//------------------------------//
// Chapter 3: Ramming Through Endeavors 
// Story: Death's Captain 
// by Im a B O X 
//------------------------------//

Mt. Everhoof, 20 Decades before the Night’s Banishment…



The cold winter winds howled whilst the snow hurled itself onto the mountainside, never to cease as if their persistence would reach no end. Seemingly like a force of nature, such winds and forces guarding the entirety of the mountain, as if to tell everyone that it was impossible to climb, guarding a mysterious… something.

Was it a powerful artifact? A glorious treasure trove? An ancient relic? Whatever was waiting behind the closed doors of nature’s force, it was both equally enticing and dissuasive to most who would venture into Mt. Everhoof’s slopes.

Yet the Captain, well, he could only really mumble to himself incoherently, still pissed from the recent excursion he had with his boss. Despite the condition he was subjected to in this mountain pass, it was nothing compared to what was potentially in store for him for his return, doing little in the way of reassuring him of his future.

Outside of wanting to finish this particular documentation, he also knew that he’d have to fill in the missing reports; in particular, two dark manifestations, and one particular Dark Sorcerer, who was said to have rammed through his problems with the brute force of magic. Having worked overtime since his subsequent return, it didn’t give him much in the way of an opportunity to plan his next moves.

“Stupid fuck’n magic,” he murmured to himself in contempt. “Why can’t He provide better arrangements!? The bastard practically has an entire industry at his disposal at this point! Just, why?”

Doing a small gesture with his skeletal bones, he conjured up the most recent documents he had concerning (arguably) the most prolific Dark Sorcerer of Equestria and the Old World of Equis: Grogar, the Grand Sorcerer of Fiends.

From what the report told, he was more than just a dark sorcerer; although it was his main trade, he is said to be the conqueror that united most of Equestria under his imperial rule… until an untimely turn of events. Of course, the document also goes into detail about many things; the one he was interested in was where the soul’s potential whereabouts were, with him following up on a particular report that said he was headed for a cave system.

Looking up from reading the report, the Captain saw himself in front of his destination. With a nonexistent sigh, he mustered up his willpower not to curse under his breath.

Unfortunately, his entrance would be met with an announcement as the soul of the ram he was searching for greeted him with a… less than endearing sentiment.

“WHO GOES THERE!?” The ram exclaimed, making the Captain recoil at the sudden exclamation. “I can sense a dark force approach…”

“REVEAL THYSELF!” and in a display of proficiency in his craft, the ram placed all of his weight onto a single stomp, which quickly sent a rippling effect, as a crack quickly formed on the stone floors, one that was quickly multiplied and began to break onto the direction of the Captain.

Quick on his feet, the Captain made a quick hop as he began to try to levitate himself, but dropped his concealment spell in the process. And in a quick turn of events, the ram charged forth and with great ferocity, bashed his horns center mass of the Captain’s chest, sending him hurling to the wall.

With an audible *thud* and the wall he smashed into having created a large crater as a result, the Captain could only groan in pain. “Augh… fu –”

Lurching in pain, he tried to regain his footing but was again met by the ram’s horn, which again sent him hurling, now onto the opposite side of the cave’s floor.

‘OOF! The lucky bastard got the drop on me.’ He thought to himself. Looking around, he saw what was unmistakably the spirit of the Dark Sorcerer he was looking for.

From where he was, it seemed like the ram was smarter than what he let on; not all muscle it seemed. And from the way he saw it, the ram blocked the only way in and out of the passage, with no obvious way out. Of course, it seemed like the ram had more in store.

“Who’s art thou?” he asked, horn at the ready as he awaited his answer.

The Captain wasn’t quite as quick, but he’ll manage, as he lifted himself from his laying position on the floor and stood with prideful dignity. “Who else but your collector, no less.”

“Collector?” the ram asked in disbelief, “I, Grogar, am above such things as the monotonous and irrelevant sort. So, I ask again, who- no. What are you?”

Baffled at Grogar’s spirit having no respect for him, a subordinate of one of the greatest “Dark” Creatures to have existed, he realized his temper was being tested, and through sheer force of will, he held his composure from simply lashing out there and then. “As I said, and will insist, I am your collector, one of many who ferries or guides –”

“Ha!” the ram scoffed, clearly having doubted the claim, “I am Grogar! The Dark Sorcerer of Equestria, and you think your worth, virtues, and prowess are anything of worth? I am one of the greats! You’ll have to try harder than that, you utter fool.”

