Unmarked

by Croswynd

Chapter 16: Tombfeather

Chapter 16: Tombfeather

The doorway was large, even moreso than the entrance that led into the unfinished Aerie. It looked ancient, much older than the rest of the mountain’s ruins with its weathered stone chipped and pitted from the picks of builders, treasure hunters, and thrill seekers alike. Strange markings adorned the sides of it, the doors themselves carved in the likeness of what vaguely seemed to be a winged animal. Privately, Novell was unsettled by how similar most of the shapes were to a Hippogryph.

Muttering drew the pegasus’ attention away from the strange archway, his eyes alighting on the source of the noise. Professor Search had been laying in front of the doorway with his tattered notebook floating beside him for the past few hours, glancing between the two objects every so often before making another scribble.

Novell wearily rubbed his eyes, staring up at the low ceiling of the corridor they had entered in search of the ‘inner aerie’. Rell had compliantly led them to it after extracting a promise from each of them not to speak a word of her ward. That the griffon was willingly bringing up an enemy of her people was shocking, but at the same time it was heartwarming. Her behavior had to mean not all griffons wanted war, nor the amount Kalyn’s little sister seemed to believe. At least, that’s what I’m hoping.

Shaking the thoughts away, Novell let his eyes drop to the two griffons talking quietly to one another near the entrance to the Aerie’s proper. Kalyn had immediately pulled his nestmate aside, arguing quietly with her. The hippogryph youngling, however, was curiously roaming back and forth down the hall, inspecting the walls and watching the rest of Novell’s party from afar with its curious eyes.

“It’s looking at you again,” Quills whispered from beside him.

The pegasus nodded, giving the hippogryph a small smile. It- he, Novell corrected himself, gave a tiny squawk and glanced away, retreating toward his surrogate mother. Novell’s grin widened at that, remembering how shy he himself had been when he had been just a foal.

“What are you thinking?” the filly asked quietly, the fifth time she had repeated the question.

Novell glanced at Quills out of the corner of his eye, wondering if this was how she expressed her boredom. “Just remembering how I used to be. That little hippogryph seems like any other youngling I’ve met.”

“Except it’s going to grow up to be something even griffons dread.”

The pegasus stretched his wings out, flapping them gently to feel the air between his pinions. “I think you know that’s not true. Rell’s a warrior, sure, but she seems to love Rez. That has to have an effect on how he’ll grow up.”

Quills sighed. “I don’t know if it’s true or not. There have been some documented cases in the past that detail the way one is raised to be the most important factor in how any animal or being grows up to be. But it’s not always true. Nature takes its own course.”

“But life finds a way,” Novell mused. “You told me before that the hippogryphs were intelligent, right?”

“Actually, I think Skycrasher told you that,” the filly corrected, “but yes, that is a fact. They can speak and reason, but they are little more than savages compared to a griffon or a pony.”

Novell nodded absently at that. “Has no one tried to raise a hippogryph before?”

Quills hesitated, the far off look of her rummaging around through her photographic memory returning. “No attempt has been documented.”

“Why not?”

“Hippogryphs would never let an outsider take their eggs. They guard them fiercely and any that are stolen are quickly brought back by whatever means necessary,” the filly replied. “Some say that there’s magic involved, that hippogryphs can sense an egg or a youngling for an unprecedented distance. Still, no exact measurement has been recorded, so it can’t be confirmed.”

“So why is this one different?” Novell muttered to himself, puzzling out the problem in his head. He was supposed to have an eye for potential, to see how things worked. But I don’t see anything when I look at this hippogryph chick. What were the possibilities here? Why could he not see them?

Those thoughts bothered him more than any difficulties they could face trying to rescue Quills’ mother. They were doubts, chipping slowly away at the certainty that he had finally found his place in life. As always, it reminded him of Havoc’s offer above the mountain prison. To have everything you ever want, to see all the things that can be seen, and to know it is all at the wave of a hoof...

Novell gritted his teeth and expelled the thoughts from his mind. There was no use thinking about such things. He wasn’t about to let himself become a pawn for Havoc just because he felt a few anxieties. After a moment of peace, though, he could feel the doubts worming their way back in, balefully chipping away at his determination.

A cool, familiar feeling resonated in his mind then, cutting away his worries with detached precision. The pegasus sent Pensive a grateful glance, but the unicorn was paying him no physical attention. Instead, he was looking up at the snail on his head with an air of bemusement. Whisper was curled up close by, having fallen into a boredom-induced slumber.
Novell crinkled his eyes together, the burning sensation he had been feeling only increasing as he blinked. Sleep was sounding ever more enticing the more he sat there and waited for the Professor to finish...whatever it was he was doing. Guess I better check on him to make sure he’s not being distracted by something, Novell thought with a yawn.

Sighing, the pegasus stood up and hopped to the floor from the rock platform he had been laying on with Quills. His wings flared open, steadying him as he stumbled on numb legs, circulation slowly returning. Ruefully glad Whisper wasn’t there to comment on his graceless landing, the pegasus walked toward the old unicorn.

“Professor?” Novell asked.

The unicorn ignored him, muttering incessantly as he peered at the strange runes. Frowning, Novell strode closer, ever bemused at the singular interest the Professor took to his work. The moment his hoof touched the cool, onyx floor, a glint of light caught his eye from the left. His step faltered as he realized what he was seeing, a sense of familiarity rushing through him.

As if it had always been there, another pony was sitting next to the unicorn, staring intently at the door and quietly responding to the Professor’s muttered words. Its voice was like a windchime in the cold winter air, dulcet tones pleasing to his ears. Strands of the pony’s mane blew in some kind of invisible wind, whisping away at the edges as if a cloud in morning sunlight. A silver outline with a nearly transparent coat gleamed in directionless light, the softness reminding him of a full moon uncluttered by the lights of a town.

Along with the sights came a slight chiming hum and a feeling of memories being unlocked in his mind. The promise he had made flitted through his head, the pegasus now totally aware to whom it had been made. Novell gasped.

Just like that, the spell was broken. The chime fell into a discordant note, both of the ponies turning to stare at him; one was the ageless gaze of a timeless being and the other an old stare filled with memories of a long life. He felt small under their combined attention, pinned in place. Then the former faded away into mist, Novell’s memories likewise slipping away from him.

The pegasus stood in place, frowning, glancing at the Professor’s left side. What am I looking for?

“Novell,” the unicorn said, his joints creaking as he regained his hooves. “Was there something you need, my boy?”

Still staring at the spot, the young pony’s frown deepened. “Just wondering if you were almost done...”

Professor Search glanced at his right, following the pegasus’ gaze. “Something wrong?”

“No,” Novell said after a moment, dismissing the strange feeling and meeting the unicorn’s gaze with a strange sense of discomfort. “Have you found a way inside?”

The Professor brightened up at that, nodding and gesturing toward the doorway. “I have! In point of fact, I figured out the way to open it hours ago. I have just been studying the runes on the side of the door to make sure it can be opened safely. Old ruins such as these have a ghastly amount of traps, you know.”

