//------------------------------//
// Chapter 2: Smugglers, Skall and Supply Ships 
// Story: Soulitude- second season 
// by JC Borch 
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I’ve been at the fort for three days now. Things have calmed down since I fixed the cider supply for the guards. I have not heard from the mine yet. I wonder how deep down the facility could be and how quickly work is progressing there. The wolves have only been coming closer and I am also seeing other things mixed in with them. I cannot stay cooped up in here forever, but I cannot join any of the patrols or watches. All I can do is practise my swordplay. I’m itching for a new mission.

CHAPTER 2 PART 1: SMUGGLERS


The guards were content, but a latent nervousness kept them on edge at all times. It was like they could almost forget their troubles but something at the back of their minds kept them from relaxing at the very last moment. Lars Leland tried to go for a walk but a guard instantly stopped him, nearly jabbing his spear up the human’s jaw.

“N-no one leaves their post!” the young stallion said.

“I’m the human. I don’t have any posts.”

The guard blushed brightly red and looked away. He flustered with his spear. “R-right. But don’t go any further than I can see you.”

“I don’t think I would want to.”

A dark cloud loomed over the forest. Far to the right he could spot the light from the Crystal City, casting the sky for miles around it in a brilliant hue. Behind him were the clear skies of Equestria. In front of him however were the woods, imposing with thinly spread trees and naked trunks until well up in the heights. A choking blackness rolled down from the far mountains with an almost intelligent belligerence.

Under its veil were the animals and the monsters. Just from the hill leading down to the docks he could see them, lurking at the very edge. They dared not venture out of the forest, but they were watching. Lars could recognise several shapes like wolves and bears seemingly congealed from the snow and gloom itself, but there were plenty other shapes he didn’t even want to consider.

But unlike the guards at the fort, Lars had had his share of misery and knew how to deal with it. There were demons that he had already come to terms with, so he could happily say that there were no other places he’d rather be. His world was already gone and he no longer had a wife waiting for him. His daughter had become a pony and he had long ago said his goodbyes. Whatever the forest had to offer it would not be able to measure against what he had already endured. The thought of his daughter he also kept in his heart, offering him gladness even through the sadness.

Lars turned back into the fort. The air was crisp and clear but also contained a foul malice. Inside the fort he could forget it with the bustle and smells of hay and food and sweat. There had to be a job for a man like him to do. Making him stay in one spot for too long only made him restless. Especially when there was a sense of something needing done. He went inside the general quarters on the left and went up to Captain Crush’s office.

The good captain was pacing his floor anxiously. He looked up when he saw Lars strolling inside. “Just the man I’ve been looking for.”

“That means you have something for me to do?” he asked with a slight trace of eagerness.

“Yes, I cannot decide who should go and these two have been squabbling over it. I think it’d be best if you decided and accompanied one of them.” The captain tossed his head to two earth pony guards next to his desk. One had the seasoned air of a veteran over him with dents proudly showing in his armour. The other was a mare with a slimmer build and better kept armour.

“Accompany where?” Lars asked and watched as the two guards intently discussed who would be the better choice. The captain snorted a small giggle.

“Where do I keep my mind?” he asked and rolled his eyes, the months of stress weighing on his smile and posture. He sat down behind his desk again and enjoyed its comfort for a few moments before leaning over. “Weapons have been disappearing from the armoury. I fear somepony has been using the confusion around this place to make away with them.”

The male guard stepped up. He was a charming fellow despite his brusque appearance but also looked unhappy with staying in one place too long, always moving or talking. “I say we investigate this case carefully. We don’t know who the culprits are but I have several ideas of where they could be located.”

The female scoffed. Though kindhearted in her mannerisms, she was direct in her speech. “We’ve been dawdling enough,” she interjected and cut in front of the male. “We should charge out there immediately and punish whoever is behind this.”

“Enough out of you both,” Lars bellowed, and the two guards immediately quieted down. They looked at their captain, but he nodded, so they begrudgingly allowed the human his authority.

“I fear above all what somepony would use all the swords and shields and other equipment for,” the captain added and sighed deeply. “I hope it’s just bandits and not something more sinister. Nevertheless, I implore you to accept this mission. And please pick whoever you want to bring along, I can’t decide between them.”

The male guard grinned warmly and blew himself up to his full size. The female guard, on the other hand, smile a womanly smile.

“You both look qualified for this assignment. Therefore the loser will be a reflection on my part, and not yours. I simply have to go with who will benefit me most.” The two guards continued to look at him but with less fervour. Lars nodded his head at the male guard. “You have the right attitude, but I fear you will be too cautious. I can tell you have been outside the fort many times and seen all there is to it.” He then turned towards the female. “You on the other hand don’t know what will await you other, but not by choice. You have been overlooked many times for important expeditions. Wrongly I would estimate. What is your name?”

