//------------------------------// // Chapter 1: The Servants Serve // Story: Awaken the Dead Gods // by Sir Thursday //------------------------------// Awaken the Dead Gods "You shouldn't be messing with that stuff." Sandy Dune was sitting towards the back of the dank tomb attempting to clean an ornate ruby necklace held upon a pedestal. She should not have been touching the ancient relics, but they had gotten very dusty in the windowless room. She didn't enjoy being in her master’s tomb. The darkness hurt her eyes because the only light allowed inside was created by burning torches. The fire played with the shadows of the tomb, and created horrible figures in the corners. She needed to keep herself busy while down there. "At least I'm doing something, Blue Mane. I'm not just sitting around reading a book." The only other companion Sandy had in the tomb was Blue Mane. The blue stallion was laying on a stone chair with his feet resting on the focal point of the room, their master’s sarcophagus. It was a huge stone slab with ornate carvings of kings and gods all around its base. Sandy had spent hours exploring every inch of the casket and memorized each carving. Currently, her favorite one was that of a king and his queen overlooking a lake full of birds. She imagined that was what heaven was going to be like. Since before the day she was born, Sandy had been indoctrinated into an ancient society dedicated to the sleeping god Amun. She grew up on stories of her god and the many miracles he weaved throughout his time on earth. One day he would rise again and lead them to new heights of greatness. When she was a little filly, Sandy drew pictures of the god. She always imagined him as a pegasus with golden wings that could make the grass grow when he beat them. Those days were long gone, and her childish dreams were lost in a stream of rituals and service. Of the children born into the society of the Blinding Shadow, only two were chosen to directly serve Amun. She had been so excited that day she nearly missed it when her name was actually chosen out of all the families in the faith. It turned out the job wasn't as glamorous as she had imagined. It mostly entailed keeping the tomb clean and praying for their God’s return. Other than those rare duties, her whole existence had become sitting and waiting. "I wish we weren't stuck here babysitting a dead god. I want to be with my friends, outside in the sun." Sandy could barely understand the blasphemies she was hearing. She was preparing to reprimand Blue Mane when both ponies heard a loud thump. The sound echoed through the silent tomb, but eventually died out. Both ponies froze in place. Sandy looks back towards Blue Mane, and saw him attempting to scramble off the sarcophagus. "I felt something! Inside the box!" "What’s going on?" Sandy was slowly moving closer to the casket, but was stopped when Blue Mane pushed her back. He held onto her shoulder as if to push her in the way of any coming danger. She ignored the frightened stallion and moved closer to the casket. "Should we open it?" That sentence was basically a blasphemy in the faith, but the pale yellow pony was wondering if something was wrong. She had not been taught what to do in this situation. She inched herself closer to the slab in the middle of the room. When she noticed her companion wasn’t behind her, she raised her hoof and beckoned Blue Mane to follow. Despite himself, he actually moved forward. Deep inside her soul, Sandy was actually excited. She was close to finally seeing the god she dreamed of since she was a little girl. During times when she was scared or alone, she would imagine him rising and delivering her from the dark tomb. His golden feathers would wrap around her body, and they would fly off towards the sun. A smile was creeping across her face when she took up position on one side of the sarcophagus. The stallion positioned himself opposite her. She saw nervous sweat falling down his face. He scrunched his brow in a concerted effort not to run. Sandy also felt a creeping fear building up inside herself from an unknown force, but her excitement kept the fear at a safe distance. She placed her hooves under the lid and nodded at Blue Mane. At the same time, the two young ponies attempted to lift the lid off the casket. They tried with all their might, but the lid just would not budge. It felt like it weighed a ton and their efforts only resulted in two tired ponies. Suddenly, the lid rose and was bucked from its position on top of the slab. The two ponies ran from the casket with all their remaining strength. Blue Mane scrambled at the exit to the tomb, trying to open the heavy wooden door. The lid continued rocking and shaking before finally it was lifted up and moved off the sarcophagus. It plummeted down to the ground with a loud crash. Through the ocean of fear and doubt, Sandy finally remembered her lessons from the high priestess. She reached towards Blue Mane and pulled him to the ground, his face hitting the stone floor. He squeaked in pain but she ignored him and fell to the ground herself. If the caretakers of the tomb weren’t careful, their god would destroy them both in a fit of rage. Both ponies heard someone sifting and groaning from inside the sarcophagus. After an unimaginable amount of time, the two prostrate ponies finally heard something speak, "Rise." The voice was a rasping cough that could barely be considered a whisper. Surprisingly, Blue Mane was the first to rise from the ground and greet their god. Sandy couldn't see what was happening, but before she could raise her head, a horrifying scream filled her ears. Blue Mane was screaming his head off and running away from the sarcophagus. "So