With everyone across the barrier and surrounded by a mysterious aura themselves, they walked down the quay following the orb of light. As they travel down the quay, they see many more bodies floating within the sea of quicksilver and they could finally see that the silver discs are not discs at all, but metallic replicas of water lilies at full bloom. Subtle traces of blood could be seen upon these metal lotuses, and indeed upon some of the lotuses, corpses lie on them slashed and cut.
"Nasty stuff right there...." Vinyl said to herself, but apparently no one else heard what she said. None dare thought about what happened for that to happen exactly, and they continued on down the quay. It was a very long walk, and the silence is only broken by the sound of their hoofsteps. Little by little they make their way towards the end of the quay.
As they reached the end of the quay, they all realized something ; there is no way to cross the quicksilver river to the mausoleum. Suddenly, they felt a slight rumble and a pathway of silver soon rose from the quicksilver lake. The orb hover onward, and seeing that they have no other choice but to go forward they followed the orb down the silver pathway.
The group stopped short of the structure and gaze up in awe and alarm. The White Tree looms over them like a grand mountain, and the mangrove-like roots of the structure supporting a hollow base. Within this base there are many columns, creating a large central area. In this central area the branches and limbs of the tree form a natural spiral staircase. Vinyl could only give a snort and everyone else just looks at her.
"Alright......who would want to walk up a fucking staircase to a friggin' damn mountain why we could fly?" Vinyl said, her logic crude but sound.
"True, who knows if the steps are booby-trapped." Nurse Redheart added, agreeing with the unicorn.
"Alrighty, lemme play scouty with Zephyr here. Lift me up." Within seconds, Vinyl is enveloped by the pillar of spinning air and was well on the way up. As everyone watches, the unicorn ascends slowly but surely. Suddenly a yelp from the unicorn catches their attention, and before long the column of air descends down once more.
"What's wrong Vinny?" Fatimah asked.
"I dunno kiddo, there some weird invisible ceiling or something blocking our path up." Vinyl rubs her head to ease the pain.
"So, that means we must use the staircase whether we like it or not." Nurse Redheart says and points towards the steps, and Big Macintosh could only nod at the conclusion. Deep down, everyone knows about the apparent dangers of the path ahead and when they start to walk up the White Tree, there is no turning back. Everyone is now looking at each other, and all of them have the same look on their face. Suddenly all of them just burst into laughter, except Amanar who just give the group his best smile.
"Yelp, you need to work on that dude. Look like you got hit by a cart. Besides that.....are you all ready to go?" Vinyl asked everyone with a rather confident smile. The first one to answer is their ethereal friend with a rather sharp whistle, ecstatic and in good spirits.
"Eeyup." Big Macintosh answered.
"Yes." Nurse Redheart followed after the red stallion.
"Yeah." Fatimah smiled, and all of them are looking at the Janissary waiting for his verbal confirmation.
"Indeed." The Janissary nods his head. Without further delays, all of them begin their first step, or in Zephyr's case the first blow, on the great staircase to the top of the White Tree.
"You know guys, we know that we are gonna get three tests or something right. What do you guys think those tests will be?" Fatimah asked as they walked up the steps of the White Tree. It has been hours since they first began their climb, but oddly enough it has been very uneventful.
"Or for that matter, why do we need to be tested to see the mausoleum?" Nurse Redheart asked.
"No idea, but we find out pass door." Amanar said in his monotonous voice, pointing towards a large, foreboding door in front of them.
Suddenly the door opens itself with a creaking sound, and everyone could see the darkness within. Big Macintosh could feel that something is waiting for them within, and he does not like it a single bit. If given a choice he would not even step into the room, but alas there is only one way forward. With a single brave step, Big Macintosh decided to move into the room. Suddenly from within the darkness, something latches itself upon the red stallion's neck forcefully. Before he could even warn the rest, the chain pulls him into the room to the shock of everyone else.
"BIG MAC!!!!!!" Nurse Redheart screamed as she lunges forward.
"WATCH OUT!" Amanar shouted and in a blink of an eye, jumps forward and pushes the pink-maned mare away from the entrance. From within the darkness, a chain with a metal collar shoots forth and latches itself on the neck of the Janissary and pulled him into the room as well. Before Vinyl could scream out, the door closes itself immediately, preventing the mares and filly from entering the room. Nurse Redheart was utterly shocked and fell to her rump, while the other two just held on to each other.
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With a big thud, Big Macintosh fell down on the dark, cold floor. Utterly surprised by the turn of events, Big Macintosh moves his hooves around his neck where the weird sensation grabbed on his neck. He immediately noticed that the thing clamming around his neck is smooth and circular in nature, and at the back of the weird clamp, there is a chain-like leash. Suddenly he could hear another object falling beside him, and a grunt immediately betrays the identity of the object.
