out the sun's light for miles. Worse yet, the storm did not behave naturally - instead of moving, it seemed to resist the wind, the clouds hanging in place over the mountaintop when by all rights it should be blown away. There was reason to believe that Renka had taken residence there". The way Gravil shuddered at the name Iktena made Spike curious. The words untangled themselves in his head to reveal Bloodspear, but he wondered why the old wyrm seemed so afraid of it. "Why? Is there something special about Iktena?" Gravil hadn't expected that question, but answered it all the same. "Aye. There is good reason to curse its name, though that is a story for another day. All you need know, is that Olni defeated a very powerful demon there, not long after the creation of the world. Iktena was the Throne of the Mother of The Cri-Es, and she tainted it irrevocably. The point is, none in their right minds would willingly set foot upon it, let alone settle there." The old wyrm went on. "And so, with the enemy sighted, the army was assembled. From Anbel they marched, each band under their Noble, each Noble under the King. Thousands of wyrms, spears held high, marched as one, the earth trembling beneath their step. Companies of Wyverns flew before the host, taking note of any threats before they had a chance to engage their comrades. More than a dozen Dragon Nobles sat behind, mixed in with the others, leading their own soldiers personally. Above them all rode Galdor, glorious and resplendant, the very image of a King." "They marched out, intent upon storming Iktena, and making Renka answer for her crimes. At first, they were puzzled. They marched across the plains, and approached the mountain. What puzzled them was the lack of resistance. Renka had displayed the sort of power that was supposed to exist only in legend, and most everyone in the army expected to be struck down by a lightning bolt any minute. Tension ran high despite (or perhaps because of) the dearth of enemies. The Nobles did their best to reassure their soldiers - pointing out how every soldier in the land had come to make war under their banner, that no living dragon or wyrm or wyvern would possibly fight for Renka." He stopped abruptly, a thought having just occurred to him. "Also, My Lord, there is something you must understand. You see, every Noble camped with his own men, the twelve Nobles arranging their camps in a circle surrounding Galdor's camp, in the center. Thus every Noble could stay with his own, whilst still being part of a greater whole." "In any case, the uneasy peace wasn't to last. The first attack came at night, roughly four days' march from Iktena. The first and only warning was a horrid, unnatural smell that put all the camps on edge. Even so, no-one was prepared for them when they came. They overwhelmed the perimeter guards of Lord Retun's camp, storming through and attacking before anyone could so much as raise a spear in anger. Their approach was so swift, and the confusion so great, that no-one got a proper look at their attackers.The lives of many wyrms were claimed before Lord Retun himself entered the fray, spitting fire and smoke, the fiends falling back before his rage. They fled into the night, taking as many of our dead as they could carry." Spike was particularly struck by that last line. "They took your dead? Why would they do that?" Gravil frowned as he remembered. "Yes, that was a matter of great concern to all when the matter was discussed later. However, of greater concern was the one enemy that the soldiers had successfully captured alive. Galdor demanded that this enemy be presented before them, and so it was. Lord Retun had seen the enemy himself the previous night, and warned that it might disturb the assembled Nobles. However..." Spike leaned over, trying to catch every word that was said. "However....what?" Gravil went on. "However, when the enemy was presented, even Lord Retun was shocked. The thing he had seen last night had most certainly been a dragon, even if he could not understand how that was possible. But what was presented to the court was..." Spike almost burst from the tension. "Was what? Come on!" "Bones", said Gravil. The wyrm went on, deciding to elaborate. "To be more precise, the court was presented with what was clearly the remains of a dragon. It was too small a skeleton to be an adult, and too large to be a child. Obviously it was an adolescent, then, but it was not long before a more important issue was raised: how could a dead dragon have attacked the camp?" Spike's eyes widened. "Z-zombies?" Gravil blinked in surprise. "Hmm. If that's the word you use for it. No-one wanted to believe, and many argued against the idea. However, Lord Retun was adamant - they had captured a living, or at least moving, dragon last night. Eventually, the King concluded that, if they could not know what awaited them for sure, they simply needed to be more vigilant until they did know. The old wyrm's tone softened. "Morning came, and the army began to march again. The daytime march was