Well, the Captain wasn’t keen on getting his hands dirty today, but he guessed that he’d better challenge this confident demeanor if such an attitude is to continue. “If such is the case, then what makes you so different from me? I mean what gives you that ‘defining’ difference?”

“Hmph,” he was clearly reluctant to say his peace, but a quick turnaround seemed to have made him speak. “Why should I answer that question? You have no right to such a line of thought, let alone having arranged the privilege for such introductions to be in order.”

 The Captain would bet that it was his pride that did not allow him to remain silent without a rebuttal. But that didn’t mean that was plain and simple, because from what the Captain could tell, depending on what he’d say, Gorgar would likely steer this conversation in different ways, and really, he would hate it to give off the wrong impressions, after all, he was an advocate for all truth, just like Death. “Then I’d like for us both to leave behind our… less than civil prolusion. So let us take the first steps to introductions, it is only proper, yes?”

“Hm… yes, quite so.” The ram agreed.

And having no hesitation, knowing he’ll be playing the long game, the Captain gave a simple introduction. “Then my name is Azrael, Azrael Zephaniah. And as I said, I’m a collector of sorts. And you?”

The ram responded in kind, wanting to be seen as nothing less than proper. “Grogar, Grogar the Dark Sorcerer of Equestria. And I must say, what a weird name you’ve got, um… Mr.? Azreal.”

Chuckling at the remark, he heeded it no mind. “I get that a lot.” He admitted. “And please, just ‘Azrael’ would be preferred. Oh, and I must ask, what is a ‘Dark Sorcerer’ like you doing in a cave like this?”

“Ah,” again, the ram hesitated in finding himself a fulfilling answer. “It’s nothing important, but –”

‘Nice try,’ the Captain thought, ‘but if you’re not blunt, then I’ll simply have to be the one,’

 “– But I insist, tell me more about yourself.” He instead said, slowly beginning a menacing walk toward the ram.

Of course, the ram was no stranger, much less a fool, for such small talks, and he knew the jig was up. And again, hostilities ensued. “Stay back!”

The Captain, initially confident in his ability to deceive the ram, quickly realized he couldn’t pull his usual shtick, and gladly obliged. Raising his skeletal hands to show that he had no intention to challenge the ram, yet.

“I may not know who you are, ‘Azrael’, but I assure you, nothing’s past a Dark Sorcerer the likes of I. You are no match for me, as I have raised and commanded demons far stronger than whatever you are. Pitiful, really, so just how do you see yourself standing against me? I suggest that you yield whilst you can, after all, I am the sorcerer of demons and foul creatures, casting such creatures tends to require one to show… strength, and sometimes, being merciless is the best way to show that even the deepest pits of Tartarus may be inviting.”

“Then I suggest you reassess what you deem as ‘demon’ or ‘foul’ creatures.” He boldly said, refuting and challenging the Sorcerer’s position of power. “Because as far as I know, not all Dark Creatures come from Tartarus.”

“Really?” The ram asked skeptically. “Then give me one such power.” The ram refuted, confident in his knowledge of creatures and the works. But instead of expecting a stuttering claim, he received a question that challenged his very identity, jeopardizing his standing in this conversation between him and the Captain. One he admittedly ought to have known before he refutes.

“Do you not consider yourself as one?” The Captain asked, his ‘presence’ starting to grow as uncertainty filled the ram. “After all, what you’ve done and would’ve done in all your years alive, do you consider yourself as one of them? A Dark Creature to his core.”

W- Was he now?

“I- I…” he gave an audible gulp.

Grogar’s mind worked overtime, knowing fully well that there was only one of two truly acceptable answers; was it a yes, or a no? Any variation of an answer would give away his thoughts on the matter. Play denial, and he’ll be quickly be figured out of his BS, and if he answers it straight, it would mean he yields to this creature’s sense of reason, defeating his initial play for power in steering this conversation, the actual answer was just secondary. And who was he to yield? To him, his only real play now was to remain silent, lest he exposes too much of his inner thoughts.

“Ironic,” the Captain remarked, stroking his chin as he wondered how many times he’s met creatures blind to their own change. “And I ask, who are you to talk about respect and power? When really, you lack a sense of decency and humbleness. And YET, despite having summoned countless Dark Creatures whilst you were alive, could not see the very foul stench of what you had become, no longer just a Dark Sorcerer, you’ve become the Dark Sorcerer, as you said. Which, like many things, would come with its proxies.”

