The Equine Scrolls: SkyFiM

by FireOfTheNorth

Chapter 18: Elder Ways and Ancient Days

After our puzzling encounter with Scarlet Shores, the three of us returned to Whitetrot. While Faniar returned to the keep to review his notes, Steadfast and I took some recuperation time from our adventures. I also told him my story, in full, of how I had come to Horizon and everything that had happened since.

The next morning we left Whitetrot for Ivarsteed, and eventually High Hoofgar. I still had the horn of Jurgen Sky-whinny and intended to return it as I had been asked to. Also, if anypony knew more about how the dragons were returning, it would be the Greymanes.

After a harrowing climb and a few clashes with wolves and windigos, Steadfast and I made it to the top of the Crest of the World, or at least as high up as High Hoofgar was. The massive entrance doors swung upon smoothly as I stepped inside the monastery.

“Sapphire,” Night-Sparkle greeted me, “We’re so glad to see both you and the horn have returned safely.”

“It wasn’t easy,” I told him as I passed the horn over.

“But worth it,” he replied, cradling it close to him, “Jurgen Sky-Whinny’s horn has come home at last.”

“And who is this?” he asked, seeing Steadfast behind me.

“This is Steadfast,” I explained, “We got the horn together.”

“Well, I’m afraid High Hoofgar is only for those studying the Voice. He is not permitted to enter.”

“What? Why not? He’s with me!”

“This is how it has to be. The secrets we share within these walls are for those who follow the Way of the Voice alone.”

“That’s ridiculous. He won’t cause any trouble. And besides, I would never have found the horn without his help.”

“These are our rules. You can follow them or you can leave High Hoofgar.”

“You don’t need to leave on my account,” Steadfast chimed in, “I can wait outside.”

“It could be days,” I told him.

“Well, maybe if I could just come inside and stay out of the way?”

“What do you say?” I asked Night-Sparkle.

“Hmm,” he said, “The Greymanes have never allowed anypony not gifted in the Voice to enter our sacred halls. But, times are changing. And, as Paarthurnax would say, we must stay true to our past and mindful of the present without sacrificing our future.”

“I suppose he could stay,” Night-Sparkle bent, “So long as he stays far away from where we are training. Our Voices are liable to tear him apart if he gets in the way, and I will not be held responsible if such a thing happens.”

Night-Sparkle left us to find rooms for ourselves while he meditated. I chose the cell I had before, and Steadfast took the one adjacent to it. After I stripped out of my armor and laid down my belongings, I headed over to Steadfast’s cell to talk a bit before I left for training.

“So,” I asked, “Any plans while I’m off training?”

“I’ll find something to do,” he said before pausing, “High Hoofgar. I always dreamed about coming to this place. Well, I suppose everypony on the Whitetrot Plain did, lookin’ up at it every day. The Greymanes are legendary figures here. I imagined they’d be more . . .”

“Nice?”

“Yeah, like kindly old mountain ponies. I guess sometimes the real thing just can’t compare to the stories about it. Speaking of which, have you got anything to read?”

“I’ve got the first volume of A Brief History of the Empire if you want to take a whack at it.”

“May as well, I’ve got nothing else to do.”

After I retrieved my book for Steadfast, I headed back to the main room of High Hoofgar, ready to begin my lesson. Night-Sparkle was waiting for me when I arrived.

“I believe it would be best to conduct today’s lesson outside,” he said, guiding me toward the back of the building, “Both to avoid disturbing your friend and to give us more space to maneuver.”

“What’s the lesson today?” I asked him.

“All good things come to those who wait,” he replied cryptically.

He said nothing more as he guided me toward the heavy doors that led to High Hoofgar’s courtyard. Behind the monastery was a wide open area of nearly flat land penned off on two sides by the monastery itself and the other two sides by the mountain. The only way out was through High Hoofgar itself, or through an ancient stone archway leading to a path further up the mountain.

Yorri, Midnight-Flame, and Summer’s Dawn were already assembled outside. They gave us slight bows in turn as we passed.

“Last time you were here,” Night-Sparkle began, “We taught you mastery of Unrelenting Force. You can now bend force to your will. But force is only one path to follow. Today, we will teach you the meaning of true speed, elemental speed. You will learn the power and grace of a whirlwind. Master Midnight-Flame will demonstrate.”

