They had been flying in that carriage for what seemed like forever. Below them sand dunes and desert extend into the sunrise for what looked like forever. The group was unusually silent, but Anon didn't mind. It was nice to just stare out over the sand expanse.
"What on earth is that?" Novo asked
They all looked in the direction Novo was looking. It was a giant swirling sand storm. It looked like a hurricane, but more massive than any hurricane Anon had ever seen. It swirled for miles, five at least. Yet, strangely, it seemed completely static. Surrounding the massive storm was what looked like an ancient battlefield. Old, crumbling ruins were littered about along with what looked like rusty spears and armor.
"That is the reason nobody has heard from the king in over two hundred years." Rarity explained "According to the records, after a particularly grim battle in which no side was gaining ground, a giant sand storm rose from what seemed like nowhere. It's been there ever since. Anyone who's entered or has tried to disperse the storm has never been seen or heard from again."
Before anyone even had a chance to register the comment a giant burst of sand jutted from the storm, striking the side of the carriage, nearly knocking them out of the air. Then three more bursts of sand. The closer they got, the more aggressive the stand became until, finally, the carriage came crashing to earth. Anon screamed as he fell but before he knew it he'd stopped. Rarity was using a spell of light to gently bring them to the ground.
"What do we do now?" Novo asked
"We start walking." Sunset said
The storm was still a far way off. It'd take a day at least to get there by foot. Thankfully, however, the storm stopped spitting columns of sand at them. The heat was intense. It sucked every ounce of energy and enthusiasm out of his body. Novo seemed to be struggling too in that big black cloak she always wore. Not only that, she dawned her mask again. It was even creepier in the daylight. It was clearly made of human bone. The eye holes were made in such a way that there was only a small slit. Strangely though, Sunset and Rarity seemed unfazed by the oppressive heat.
"How are you," Anon gasped for breath. Even the air felt like it was on fire "How are you so calm in all this heat?"
Sunset looked shocked
"Oh my goodness. I completely forgot. Here."
Sunset pulled out her wand and tapped his head twice. Suddenly he felt an invigorating cooling sensation, like he was taking a nice cold shower. Anon breathed a sigh of relief.
"That feels incredible. How did you do that?"
"It's a simple spell many a mage learns as a child. It's very easy. All you need to is cast a shield of mana around you. Basically just thread your mana around your entire body to insulate it. Should be even easier for you since you don't use a wand."
"I'm surprised no one was really surprised by that."
"It was well known that Clover didn't use a wand in combat, though it was rumored she carried a tall white birch staff."
"A tall white birch staff huh?"
Anon remembered the vision. The woman was holding a staff of the same description. But she didn't look like Clover was described to look. It was said Clover had blonde hair, not green. If that wasn't her, who was she? Was she really some sort of god like Rarity said?
"You ok?" Sunset asked
"I'm fine. Just... thinking about something."
"Tell me about it."
"When Rarity preformed the Trial of Day with me I had a vision. It was the vision that led me to the Forever Rose and what's probably leading me here. There was a girl with a white birch staff but she doesn't have the same features that I've heard Clover was said to have."
"Interesting. What did she look like?"
"Green hair, green eyes. A halo above her head."
"That doesn't sound familiar, at least not in relation to any famous mages."
"Strange." Anon turned to Kovo "Are you alright?"
"I'm... fine."
"Here, let me help." Sunset said
As she pointed her want at Novo, she slapped her hand away
"Get that away from me."
"Kovo!" Sunset yelled "I was just trying to help."
"If you put your mana in me I'm going to be in extreme pain."
"Oh that's right..."
"I'm fine." she said "This is nothing."
"Don't you want to take off your cloak?"
"No."
They kept walking through the remains of the battlefield. It truly seemed like it was one bloody fight. Weapons were littering the field and they couldn't walk two steps without stepping on some heavily rusted armor. It looked like a might grinder. They walked until night fall, setting up camp just half a mile away from the never ending storm. Now Anon got to see what magic was truly capable of. Rarity pulled out what looked to be a large potion bottle filled with a glowing liquid. As she poured it on the ground, a tent sprouted up like a plant. Through the flap they walked into a mansion. It was a long hallway with a separate room for each member of the party. The walls were marble and lined with gold and the walkway had a nice red carpet. In each room was a nice big queen bed, a personal bathroom, an alchemy lab and a kitchen stocked full of food.
"My god, Rarity." Anon said "Where on earth did you get something like this?"
"It was a gift from my mentor. The best thing about it? Not only does it go back into the potion bottle after use, it takes on the shape of whatever I can imagine within three thousand square feet. It's a one of a kind gift. Took him years and years to create."
"You have good taste."
"Thank you."
Novo marched off without saying a word, claiming the room furthest down the hall to the right and shutting the door tightly behind her. They all looked at one another, not sure wether to leave her to her peace or to go after.
"Should I...?" Sunset asked
"I'll do it."
