Upheaval: Legacy

by Visiden Visidane

Half Dragon

Upheaval: Legacy

Chapter 2: Half Dragon

The journey to the Western Barrier Land had been long and arduous for Spike. Cirrus Wing, his pegasus escort, was far from the chatty sort, and the long periods of silence were as tiring as actual walking. To maintain a quick pace, they stopped only for meals and brief periods of rest. Spike wondered why Prince Terrato had not simply teleported him, but could not work up the courage to actually ask. Perhaps his trip was simply not important enough to waste a lot of magic on. He knew enough of teleportation spells from Twilight. Even short trips could be exhausting. A long one could knock you out. And teleporting someone else? It made sense that the prince would rather send a legionnaire.

The landscape was beautiful, especially with the view from Cirrus Wing's back. The vast, rolling, snow-covered plains of the Northern Barrier Land gave way to steadily steeper hills, then to the forested mountains of the Western Barrier Land. Winter had also arrived to this place, covering the tall pines and firs with white.

After a few hours, a city sprawled across the side of one mountain finally came to view. This must be Wallforge. A lot of the trees around the place had been cut down. There were bare, rocky areas that looked like they had been quarried. Just like the previous city he had been flown over, the buildings were mostly stone and close to the ground. A closer look revealed the multitude of stairs that led up and down the city streets. With the mountain’s form, the city was as much vertical as it was horizontal, a trend observable in pretty much all of the Western Barrier Land he had seen so far.

A squad of six pegasi emerged from one of the many watchtowers around the city. They were heavily barded, much more so than the pegasi from the north. Spears, each nearly twice as long as a pony, were strapped across their backs.

“Halt! Who are you, and what’s your business here, pegasus pony?” the lead pegasus asked. His companions quickly surrounded Cirrus Wing.

“Flight Sergeant Cirrus Wing of the Northern Equestrian Legion,” Cirrus Wing replied with a salute. “Under the prince’s direct orders, I am escorting this dragon to Seethe Scale for training.”

After some scrutiny, the lead pegasus nodded, then ordered his ponies to fly by Cirrus Wing’s side. “We've been expecting you,” he said. “I’m Patrol Leader Shale Skin. Land by the northern gates, we’ll have an escort take you to her lair by ground.”

“What’s wrong with flying?” Cirrus Wing asked.

“Seethe Scale won’t like catching a whiff of dragon flying close to her lair," Shale Skin replied. "She’ll put a dozen of her arrows through you before you can come close enough to tell her you mean no harm.”

With a nod, Cirrus Wing banked towards the northern gates along with the other pegasi.

“Doesn't Seethe Scale live in the city?” Spike asked.

“Thank the prince, no,” Shale Skin replied. “She’s scary enough from a distance. Besides, she hates crowds.” He paused, then took a better look at Spike. “Not as much as she hates dragons, though. Are you sure about this? Even a squad of lancers won’t be enough to stop her if she decides she’d rather eat you than train you.”

Spike quivered. For all his talk about wanting to do this for his friends, he was terrified of being separated from them. There wasn't a single friendly face for miles. He had desperately hoped that this Seethe Scale would be a friendly, personable sort who would help ease his loneliness and fears, but Prince Terrato said that the kirin tended to brood a lot. Now, the pegasus’s words confirmed that his “teacher” was a dangerous one. He clenched his fists, as if his resolve lay in his claws and he refused to let go. “Let’s do this,” he said.

They landed outside the northern gates. At ground level, Spike could see into the city. It was late morning when he got to this place, and everypony was out working. The ponies outside were mostly earth ponies with a few pegasi and an occasional unicorn. Nearly all of them were involved in hard, physical labor. He had guessed right about the quarries. In addition to the paved streets, long, winding rails crisscrossed the place so train carts of stone could be wheeled about with ease. Even though it was winter, ponies still worked the quarries, pounding away at rocks or hauling about loads of them. At a distance, he spotted mine entrances as well as work areas to turn the broken stone into bricks. Smoke rose from hundreds of chimneys, whether it was from the workshops or the residences. The most prominent feature in the city, however, was the giant stone statue of Prince Terrato at its center, visible even from where Spike was. The prince reared up, his face turned towards the sky and his wings spread wide as if protecting the city beneath him.

“Taking in the sights?” Shale Skin asked. A hint of pride tinged his voice. “Wallforge is one of our prince’s favorites: a city of hard labor surrounded by the things he governs. We supply building stone to all corners of the Barrier Lands. We've also got a few gem mines so there’s no shortage of greed or gluttony dragons looking for an easy meal.” He looked towards the mountain’s peak. “The city may not show it very much, but we’re glad to have Seethe Scale around.”