Novell had just been about to object, but he stopped himself at those last words. “That would probably be nice, not having something exploding when we open the door.”

“What’s this about exploding?” Kalyn asked, suddenly right beside the pegasus.

“Wah!” Novell shouted, his wings opening up instinctively as he jumped a foot in the air. When he landed, he glared up at the tinker. “Don’t do that!”

Kalyn managed to look apologetic. “Sorry about that. Force of habit in places I’m not familiar with. Helps with hunting.”

Professor Search cleared his throat, drawing their attention. “Yes, yes, igniting ourselves so early into this endeavour would be rather regrettable. Therefore, as I was saying, I have been studying the runes and found the key to opening the doorway without triggering anything. I have also learned that this door has been opened at least twice in the last ten years.”

“How could you possibly know that?” Quills wondered aloud, joining them.

A look of guilt passed over the unicorn’s face, but was quickly hidden. “Because the runes tell the story of the entrance. Its creation, its use, its list of traps - even how many times it has been opened.” The Professor pointed at one of the markings on the right side of the door. “See here, for instance. This one is newer than the others, less pitted and marred. It’s a date - a recent one.”

“You said it’s been opened twice lately?” Novell repeated curiously. “What did you mean by that? Your friend was one, but how long ago was the other?”

Nodding, Professor Search moved his hoof up to the marking above the bottom one. “This one, here, is another date. I believe it is the one that lists my...friend’s entrance.”

“How recent is the last one?” Quills asked pointedly, squinting at the rune in question. “Wait, that’s an old pony glyph. One from...”

After she trailed off, Novell spoke up with a feeling of dread, “From what?”

“From when,” the Professor corrected gravely. “It’s from the time before the two Princesses ruled Equestria. It took me longer to understand than the other ones, because it was so old, despite being the most recent. Judging from how the magic works, the language used to mark your passage is one from which you know most intimately. For Amber’s, it was the language she studied most intently - Ancient Camelic. But for this one, the being who passed through the door had to be either an expert on the language, or is ancient enough to have used it themselves.”

Novell drew in a sharp breath, though not at the last mystery. His attention was on Quills, whose face had just become even paler than a sheet of parchment. The filly stood stock still, her eyes glazed over and her mouth hanging open in realization. Then her eyes moved, a rage blazing inside of her that the pegasus could feel from where he was directed at Professor Search.

“Your friend...” Quills whispered waveringly, vibrating with anger. “Your friend?”

The old unicorn froze, his face draining of color as he became aware of his slip. “My dear, I...”

The filly gritted her teeth, spitting the researcher with the force of her glare. “Your friend is named Amber? As in Amber Fossil?” Her voice only continued to increase in volume, catching the attention of the rest of the party. “You’re telling me that the pony we’re trying to save,” Quills thundered, taking a threatening step forward and prompting the Professor to move backward defensively. “The pony you are keeping so secret,” Search’s flank bumped into the nearest wall, but his head was forced to continue as Quills got within centimeters of his face, “is my mother?”

Whisper finally woke up at the last, gazing blearily at the scene while Pensive transferred the snail to her head with a flick of magic. The unicorn moved to stop the fight, but Novell shook his head.

“I trusted you!” the filly’s voice continued full blast, causing Search to flinch, before lowering once more, her anger seemingly subsiding. “I...trusted you, finally.” Her gaze averted from his, and she backed off. “I thought Novell was right, that maybe you weren’t to blame for...for my mom.” She stopped talking and glanced at the floor, her bottom lip trembling.

Professor Search started to speak, “Quills, I-.”

“Shut up! Shut up! Just... shut up,” the filly said the last in a whisper before glancing up at the old unicorn with cold determination. “We’re going to save my mother. You’re not going to speak to her. You’re not going to say a thing to her. Then we’re going to leave. Me, Scrolls, and my mom. We’re going to go back to Canterlot and you’re going to stay away from her forever.”

The following silence in the room was as dead as the aerie’s empty halls. Finally, the Professor nodded, his face stone. “I understand. I’ll not speak to her again.”

Quills gritted her teeth again, her brow furrowed with scorn. Novell could tell she was fighting another outburst, but she just sighed instead. “Just open the door and let’s get on with this.”

“You’re going to have to trust me for the rest of the way,” the unicorn said matter of factly.

The filly glanced up at him, weariness out of place with her age plain in her eyes. “I’ll trust you with my life until we find my mom, because I have to and I know you want to rescue her as much as I do. But you’ll not have my friendship.”

The Professor seemed at a loss for a moment. Novell felt his own heart break at her words, but the unicorn just steeled himself and nodded. “Those terms are acceptable, then. I’ll open the door.”

Novell and the rest remained quiet as the unicorn walked around Quills and stopped in front of the entrance. Closing his eyes, the old pony’s horn began to glow, softly at first and then with increasing luminosity. After a few moments, tiny sparks flared to life at the base of the Professor’s horn, popping out like tiny shooting stars before winking out when they left the field of magical energy.

A grinding sound came from the door, the markings and carvings on the massive threshold glowing, casting the assembled party in an eerie green light. The etched forms of hippogryphs seemed to come to life with the light, moving and squirming as if trying to break free from their prison of stone. Novell’s stomach turned at that, wondering not for the first time who had really built this place - this tomb in the heart of a broken mountain.

With a rumbling reluctance, a seam appeared in the middle of the doorway, the two massive sheets of rock scraping the floor on their way open. A few seconds later, the slabs were gone, seemingly devoured by the doorway’s frame. A rush of air passed them by, carrying with it the mustiness of a place forgotten. A small part of the pegasus sparked to life at the smell, curiosity blooming in his mind at the possibilities of what they’d find inside.

He clamped down on his excitement, tempering it with the remembrance that although there might be heretofore unseen wonders hidden within, there were also traps and pitfalls to keep ponies like him from finding them. Not to mention the fact that we’re here for Quills’ mom, not treasures, Novell thought with a glance at the filly.

“Follow me, step where I step and be careful,” the Professor cautioned, moving forward into the darkness with nothing but his horn to light the way.

The rest of them followed him in single file, looking nervously around as they entered. Another light, this one teal, sprang up from behind them as Pensive brought up the rear. Their hoofsteps echoed loudly in the enclosed space, the rasping click of claws joining them from their avian companions. Novell looked backward, surprised to see Rell and Rez continuing with them. The pale griffon stared back at him challengingly, her eyes saying what her beak did not - I’m staying with you until we find what you’re looking for.

Novell grimaced, but acquiesced silently to Rell’s choice, even though he was more concerned for the young Hippogryph than any threat the griffon made. Judging from the way the Professor had warned them to follow him exactly, any deviation had the potential to be fatal. Chicks weren’t known for following orders well or stifling their curiosity. He sure hadn’t been that way when he was a foal.

“The door will close in a few seconds. Do not be alarmed,” Professor Search said, just as the sound of grinding stone echoed toward them. “It can be opened the same way from the inside.”