“S-Sugar Heart, sir!” she replied and saluted with a hoof on her forehead. “You will not regret it.”

“I know I won’t.” He repaid her smile, while the male guard shuffling out of the room.

“You should ask the armourer. Seems he overheard something,” he said before leaving.

“Then we should go there first,” Sugar Heart said. She was eager and excited, tripping on the spot waiting to get going. “Do you know where it is?”

“Yeah, I more or less know my way around the fort by now. Come along.”

Sugar Heart followed him, positively beaming. She was also one of the only female guards Lars had ever seen, and certainly the only one in the fort. He had spent some time noting all the ponies that went about and also its layout. There had been nothing else to do for the last couple of days but to memorise the layout and getting acquainted with the ponies working there.

The armorer, an earth pony by the name of Brawny Steed, was the stallion in black armour sitting behind the desk. Lars had already met on his first day on the fort looking for an answer to the cider shortage. Brawny Steed looked up at Sugar Heart and groaned.

“I can’t give you a Lochaber axe,” he said with a tired look at her. “I simply don’t know where to find one and I doubt you would be able to wield it.”

“No, no, no!” She giggled and waved her hoof. “I still think you’re wrong, but we’re here about the missing weapons.”

“Ah. That.” He took a swig from his bottle of cider and smacked his lips dully. “I’m not one for idle gossip, you know, so make of it what you will. Some of the guards have talked about a stash of weapons in a cave out in the forest. Gandrung Cave they call it. I would certainly appreciate it if you locate my missing weapons. Some of the guards are walking around unarmed because I can’t supply them with replacements. Even the best steel eventually breaks, especially in this cursed weather.” He rubbed his arms unconsciously. “I fear it’s getting to them. I hear many of them are reporting ill because they’re afraid to go outside the fort.”

“Don’t worry!” Sugar Heart said with a determined smile and saluted. “We’ll get to the bottom of this. We’ll go to that cave and show them who’s boss.”

Brawny Steed rolled his eyes. “Don’t get yourselves killed at least. And sorry for not being able to give you supplies. I hope you understand the situation.”

“Of course,” Lars said with a nod of his head. “I’d really rather not go outside the fort any more than I have to, but for this I’ll gladly make the exception.” He fingered the hilt of the sword strapped around his waist. Electrical sparks coiled down its silvery surface. It was given to him as a gift by the captain when his gun had been acting up. It would serve him well on his mission.

The cave was only a short walk northeast from the fort. They met no resistance along the way but they still kept a watchful eye on their surroundings. They almost missed the entrance as it was hidden inside a large heap of rocks. The door was a large slab of stone ornately carved with swirls and animals. As Lars noted to himself, the entrance functioned like the ones he had encountered in the various facilities from his own world. A good push inside and then it could be forced to the side.

The tunnel looked at first like an old burial chamber. Rats scurried off, wary of the disturbance, squeaking in dismay. Sugar Heart looked a little pale in the torchlight but said nothing. Catching attention of something, Lars hurried down to the end of the tunnel. A large square room held four dead ponies encased in crystal. He stroked the surfaces as if it reminded him of something.

“Is everything all right?” Sugar Heart asked in a small voice as she entered the room after him.

“This almost looks like… but it couldn’t be,” he mumbled. And yet it was. The ponies had been laid to rest on top of a large piece of stone and then encapsulated in ice. At least he thought it was ice. It was cold to his touch, in fact it lowered the overall temperature of the room, but it didn’t behave like frozen water. One would almost expect it to melt just a little from the touch of his fingers. Yet nothing.

“I saw another tunnel close to the entrance. I think it leads further into the cave, sir.”

“Good work, soldier.” Lars wrested himself free from the cool cocoon. It felt like such a short time ago that he himself was resting in a similar one. The memory swam in his eyes and the goal of his mission stood all the clearer in his mind.

The side tunnel bended further into the ground. Coming into view was an earth pony. Though in royal armour, he was not a guard. He drew a sword similar to Lars’ but without electricity illuminating it. He was a tough opponent but Lars had trained with swords intermittently over the years. He dared not even bring out his gun. Its unreliability was all it that would take to get him killed.

“I don’t know who you are, but you stepped into the wrong cave.” The fight was short. First Lars parried the sword out of the pony’s mouth, then he slashed through the armour. The walls and floor sprayed with red. Sugar Heart gasped, but Lars pressed on.

They walked yet another while. The tunnel did not slope any longer but was as narrow and cramped as ever. It looked to have been hastily dug into the ground as a later addition to the original burial chamber. A wooden platform had been added down another dead end with hammocks and various furniture.

They backtracked and continued further into the complex. The light was dim, making it impossible to see further than immediately around them. When the rhythmic pounding of hooves echoed through the walls, they were unable to ascertain the direction it was coming from. It was only clear that someone was galloping towards them at full march.

