Chapter Twenty Five: Labyrinth
The shadows were absolute, freezing and sickly. Battle's horn glowed bright silver, casting rays of brilliant light through the darkness. The cold, icy realm outside was nothing to the near Arctic temperatures within. The walls of carved ice shone under the glare from Battle's horn. Veins of some dark substance ran deep throughout the icy tunnel. It might have been liquid shadow, or it may have been blood.
"My goodness its cold," Rarity cried, wrapping her arms around herself.
"I thought outside was bad," Applejack managed to get out through chattering teeth.
"Arson?" Battle called.
"Sir." A ring of warm, yellow flames appeared and hovered around them as they walked. Battle felt the heat take affect almost immediately but he paid it no head. It was for the benefit of his comrades rather than himself.
The further they walked in, the more the rough ice tunnel became more of an ice coated passage. Chiselled and carved stone walls could be seen under inch thick sheets of dark ice. Intricate designs and patterns were just visible under the surface, drawing depicting great battles and terrible creatures.
"There're walls here," Shining observed aloud, following Battle's train of thought.
"We're entering the tomb proper," Battle explained. "This entire place was constructed in order to prevent Wrath from escaping." He paused slightly. "And to stop people from breaking in."
"What do you mean?" Dash asked.
"This is a tomb remember?" Battle said. "Even though this place was constructed to be a prison as much as a resting place, Wrath was still buried with some his more... dangerous acquisitions. And like the tombs of old, their are contingencies set in place in order to prevent-"
A spear shot from the darkness ahead of them. Battle's eyes flashed and he side stepped, his hand crashing down on the centre of the spear, breaking in cleanly in two.
"Grave-robbers," Battle finished, growling.
"How are these traps still working?" Applejack asked.
"Either good Warhorse craftsmanship or maybe Wrath's fixed them up just for us," Battle suggested.
"Well that's good," Rarity sighed. "We're walking through a freezing crypt, facing a monster from the beginning of time and there are traps at every corner. Now what?"
"Remember your training," Merciless said sharply. "A good assassin is always prepared for anything that is thrown at them."
"Well put Merciless," Battle agreed. "But I feel we'd be much better off if we could see them before we set them off. Arson."
Arson snapped his fingers. Twin trails of golden flames lined either side of the passageway, throwing the icy tunnel into sharp relief. Battle turned to Arson and gave him the thumbs up.
"Ooooh pretty!" Pinkie exclaimed. Battle's horn stopped glowing, and allowed the light from Arson's flames to guide the way.
"So how big is this tomb anyway?" Shining asked.
"And is it all as dark and spooky and scary as this?" Fluttershy asked.
"It could in theory go for miles," Sky reasoned. "I mean, who's to say the entire glacier didn't form around Wrath's tomb?"
"You mean this thing could be the size of an entire glacier?" Dash asked.
"Maybe more," Battle shrugged. There could be underground tunnels waiting for us too. An endless labyrinth to stop us reaching Wrath."
"You mean we could be wandering down here forever?" Applejack cried. Battle stopped.
"Quite possibly," he said glumly.
The passageway ahead of them split off in a fork. Two equally similar passageways, indistinguishable from each other. Each one ran into the darkness and the cold.
"Now what?" Dash sighed.
"Split up?" Shining suggested.
"That is the last resort," Battle replied. "We are not splitting up you hear?"
"Agreed," Juggernaut said. "Not the best idea."
"Well then if we aren't splitting up, what are we going to do?" Rarity asked. "I mean, do we blunder blindly down one corridor and hope for the best?"
Shining looked left, then right. He stepped directly up to the fork and held out both hands out, one in each passageway. He screwed up his eyes in concentration before sighing and turning back to the others.
"What the hay was that?" Applejack asked.
"Well I assumed we could tell which way Wrath was if we identified which direction was colder," Shining shrugged. "Didn't work out like I hoped."