Rell was the first to ask the obvious. “And if you don’t make it back with the rest of us?”

The unicorn looked back at the griffon. “Pensive knows the spell now that he’s seen it. If worst comes to worst, well, there were never any guarantees.”

“Oh, wonderful,” Whisper grumbled, the first she’d spoken since waking up. “I’ve always wanted to be trapped in a mountain.”

Novell waited for somepony to send a sarcastic comment back at the mare’s words, but none came. The atmosphere inthe party was cold, trust and warmth between the members small with the argument that had preceded their entrance. The pegasus held back an exasperated sigh - all the work that had gone into forming bonds was weakening.

They continued on, the blank walls adorned every few meters with sconces that had once held a cheerful flame but now only clutched at the darkness they had been in for centuries. Novell shuddered at the thought of being trapped inside the mountain for those many years, nothing but spiders and cobwebs to keep him company. He noticed Whisper and the two griffons react the same way, their wings bunching up with nervous energy. Rez, however, just followed at his adopted mother’s heels, unaware of the danger or troubled by dark thoughts. Novell envied him.

The griffon caught him staring at her adopted son, but instead of glaring at him like before, she spoke with a curious tone. “Pegasus?”

“My name’s Novell,” the pegasus supplied cautiously, starting to feel a little queasy in the tomb’s dank air.

“Novell, then,” Rell repeated. “Why do you not have a mark like the other ponies I have met? It is...curious.”

He smiled humorlessly. “Curious, huh? That’s probably the nicest thing anypony’s ever said about me when they found out I don’t have a cutie mark.”

“Then it is rare for ponies?”

Novell shook his head, glancing down at the stone floor and noticing the designs inlaid there. “Rare’s an understatement. I’m the only pony I’ve met who hasn’t had one as an adult. But in a way, I believe the blankness is my mark - potential to do anything, to ‘see and shape’ as somepony told me once.” The pegasus frowned and furrowed his brow. “Though I can’t remember who told me that.”

“Your talent is everything?” Rell asked skeptically, the click of her claws sending shivers down Novell’s back. “That seems either wishful thinking or the height of arrogance to me, but then I do not understand how you ponies work. We griffons know our place through the wisdom of our Matriarch, rather than the magic that illuminates your path.”

“Poetic, for a warrior,” the pegasus returned, her words eating at him. “I don’t think I’m arrogant. At least, I’ve never thought I was better than anypony else. Usually I just imagine I’m less than anypony.”

Novell heard the griffon click her beak together. “Wishful thinking then.”

Before he could open his mouth in retort, the pegasus ran into Kalyn, almost knocking off the griffon’s pack. “Err, sorry.”

“Do you feel that?” Kalyn asked, causing the Professor to stop and turn around curiously. “Something’s watching us.”

“Something? I don’t feel anything,” Whisper’s voice called from the back of the line.

Novell glanced backward at Rell and gave her a questioning look. The griffon nodded and growled deep in her throat, grabbing her son and placing him on her back. “Kalyn’s right. Call it hunter’s instinct.”

The pegasus rustled his wings uncomfortably, peering at his surroundings with a hint of nervousness. He didn’t feel anything – but then, he also wasn’t a hunter like the griffons were. Suddenly, he felt the urge to spread his wings and dash away as fast as possible. Novell quashed the impulse with difficulty.

“Well, there’s nothing to do but go on,” Quills ventured. “Let’s keep mo-.”

Before she could finish, something black wrapped around her hoof and pulled the filly unsteadily forward. Kalyn reacted first, leaping forward to slice at the thing holding onto Quill’s leg with a claw and severing it. A second later, more rope-like cords shot out to grab the griffon, latching on to a wing and paw.

“Kalyn!” Rell roared, leaping forward as the tentacles began to draw her clutchmate into the darkness. Whisper ran forward to help, sending a quick burst of wind in the direction the cords were coming from while Pensive sliced at one reaching toward the mare. A great hiss erupted from the darkness, mixing with the pained roars from its would-be captive.

“Get off of me!” the tinker gritted out as he rolled and struggled against the shades. Rell finally caught up to her friend, slicing with quick precision and freeing the suddenly weak griffon from his entrapment. Whisper flexed her wings again, pushing back against the sudden mass of snake-like forms long enough for Rell to half-drag, half carry Kalyn back to the rest of the party.

“Everypony, inside the light!” Professor Search called urgently to the two ponies covering the retreat. “Pensive, shield spell!”

“As you command, Elder.” A pale blue aura of magic came from the younger unicorn, forming a bubble that surrounded all of them in its protective envelope. Immediately, the cords began to lash at the semi circle of magic, snapping like a whip with each strike. Then the Professor’s light grew brighter, momentarily driving back both the gloom and the hissing shades.

Novell huddled near the two griffons, staring out at the deadly shadows with Rez tucked between his forehooves. “What are they?”

“Nightvines,” the Professor supplied ominously. “They frequent tombs and graves, feeding on the bodies of both dead and living. Draws out your life force. It is another species of the magivascular plants - one of the deadliest kind. They’ll stay at the edge of the light, though, at least for awhile. They hate it.”

“If they’re plants, why are they moving like that?” Whisper asked, her voice strained. “Plants are supposed to stay in one place. Not grab you and drag you away.”

“Some vines move,” Novell argued. “Why do you think they creep up fences and houses?”

“I don’t know. I never thought about plants,” she spat. “They’re supposed to just be food.”

“I wouldn’t suggest trying to eat these,” Kalyn put in with a wince. “You’re bound to end up on the other side of the hunt. My wing’s gone numb and I can’t feel my claw either.” He shifted his focus to the earth pony he’d saved. “You okay, Quills?”

“F-fine. I’m fine,” the filly snapped, her eyes wide and body shuddering. “Scrolls...”

Suddenly the shield collapsed around them, the hissing growing louder. Before any of them could react, the brilliant teal field lit back up. One of the swifter Nightvines was severed as it attempted to grab at them, the twitching end falling to the ground in front of Novell and eliciting a small scream from Quills. He stamped on it without thinking, instantly feeling a cold pull on his hoof. The pegasus sprang back with a cry, into Rell’s waiting claws.

“Thanks,” Novell muttered, shuddering as he stared at the twitching vine. A second later it disappeared into a black smoke with one last hiss. “Pensive?”

“Concentrating is...difficult,” the teal unicorn replied with difficulty. “But I have it now.”

A small warbling cry came from behind Novell and he craned his neck to look back. He saw the hippogryph chick suddenly on Rell’s leonine back, clutching tightly to the griffon with sharp claws. Novell grimaced and said, “Don’t worry, little guy. They won’t get you.”

Rez looked up at him with wide eyes, light from the shield and the Professor’s horn reflecting the curiosity there. “Scared.”

“It...it can talk?” Quills asked hysterically, still shaking uncontrollably.

“Yes, he can talk,” Rell muttered angrily at the filly while keeping her eyes on the Nightvines. “All hippogryphs have the ability. They just prefer to speak in their own tongue.”

