Chapter 1

The halls of the castle were dark. Scorpan walked through the murky stone hallway. Scorpan was tall and wide, much of his natural gargoylian muscle offering an imposing figure. He was strong and he knew that. But so was Tirek. Tirek was a centaur, and he was much, much bigger than Scorpan, or any gargoyle. Tirek had devoted his life to becoming stronger, while Scorpan focused on his more noble responsibilities. Ever since that day, Tirek hadn’t been the same.

Tirek’s magic was growing strong. Too strong. No one in the kingdom may be stronger than the king and Tirek had broken this rule. Scorpan had to tell his father. Tirek had to be contained; locked away, thrown in the mine with Sendak. He talked about such vile things. He talked about war and death, of conquest and greed. Scorpan was scared of his brother, but he loved him. Tirek, distant as he was, was still his family. Scorpan could still see hope in him. He blamed Tirek’s behaviour on their father. King Vorak had treated Scorpan as a prodigy and Tirek as a disgrace. Tirek grew to resent his father, and so, grew to resent Scorpan, the prodigal son. It wasn’t Tirek’s fault. But this was getting out of hand. Tirek was growing to powerful too fast. If something happened, he may not be able to be stopped. Before he talked to Vorak, Scorpan was going to talk to Tirek one last time.

Tirek had been away for a time. Just short of a month Scorpan had been left alone by his brother. Where he went Scorpan didn’t know, but he seemed to be in higher spirits upon his return. Their father cursed Tirek for abandoning the kingdom. Tirek had gotten good at ignoring him. When he returned, Scorpan noticed he was toting a large crate. Tirek insisted it was foreign game he had hunted. He wouldn’t say where he went to get it. Scorpan knew when Tirek was lying. This was not one of those times.

The door to Tirek’s room opened without so much as a squeak. Scorpan moved with the silence of a feline. He didn’t try to sneak up on his brother, but he couldn’t help it. He was scared. Tirek could feel it. He was completely aware of his brother’s presence in his room. Tirek could feel his brother’s fear as he approached.

“What brings you to my room brother?”

Scorpan’s movement’s halted. He was paralyzed. Tirek hadn’t batted an eye. Hadn’t twitched an ear. Not a hair on his head moved. Nothing about him gave any indication he heard him. It was ghostly. Scorpan couldn’t speak for fear of upsetting his brother. Tirek’s chipper tone of voice betrayed his haunting stillness. His deep, gruff voice penetrated Scorpan’s bones. Tirek relished these moments of intimidation.

“Take a seat, Scorpan.”

Tirek stood, his enormous legs falling like cinder blocks to the ground. It was a wonder the balcony Tirek sat upon didn’t crumble under the enormous weight of muscle and bone. Tirek turned to face his brother, his gleaming yellow eyes piercing straight through the darkness of the night like an arrow, straight into Scorpan’s soul. Tirek was taller than his brother, and more muscular. Scorpan couldn’t move under his brother’s glare. Tirek’s face was unreadable. Scorpan did the only thing he could think of, to do what his brother told him. He sat in the seat beside him.

“Why have you come?”

Tirek’s voice bellowed out through the castle, shaking Scorpan to the core. Tirek stood before Scorpan, and now that Scorpan was sitting, Tirek seemed so much taller. Tirek was certainly indomitable. Scorpan opened his mouth to speak, but found no words. Tirek stared at his brother. Scorpan had been known to stammer and stutter. But then, so did most people when they saw him. Scorpan’s lips trembled as he struggled to find his tongue.

“To talk.”

Tirek was hardly interested in idle chatter. It was something he had no time for, when he could be with himself and his own thoughts. Scorpan loved to talk, but almost never around him. Hardly anyone wished to talk with one so imposing as Tirek. And Tirek liked it that way.

“Leave then.”

“Please, brother. Hear me.”

Scorpan fiddled with his hands. This was a tick of his. Tirek’s eyes rolled and he turned to face the window. He knew what this would be about. By Scorpan’s tone, he knew it was something about his leave. No one believed him when he said what was in the box. No one dared to confront him. It was only fitting that Scorpan would have the nerve to talk to him.

“If this is about the box, save it.”

“This is about you, brother. You are growing too powerful. Father is growing suspicious of you.”

“Vorak has always been suspicious of me.”

Tirek refused to call him ‘father.’ Since he was young, King Vorak was wary of Tirek. The young prince always had a hunger within him. It was a hunger Vorak knew would destroy both himself and his family. He tried to silence the young prince, but his wife begged him to give Tirek a chance. Tirek grew to hate Vorak. After learning of his father’s wariness of his power, Tirek vowed to become more powerful than anything in the world, to destroy his father’s kingdom, to become an indomitable force.

“Tirek, please reconsider whatever it is you’re planning.”

“And you’re so sure I’m planning something?”

“You’re always planning something.”

