Aurthur visits Equestria

by James Fire

Exploring

Now that the cloning vat is set up, I just need to wait for the new body to be constructed. I should find somewhere I can hide all my equipment, the consciousness transference device doesn't fit in my ship when set up. I saw that thick forest to the east of Ponyville, maybe I should try there. Or maybe a mountainside, there are a few of them around here.

The forest is probably the best place to hide. Tall trees, very thick, covers a wide area. Should be a good spot to hide my equipment.

Doing some quick calculations from my observations, I teleport myself to just above the treetops. Holding myself there, I get a closer look at the forest. It is very thick, would be nigh on impossible to put my ship in there without clearing some of it. But I do see a clearing nearby. I should go check it out. But before I go anywhere, I use magical senses to get the lay of the land, as well as it relative health. I find that one of the major magic points on this planet is close by, and seems to be near, or in, the clearing. There is also powerful magic there, that I know from experience to be caused by the recent or current presence of powerful magical runes. That clearing just got a whole lot more interesting.

Landing on the ground, I orient myself towards the clearing, and start walking, keeping my magical senses open for anything living. Stopping dead, I hear a rustling of the bushes. Listening intently, I also use magical senses to observe. Pile of wood, glowing with mana power. It would appear that there is a source of rampant magic in this forest, maybe I could find it. But the feel of the magic that is animating the wood is not the same as what I felt in the clearing, so I don't think that is causing it.

The wood springs at me, I fire a bolt of energy at it. The bolt completely disintegrates it, and the ash that is left falls to the ground. Hmmm, I don't think I needed to use that much mana. Oh well, continue moving. Nothing else crosses my path as I move silently through the woods. Coming upon the clearing, I see the ruins of a castle. The runic emanations are coming from within, but the major magic point is in the gorge that is between me and the castle. I decide to check the major magic point first. I walk up to the edge of the gorge, and find stairs carved into the rock. Descending, I feel the power growing stronger, as well as the runic aura getting stronger. It would appear that there are magical runes here too.

Reaching the bottom of the gorge, I see a glow coming from a cave off to the right. I enter the cave, and find a glowing tree.

The aura coming off this tree is more powerful than I am, but not the most powerful thing I have seen. That title goes to the runic elements of magic back home. The main aura is coming from the runes embedded in the tree.

Getting closer, I notice the shape of the runes; an apple, a lightning bolt, a butterfly, a gem, and a balloon, with a six-pointed star in the center. These runes all have a direct connection to the plane of magic, just like I do, but each one has a weaker connection than me. However, it seems that they are meant to be used together, as their planar connections are intertwined. They are also tightly bound to the tree. Moving up to the tree, I get a closer look, and determine that removing one of the runes will not hurt anything. As such, I attempt to remove one of the runes for more intense study.

The runes light up, and throw me out of the cave, into the wall on the opposite side of the gorge. Oww, that hurt. Nothing I can't handle, but it hurt, and I'm going to have a nice collection of bruises. If that's how it reacts, then I will leave it alone for now. Climbing the stairs and crossing the bridge, I enter the ruins.

The ruins are old, not as old as me, but old. I can feel the power of the ancient stones, as well as the strength of the nearby runes. I wander around, trying to find the runes that are giving off so much power. Turning a corner, I run into a white unicorn.

"Sorry darling. I wasn't watching where I was going." And you still aren't.

"That's quite alright, it happens when going around corners." Not recognizing the voice, she looks up and gazes in amazement and wonder.

"What are you? Who are you?"

"I am Aurthur Issaria, and a human. I am looking for powerful magical items in these ruins. I can sense them, and they are close."

"Oh! Perhaps you mean the Elements of Harmony? Sorry, forgive me, I should introduce myself. I am Rarity, fashionista extraordinaire!."

"All well and good, but what was that about 'Elements of Harmony'?"

"Oh yes! The Elements may be what you are sensing, I can't not sense them at this proximity either. They are in the Tree of Harmony, down in a cave in the gorge."

"I found that Tree already. I know what it's aura feels like. I am sensing something else. Are there any magical workrooms around here?"

"I don't know. I have not seen anything that looks like a workroom, but I have also not seen the whole castle."

"Okay, thanks anyway. I am going to continue looking." We part ways, I continue in the direction I was heading. Now that I am deep in the ruins, I can feel two distinct auras coming from opposite sides of the castle. That may be why it was so hard for me to find. Since I can distinguish the auras, I am now able to locate them. I move quickly, going from the center of the ruins to one of the edges. I find what looks like used to be a bedroom with a balcony on the one wall. Moving over to it, I find what I am looking for: a circle of runes embedded in the floor, glowing with power. But only glowing to Mage-sight, which could explain why it hasn't been found yet.

Pulling a toolbox out of my bag, I prepare to remove the runes. Using pliers to bend the prongs after weakening them with magic, I carefully pull out the first, and largest, rune. The symbols on it are just for linking to the other runes in the circle, and for allowing whoever is in the circle to draw on their combined mana reserves. Whoever used this was putting out some fairly powerful spells, even with just the power of the runes here. Pulling out a jewellers magnifying glass, I take a closer look at the crystal. Very few imperfections mar the surface, but scratches are to be expected from being on the floor. I cannot see any other flaws in the crystal, meaning these are artificial.

Pulling out the rest of them, there are twenty in total, I find the same thing on all of them. I should take them back, to see what crystal they are made of. I then sense a teleportation spell about to go off. Quickly pushing the ancient runes into a circle around me, I also whip out two of my runes. My shield rune, and some random one. Hmm, just a simple lightning rune. It'll do. The teleport finishes, placing a chimera-type being into the room. Looking through Mage-sight, I see it has as much power as me, but the magical signature is not one I recognize.

"Well hello interloper!"

Comments

[Boulder]

Poor little Timberwolf, with his amount of magic he could have enthralled it and had a pet,
(I'm going to regret this!) and call him 'Barky'.

[James Fire]

7745179
Ponies don't seem to take kindly to Timberwolves. But then again, Aurthur doesn't know that. And he already has a pet, back in Vale City of course.