“Look out!” Sugar Heart pushed Lars out of the way and immediately blocked something with her sword. The shape moved into the light and revealed a zebra also wearing the golden armour, but unaffected by its altering magic. Rings glimmered from his ears as he fought with her. Both swords locked with ferocious power. She was easily able to hold her own against a strong male. She pushed him back and struck. The zebra slumped to the ground in the darkness.

“Good work,” Lars commented. Sugar Heart tried to smile, but only made a nervous gesture.

The tunnel opened up into a large chamber. Two pegasus warriors milled around inside, bored and shooting craps. They couldn’t see the two approaching them, nor had they heard the commotion.  Lars snuck up on them by slithering along the cave wall. Once they finally became aware of the intruders, it was already too late. He and Sugar Heart dispatched them almost before they could unsheathe their swords. They two were also dressed in stolen armour. It was surreal to see what looked like royal guards sprawled lifelessly on the floor.

The way ahead curved abruptly. At the end was another wooden platform with furniture and several baskets, vases, barrels and chests around the floor. An earth pony in gilded amour walked down the stairs to the cave floor. He was frowning, and overall did not look happy with the disturbance.

“You’re good to have made it this far, but this will be the end for you. I found this little beauty on one of my raids. It’s excellent for dealing with minor nuisances.

In his hooves he clutched a staff made of silver. Green light waved down the length of it, casting a beautiful hue on the surfaces. But it was not for show. The smuggler pointed it at Sugar Heart and fired. The green beam hit her only in her hind leg, but still prompted a painful scream. She tried walking, but found her legs dragging uselessly behind her.

“What did you do to her?” Lars roared, but the smuggler simply smirked malevolently.

“I paralysed her. As I will do to you as well. Then killing you will be an easy feat.” The smuggler then turned the staff on Lars and fired. The beam hit his abdomen, but could not affect him through the clothes. Undaunted, Lars continued forward with long strides and the sword in his hands.

The smuggler tried firing again, but Lars weaved out of the way. His silver sparksword crashed into the staff. Angry hisses sprang from the violent impact. The two types of magic struggled to come out ahead. The sword glided down the smooth surface of the staff, guiding the sword toward the pony’s soft chest. The smuggler retaliated, butting Lars away, leaving him vulnerable to another shot of magic. The second one hit with much more force. His vision blurred for a moment as pain seared through his body. But there was no follow-up.

Lars shook his head to clear the cobwebs. Sugar Heart panted heavily before him. The smuggler lay on the floor with blood pooling beneath him. “I… I killed him, sir,” she said in a small voice.

“Not your first,” he commented and prodded the smuggler with his boot.

“No, sir. I already know it gets easier with time, but I prefer to be a little queasy about it. That way I can know I’m still a pony and not a monster.”

“Good for you,” he praised, and she smiled heartily up at him, positively beaming when he gently stroked her cheek. “Let’s hope that it’s all here.”

Only the chests contained the missing weapons and armour. The rest of the containers were filled with food, clothes and other provisions. Sugar Heart took one chest on her back while Lars took one between his hands. There were still many left, and when they returned to the fort, they reported the place and the cave was cleaned up.


CHAPTER 2 PART 2: THE DISAPPEARANCE OF CAPTAIN CRUSH


Not long after, Lars was sent back to Raven Rock to deal with an unspecified problem. A few houses had been erected in the last three days along with the beginning of a small stone fence. The workers, however, milled around idly, chatting among themselves or working on the buildings. No one was down in the mines.

“You cannot believe how relieved I am to see you,” Melon said as he greeted Lars on the shore.

“I heard there was some sort of crisis. Why isn’t anyone working? They can’t be protesting?”

Melon eagerly pushed behind Lars with his head, nudging him up the snow covered grass towards the houses. “That I would know how to deal with. No, this is much worse. Look at that!”

The mine was covered by a large square building of timber. In front of its protective walls stood an old stallion blocking the door. His brightly orange face was painted with blue markings, and his waning red mane was drawn back. He wore thick furs draped around his body.

“Who’s that?” Lars asked. The old pony looked up at him with a smile that he seemed to give everything else, lending him a slightly confused appearance.

“He claims his name is Hroldar the Strange, but other than that I don’t know. He just showed up a while ago and forced all the workers away. They tried getting him to move, some even resorting to fisticuffs, but there’s something off about him. He just doesn’t appear to be a normal pony.”

“Well, maybe I can persuade him to leave.” Lars unstrapped the sword from his waist and left it with Melon. He would not need it for a non-hostile talk between two intelligent adult beings.

“Hoy!” the stallion called out as Lars got nearer. “No one is going back down there. This is sacred territory for the Skaal.”