The stallion stepped forward and pulled back his hood, letting his silvery mane flow over his shoulders. He closed his eyes and concentrated, forming the word in his mind.

<WULD!> he shouted, the word appearing in draconic on the ground in a blast of wind too fast to follow.

Suddenly all knowledge of the whirlwind entered my mind, thoughts and images flying by. I could almost feel myself picked up in the blast, becoming the whirlwind itself. I experienced the raw elemental power of the wind and allowed myself to be consumed by it.

Soon the thoughts became more solid, focusing on the memories of a single dragon regarding it. It was the one I had killed at Pynesgrove, and all its meditations and knowledge of the whirlwind became mine. They were my memories now, and I remembered rather than learned how to control the wind.

<WULD!> I echoed Master Midnight-Flame, causing the wind to propel me forward faster than my legs could carry me.

“Interesting,” Master Night-Sparkle said, “No meditation, yet mastery. I assume you have killed another dragon since we last met.”

“Two actually.”

“I won’t condemn how you choose to use the Voice, but our order has always advocated its use for peaceful purposes and thoughtful meditation. If your purpose in studying here is for combat alone, as was Jarl Stormcloud’s, you will be disappointed. There is no room for that kind of study here. So I ask you, what is your purpose in studying at High Hoofgar?”

I took a minute to think about it. Sure, Shouts were useful when fighting dragons, but that wasn’t my primary goal, was it? Horizon had nominated me to be its dragon slayer, it seemed, but other than the recent excursion with Faniar, I hadn’t sought dragons out. I would use my Voice to defend, not attack.

“I want to know why I have the Voice,” I told Night-Sparkle, “And what I can do with it.”

“A fitting and respectable goal,” he replied, “If you continue on the Way of the Voice, someday you will accomplish it. Now, if you are ready, we will teach you a new word, NAH, meaning ‘fury’ in the dragon tongue. Master Summer’s Dawn will demonstrate.”

<NAH!>

The letters glowed for a moment before my eyes, until my vision filled with images of elemental fury. In a moment, I learned everything I could about the force and power of the wind and weather. But, this time I had no memories of application. There was no way I could use my newfound power, and I was acutely aware of it.

“Combined with WULD, NAH will propel you along even faster with the fury of the wind behind you,” Night-Sparkle said, “Let us see what you have learned.”

I tried to focus my thoughts on NAH, but it was just no use. For all the knowledge I’d gained, I still couldn’t do it. Night-Sparkle continued to watch expectantly.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know how,” I told him at last.

“Ah, no dragon souls remain to learn from. I will share with you my knowledge of NAH, at least enough that you will be able to use it.”

Night-Sparkle’s memories suddenly flew toward me in a blazing, multi-colored fire. I felt them enter my mind and make themselves at home, becoming one with my own memories. I suddenly experienced his entire life’s meditation of NAH.

<<WULD~NAH!!>>

I was sent flying forward almost too fast to see where I was going, propelled by the whirlwind I had summoned up. Yet, it felt that I barely had a grasp on the use of NAH.

“Very good,” Night-Sparkle said, “I think that’s enough for today. Meditate on NAH, and when you feel you have mastered it, return for another lesson.”

As the great dragon Miirazbulaar wheeled around the mountain, Talhooves steeled himself for combat. With a mighty Shout, he sent the wyrm crashing into the mountainside, its broken carcass spreading across the country. Talhooves’s endeavors had not gone unnoticed. Even as the flames of the dragon died down, the Unicornican warlord Camelon approached the earth pony. He offered him glory and riches, promises of helping form a kingdom that would last centuries. He accepted, and was known thereafter as General Talhooves.

“Mind if I come in?” Steadfast asked, poking his head into my cell and interrupting my reading of A Brief History of the Empire, Vol. I.

“Sure,” I said, laying the book aside, “What’s on your mind?”

“I was just wondering how long you plan on staying here,” he asked.

After my training with the Greymanes I had taken two days to meditate on NAH. I was now pretty confident I could Whirlwind Sprint properly, but more practice wouldn’t hurt. Still, life in this monastery was a bit dull. Aside from meditating on and practicing Shouts, not much else seemed to go on here.

“I don’t know,” I answered Steadfast, “However long it takes, I guess.”

“I just feel so isolated here,” he said, “Like this place is separate from the rest of the world. Dragons could be burning everything for all we know. Jarl Stormcloud’s rebellion could have wiped out the Empire, and we’d have no idea.”