Quills glared at the griffon, redirecting her fear. “I know that. I meant, it- he’s a chick. I just didn’t expect him to be able to speak yet.”

“Not that important right now,” Whisper broke in over another blast of wind. “We’re kind of being attacked by plants that want to eat us. Argue later. Run now.”

“But then... you will... miss... the shortcut,” a slow, labored voice called from the darkness, bringing everypony to a halt before they could even move.

Novell stared down the corridor where the Nightvines were coming from, the tendrils of shadow suddenly subdued and no longer lashing about furiously. Slowly, a shape materialized out of the darkness, the click of claws against stone loud in the sudden silence. A whitewashed claw stepped into the light, followed by a large, straight beak pitted with worm-ridden holes. Twin pinpricks of green light stared out at them, a barely constrained hunger visible in their depths.

The body stepped further into the light, dragging a ragged cloth behind it that looked like the remains of a burial shroud. Ghastly smoke the color of its eyes poured out of the beak with each slow breath. Bone shone white where skin should have been, a miasma of unnatural magic shining from the rib cage and along the rune-carved set of antlers towering above its head. One of the Nightvines twisted sinuously around one set, weaving in and out of the may prongs with an easy familarity.

Warning growls from the two griffons beside him rumbled on the edge of hearing, their instincts kicking in with the new shape stopping just before the shield. The monstrous ghoul lowered its head until its beak was almost touching the field of energy, its green eyes swiveling in its sockets like two jade crystals as it took them all in. One of its claws absently petted the tendril curled on its head.

“Good morrow, little... ponies,” the skeletal hippogryph grated out with a touch of morbid humor. “Or... is it still dark? One can... never tell under... the... mountain. Troublesome the... the ways time moves... within the stone and... and rock.”

“What are you?” Quills asked brusquely, coming within a millimeter of the shield separating them from the ghoul and staring right into its ghostly orbs. Novell was once more amazed at how the filly seemed to break through her fears with an iron hoof, this time coming literally face to face with one of them.

The monstrous form drew back its head until the antlers on its skull scraped against the ceiling, sending a shower of thousand year old dust falling about its decrepit form. A deep, rolling chuckle interrupted by wheezes and coughs echoed queerly in the small space, keeping in time with the exhalations of noxious smoke. “I? I... am Tombfeather. And you... my fiery little... pony?”

“I didn’t ask who you were. I asked what you are,” the filly snarled in reply, a faint trembling in her legs betraying how frightened she actually was.

Tombfeather clicked his beak and exhaled another batch of green miasma, which dissipated when it touched the shield. “Apologies... little one. It is often... difficult... to hear or see after death, such... such as it is.” He paused, turning his head to the side so it could focus its one green eye at the filly. “I was a... shaman... in life. A Hippogryph... before being... being interred here. As I was... in life a guide, so too am... am I one in that which... comes after.”

“A draugr, then?” Professor Search piped up, his formally neutral tone holding some interest in it now.

The skeleton swiveled his eye toward the unicorn. “I do not... know that word. Suffice to say... I am here as you are. Might I ask... why you disturb my race’s... rest? Especially with these... griffons.”

“They are... guides, too, of a sort,” the Professor said placatingly. “We needed someone familiar with the Aerie to help us find our way around.”

Again, that bone-chilling chuckle resounded through the hallway, the Nightvines’ hissing growing in volume before settling down once more. “No... griffon has been down... has been down here before. Magic is... required to... to open the way in. The eggbreakers... do not have such things.”

“We are not eggbreakers!” Rell cried out fiercely, causing the Nightvines to momentarily thrash in an agitated frenzy.

“Is that... so?” Tombfeather glared at the griffon through the shield, tapping the field with one ghostly claw. A few of the tendrils coiled about the leg hissed from the contact, shying away into the dark recesses of the ghoul’s body. “A trade was... made. A pact... was broken. So the griffons... became eggbreakers. You cannot... deny this. It is... written in the bones of these... halls!”

With a stomp belying the slowness of his speech, the ghoul twisted around and nodded his head toward the wall, antlers touching old stone. Sickly green magic began at the base of the hippogryph’s skull, travelling up the bony projections with a faint glow. Suddenly the wall seemed to pulse with the same haunting illumination, rivers of phosphorus light flowing into the cracks and pits Novell had noticed before in the walls.

Then he realized the lines were too defined to be natural, creating shapes and figures enticingly familiar to the pegasus. He recalled the door on the way in, remembering how the carvings seemed to almost breath and move in their stone prison, forming the memories of times long forgotten by all but the earth. These forms were one and the same, remnants of a master crafter’s depictions of hippogryphs, griffons, and even dragons.

The last surprised the pegasus more than the other two, the mystic smoke taking the shapes and causing them to move, twisting and roaring with phosphorous fire spewing from their gullets. Mountains were swarmed by thousands of the draconic shapes, carved out and used as little more than treasure hoards. Griffons and hippogryphs fought against them in their ghostly forms, falling to talons and crushing jaws.

Echoes of the battle rumbled through Novell’s mind as he watched the events play out in front of him, all thought of his immediate danger leaving his mind. Fire guttered and burned the forests that spanned the valleys between the frosty peaks along with their residents. Wooden villages built into the very trees and swamps crackled in the heat, hippogryphs roaring in rage as they returned to find their homes nothing but ash.

Their eyes lifted skyward, where the many shapes of leonine griffons swarmed the massive bulk of a dragon, scores falling to the earth and dragging the reptile from the air. Storms and lightning speared through the wings and bodies of dragons both large and small, directed with purpose by the antlered shapes flitting about.

Then the scene fell away, the steady hiss of the Nightvines all that remained of the roaring of dragons and screams of rage. Novell took a deep breath, suddenly finding himself light headed.

“You see? You see!” Tombfeather growled. “We fought... beside them. Trusted the griffons! Formed... a pact! Traded our eggs as faith! Yet that, too, was broken!”

Again the ghoul touched his antlers to the stone, banging and cracking one of the prongs in his furious haste. Once more the sinister magic darted into the shapes, filling the stone with its astral projections. This time, the scene shifted more rapidly.

Two ovals Novell recognized as eggs were held outstretched by both races, lightning diving between them and causing the scene to disappear with a flash. The next images came swiftly - more fighting, time passing, the tender peace holding. The dragons were sent back through combined efforts, martial strength and magical might working together.

Shadows appeared between the claw and the antler, the faint echo of gleeful laughter following one of the eggs, grasping it, and crushing it with a sickening squish. Rage flew through the images, green light flashing red, griffon and hippogryph raking at each other with their claws while the dragons brooded from their mountaintops.

The images disappeared with a slice of a claw through the smoke, Tombfeather’s features glowing ominously in its place. “Eggbreakers! Traitors! You let them in, you let them-”

“Scared!”

The cry of the hippogryph hatchling cut through the tension like a knife, silencing even the omnipresent hissing. Tombfeather froze in place, his claw hanging above the shield, poised to strike. Kalyn and Rell had already darted forward to ward away the attack, Quills suddenly behind the two predators. But the sound of Rez’ voice brought everything to a standstill.