quiet once more; and this time the camps were made more carefully, and the watch doubled. The infernal beasts would not surprise them again." "That they did not. They came again, in the night, but this time we were ready. Ranks of soldiers were called upon first sight and they were driven back by spear and flame. We suffered not a single loss that night." Spike's head filled with images of soldiers hurling back zombie dragons, hurling them back into the darkness as dragonfire set them aflame. "After that night, there was no more doubt. That night we had seen our enemy, and only one conclusion was left: Renka had raised the dead to do her bidding. The King was now even more determined to end Renka's threat before she had the chance to defy Olni's Law any further..." He seemed to notice that he was drifting away from the topic, and corrected himself. "Ah, but our time is limited, My Lord. We must hurry to the point." He shook his head, trying to clear it, before going on. "In any case, the Army continued to march, fending off attacks from the horrifying beasts until they had camped at the very base of Iktena itself. Despite the best efforts of the Nobles, and the victories against the horrid creatures in the night, morale was running low. The black clouds made them all uneasy, and though they were camped far enough from the mount that the lightning bolts would not strike them, but each soldier knew that they would have to march through the storm the next day." "And so they did. Though no-one liked the idea, there was nothing else to be done. They marched forward, underneath the clouds. With every step they took, the winds howled more fiercely, till they sounded like howling beasts themselves. The Wyverns were forced to land and walk among the wyrms, so powerful did the winds grow. Yet they would not be stopped here. They began to climb up the mountain itself, drawing close to their goal." "It was then that the purpose of Renka's earlier wrongdoing, her theft of Dragon Eggs, became clear. Upon the summit of the mount, from Renka's cave emerged six small shapes. They were dragon-like in aspect, but they were small, only slightly larger than children. The colours of their scales were faded, and their bodies were inscribed with symbols much like those on Renka's body." "Some of the soldiers pointed to them, wondering what they could be doing there, but most were too busy fighting the biting wind to take notice of anything else. Until they acted, that was. Their eyes shone bright with purple light, which burst from them and leapt down the mountain like a wave. The soldiers shuddered as it passed through them. It felt incredibly...dry, for want of a better word. For the brief moment that it was within them, they felt as if they had died long ago and they were only now realising that they were dried-out corpses." Spike's scales crawled as he imagined what that would feel like. Gravil had gotten far enough ahead of himself that he had to pause to catch his breath. "However...the wave passed, and left them very much alive, if somewhat shaken. However, the true effect of this foul magic was not to harm them. Not directly..." "Even as they reeled from the attack, the wave spread to the ground beneath them. It sank into the ground, colouring it a deep purple." His eyes glazed over as he remembered the next part. "I mentioned that Iktena was where Olni fought the Mother of The Cri-Es, didn't I? Well, He was not alone during that battle. All of His Children accompanied him during that ancient conflict, and many of them perished at Iktena. As the wave of energy spilled over the land, the mortal remains of all those buried there clawed their way out of the earth and stood upright. Those climbing the mountain watched on in horror as an enormous army of the dead surrounded them." Gravil's words painted a picture, of a wall of rotting flesh and bleached bones, surrounding the embattled Dragon Army. Spike trembled at the image. The wave rushed up the mountain, crashing and breaking off of the shields of the quickly-assembled wyrm warriors. The mass of bodies was thrown back, but it rallied quickly - no, rally is not the right word. It simply flexed, like some huge muscle, and rushed back at the Sons of Olni. Time and again the dead were tossed backwards, but not noce did they stop. Weakened from the earlier magic "Galdor was not one to simply stare helplessly at defeat, however. He quickly realised that fighting this unliving sea of bodies was precisely what Renka wished for. Even if they could defeat them all, they would be severely weakened and most likely be swept away by some other surprise she had in store." Spike's eyes widened. "How did he know what she had in store?" Gravil turned to him. "He didn't. However, Galdor knew Renka better than most, and was sure she wouldn't have dared to attack the Kingdom if she didn't think she had enough force to defeat them. She must have something else in mind. It was clear what had to be done: if they could not destroy the body of this beast, they would simply strike