//------------------------------// // Centuries part 3 [ by TDR] // Story: Tales in Stone // by TDR //------------------------------// Stories in Stone Tales in Stone By TDR Centuries part 3 [ Three weeks after the capture of Sergeant Vermillion Rose of the 42nd Division of the Equestrian Guard.] The dragon clutched his nose, cursing into his claws and she though she could see a little blood from her kick. Vermillion Rose smirked despite herself. That kick had hurt her likely as much as it had him with how how hard her rear hoof hit his face. Still she was quite thrilled to be causing her captor pain. “What the shard did you do that for?” Krisis hissed. “I told you to keep your claws off me wyrm. And I meant that.” Vermillion hissed back. “And I told you I’m trying to change your bandages so you're not soaked in your own blood.” “I'm barely even bleeding any more unless you open the bucking wounds by fiddling with the bandages.” Vermillion snorted. “Besides you were planning to put that gunk on me and I will not be marinaded to add flavor when you finally try to eat me!” “I can smell the blood and if I can so can every other dragon.” Krisis hissed.” And it's not marinade it's the blasted herbs you told me to mix to try and treat your wounds!” “ A likely story.” Krisis threw his claws in the air and stormed off to the other side of the cave grumbling to himself leaving Vermillion to revel in her scant victory. This was sadly counted as a civil exchange. ============================================== This had been a rough two weeks. The first few days had been her trying to kill the dragon and then passing out from her injuries. The few days after that she had done her best to try and escape. The only thing she had managed to do was panic the dragon and find out she was in the middle of a massive series of caves the Dragon forces were using as a main base. The location of this place was already known, though it was deep enough in dragon territory that the Guard couldn't get to it. Given her injuries Vermillion was quite sure she would never make it out of here alive, though she'd be damned to Tartarus if she didn't take as many of the bastards with her as she could before she went. Starting with this stupid orange one. For a while after that she went back to trying to kill Krisis, usually failing due to her injuries. Granted the dragon surprised her a few times with what he could do and her injuries only played a part in her defeat. She never expected he could shrink smaller than her, nor change the very colors of his scales to blend into the wall or blind her with super reflective scales and a bit of his own fire. Currently she was residing in a small room off to the side of the main cave, one that was sealed with a large rock and normally hidden from view. She wasn't sure why she was hidden away, nor was she certain where her sword was or even if he brought it with her when she was captured. Why she was here was mystery as well. The creature showed no interest in eating her, so despite her taunting, that was out. It didn't seem to want her for anything lewd, she had heard horror stories and seen the aftermath of a Black dragon doing just that. Information seemed to be the only thing he was after, but when he asked questions, they were not the sort that she could see helping the dragons out . He didn't ask about troop movements, important locations, nothing like that at all. In fact he had only asked her one question, but he asked it more often than she was comfortable with. 'Why do you fight?' Her first answers had been little more than her name, rank, and Guard number. A common response, one they were trained to give out. Though as he continued to ask the question every few days she came up with other answers or simply didn't speak. She wasn't sure what the goal was, particularly since he was going to all the trouble he could to keep her existence a secret from every other dragon that came by. This had led to a few almost comical situations where she had tried to escape, and he caught her and tried to hide her. Once he even hid her inside his mouth. She had kicked out a couple of his teeth in that episode and yet some how he managed to get her back to his cave without the other dragons being any wiser despite now missing a few fangs. Granted it wasn't funny at the time because she thought he was finally trying to eat her and she'd be damned if she went down easy. He finally seemed sated with an answer she gave at one point, at least enough to change the question a little. It was pretty obvious why Ponies fought. A enemy force was taking their land, killing indiscriminately, and advancing into their territory with vile intent. The only options were to fight or to be overwhelmed. ' That doesn't seem right.' He had stated. ' The concept is sound, but you are far weaker than us and you are still holding your ground in some conflicts. ' She had kicked him in the face then too, demanding to know how weak that felt while he rolled around on the floor clutching a bloody nose. Granted she had pulled open a few of her wounds with the kick and then and passed out not long after. She hadn't expected to wake up again, but she had and her wounds had been treated. This dragon was confusing the fool out of her. Krisis was well known in Equestria