Dark Conflict: The Solaris Chronicle

by Six Quills

The Winds of Winterspeak

Chapter 2
The Winds of Winterspeak

It had barely been an hour's flight when the three young alicorns reached the base of the frozen mountains, and temperatures had already dropped drastically. Harsh gusts of wind burst from the various mountain passes and flooded down the slopes of the mountains, kicking up snow in great billowing clouds. The three friends were forced to abandon flight and take to the ground.

"We can't fly beyond this point," Gaia said as he landed. "The winds are too strong. It looks like we'll have to climb the mountain." Solaris nodded his head in agreement, accompanied by a harsh shiver that wracked his body. He turned to the west and noticed that sundown was approaching; the orange glow of the sun slowly disappearing on the horizon.

"I don't think it'll be safe to climb the mountains at night," he explained to his friends. "We should find somewhere to spend the evening."

"I agree, but where?" Selena asked. "Apart from the rocks at the foot of the mountain, this is just an expansive plain." Gaia took this moment to reiterate a previous suggestion.

"Well, as I suggested earlier, I can always carve us a cave in the rock face. I'm sure you can put up with at least one night of sleeping in a dirty cave, Selena." he snickered. Selena replied with no words, but a look of disgust. Reluctantly, she agreed to the suggestion and allowed Gaia to start carving the cave.

It was only a matter of ten minutes until the cave was completed. It wasn't very big, but had enough space to comfortably fit the three of them. Having collected some firewood, Solaris used his magic to spark the wood, creating a fire strong enough to warm the entire cavern. Solaris and Gaia immediately took to their friendly chatter as Selena laid down alone closer to the cave’s entrance.

"So," Gaia spoke. "The town of Winterspeak... Is that spelled as one word, or is it two words? Maybe like Winter's Peak? That sounds understandable, being that it's a cold town on a mountain. Or what if its Winter Speak?"

"Nooo," Solaris replied. "I think it's just one word." The two friends chuckled at their easy banter. They joked with each other for a little while before noticing Selena had been awfully quiet, lying near the cave's entrance all by herself, watching as the winds from the mountains scattered a few flurries of snow across the ground.

"You ever wonder why she's always so distant from everypony?" Gaia whispered. Solaris peeked at her over his shoulder.

"I don't know. It's not like ponies hate her, she just... isolates herself," he whispered back. There were a few seconds of silence, interrupted by Gaia nudging Solaris on the shoulder. At first Solaris didn't know what Gaia was trying to do, but after a few punches and points from his hoof, Solaris got the picture that Gaia wanted him to talk to Selena.

He was quite hesitant at first, making very slow progress and constantly having to look back at Gaia to receive another encouraging gesture. He managed to work up his courage and speak to her.

“Do you mind if I sit with you for a bit?” Solaris asked, trying not to choke on his words.

“No, I guess not,” she replied without even turning her head; her gazed fixed on the falling snow outside. Solaris seated himself down, and a few moments of silence ensued.

“If you don’t mind me asking,” Solaris said after the pause. “Why do you never talk to anypony? You always seem so alone.” Selena shifted her eyes towards Solaris, but her head still remained fixed ahead.

“Sorry, but it’s a personal thing. I don’t like to talk about it,” she replied quietly.

“I’m sorry,” Solaris said as he turned to leave her to her isolation, but Selena stopped him.

“Hey,” she said, this time turning her whole head to look at him. “I’m sorry if I ever seemed stingy to you or Gaia. I really don’t mean it, and… thank you for showing your concern.” Solaris had no idea how to respond, so he gave her a warm smile and a nod of his head before returning to Gaia.

“Not a bad start,” Gaia whispered. “We need to work on lengthening your conversations. I only counted six lines of dialogue there.” Solaris smiled and let out a small chuckle at Gaia’s classic humor, but his current happiness was from the fact that he had just made an emotional connection with Selena for the first time. He knew he had a ways to go before the two could become great friends at the least, but for now he was quite joyous, and for the rest of the night he could do nothing but keep a small smile on his face.

The three of them awoke the next morning to the bright morning sunlight skimming across the cave’s entrance. The warmth from the sun’s rays helped to quell the winds coming from the mountains, so the light snowfall from the night before had stopped, leaving a thin coating of frost on the ground. The fire from the night before had reduced to a small sliver of smoke; the warmth of the cave replaced by a mild chill. Stepping into the sunlight, Solaris turned his attention the peaks above.

"The pathway into the mountains starts somewhere further down the range, but it can't be too far. Winterspeak will easily be a mile or two deep into the mountains, and I can guarantee the storms will be extremely harsh the entire way. We're also disadvantaged in that none of us have eaten since yesterday. I don't know about you, but I'm quite famished. We'll need to make it to the village as quick as possible." While Solaris and Selena were a bit reluctant to start such a long journey on an empty stomach, Gaia happily trotted ahead of them and began the search for the pathway into the mountains.

"I don't understand how you can always be so cheerful, Gaia," Selena mused softly. "It's like you don't even know what it means to be miserable." Gaia laughed at her comment.