“I know how you feel. I’m not sure about this monastery life either. I’ve got a gift for using the Voice, but I don’t know what the point is if I never do anything useful with it. And Horizon seems to be depending on me using it to fight the dragons. Here I’m inaccessible if there’s trouble. I want to continue my studies, but I need to be out and about, not caged in here.”

“So, what are you going to do?”

“I’ll talk to Night-Sparkle in the morning; tell him I could never be a Greymane. Hopefully I’ll still be able to continue my training somehow.”

“I sure hope so, I’d hate for you to have to give up now,” Steadfast said as he turned to leave, “Well, I’ll let you get back to your book. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” I called back before picking up A Brief History of the Empire again.

The following morning, I approached Night-Sparkle in the courtyard, just as I had told Steadfast I would.

“Ah, Sapphire, so nice to see you this morning,” the grey-maned stallion said as I trotted up, “Have we mastered NAH already?”

“Well, yes,” I answered, “But actually I wanted to speak to you about something else. I can’t stay here at High Hoofgar. Though I’d like to continue my training, I need to be out in the world.”

“Well, the life of a Greymane is not for everypony,” he replied, “But you can still continue on the Way of the Voice by meditating on the Words of Power, and seeking out new ones on your own. Many of the structures built by the ancient earth ponies contain inscriptions that may allow you to learn new words. In exploring them, you can continue your training.”

“Thank you Master,” I said, giving a slight bow, “It has been an honor to study under you.”

“Before you leave,” Night-Sparkle stopped me, “We would like to teach you one more Word of Power.”

The other Greymanes had assembled and nodded their agreement.

“You have learned to use the Voice to push both others and yourself along. Now we will teach you of how the Voice can shape and alter the world around you. Master Yorri will teach you the draconic word for frost, FO. With it, your breath will become as cold as the chilliest Horizon winter day, freezing anything that stands before you.

<FO!> Master Yorri Shouted, the word appearing on the ground.

The power of the frost, and the intense cold of Horizon, swirled through my mind. My education was rapid, yet complete. It was soon built upon as Yorri shared her memories and meditations on FO with me. Once I had absorbed it all, I was able to match her Shout perfectly.

<FO!> I Shouted, and the ground froze in front of me.

“We hope that someday you will return to High Hoofgar seeking our guidance,” Night-Sparkle spoke for the Greymanes, “And remember that the Voice is a gift. Use it wisely.”

“I will,” I promised, running off to grab my saddlebags and armor before heading back down the mountain with Steadfast.

When we made it to the bottom of the Crest of the World, Ivarsteed seemed to bustling with activity. I wouldn’t think anything of it except that the last few times I had been here, nothing had been going on. A crowd had formed out in front of the inn, and I tuned into the conversation as I neared it.

“What are we going to do about this?”

“Is no place safe anymore?”

“As if there wasn’t already reason enough to abandon this town to the wilds!”

“What’s going on?” I asked an orange earth pony mare near the edge of the group.

“Draugr wandered into the town,” she explained, “That’s never happened before. Chilled Hearth Barrow has been dead for centuries.”

“Chilled Hearth Barrow?” I asked.

“It’s an ancient earth pony ruin about an hour’s trot down the road.”

“Hey, where are you going?” she asked as I trotted off.

“Chilled Hearth Barrow,” I answered, “I’ll see what’s going on.”

“Why are we doing this?” Steadfast asked as he ran to catch up.

“Did you have something else in mind?” I asked.

“No, just curious why you’re so eager to dive into a Draugr ruin.”

“Night-Sparkle told me to search Draugr ruins for Words of Power, and this chance just seemed to fall into my hooves.”

“Works for me. I can’t wait to get out there and crush some Draugr skulls again.”

I just rolled my eyes and continued down the path. It wasn’t long at all before I could see the ancient stones poking over the treetops. Chilled Hearth Barrow had to be close.

Without warning, a Draugr with a war axe jumped out from among the trees. The blade glanced off my armor, giving me time to pull my own war axe out. The next time the corpse swung at me, its weapon was blocked by the Axe of Whitetrot. As we locked blades, Steadfast charged up from behind and smashed his warhammer down on the Draugr.

