Prologue
Caves are usually such dark and dreary places. They are typically filled with the empty blackness of the dark and the hollow coolness that comes with it. Echoing sounds of the dripping droplets of water resonate through the labyrinth of tunnels and passages. Silent, strange creatures slither and crawl through the dim light and pitch black. One can wander through these natural hallways through the earth for immeasurable amounts of time without finding a way out.
Dragon’s Throat, however, was not a typical cave. The giant maw that is the entrance is concealed by water cascading off the sheer cliff face the cave is carved into. Shimmering lights are scattered across its single vast hall by sparkling jewels and glimmering gold. Crowns, necklaces, bracelets, and coins from ancient days past lay haphazardly on the polished granite cave floor, shining as if they were molded but hours ago. Tall, monolithic pillars glowing a pale blue line up against either side of the cave, supporting the tremendous weight of rock and soil above them.
At the end of this grand hall is a single large diamond. The size of a boulder, the diamond’s every face is a mirror, reflecting the soft glow of sunlight from the mouth of the cave. It casts a soft glow across every inch of the cave, fueled by arcane energy flowing through its flawless and pure structure. A structure, unbroken and smooth as the surface of a great ocean. A structure, so geometrically perfect that it would make mathematicians gaze in awe. A structure, as clear and transparent as the most pristine streams of cool water flowing over the mouth of the cave.
Before the prestigious stone and amidst the riches that litter the cave floor stands a unicorn. His navy blue cape is embroidered with yellow, twinkling stars and blue crescent moons. Small, golden bells line the edge of his cloak and around the brim of his pointed hat, also decorated with celestial bodies. The unicorn’s attire drapes over his grey coat, faded with age. A long white beard and bleached mustache wrapping around his muzzle also reveals his seniority. The old stallion’s bright yellow eyes gazed from under the bell tipped hat, looking into the multifaceted surface of the diamond. In all his years, he has never seen a jewel so flawless, so beautiful. However, there was one more thing about the stone. Something from about its glow, its clarity. It fills him with a sort of tranquility. A sort of peace... Halcyon. The sage unicorn closes his eyes nods his head thoughtfully, tinkling each of his little bells. Halcyon. A perfect name for a perfect diamond.
The bearded unicorn shifts his sights from the immaculate jewel to the lesser wealth around him. The bounty lay on the glossy granite floor in heaps of gold and piles of gems. The mounds of coins and jewels are large enough that a couple of airships could be filled to the brim with them. There is only one reason why all these riches have been stored away like this, the old pony decides. He is standing in a dragon’s horde. The unicorn looks upon Halcyon once again. The giant gem was a sign. A sign that, like the cave, the dragon was not like any other dragon either. “The uncommon lair is here,” he speaks softly to himself, “now where’s the uncommon dragon?”
As if in response, a wisp of smoke rises from the reflective stone floor in front of him. The pony raises an eyebrow and steps forward to investigate the smoke. “Curious...” He takes a quick whiff of the strange vapor. His muzzle is suddenly bitten by a bitter cold as the vapor travels up his nostrils. He recoils from the painful sensation. “By Celestia’s feathers!” he spits. The vapor begins to pour out at a quicker rate, its foggy tendrils reaching every nook and corner of the dragon’s lair. He is soon up to his ankles in the opaque, smelly cloud. A thinner haze fills the air, lightly concealing the mounds of jewels and thinly obscuring Halcyon’s calming glow. The old pony can feel the air around his hooves become frigid from the freezing fog.
Another frosty sensation prickles through the old unicorn’s horn. The feeling overcomes the peace he once felt from Halcyon with dread. The haze is from a magical source, he realizes, and so is this feeling. But where is it? An immense dark shade materializes in front of the confused pony. The haze flows over its shape like water poured over a rock. Two, blue piercing eyes radiate menacingly from the fog. The narrow, black slits that are its pupils gaze coldly upon the old unicorn. The sage stares into the hateful eyes.
A sharp pain stabbed in his chest as every memory of every pony who had done him wrong flashed through his mind. Every traitor and every enemy biting out a bits of his heart. He suddenly felt the need to horde, as if it was the only refuge away from his enemies. It was like a great force pulling him towards the various riches around the cave. The unicorn shut his eyes for a split second, attempting to resisting the temptation. Yet it urged him, called to him in a whispering voice. Come now, you’ve traveled all the way from Canterlot to get to this cave. You should take a few things for your troubles... The unicorn quickly shook his head and turned his eyes away from the creature before him. That may have been a taste of what lingers in that thing’s heart, he thought.
“Enjoy one last glance at the diamond, short-life,” the towering shadow growls in a deep rumbling voice, “For it will be the last thing you see.” An enormous gale rips through the decorated cavern, howling with cold fury. The bearded unicorn, buffeted by the wind, puts a hoof to his hat to prevent it from being blown away by the sudden tempest. His cape violently flutters in the wind, its bells ringing dissonant commotion. As the haze is swept away in the gale, the unicorn sets his sights on the dragon towering over him.