"The way I see it, why let the sad stuff in life get you down? To me, life is all about the adventure! And I'm not about to let being hunted, hunger, and a long journey through some cold mountain passes take away my good spirits! Perhaps you should both try to be a little more up-beat! I tell you, it feels wonderful!" Gaia returned to his forward trotting with a large grin on his face. His positive outlook on everything never ceased to amaze Solaris, despite the many years they have known each other, and he could only help but return a large grin himself.

It was only a matter of minutes before the three alicorns stumbled across the entrance into the mountains. The pathway was a beaten path; the only guide to the trail being the trail itself. Up ahead they could see the thick blanket of storms begin to cover up the path, hiding the well-worn ruts in the ground from sight. They began their journey quickly at first, trying to cover as much ground as possible before the storms began to kick in to full strength, but the storms grew more rapidly than they had hoped, and they found themselves linked mouth to tail, struggling to see the passage through the snow. Their progress slowed even more as the snow coverage began to get deeper and deeper as they ventured further into the mountains. Despite the added difficulty, they managed to push themselves onward. They failed, however, to notice a shady figure watching them from a nearby ledge. The figure was nothing more than a soft shadow shrouded by the gusting winds, and the three alicorns didn't take notice of it. Yet, the figure seemed to trail them as they pressed through the storms, keeping just far enough away to hold them within its sights.

"Yor fail tass frike fraf!" Gaia shouted, his mouth holding firmly onto Solaris' tail, muffling his speech. Solaris stopped and swung his head around.

"....What!?" he shouted as Gaia spit Solaris' tail out of his mouth.

"I said your tail tastes like crap!" he shouted against the violent howl of the winds.

"Well sorry, Gaia, but you have to hold on or you could get lost in the storm! The pathway is barely visible as it is." Solaris returned to his forward progression. "How's Selena doing?"

Gaia hadn’t even realized Selena had dropped her hold on his tail, and he turned to find her barely able to stand. The cold weather and fatigue seemed to have finally taken its toll on her. When asked if she was alright, she couldn't even respond.

"She's not doing to good Solaris," Gaia stated. "We should probably carry her. " Solaris nodded and assisted Gaia in hoisting her up on their backs.

"There's probably still another mile to go. Let's hope we can make it." Solaris said as the two of them continued their trek through the mountain pass. The storms had increased to their greatest strength, and the two friends were desperately struggling to tread through the deep snow. The harsh winds were constantly changing directions, throwing the two of them off balance and causing them to falter. They pushed as hard as they could, but soon Solaris found himself reaching Selena's condition. The frigid cold and sharp gusts of wind had finally beaten them down, and Solaris dropped to the ground like stone.

"Come on Solaris," Gaia desperately urged as he nudged Solaris' body. "We can't quit now. We'll die if we don't make it!" Gaia's words fell upon deaf ears, for Solaris was already fully unconscious. In a final brave attempt, Gaia hoisted Solaris and Selena onto his back, and tried his hardest to carry them onwards. Alas, he only made it several feet before collapsing into the snow as well. He shakily reached a hoof forward, as if attempting to drag himself, but it was to no avail. His vision had begun to blur and darken, and any strength he had left in his body was slipping away. However, the last sight he saw before completely blacking out, was a shadowy figure emerging from the gray void of the storms. The figure brought itself to a halt and towered above Gaia. Gaia could easily tell that the figure was a pony of some kind, but it where a thick brown cloak and hood that covered its entire body. Before he could even mutter a sound though, he blacked out, and his face fell flat into the snow.

Solaris' eyes opened to find himself in a cabin-styled room. The walls were made of neatly stacked pine logs, and the floor was a nicely carved layer of evergreen wood. Along the wall furthest from him was a door, also made of pine wood, and on the wall behind roared a magnificent fire inside a deep red brick fireplace, filling the room with a penetrating heat.

Solaris sat up and noticed he was laying on a very comfortable feather filled mattress, and positioned next to him laid Gaia and Selena sprawled out on similar beds. He jumped off his bed and quickly started shaking the two of them awake. They groggily opened their eyes and sat themselves up.

"What happened?" Selena asked as she nursed a small headache.

"I think we all blacked out in the storm," Solaris replied. "How did we get here though?"

"Before I passed out, somepony appeared in front of us. But I was so close to passing out, I wasn't sure if I was just seeing a mirage or something. Looks there actually was someone there." Gaia stated as he moved closer to the fire. "Whoever it was, they saved our lives. We need to thank them."

At that moment, the doorway into the room creaked open, alerting the three of them and causing them to jump in surprise. They stared at the doorway as a figure strolled in. Once fully inside the room, the figure revealed itself as an alicorn. He stood several inches taller than Solaris, he had an almost sky-blue coat, and his mane and tail were mixed streaks of dark blue and black. Upon his flank he bore a raging twister for a cutie mark.

"Oh good, you're awake," the alicorn spoke. "I'm sure you have several questions, but for now they can wait. I'm sure you three must be hungry. Please join us for dinner down the hall." Before waiting for a reply, the alicorn turned and left the room, heading down the hallway. Solaris looked over at Gaia and Selena, who shrugged without a word.

