//------------------------------// // Chapter 9: Dragons of Equestria // Story: Skyrim: tales of the Equestrian hero // by spawnzillafinalwars //------------------------------// Six days had passed since Sahrot's arrival, and he had begun to settle in this new land. during his stay, he had been exploring the Everfree Forest, searching for the spot where he had landed. it had taken him hours, but he managed to find it. he led Twilight to the exact same spot where he had landed. she was able to sense an energy-based fluctuation, but she not able to do anything else beyond that. they had just gotten to the castle when the princesses had arrived. they went inside to chat about current events, Sahrot informing them of the spot where he landed, and of the energy disturbance there. "I'm honestly surprised that you are taking the whole 'trapped in another world' situation rather well." Celestia commented, taking a sip of her tea. "I've actually been in this kind of situation before. I was transported to a plane of Oblivion, once." Sahrot replied. "Oh? how was that like?" Twilight asked. "It was the strangest experience I've had thus far. I was taken to the Oblivion plane known as the Shivering Isles, ruled by Sheogorath, the Prince of Madness." Sahrot answered. he was about to explain further, until the doors to their meeting room burst open, revealing a disheveled Rarity, alongside Spike, who was glowing brightly. "Twilight, I need your help, we were in the mines, until Spike started glowing like this!" Rarity yelled, holding out Spike. the young drake stepped nervously towards the princesses, unsure what to do. "I know what this is. the dragon lord is summoning all dragons back to the dragonlands." Celestia said, shaking her head. "The dragon lord? who is that supposed to be?" Sahrot asked. "The dragon lord, as the name implies, is the ruler of all dragons in Equestria, and it is said that all dragons follow him or her without question." Luna explained. "And he is calling forth all dragons to him, for whatever reason it may be." Celestia continued. "The glowing will not stop until all dragons are present before him." "I've never heard a dragon do that before. I must wonder if these dragons are truly like the ones on Nirn." Sahrot thought aloud. "Well, only one way to find out." Twilight said, beaming. "I for one would love to go there. we are severely lacking in dragon culture, and this is the opportunity of a lifetime for us to find out!" as she said this, everyone in the room besides her and Sahrot just stared at her with unamused expressions, which caused her to feel rather awkward. "Well, I'll be going with him too, I don't want to see my Spikey-Wikey like this." Rarity said. Sahrot ignored her and looked towards the princesses. "Then I will join them as well. I wish to see what these dragons are like, and if they could possibly help me." Sahrot stated. Twilight looked at him with uncertainty. "Are you sure about this? it could be dangerous." she said. Sahrot only chuckled at what she said. "Twilight, did you not hear about what I said at my performance? I have been through much pain in my life, and I have slain many dragons as well. I don't think I'll have much of a problem." he responded. "Well...alright." Twilight conceded, unsure how to respond to his logic. "But how could they possibly help you, though?" Sahrot thought for a moment at what Twilight said, before replying, "I do not know, but I can only hope that they are like the dragons of my world. if that were to be the case, then they may be able to find a way to get me back home." He then looked down at Twilight, who seemed content with his answer. "Well then, since that is settled, how about we get to the dragonlands?" Sahrot said. Celestia nodded her head, before using her magic to summon forth a map, which had a marked area near the center. "This map will show you how to navigate the dragonlands, and where you should go. my sister and I can teleport you near the dragonlands, but as soon as you enter it, you may find that your magic will be harder to use. this is because the area has natural fortifications against any kind of magic. once you leave the land, however, you can use your magic regularly." Celestia explained, handing the map to Twilight. "Are you all ready?" "Yes we are, princess." Twilight said. Celestia nodded her head as the small group huddled closer together. the