“I don’t know about that, neighbour. I’ve never heard about the Skaal before. Maybe they should have made us aware of that before we started digging.”

Hroldar shook his head. “There should have been no need. From where does your party hail?”

“Equestria,” Lars replied curtly. He stood with hands on his hips and enjoyed the fresh breeze, trying to minimise the old stallion’s nuisance.

“Equestria, you say? Hmm. These are definitely strange times.” He scratched his impressive handlebar moustache. “So many things have happened that we cannot explain. The return of the City, the weakening of the blizzards and all the evil in the air… I can’t help but feel they are all connected somehow. Leave this land and let us be.”

“We have every right to be here, same as you. Who are you anyway?” The old stallion would not say another word. He resumed his mindless observation of the surroundings. No matter how many taunts Lars slung at him, Hroldar remained mute. Rather than losing his temper, one of his bad habits, Lars turned heel and trudged back towards Melon with long, heavy steps.

The violet earth pony anxiously awaited his return, but he could see that Hroldar would still not move. “No luck, huh?”

“No. I don’t think there’s any other way. I probably will have to beat some sense into him.”

Melon placed a hoof on Lars’ hand. “Please, don’t hurt him. I know that Trusty Gunner probably wouldn’t mind if you killed him, but that’s not how I want things to be done in Raven Rock. Just… knock some sense into him?”

Lars could not resist the swimming, chocolate brown eyes. “Jeez, not like I planned on hurting him too bad, anyway. I’ll teach him a lesson and that’s it.”

Melon grinned mischievously, and Lars went back to Hroldar.

“I have nothing further to say to you. You are ruining the land,” the old pony said serenely, but Lars began wrapping up the sleeves of his one piece.

“No dice. If you’re not going to leave, then I will make you leave.”

“Are you challenging a Skaal warrior to a duel? I did not take you for a fool before.”

“And neither will you have a reason to. I was a fairly adept boxer in my academy years.” The one with the advantage was he that struck first. With that adage in mind, Lars lunged his fist at Hroldar. The old pony swayed out of the way and butted his head. Lars stepped back. The two fighters assessed the other for an opening and for their level of technique.

“Have at you,” Hroldar said. His front hoof missed Lars barely as he reared up and left him open for an uppercut from the human. The old stallion fell down on his hooves again and shook his head. “You hit hard. But only a fool would think a Skaal warrior so easily defeated.”

Lars rubbed his sore hand. A pony head was hardly more dangerous than hitting a human head, but still plenty dangerous unless you knew what you were doing. It had been too long for Lars since he had last resorted to fists however. 

Hroldar reared on his hind legs again, leaving his front limbs free for jabbing. The position did not offer him stability however. Instead it made him stagger, additionally making his movements difficult to read. It also got him up into the vicinity of Lars’ face.

The two continued their fight with renewed vigour. Hroldar got one in from his surprising speed. Lars reared from the blow and nursed his cheek. He retaliated with several blows around the pony’s body, distracting Hroldar for a few more to his face. Finally the pony fell on his back. He was laughing heartily, not bothering to right himself.

“Truly you are a strong warrior. I will concede to leave, for now.”

“Well I would be lying if I said that wasn’t fun. Certainly brought up some old memories.” Lars panted and leant up against the mine building. His face was red from exertion.

They were silent for a moment. Before any of them had a chance to add anything, however, the air grew violently thick. Lars had barely had time to catch his breath. Suddenly it was stuck in his throat. An oppressive feeling of raw ferocity drew him to his knees. The feeling was shared by the other workers. All of them dropped to the ground.

With frightful eyes, the Skaal warrior looked upside down towards the far-off fort. Icy dread filled Lars’ veins. Beastly growls carried with the wind and were soon followed by loud smashing and tearing and destroying. Whatever made it was neither pony nor beast but something in between. Lars forced himself up. It was hard, and he was already worn out from the fight, so he didn’t get up more than to bent knees.

“You must not return to your fort,” Hroldar said with sweat pouring from his brow.

“Why not?” Lars put his hands on his legs, gathering strength to get up completely.

“Evil has visited it. It will not be safe for you to go!” The old stallion’s voice was quavering with what was unmistakable fear. As soon as it had come, just as quickly did it leave again. The darkness folded back in itself. The previous dimness seemed like daylight. The growls and howls drew back as well, vanishing into the forest. Hroldar got up on his hooves and ran off.

“That was worse than finding half a worm in your eaten apple,” Melon said. He dabbed his forehead with a rag as he went back towards Las. “Tell me, what was that?”

“Trouble,” Lars muttered. He accepted the sword that Melon brought him, but also noticed a fat pouch dangling off the belt.

“Your payment for getting rid of that strange stallion.” Melon winked, and Lars felt the leather purse. It was far heavier than the last one he had received. He fished out a coin and saw they were larger than before as well, each of them with the number ‘100’ written on them. “To show that we appreciate your help. Now don’t make me ask you to check up on the fort, Lars. I know that you worry as much as I do.”