its head from its shoulders." A look of confusion convered Spike's face. "But i thought there were lots of beasts..." Gravil smiled sympathetically. "It is an expression, My Lord. The undead dragons are the "body", and Renka is the "head". Now do you see?" That made more sense. Spike nodded. "Good." said Gravil. The old wyrm took a deep breath in preparation for the next part. "The plan was quickly formed and relayed to as many of the Nobles as possible. The King, along with the two Nobles he trusted most, would fly towards the cave at the summit, in an attempt to destroy Renka themselves. Three other Nobles would lead the wyverns to neutralise the six "apprentice" dragons that had raised the horde. The others would hold off the dead below as long as was necessary. Of course, there was really no question as to who would be chosen..." Gravil caught himself when he saw the confused look on Spike's face, and began to explain. "Er, you see, My Lord, whilst flight is almost a necessity for life in the Wilds, it is considerably less useful to someone who spends most of their time indoors. As a result, only a few of the Nobles actually knew how to fly. Lord Retun was one of these, and he was chosen to go with the King alongside Lady Hiren." Something clicked in Gravil's head, as he remembered how little time was left. "Regardless, My Lord, we really must get moving. To shorten the story somewhat, the King and his retinue flew to the top of Iktena. The storm-winds had not ceased, and made it very difficult to fly. However, old though he was, Galdor was a King among dragons, and not about to be stopped by mere weather. Blessed with strength by Olni himself, the King's old bones stood firm as he and his companions rode through the storm." "The three alighted upon the peak, as the battle raged below. They came face-to-face with a pair of giant stone doors, much like those that signalled the entrance to a Hold. They were covered in blasphemous symbols, such that it pained them to look at it. Lady Hiren insisted on taking the lead, rearing up and smashing the doors from their hinges." At this point, Gravil's storytelling was such that the tale seemed to possess a life of its own, as if it did not need another to speak for it. Gravil was still speaking, but Spike did not hear his voice - he heard the voices of the characters. ********************************************* Galdor was used to caverns, seeing as he'd spent most of his life in one. Dark and deep did not frighten him. This was different. The very air stank of death, and worse. Even so, they had no choice but to go forward. Renka was somewhere in here, and only with her death would this madness end. It simply didn't seem right. What had happened to her? Had he failed to do his duty? He felt a twinge of remorse. Of course he had failed. He had promised Malin, under Olni's gaze, that he would raise and protect her daughter. Yet here he was, about to kill that selfsame dragon. Assuming that was even possible anymore. He shook his head. Nothing made sense anymore. He made a silent prayer, begging Olni that all of this would somehow work out for the best. Lord Retun's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "My Lord, I think we may have arrived." The doors before them were just tall enough for a Dragon to pass beneath. They were smooth red rock, totally unadorned. "Can you be sure, Retun?" The green dragon turned to respond. "We have seen no side-paths in this place, My Lord. This door is the only one we have not entered." Galdor nodded in agreement. He drew a deep breath, bracing himself for what was about to occur. "Steel yourselves. Olni alone knows what lies beyond this point. You both know what's at stake. Renka will be brought to justice." The other two dragons bowed, as much as was possible in such a cramped space. "It has been an honour, My Lord." said Lady Hiren. There was nothing left to say. Hiren placed her shoulder to the door, and pushed with all of her strength. The stone strained for a few moments, but the full force of a determined Dragon was too much, and it gave way. Behind the door lay Pan-Gor, the Great Destroyer, Enemy of Olni's Name. She faced away from the door, deep in what appeared to be thought. Galdor was surprised. The white dragon had not reacted at all to the destruction of her door, nor the three intruders who had entered her domain. ...is that not what you want?.. Hiren saw an opportunity and moved to attack, but Galdor extended a wing, blocking her and motioning for quiet. Hiren's face took on a look of frustration - why were they not pressing the attack? Still, she had faith in her King - if he wanted to delay the attack, then she was sure he had a good reason. He had stopped her because of the voice. He had heard the voice, echoing quietly from every inch of stone. He recognised them from the words of the Elders, who had fought in the great war, when he had been merely a whelp. It matched the description perfectly. Soft, smooth, and insidious. Suddenly the place's unearthly aroma made sense. He