After a few minutes of waiting, a green-coated earth pony stallion approached them. He was pulling a large wagon full of assorted sacks behind him .

“That’s Mudslide over there," Shale Skin said. "He does deliveries to Seethe Scale’s lair. He’ll escort you for the rest of the way. Take care, Spike." He and the rest of his patrol departed.

When the wagon came close enough, Cirrus Wing helped Spike climb inside, then explained to Mudslide all the necessary details. He then nodded towards Spike. “I've done my duty here,” he said. “Good luck, dragon.” He flew towards the city. Spike waved a claw after him before fixing his attention on Mudslide.

“Looks like I got an interesting package to deliver to ol’Seethe,” Mudslide said with a grin. He chewed on a long blade of grass as he spoke. “You just sit tight back there, little dragon. Oh, and don’t touch the small sack of gems. She won’t appreciate it.”

Mudslide expertly navigated the wagon through the stony, sloping path while Spike sat on an unoccupied space inside it. Around him, the sacks jingled and clanked. He was sitting next to the aforementioned sack of gems, the baubles glinting temptingly at him. He did as Mudslide told him, though. He needed to make a good impression on Seethe Scale, and eating what was likely her food was not the way to do it. To control himself, he looked at the other sacks. The one behind him contained a dozen or so metal spears. Each had a broad and wickedly barbed head. “Why does she need so many spears?” he asked. “Does she break them often?”

"Those aren't spears, little dragon,” Mudslide replied. “They’re arrows. My sister has the honor of forging them for her. A couple of those in the right spot will bleed a dragon out.”

With a shudder, Spike inched away from the sack of “arrows”. He looked at another sack which didn't contain such ominous tools. This one contained various grasses, flowers and herbs. “What about this one?” he asked. “More food?”

“Whoah! Careful with those. They’re poisonous. She uses them for her arrows.”

Surrounded by poison, dragon-slaying arrows, and gems that he shouldn't touch, Spike hugged his knees and stayed at the farthest corner of the wagon. As the trip went on, the slope began to steepen and the air began to get colder. They were really out in the wilderness now. The path they were following was barely a dirt trail, and the tall trees had given way to scraggly bushes and grass. Despite the rugged terrain, all Spike had to contend with were a couple of bumps. After a couple of hours of travel, they finally stopped in front of a large entrance to a cave.

“We’re here, little dragon,” Mudslide said.

Spike was more than happy to jump off the wagon to take a look around. The first thing that he noticed was the smell. An unfamiliar, but incredibly wonderful, aroma wafted from deep inside the cave. His mouth watered and his nose tingled.

“What is that smell?” he asked. He took a deep breath, and wiped a trail of drool from his chin.

Mudslide sniffed at the air, then wrinkled his nose. “She must be cooking up something again,” he huffed. He unfastened the wagon from his back, then stood at the entrance. “Seethe Scale?” he called out. “It’s me. I've got your deliveries here!”

“Leave them at the usual spot, Mudslide,” somepony answered from within. Spike listened carefully. Seethe Scale had a powerful and deep voice tinged with huskiness, and a hint of feminine softness. Though her words were loud, she sounded like she was subduing herself.

---

She could smell him from where he was. The sharp scent of dragon pierced the pleasant odor of roasting meat. Her claws tensed. The wrath roiled in her guts, the spines on her back rising nearly uncontrollably. No, this wasn't a good way to start things. She clenched her jaws tight, making sure that the wrath didn't explode without her consent.

Intruder. He wants your lair. He wants your hoard. Kill him.

“I also have a little dragon here with me,” Mudslide called out. “A Wallforge patrol said that he’s here to train under you.”

She knew that already. She tried to say something, but the wrath would make sure that the only thing that came out of her mouth was a torrent of flames.

Kill. Him.

A few moments passed before she could compose herself. 'You have orders,' she reminded herself. She swallowed the wrath, the effort leaving her insides to sting. “Leave them at the usual spot, Mudslide,” she said.

A few small rocks rolled into the cave when Mudslide dragged the wagon to its usual niche by the cave entrance. “Just stand there with the wagon, little dragon," he said. "I’m off to Wallforge. See you around…I hope.”

---

It took all Spike had not to follow Mudslide down the trail. He was alone now. Alone on a mountain before the home of a scary kirin. He held on to one side of the entrance and tried to peer deeper into the cave. A red orange glint was the only sight in the darkness. There had to be small fire farther in. Minutes passed while he just stood there, slowly being tortured by the delicious smell and his own apprehension.

“Come inside,” Seethe Scale finally said.