Now that he thought about it, an old saying popped into the Captain’s head. “Well, as far as I could tell. Time and time again, I guess the adage proves itself all year round. Living with filth long enough really does seem to dull out its foul stench, now does it?”

And it was a remark that the Dark Sorcerer felt insulted yet… helpless towards. In truth, although he did grow to become a Dark Sorcerer, it wasn’t always like that. He could still remember at one point in his life when he wasn’t exactly a Demon Summoner, on the contrary, summonings were just a side gig to what he thought was the bigger goal, becoming Emperor of (what would become) Equestria, not necessarily through “Evil” means, but more so with what was available.

And upon returning to the remark of the Captain, there was really only one side to it, it could also be interpreted as a subversive jab at his pride, showing just how far the extent of the “stench” he had grown to tolerate and remain ignorant towards, with he himself becoming the “stench” that he once summoned under his title as Dark Sorcerer. It was a truth that he preferred to remain ignorant of, especially since he did believe he was above the demons and foul creatures he would regularly summon and command.

“Why so silent?” the Captain asked, his ever-growing smirk putting pressure on the turning situation for the ram.

“And so? My silence proves NOTHING! I never, and would I neither, admit nor deny such proposition, and you can’t tell me the contrary!”

Now beyond baffled at the ram’s persistent ignorance, even in the face of an actively turning tide, the Captain wasn’t quite sure if his plan to reach out for help would even work with such an ignorant and persistent mindset that hindered his confidence in the ram’s ability to listen to reason. But… he did think a bit of sugarcoating might help with the ram’s willingness to help him out, a mix of desperation and the illusion of choice might do the trick. Now, to word it right is the challenge, to present an opportunity without spilling too many details...

“Hmm…” The Captain thought aloud, “With such persistence, I’m afraid I’ll have to search elsewhere for an accomplice…”

“Oh…” Now it was Grogar’s interest that was piqued. From what it sounded like, it seemed like the Captain might have an offer that might just prove itself to be well worth the trouble. “And, if I may ask, why would you need an accomplice?”

Oh, it was going as smoothly as he expected it to be. “Ah, why would you want to know? After all, I’m just nobody… but, I guess I could tell you. You see, I have two other, hmm… shall we say, ‘creatures’ on the loose, and I’ll need some help containing them, but as you can probably tell by the lack of accomplices I have accompanying me... well, you can say I’m a little short on company.”

“And if so… If I allow myself to offer my services to you, what is it that I would reap?” the sorcerer asked, looking past this game of superiority they once played, and instead looking at the bigger picture, of a way to get out of this hellhole of an astral state of sorts. “After all, not everything comes in blank checks.”

“We can speak of negotiations on a later date.” The Captain insisted, making the ram frown in the process. “Not to worry, we’ll bind it by contract, and I assume you’re aware of how those work, yes?”

“I am,” came the reply. “And where do you suppose we make it final?”

“In my office! It’s only formal after all.” And just as Grogar was about to open his mouth to respond, with a quick snap of his fingers, the Captain and Sorcerer were teleported to the Captain’s office, just as he said.





Cleaner and much better organized than before, the Captain himself had kept himself busy whilst he waited for recruits or the odd job that needs to be done. Papers weren’t stacked in the open and cabinet files, although extensively used and messy, helped keep the clutter in the office to a minimum.

Looking around, the ram could not help himself but feel intrigued at the site. So refined and distinguished, yet nothing overly dramatic whilst still being practical. It was nice, and it was a feeling he hadn’t felt in a loonnnggg while…

And while being on the topic of intrigue, there was one thing that piqued it the most for him, and it was while he looked around, he spotted something on the Captain’s bulletin board.

Had he been paying attention to what he was seeing, he would’ve seen his face amongst the sea of other note-worthy figures in Equis history, including Gusty the Great; instead, his eyes landed on one part of the board that was highlighted, filled with “Dark Creatures”, such as what appeared to be a Tantabus and a manifestation of Shadows.

Among them was something that stood out above the rest: a name. “And who might be this Sombra fellow over here?” he asked aloud, pointing in intrigue at a picture that was hanging from the bulletin board.

He knew the characteristics of many Creature, most especially those of “Dark” decent, likely better than anyone else who would ever live, and there are some subtle, or in other cases, dead giveaways. An internal critique he had in the back of his mind, hard not to have one when you’ve dedicated a good portion of your life to the pursuit of one thing. And this one, in particular, screamed of a very obvious, but more atypical creature of the Darkness, an Umbrum. 