The workers got up around them as well, shaking or rubbing their heads. Their puzzled looks all told of the mysterious force that had been at work. Lars strapped the sword around his waist, put the purse into his suit and made his way back to the fort.

All wildlife seemed to have been swallowed by the earth. Where there before at least were some noises from birds or squirrels or wolves, Lars could hear nothing. His trip back to the fort went undisturbed. No monsters or creatures of any kind bothered him. The darkness had frightened them all off. Left was only an eerie silence that made him rub his arms despite his warm clothes.

He returned in record time to the fort. The guards were all gathered in the courtyard around the broken well. Its roof lay flatly across the hole with its support beams spread about it. The arch over the train station entrance was demolished but rubble was largely cleared away. The guards did not look up as he crossed the grassy ground.

The female guard that had accompanied Lars to the smuggler’s den ran up to him. She was quite out of breath and nearly in tears. “Oh it was horrible. I tried being brave and fight but they were just so frightening and I can’t believe I’m still alive.” She rubbed up against him, with her head on his abdomen.

“What did this?” he asked, getting caught up in her frenzy and stroking her exposed blonde mane. Her helmet, discarded, was nowhere to be seen.

“It was the wolves, except these were big and black and with red eyes. I have never seen something like that before, and by Celestia I never hope to again,” she sobbed into his suit.

The guards grumbled and moaned their agreement. Their armours were in many cases dented, but he saw no pony too badly injured. Those with greater wounds were supposedly being taken care of elsewhere, he reasoned. “You haven’t seen Captain Crush?” he asked out aloud.

Sugar Heart pushed away from him and wiped her eyes before tears had a chance to come. Her face was professional again. “He’s probably back in his office. Could you also find Chrysanthemum Blossom, the other guard I was arguing with? I haven’t seen him since the attack.”

“I’ll see what I can do.” He placed a hand on her exposed head, making her blush in annoyance. She shook her head to get the hand off. He couldn’t help but chuckle slightly until a chill wind again bore down on them. It brought with it all the evil omens that pony and man could think of. The shivers he felt were as much of the cold as of an instinctual fear.

He tried not to give too much thought to more wolf creatures but the inside of the general quarters had been turned upside down with vicious intelligence. Blood adorned the floors and walls along with shredded rugs, ripped tapestries and chunks of stone. The upper floors had been defended and remained intact however. Still the office of Captain Crush was empty. Lars stood across the desk when hoof beats announced somepony’s entrance. He almost expected the captain, but it was one of the anonymous guards instead.

“Captain Crush is not here anymore. I saw them. Take him away, I mean.” The voice was unmistakable that of the other pony he could have taken to the smuggler’s den. Lars turned around slowly.

“The wolves?”

“No. Not mere wolves, sir. Werewolves. The others don’t believe it but I saw them myself.” Chrysanthemum Blossom’s voice was oddly calm yet his face was paler than before. Sweat drenched his brow, and blood his armour. “They took the Captain and then they left. None of us would have been alive if their mission had been to wipe us out.”

Lars pondered the words for a few moments that could have been eternities stretching out the world forever. “I,” Lars began and wetted his lips before continuing. “I have seen many things here in Equestria. Minotaurs, griffins, pegasuses… these werewolves, did they behave like transformed ponies or more like me?”

“I cannot say. Only that they were agile.” Chrysanthemum Blossom swallowed a heavy lump in his throat. “Those beasts just came out of nowhere. We barely had time to arm ourselves before they were upon us. And then they left again. I was too busy staying alive to notice anything particular about them.”

“Forgive my curiosity. Then, did everypony survive?”

The question eased Chrysanthemum Blossom somewhat, and he tensed down. Even smiled. “Yes, by the Princess, it is a miracle that no one was too badly hurt. Though I still worry about the Captain. I cannot imagine what they would want with him.”

“Me neither.” Silence fell on the room. Chrysanthemum Blossom made his way back when a thought occurred to Lars. He ran to catch up with the pony. “What do you know of the Skaal?”

“The Skaal, you say? Hmm. Not much I fear. We didn’t even know of their existence until lately. It could be that they reappeared with the Crystal City, or that they were hidden inside the terrible snowstorms. Before King Sombra’s defeat, before even the Crystal City reappeared, fierce blizzards made Fort Frostmoth the most northerly point available.”

“What’s your personal take on them?”

“Well, they seem peaceful enough. ‘Course, I only meet them now and then when I’m out on patrols. I think they have a village some way directly north of here, if you want to meet them.”

“I think I will,” Lars said and punched a fist into his other hand. “They know something of what’s going on, if they aren’t directly responsible for it.”