Novell’s heart caught in his throat as he glanced at the living hippogryph shivering in the center of the bubble, Whisper holding one wing over him in protection. Pensive and the Professor were both concentrating on their respective spells, their eyes squeezed shut.

“A... hippogryph... youngling,” Tombfeather’s resonant voice whispered in awe. “With two griffons? Has the world... so changed since I last... was alive? My kind would not... allow one to be... taken from its... mother.”

“I am his mother,” Rell snarled. “You will not harm him, beast.”

The ghoul drew back in surprise, the hissing returning. “You? Why would I... no, no... this is... but what else... could it be?” Tombfeather clicked his beak together and turned around, muttering to himself. “I must... prepare. This sense... it is time. Of course... it is time. So she said.”

“Wait! Where are you going?” Whisper called out after the hippogryph disappointedly. “I thought we were about to fight!”

The monster didn’t answer as it disappeared into the gloom, the tendrils of the Nightvines remaining where they were. Novell watched them for a few moments, wondering if and when they would attack again. Deciding it was better to not find out, he turned to the others.

“We should follow him and get away from these... plants while we can.”

Rell whirled around in surprise, raising a claw to hug her adopted son when he ran toward her. “Are you crazy? Follow a hi-,” she paused, glancing down at her son. “A dead thing? That’s madness.”

“I agree with her, Blankie. Following it seems like a dumb thing to do,” Whisper said seriously. “And that’s coming from me.”

“Well, there’s no sense sitting here and arguing while we wait for the Nightvines to attack us again!” Novell argued. “Besides, Tombfeather said he was a guide. Maybe he knows where Amber is!”

Quills cleared her throat. “We don’t have much of a choice aside from going forward anyway. We need to find my mom. After that, you can go on your little ghost hunt.”

“I agree. Amber Fossil has been imprisoned for far too long due to my foolishness,” Professor Search said sadly, his voice strained with effort and loss.

“Off we go then,” the filly grunted, turning and marching after the hippogryph.

Novell stared after her for a moment before exchanging a glance with the Professor. The pegasus gave his friend a weak smile. “Off we go, then.”

*****

“Pensive, light. I’ll take the shield!” Professor Search yelled over the din of the battle taking place around them. A moment later, the soft glow of white light tinged teal with the younger unicorn’s own aura of magic, the bubble around the group evaporating before instantly being replaced by a grey bulwark.

Novell ran beside his friends, his heart thudding in his chest and his breaths coming in gasps. At least I’m not in any danger of wearing out, the pegasus thought, jumping over a piece of masonry with a quick flap of his wings and remembering how unfit he had been at the start of the journey.

A cold touch on the top of his head caused him to jerk away, almost stumbling into the wall. It was a touch he was unfortunately becoming gradually familiar with, his life being sucked greedily by the pursuing Nightvines. Ever since they had decided to follow after Tombfeather the plants had grown increasingly bold and powerful. A few strands had even managed to penetrate Pensive’s field before the Professor had taken over.

Novell couldn’t spare a glance for his friend, instead sending a burst of confidence in the unicorn’s ability through his mind. A brief acknowledgement came back, but it was nothing more than that. All of the teal unicorn’s concentration was in keeping up the magical light. Thankfully, the magical tradeoff seemed to be working so far, because the pegasus couldn’t hear any of the uncomfortably close hissing in his ear.

Unfortunately, there were other problems to worry about.

“I think... I just stepped on something,” Whisper yelled after sending another burst of scattering wind into the enemies behind them. The Nightvines dissipated with a screeching hiss, but would soon re-coalesce and return as they had before.

“Like wha- whoa,” Kalyn began before being interrupted by a barrage of darts passing directly above his feathered head. One even ripped through the griffon’s blackened feather tips, plucking two of them with its speed and disappearing into the opposite wall. Novell noticed this just before slamming into the tinker’s flank, unable to stop himself in time. The Professor and Pensive stopped with them, both of their faces showing extreme strain from their spells.

“Nopony move,” Novell said, following his own advice as he examined the floor. With the Professor indisposed, the pegasus had to be the one to find the pitfalls and traps. His eyes darted across the floor, stopping on every suspicious stone and carved relief set in them. Nothing stood out for the moment, but he traveled to the front of the group, careful to keep his body within the shield and light. “We need to move slower.”

“We can’t move slower!” Rell rumbled, Rez clutching tightly to her neck and staring fearfully into the gloom. “These dark shades will break open this shield if we don’t outrun them.”

Quills groaned at that. “Where is that ghoul, anyway? Whenever he was here, the Nightvines stopped attacking.”

“I told you we shouldn’t have followed it!” Rell replied sharply.

“Blaming each other isn’t going to help anyone,” Novell said, stepping in between the two. “Whisper, how are you holding up?”

The orange pegasus turned from her sentry position at the back of the group, her wings unfolded and ready to send another blast of wind. “Okay, for now. The wind is easy to move down here where there’re no conflicting currents. But I can’t run and scatter them at the same time. If we move slower...”

“No, we have to keep moving quickly,” the white-feathered griffon replied with a stamp of her clawed foot. “The ones in front and at our sides will still attack us if we-.”

“Quiet!” Kalyn hissed, holding up a claw. “Do you hear that?”

Novell strained his ears, flicking them back and forth but nothing came to him. “I don’t hear anything.”

The male griffon turned in the direction they were moving toward. “Something’s coming from up ahead and the Nightvines haven’t returned. Why would they disappear when we’re so weak?”

“Havoc!” Pensive said suddenly, sweat dripping down his suddenly furious face. “I can sense him!”

Fear shot through Novell’s breast at that, his body beginning to tremble as he stared ahead. The sound of hoof and clawsteps were beginning to echo down the passageway, far heavier than any pony’s would be. A darkly sinister voice cropped up, the words lost in the distance but the tone laced with familiar impatience.

“What are we going to do?” Novell whispered, his mind furiously working to find a way out of the situation. His eyes combed the walls for any kind of switch or secret passageway they could hide behind, anything to defeat Havoc with. But there was nothing.

“Pensive, turn out the light,” Professor Search commanded in a low tone. The younger unicorn glanced askance at the grey-maned pony, but complied regardless. With the magical light gone, nothing but the soft glow of the Professor’s shield lit their immediate area. To Novell, it felt like the darkness was eagerly closing in, ready to snatch him up as his old fears returned.

Then even the shield disappeared, trapping them in the darkness. Immediately, Rez began to keen a sharp wail, only to be gently shushed by his adopted mother. Novell was petrified, unable to move, his eyes moving this way and that as Havoc’s voice grew clearer and louder. He didn’t want to be anywhere near the draconequus, near those sinister promises he could barely resist.

“What are you doing?” Quills hissed out of the darkness. “The Nightvines-!”

“Will not assault us while Havoc remains in our vicinity, just as the ghoul’s presence calmed them. Chaos and evil renders them insensate,” the Professor replied sharply.

