The Equine Scrolls: SkyFiM

by FireOfTheNorth

Chapter 79: Underkeep

Underkeep.

The very name was misleading. This ancient Minotaur land was much more than a simple keep. The massive cavern we looked out on stretched off in the distance until the far end couldn’t be seen. Within were entire Minotauran cities soaring up toward the ceiling, their bronze glinting in the artificial light. Some light came from enormous glowing mushrooms that seemed to grow everywhere, but it was mostly overpowered by the harsh synthetic light of an artificial sun that hung from the ceiling, a perfect globe of bronze that burned like the many Minotauran gas lamps that filled their halls.

We stopped soaking in the fantastical views long enough to trot into the spacious cavern. A bronze archway greeted us, Minotauran runes across the top and Equine runes underneath saying “Welcome to Underkeep.” I found the Equine signs to be odd, but with a place this spectacular, it was no wonder the Minotaurs wanted ponies to be able to soak in the sights too.

“How are we supposed to find Crimson Nirnroots in all this,” Steadfast asked, looking around.

“Well, regular Nirnroots grow near water,” Mephalda said before flapping up into the sky and taking a look around.

“There’s a river that cuts through the cavern that way,” she reported as she landed, “But there’s a problem.”

“What kind of problem?” Mystic asked.

“There’s a Diamond Dog camp in the way.”

“Is there any way around it?” I asked.

“If we travel north, through that city, we should be able to avoid the Diamond Dogs.”

We were forced to choose between the Dogs and the automatons that no doubt stalked the streets of the Minotauran city. I’d choose the Minotauran machines any day over those canines that could smell and hear everything you did.

We headed north, toward the blocky bronze structures of the Minotauran city. Soon the spires towered over us and we trotted down the abandoned streets, our hooves clacking against the perfectly lain cobblestones. Everything was precise and geometric, just the way the Minotaurs liked it.

A few of the spider automatons skittered around, tending to repairs. The city was perfectly preserved after all the centuries it had lain dormant, no doubt due to the constant care it received from its mechanical servants. A few labor-clankers stomped about as well, performing the larger tasks the spiders couldn’t do. However, these benign automatons were not the only ones patrolling the streets.

Minotauran spheres rolled down the street in front of us and stopped suddenly when they realized we were not their Minotaur masters. The rolled toward us rapidly, spinning their blades around. Mystic and I shot lightning and flames at them, but these automatons seemed to be of tougher stuff than the Minotaurs’ other creations and were unfazed by our attacks.

I drew Dawnbreaker as one of the rolled up to me, and I blocked the first swing of its sword. It readjusted the angle of its arms and blades, something I’d never seen a sphere do before, and fought with its twin blades separately, swinging as if it were a living Minotaur using a sword in each hand. I drew my Changeling axe as well, using it to block the other sword as it swung at me.

Mephalda flew around behind the automatons and began to shoot arrows into the mechanisms on the back from which its steam pipes protruded. It seemed to work, as she managed to cripple one long enough that Steadfast could knock its head off with his warhammer. Mystic was pummeling the one in front of her with ice spikes, while keeping it at bay with a ward. Eventually her shards of ice managed to break through the machine’s armor, and she destroyed the internal mechanisms.

I pulled back my Changeling axe and ducked as the automaton swung its sword up at my head. I used my axe to knock its sword away again as it swung at me, before hooking the blade around its shoulder. I gave a yank, tearing the arm from the machine and causing gears and gyros to spill out. The automaton pulled its remaining sword back and swung it back around at my side. I blocked with Dawnbreaker as I hit the side of its head with my Changeling axe, caving it in.

Minotauran spiders began to swarm around us, and Steadfast crushed a few before he realized that they weren’t after us. The skittering machines grabbed the broken bodies of the fallen automatons and began to drag them away. Apparently keeping the city clean was more important to their simple minds than avenging their fallen comrades.

We continued through the city, nearing its center, when we suddenly ducked back around the corner. A large Minotauran automaton was patrolling a cross street, and judging by the crossbows mounted to its arms, it wasn’t there to fix potholes.

A hissing of steam growing closer at an incredibly fast rate told us that it had seen us. Before it could turn the corner, we headed for the large, ornate doors of the building we were nearest to. As it turned the corner, we slammed the doors shut and searched for something to barricade them with. It was no use; we’d entered a Debate Hall, where all the benches and tables were made from stone attached to the ground.