whispered. Cri-Es. The others knew what that meant. Everyone had feared that it might be true, and everyone had hoped that they might be wrong. If the Cri-Es were involved in this, that meant they were not extinct. The implications of that were huge, but they were also of secondary importance right now. Then Pangor spoke out. "Why? We already killed him! When you kill someone, they die, and they stay dead! That's how it's supposed to be!" Yet you keep seeing him everywhere. Do you know what this means? "What!? What does it mean?! Tell me!" "You must simply kill them all." "I..." That was it. Galdor drew himself up to his full height, and spoke, in the most booming voice he could muster. "Renka!" Retun and Hiren stared at him in shock. What was he doing? Giving up the element of surprise? The white dragon turned to face the King, confusion in her eyes. Riding on her shoulder, the darkness clung to her like a stain. Its bright yellow eyes gleamed in the dim light. "Who...you...Galdor?" said the white dragon. "Yes, Renka. It is I. I have come to take you back." Everyone's eyes widened in shock, except for the Cri-Es. Lady Hiren spoke up. "My Lord, why-" Galdor gave her a look so fierce that it immediately quashed her objection. Galdor spoke again. "Renka, it doesn't need to be like this. You can still stop this, can you not? You created these nightmares, you must know how to destroy them." Her expression became shocked, as if she had just realised something very important. "Galdor? What's...where's the Prince? Where is..." All of a sudden, her face contorted in pain. "But...but I...argh!" Her eyes clouded over, and the runes on her body glowed fluorescent blue. The demon spoke, its words like silk flowing through the air. "Your attempts are futile, Gal-Dor. She has already agreed to my Pact. She can never leave. It is better for her that she remain unaware of her actions." Galdor's blood boiled when he heard those words. This foul thing had twisted and used a vulnerable young dragon, was trying to destroy Olni's People through this manipulation! Yet here it was, claiming to be merciful? "I know what you are, Cri-Es. You're the one responsible for what's happened. Release Renka, or you will face Olni's wrath!" The shadow broke into a toothy grin. "I do not fear the wrath of a departed god." That was the end of civilities. Galdor, unable to control himself any longer, lunged forward, attempting to smite the dark stain from Renka's shoulder. The demon whispered a single word, and the white dragon glowed with power. The King was caught by an invisible force, grabbing him and tossing him backwards into the stone walls. Hiren and Retun sprang to their lord's defence immediately. Two jets of dragonfire shot towards the white dragon, engulfing half the room in flames. To their horror, when the smoke cleared, Renka had not suffered so much as a burn. The shadow, emerging from its hiding place behind Renka's caled hide, gloated. "See how weak you are! See how powerless Olni's gifts are to harm me!" Hiren scowled. If fire was not working, then tooth and claw would need to do the job. That was her personal philosophy, but having seen what had happened to the King, she hesitated to try it. The King stood up, his old bones groaning from the effort. He spoke out again. "Renka! This beast is controlling you! Fight against it!" A reedy laugh echoed through the cavern. "You still persist? Did I not tell you such efforts were in vain? The Dra-" Its words were cut off abruptly. Renka's eyes cleared, her face twisting in panic at the same time. "What...what's going on? I only wanted to get even with the Prince...why am I...?" There was a horrible snapping sound as her eyes clouded over and her head snapped back. "You agreed to the pact! I gave you power, and you gave me your life! Those were the terms! The King watched as the white dragon's eyes cleared again. She was fighting - there was yet hope! "I...why am I fighting the King? What's going on?" The Cri-Es hissed in anger. "No! The King is not here! But do you know who is?" Renka's eyes clouded over, and the three dragons facing her were replaced by three copies of the Prince. There was a low growl. The runes upon her body glowed blue once more, and the air filled with power. Retun responded instinctively, leaping in front of his King as the blast rippled through the air towards him. The impact rocked his body and shook his bones, yet he did not fall. Galdor stood forward, ignoring Retun's protests. She had to listen to reason. She had already broken through once, there might yet be hope! "Renka! Don't you realise what you're doing? A demon is twisting you against your people! Against Olni!" The white dragon's brow furrowed in confusion. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the irritating thoughts. "If you won't shut up, we'll simply squeeze the air from your lungs!" Everyone felt the air ripple as the unseen force reached out, trying to grasp the King. Hiren reacted without thinking. She dashed forward, and pushed the King out of the way. Even as she felt him move, the invisible fingers wrapped around her. As she struggled in the invisible grip, she heard mocking laughter fill the air. "Look at the mighty Dragon Lords! Where, oh where, is your might now, I wonder? Hiren felt the invisible grip tighten. It was pushing inwards, trying to crush her. The air was starting to leave her lungs... She caught sight of the Cri-Es, still riding on Renka's shoulder. An idea came to her. As the creature leaned closer, she struck. Inhaling as deeply as she could, she blasted a jet of flame directly at the black creature. It was not able to react in time. The fire-ball hit the Cri-Es straight in the chest, immolating it. There was a high-pitched scream, and Renka reeled backwards. Hiren felt the grip release her. She stumbled, dizzy from the lack of air. Retun and Galdor (who had recovered sufficiently) moved to cover her. Renka stood back up. This was not over. Something snapped inside her. The Cri-Es, now focussing all its attention on saving itself, had no energy to spare for deception. Renka's vision cleared, and the illusion vanished. There was a gasp as she processed what was happening. The King...the one who'd taken her in when her mother could not keep her. The one she owed so much to. The one she was trying to kill. The Cri-Es was still alight, desperately trying to put itself out. It was then that Renka made her move. She uttered three words. "Galdor, I'm sorry." Her eyes cleared again as she spoke. She raised her hand, and placed it across her own heart. Before anyone had fully realised what was happening, it had begun. The claw pierced the white scales, staining them with a line of blood. She set her face in a stoic expression, determined to meet a more noble end than her mother. A wave of grey washed over her body, as she turned herself to stone. ********************************************* Gravil stopped speaking, and the vivid images died down, to be replaced by the greys and blacks of the underground stone. Spike piped up immediately. "What? What happened next?" Gravil responded, his voice weary from speaking. "Well, that covers...covers..." He shook himself awake. "Well, My Lord, that is...I mean...my, I am tired." A pin of worry pricked at him. The energy he obtained from the symbols ought to be able to fight off fatigue for much longer than two measly days! Even so, he did not feel terribly worried - after all, the Prince was safe inside Anbel, and Olnija was tomorrow. Things would end up alright... "Night is falling, My Lord. I assume you would much prefer spending it upstairs?" The little dragon nodded vigorously. The two began the climb back, up into the red Rune-lit chambers above. ********************************************* The purple unicorn stared intently at Rainbow Dash. "You're sure of this? We need to be very sure of this information before we act on it." Rainbow returned her gaze without flinching. "For the last time, Twilight, yes! I'm willing to bet my good name on it! Anbel's that way!" She gestured to the east. The pegasus captain raised his hoof in agreement. "I can second that claim, Miss Sparkle. My team scouted that direction and found what we believe to be Anbel." Twilight mulled over this information for a minute, picturing the organisation all this would take, before responding. "Very well. I'll pass word around and have the teams recalled. The others present nodded in acceptance. The pegasus captain went back to his tram, preparing them to move out again on short notice. Rainbow stayed behind a little longer. Eventually, the area was quiet enough for them to speak without being overheard. "Hey, Twi, did, uh...did everypony report in?" She trusted her friends' abilities, but this place was full of danger. She couldn't help but feel a little worried about what her friends had gone through. Twilight smiled, and reassured her friend. "Well, I don't actually know yet, but they'll report back in a little while. I'll make sure you're the first to know, alright?" Rainbow returned the smile. "Uh, thanks." The atmosphere became decidedly uncomfortable, and Rainbow decided to find something else to busy herself with while Twilight was arranging everything. She felt a little more comfortable knowing that Twilight was handling things - after all, she was always good at stuff like this. ********************************************* Twilight felt doubt and relief creep up in her mind simultaneously. So, now they knew where Spike was being kept, and where they needed to be. They had both sufficient time and sufficient force. They should be able to stop Gravil easily... But what if they couldn't? She shook her head, trying to will those thoughts away. There was no point in such defeatism. She had to remember why she was doing this. Then she remembered her nightmare, and her resolve hardened to a whole new level. No-one, dragon, wyrm, or god, was going to take Spike from her and get away with it. As the sun began to throw fiery orange light over the trees, she whispered to herself. "Hang on, Spike. I'm coming."