Battle frowned, walking up to the fork himself. Followed Shining's example and looked left, then right. He closed his eyes and listened intently. He knew what Wrath wanted. It was him. He wanted to fight Battle with the very core of his being, something Battle knew was a mutual feeling for the both of them. Wrath didn't want them to get lost. What he wanted was for them to find him.
Something brushed past his left ear. It twitched in response and Battle paid more attention to it. He could hear something, a small rasping voice. He turned hi head and strained his hearing.
"Come and have a go..." it whispered, mockingly.
Battle's eyes flared open.
"This way," he said pointing. "Arson, light the way."
Arson snapped his fingers and the trails of golden flames shot down the left hand path. Battle immediately began walking down said path, his eyes set like stone. He paused for a moment before striking the icy wall at his side with all his might. The ice in the tunnel shattered in a blast, showering them all and the ground in shards of frost. Battle smirked. While he wasn't sure if he would make it of of here alive, he decided it be best if he left a trail for his friends to follow even if he wasn't with them.
I'm comming Wrath, he thought. And this time, it's winner takes all...
They continued down into the labyrinth, Wrath's mocking voice their only guide. Their path was easy to retrace as Battle kept de-icing the paths that they travelled down. They remained in relative silence, aside from some happy humming from Pinkie Pie and a fair few nervous whimpers from Fluttershy.
Eventually the tunnel came out to a large, open chamber. Arson's flames led them right up to the edge of a mighty, open chasm. A circular pit, at least two-hundred feet in diameter and seemingly bottomless. Rainbow Dash gave an exasperated sigh and looked at Battle.
"Let me guess," she said. "He's down there right?"
"Looks that way," Battle said, kneeling at the pit's edge. "Arson, give me a light."
"Sir."
Arson came to Battle's side and held a fist of fire at arm's length. Battle closed his eyes and pointed into the pit. Arson nodded slowly and reached his hand out into oblivion. Battle nodded and Arson dropped the fires into the pit. Battle kept his eyes closed, concentrating.
"Contact," Arson said as the fires struck the ground. Battle opened his eyes.
"Five seconds," he said. "That's roughly five hundred feet."
"Five hundred feet and noway down," Applejack lamented.
"Uh, hello?" Dash said, shaking her wings out.
"Oh yeah," Applejack muttered, blushing slightly.
"Sky," Battle murmured, getting to his feet. "Go long."
Sky crouched and spread her wings. Battle smiled before leaping into the void. Shining and the other Equestrians gasped as Sky leaped after her Commander, grasping him under the armpits and lifting him, as he began to plummet. With a powerful wing-beat, Sky slowed their fall as they began to gently fall to the ground. Applejack looked down after them and scratched the back of her neck.
"I don't know about this. It don't seem exactly-"
Dash cut off off by grabbing her and lifting her down.
"Dash! Put me down!"
"Oh quit your bellyaching. I'm doing you a favour here."
"Fluttershy dear, would you be so kind?" Rarity asked. Fluttershy nodded and lifted Rarity into the air.
It took a few trips but eventually everpony was at the bottom of the pit.It wasn't much from the bottom either. Just an icy, circular space. Arson's flames revealed little else that wasn't visible in the dark, aside from the only exit.
A single, black door. A door that absorbed all light. There was writing around the outside of the door, in glistening, blood red lettering.
'Ira fiat peccarent per jaceo hic in sempiternum et exsecramini eos qui videret eum vigilaveris ...'
"What does it say?" Shining asked.
"Let the Sin of Wrath Lie here forever, and curse those who would see him wake," Sky translated.
"Let's go say hi," Battle said. "Juggernaut. Those doors look pretty sturdy. Go introduce yourself to them."
"Yes sir," Juggernaut smirked. He leaned forwards, and raised his arms before charging at the black doorway. With a colossal 'BANG' Juggernaut collided with the black metal. The doors flew from their hinges, flying into the flickering, orange light beyond.
Battle took a deep breath through his nose as Juggernaut stepped back.
"Door's open sir," he said, gesturing for Battle to step through. Battle smiled and stepped forward.
"Let's end this."