The doors were blown off their hinges as the death-clanker smashed its way in. Thick clouds of steam poured off of it, and it directed the blasts of scalding gas toward us. Mephalda took off into the air, and the rest of us split up, trying to keep it from attacking us all at once.

<<<FO~KRAH~DIIN!!!>>> I Shouted as it began to stomp toward me.

Ice began to coat the armor of the automaton, but it continued running, and closed the distance with me. As it swatted at me with an arm, I grabbed hold, clinging to the giant crossbow bolt fitted into the machine’s main weapon. Before I could draw my sword and start hacking away at the machinery, the automaton fired its crossbow, sending me flying across the room holding on to the bolt. As the shaft buried itself in the wall, I hit the stone and fell to the floor.

Steadfast charged in at the automaton, swinging his warhammer at its leg. He managed to do some damage, bending a plate of armor out of place so that it fell off, but it seemed to be merely superficial; the mechanisms beneath were unharmed. As the automaton swatted at him, he ducked between its legs, swinging his warhammer into the small of its back. Gyros bent and shattered as they spun out of control, and Steadfast galloped away from the flying shreds of metal.

The automaton’s steam plant went into overdrive to keep hot as Mystic shot ice at it, coating the side of the machine’s body. It raised an arm to point at my unicorn friend, but did not fire its crossbow. Instead, a mechanism on the underside of the arm began glow and spray fire toward her. She jumped out of the way of the first blast and raised a ward, galloping away as the automaton sent flame after her.

A ballista had been mounted near where I’d fallen, and I hurried over to it. I had no understanding of the controls and had to figure it out by trial and error. Spinning the wheels that changed the ballista’s orientation, I pointed it at where the automaton was swinging at Steadfast. Pressing buttons, I managed to load a bolt and fire it at the machine’s chest.

The shaft went flying through the air, striking its target and knocking the mech backwards. It staggered, a bit confused that it now had a spear sticking through its body, no doubt jamming some internal mechanisms, before it recovered and sent a slew of bolts back at me. I struggled to reload and fire again, but I failed, the ballista torn apart by the automaton’s bolts.

<<<WULD~NAH~KEST!!!>>> I Shouted, getting as far away from the ruined ballista as fast as I could.

The automaton began to run toward me, firing bolts as it came. I shot ice spikes at it with my magic, but most bounced off its armor. One managed to strike its gem-eye and shatter it. Lightning skittered over the machine’s head as the ice melted and seeped into the internal circuits.

As the automaton pulled up short, it began to charge the flamethrower beneath its arm. I galloped out of the way of the fire as it began to shoot it at me. Mephalda lined up a shot from the air and fired it into the flame-throwing mechanism. A fireball suddenly exploded around the automaton’s arm, scorching it badly. As the mech tried to fire a bolt at me from its crossbow, it found the cord snapped and the bolts all melted together.

I ducked under the machine as it tried to hit me with its injured arm. I swung Dawnbreaker up as I did so, dislodging the plates around its hips. Mephalda began shooting ice spikes immediately at the exposed gears. However, the ice was simply ground up by the rapidly rotating wheels. Steadfast charged past me, ducking under the automaton’s arm as it turned around and swung at him. He swung his warhammer up into the mechanisms, doing some severe damage to them.

The death-clanker kneeled to the ground as the gears that attached to its legs fell apart. It lifted an arm and tried to shoot fire at Steadfast as he retreated, but Mephalda shot an arrow through the mechanism, igniting it and scorching the automaton’s other arm. It still swung its arms around, keeping us at bay, but it had no more weapons.

<<<FUS~RO~DAH!!!>>> I Shouted as I galloped up to it, aiming for the ballista bolt impaled in its chest.

The massive spear jerked upward as my Shout hit it, tearing through the innards of the automaton and rupturing the power plant. The machine jerked around as steam began to spill from it, a sudden blast of heat blowing upon its chest. Eventually it went stiff and collapsed to the ground, the last of its steam leaking from it.

We left the Minotauran death-clanker where it lay and headed through the Debate Hall, exiting through the far doors. We trotted through the Minotauran city, avoiding the automatons wherever possible, until we reached an open square outside of a building that looked suspiciously like an arena. Within the square was a tiny pedestal with an even smaller bell on top of it. A tiny hammer sat nearby.