“I doubt they will welcome you with open arms,” Chrysanthemum Blossom said as they descended the spiral staircase. “We’ve tried talking to them in the past, but they only tell us to get off their land.”

“Won’t be a problem. I’ve already beaten one of their warriors in battle.”

At first Chrysanthemum Blossom smiled. Before they could reach the bottom, the smile had turned to roaring laughter. The other guards gathered on the ground floor chuckled nervously along.

The trek towards the Skaal village took him half a day and got him out of the forest, leading him around snow-clad hills and a frozen lake. Even the weather seemed nicer but dark clouds still choked most of the blue and allowed little sunlight to shine down. The Skaal village was perched on top of a hill with dunes of snow flanking its sides. It was not much of a village though. Only a collection of large huts with a bustle of activity. The ponies were all dressed in leathers and skins with blue paint marking their faces.

The villagers he met all pointed him to the far hall, the biggest building of them all by nearly twice the size. The Greathall was a wooden square guarding stamped dirt in the middle and a ring of stone tiles around that. A strong earth pony sat atop a stone dais, on a wooden throne. His hair was grey and he wore ashen armour that covered everything save his orange face. When he spoke, it was with an accent that Lars couldn’t place but one that was as cold and hard as the frozen wasteland where he lived.

“What brings you to the Skaal, outlander?” he asked with a kindhearted smile. The rest of his court looked on from the side lines, behind the pillars and near the stairs on the left.

“Fort Frostmoth was just attacked. I couldn’t help but notice that one of your warriors appeared conveniently before that and disappeared right after.”

Angry murmurs broke out all around them, but the earth pony dismissed them with a single scoff. “You speak boldly. I would wish to know your name and your race. We have not seen one so curious-looking as you before.”

“Lars Leland, and I am a human.”

“Tharsten is my name, and Heart-Fang is what they call me.” The stallion ventured down his platform to stand before Lars, his metal outfit clanking with every movement. “Yes, I know of the attack but we are not behind it. What you’re looking for are wolves, but not any ordinary kind.”

“Werewolves?” Lars expected jeering or at least sniggering from his remark but was met only with frightened gasps that made it run cold down his back. Tharsten however remained upbeat.

“Indeed. This is the first time they had the audacity to group together and attack a settlement in broad daylight, though. They are getting bolder and it concerns me. That it should be your fort first, though, does not surprise me.”

“And why is that?” Lars asked and crossed his arms, still not entirely certain whether the gesture was recognised by ponies.

“We Skaal have lived here in peace with nature for a long time. Your fort and now your mine is an invasion of that sanctity.”

“I hate to break it to you, but that fort wasn’t exactly built yesterday either. It’s probably been there for centuries.”

Confused whispering arose, and even Tharsted needed a moment with a puzzled expression. “I’m afraid that’s not possible. Skaal warriors have tried for hundreds of years to reach the location where your fort now stands. There’s never been anything there until a month ago.”

Lars shook his head. “Don’t you know what has happened here?” Tharsten did not reply, but his face said ‘enlighten me.’ “A thousand years ago, the evil King Sombra enslaved the Crystal City for sinister purposes. The Princesses vanquished him but he cursed the city with his last power so that it would vanish with him. A month ago that curse reached the end of its time limit. The current wielders of the Elements succeeded in driving King Sombra out but he’s still out there, licking his wounds.”

“Hmm.” Tharsten cast his head down. For the first time, the court did not react. Should they laugh at the ridiculousness? Cheer for the information? Instead Tharsten spoke for his villagers. “You speak of a great many things that we have never heard of before, or things that have been passed on to us only in legends. Had you been any other outlander we would have dismissed your claims right away, but you have beaten Hroldar in fair battle. We shall deliberate on your words but do not expect us to make friends with the fort immediately. I still feel your people are to blame for all these troubles in some way. Leave us be, Lars Leland, and do not return for a few days. By then we will have reached our conclusion.”

Tharsten returned to his throne and large earth ponies gathered in front of the platform. The conversation was over. Lars could only return with unaccomplished mission. Chrysanthemum Blossom sighed despairingly at the news but also bade him be patient. A few questions lingered in Lars’ unconscious. If the guards and the Skaal had never been able to meet, then how had Swirl the Smart crossed into the Frozen Wasteland and gone back again? And who were the Skaal if neither crystal ponies nor from Equestria?


CHAPTER 2 PART 3: THE MISSING SUPPLY SHIP


Three days was a long enough waiting period for Lars. The fort had lost what little of its spirit it had retained. Chrysanthemum Blossom had taken over in Captain Crush’s disappearance with Sugar Heart as his second in command. Even they could do nothing to raise the morale as they themselves were stifling under the dark clouds.