"Amanar is that you?"
"Yes, weird collar came grabbed me. Got clue?" The Janissary's question is a valid one, but one in which the red stallion can not answer.
"Nnope."
Suddenly a loud booming voice can be heard echoing from the dark abyss around them and the red stallion and the camel realized that the sound is a pulsating, booming sound. It was not long before the camel's expression changed to a grimmer expression. Big Macintosh knew then that they are in a very bad situation, and as if to emphasize the point an increasingly bright fiery glow is now manifesting before their eyes.
In the center of the glow, lies a smoldering throne with a towering griffon-like statue of jet black iron resting on it. Its plated, segmented body are as sharp and menacing as it looks with talons curved in cruel crescents, its blade-like pinions folded close to its body.
Suddenly the glow slowly seeps into the metal statue, gathering at the very center of the statue. It was then that within the center of the dark figure's chest, a deep, burning pulsating glow beats like a wardrum deafening the Janissary and the stallion. Tendrils of acrid smoke and flying cinders enwreathe it like a dark crown like an ancient god incarnate and its slitted eyes of empty darkness soon glow with malefic splendor.
As it slowly rises from its throne, its massive form is fearsome to behold as it spreads its cruel sharp pinions., Bubbles of fiery ichor burst and solidify upon its incandescent skin and wings. The massive heart-like glow quickens and its metal flesh pulses with life. Molten iron boils through its veins, and it slowly drips upon the floor burning the floor with every drop, the hissing sound dulled by the beating sound. The loud beating sound of its resurrection is finally broken by its wrathful roar of bloodlust, burning away all doubt from the minds of the two mortals about the nature of the beast; that it is is filled with unholy joy in anticipation of battle and a murder-thirst that must be sated.
"We fight." Without a moment's hesitation, the Janissary quickly draws his jezzail and aims it at the monster.
"Eeyup." Big Macintosh replied.
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"It's no use, I can't open it." Vinyl said.
Vinyl, Redheart, Fatimah and Zephyr had been trying to pry open the door with all their might, but to no avail. Nurse Redheart is now on the floor in utter disbelief, and her mind plagued with guilt. If she did not foolishly step forward, Amanar would not had jumped forward to be leashed by the weird contraption into the dark room. Her pale skin become even whiter than before, wondering about the fate of Big Macintosh and Amanar. Fatimah could only look at the door as she is not strong enough to even do anything. However it was in this moment that the little filly realized something.
"Um......guys?"
"What's up kiddo?" Vinyl turns around, wondering what the filly saw.
"The door is filled with words.......a story actually."
"What's the story....about?" Nurse Redheart finally regained her senses, and she looked at the filly with eyes wanting to know the fate of those trapped within.
"Let's see......." Fatimah squints her eyes to see the faded words inscribed upon the door.....
It was truly a sad day for the fledging kingdom when consumption had taken hold of Emir Asar, and indeed it hurt his subjects to see their ruler slowly wither like an aging flower. As Asar passed to Ista's realm, three of his greatest servants wondered how best they could protect the kingdom after his death, for Asar's had many sons all highly capable and worthy of the throne.
Horakhty, the leader of Asar's grand army suggested that a legion of warriors shall rule the country and keep all the discontent factions under control. Djehuty, a great sorcerer whose wisdom and knowledge helped Asar forged the empire of Saddle Arabia suggested that magical incantations and wards shall be used to alter the mind to rule the kingdom as one. However it was the greatest servant of Asar, Anput, the first and wisest of Asar's advisors, a sage beyond compare that provided the solution.
Give them a test, Anput said for he reasoned that Asar admires the martial prowess, intelligence and spirit of anyone that meets his exacting standard. Who else would know of these values but themselves? Only those that had wade through all the tests shall be called Emir.
But what of successors of the next Emir? Surely he shall have sons of his own, Djehuty reasoned.
Then we shall make a test that will last for all eternity,Anput said solemnly.
How shall this be done? Horakhty asked, curious about this most enigmatic of solutions.
Anput's answer is not one that the others could even conceive; those who seek the rulership of Saddle Arabia need to visit the tomb of Asar the Magnificient, and be granted the regalia in which to rule the lands. However, since they are the ones that know Asar the best, they shall be the custodians and judges of Asar's values. They shall make the ultimate sacrifice and bid themselves to the tomb for an eternity, and shall judge those worthy of the throne.
Like clay the three of them shall be molded and forged in the furnace. The three of them shall be of iron will and steel sinew. In great armour shall they be clad and with the mightiest weapons they will be armed. They will be untouched by plague or disease; no sickness shall blight them. They shall have the wisdom, strength and integrity that no successor unworthy of the throne shall best them. They shall be the bulwark and defenders of Saddle Arabia's soul, the pillars of its values.
