"By the laws of Equestria and the position given to me as captain of the Royal Guard, I hereby declare you under arrest. Lay down your arms and submit or we will be forced to take action!"
The purple clad sorcerer was standing in the middle of the antechamber. A large ornate room formed like a circle. Like the rest of the mausoleum there were coffins all along the wall, yet these looked more decorative and intricate.
The dead nobles of Canterlot.
The last three of The Darkriders were positioned around the sorcerer, whom himself was bent over a small table, energy swirling about him like swarms of bees.
The Darkrider in the center stepped forward. Whereas the others all wore full plate armor and carried swords, this one had no helmet, so his features were clearly on display. An old stallion with a grey coat and white mane, he was in his last years. And contrary to the others, he carried not a sword but a gigantic axe that looked much too heavy to wield.
"You dare fight the power of The Scourge?" He grit his teeth together in anger, "I will tear you apart, limb from limb!"
"You will do no such thing infidel!" Both Luna and Celestia stepped into the room, with Luna assaulting the night vocally, and Celestia with a stern and rage filled stare.
"Please, My Lieges." Shining said, extending a hoof to block their passage, "this is a battle that is to be fought by warriors, not royalty."
Celestia at first looked at him with wide eyes, before nodding solemnly, "if that is what you truly wish Captain, then neither me or my sister will hinder you." Both Alicorns just stood there, Shining nodded in a combination of acknowledgement and appreciation before he lifted his hammer in standard greeting.
"Captain Shining Armor of The Canterlot Royal Guard!"
The old Darkrider spat down at the ground in disgust, "Thane Kurr'shazz of the Elite Darkriders," he paused slightly as a green glow lifted his axe off his back, "and your death lad!"
Despite his appearance the old stallion wasn't some wily old fool, he was quick and agile. He lunged himself at shining with the speed of an arrow, Shining only just blocking the otherwise fatal hit with his hammer. He could see the very tip of the axe right in front of his eyes.
"Huh, quick reflexes," the Thane said with mock surprise, but with honest acknowledgement, "but that can't be what gotcha into the royal guard." A small ball started to form down at the chest of the Darkrider, "show me what else ye got!" An icicle fired directly towards Shining's chest. He quickly summoned his barrier in front of him. The icicle shattered against the magic shield, and the Thane looked up at him with childish glee.
"A quick thinker, and a good sorcerer?" He laughed loudly, making Shining wish his hearing was at least slightly impaired. "You're full'a surprises lad!" He pushed himself forward and his axe whirled from below to slice Shining across the chest, he jumped back, bumping into a guard who apologized and moved a few steps back.
That's when Shining for an idea, "Private, hand me your spear!" He shouted. The guard looked at him with a puzzled expression before finally pulling the spear off his back. Shining now bit onto his hammer, it felt odd after all these years to hold it in his mouth, but for now it was a necessity. The spear was enveloped in his magic and then he ran forward.
"Dual wielding now are we lad?" The Thane said before laughing again, "if I weren't 'bout to kill you then you coulda become a fine Darkrider!" He charged ahead aswell, axe lifted high above his head. This was exactly what Shining had hoped for. The axe came down towards his head, but in stead of planting itself in his skull, it hit the spear that was being held above it. With his hammer he swung his head and slammed the Thane square in the chest, ripping his axe away and simultaneously flinging him back.
"Ohhhh," the Thane grumbled as he surveyed the damage, "ah think I mighta broken a rib or two."
Celestia suddenly jumped from her calm and serene state, and soon after that Luna looked towards the sorcerer with distress and worry. Weirdly enough, the swirly energies that had circled the sorcerer before had vanished.
"The orb!" Luna yelled, "it's been charged, get to him!"
The sorcerer whirled around the orb now floated softly besides him, and his eyes shone a clear icy blue. This made his features slightly visible, he was old, even older than the Thane. You could see a beard that ran down his robes, that his horn, if he had one, was gone.
"Enough!" He yelled, his voice booming and resonating within the ears of the listeners, "You have meddled with the affairs of the scourge for too long!"
The orb started floating higher, and so did the sorcerer, until he was in the dead center of the entire room, floating there like som magic balloon.
"Minions Servants," he chanted, "Soldier of the cold dark," dark blue beams shot out of the orb and bit onto the coffins, making them shake violently, soon scream erupted. But nothing happened until the sorcerer finished his chant.
"Obey the call of Kel'Thuzad!"
The coffins exploded, they didn't shatter or crumble, they exploded. Bones of ancient nobles started spinning wildly. Purple energy swirled around them, creating a torrent of lavender and white. Soon after, the bones began connecting, forming something large. Four legs, two ears, 16 claws, a sharp row of teeth, and two red orbs as eyes.
The thing before them resembled a timber wolf, yet it was constructed purely from bones, and it was bigger, by a substantial amount. The Darkriders, including the Thane, started walked over beneath the sorcerer.
"Glory to the Master!" He shouted, before a green light covered both sorcerer and Darkriders. The green light imploded into itself, and then both Sorcerer and Darkriders were gone.
The bone-wolf snarled angrily at them, biting the air in rage at its sudden reawakening. It snapped out towards Shining who promptly jumped a few steps back.
"You will return to where you once came!" Luna shouted before flapping her wings and taking to the air. Her horn started to glow with incredible power and a ball started to form at the tip. A long spear of dark purple energy shot out and impaled the bone-wolf, shattering it completely.
"We did it!" One of the guards shouted, but he was quickly silenced by a stern glance from one of his comrades.
"We may have defeated the beast," Shining said, panting from the battle with the Thane, "but at what cost?"
A mile or so away from Canterlot sat a group of black dressed stallions and mares. They were sitting around a bonfire, prodding it with sticks to keep the fire going.
A sudden explosion of green light shook them all out of their trance, because suddenly a group consisting of three Darkriders and a single sorcerer appeared a few feet away.
One of them, one whom wore the armor of a Darkrider, but with a scarf wrapped around his face, walked slowly up to the sorcerer and his guards.
"Kel'Thuzad," he simply said, "I suspect that the operation was successful?"
"Rivendare," the sorcerer said while nodding towards him, "yes, the orb is in our possession."
Rivendare nodded, he himself was second in command on this little expedition, he knew exactly what he was talking about.
"And what about the secondary objective?"
The sorcerer threw back his hood. Revealing an ash gray beard an similarly colored mane. He had so many wrinkles that they were beyond counting, and the bags under his eyes showed clear signs of lack of sleep. His lips turned from serious business to grim smile in a matter of seconds.
"He will follow us, no matter where we go, no matter how fast we run, he will follow." The sorcerer threw back his hood and walked towards the fire, "our master will get his new champion soon enough."
Rivendare nodded before he turned to the camp, "everyone get set, were moving out!"
And as the first rays of sunlight broke through, the Cult of the Damned prepared to march for Icecrown, with their newly acquired prize.