that is the way of things," the god mused in that same raspy voice. "Young filly, raise your head and look upon your god." Sandy wasn't prepared, but she was excited. That same slight smile was plastered across her face. Her breath caught in her throat and she was shaking uncontrollably, but she looked up. She did not scream. She did not run. She did not even look away. But she was afraid. So very afraid. "What do you see, young filly?" What she saw was a pony made of an endless darkness. It was a pure shadow sucking the light and joy into the hungry abyss at its center. Black flames entombed its body, billowing with a malicious mind of their own. The last thing she noticed about him was two huge black horns growing from the pony's head. They were curved like bull horns, and almost touched the ceiling. A wind was whipped behind Sandy, almost strong enough to draw her closer to the pony in front of her. The more she stared at the clawing darkness, the more the fear grew that she might be drawn into the void. Somehow she knew that if she were to move into the shadow, she would never return. She did not turn away. Something finally drew her eyes away from the blackness. It was a faint light in the corner of her eye. She broke contact with the void and looked up. Standing behind the god, almost completely hidden by his shadow, was a specter. At first it was a cloud of white smoke, but it soon took on the appearance of a regular pony. With a gasp she realized that the specter looked just like her. She stared at the mirror image of herself, so similar yet somehow different. The ghost looked older and wiser, but still had an air of youth. What foul omen was this? Sandy began crying uncontrollably at the thought of what this might mean. Her ghostly form looked saddened, but then a reassuring smile crossed her face. It was the same smile Sandy had only moments ago when she witnessed the arrival of her god. Before dispersing, the ghost nodded her head to the bawling young foal on the ground. The last image that filled her vision wasn't the pony of darkness, but the lid to his sarcophagus lying on the ground. On the inside of the lid was an inscription written in the language of the order and her god. The inscription read "You are Amun. You have arisen. Time is running out." Sandy couldn't tell how long she had stared at her dark god before she finally passed out from the stress. She slowly opened her eyes, blinking in the harsh light that had so recently been robbed from the tomb. Standing above her, covered in brown linen bandages, was not a pony of complete darkness like she had seen before. Instead, it was a pony that looked almost like a corpse. The pony was completely hairless, his body covered in dry brown skin that either clung to long dead bones or just hung limply off his frame. His face was sunken and gaunt, dead lips barely wrapped around glowing white teeth. The worst part was his eyes. They were two black pits that could not express any emotion. "You did well, young filly. You are to be my steward while I occupy the world of the living." He didn't wait for a response. Instead, he trotted towards the door. His movements were slow and deliberate. His skin cracked and strained against his disused muscles. Despite the slow shuffling, he carried his head high, and with an unearthly authority. Though stunned from her experience, she did notice that he wasn't a pegasus. The great god of shadows was a regular earth pony, just like her. "Young filly, remove my dressing and find me some fresh garbs." As if by magic, she was instantly on her hooves and rushing towards him. Amun stared at the unconscious body of Blue Mane. "Your friend will be fine. He just needs to rest. And lucky for him, he will probably never see me again." Sandy had started tearing off his bandages with her teeth, but stopped when she heard that, "My lord, what do you mean?" He turned and gave her what should have been a comforting smile, but was more terrifying due to his appearance. The lack of proper lips just made him seem like he was always smiling. "You are my steward, young filly. I only require one steward, and the one I choose is always the pony who can handle the sickness." "What is the sickness, sir? What was it I saw?" She suddenly stopped, realizing her impertinence. It was rude asking her god so many questions without permission. Usually, when she started asking questions, she received a scolding, or worse. Instead of the angry tone she expected, Amun started to answer, “The sickness is the reaction a mortal has to my power. The magical energies that fuel me while I am in the living world warp the mind, and break the spirit. It's a rare pony that can survive the sickness unscathed. You are that rare pony." He spoke to her in a kind manner, almost like an elderly grandfather telling his grandchildren a story. She couldn't help but be happy while she removed the rest of his bandages. A small smile escaped her lips once again. "I was born to serve you, my lord." She bowed low to him before she made her way to find some suitable clothing. She settled on a ceremonial robe used for rituals. It was a white cloak decorated with various symbols of the order, but it would serve to hide his withered body without drawing too much attention. She hoped it would, at least. It certainly managed to hide his skeletal frame, but that left his horrifying face. The best she could do was a plain white shawl draped around his head. It hid his face well enough, but his sunken dead eyes were still exposed. "Let us leave, young filly. My purpose is calling." Amun opened the doors to his tomb and entered the adjoining chamber. Usually the chamber was used for ceremonies, but it