The tomb shall be the symbol of the great empire of Saddle Arabia, and the tomb itself shall show both the magnificence and dangers of empire. Like seeds shall the successors be grown, those unworthy or weak shall be purged by being in the mere presence of the tomb. Like growing plants they shall be given the tests to be deemed worthy to grow and climb ever higher. Once they had passed all the trials and tribulations, only shall they be shined upon by the radiance of Asar himself and be granted the laurels of rulership.
Thus the three of the greatest servant of Asar gave their essence and soul to create these means of testing those who shall be Emir. The culmination of this tool for finding the proper Emir of Saddle Arabia became the White Tree. The great lake of silver shall root out the weeds not worthy of leadership, and even if they passed the lake, they shall be tested by the three greatest servants of Asar the Magnificent.
The first of the test shall be presided over by Horakhty himself in the contest of which he earned his dark fame; The Leash of Life. With the fiery rage, he shall purge those deemed unworthy of facing Asar and only those worthy in martial prowess shall cool his heart to let them pass to partake in the second test.
Fatimah finishes reading aloud the wordings on the door, leaving the others silent.
"I have read tales of the Swords of Asar, but I didn't...." Fatimah's expression is one of surprise, followed shortly by a greater understanding.
"The Swords of wha?" Vinyl asked.
"During unification of Saddle Arabia, Asar the Magnificent was aided by three blood brothers; Bloody-hoofed Horakhty, Djehuty the Wise, and Anput of the Voice."
"You sure know a lot for a filly....." Vinyl said, scratching her hoof on her head.
"My father taught me a lot." The filly smiled.
"What.....is the Leash of Life?"
The pink-maned mare's question was answered with a deafening roar filled with murderous intent erupted from within the room, causing much alarm in all of them. With haste, all of them redoubled their efforts to open the door.
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The iron colossus immediately charged, the metal ground beneath them tremble with every step and the combination of clanking sounds of the armour and its stride along with the boiling, hissing sound of its burning body echoing throughtout the room. Amanar immediately fired his weapon, but to the horror of the Janissary the bullet melted as it touches the behemoth.
"MOVE!" Big Macintosh barked, and pushed Amanar far and fast enough that the dreadnought barely missed Amanar in its charge. With a thunderous boom, the fiery being crashes to the wall. As Amanar skits on the ground with great speed, Big Macintosh felt a pull on his neck and was pulled upwards, choking him in the process. Big Macintosh's face becomes even redder than before as the air was cut out from its lungs. The pulling only stopped when Amanar stopped skirting on the ground.
"Big Macintosh!" Amanar shouted as he saw the red stallion being hung from his neck. As the Janissary runs closer to aid his comrade, the chain around Big Macintosh's neck becomes even longer and starts to lower him down. Realizing something, Amanar immediately stops and notices that the chain leash around Big Macintosh's neck also stopped descending.
"H....el...p......M....e......." Big Macintosh said, his face turning blue. Knowing what he needed to know, Amanar immediately moves closer to where Big Macintosh is. As soon as the Janissary reached Big Macintosh's side, the stallion is now down on the ground gasping for air and coughing frantically. Amanar manages to take a glance to see that the iron monstrosity is still recomposing itself from ramming the wall.
"Bad news Big Macintosh."
"Wh...at?" Big Macintosh asked, his voice still hoarse from the hanging he received.
"Chain around our neck connected, restrict move." Amanar pulled the chain enough to let Big Macintosh see the point. The irony of the Janissary's monotonous expression to the seriousness of the situation is not lost on the red stallion.
"Ya don't say big guy....." Big Macintosh said sarcastically as his composure returns.
It was then that they heard a rather odd noise; that of rustling chains from above them. They looked up to see that the ceiling consist of many rails and in those rails, many round objects similar to their collars above them. Their suspicions were proven when they noticed that the chains on their collar are connected to the weird contraption. In the center of the ceiling, a large ring that dwarf the rest of them started to move along those rails, going closer to the fiery juggernaut.
As the iron threat turns around to face them, the large ring with a chain leash of equal size descends towards its neck like a fishing line, and in an instant fastening itself upon the colossus' neck with a deafening clank. An ominous noise suddenly comes from the creature, and it is one that both Big Macintosh and Amanar do not like, especially given their situation.
A dark chuckle.
With a single step forward taken by the iron behemoth, both Amanar and Big Macintosh suddenly felt a great pull on their neck. It was then that both of them realized that each one of them are trapped in one neck brace connected to the ceiling through a chain.
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The figure in tattered cloth looks upon the barrier separating the tunnel from the tomb. Without even a moment's hesitation the fire crosses through the barrier into the confines of the tomb. The figure looked around the insides of the tomb without a single care, and proceed to walk straight down the quay towards the metallic structure.