Author Note: this is the second rewrite of the original chapter 1, hopefully it is of better quality than what came before it.
A wizened figure stood in front of the barrier in between worlds, studying the dark wall.
He placed his leg against the surface, feeling the beating heart of reality underneath. For eons he had been imprisoned, for eons he had searched. Finally he had found what he had searched for, the chink in the prison wall.
The wall in front of him, stretched on for as far as he could see. It formed the edge of the prison where he, and his master, had been imprisoned by the six all those years ago. Time had gone on, taking its toll on his lord, but he had not given up hope. He was patient, and knew no prison was eternal. No prison had no weak spot.
For the millennium he had searched, poured over the tomes of knowledge they had taken with them, studied for something, anything he could use. Last night he had found it, a spell to pierce the wall. It required tinkering, and the right spot, but it would do.
The spell itself could not break the prison, but it would ensure the prisons downfall. After all, every journey began with a single step, and the prophecy said it could be done. All he had to do was create a crack, and he could send the ball rolling.
Carefully leaning on a staff, he pulled out a small silver blade. Where the wall absorbed all light, this blade emitted it. A unique piece of equipment, the entity had carried it for as long as he had remembered. Handed through his family, father to son, for many generations. It was this blade that had ensured his immortality, it was right it would be this blade that would free him.
Lifting the blade into air, he muttered some words and withdrew his limb. The blade remained suspended, not falling with gravity. Lighting a horn, the figure continued to chant words. Words began to form in mid air, orbiting around the blade. Next, the words began to flow over one another, forming sentences and paragraphs. Constantly moving, constantly changing.
Suddenly, the words burst into flame, leaving nothing more than smoke in their wake. The chanting ceased, but power remained in the air. Inspecting the blade, the figure noticing with a sense of satisfaction, runes had been engraved. Exactly as planned.
The horn shone again, this time brighter, and a field enveloped the runed blade. Suddenly it shot forwards, pressing against the barrier. For a moment, it seemed all for naught, the dagger resting against the surface. But, slowly and surely, inch by inch. It sunk in.
Soon the Blade was up to the hilt in the surface. Lighting his horn again, the figure pulled his blade out and examined the damage. A small crack, barely noticeable, existed in the now blemished surface. It was small, but it was all that was needed.
He began to cackle, he had succeeded, not that there had been any doubt. Doubt could not be afforded, not when everything had to go exactly as planned. The cackling intensified as the figure dropped his staff, his form now beginning to change. Before long, the figure was gone, his position replaced by a raven.
The raven flew up to the crack, studying it with his eye. ‘If all had happened as it should, then this should work.’ It thought to itself. Placing a tiniest bit of a claw upon the crack, he disappeared. The prison, had been breached.
-x-
The Hyundai i10 was driving steadily down the road, music blaring as it zoomed through the empty barren landscape.
The driver's name was Artemis and he was smiling, glad his parents had managed to insure the car for him to drive as soon as he passed his test, the feeling of being able to drive anywhere you want was completely freeing.
Today Artemis' destination was a small car park in the middle of Dartmoor, a region of empty boggy terrain in the south of England. Artemis chuckled, he imagined if at any other time of year he would of thought about coming to such a desolate place, its empty flatness marred only by a few low rising hills felt almost like a cage, no civilization for miles around. It was easy to see why so many people got lost in a place like this.
Luckily Artemis took all of this into account, and wasn't here for a serene sight seeing tour. He was here to get some alone time and jog, as such, the emptiness of Dartmoor was a fitting companion.
Eventually Artemis reached his destination and pulled his car to a halt, not to his surprise his was the only car in the whole car park, it seemed even the only glorious day of weather that you get in a British summer couldn't lure people to this secluded part of the moor.
Checking a map he brought with him he made sure he memorized his route, leading away from the car park, up a nearby hill to where he could have lunch, around some of the wetter parts of the moor and back to the car. It seemed safe enough.
Artemis grabbed his iPod and his bag which contained his lunch and a note pad and headed on his way.
As he headed outside he breathed in the fresh air, boy was he glad it was summer. His first year at university had been a bit stressful and he was glad he could just relax. Sure Jogging wasn't the most relaxing of things Artemis could do, he would much rather sit at home with his computer and various games. However, he had promised himself he would make an effort to get a bit back into shape, and Jogging seemed perfect, he wasn't much of one for team sports so the solitude of jogging suited him fine.