Quills huffed. “How could you possibly know that?”

“Because of her,” Professor Search whispered, a soft silver light beginning to coalesce in the middle of their group.

Again, memories rushed into the pegasus’ mind as he saw the translucent pony, its form almost fragile. A sense of resignation emanated from the shape, along with a final determination that caused Novell’s heart to simultaneously ache and thud in awe. The snow pony’s eyes traveled across their group, lingering slightly on Pensive’s face with a timeless sadness.

Be still and quiet, brave ones, a feminine voice lilted inside their minds like wind through the reeds. I shall safeguard your presence from That-Which-Binds.

A feeling of lightness touched Novell, a sensation similar to what he felt when he was flying high above the land. His spirit rose and his worries receded, a sense of peace radiating through him. He couldn’t move but at the same time he knew there was no reason to. His eyes stared into the soft glow of the snow pony’s aura, only tangentially aware that his friends were disappearing from sight, cloaked in concealing magic.

Then the light disappeared, the shape of the pony in front of him unraveling until it evaporated like mist in the morning sun. Loss swirled through Novell’s mind, the echoes of Pensive’s feelings, but the pegasus did not react. He barely even breathed as Havoc’s voice became clear. A soft, green light accompanied it, illuminating the corridor and revealing itself to be their wayward guide.

“I do not see them, Tombfeather,” the draconequus muttered gravely. “Are you distracting me, by chance? Letting them have the opportunity to find what they came for and escape?”

“I would... never... dare,” the ghoul replied with a tinge of fear in his tone. “They followed me... like you... asked.”

Havoc snorted impatiently. “Yet they are not here. Why did you not stay to lead them to me? They could have turned back and left!”

“They search... for something I... do not believe... they would leave without… finding the inner… chamber.”

The two entities stopped in front of Novell, Havoc suddenly turning and grabbing the skeletal hippogryph by the beak with his obsidian claws. With a twist, the draconequus slammed the ghoul into the wall near where the pegasus had last seen Kalyn, a crack of what sounded like wood echoing in the hall.

“I did not ask you what you believed,” Havoc started ominously, pinning the ghoul against the cracked stone. “I asked you to bring them here, weakened and weary from the Nightvines. While I may not have my full power yet, I still have enough to render you little more than a meal for the plants you look after. What do you suppose they would do to if they saw you lying before them so helplessly? Devour you quickly or take their time over the next millennia?”

“I... apologize...”

Havoc barked out a laugh and let go of the hippogryph, turning back toward his original course. “Save your apologies for the Nightvines, ‘Tombfeather’. I’m sure they’d listen well as they feed on your moldy corpse. Return to the inner chamber. Wait for them there. When they arrive, lead them into a trap. I have more important endeavours to chase after than to deal with an errant thought and its new ‘friends’.”

“What of... the unmarked... pegasus?” Tombfeather asked, much more subdued than before.

“As useful as he could be to me, I do not need him,” the draconequus replied with a dismissive wave of a hand, examining the runes inlaid in the stones. “If he can outsmart you and find his way out of the tomb, I’ll pay more attention. But until then, do your best to destroy him. It’ll do him good to have someone after his life. It did for me.”

The ghoul bowed low, one of the antlers broken from the impact with the wall. “As you... command.”

Havoc snorted satisfactorily. “I do so love hearing that. Now... back to deal with that blasted shaman.”

The draconequus’ form shifted and blurred then, teal magic enshrouding his body like a cloak. Little more than a moment later, a pair of magnificent antlers appeared, followed by dark claws and grey armor covering a stag-like body. A pair of decorations hung from each antler, made of feathers and bits of bone. The magic retreated into the false hippogryph’s eyes, floating there like the green orbs that Tombfeather used to see.

“Magnificent... as ever,” the ghoul complimented his master in awe.

Havoc glanced back at the other in his new body and examined a black claw with disgust. “This uniformity is repulsive. I do not know how you mortal races deal with one matching shape. There’s no... art to it.”

“As you... say,” Tombfeather replied. “We are beneath... your majesty.”

“Compliments do not lengthen what you now call life, you old bag of bones. Results do,” the living ‘hippogryph’ said darkly. “And remember my little promise. I always keep them.”

With that, the two separated and headed off in opposite directions - Havoc to the entrance and Tombfeather to the end of the supposed ‘shortcut’. Eventually the sinister light fell away, leaving Novell in darkness once more. Having nothing more to do but think, and with his fear locked away by the snow pony’s spell, the pegasus began coming up with a plan to thwart whatever machinations Tombfeather could entrap them in.

Eventually, the paralyzing peace of mind receded from Novell’s body, leaving him shaking and weak in the darkness. His breath came in slow gasps, the rasp of his friends’ breathing all around him reassuring despite everything. After a few moments, he leveraged himself to his hooves, mindful of the Nightvines returning at any moment.

“Professor?” he whispered.

In answer, a light appeared, though it was teal rather than the gray. “He is fine. As are we, thanks in part to... my sister.”

Novell glanced around at the rest of the group instead of replying, his eyes automatically falling on Whisper. The mare was pushing herself up from the ground with both wings, one foreleg still bent and her teeth gritted from the effort. The others were in similar conditions, only Pensive able to stand up tall.

“What do you mean, ‘sister’?” Quills asked the teal unicorn with a grunt as she heaved herself up to her hooves. “Aren’t you just a thought?” The young pony blushed. "I, uh, I mean, you're more than just a thought, but- I'm going to stop talking."

Pensive glanced over at her and nodded, sending their shadows dancing. “Yes and no, but that’s not important right now since you will not remember. Professor, if you can manage the shield.”

“Yes, yes... one moment... my boy,” Professor Search replied through ragged breaths. “It’s difficult... to recover from magic... of that magnitude for an old pony.. like myself. In fact, it rather reminds me... of this one time I was exploring some ancient ruins quite similar to the ones we’re-.”

“Professor,” Pensive repeated, more urgently. The hissing of Nightvines was beginning to slither through the darkness.

A gray field popped up around their party. “Right, the shield. Apologies.”

“Just in time, too,” Rell said, clutching Rez to her chest. “Our friends are back.”

The Professor winced as one of the Nightvines struck against the shield and bounced off, rejoining the rest of the tendrils thrashing irritably at the edge of the light. “We need to hurry if we’re going to make it out of here alive. Whisper, my dear, if you please?”

The orange pegasus grunted and planted all four hooves solidly on the ground. Her wings snapped open, Swirley retreating into his shell on top of her mane, and the mare snorted challengingly. “Alright, everypony hang on. This should clear them out for at least five minutes.”

Novell made sure his wings were tucked in securely to his sides, the memory of the mountaintop where he’d first met the Professor bouncing into his mind despite the situation. He’d been in danger then, too, and his own stupidity had almost got them both killed, even if it had worked out in the end.