The creature seems to be a chimera of reptiles and mammals. A slender, stream-lined head encompasses the frosty blue eyes. A pair of feline ears adorn either side of the head. The body of the creature possesses smooth contours and a defined musculature.. The creature’s pale, blue scales are as smooth as every curve of its body. Its legs are positioned and structured in a very mammalian manner, yet bear the scales and claws of a reptile. Two, chiropteran wings stretch from its back, each tip brushing the walls of the broad cave. A long, whip like tail, tipped with a brush of fur-like scales, curls around the dragons legs. The dragon rhythmically taps the ground with its tail in contempt of the insignificant pest that dared laid eyes on its treasure.
The dragon, expecting fear from its sheer presence, is instead met with calm eyes. Calm eyes that are lined with righteous wrath. The aged unicorn, horn ablaze with yellow magic, stamps his hoof on the ground, producing a luminous circle on the ground around him. The circle has a second, smaller circle within it. The space between the two shapes is inscribed with ancient sigils and scrawls. Two triangles, one within another, are circumscribed by the smaller circle. “Kaldrauga!” the unicorn declares, “By orders of Princess Celestia and the Royal Court of the Sun, I have come to seal you for your heinous acts against the citizens of Equestria!”
A dry chuckle meets the proclamation. “What kind of punishment can a senile short-life possibly deal me?” the dragon asks snidely. It opens its fang lined jaws ajar, the freezing haze flowing through its dagger like teeth. The dragon’s hateful eyes widen with anger at the bearded pony’s insolence.
“Do not forget your place, mortal.”
The beast lunges forward, opening its jaws to unleash a tight, twisting torrent of frozen gas. A hollow, echoing bellow resonates from the breath attack, rattling the air to the point of distortion. The rush of chill breaks a crater into the granite floor the the pony stood. Asymmetric, cracked slabs of stone jut from the point of impact. A shockwave from the blast of cold mist rips through the ornamented cavern. The gold and jewels now are encased in icy crystals. The floor frozen over with a sheet of ice. A plume of the icy cloud stormily billows from the maw of the cave, suspending the waterfall in a temporary state of winter.
Satisfied, the dragon settles on its haunches. It fans the residual haze from its devastating outburst of breath magic with its large bat wings. While most dragons use fire based magic, its magic specializes in frost. Taking an attack like that would have been the equivalent of being obliterated by a hurricane force blizzard. Nothing survives.
“Underestimating your enemies is a very dangerous move...”
The dragon’s eyes widen with disbelief.
“...no matter how powerful you think you are.”
A small point of light appears on the large chest of the dragon. It quickly grows into a spinning circle of magic, similar to the one still floating where the stallion once stood. The dragon snaps his head around to see the unicorn standing on his back with a hoof pressed into his scales. It lets loose a furious hiss, suddenly interrupted by a plume of frosty gas erupting from its throat. The beast shakes its body wildly, hoping to dislodge the pony and stop the spell. The wizard stays tight with a attraction spell on his hooves.
“Your punishment is to be sealed into the cave floor whence you came, by the Princess’ orders.” The gas spewing forth from the dragon’s mouth winds gracefully to the center of the first arcane circle, where it is seemingly drawn into the cracks of the crater. The dragon continues to buck and writhe as the spell pulls every modicum of its mist into the ground. “Not only will your magic be sealed away, but your conciseness as well,” states the sage, “This cave and its riches will be locked away with you.” His aged eyes narrow with contemptuous justice. “Now you can truly be with your treasure forever.”
The symbol burned into the dragon’s scales flares up with arcane energy. The beast roars in pain as the magic begins to seal away its wrathful mind. “YOU FOOL! I WILL FREEZE YOU UNTIL THE FROST SPLITS YOUR VERY BODY OPEN!” The dragon spits with venomous animosity. “YOU WILL REGRET EVER CHALLENGING ME! YOU WILL ALL REGRET EVER LAYING EYES ON MY DIAMOND!” The old wizard gazes into the convulsed beasts eyes. It was almost like the beast was putting every curse it could conjure up on him with that glare. Never had the sage seen such violent hatred, greed, and pain...
The dragon’s body falls limply to the ground, exhausted from the struggle to break free. Its greed and hate filled eyes begin to grow pale. Its vision begins to blur as it watches its executioner walk slowly towards the entrance. Everything seems to slow down painfully, as if the dragon’s last moments were mocking it. It notices the crater from the blizzard torrent begin to repair itself. The dragon’s field of vision grows cloudier and blurrier every slow paced moment. The last thing it sees before slipping into the darkness are six lights, each a different color, floating around the smudge that is the old unicorn’s silhouette.