"Alright, let's go I guess." Solaris stated as the three of them left the room and entered the hallway. It was quite a long hallway with a continued cabin theme. The floor was covered in a long, exquisitely designed carpet with various brightly colored patterns, and the walls were decorated with brilliantly crafted brass candlesticks, each holding their own brightly shining candle. At the end of the hallway there were three doors, however one was left open, and the three of them could easily see that inside was the dining hall. Their eyes widened and their mouths dropped open as they saw what laid before them; a magnificent feast, with a seemingly countless number of prepared foods, resting on a fresh white table cloth.

"Feel free to dig in," said a voice from the side of the room, revealed to be the alicorn from before. "There are no formalities needed. We're not high-strung here, unlike some more wealthy places."

The three of them attacked the table as if it was their last meal. Having gone almost two days without eating, they had a hunger that was almost insatiable, and it was easily half an hour of eating before they were satisfied. The blue alicorn had taken a seat at the head of the table, and noticing the three of them finally settling down, began to address them.

"Well, I'm glad you have all gotten your fill," he said with a smile. "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Vortex, and I'm one of the leading figures of Winterspeak."

"Wait," Solaris interjected. "We're in Winterspeak?"

"Yes," Vortex replied. "I was out doing some gathering when I found you three struggling in the storms. I admire your courage for braving these storms without any provisions or clothing, but I had a feeling you weren't going to make it, so I followed you. I caught up to you just as the last of you blacked out. I, along with a couple village members, managed to get you back here to the village, where we immediately began treating you. Had you been out in those storms for just a few minutes longer you all would have perished." Solaris stood up from the table and bowed down to Vortex.

"We can't thank you enough for saving our lives, and even going as far to extend all this hospitality to us. We are forever in your debt." Vortex laughed in response.

"There's no need to thank me," he said. "I was just doing what any kind-hearted creature would have done. And no need to thank us for the hospitality either. We are quite a generous group." Vortex paused for a moment. "So tell me, what are your names, and what brings you to Winterspeak?"

"My name is Solaris, and this is Gaia and Selena. We're from the village of Haven, just a few miles south of the mountains. We came to Winterspeak to warn you of a military effort by Emperor Malicious Shadow. He is sending military legions all across Equestria, and any alicorn they find will be taken back to his coliseum. He claims he just wants to 'register' them, but we all know anything ever related to the coliseum was nothing but violence and bloodshed. Any alicorns you have living in this village, including yourself, need to find safety immediately, for it is only a matter of time before the Emperor's soldiers will reach this place." Solaris waited as Vortex pondered and processed everything he had just heard. Although visits from the Emperor's subordinates were rare, it has happened in the past, and he knew they could quickly traverse the mountain pass.

"Well this is terrible news indeed," he finally said. "Luckily I'm the only alicorn resident of Winterspeak, and even further still, I know exactly where we can go to be safe. For now, I want the three of you to go back to your room and rest. I'll have some of the villagers prepare us some saddle bags and provisions for the journey. We'll leave first thing in the morning." Vortex stood up from his chair and left the dining hall, leaving Solaris and the others alone in the dining room.

"I guess we just return to our room," Solaris explained, feeling quite exhausted, despite the horde of food he had just ate. "He seems to have things covered." Three of them returned to their room and slept heavily through the night. After sleeping in a dreary cave, and having to hike in freezing weather, they were quite drained.

Morning came, and the three were awoken by Vortex.

"I hate to wake you, but it's time to go." he said quietly as they opened their eyes. With a good night's rest, they were easily able to get up and follow Vortex through the cabin and out into the village, where they got their first look at Winterspeak.

The village was entirely inhabited by pegasus ponies, which came to no surprise as pegasi were known to live in colder temperatures. The village itself was lined with cabins and other logged buildings, all constructed into the mountainside. The streets were only a few inches deep with snow, and everything was illuminated by soft, yet brightly glowing oil lamps. Even the winds barely gusted through, and the snowfall was light, yet abundant.

Vortex led them to a pegasus who was waiting by a cart filled with saddle bags, cloaks and provisions for a long journey. The pony didn't speak, but immediately began to throw the packs and cloaks on the four alicorns in a hurried fashion.

"This will be a bit of a long journey," Vortex explained as the pegasus tightened his saddle bags. "We have enough provisions to last us the way, but we need to move swiftly."

When the pegasus was finished, Vortex shook his hoof in thanks and waved as he carted away. Vortex lead them through the village, which showed to not be very large, and quickly found themselves on a path leaving the village. Gaia happened to look at a sign as they passed the villages border that read 'The Village of Winterspeak'.

"Huh, whaddya know," he said in self amusement. "It IS one word." Gaia couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

"So Vortex," Solaris asked. "What is this place we're going to?" Vortex didn't even turn his head when he answered. He kept his eyes straight and focused on the path before him.

"... The Sanctum."

Comments

[chaos2012]

NEW CHAPTER!!!!!

Good so far. I like it

[Six Quills]

1360760

Thanks lol. I apologize for such a long delay to get it posted, but I had to deal with too much crap this past month. Hopefully all future chapters will be out much sooner.