As the Draugr died, its raspy scream drew the attention of two more. One with a greatsword charged Steadfast as the other kept its distance and shot arrows at me. I tried to keep trees between us as much as possible as I drew out my own bow. My first few arrows went wide, but I finally got a shot into the Draugr’s side.

As I moved to a better position, the Draugr got off a lucky shot. An arrow zipped between the trees and buried itself in my foreleg, just above the fetlock. Gritting my teeth through the pain, I moved on to a better spot and fired on the Draugr again, this time striking it in the eye. With a blast of lightning, I finished it up before attending to my leg.

After removing the arrow and bandaging it up, I regrouped with Steadfast, who had finished off his Draugr and was looting the body for gold. Together, we approached Chilled Hearth Barrow cautiously. Cresting a hill, we finally got a good look at it.

The barrow itself was a raised dome grown over with plant life that had encroached over the centuries. Surrounding it were the weathered pillars I had seen in the distance, standing like sentinels to protect the barrow. Real defenders patrolled closer to the barrow. I counted four Draugr staggering out in the sunlight.

With my bow I easily took out two of them before they caught on. I pulled out my sword and galloped down the hill as they began to climb toward us. The one I met first had a war axe held in its mouth. I jumped back as it swung at my chest and brought my sword down toward its head.

It brought the axe up to block surprisingly quickly, and Calcion’s Cleaver glanced to the side. The Draugr took advantage of the moment to swing its axe around toward my head. I ducked to the side, and all the blade cut was a chunk of my mane. As it swung back around toward my head, I threw my sword up to block, catching the axe just beneath the blade. I quickly twisted my sword around and disarmed the undead pony. Continuing my swing, I brought my sword around into its neck. It gave a raspy gasp as it fell to the ground dead.

I turned to where Steadfast was still fighting the remaining Draugr, which also was wielding a warhammer. Both of them had dents in their armor, but neither had been able to get the best of the other. I hoped to tip the odds in Steadfast’s favor as I shot flames at the Draugr. As it began to burn up, Steadfast finally got the fatal swing in, killing the zombie for good.

“I sure hope things are easier inside,” he said before approaching the ivy-covered barrow.

The only entrance was through a heavy wooden door set into the stone that had been smashed open from the inside. Peeking inside, I could see the Draugr lamps were already lit and illuminating the tomb with their eerie purplish light.

Cautiously I sent a hoof inside. When no Draugr appeared, I entered the barrow entirely. Steadfast followed as I crept down the corridor and the spiral staircase that followed, dropping us deeper into the crypt. Bodies of the giant rat-creatures I’d seen in Blank Flanks Barrow littered the floor at the bottom, already killed by the Draugr.

“What are those things?” I asked Steadfast when I was sure the coast was clear and there were no Draugr lurking about.

“Skeevers,” he replied, “Nasty things, aren’t they? Good thing they’re easy to kill.”

In the room we had just entered, the walls broke open in several places and four Draugr stepped out.

“I can’t say the same for them,” Steadfast commented before launching himself toward the nearest, warhammer swinging.

The one closest to me I blasted with fire, reducing it to a charred crisp in seconds. A second came at me, a greatsword grasped in its teeth, along with a third wielding a battleaxe. I pulled out both Calcion’s Cleaver and the Axe of Whitetrot, blocking the attacks as they came at me, sword to sword, axe to axe.

I jumped as the one with the battleaxe tried to sweep out my legs, blocking the swing of the greatsword as I did. I was pushed back as I blocked with my sword, forced to give ground to the Draugr. The other zombie repeatedly swung its battleaxe at me, forcing me to maneuver my war axe to keep from being sliced severely.

I finally broke through the greatsword’s block and nicked its wielder in the neck. Thick, dark blood oozed from the wound as the Draugr took a step back. I had no time for a killing blow as the other Draugr raised its battleaxe up to cut me in half. I jumped out of the way as the blade came down and slammed the Axe of Whitetrot into the shaft.

The weapon ignited as my blade cut into it and the Draugr was forced to release it. Calcion’s Cleaver went swinging up into its chest, and it fell to the floor a crumpled pile of flesh.

My side armor suddenly buckled, cutting into me as a greatsword slammed into it. I pushed the blade aside with my sword and turned to face my attacker. The Draugr brought its greatsword back to hit me, but I took it by surprise with a blast of fire. As it tried to recover, I swung the Axe of Whitetrot into its neck. Once again the blade lit on fire and the Draugr burned from the inside.