The only one somewhat enjoying his time was Trusty Gunner. The profits from the mine were coming in little by little and it was enough to put a smile on anyone’s face. Just as Lars was about to leave the fort out of the still crumbled arch, a guard pony stopped him and directed him to Trusty’s office. The elegant pony sat as always in a fine black doublet with cream-coloured frills. His lime green mane was short and kempt back.

“The mine is positively a hit, and all thanks to you!” Trusty chuckled heartily, all smiles from ear to ear.

“I’m glad to hear that but I was actually going to the Skaal village for a visit.” Lars stuck his thumb over his shoulder with his legs already halfway out of the door.

“Ah yes, those savages. Get your priorities in order, my friend. You came here to help with the mine first and foremost.”

“Don’t you tell me why I came here,” Lars countered and got up to the desk. “I’m here because there’s something more precious to me than ebony possibly hidden in the depths of that mine. How I pass the time until that is uncovered is none of your business.”

“My friend!” Trusty said a few tones higher than normal and slammed his hooves on the desk so that Lars took a step back in surprise. “That mine is mine and everything that is unveiled inside. Unless you want me to keep your precious item I suggest you do as I tell you.”

Lars did not have a retort for that. Trusty leant back in his chair and smiled sickeningly, like a toad observing a fly dance before its eyes, ready to flick out its tongue at any moment. “Now then, I just need you to run a small errand. Should hardly take you long and then you can get back to your ah… savages.”

“What is it you need then?” Lars asked through gritted teeth.

“Oh, nothing much. Just a shipping manifest so I can calculate the expenses properly and get an exact amount for the income. Your pay as usual, befitting such a small task.” Trusty pushed a leather pouch across the desk. Lars accepted it and turned on his heel. It was nowhere the size of the pay he got from Melon, but he still knew it to be generous.

There were many things Lars could have told him, like “Get your lackey out in the hall to do it,” but ultimately Lars kept his tongue. The threat posed to him was very real and legal to boot. So with no other choice, Lars set sail once again for Raven Rock. Melon approached him with delight as he waded through the water and up on dry, cold land.

“What a surprise to see you here, my slice of tall, dark and handsome. Did you come here just to see little old me?”

“No, I’m just here for a shipping manifest,” Lars said, delighted to be out of the fortress in any case, but also to talk with Melon. The strong, violet earth pony looked up at him confused however.

“We don’t even have a dock here, what in the world does that lunatic want with a shipping manifest?”

Lars looked behind him, as if seeing the unspoiled bay for the first time. “Oh yeah,” he mumbled to himself and put a hand through his thinning, corn blonde hair. Melon shook his head.

“I swear, if this is a game…  Nothing else to do than investigate, right? Go talk with the ponies around town, see if they have seen anything. Though a pier might be a good thing to get next.”

A bald earth pony enjoying a drink by the mine entrance was the one that supplied Lars with the proper information. His broken pickaxe lay next to him along with a lunchbox. “Dunno about a ship, outlander, but I did see a light to the northwest last night. Wonder what it could be, but I’m not paid enough to leave the colony any time soon.”

“A light, huh? I wonder if that’s what Trusty Gunner wanted.”

The northwest direction was just following the bank of the river out of the forest and through breathtaking landscape. The sun forced its rays out of the dark clouds and gave the crystal clear water and snowy heaps a golden sheen. The animals kept to the forest but he could still hear them in the distance. He tried not to think about oversized wolves.

A ship was indeed marooned up the coast. Its masts were all broken off and the tub itself lay capsized halfway up on land. Black creatures scuttled around the ship, investigating it and sniffing it out. They turned their heads as they noticed Lars coming nearer. He could but gasp at what he saw. Three humanoid creatures dressed in nothing but loincloths and leather wrappings made their way towards him. Their skin was sunken into their flesh, exposing their ribs and skulls. Glowing red orbs were all they had left for eyes.

“Why are all the humans I meet undead?” He unsheathed his swords as the living corpses shuffled towards him. “I don’t suppose you could tell me your story? I don’t think I ever found out why the last ones rose to walk again.”

“Sovngarde saraan!” one of them spat, and thus they approached him, slightly hunched over. Their skin was tough like leather and their bones hard as stone. He soon saw why. The first undead finally fell after hacking at it three times. He could not split it top to bottom as hoped, but he still managed to open it up. Large crystals grew out of the bones. 

The second one was stabbed through the chest. Not enough to initially re-kill it but sending great sparks of electricity through it did the trick. It shivered and then slid off the blade, unmoving. The third one was too stupid to realise its disadvantage. It fell on his shoulders and commenced a futile snacking. Its teeth could not penetrate the uniform. Lars kicked it back and stabbed it into its head. The skull came loose, hanging only by a strip of withered skin. The undead fell to its knees.

“You came! Much as I expected.” The voice was followed by a mocking laughter. On top of the ship appeared a shape. His light purple coat coupled with the long, grey hair was unmistakable.