Spike wasn't sure if he should be relieved or be frightened some more. After a few tries, he finally got one foot in front of the other and towards the fire. There was probably pony with dragon scales in there, ready to jump out of the shadows and eat him. He didn't know where she could be hiding. It was her cave. She was likely bigger than him, stronger, and more experienced. He was so dead.

He shook his head. No point in worrying about that now. He was here. He asked to be here. Prince Terrato said Seethe Scale would help. The prince was a lot of bad things, but he was pretty straightforward and had no reason to lie. Fear aside, Spike followed the aroma to a strange lump of…something attached to a metal bar over the fire. The shadows past the flames flickered just a bit too much to be just the fire. Seethe Scale was definitely there. He squinted, but still couldn't see anything clear. “Um…hello?” he called out.

“You must be hungry after your trip. Go ahead.”

The voice sounded like it was whispering, but it was still so loud. A roar would likely shake this very cave.

Spike stared at the thing that was cooking by the fire. It did smell delicious, but he had never eaten something so strange. There was a pile of gold coins and jewelry by the edges of the fire’s light. “Um…can I have some gems instead?" he asked. "I’m also fine with some vegetables, even hay.”

---

How dare he. He just asked for some of her hoard. She let him into her cave and offered him a meal. That was a hundred, no, a thousand times better than any welcome he would get in another dragon's lair, and the first thing he did was stare at her hoard and ask for some.

Dirty little thief. Can't even hide his grasping urges. He comes as a guest, but he'll wait until I'm asleep before stealing.

She could almost imagine this Spike plucking a gem from her hoard and popping it into his mouth. Likewise, she could almost imagine wringing him by his little neck until he snapped in two.

Seethe Scale rose slightly, keeping barely at the edges of the fire light. He couldn't see her from the way he glanced about. As she had guessed, he didn't even have his darkvision. Her wrath accused swiftly, as expected. Her only response was to continue staring. The prince told her to keep Spike safe. His orders trumped any accusation from her wrath.

Spike was...of the same size as a typical hatchling. That was about as close as he could get to Seethe Scale's usual experience with dragons, hatchling or otherwise. He was a little pudgy by the mid-section. Clearly, this one did not lack for meals. His light purple scales and his green spines were clean, unmarked, even a bit glossy. Somepony had taken to grooming him well, or had at least taught him how to. They also looked soft, barely tested. His claws were just as flawless.

A dragon faced tests even while still in its clutch with its brothers and sisters. A dragon parent was willing to share only so much of its meals. Siblings competed for food, entering murderous power plays to monopolize their resources. A typical dragon hatchling had no compunctions about bullying or tricking rivals. By the time hatchlings were old enough to leave the cave, which didn't take long given dragon preferences for solitude, the clutch of a dozen eggs would have dwindled to three or four. From the looks of him, Spike would not have survived Reinfadora's clutch. He would not have survived an ordinary dragon's clutch. Seethe Scale doubted that he was even high in the pecking order among his pony siblings, if he had one.

The eyes though. His eyes caught Seethe Scale briefly. A dragon, even a very young one, had that unmistakable gleam of opportunism in the presence of riches. He had asked for some of her hoard, but the look in them as he did so lack any sort of spite. The wrath judged too quickly indeed. This one was not going to take anything without permission. That's why he asked. He just didn't trust the meal she offered.

'He came here to aid his friends,' Seethe Scale thought. Such a thing would never cross a dragon's mind. It was...admirable. She still wasn't going to share her hoard, however. Her wrath briefly cooled, she stayed in the shadows and quietly watched.

---

The only reply to his question came from Spike's rumbling stomach. He considered just picking up one of the gems scattered nearby, but he was afraid that Seethe Scale would jump him if he so much as made the attempt. Finally, he gave in to his curiosity. The thing stuck by the fire did smell delicious, and there really wasn't any reason for Seethe Scale to poison him. He tore off a hank and stared at it. It was blackened and crispy on the outside, but still tender and pinkish on the inside. It bubbled with some sort of oil and came apart in strips when he tore it up a bit. After one more moment of hesitation, he popped a strip into his mouth.

The sudden burst of flavor nearly made him choke. Whatever this stuff was, it was one of the tastiest things he had ever eaten: savory, juicy, tender, a little bit sweet, and a little bit salty. He bit into the rest of the hank, then dug into the lump, unmindful of the open flame. Oily juices covered his claws and ran down his chin while he ate. With a slurp and a smack of his lips, he licked himself dry before sitting down to let his stomach settle. That was the best meal he had had in a while. Gears started to turn in his mind. A little salt and pepper to help with the taste. Some herbs too. Would it taste just as good if he stewed it?

