ബഐബഐബഐ Smaug ബഐബഐബഐ
I sighed in relief as my goal was finally in sight. A week of flying all day really was really taxing on the wings. I hadn't felt this sore since that buffoon became Dragon Lord of the Wasteland Dragons. There is more to dragons then their flame or brawn and then to flaunt their superior power to a supposedly 'weaker' race by making all dragon fly long distances together and far closer to the the lands of the ponies... It's counterproductive to reason for the Wasteland Dragons and the Migration. If only 'Dragonlord' Torch wasn't such a lazy ass he would realize just how much worse of an insult that being a 'clod' really was.
I grumbled, though, as realized i had to now now figure out exactly where to go from here. H.K. was not exactly clear on where I was to go... Which was both par for course and irritating. I was used to H.K. keeping a lot close to his firesac as were to be expected with being our generations Dragon Warrior but could he at least been a bit clear on exactly where to meet...
To the Shaman of the Hollowed Fire Mountain
Greetings,
I'm sure you have heard of Terra Hourglass, the upside down mountain deep within the Untamed Wilds, I require your skills and talents on a matter of dire importance at that location. Your immediate assistance will be most appreciated and rewarded. I shall explain more fully once you arrive.
May your hoard shine and your claws remain sharp.
I require your skills and talents on a matter of dire importance at that location. Again, where exactly was the question. Terra Hourglass was a massively large mountain, one of the largest in the world. It would take some time to do a through search. I slowed to a hover as I groaned at not insisting on more information. As ironic as it would be for me to say it, I'm getting to old for this.
It was then that I noticed something taking off from the trees on top of the mountain. My rising relief quickly faded as what I thought might be H.K. turned out to not be what I had expected. Though, to be fair, I had never seen H.K. fly or his true form.
Instead of a dragon I found myself being approached by what I could only describe as a rainbow mane, white furred alicorn stallion. Except for the oddly fanged teeth peeking out of his mouth, silted pupils, and the right shoulder covered with scales. And the Heterochromia eyes?! I sighed as I could only begin to think what was on the mind of what I assume was a changeling with such a spectacularly flawed disguise confronting a fully grown dragon such as myself?! A hatchling or whelp I could see... But an adult?! I'm not sure whether to commend it for its bravery or shake my head over its stupidity.
"Greetings Shaman of the Hollowed Fire Mountain."
Well, at least it knows how to properly greet me... I thought, but to know that particular greeting... I surreptitiously took a whiff of 'the changeling's' scent. To my mild surprise and now irritation, it smelled like my friend. I knew that smells could be, at least to a point, mimicked, but this was by far the best mimicking I had ever witnessed. Something is going on whether for ill or not was not clear yet. For now all I could do was be ready for anything while also not letting on that I suspect anything...
"Es eslu H.K., thevis forlas laithītājs."
"D... Dragon Warrior H.K.?" I stuttered out, trying not to laugh as I attempted to reconcile what I was seeing with what I knew. H.K. looking like a pony was not what I expected. But then again, dragon magic was finicky to those without patience...and dangerous... I just never thought H.K. would be one to be so recklessly stupid... A pony?! No wonder why H.K. was oddly small and always cloaked.
"Laugh about it later..." H.K. grumbled, turning around and flying back towards the forest then landing.
I sighed in relief as I landed behind him and followed, thankful to be off my wings though wondering bit why we were walking through the forest to our destination. My curiosity increased a bit as the trees thinned out to reveal a city in the distance. A city? This was not what I had envisioned would be his territory... if it was... Also while we were still some distance away I couldn't help but notice that there was something that seemed off about the city as well.
As we enter the city it became clear very quickly that it had been abandoned some time ago. But the feeling I had before only grew... it was almost as if like something sinister was watching us. H.K. had better not needed me for what I was beginning to suspect was needed. He knew I had I lost my taste for that after... after...