Whisper snapped her wings forward with a heavy grunt. For a moment, nothing happened. The Nightvines continued to hiss and sporadically strike against the shield while the party braced against what was coming. Then Novell felt the current, his innate pegasus instincts telling him to hunker down. He complied, gritting his teeth, as the wave of air hit them.

Sound was totally blocked out by the screaming rush of the whirlwind whistling through the small passageway. Through slitted eyes, Novell watched the Nightvines completely disappear, his tail and mane slapping sharply against his head and body. He felt himself sliding to the side from the sheer force of the wind.

A few moments later, it passed, Whisper gasping loud in the silence from the display of power. Novell opened his eyes and glanced around, his ears twitching this way and that to pick up any sound of the Nightvines. When nothing came, the pegasus relaxed.

“Alright, let’s keep moving. We need to find Quills’ mom and get out before Tombfeather finds us,” Novell said, taking charge while the moment offered him the chance. “You all heard him back there - he’s working for Havoc and he’s a powerful hippogryph. Kalyn, you seem to have the sharpest eye, you lead us forward.”

The griffon raked a claw through the air and ruffled his wings. “I can do that.”

Novell turned to Whisper. “You keep doing what you’ve been doing. If you need to stop to send them flying, let us know. When we get to Amber, I’m going to need you to hold off any Nightvines we find. I kind of have a bad feeling that the root is exactly where we’re heading.”

“That would be just our luck,” the orange pegasus replied sarcastically. “But I’ll do what I can. I think I have an awesome idea, too.”

“Rell, I’ll need you to-.”

“Why would I take orders from you, pony?” the female griffon interrupted rudely. “So far, all you’ve done is cower in the corner while we’ve done all the work.”

Novell bit his tongue, holding back a scathing reply. Diplomacy was called for here, not anger and harsh words. “You don’t have to take orders from me. You can do anything you want, even try and find a way out by yourself. But two things are stopping that from happening - your son and the magic required to exit this tomb. So the party’s safety, specifically that of Pensive and the Professor’s is the utmost priority, wouldn’t you say?” When she didn’t reply, he continued. “Besides, I was just going to ask you to keep Tombfeather busy if he decides to attack. Fighting is something you’re good at, from everything I’ve seen and heard about you.”

Rell narrowed her eyes at him before glancing over at Rez. “Fine, pony. I’ll take your orders, but only for my son’s sake.”

“Thank you,” Novell replied with a nod, his ear picking up the faintest sound of hissing. “Now, let’s move. I’ll let everypony else know what they need to do while we walk. Kalyn, lead the way.”

*****

With the keen eyed tinker in the front, they made good time through the halls, often skirting past one or more vicious traps in the same area. As Novell thought, the griffon’s analytical mind was more than up to the task of finding the best places and triggers for the variety of traps they encountered, which left the pegasus free to think about what lay ahead.

Dart shooters, pitfalls, and even a ceiling covered with a paralyzing agent similar to that of a Dazey were all disarmed from a safe distance through quick uses of magic by either the Professor or Pensive, who had been trading off between keeping the shield up and lighting the way.

Even with their swift pace and relative safety from traps, the constant threat of the Nightvines was swiftly tiring not only the shields, but the party’s stamina. Every time one of the tendrils found its way through the mystic field, it whipped across a leg or a claw with brutal effect.

“Are we... almost there?” Whisper grunted between ragged breaths, having been on the brunt of the life siphoning attacks. Swirley, thankfully, had been able to protect her from the worst of it, his shell acting as a lightning rod for the magic-infused plants. Strangely, though, he didn’t seem to be growing as large as he had when he ingested the magic that saved Whisper on the mountainside when Novell had thought he’d lost her.

Novell nodded tiredly to himself, speaking out loud when he realized the mare wouldn’t be able to see it. “I see... light ahead. Just hold it together a little longer.”

Up ahead, the ever pervasive gloom of the halls’ twists and turns lit up with an eerie green glow. Wary, but relieved to see some kind of light after all the darkness, Novell followed Kalyn down the last stretch.

Soon enough, they entered a large cavern, one that seemed impossible to fit inside the Aerie they’d entered from. Then the pegasus recalled how far they’d traveled down the old tomb’s tunnels, ignoring the side branches in favor of the main hallway. It had been miles down in the cold dark, time passing by without evidence of its presence. We could be in a whole different mountain, Novell thought suddenly, surprised by the revelation. Not only had the abandoned Aerie been hollowed out, but a second one in secret had been as well.

“Stop!”

Kalyn’s voice halted their forward pace, Novell carefully attentive as he had been the last few hours. When he glanced around the griffon to see the reason they had stopped, his heart leapt in his throat. The massive space was even larger than he had originally pictured, a sudden drop off leading into an unknown darkness below.

Whisper came up beside him, kicking a loose stone into the pit. There was no sound of it hitting the ground. “Pretty far down.”

“Aren’t you supposed to be guarding the rear?” Novell blurted out, confused and disoriented by the size of the place. The mare raised an eyebrow at him, which was a far cry from how she would have reacted not so long ago in Hoofington. “I mean, what about the Nightvines?”

She shrugged, her hair bobbing slightly. “They stopped coming a few minutes before we got in here. Wherever here is.”

Novell looked back to see she was right. Pensive, who was holding the shield up at the back of the group, opened his eyes with a seemingly titanic effort. “May I... release my hold on the shield?”

“Would you be able to bring it back up if the vines come back?” the white pegasus asked, reluctant to lose any protection. Still, both unicorns were beginning to flag and they eventually needed to return the way they’d come, not to mention deal with anything Tombfeather cooked up.

The unicorn nodded an affirmative and Novell waved a hoof in assent. The field of teal energy fell from around them, a coldness filling the pegasus’ heart as he stared at the darkness. He shook it off, appraising the rest of his companions.

Quills was laying on the ground, catching her breath. As he watched, the earth pony shifted her winter saddle, revealing a red mark underneath. Working quickly and without even wincing, the filly pulled out a bandage roll and attempted to tie it around her. When she failed, she just twisted around and tried again with a determined look on her face.

Novell was just about to help when a teal glow took hold of the bandage and neatly wrapped it over the cut. Quills managed to look surprised, her gaze lingering on Pensive’s for a few moments before she nodding. “Thanks.”

“It was little trouble,” the unicorn said blandly.

“Professor? Any more clues?” Novell asked, finally examining around at their surroundings. “I don’t see anything except that green light.”

Search nodded. “That light should be our final destination. It appears to be connected to this side of the large gorge by a stone pathway.”

Novell squinted, just making out the outline of a slender bridge leading to an island in the center of the dark pit. That’s not so bad for Whisper, the Griffons and me, the pegasus thought, biting his lip. But for the other three, falling would definitely be dangerous. He thought about it for a moment before an idea came to him.

“Hey, Kalyn,” he asked, “do you still have those harnesses you made?”

The tinker looked surprised at the question, but then a smile worked its way onto his beak. “I knew they’d be useful! Haha!”

“Keep it down, Kal’,” Rell growled warningly. “We don’t know what’s out here with us.”