celestial sisters began using their magic to envelop the group in a bright light, before they sent them off. "I hope that they will be alright. I am not sure that the dragons will help Sahrot, though." Luna thought aloud. "We can only hope for the best, sister." Celestia responded. ********** When the light died down, and Sahrot was able to see again, he saw that he and the others had been teleported to a narrow valley. he scanned the area around him, seeing a forest behind them, and a barren wasteland ahead of them. "If I had to guess, I would say that is where we need to go." Sahrot said, pointing to the wasteland. "Yeah, you would right in saying that." Twilight replied, looking over the map. "It says that the area we would need to go would be here, in the center of this land." "Oh, lets just get this over with, I don't want to be in this rugged area any longer than I need to." Rarity said. everyone else nodded in agreement, and headed out. it had taken them hours of walking, since none of them, besides Sahrot, was able to use their magic effectively. once they had gotten close, they were able to spot a massive gathering of dragons surrounding a mountain, who, to the disappointment of Sahrot, had little resemblance to the Dov. "Well, that crushed my hopes of getting back home." Sahrot grumbled, folding up his arms. "Hey, don't give up just yet. you still got us, remember?" Twilight said reassuringly. "Oh, I'm not giving up yet, Twilight. I'm just a little annoyed that I've ran into a dead end, is all." Sahrot responded. "Sshh! keep it down, or they might see us!" Spike whispered. "Oh, right! I nearly forgot about this." Rarity said, pulled out some strange garment. "Rarity, what in Celestia is that supposed to be?" Twilight asked, looking it over. "It's a special rock disguise, deary, and I'm sure we'll need it, since we're in an area filled with dragons, and I don't think that we'd be welcomed here." Rarity explained. "Well, okay, but what about Sahrot?" Twilight stated, pointing to the argonian. "Do not worry about me, Twilight. I can handle myself. besides, it seems that there's room for only the two of you, and barely at that." Sahrot said, dismissive towards the disguise. "Um, alright, then, but just try to be careful." Twilight said. Sahrot nodded in reply, watching as Twilight and Rarity both got into the disguise. he had to admit, it looked very convincing, though he thought the two eyeholes were a dead giveaway. with the two ponies in their disguise, they then head off to the gathering. when they arrived, the other dragons eyed Sahrot and Spike warily, or more specifically, Sahrot. "Well, look who showed up! and he brought along a friend, too!" someone yelled. when the both of them turned around, they spotted the source of the voice. it was a dragon, roughly shorter than Sahrot's chest, with red scales and a yellow frill. it seemed to be male, due to it's build and voice, and it was sneering at Spike. "It's our 'little pal, Spike!" "Do you know this dragon?" Sahrot whispered to Spike. "Yeah, his names Garble, and he's essentially the biggest jerk I've ever met." Spike grumbled as the dragon approached them. Sahrot didn't like the sound of that, and he especially hated bullies. the dragon walked right up to the argonian, looking straight into the sockets of his helmet. "And what are you supposed to be, 'cause you're certainly no dragon." Garble stated, glaring at him. "At least not any dragon that you may have heard of." Sahrot said calmly. Garble only snorted in response, and turned his attention Spike. "So, is he supposed to be your bodyguard or something? did those puny ponies send him with you, little baby dragon?" Garble sneered, pinching Spike's cheeks. the small dragon slapped away his hands, starting to get annoyed by him. "Will you just leave me alone?" Spike grumbled. "But why would I want to do that? I'm just having a little fun." Garble said teasingly. before he could do anything else, though, a gauntlet-covered hand firmly grasped his left shoulder, before pulling him away from the small dragon, and back to the argonian. "Listen here, you worm. I don't want to see you anywhere near this dragon, or bothering him in any way. is that understood?" Sahrot said coldly. the dragon looked at the argonian in disbelief, before narrowing his eyes. "And what if I don't follow along?" he said angrily. Sahrot said nothing