“What do you suppose this is for?” Steadfast asked as we all puzzled over the bell’s purpose.

“Doesn’t make much sense to have a bell like this out in the middle of nowhere, does it?” I asked.

Intrigued, I picked up the tiny hammer and struck the bell, causing a soft tinkling to emerge from it. The bell’s sound was magnified by the buildings around us, but only slightly. Soon it faded away into the far reaches of the cavern.

“I guess it doesn’t do anything,” Steadfast said with a shrug.

A roar that echoed across all of Underkeep suddenly caused us to jump. The flickering of the light drew our attention to the artificial sun hanging in the distance. The top had opened, and out of it a dragon emerged, flames covering its body. It gave another roar before launching itself off the globe and flapping toward us.

“Okay, so maybe it does do something,” Steadfast said fearfully.

The dragon swooped low over the Minotauran buildings, its wings smashing through one of them. Slowly it settled down in the space in front of the arena, staring at us but not attacking.

“TELL ME, WHERE ARE MY CAPTORS??” the dragon demanded.

“Your . . . captors?” I asked, finding my voice.

“YES, THOSE ACCURSED MINOTAURS!!” the dragon exclaimed, its hot breath washing over us, “THEY LOCKED ME DOWN HERE, MADE ME A SLAVE!! NOW I AM FREE, AND I WILL SEE THEM ALL BURN!!”

“I don’t know how to tell you this,” Steadfast said, “But there are no Minotaurs; they’ve been gone for centuries.”

“WHAT??” the dragon asked, “MY CAPTORS ARE GONE?? MY VENGEANCE THAT HAS KEPT ME STRONG FOR ALL THESE YEARS HAS BEEN FOR NAUGHT??”

“I’m afraid so,” I replied, just glad for the moment that the dragon wasn’t attacking us.

“WELL, I MAY NOT BE ABLE TO FEAST ON THOSE THAT TRAPPED ME, BUT AT LEAST I SHALL FINALLY HAVE A MEAL AGAIN!! IT HAS BEEN SO LONG SINCE I LAST DINED ON PONY FLESH!!”

<<YOL~TOOR!!>> I Shouted as the dragon tried to snap us up, filling its mouth with my fire.

“YOU KNOW THE TONGUE OF THE DOV!!” the dragon exclaimed, “IMPOSSIBLE!! I WILL TEACH YOU TO MEDDLE IN THE AFFAIRS OF DRAGONS, YOUNGLING!!”

The dragon let loose a gout of flame, scorching the stone around us. We had already moved out of the way, drinking down the last of our potions of fire resistance. I headed around toward the dragon’s wing, drawing Dawnbreaker and the Blade of Hoofingar. I stuck both my blades into the aged membrane and tore it apart as I galloped.

The dragon drew back its wing as it felt the pain, nearly taking my swords with it. It sent more fire my way as I galloped around behind it, dodging its tail as it tried to hit me. Steadfast landed a hit across its jaw with his warhammer while the beast was distracted with me. As it turned to snap at him, he ran under its neck and out of the way.

<<<FO~KRAH~DIIN!!!>>> the dragon Shouted, sending ice in all directions.

The stone was soon coated with frost from the dragon’s mouth. As we slipped around, the dragon drove its claws through the ice and took off into the air, flapping above us. Flames melted the ice, pursuing as we dodged it. But, without proper traction, it was a losing battle, and the flames closed in on us.

<<<JOOR~ZAH~FRUL!!!>>> I Shouted, striking the dragon with all the hatred the ancient earth ponies had felt for its kind.

The dragon’s wings suddenly stopped flapping as it realized what it meant to be mortal. It fell from the sky, its body twisting, and crashed to the ground, shattering the remaining ice.

“WHAT ARE THESE WORDS??” it demanded fearfully as it shook its head around, “WHO TAUGHT YOU THIS??”

“The Tongues,” I answered as I galloped up to the dragon and slashed my blades into its side.

“IMPOSSIBLE!!” the dragon said as it twisted its head around and breathed fire at me, only to be hit from behind by a blast of Mystic’s lightning, “ALDUIN KILLED THE TONGUES!!”

“No,” I said, schooling the dragon on history as I galloped toward its tail, “The Tongues sent Alduin forward in time using an Equine Scroll. Now we’re going to kill Alduin for good.”

