//------------------------------// // Chapter 14: Traveling To Minos Palace // Story: The Reaper // by Blade Trail //------------------------------// When Dagger and the Equestrians made it to the gate, they saw several armored minotaurs salute Axe, then jog inside. “What are you up to, brother?” Dagger asked. Axe turned and smiled at the group. “Expecting me to divulge my wicked scheme, Dagger?” “Hardly,” Dagger replied. “You are incapable of crafting such a thing.” Axe laughed. “Right you are! I was sending word ahead to have the staff prepare for our guests’ arrival.” “To have the soldiers stand down, you mean,” Dagger said. “How unexpectedly thoughtful of you, Axe.” “I had to do something with my time,” Axe said jovially. “You left me waiting here for ages! Hoping I’d keel over from old age, little brother? RAHAHAHAHA!” “Not even if our ages were separated by years instead of minutes, twin brother,” Dagger replied. He gestured to the Equestrians. “I was merely being considerate of our guests’ stature. Anything more than a moderate walk would have them sprinting to keep up with my strides. As it is, they are already forced to jog - or fly, in the case of the pegasus.” “Thank you, Prince Dagger,” Rarity said. “It is prince, isn’t it?” “Yes!” Axe replied. “Just be careful not to rub it in! RAHAHAHAHA!” “Quite astute, Lady Rarity,” Dagger said, ignoring his brother. “It seems that the size of your body does not reflect the strength of your mind. The same can be said of Axe.” “That could be either an insult or a compliment,” Axe observed. He reached up to give Dagger a friendly hit on the back, nearly bowling him over. “Classic Dagger! RAHAHAHAHA!” That laugh’s getting really old, really fast, Reyes’ voice commented. The worst part is that we can’t even tell if it’s fake or not. Reaper silently agreed. Axe seemed genuinely cheerful. His smile reached his eyes, and his laugh, grating as it was, didn’t sound even slightly forced. The only thing casting doubt on his attitude was the context. He laughed far too much at far too many questionable things. To Reaper, that left only two possibilities: Axe was either secretly smarter or even stupider than he appeared to be. Reaper wasn’t sure which possibility was worse. “Yes...Ha. Ha,” Dagger monotoned as he recovered from the blow. “Now, I believe we were heading off to the palace?” “Ah, of course! Of course! Let us be off! At the pace we’ll have to set, we’ll be lucky to make it there by nightfall,” Axe said. He smiled at the ponies. “I’ll bet your princesses never have that problem, eh? They can make any day as long as they like! RAHAHAHAHA!” Without waiting for a response, Axe set off through the gate. Despite his words, Axe’s walking speed set a much faster pace than Dagger’s did. Dagger and Rainbow Dash were able to match him easily, but Rarity was forced to trot and Reaper was forced to run. “Excuse me, but how far do we have to travel, exactly?” Rarity asked. “Not far, for a minotaur,” Axe replied without looking back. “Oh, that rhymes! RAHAHAHAHA!” Dagger observed Rarity and Reaper for a few moments then said, “I could have one of our soldiers carry you, if you wish.” Rarity lifted her chin with a huff. “No thank you, prince. I assure you that I can manage.” “Same here,” Reaper added. Dagger smirked. “As you wish.” ~~~ Minos City was built like a labyrinth. Having been built inside of a mountain, there were no open spaces to speak of, only rooms of various sizes connected by a network of door-filled hallways. There were no windows to let in natural light, either. Instead, every room and hall was lit using strange lamps that emulated the light of the outside, down to the shade and intensity of the different times of day. Wary of a trap, Reaper tried to keep track of the group’s progress, but soon found himself confused by the sheer monotony of the environment. With nearly every room and hall looking the same, he could find no landmarks to gauge their progress, and with all the turns they took, he could no longer even tell which direction they were moving in. However, the same could not be said of Axe, who led the group through the identical halls with confidence and chose every turn without pause. Five minutes passed in silence, then Rainbow spoke up. “Are we in the city yet?” Axe laughed at the question. “Ever since we entered the gate, little pony!” “Then where the hay is everyone?” Rainbow asked. “This place is empty!” “Yes...a good question,” Axe said, his mirth fading. “Tell us, Dagger, where are my people?” “Our people have been instructed to remain in their homes until the all clear is sounded,” Dagger replied, his tone unchanged and his face a mask. “For their safety.” “And your convenience,” Axe added. “I’ll not deny that was a pleasant side effect,” Dagger said. “Moving through the city is so much easier without having to wade through all of the idiots that tend to flock to you. Birds of a feather, I suppose.” Suddenly, Axe stopped. He swivelled towards his brother and strode towards him. Dagger’s eyes narrowed and he stood straighter, clasping his hands behind him to complete his proud pose. “Now, then...?” Dagger asked. Axe stopped in front of his brother and raised his fist. Dagger scowled. Reaper, shotguns in his hands, moved to stand in front of Rarity, who inhaled sharply, about to cry out to intervene. Axe knocked in front of the door behind