in return, but gripped Garble's shoulder even harder, making the dragon wince in pain. he then spoke three words. "IIZ, SLEN NUS!" After he spoke, the dragon in front of him was now encased in solid ice, frozen stiff like a statue. the argonian promptly let him go, watching as he fell to the ground in a solid thud. looked at the other dragons nearby, who seemed to be shaken by what he did. "And that applies to all of you, as well," Sahrot said. "If any of you mess with me or him, then you answer to me. is that clear?" the other dragons quickly nodded their heads in answer. satisfied, he turned to Spike, chuckling to himself when he saw the young dragon stare at him in awe. "I-I do-wh-wha?" Spike stammered. "I take it you've never seen my true power?" Sahrot said, already knowing the answer. "Um, yeah, h-how'd you do that?" Spike asked. "This is the power of the Dovah, Spike. I have been born with the blood and soul of a dragon, thus I am able to speak and understand their tongue rather easily." Sahrot answered. "I'll have to ask you about the dragons you know about when we get home, 'cause I have no idea what your saying." Spike said. "Though it was pretty cool what you did back there. no pun intended." "Of course, Spike, and I meant what I said to him. friends have to look after each other, after all." Sahrot replied. Spike said nothing in reply, but smiled faintly at what Sahrot said, glad that he considered him a friend. the two of them waited for a moment, wondering why they were even here, before they heard massive wing-beats. they turned around to see a gargantuan dragon that was half the size of the mountain land upon it. he turned his eyes to the mass of dragons before him "DRAGONS OF EQUESTRIA, HEAR ME! I have been Dragonlord for longer than any of you can remember, and my reign has been extraordinary!" it shouted. "AGREE WITH ME!" with that, every dragon started cheering for the massive dragon before them. Sahrot simply rolled his eyes at the scene, while Spike was quaking on his feet. "Who's that supposed to be?" Sahrot asked one of the dragons. "H-he's Dragonlord Torch." the dragon stammered. "And who's that?" Spike asked, pointing at a blue dragon floating next to Torch. "That would be princess Ember, the Dragonlord's daughter." another dragon answered. "Unfortunately, according to the dragon laws, it is time for me to step down. sad, I know." Torch said. he then looked to the dragons, annoyance appearing on his face. "BE SAD!" he roared. the dragons did as he told, and started to cry, Sahrot looking at the display in disgust. "This is why I have summoned you, to compete for the throne, in the gauntlet of FIRE!" Torch announced, getting cheers from the crowd of dragons. "Whomever has the strength and fortitude to retrieve this Bloodstone Scepter, from the heart of the Flame-cano," Torch began, holding up said scepter. "Will become the new Dragonlord!" with that, he flicked the scepter into a large volcano, which let out an explosion of magic that washed over the dragons, who now no longer glowed. Sahrot had an expression of boredom at what the Dragonlord said. 'So, the giant idiot wants these dragons to play fetch in order to become the ruler? how absurd, I'll just take my leave here, then.' he thought to himself. he turned around to face Spike when they both heard a sneeze coming from the 'boulder next to them. the other dragons turned towards them in confusion. "OH, eh, excuse me." Spike quickly said. the other dragons then turned away from them, thinking they now know who it was. "The gauntlet is dangerous, as I have designed it myself, and only dragon with my ferocity, strength, and determination, will be able to finish. we will gather at the cliff, when the sun is at its peak!" the Dragonlord finished, gaining more cheers from the dragons beneath him. "I don't want to be Dragonlord, or dragon toast, and I stopped glowing, so lets go." Spike said. Sahrot nodded in agreement, and the two start to head off, pushing their 'boulder' together. the Dragonlord lord then notices them leaving, and his expression became that of confusion. "Wha, where do you two think you're going?!" He boomed, halting them. the other dragons quickly separated themselves from the two, as Torch eyed them. they turned to face the Dragonlord, Spike become nervous, while Sahrot stood motionless, his expression unreadable due to his helm. "Um, we