“YOU HAVE HIGH ASPIRATIONS, MORTAL!!” the dragon chuckled while trying to impale me with the spines on its tail, “BUT NO ONE CAN DEFEAT THE MIGHTY AL~DU~IN, FIRSTBORN OF BUCKATOSH!!”

“But the Elements of Harmony can,” Steadfast said, striking the dragon on the nose with his warhammer.

We didn’t really know that for sure, of course, only that they were immensely powerful. Who was to say that Alduin wasn’t even more powerful? But, the frightened look that appeared in the dragon’s eyes when Steadfast mentioned the Elements told me that our plan just might work after all.

The dragon didn’t seem to want to talk anymore, and focused on breathing fire at Steadfast. Mephalda managed to pull him out of the way before he was roasted, and then ascended into the air, shooting arrows down at the dragon’s face.

As it focused on her, shooting fire into the air, I mounted the dragon, climbing onto its tail and then charging up its back. I hacked at its spines as I went, both my blades out and swinging. Mystic summoned an atronach made of lightning, which began to blast away at the dragon’s hide, tearing off chunks of scales. I took advantage of the holes to stab my blade in at the exposed and charred flesh.

As I neared the top of the dragon’s back, it turned around at me and began breathing fire in my direction. I ducked down, counting on my armor to protect me. For the most part it did, though a bit of flame did seep through the cracks and burn my flesh. The dragon stopped its barrage of fire for a moment and I rose, resuming my gallop up its neck.

<TIID!> I Shouted as the dragon opened its mouth again to roast me.

Time slowed as I jumped off the dragon’s neck, launching myself toward its mouth. I held Dawnbreaker in front of me while building a spell in my horn. I cast my flame spell just as I entered the dragon’s mouth.

Time suddenly snapped back to normal, and I went flying into the dragon’s mouth, burning through its flesh and carving the rest of my way with my Draconequus sword. I closed my eyes as I plowed through the dragon’s head, my Draconequus armor snapping the dragon’s bone. I passed out the back in an eruption of flesh and rolled across the ground, covered in bits of dragon.

As I searched for something to clean myself off with, the dragon began to combust, burning down until nothing but its skeleton was left. Its memories all fused with mine, all the years it had roamed Horizon, all the years it had been a prisoner. I experienced its entire life, both free and in captivity, until I could honestly say I remembered having those experiences.

“Ugh, I’ve got to get this stuff off of me,” I said as I wiped at the gore with a hoof. Sadly, this flesh didn’t seem to want to burn up like the rest.

“Well, maybe if you didn’t have to be so dramatic all the time, you wouldn’t have this problem,” Steadfast joked.

“Har har,” I faked laughter, “Let’s find some Nirnroots and get out of here.”

I was unable to find anything in my saddlebags to clean myself with, and had to leave the dragon flesh on me as we trotted through the rest of the city. The river that Mephalda had seen from the air curved around the city, and I took a minute to wash myself in the frigid waters before we moved on. Sadly, no Crimson Nirnroots grew so close to the city, or else they’d all been cleared out by the Minotaurs. It seemed the only place they grew in this area of Underkeep was near the Diamond Dog camp.

Very carefully we snuck down the riverbank, careful not to let a splash or a loose stone betray our presence. There was nothing to hide behind as we approached, but that was no problem, as the Diamond Dogs couldn’t see anyway. The real trick was making sure they didn’t hear or smell us.

The river happened to run through their camp, dividing it in two with the larger section on the east bank and a smaller area on the west. We’d have to pass right through it in order to get the Nirnroots. Mephalda had told us she’d seen some growing in the middle of the camp from the air. She was now trotting on the ground with us so that the Dogs didn’t hear her wingbeats.

As we passed beneath a bridge, one of the canines approached from either direction. We quickly ducked under the bridge and stayed hidden until they passed. I didn’t think they could’ve heard us, but I’d been wrong about their auditory capabilities before.

“That sound, what do you think it was?” one of them asked the other as they stopped and met at the top of the bridge.

“If I didn’t know better, I’d say a dragon,” the other replied.

“Why not a dragon?” the first asked.

“Down here, in Underkeep?” the second retorted.

“Why not?” the first answered, “You’ve heard the old legends. They say the Minotaurs imprisoned a dragon down here. That is why the land flourishes without the light of the sun.”

“Nonsense,” the second said, “That makes no sense.”

“It does make sense!” the first insisted, “Dragons are magic!”