“Oh, him?” The Captain turned. Scowling a bit at the picture of Sombra as an Umbrum. More out of the fact that it reminded him of what happened after the fact, with his employer; regardless, it did make for a good opportunity to plant the seeds of prospects for the Sorcerer. “He’s one of many… dead, but he’s got off better thanks to an opportunity I provided him with, more or less. It is part of my job you see, and with such things usually comes perks, but those aren’t important.”

Changing position to stare down at the Sorcerer, he asked him a question. “What is an important thought to me, is why you find this, an Umbrum with a name, to be the most intriguing part of my… board…”

At that, the Captain realized his entire bulletin board was on full display for the Sorcerer, and quickly cast a spell that blurred out most of the sensitive information. Not that Grogar would notice it, as his mind seemed to have wandered off to some other prospects.

“Oh please, I knew such beings existed long ago, I simply have a preference. After all, I find it much more interesting to observe a creature with identity than those who are willing and are just Forces of Nature. Nothing wrong with that, now is there?”

The Captain couldn’t help but agree with the sentiment. “To right indeed.”

“But that is beside the point…” he kept in the back of his mind what the Captain told him, if he made it out unscathed for the most part, this might be a point he’d be willing to come back for a better active “life” than to do nothing. “I’d like to know why you brought me here.”

In truth, the Dark Sorcerer was in denial, last he knew, in his desperate attempt to reclaim his lost bell, he was consumed with nothing but rage and persistence that lead to a freezing death. After which he was in a sort of limbo state, being in the realm of living and dead, between matter and not. And it just so happened that the Captain provided him this opportunity and at a pleasantly much-needed time no less!

“Well, as you said, our documents should be in order, yes? So to make sure everything’s in order, what would you need anything?” The Captain asked as he started rummaging through several cabinet files, presumably to find a much-needed contact or contract. “Your file told me plenty of things. And though I trust you to be resourceful I’d rather have you make things plain and simple, so what would a sorcerer like you need for an endeavor?”

“My file?” Shaking that thought quickly from his mind, Grogar gave it a quick thought. His list of priorities was, to put it simply, nonexistent, which made him do a devious smirk that began to grow on the Sorcerer, one that was quickly washed away once the Captain’s posture told him he knew better. “Ah, well, I guess I’ll only need an artifact similar to the Bewitching Bell. That would suffice me for the most part.”

“Nothing else?” he asked, making sure he wasn’t just hearing things.

Shaking his head, the Captain continued. “Very well then, I’ll check for arrangements, but I can tell you, you’re being monitored by higher beings.”

“…” Grogar wouldn’t argue any further, but his curiosity wasn’t quite quenched yet. “So why me? A Dark Sorcerer. Surely by the looks of it, you could’ve clearly approached a much broader-versed Sorcerer or something of the like.”

Ignoring the remark, the Captain threw a sheet of paper and pen, continuing all the necessary information for this short partnership between the two. “There’s a trap door to the left of that cabinet.” The Captain said, instructing the ram to do as follows. “Go down there, it’s a basement with a light source, stay down there as you think and read the terms and conditions of that paper.”

“And besides, not all methodologies need to be methodical.” Making his way to the door, he looked around once again in the room expectantly. “Sometimes, the easiest and quickest route is convent enough to ram through without thinking simply. Gets the job done; I’ll be outside, when you’re done, you’ll know where to find me.”

“So, you’re no Dark Creature…” Grogar concluded, persistent despite the hint of a quiver in his unrelenting attitude, a weight that crept with his tone as he continued whilst reading through the fine print. “You’re no advocate of Darkness… are you, Mr. Azreal?”

Shaking his head, the Captain would only deny it. “I told you everything you needed to know. As I said before, I’m simply going through the simplest and most convenient method available. And although I don’t prefer ramming through my problems with brute force, I’m running short on time as well, so there are measures I would’ve preferred not to take but had to, including working with you in particular.”

Although a little offended, it did not deter the ram from his goal. “Then precautions be dammed! Why don’t you answer my question?” It was his final gambit, a little throwback to what happened to him earlier. Either way, the ram was sure to be insightful of what the response would be. “You are no Dark Creature, let alone a sorcerer or caster. So I ask again, what are you?”

The response that came, was a frown. “Finish up as quickly as you can, as it is in your best interest to remain ignorant.”

“Hmph,” the ram could only scoff, his final defiant act of disrespect for the time being.

Knowing where his fate would be shared with for the foreseeable future, he would save his qualms for another day…