“Swirl the Smart? No, Butterscotch Delight… but you’re supposed to be…”

“Encapsulated in a small bubble at the bottom of the sea? Yes, I still am, don’t worry.” He smiled sanctimoniously down at Lars from his perch on the guard rail. A gust of wind made his form flicker. “The time is near, however. The freeing of the Crystal Empire is one of the last signs. Soon I can rouse from my artificial slumber.”

“Are you behind this then? The werewolves and these undead?” Lars got nearer to the ship but there was no way up there. Instead he stood in front of it, fuming and shouting in frustration.

“The undead? Ah, you mean my draugr! Yes, I created them in hopes of understanding you humans since I couldn’t wake you from your sleep. Seems some of them got out their nearby barrow when they smelled all the death. But the werewolves? Oh no, something as devilish as that almost makes me regret I didn’t think of it.”

“And why should I believe you?” Lars asked and pointed the sparking sword up at Butterscotch. “Don’t tell me you are innocent in that matter.”

Butterscotch smirked. “There is an evil in this land far greater than me. I am excited to see what he is up to after all these years and all his defeats. It makes my coat prickle even in my astral projected form.” With that, Butterscotch slowly dematerialised with his laughter still ringing. Lars lowered the sword tip and sighed deeply.

“Are they gone yet?” a firm voice called out. A bright orange earth pony female came around from the behind the ship.  She flicked her dark olive mane out of her similarly coloured eyes and stared intently at Lars. “You were just talking to that strange apparition so I guess you’re not of them… though you do look a lot like them.” She looked him up and down suspiciously, but Lars simply sheathed his sword.

“I’m not a draug. I’m a human, and I come from the East Empire Company. You mind telling me what you were doing with this ship?”

“Transporting supplies,” she added nonchalantly and tossed her head towards the wreck. “We sailed up the coast looking for a place to a dock but got too close to some rocks. Those awfully smelling things killed most of the survivors.”

“You have my sincerest apologies.”

She merely shrugged. “The name’s Spring Darling, and unless you’re too busy talking with ghosts, I’d like escort to the East Empire Company.”

“Lars Leland,” he said, but got the instinctive feeling she wasn’t about to care. Her attention was directed every which way but at him, especially at the undead behind him. “Before we leave, it might be a good idea to salvage what we can.”

“The… draugr you called them? They took what little wasn’t destroyed or washed away. All that’s left is the crate where I tactically hid away while waiting for better odds.”

“Might as well poke around a little. You never know what you will find.”

The cause of the shipwreck was the large hole that also served as the entrance. Only a few crew members were left inside, none of them in a mentionable shape. Lars carefully stepped past them, wading first knee deep in the icy waters and then working himself up the slippery lower floor. A single crate was still tied to the wall, but only barely. The few other crates had been smashed open and their content plundered. Not investigating the content of the surviving crate, Lars first cut the last rope holding it and then hoisted it up on his back.

The return trip took him a little longer than getting there. The crate itself took up most of the weight and burdened him considerably. It was fortunately not long back to Raven Rock but he was panting and sweating by that time. His face was red as a tomato when he finally put the crate down. Spring Darling sprinted ahead as soon as she the first buildings. It was instead Melon that came to his help.

“Well now, I guess you found our mystery ship.”

“Wrecked and overrun by the undead,” he said a little too offhandedly while wiping his brow. Melon opened his mouth to say something, but all he could stammer was:

“U-undead?”

“Mmm,” Lars mumbled in recognition and scratched his chin. “Seen a few of them in the past, but that was just walking bones. These draugr were like human analogues with skin still clinging to their frame.”

Melon was not exactly offered the explanation he had hoped for. After a few moments of consideration he simply decided to change the subject. “What was the ship here for?”

“Supplies, but this crate is all that’s left I fear.” He patted the lid, so Melon whistled to the bald worker from before. He came over to them with a crowbar and wrenched open the top. Inside were a handful of pickaxes.

“A true treasure trove.” Melon used his front hooves to pull him up so he could see the content properly. “Finders keepers, so how about I pay you five hundred per pickaxe?”

“F-five hundred?” Lars exclaimed and flinched a few steps back. “I couldn’t possibly accept that.”

“It’s all right,” Melon winked up at him. “After your little adventure you deserve a better pay than whatever handout Trusty Gunner gave you. And besides, we can afford it with the way this mine is going. So let’s see, six pickaxes a five hundred each equals to three thousand bits total. Right?”

All Lars could say was, “Blimey.” He nearly forgot his appointment with the Skaal until Melon got him out of his stupor with a whip of his tail. The pouch was the heaviest, and biggest, yet but still fit seamlessly into his suit. Once the transaction had been completed Lars quickly made his way across the Frozen Wasteland towards the Skaal village.