Tirek huffed and balled his fingers into a fist. Scorpan was so nosy and could never leave him alone. Whenever he would do anything, Scorpan was right there watching him. Tirek had always been annoyed by his brother, but he never hated him. To him, Scorpan was an annoyance, but never a hindrance. Tirek was always able to sneak around Scorpan whenever he tried to interfere with him. However, Scorpan was strong. When they were younger Scorpan was nothing more than a floating ball of skin and fur. But now, Scorpan was definitely strong. Gargoyles have a natural strength. His wings were enormous and he could fly far and fast. While Tirek was definitely more powerful, Scorpan and any other gargoyle could put up more than a fight. Tirek was not a fool, and it would be foolish thinking to underestimate Scorpan. Scorpan was a thinker as well. As much as he’d hate to admit it, Scorpan was smarter than him. He studied for a lot of his time in childhood, and played active parts in many of the kingdom’s affairs. Scorpan was an intellectual, but then, so was Tirek. Scorpan could be of use. Tirek got an idea.

“Indeed.”

“May I see what was in the box, Tirek?”

Tirek smiled to the window, away from Scorpan’s eyes. He could use Scorpan. He had what Tirek did not, incredible tact. With Scorpan at his side, Tirek could do amazing things. A little help here and there couldn’t hurt. For what Tirek was planning, he could use it.

“Of course. It may be a little shocking, Scorpan.”

“Why?”

“Here.”

Tirek removed the box from a panel in the wall that Scorpan had never seen. The box sat there, a blanket covering most of it. Tirek set it down in the center of the room and grabbed the sides of it forcefully. The top of the box was ripped off with ease. Scorpan looked inside. His shock was evident on his face. The image was sobering. He saw a pony. It wasn’t dead, but it didn’t look alive. Tirek smiled as Scorpan gazed at the pony.

“You went to Equestria. . .”

“Our kingdom is small, Scorpan. There’s is enormous.”

“Sendak was sent to the mines for this. And you follow in his footsteps?”

“Sendak was weak. There is so much power in these ponies. I have absorbed its power. Listen, Scorpan, this seems wrong to you. But believe me, this is for our kingdom. Centaurs and gargoyles are dying. We need growth. We need power. I have both right here.”

“This is madness, Tirek. Father will. . .”

“Scorpan, please. Brother, I need you. I truly believe this will help.”

Tirek pleaded with Scorpan and bent to one knee. Scorpan was suddenly taller than his brother. For once, Tirek seemed small. For once, Tirek called him ‘brother.’

“Tirek, I beg of you. Bring this pony home.”

“You have not been to Equestria, have you, my brother?”

“I haven’t.”

“It is ruled under a dictatorship. Celestia and Luna rule with an iron fist. The ponies are cruel to each other, Scorpan. They are unjust and cruel hearted, brother.”

Scorpan could sense the lie. But Tirek called him ‘brother’ again. He could feel the trust Tirek placed in him. Showing him this pony was a deeply kept secret, and Tirek willingly shared it. Scorpan could tell the lie about Equestria. But he could feel Tirek’s want for a new beginning for their kingdom. He could feel the passion in this undertaking. He could feel the power coming from Tirek.

“Here, brother.”

Tirek grabbed Scorpan’s shoulders and opened his mouth. Scorpan felt a surge of fear run through him as Tirek’s horns began to glow. An orange flame shot from Tirek’s mouth and directly into Scorpan’s. All at once, Scorpan could feel the surge of power. He could feel the complete and utter force and potential in the unicorn’s energy. He could feel the rush of adrenaline. He could feel his muscles grow and his form grow taller. His wings grew stronger. He felt so alive.

“This is the power the unicorn had within him. I give it to you, my brother. Do you feel it?”

Tirek stood. He was shorter and thinner now. Scorpan was taller, almost as tall as Tirek. He didn’t feel tiny anymore. He felt powerful. He felt incredible. He didn’t feel fear. He felt indomitable. This power from one unicorn. Many miles away were hundreds of thousands. Scorpan thought of the potential energy. If he were to devour a hundred million pony energies, he would be unstoppable. Tirek would be weak compared to him. That thought alone was enough to make Scorpan smile.

“I give you this power and ask for nothing. Will you join me, Scorpan? Will you help me overthrow the pony empire? Think of the power. No control. No iron grip. Just you. The ponies are weak, Scorpan. Discord has weakened them. Now is our chance.”

Tirek gave Scorpan the power. He always dreamed of achieving invincibility, and he gave his one power to Scorpan. Tirek was speaking such things. Scorpan could only dream of the possibilities. As a child, Scorpan would always think of himself and Tirek ruling over their kingdom as brothers. Now that was once again a possible future, and they would rule over a much bigger kingdom. They could have so many more of their kinds. So many more gargoyles. So many more centaurs. An entire sprawling country all to themselves, with all the power in the world.

“What of mother and father?”

“They will rule as they always have. And we will inherit the power as it has always been.”

Scorpan could sense the lie in Tirek’s voice, but he didn’t care anymore. A world without restrictions. A world of power. In that moment, Scorpan forgot the lie Tirek told him about the ponies. In that moment, he forgot that he lied of their nature. He could sense how ruthless ponies were. Scorpan hated the ponies in that moment, for keeping his people from having power.

“I will help you, brother. We will be a family again.”

“We will, Scorpan. I promise.”

Scorpan couldn’t feel the lie.

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