had been dressed down for the various members of the order to relax in-between their duties. The only permanent fixture of the tomb was a large altar covered in the blood of the sacrificed. The few members inside the chamber immediately stopped what they were doing and dropped to the floor. No one spoke or moved because each one knew that it angered their god to look upon him. Sandy had been taught from birth that their god was a solitary being. The only exception was Amun's loyal steward, always in his shadow. The steward assisted him in any way he or she can. The rest of the order worked their whole lives for the good of their god. Everything they did must be for him. It was a difficult life, Sandy mused to herself while she stared at the ponies on the ground. She passed by the altar that she prayed to everyday, and she had to stifle a gasp. The high priestess of their order was prostrate as well, nose pressed firmly against the floor and tears in her eyes. Even the high priestess, leader of the order, could not be with Amun. As the two passed, the high priestess looked up to sneak a peek at her god. A frown crossed her face when all she saw was Sandy above her. The mare shot Sandy a glare filled with malice and hatred, the redness caused by her tears made her stare all the more intimidating. They walked towards the doors which lead to Canterlot, but Sandy was roughly pulled aside with a yank from behind. "Listen Sandy! I don't know why the great Amun has chosen you, and I can't change that. So I'm giving you a warning. You had better not mess this up! If you do, you will be severely punished. I don't care that you are his steward. I still control this church, and you still bow to me." The high priestess continued to drone on about religious doctrine, but Sandy wasn't paying attention. Amun was standing by the door, a dark frown carved onto his face. As soon as their eyes met she thought she saw the hint of a smile cross his face. She smiled back despite herself. Amun notched his head at Sandy and she followed. The high priestess stammered at the girl’s insolence. The soft smile was still on her face as she exited the chamber. The nagging fear of Amun's appearance kept Sandy from enjoying the sights of Canterlot that she had missed while confined to the tomb. There were so many different places and ponies that it almost overwhelmed the little mare, but Amun kept her focused on the task at hand. He never stopped or observed anything around him. Crowds of ponies instinctively knew to avoid him. Some ponies stopped and stared, some even dropped to the ground and prayed, though it seemed like they didn't know why. To those that stared or looked at Amun with revulsion, he merely flashed a smile in their direction and suddenly their demeanor changed. It was as if they had become old friends in an instant. This left Sandy speechless for most of their journey through the city. After a while a flash of realization appeared on Sandy's face. "Master? Where are we going?" "We are going there as fast as we can young filly." He neither stopped nor turned to look back at her. Sandy nodded and decided it wasn't her place to know her god's grand plan. Amun abruptly stopped in the middle of the street. His dark eyes darted in every direction. His features had changed since the time they had left the tomb. His face normally looked sunken and hollow, but now it had filled out somewhat. He almost looked like a living pony. Almost. "It's close, young filly. My purpose." The excitement in Amun's voice was almost terrifying to hear. He darted through the busy street, following an unknown trail. Ponies, just doing their normal daily activities, jumped out of the way minutes before Amun actually appeared. The two finally stopped after running through the streets of Canterlot for an hour. Sandy was tired from the sudden exercise, but Amun neither panted nor sweat. She wasn't even sure he breathed. "Master? What do you see?" Sandy stood next to Amun looking for what he had pursued with such vigor and determination. "You ask so many questions, young filly. Look at that small restaurant across the street, and maybe you can finally give me answers." He pointed with a hoof to guide her gaze. She did see the restaurant, though it was more of a cafe. Truthfully, most ponies would call it a hole in the wall. There was no space inside to sit, so the owners had set up tables outside. Currently, there was only one pony actually sitting near the cafe. He sat at a table drinking what was probably a cup of coffee. Nothing really stood out about the unicorn. Sandy stared at the only patron of the small cafe for a long time. It took her a long while to notice the signs, but Sandy finally realized it. "He's just like you my lord." "The young filly finally has a thought. Good, that's a habit my steward should keep. Yes, he is indeed like me." Amun started walking towards the cafe. "But that would mean he is a god. There are more gods like you my lord?" Sandy sat on the corner with a dumbfounded look on her face, which drew some uncomfortable stares from passing ponies. "Another time, young filly. For now, he is my purpose." "My apologies, Master." She bowed low in apology. "Be alert, young filly!" She snapped back to attention and stared at the unicorn. "He has not noticed us. That's good. Follow my instructions carefully. I need you to go through the area searching for any suspicious pony. They are our target’s followers. Find them, and make sure you are not noticed." "Yes, master." Sandy had been trained by the order to perform many different tasks that her god would require of her. When she became a steward she trained for days perfecting anything that she might need to