Dagger. The door opened slightly, and Dagger stepped aside. Reaper saw the glint of a steel blade just before it disappeared into Dagger’s sleeve. He let his shotguns fade and heard Rarity sigh in relief behind him. “Hello?” a soft voice called out from the other side of the door. “What was that?” Axe asked loudly, a wide smile on his face. “I thought I heard a pebble.” The door opened wider, revealing a young male minotaur calf. The boy was rail thin, with two small stubs for horns. “Not a pebble, but a stone!” he declared proudly. “Ah, but if it isn’t Stone Wall himself!” Axe boomed, lifting the calf up onto his shoulder. “Mighty protector of all of Minos!” Stone giggled. “Not yet, Axe! But soon! My horns have already started growing, see?” “They’re all I can see!” Axe said in mock despair. “You’ve horns so big, they block my vision! How do you manage it, bull?!” Stone playfully punched the side of Axe’s head. “They’re not that big yet, dummy!” Within the room beyond the door, a rotund minotaur, slightly taller than Axe, came into view. “What’s all the racket, son? We’re supposed to stay quiet and hidden.” “Look, pa! It’s Axe!” Stone said, smiling. Stone’s father returned the smile. “I see that. Back again are you, you musclebound lummox? And what have you dragged to my door this -” Stone’s father stopped mid-sentence as his eyes fell on Dagger. He knelt immediately. “I mean, my apologies, Prince Axe! And welcome, Prince Daedelus Age -” “- Dagger will do, peasant,” Dagger interrupted. “You seem comfortable enough to address my brother with his shorter name, and I’d rather not make this visit more tedious than it already is.” “Y-yes, of course, Prince Dagger! Forgive me, my lords! I-I...mistook you for another! You honor my home with your presence, sirs!” Axe took Stone off of his shoulders and offered his hand to Stone’s father. “Rise, Brick. We come as friends! No need to be so formal.” Brick Wall hesitated for a moment before taking Axe’s offered hand and letting the prince help him up. “Thank you, sir. But...that is...if I may...” Stone laughed. “C’mon, pa! Why are you acting so weird? It’s just Axe!” “Hush, boy!” Brick said, briefly glancing at Dagger. “We are in the presence of royalty!” “And what a royal pain we’re being, eh? RAHAHAHAHA!” Axe said. Brick paled. His eyes flitted between Axe and Dagger, and he was unable to decide how to properly respond. Dagger cleared his throat. “Brother, get to the point. You’re terrifying the bull.” Under his breath he added, “And wasting my time.” “Am I? Ah, but that is normal for me, isn’t it?” Axe asked, turning to his brother with a grin. The princes stood staring at each other for a few tense moments before Axe turned back towards Brick. “Alright then! I merely swung by to ask a favor of you, good sir.” “Anything, my prince. I am your humble servant,” Brick said, bowing. Dagger snorted at that, but said nothing. Ignoring his brother, Axe said, “I want you to spread the word that the emergency is over. Get everyone back to their lives. The city is like a tomb with everyone hidden away, and that is hardly the impression I wish to leave on our visitors from Equestria.” Only then did Brick notice Reaper and the ponies. He was puzzled for a moment, but then decided it would be best if he did not ask. “I will do as you ask, Prince Axe, but...I hold no authority. The all clear signal has not been given. The others may not believe me.” “Any who doubts you may take it up with me!” Axe declared. “Besides, the signal will be sounded soon enough. Isn’t that right, Dagger?” Dagger waved a hand dismissively. “Yes, yes, as soon as we get to the palace. Now, can we go?” “Only if the mighty Stone Wall says it is safe,” Axe replied, winking to the calf. Stone perked up and ran out into the hallway. He spared a curious glance to the Equestrians then made an exaggerated show of looking down both ends of the hall before turning back to Axe and giving him a thumbs up. “All clear!” “My thanks, Stone!” Axe said, returning the calf’s gesture. “Now, let us be off! I am eager to sound that signal and see my city come alive again!” ~~~ The group departed from the Wall residence as Brick and Stone began knocking on their neighbors’ doors. Just before the group rounded the next corner, Rainbow cast a quick glance backward to see that a crowd had gathered around Brick to hear the news, their chattering voices filling the air. As the noise of the crowd reverberated along the hall, more and more doors opened. Soon, the once empty halls became lined with curious minotaurs. Word of mouth travelled fast, and Rarity watched with amazement as more lamps were lit, hidden windows were opened, and entire sections of wall began to move - some sinking into the floor and disappearing entirely. Earlier, every hall had seemed the same, now, each turn brought a different sight. There were market stalls being opened, signs being put up, knicknacks and decorations being placed even as some of the walls and floors began to change into different, more personalized colors. “I daresay it’s beginning to look a bit like Canterlot,” Rarity said. “Barring the lack of an open sky, of course.” Axe began to shout as they walked along, coaxing the minotaurs to come out and ensuring them that all was well. Many minotaurs called out to him in greeting as the group passed, and Axe replied to each one. Rarity noted