Kalyn winced at her words and nodded before digging around in his pack. A moment later, he pulled the harnesses out of the bag and laid them across the ground. “Alright, Quills, you wanna go first?”

“Normally, I’d rather not be attached to anything flying by just a leather cord,” the filly began, eyeing the harness with dread. “But it’s for my mom.”

The griffon worked quickly, removing the filly’s saddle and placing it carefully in his pack. Then, he began assembling the harness around the pony, his claws deftly tightening straps and carefully making minor adjustments around her cut. Shortly thereafter, Quills was standing miserably in a new leather coat.

Novell snickered. “Nice outfit.”

“Be quiet. I’m still mad at you for not telling me about all of this,” she replied irritably with a wave of her hoof. “You’re going to be the one carrying me, though, so wipe that smug grin off your face.”

“Why me? Why not Whisper?” Quills just stared at him in reply. “Oh…right. She’s Whisper.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” the mare in question grumbled, socking him in the shoulder.

Novell frowned at both of the females, suspicious at their sudden team up. But before he could get himself into further trouble, Kalyn finished placing the harnesses on both Pensive and the Professor.

“Alright, these cords will hold, despite some pony’s,” the tinker shot a glance toward Quills, “frequent disparaging. I made sure of it. Now, Professor, you’ll be tied to me. Rell will carry Pensive and Novell, you’ll carry your fiery little friend there.”

“I’m a stronger flier than you, Kal’. I should carry the fat one,” Rell objected, to the Professor’s affront.

“I beg your pardon-,” Professor Search started before being cut off by Kalyn.

“You’ll be carrying Rez, too, remember? Too much weight and not even you can keep alight. Unless he’s learned how to fly yet?”

Rell sulked, glaring at her clutchmate. “No…he’s just beginning to molt for the first time.”

“If all that’s decided, we still need to find my mother,” Quills said around her leather cord. Novell grabbed it from her with a hoof, sliding the ring up to his shoulder and tying the cord around his own body.

“Not... just yet, my little... ponies.”

Novell flinched instinctively backwards, his wings carrying him dangerously close to the pit. When his hooves found no ground, the scrambling pegasus fell, one of his wings getting caught in the leather cord he’d tied around himself. Oh, haystacks, the pegasus cursed his own clumsiness.

Suddenly, the line connecting him to Quills went taut and physics kicked in, sending Novell into the wall of the pit. A wheezing laugh was the last sound he heard before unconsciousness claimed him.

Comments

[djthomp]

Anyone else guessing that Havoc was responsible for the egg-breaking?

[Pony Joe]

Look forward to seeing your stories in the que! Can't wait for the next chapter!

[Luminous Lead]

Glad to see this return from Hiatus!

[Sgt Grub]

Checkov's guns.

Checkov's guns everywhere!

[lordelliott]

@ ending: Oh, come on! A LITERAL cliffhanger?!
Oh, you! dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/Trixie_lolface_2.png

648669 I thought that was something that happened in the distant past.
Edit: But not so distant as to have occurred during Havoc's time.

[Croswynd]

No worries. Chapters'll be out in short order these days. Summer is finally here! But I do love my cliffhangers. Tune in next time for the startling next episode of Unmarked!

[lordelliott]

663695 What's the ETA on the next chapter? I keep thinking about this story, wondering when it will update and worrying that I somehow missed it.

[Croswynd]

796129

I'll have to be honest, I've hit a rough patch of writer's block. The chapter has been coming together extremely slowly compared to usual. Story fatigue, probably, which is why I decided to end Unmarked in the next few chapters. It just came swifter than I thought it would. At any rate, the chapter is about half-finished but I can't really speak to when it'll be done. But your comments definitely help inspire me. Trust me, I know how annoying it is to wait for updates on stories you enjoy. I'll try to keep trucking on and moving faster.

[lordelliott]

802985 I hope that doesn't mean it will be ending too soon! I mean, I can see it ending in the next few chapters, but ... just don't rush it please. I'd rather wait another couple months for you to work through your block than see the story done a disservice.

If you're getting worn out on Unmarked, you might try writing something else for a bit, letting ideas for this story get worked through in your subconscious, and then coming back to Unmarked. That seemed to work for a friend of mine.

Are you still planning a sequel?

[paul]

802985
803554

Aaaaaa!!!!
Do not kill the story, pleeeeeese!

+100500 2 every word of lordelliott

Most of the authors simply pick one or more from mane6 with 'ready to use' personality, it nice to read in the first 5 fanfics, but later you get tired from it.
It is very hard to find good OC story here, with detailed personality of characters and interesting plot.
Unmarked is one of the best in my opinion.
Yes, it is bad situation when author gets entangled in global conspiracy plot so bulky that it overwhelms the story itself.
But I do not see nothing like that here.
You have breathtaking adventure here, your characters are not flat robots - they have volume and they develop during story, as well as their relations (Novell and Whisper relationship is delicious :)
And I like the way you do not give us more info that the main character could have - it keeps the story much more interesting.
Man, I hated you for one full day, because I unfortunately found 'unmarked' at the evening. I usually do not read from google docs and there was no link to fimfiction at EQD, but there was veeery interesting concept and nice cover art, so I thought - 'give it a try, read few pages and if it worths something - add to readlater list'. It was horrible mistake. I simply was not able to put it down and go to sleep. I tried, I even turned off my mobile and went to sleep about 3 or 4 a.m., only to awake in one hour later and continue till morning.
I had one hour of sleep that day, and during of all full working day I hated myself for making such a mistake as starting this fic at evening, and you for writing such brilliant piece ;)

Please, do not kill the story !
May be it is really better to put it on pause for one or two month and than came back to it ?
I volunteer to remind you about if you are afraid that you will be too lazy to continue. Just let me know the date. And I think that I am not alone.
Anyway - you can always end story in such brutal way...
But may be you can instead give it one liiiiiiittle chance ?

[Croswynd]

804272
803554

Haha, thanks for all the comments you two, but the Unmarked's self-contained story arc (Novell and his cutie mark) is nearing its end. I've been planning for awhile to split the gigantic story in half once I realized that it's been around 400 pages so far. The sequel will be created, but Unmarked needs to reach its end. The sequel will be put on hold a month or two and then I'll start releasing chapters for it, as well.

This has been the plan. Have no fear, this story will end at its appointed time, not brutally cut short because I'm having trouble getting through it. Sorry if I made it seem that way. Regardless, your comments are definitely inspiring. Maybe they'll needle me into get that writin' done and moving. I think I'll go do that right now, in fact.

[lordelliott]

804406 That's good to hear. Judging by past communications, I didn't think you would intentionally cut it short, but my inner Twilight just had to know for sure! I'll just check that off my list of worries.

I'm also glad to here the sequel plans are still in effect! dl.dropbox.com/u/31471793/FiMFiction/emoticons/misc_Lyra.png

[paul]

804406

It is a big relief to hear that it was misunderstanding and story is developing as intended.
And I am happy to know that there will be a sequel
Thank you for the story!
I wish you good writing mood