as a massive threat. He had a rather sizable bounty on him and a promise of at least two jumps in rank to the pony who took him down, as well as over a million bit bonus from private organizations that suffered from his actions.. She herself had been promoted to sergeant far sooner than she should have been just by keeping him from advancing in one battle. They tried to make her a national hero for that and she fought the brass as hard as she fought Krisis to stay in the field. And look where that got her. Still, she could see that the Dragons were not as horrid as they seemed. Rummaging though the stuff he kept in the little secret room she found a few letters. Rather than show her anything that she might use against the dragons, it seemed to be a correspondence between Krisis and his mother. Krisis didn't seem to think she understood Dragon, though it was something they taught you before they gave you a Dragon Slayer blade and she had studied the written language as well. The blades granted powers wouldn't work unless you spoke some dragon. Of course she hadn't had a chance to use them as anything more than a Moonlight spell to see with and a few of the sharpening and physical boost spells. None of them were very potent and only added a little to the strength and durability she already had, but against Dragons every little bit helped. Still the letter told her a few things, most of them rather surprising. Starscream was related to Krisis. The air commander had a rather impressive bounty on her as well so it wasn't that much of a surprise to find two of the most wanted Dragon's were related. The most important thing however was that Krisis was having doubts about Forgescale. That she was the cause of it surprised her more than anything else however. Rereading the letter gave her quite a bit to think about. It also made her rather worried. If Krisis got the answer he was seeking what would happen to her? Perhaps she could make him doubt even further. Perhaps turn him against Forgescale even. It was a long shot, but if she could play on his doubts maybe she could convince him. It wasn't as if she could do much else with her wounds. The next time he spoke to her she was more ready for him. She doubted he knew that she read the letters. Given that he kept them and her in a section of his cave that was hidden by a rock , it was fairly clear he was afraid of any one finding them as well. 'Why do you continue to fight?' He asked, the line much the same as always, though his expression showed he was getting to a point he didn't expect an answer. “Why do you attack us?” she demanded back. ================================= Krisis paused at that. She actually answered with something new. Granted it was a question of her own, but still. Maybe this was progress. “To win this pointless war....“ “Which you started.” “To end the domination of the ponies that hold sway of the heavens themselves to return them to the rightful owner ship to the strongest who can use them properly without fear of the power being stolen. “Yes because surely you greedy lizards would use that power properly. And I’m sure that Princess Celestia hasn't let the sun rise on your empire since the war began... OH WAIT... it has. Such a problem....” “It was taken from both the Griffons and the Ponies before. With the greatest power held by one race the other races would be forced to submit and thus the weaker races would know peace. This is why we don't kill those that surrender or run, they are to be ruled properly and guided, not destroyed.” ” Krisis began. “Killing others is not a way to protect them.” Vermillion stated. “Neither is enslaving them. And I’ve seen what was left of some of those that surrendered. We had to identify their remains by their dental records.” “Neither is betraying those who are there to protect you.” Krisis stated flatly. “ Forgescale was betrayed by your ruler and her predecessor. He was sealed away in a hell along with his son and his daughter in law. He and his son managed to escape only to find that your ruler had hunted down and destroyed one of his friends while he was gone.” “How would he know this if he was sealed away?” Vermillion asked suddenly curious about this bit of lore. “He learned all of this from the Sea Queen whom he shared a past with as well. His son returned to reclaim his homeland so that he could work to free his wife and your rulers attacked and killed him. Yet in all this Forgescale is still only seeking justice. He only seeks to destroy your corrupt rulers and bring about an era of peace under Dragon rule where we can protect those weaker than us.” “And to do that you will burn farmland and starve thousands, destroy villages that have nothing to do with the war, and collect mares to try and breed for some sick fetishes....” Vermillion grumbles. “ And I would suggest you not say those were isolated incidents because I know full well that Onyx Wing is still in Forgescale's inner circle and I have seen the liberated camps of others who do the same as him.” Krisis said nothing but exhaled softly. “It sounds like victor's logic.” Vermillion stated finally. “What?” “That story. It sounds like victors logic. Or in this case losers. First off if the Princess could seal him away in Tartarus why are we having a war at all? “ Vermillion commented. “Because he is prepared for them now. He was betrayed before so it was most likely he was not expecting the attack that sealed him away.” Krisis stated. “Alright I can buy that, now what about his son, as far as I know the Princesses have only gone out once before the war began to deal with a issue. There's a big deal back home about why they haven’t done it this time. And that last time was in the far North only about sixty years ago.” “That seems approximately the time his son was rumored to have been killed, it must have been then that the deed was done.” Vermillion's ears flatten and Krisis swore he heard her growl. “The Crystal Empire? There was no Dragon in the Crystal Empire. Just a mad stallion who enslaved every pony and worked them nearly to death in the mines. The Princesses went to rescue those that Sombra enslaved and the damn unicorn wiped the whole city off the map, locking it away in time the moment he started to lose!” “Sombra......? I have heard him use that name before... just once...” Krisis muttered. “My mother was a filly when she was forced to flee from her home. But she and my grandmother both remember how it was. Ponies were being starved to death, tortured for no reason or outright killed at that mad stallions whim. He kept the whole country locked in an endless ice storm that only the Princesses managed to get past and then in the end he doomed every one there to share his fate. My grandmother cried herself to sleep until she the day she died because she lost my grandfather, Briar Rose, to that monster. If that thing was the son of Forgescale then we know two things now. One Forgescale is an asshole, and two this whole story reeks of hypocrisy. It looks more like a jealous spat with a ex mare friend than a revenge tale.” “What? How do you figure?” Krisis stammered. “Sombra was a unicorn we have a ton of records proving this as well as a few survivors that saw him. There's no way that power mad monster would have hidden in the body of a unicorn to torture ponies if he could have been a dragon. Which means if that thing was Forgescale's son he must have had an affair with a pony. Given his fixation on the Princesses it must have been one of them, or more likely that predecessor you mentioned.” Krisis sighed sitting back on his tail thinking over her words. “I'm a descendant of the Crystal Empire, one of the most horrific events in Equestrian history until this damn war of yours started. You want to know why I fight? Because there are those that cannot and I’ll be dammed if i let them suffer as my grandparents and mother did because some one who thinks they are stronger claims to know better. And now that I know that monster was the son of this monster, I’m only going to fight that much harder to destroy you all.”Vermillion snarled. Krisis looked down at her watching the mare for a time as she met his gaze with her own green eyed glare. “I need to think on this. “ Krisis said finally stepping back to close the rock again, leaving her in the small darkness of the hidden cave seething. ======================================================== Krisis sat on the cliff ledge, looking out over northern expanse as the sun set. The golden glow reflecting off the snow capped mountains and the lengths of plains below him. He wondered briefly if one of those snowy expanses hid the Crystal Empire below it, or if the place was locked in another realm like Forgescale had been. He sighed softly, his scales slowly changing to match the sun set and the encroaching night. It was a bit of a nervous habit to use his magic like this, but it helped him focus. And he needed that right now. “There you are.” Krisis lifted his head, noting a young red drake scrambling over the rocks coming towards him. Silverclaw was not the best flier yet, then again he was only at best twelve, so that was rather expected. He was however a quick study of what Krisis did and practically idolized the orange dragon much to his other siblings disdain. “Silverclaw what are you doing out here?” Krisis asked. “I heard about that fight you and Balor had. That brute didn't manage to hurt you did he?” Silverclaw demanded. The fight itself was something Krisis had staged, provoking the temperamental dragon and letting him get a hit or two in so that the injuries Vermillion had done to him could be explained to the medical staff. Krisis had then broken Balor's arm in four places and dislocated his tail. It not only helped hide the damage he had received, but served as a reminder to others that he was still not a Dragon to be crossed. “Nothing that couldn't be patched up with a few spells. How he's survived this long with that hair trigger of his is a mystery. All I did was ask him if he had any luck with my sister.” Krisis chuckled.” The answer was no of course.” He rather liked the young drake. Inquisitive, skilled, and smaller than most of the others of Forgescales brood so he was more relate-able to the small orange Dragon. Silverclaw also had a more honor in his tail spine than most of Forgescale's whelps had in their entire line. He was surprisingly honest as well, which might have been a reason Forgescale doted on him more than any others. “Hah I didn't think he could take you.” Silverclaw laughed. Krisis sighed a little looking back at the sunset. Krisis smirked.