that Dagger was not greeted with the same warmth. In fact, the greetings seemed to die off as soon as his presence was noticed. A little under an hour later, Axe turned a corner and led the group out of the labyrinth that was Minos city and into a large open cavern. The cavern was enormous, big enough for the Wonderbolts to fly an aerial routine through with space to spare. It was lit up on all sides by larger versions of the lamps that lined the halls of Minos, which now shone with the orange glow of late afternoon. At the very center of the cavern, surrounded on all sides by open space until the cavern walls, was the palace. “There she is!” Axe declared. “The Palace of Minos!” More like Fortress of Minos, Reyes’ voice commented as Reaper laid eyes on it. The palace was a large, square building, walled on all sides and sporting turrets at the corners. Reaper could make out sentries patrolling the walls and guarding the gates. “It certainly is...imposing,” Rarity said. “It kinda looks like a couple of stacked boxes with a wall around it,” Rainbow said. “Rainbow!” Rarity scolded. Axe smiled. “Can’t say that she’s wrong! RAHAHAHAHA!” “While aesthetically wretched, it serves its purpose,” Dagger said. “More than once has it sheltered the people of Minos, and never have its defenses been breached.” “It sounds as though the palace has a long and storied history,” Rarity said, attempting to salvage the conversation. “I’d love to hear more about it.” “Oh, trust me, you wouldn’t,” Axe said. “You’d be ancient yourself by the time we finished. RAHAHAHAHA!” Reaper’s fingers twitched. In his mind, he pictured the myriad ways he could silence Axe’s laughter, each one more satisfying than the last. The only thing stopping him from carrying out any of them was the fact that doing so would certainly cause a war between Minos and Equestria. War’s sounding more and more appealing by the minute, Reyes voice commented. Unlike that damned laugh! “On that, I happen to agree with my brother,” Dagger said. “You have not experienced the true meaning of ‘long and boring’ until you’ve had to sit through a traditional minotaur tale.” “Or a traditional minotaur anything for that matter,” Axe added. “Such as the announcement of names and titles.” As the group approached the palace gate, the sentries crossed their spears and barred the way. “Ugh,” Dagger groaned, exasperated. “Here it comes.” “Could we skip it today, boys?” Axe asked. “Just once? We had to take the long way back from the gate and -” “The princes of Minos have returned!” shouted one sentry. “Make way for the princes of Minos!” shouted the other. “Uhh...they do know that they’re the only ones in the way, right?” Rainbow asked. Dagger rubbed the bridge of his nose, his expression pained. “Just...just let them finish.” “Announcing the arrival of Asterius Xander Everard, winner of the Golden Gauntlet, inheritor of the Mirror Shield, loyal Captain of the Horn, esteemed Prince of Minos and son of Minos, the King of Minos!” the first sentry shouted. “Ah, the abridged version. Thank you, lad,” Axe said, patting the sentry on the shoulder. He stepped forward and the spears lifted to let him in. From somewhere within the palace, a slow rhythmic drum began to beat. Axe walked to the beat of the drum down path straight into the open inner gates. “Announcing the arrival of Daedelus Agenor Raeshod, reigning champion of the General’s Games, chosen bearer of the Thunder Lance, honored Strategos of the Ring, esteemed Prince of Minos and son of Minos, the King of Minos!” the second sentry shouted. “These are ambassadors from Equestria,” Dagger said as he stepped forward. “They are to be announced as such and nothing more. Do not hassle them.” “But sir,” the first sentry began, but Dagger had already begun his walk down the center. He sighed and turned to the Equestrians. “May I at least know your names and honorifics?” “Lady Rarity will suffice, darling,” Rarity said, flashing a smile. “I’m just Rainbow Dash…” Rainbow said, then she grinned and added, “The awesome!” “Reaper,” Reaper said simply. “Title or Honorific?” the sentry pressed. “Commander,” Reaper replied, surprising himself. Both Rarity and Rainbow gave Reaper questioning looks, but he ignored them. “Was that you or me?” he muttered to the voice in his head. We Reyes’ smug voice replied. The sentry announced the arrival of Lady Rarity, Commander Reaper, and Rainbow Dash the Awesome, ambassadors of Equestria, and the three walked towards the palace, none of them bothering to keep in time with the slow drum. “Commander, huh?” Rainbow asked. “Back in the day,” Reaper said with a shrug. “You really are full of surprises, Commander,” Rarity said. “One of these days, you simply must sit down and tell us about your life.” “No...Not today,” Reaper said. “I think I’ve figured out our friendship problem.” “No big mystery, that one,” Rainbow said. Then, she parodied Axe’s laugh, “Rahahaha!” “Please, Rainbow Dash, I’ve heard quite enough of that already,” Rarity complained. “Although I do believe we’ve all figured it out by now. The question is: how do we fix it?” “I doubt we can,” Reaper said. “They nearly killed each other back at Brick Wall’s place.” “Their enmity does seem rather extreme, but I don’t doubt that we’ll figure something out,” Rarity said. “Always do!” Rainbow affirmed. Reaper wished he could share the ponies’ confidence.