do. One particular thing that was focused on was seeing and not being seen. Instinctively, Sandy slipped into a crowd making sure no pony noticed her presence. She followed the crowd through the busy street to various stores and establishments. No one even noticed the little earth pony darting and sifting about as if she was searching for someone. She scanned every pony that caught her eye. Unfortunately, no one was watching the unicorn. Some noticed him, but an unseen presence forced them to quickly move away. After she made her way through the area, she returned to Amun. He sat near an alleyway, his stare fixed on the unicorn. She looked at him, and noticed his face had finally filled out with more muscle and life. "I could not find anyone, master. No one is watching or observing him. Do you know who he is?" He didn't answer her. He didn't even look in her direction. "Master? What is our next move?" It took a while, but he finally responded to her presence, "Why is he waiting there? Young filly, follow me. Sometimes the direct approach is best." Amun strolled past Sandy and towards the cafe. He sat in front of the mysterious unicorn and turned to her. "Bring me a cup of tea, young filly." She did as she was told and walked into the cafe to place his order. Her eyes never left Amun, or the mysterious unicorn. "How are you doing?" Amun asked the unicorn. The unicorn stared at Amun, amusement and malice playing across his face almost at once. "You're being quite familiar with me despite our past." "The past to our kind is complicated. Where are your followers? If you draw too much attention to yourself, you might call upon the wrath of those alicorns in the palace. You know how they feel about us." Sandy finally returned with her master’s cup. He lapped at it once and then ignored it. "I've sent them away. They are mindless sheep. They just want my miracles and power." Jamiya absentmindedly lapped at his own cup. His eyes were glassy and his thoughts were obviously somewhere else. A flash of surprise broke through Amun's calm exterior for the first time. "Without them you're a fish out of water. Who knows what could happen." Sandy saw his surprised reaction, and instinctively reached for the knife hidden in her pack. The unicorn turned to Sandy. "Do you know what an alchemist searches for, young filly? I doubt you would. It’s value that I seek. Everything has value in this world. Jewels, gold, beauty, and power. I've been trained to see value all around me, and use it to create something even greater. But what happens when an alchemist finds something that is priceless and cannot be forged?" Amun's eyes never left the unicorn’s during the whole speech. "The alchemists always confused me. I watched you boil a pony in pure molten gold. It was never enough, though. You slaved over formulas and instructions for days at a time. You're always perplexed by something, Jamiya. Life, or un-life in our case, is no mystery when taken at face value." "Have you no answer to my riddle, young filly? And Amun, may I remind you who acquired those ponies for me?" Jamiya smirked, but he was more focused on Sandy. "The servants serve, Jamiya. They do not answer riddles." Amun planted a hoof onto the table to emphasize his point. Sandy thought for a moment, "I don't know the answer." Jamiya pointed a hoof across the street. "There is your answer." In the direction he was pointing, right across from the cafe, was a small antique store. Various old artifacts and well-made furniture were displayed in the window. The owner stood inside the little store among the antiques. The pale white pegasus filly was smiling as she fussed with her merchandise. Though she was definitely beautiful, she looked too thin and a little sickly. Amun and Sandy turned back to find Jamiya staring at her, a look of longing and desire plastered across his face. "How did you meet her?" Amun asked with a hint of irritation and anger in his voice. "I was awoken to find a vessel of power. You'll notice it's around her neck." Sandy noticed a gold chain hung around the pegasus's neck. It was warped and darkened through age, but was still beautiful and had the look of professional craftsmanship. "It was her father’s before he died of a disease. She put a locket with his picture on the chain." "And I suppose you felt sorry for her?" There was no mistaking the anger in Amun’s voice. "I did. The only thing he left her was the gold chain and his struggling business. I couldn't take it away from her." "Do I need to remind you that it does not belong to her?" Jamiya paused at that. "Why are you here, Amun?" "You know." "Not here. We will meet again in my tomb. I will be fighting you for my freedom. I'll fight everyone they send after me. I'll do whatever it takes to stay." Jamiya glared at Amun, his voice was filled with a deep hatred. "That's the thing, Jamiya. You can't. Remember what you always told me, time is running out." Amun finished his tea and stood up without waiting for a response. Jamiya continued to glare even as Amun walked out of sight with Sandy at his heels. "Master?" "Young filly, if you are to be my steward, it is time I educate you on what I really am. We are going to war with Jamiya soon. Every bit of information could save your life. Are you ready?" Amun walked in the direction of his tomb. Sandy paused and stared at him. He had finally regained a normal appearance. He had a deep cocoa brown coat with black hair colored by a single stripe of purple. Still, he somehow radiated a glow of beauty and experienced authority. "Yes, master," she finally responded. And so Sandy followed, forever in her god’s shadow. She still had on a slight smile, the same one she had when he first arose.