"If you say so. I'm going to go lay on a comfortable bed for once."
Anon walked down to the furthest room and knocked. No answer. He knocked again only to hear angry stomping to the door as it was flung open. A frizzy haired Kovo stood in the entry way, holding just one eye open.
"Is there something I can help you with? Or can I get back to napping?"
"Oh sorry. I didn't mean to disturb you."
She grumbled, slamming the door in his face. Anon went into one of the unoccupied rooms. There was a window depicting a scene of a meadow. As he looked closer he swore he could see Rarity. But she was small, no more than ten or eleven and wearing a nice dress. The scene was frozen. There, Rarity had dropped some glass object, its contents all over the grass and an angry man yelling at her, pointing a finger in her face. She was half bent down, tears streaming down her face. Seems her mentor was even stricter to her than she was to him. He couldn't dwell on it though or, rather, he couldn't. As he fell asleep he had the strangest dream. It was the emerald haired woman again. She hovered above his sleeping body, looking down at him. Her smile was warm, almost like that of a mother lovingly gazing at her newborn. She stared for what seemed like forever and no matter how hard he tried, Anon couldn't move. After the longest time she reached into her robe pulling out a black orb with a glowing red feather suspended inside and placed it inside his pocket. It looked as though it were on fire. She gave a slightly more loving smile, as though she meant to say 'I'm so proud of you' after which he woke with a start.
"A dream?" he asked the air
He turned to his side only to feel something solid in his pocket. He scrambled to take it out. It was the ball with the feather. Was that real? What the hell was going on? He stood up and went outside his room. The first thing he saw was Novo in full assassins garb, clinging to the ceiling with her knife out.
"Novo!? What the hell-"
He was interrupted by a hard kick as she swung down.
"Novo!"
"Shut up!"
She put her hand over his mouth. That's when he heard it. People talking outside the tent. He couldn't make out what they were saying, but they were not voices belonging to Rarity or Sunset. Novo removed her hand from his mouth, putting a finger to her lips.
"I'll handle this." she whispered, gripping her knife again "stay right here. Don't move."
She moved completely silently to the opening of the tent then, quicker than light, bolted out. Anon heard yelling followed by the sound of throats being slashed. There was a loud call, followed by the sound of at least fifteen sets of footsteps running across the sand then, silence. Novo didn't return however, nor where Rarity or Sunset anywhere to be seen. Anon got to his feet and tip toed to the entrance, gazing through the crack. As soon as he did, however, a strong arm ripped him right out of the tent and onto the hot sand. He looked up at his assailant. He was built like a brick wall and wore a large white robe bearing a dragons face. He carried a rapier with an intricate guard at his waist and his face was completely obscured by the hood. Soon, two others wearing the same robe but in blue approached, stepping over the bodies of five other blue robed men. Victims of Novo's sneak attack no doubt.
"Take this one away. Put him in level three, cell five." said the man in white
"Sir!"
The two others lifted Anon up by his arms. Anon struggled, managing to put his hands on the ground. He poured his mana into the ground, causing two tree branches to fire from the earth and knock the guards out cold. Anon dawned the coolest pose he could think of.
"It'll take more than that to stop me." he said
The man in white was hardly amused. He unsheathed his rapier, revealing a beautiful gold blade.
"Seems we have a tough guy. Well, allow me to show you what a real mage can do."
Anon went to put his hands to the ground again. As his hands were half way to the ground, the man swiftly slashed his sword to the sky. The sword glowed and stand shot up where he slashed, hitting Anon straight in the chest and knocking the wind out of him. The sword itself as a wand. The man put his hood back revealing a bald head and a thick beard with a handlebar mustache.
"Listen here, boy." he said with force "My name is Igneous Rock, right arm of the King and his head executioner. My blade was made by him personally and commands the very desert itself. Make an attempt on my life again and I won't hesitate to kill you with my next strike. This is your only warning."
Anon stood there, frozen in fear. He knew he meant what he said. That attack was strong and he could feel him holding back. He knew if Igneous really wanted to, he could make the sand blow straight through his chest without so much as breaking a sweat.
"Now. Stand up and one of my guards will take you away. Don't even think about trying any funny business either. We have the other two women you were traveling with. And if you so much as look at my men wrong we'll make them a sacrifice to the King. Am I making myself clear?"
"Y-yes, sir."
"Good. Now, take him away."
Two more guards appeared seemingly out of nowhere and lifted him up by his feet. As they did, the ball with the feather dropped from his pocket. Igneous eyes went wide.
"Where on earth did you get that?"
"I... I got it from a dream."
"Oh a clown, huh? Well then." he said, cracking his knuckles "Let's show him what we think clowns. Take him to my quarters. I want to deal with him personally."
The guards forcefully brought him to his feet and put him in chains. Another guard came down on a broom. They sat him atop it, shackling him to the stick in case he fell. The room blasted off like a rocket, going straight into the sand storm.