“Full?” Seethe Scale asked.

“Yes,” Spike replied. “What is this stuff? It’s so delicious! Is it some kind of special dragon food?”

“It’s boar.”

Spike stopped. “Excuse me?” he asked. “Did you just say--”

“Boar. I picked a young one so you can chew easily…you’re welcome.”

Spike slowly turned his attention back to the thing roasting over the fire. What had looked so appetizing and savory now looked like a still-bloody, charred corpse. His stomach suddenly felt as if it was full of sludge. Boar! He had been eating with so much gusto, and calling it delicious! He pointed towards where Seethe Scale’s voice came from. “You tricked me!” he cried out.

“No.”

“I wouldn't have touched this thing if you told me it was boar!”

“I didn't say it was vegetables either. Your nose and your tongue told you it was good food and you believed them.”

Spike pulled his tongue out and wrung it like a filthy washcloth. His own body had betrayed him. He should have just eaten those poison herbs from earlier.

“Are you done?”

Something big slid against the stone floor. Instinctively, Spike stepped back just as a stream of fire burst from the shadows. He fell flat on his belly, his claws over his head. Even though the flames didn't even come close to touching him, he could feel the heat of their passing. That didn't feel right. He was capable of touching even open flames. Why would he find a passing whiff of dragon fire hot? When he looked up, the cave was much brighter. The flames had lit several torches along the walls.

“Stand up.”

The ground beneath Spike vibrated slightly as Seethe Scale moved. He did as he was told quickly. With the cave now properly lit, he could finally get a good look at his likely companion for the next six months. At the sight of her, he fell on his tail in an instant.

Spike had spent his entire life being around other creatures bigger than he was. Looking up to ponies was nothing new, but he could not have expected this. Seethe Scale towered above him, easily four or five times the size of an average pony. Her head and neck were that of a pony’s with a slightly more pronounced and reptilian snout. Her long, straight mane was pale lavender, almost white near the roots. Three horns sprouted from her head; two curved gracefully to the sides of her skull while a third one pointed upward from her forehead.

Despite the name, Seethe Scale was mostly covered with fur. She had a luxurious, long, white coat that gave way to equally white scales past her knees and on her long, dragon tail. Her forelegs ended in a pair of claws while her hind legs ended in hooves. A pair of dragon wings were carefully folded to her sides. Heat, stronger than the fire in the cave, radiated from her.

“Introductions,” she said, her tail flicking about lazily. “My name is Seethe Scale.”

Seethe Scale stared at Spike quietly and expectantly. It took a minute of him just staring in awe before he finally realized that he should answer with his own introduction. “It’s…uh…what was it?” He cast about his mind until he found what he was looking for. “It’s Spike! That’s right, my name is Spike.”

Seethe Scale lowered her head so that her snout was only a few inches from Spike. At this close, he realized that the smoky smell in the cave was not merely from the fire, but from her as well. She sniffed a couple of times before pulling back. Her breath was hot against his face, like a dry summer breeze, only muskier. “You smell correct,” she said. “I see the wisdom in our prince’s decision now. Dragon in body and pony everywhere else…you’re just as much a hybrid as I am.” She walked farther into the back of the cave. Despite her enormous size, she moved quietly and gracefully.

“Let’s start.”

Comments

[eucatastrophe]

This is very cool. Scale's character is interesting to read, as she struggles with dragon instincts. Neat idea.

You have me feeling very mixed. I am filled with anticipation for finding out what will happen to spike after his intersection with the draconian leaders and the magical fire-shooting butterfly, but I also know that more of spike and scale's interaction and training will be an incredibly fun read.

Either way, you got the vision. Keep it up, this is awesome.

[Voldine]

Spike wondered why Prince Terrato had not simply teleported him, but could not work up the courage actually ask.

You're missing a 'to' between courage and actually.

[Ganon]

I dunno if it's me or I really did notice but it seems you have a writing style similar to Christopher Paolini writer if The Inheritance Cycle

[Beware The Carpenter]

First paragraph; in Unheval, wasn't there a part where Terrato told Spike to take the scenic route because he wanted Spike to see his country?

[TealArc]

Shit, it took me up until now that Seethe Scale is very obviously Seethe the Scaleless. Shit! She's even scaleless. Well done

[Emkozul]

5507248
I noticed it as well. This author, who has created several Alicorn OCs has the best imagination I have seen in a very very long time. The last time I saw an Imagination as vivid was pen stroke and Nyx is a remade Nightmare Moon. This man came up with an entire Kingdom of OCs.