Steadfast finished up the Draugr he was fighting as I pulled my twisted armor out of the wound and downed a healing potion. It tingled as it took effect, sewing up my side good as new. The same couldn’t be said of my armor. As I took a look at it, I realized in what bad shape it really was. I promised myself the next time I was in a civilized town I’d a find a blacksmith’s forge to fix it up.

“Deeper in, I guess,” Steadfast said, trotting up to me and pointing toward the door at the far end of the room.

Past the door were more stairs leading down into the crypt. At the bottom was a large room filled with empty coffins. Undoubtedly some of the Draugr we’d seen on the surface, as well as the one’s that had “wandered into” Ivarsteed had come from here. Only a few intact coffins remained, and Steadfast and I quickly made an end to whatever was inside as they tried to emerge.

Deeper still we went until we looked down a long hallway lined on either side by elaborate carvings. At the end was a set of heavy metal doors, but for the moment the carvings demanded my attention. As I followed them, I realized they told a story, no doubt of the pony who was buried here.

I couldn’t read the glyphs, at least not most of them, but I could make out most of the story through the images. The first few depicted an earth pony mare on the hunt for riches. Eventually she began to crave power, until the walls depicted her commanding entire armies to do her bidding. But it still wasn’t enough and she sold herself to the dragons for greater power. In the end her army turned against her, but for a loyal few, who constructed the tomb we were now in. In truth, I believed those ponies that had followed her were now the Draugr that defended this place so vehemently.

Without any more delay, I pushed open the heavy doors at the end of the corridor. Past them was a chamber carved out of the solid rock and lit with the magical and eternal lights common in all ancient earth pony ruins I’d seen. Mingling with the purple light coming from an elaborate suspended chandelier was an icy blue light emanating from the center of the room.

As I stepped closer, I could see the light was actually coming from a Draugr, suspended in midair. Though it was impossible to tell for sure, I suspected this was the same mare depicted in the corridor outside. Her eyes snapped open as I drew even closer, the light from them blindingly bright. The light around her fluctuated as she snarled and fixed her attention on Steadfast and me.

Lightning flew from her eyes and burned the wall behind me as I ducked down. An earth pony doing magic was not good news at all. I galloped across the room as she sent another bolt at me, nearly catching me this time. The light faded a bit around her as she allowed herself to fall to her hooves. Pulling a sword off her back, she searched for where I was hiding.

I pressed myself closer against a pillar as her gaze swept over my hiding spot. I breathed a sigh of relief as she continued on, not noticing my presence. But that sigh turned to a gasp of horror as she snarled and swung in the opposite direction, toward where Steadfast was.

Slinking around the column, I saw her pursuing my earth pony companion, staring lightning at him and forcing him to run. I couldn’t just let her catch him, so I did the only thing I could think of at the moment. I ran in and jumped at her back, swinging Calcion’s Cleaver.

Amazingly, she was able to bring her own sword up to block. Ice began to form on my sword’s edge where the other blade touched it. I pulled back and shattered the ice before the weapons fused. The Draugr easily bucked me off her back before I had a chance to get even a single swing on her.

Slowly she approached where I had fallen, her eyes open only the slightest crack to let her see. When she was practically standing over me she opened them fully and sent crackling lightning hurtling at me. I brought Calcion’s Cleaver up on instinct, though I knew a sword couldn’t save me from this.

When I wasn’t dead in an instant, I cracked open my eyes to see the sword absorbing the electricity thrown at it. In fact, it began to deflect the lightning into the Draugr, causing her to grimace in pain, but still she didn’t relent. She only stopped shooting the lightning at me when Steadfast caved her head in with his warhammer.

I let my sword clatter to the ground and took a moment to catch my breath. Flopping back on the cold stone floor, I saw caught a glimpse of something I hadn’t before. Surrounded by carvings of dragons, there was an inscription in draconic on the wall behind me. One word began to stand out as I looked on, and I braced myself to learn something entirely new.

What hit me was surprising. It was no raw natural force or concept I found myself learning, but rather I began to learn everything there was to know about Pyne. In mere moments, I learned everything I possibly could about the Equine of nature. I understood it all, down to the very motivations and thoughts of the wild animals. Yes, I knew more about Pyne that most priests probably did, but I didn’t know her by her Equine name anymore, I knew her as only the dragons did.

~PAAN~