//------------------------------// // Danger over the horizon // Story: Wing of Darkness // by Kitsune-no-tama //------------------------------// Wing of darkness By: ©Kitsune-no-tama Sultan: ©Kitsune-no-tama Hagar: ©Kitsune-no-tama (no pic yet) Blackblade: ©Kitsune-no-tama Chapter One /Danger over the horizon/ “So you have returned, Sultan! How was your visit in Equestria?”– King Blackblade almost jumped from his throne, excitement sparkled in his eyes. Sultan threw a tired smile towards his uncle. He took a deep breath and withstand Blackblade’s bone crushing hug. “Nothing much uncle. Just a small, peaceful country, full of small horses. The dragon was a weakling, yet even their queen was unable to take it down with her “magic”.” “Now Sultan! Don’t badmouth other countries! They aren’t experts at battles against dragons, but I’m sure they are good at something that we’re not.” a wise smile rose on the kings lips. “Come! I see you are tired, you should take some rest, but first, let’s fill this stomach!” said the king and, as if to bring more sense to his words, Sultan’s insides made a loud growl. * * * “I feel as if my body is made out of rocks.” murmured the young stallion, after a long sight, as he was climbing the stairs towards his room. The troubled expressions of the servants were enough for him to know that something went wrong while he was away. He entered the room, slowly trailing to the bed. As he passed by the mirror, a pair of almost shut sky-blue eyes looked at him with the tiredness of a dead slave on the field. Clumps of dirt-covered main were sticking around his gray head. His body smelled like sweat and dust. The three days nonstop run squeezed every drop of his strength. With the last amount of will in him, Sultan somehow lifted his hooves and got to the bed, where he immediately fell asleep. When he awakened, day and a half has already passed. Sultan would have gladly slept for some more time, but the stench coming from him was unbearable, so he called one of the maids and ordered her to ready a bath for him and change the bed sheets. The hot water felt great and as the dirt from his body was washed away, life and energy flowed back in his limbs. A sight of relief slipped out from between his lips. “Uncle may try as hard as he wants, but he can’t hide it from me. I’m sure the dragons struck the castle again while I wasn’t around! Damn it, it’s like they can feel us becoming weaker every time… No time for slacking!” Sultan stood up and got out of the bath. The maid had just finished changing the sheets and tiding the room. “Call Hagar! Tell him, that I need to speak with him immediately!” “Yes, milord.” The small maid looked a bit frightened, while she was leaving the room. No wonder, the blue eyes watching her were as cold as those of a killer. Not that Sultan had killed someone, but during his ferocious fights with dragons, he has seen the horrible dead of many of his friends and comrades. At first it was Hell, he couldn’t sleep before or after the fight, or if he was able to, nightmares of blood and crying mothers hunted him, tearing his heart apart, until gradually he became hollow. Now, he didn’t bother remembering the names of the stallions in his team, that way it was easier when they parted. The columns of Honor in the Great Hall will remember them for him and for all the other survivors. In a country of eternal frost, where no food could be produced, jewels and diamonds were all this cursed land could offer its inhabitants. Most creatures think that the Ryuu* tribe is far more rich than any king and they are diving in luxury, but is such a stupid suggestion. [Ryuu – dragon from Japanese] All the money goes for food supplies and firewood or coal. Not mentioning that the Dragons, always hungry for riches, were attacking the castle nonstop. How many brave warriors have already died to protect these cursed useless pieces of rock? Hundreds of Honor pillars written all over with names from top to bottom, laying under a thick layer of dust in the Great Hall. A sudden creak of the door got Sultan out of his dark thoughts. “You wished to speak with me, my prince.” – Hagar walked in the room with his head bowed low. His long mane made a small pile on the floor. “Yes. What happened while I was away? Seems like my uncle won’t to tell me even if I ask him.” “The report about the matter is with me in my bag. Would you like to see it, my prince?”– Hagar took out the papers and handed it over, then bowed again and waited for orders. Sultan’s face grimaced in anger. “So there really was an attack! Seems like the damn dragons were really desperate for some reason. Any ideas?” He lifted his head from the papers with an eyebrow cocked in question. Hagar looked away in bifurcation. “Well?” “There are rumors going around in the scout barracks. They say that one of the distance patrols saw a huge footprint in the snow. As they were coming back to report, three days after that, one of them spotted an enormous serpent-like silhouette entering the ice caverns.” – Hagar looked to the window and frowned. “How ever, these are only rumors my lord. Most probably the old scouts waned to scare the youngsters.” Hagar smiled cheerfully. “When was that?” Sultan looked really pissed off. Flames of anger blazed from his eyes. Hagar gave a puzzled look and answered “A-a-about a week ago.” Sultan was mad. With great willpower he had restrained himself from choking Hagar. “Idiots! Did someone send a patrol in that direction after that? To see if the dragon was only a rumor and if it was headed in this direction?” “N-no.” Sultan opened his mouth to shout in anger again, but Hagar was first: “My lord you know how far the ice caverns are! It’s imposable even for a class 3 dragon to think about flying all the way here. It’ll take him more than a month! It’s too much of an effort, knowing how much time and energy it’ll take. What’s more, they all know the castle is fiercely guarded by us, and the dragons in which territory it is in.” “What if it was one of the giants?” Sultan whispered quietly. Hagar’s eyes widened. “No, that’s impossible!” “Why? They are huge, unstoppable, and have the most powerful magic known. The whole world knows how bored they are. They can fly all around the globe in search of entertainment, and haven’t turned everything in ash. Just, because it would be too easy and boring. They aren’t fighting with each other, because if they start a fight, that'll be the end of the world, and the last standing wouldn’t have anything to do.” – Sultan looked deep in thought. – “So, how will we be sure that one of them hasn’t decided to wipe out the impregnable North-East castle, along with the whole Ryuu tribe? You know, just for the fun of it? The other dragons notice that, and they tried desperately to snatch as much as possible from the castle, before it’s all in the giant’s belly.” – Sultan stopped as he saw the terror in Hagar’s eyes as he imagined the picture. – “Don’t look at me with that stupid look on your face and send a patrol immediately.” – He said quietly. His poor secretary dashed from the room as if he was running for his life, with his long mane waving behind him. Sultan sighed and went to the kitchen to grab a quick snack, as breakfast was over some time ago. He had hoped with all of his frozen heart, his theory would be wrong. Alas! The possibility was too high. After that he returned to his room to get more sleep, his muscles were burning like hell fire. What else could he do, while waiting the patrol to return in a few days? He would need all his strength to protect his people from those damn serpents. With that thought in mind he fell asleep again.