“ Surely that couldn't be the only thing you wanted.” “No I heard you were leaving soon to do more scouting and Intel gathering. Where are you going this time?” Again that was a bit of a fallacy he started. His goal was actually to get Vermillion out of here and give himself some time to think things over. Most of his thoughts and plans lately focused around the Pony. Particularly her eyes. They looked like gemstones, and not food gemstones either, but the kind you couldn't eat because of their beauty. Those green orbs haunted his sleep sometimes. Krisis rubbed his forehead, he had been thinking of that mare quite a lot recently. That couldn't be healthy. “Well?” Silverclaw demanded. “When have I ever been able to tell you where I am going?” “Awww.” Krisis chuckled a little glancing at the smaller dragon a moment. An idea came to him, perhaps he would have an answer. “Silverclaw , has your father ever mentioned some one named Sombra?” Krisis asked. “Huh? Oh sure, he's my fallen big brother. Father talks about him all the time. The ponies killed him off while he was trying to save his wife, but he took out the whole city out before he was defeated. A true Dragon warrior.” Silverclaw smirked. “And you are sure his name was Sombra? That was the name of one who supposedly enslaved the ponies in the north.” “Who cares, they were just ponies. They are supposed to serve us any way.” “So do you know who was his wife?” Krisis asked continuing on.” The one he was trying to rescue?” “I dunno... father doesn't mention her, but she was supposed to be really powerful and she was tricked by the same pony that betrayed father. That's why we are going to wipe them all out.” “Wipe them all out?” Krisis blinked. “Yeah. Father said we can't trust any of them, even if we make them servants like the Ram's and Orcs they are still gonna try and fight back, cause they are stubborn and stupid. Better to take them all out and be done with it now.” “That goes against his own doctrine.” Krisis muttered. “Yeah well, I think father is realizing that he can't ever truly stop Ponies from being aggressive, so it's better to destroy them all. I mean if a snake bites you once, why would you pick it up again?” Silverclaw asked . Krisis frowned at that. Vermillion wasn't a snake. She was simply trying to protect others. He believed that. He was less sure on what her superiors thought , but the pony believed in the Princesses the same way he used to believe in Forgescale. But unlike his own resolve, hers seemed unshakeable. Could she be that blinded that she believed her lies over his truth? Or was it that what he took as truth, was the real lie? “I suppose that makes sense.” Krisis rose resting a claw on the drakes head with a smirk. “ I'll see you later whelp don't do anything I wouldn't do.” “Is there something you wouldn't do?” Silverclaw asked as Krisis took to the air. Krisis paused, his wings fanning downward keeping him hovering. “If you asked me that a few days ago, there might have been.” The orange Dragon glides back over the mountain leaving the drake to make his own way back. =========================================== Vermillion jabbed the bit of old claw into the wall again, digging in deeper into the side of the cave wall. She had started trying to tunnel out of here about a week ago after their last big conversation. The tunnel was big enough for her to lay in now with only her rear hooves still sticking out, not much but this was solid rock, so that she made any progress was impressive. Anytime she heard the dragon come in she hid the hole behind the makeshift bed she had been given, The rock was easily scattered about or dropped into the toilet bucket she was given. She yelped as the rock sealing her in the small room was suddenly was yanked open, flooding the secret area with light. She hadn't heard him come in and now she was busted. This was likely was not going to end well. The orange scaled dragon spared a glance at her in the hole then started gathering up the scrolls and letters and other things in the small room including her bed and old bandages, taking the lot of them to a cooking pit and tossing them in, lighting them ablaze with a sudden blast of fire. “How are you bandages?” Krisis asked clearly distracted as he started rummaging around his room packing things into the pouches on his belts. “They're fine. What the buck are you doing?” Vermillion demanded, confused about why he said nothing about the hole. “We're leaving.” Krisis responded. “What do you mean we!?” “Exactly as it sounds. Unless you want to continue to dig your hole. Though I would suggest another direction, about a dragon lengths that way is a lava tube that keeps this place warm.” Vermillion pales a little at that information, the hole had felt warm. “Why would I go with you? Not sure if I believe you on the lava or not any way.” Vermillion took a step back as he dropped a small bag before her with what looked like some food and water, her sword laying across the top of it in it's sheath. The mare's eyes widen at the sight of her weapon, she wasn't even sure he had this. She shifted her gaze from the sword up to the orange scaled creature as he looked down at her clearly concerned. “I want to stop this war, will you help me?” Krisis asked.