"Shadow demons..." H.K. flatly spoke as if nothing was wrong. "There is a massive infestation..."
I raised an eyebrow, shadow demons are fairly easy to deal with and I know he could handle even a 'massive infestation.' So why hadn't he?
My grumbling questions was put aside as we walked into what I would assume was the town square with the spring like tower in its center. On the other side was a small gang of whelps sparing with a purple and green hatchling. I narrowed my eyes as I watched the sparring. It was a bit odd for any worthy parent to allow a hatchling to hang with a whelp much less a gang of them...
The sparring quickly came to a stop as we got closer. The red whelp and a bandaged black and silver whelp seemed to flinch at my gaze but the black whelp with the horn deformity, however, was eyeing me, much to my annoyance. That was nothing when I noticed something about the red whelp that gave me the most pause. His entire body was covered with scars, which seemed too... orderly. It was almost as if... "Ormagoden."
"Leave Garble alone Shaman of the Hollowed Fire Mountain, he has atoned for his dishonor." H.K. snapped.
"If you say so Dragon Warrior H.K." I growled out making a mental note to keep a close eye on the whelp none the less.
"Come..."
My gaze lingered a moment longer before I turned to follow H.K. into the darkness of the large building to the south. "I didn't take you as one to mentor a gang. Especially with one that was 'formally' dishonored."
"I'm not and if I had it my way I'd drive them out..." H.K. commented as he led me down a large corridor to the left.
"Then why don't you? You are within your rights."
H.K. stopped and turned to me in mild surprise. "Wait, you thought this was my territory?"
He snorted then started laughing, "No, it's not..."
"Do you know how to passively feel ley lines?"
I raised an eye brow at H.K. abruptly ending his laughter with a seriously posed, yet rhetorical, question which obviously was related to why he needed me. So, what was wrong with the ley lines here that he would need my help with that? I slowly relaxed as let my senses reach out and was almost overwhelmed by the shear number of ley lines swirling below. It was like looking straight at the sun immediately after walking out of a darken cave. I pulled back but could not see anything... Not deterred I kept at it until I finally noticed a bunch of ley lines, a few dozen, that seemed a bit different from the rest. I focused on those, assuming that whatever made those ley lines to appear different was what H.K. wanted me to see, and when I saw what had made them different it I nearly lost it in terror.
"By the Eternal Flames! How did this happen, and why would you allow a hatchling so close to this kind of danger?!" I nearly roared. "How can you be so irresponsible Dragon Warrior!"
"A spell... cast during It." H.K. calmly, yet coldly answered. I resisted urge to flinch. There was only one event that H.K. would use the word 'it' in such a cold manner, The Elder War. How he knew it was a spell from then I hadn't the slightest clue, I just knew better then to questioned it, not if I wanted to live. "And as for the hatchling, he was suppose to be safe with his sister while I attempted to deal with this... but... with war brewing between Equestria, where they live, and the Wasteland Dragons... He is hoping I could help..."
Why am I not surprised? I sighed as I pinched my brow. And as much as I would like to know more I knew that whatever had set it off was going to be migraine inducing and stupid. Something that I was not ready nor wanting to deal with just yet. "So, how exactly can I assist?"
"The defenses of Hourglass City, specifically those black obelisks, are malfunctioning and actively putting strain on the already stressed ley lines. We need to find anything that could tell us how to shut them down without setting off the imminent leyonic cascade. On that note, I also need anything and everything on the leyonic pole beneath Terra Hourglass... I have dealt with ley lines before but never at this scale. Both will prove to be challenging as not only is the library older then I am, with a vast majority written in dead languages or dialects, but not a single book or scroll are in their proper place..."
I blinked as I stepped into the chamber behind the door. It was clear at a glance that a challenge might be a bit a of an understatement. "H.K.... how many artifacts does this library contain?"
"If I include the archives a few million."
Great... This will be like finding a rainbow gem shard in a hoard pile of rainbow gems...