were just leaving to get home." Spike said. the dragon lowered his head to their level. "You don't get to leave unless I say so." he replied. "And why would that be?" Sahrot asked. the dragon reared his head back up, confused at what the argonian said. "Because I am the lord of all dragons, therefore you do as I say!" Torch. Sahrot simply shook his head at what the Dragonlord said. " We are citizens of the pony kingdom. we follow their rules, not yours. well, HE, is a citizen of the pony kingdom, and I hail from a different land all together." Sahrot elaborated. the Dragonlord snorted at the argonian's words, while Spike looked at him nervously. "And who are you supposed to be, little dragon, to question my authority?" Torch demanded. "Who am I?" Sahrot replied, pulling off his helm to reveal his face. "I am Dovahkiin, the Dragonborn. slayer of Alduin, the World-Eater. the savior of Nirn, my homeworld. I am the mightiest of the Dovah, the TRUE DRAGONS! and yet here all you overgrown snakes with wings are, claiming that you are anything like us, when in reality you are all just pathetic little weaklings with no spine, whatsoever. let me show what a true dragon looks like!" with that, he turned around and shouted, "DUR, NEH VIIR!" a massive violet vortex then formed at his feet, a form taking shape in the center. when the vortex settled, a dragon that was slightly more than half the size of Torch took its place. "It, it can't be..." Torch began in disbelief. the other dragons looked at this new dragon with fear, not knowing what it was. "Ah, Qahnaarin, what is it that you need of me?" Durnehviir said. he then turned to the 'dragons' before him. "What manner of creatures are they?" "They believed themselves to be Dov, like you and I." Sahrot explained. "These small little lizards? Bah! as if they could ever measure up to you and I." Durnehviir snorted. "I-I don't believe it...a wyvern." Torch began, gaining everyone's attention. "Then, the legends are true, then." "What legend do you speak of, Torch?" Sahrot asked. "It is the legend of the wyverns, dragons so ancient and powerful, that we thought of them to be mythical...until now." Torch grumbled. "So the Dovah are to your kind what an alicorn would be to pony-kind, rare and mysterious." Sahrot said. "Aye, the wyverns ruled over our kind a long ago, but have mysteriously disappeared. now, we have ruled over ourselves, but it seems as though that will change." Torch replied. "Hold it there, I do not wish to rule over you. we simply wish to leave." Sahrot stated. the Dragonlord perked his head up at this. "Y-you mean it?" he asked. "Yes. however, I wish to know of what you know of the Dovah." Sahrot stated. "O-Oh, yes, of course!" Torch boomed. "The only thing that is known of the wyverns is that they have a temple, hidden somewhere in the world. I do not know where the location is, since it was as forgotten as the wyverns themselves." "Well, it doesn't exactly help my predicament, but it is a start." Sahrot muttered, putting his helm back on. "Oh well. I believe that we're done here. Twilight, Rarity, you can come out now, we will take our leave." with that, the two ponies emerged from their hiding spots, shocking the 'dragons', making Sahrot snicker a little. "Amazing, an entire species of dragons so mysterious, not even the dragons know them, except for a hidden temple somewhere in the world. oh, this will certainly be great to write a story on!!" Twilight said, giggling from excitement. "Well, you can tell Celestia about what has been learned here when we get back to Ponyville." Sahrot stated. he then hopped onto Durnehviir's neck. "You you like to join me?" Twilight's pupils expanded when he said this. she rapidly nodded her head, wanting to know what it was like to ride a dragon. Sahrot smiled and moved up to give them room. they all got onto Durnehviir's neck, hanging onto Sahrot just in case. they then took to the skies, soaring upwards while Twilight and her friends held to Sahrot for dear life. it had taken them minutes before they reached the outskirts of the dragonlands. they landed just beyond the border, where Durnehviir departed, and Twilight teleported them all back to Ponyville. once they had arrived, it was late in the afternoon, so Twilight dropped of Rarity at her house, and the rest walked back to the castle, where they rested until the next day. that is, except for one.