-x-
A couple of hours later Artemis was jogging steadily on and slowly climbing the hill, he was a bit behind schedule, having miss interpreted the scale of the map. Still not to worry, so he would finish a few hours later it wasn't the end of the world.
Eventually Artemis reached the top of the hill and found a nice dry spot under a tree to eat his lunch and have a quick gaze across the moor, it was quite beautiful, in a empty flat plane sort of way.
After a quick break, the refreshed Artemis stood up and started to make his way down the other side of the hill.
The jogging was easy sailing, at least until Artemis tripped. Artemis went rolling down the hill eventually coming to a stop near the edge of a steep drop down into the moor below. He breathed a sigh of relief, even with a few cuts and bruises a drop like that could of made the situation a lot more serious.
Artemis stood up and started to brush himself down, checking for all the little injuries his tumble had inflicted upon him, he smiled, other than a few cuts and a torn trouser leg he was alright.
Suddenly his vision was filled with blue as a bright orb of light appeared in the moors below and Artemis shut his eyes, the brightness overwhelming. Artemis stood still, he was still close to edge and didn't want to walk off the hill while disoriented. Sadly however, the decision was taken from him as the whole earth began to shake and he was shaken forward right off the edge of the hill rolling towards the moor.
Luckily for Artemis, it seemed he had misjudged the drop and closer to the moor the slope became far more shallow and the thick grass started to slow him down.
Artemis kept his eyes shut, both to protect from small rock and plants as he fell but also because the light was getting more intense, quickly he prepared himself for a soggy landing in the moor below.
However to his surprise, a soggy landing never came, and soon he felt a strange feeling pass through him as the grass beneath him suddenly became rock and he collided with something solid.
Artemis felt a large pain in his back and lay there for a few minutes, dazed and confused he was glad the light streaming through his eye lids was no longer blue but rather a pale white light, far more like the sun.
As he lay there, waiting for the pain to subside Artemis could hear the murmur of voices, that was strange the moor was clear and empty, he was the only one around for miles as far as he had seen.
He also noticed the temperature had changed, even thought it was summer the moor had been rather cold, now he could feel a gentle heat bearing down on him.
"Who dares interrupt thy Court? Guards! Clap them in chains." a feminine old fashioned voice commanded.
"Come now sister, that is really not necessary," a kinder female voice called out dismissing the newly summoned guards.
"Not needed? A creature of foreign nature has just appeared from the air and you think the guards are not needed?" The first voice shouted again, "Me thinks your new student and her friends have made the soft sister!"
Suddenly Artemis heard the second voice again, this time far more menacing. "Luna, you will not insult me in my court. It is day and I shall decide the creatures fate here!" Artemis felt really grateful that the kinder person was the one in charge, at least for now.
Artemis heard a snort and what appeared to be hooves clattering off into the distance, it appeared the first person had taken their leave on horse back. Strange, why would they allow horses in a council chamber?
Artemis heard a clamor of voices rise up chatting about the confrontation that had taken place and heard a set of hooves clatter up to him.
"Lets see here, whats wrong with him." Artemis heard a low hum and felt a weird tingling sensation flooding his body.
"Hmm, a few scratches, but nothing broken. Hmm this is interesting it seems he is some sort of bipedal creature, and aha he's awake."
Artemis felt the strange tingling sensation stop along with it so had the pain, and he could tell from the breath on the side of his face that whoever had spoken had leaned in close.
"You can open your eyes now, no need to be afraid," she whispered.
Artemis opened his eyes and almost wanted to laugh, there standing above him seemed to be a giant white unicorn, her neck bent down low and her face mere inches in front of him, 'I guess that explains the sound of hooves, he thought to himself.'
As Artemis stared up in silence, he thought he vaguely remembered the pony, but from where he could not tell at this time.
Seeing his look of shock and awe the unicorn smiled and ruffled her wings, not just a unicorn then but also a Pegasus. The word Alicorn flitted through Artemis' mind but he didn't know where it came from, he was still confused from the crash and thought to himself this must be a dream.
The great white pony opened her mouth to speak, her soft voice calming Artemis' nerves, "What's your name little one? if of course you can speak."
Artemis looked around scared noticing now that all the voices in the room had stopped to listen to the conversation, noticing that all the members of the chamber were also ponies he whispered a single word, "Artemis," before fainting.