The sound of scuffling came from overhead, along with growls and grunts as the Dogs fought each other. I pressed back harder against the stone, nearly drawing my sword, as one of the canines fell over the edge, splashing in the water.

“Fine, so it wasn’t a dragon,” the Dog said, rising from the water and shaking itself dry, “You win.”

Before the overlarge canine headed back up to the bridge, it stopped and smelled around. It was so close to us, we could easily take it out, but then the whole camp might come after us, something we didn’t have time for.

“What is it?” the one up top asked.

“Nothing,” the one down with us replied at last, taking one last whiff, “I thought I smelled something.”

The Dog scampered out of the water and back up onto the bridge. I let loose the breath I’d been holding when they both marched away. Cautiously, we stepped out from under the bridge and continued down the riverbank heading south.

It seemed that the Diamond Dogs also knew about the value of the Crimson Nirnroot. They appeared to be farming them, or had at least placed a rough fence around them in order to keep them from being stepped on. We carefully climbed over the fence, trying not to make any noise.

Quickly we gathered up as many Nirnroots as we could, stuffing them in our saddlebags. Once we thought we had enough, we climbed back over the fence. Unfortunately, when we did so, Mystic landed on top of a Dog who was patrolling. He gave out a howl that was swiftly silenced as Mephalda shot an arrow through his head.

More howls responded from the east, and Dogs began to charge down the street, sniffing and swiveling their ears around as they searched for us. We headed through the camp, avoiding Dogs, but were slowly forced west instead of east. It looked like it would be impossible to get back to Bullftand, so I searched for another way out. To the west was another Minotauran city, this one with a tower that went all the way up to the ceiling, perhaps even up to the surface.

“Come on, this way,” I whispered, “I think I found another way out.”

The Dogs, with their sensitive ears, heard me and quickly converged on our location. We broke into a gallop, heading west out of the town. If they wanted to stop us, they’d have to catch us first.

That’s what was inscribed over the ornate bronze doors of the tower in the center of the third Minotauran city we’d visited today. The Diamond Dogs had given up pursuit when we’d passed the outlying bronze-coated buildings, and we dodged Minotauran automatons as we made our way through the city.

Passing through the towering doors, we entered the Tower of Mino-zark. Just within the tower was a large entrance hall filled with statues of the Minotaurs. My hooves clacked across the marble floors as I approached a pedestal in the center of the room that had a lexicon protruding from the top. Pressing a button on the pedestal caused the lexicon to light up, and a glowing projection of the tower appeared in the air.

“What do you suppose that’s for?” Mystic asked, pointing at the top of the tower, where there was a dome labeled “Master Arcanex.”

“I don’t know,” I said, “Hopefully a way out.”

Like in Bullftand, a lift connected the tower to the surface. We piled onto the platform, and I pulled the lever, causing steam to hiss around us as we ascended. We rose higher and higher until the lift finally came to a stop at the top floor, where the map below had said the Master Arcanex was located.

We trotted into the spacious room, which contained nothing but a small control panel on the floor. Up above, a vast network of bronze arms, lenses, and crystals spanned the room. The Arcanex, according to Minotauran Inquiries; Vol. I, was a room found in every major Minotauran ruin for an unknown reason. I had never seen one in a different ruin, most likely because they were so expansive, but I had no doubt that this was the Arcanex. I would also wager that this was the largest and grandest, hence the title: Master Arcanex.

A door on the far side of the room led out to Horizon, but I had a look around before we left. The control panel was a mess of dials, buttons, and levers so complex I doubted even the Minotaurs fully understood how to use it. A small book was tucked between the lever arms, and as I opened it, I found it was filled with instructions on how to use the Arcanex. At least, that’s what I gathered from the illustrations; the instructions were in Minotauran.

Near the back of the book was a loose sheet of parchment that slipped out as I paged through. I examined it, trying to read what was written on it. Thankfully it was in Equine, but I wasn’t used to reading the scrawl of letters created by a creature that clutched its writing utensil in its hand.

Plan #8-C

SITUATION: The Northlands are not currently at a level in which conquest is viable or productive. Any attempts to seize control of the land would result in unacceptable casualties and compromises. Neither would the benefit of control be substantial enough to afford launching any attacks.

EXECUTION: The entire Minotauran Confederacy will be preserved in its current state, transported through time via the Arcanex terminals. Control of transportation will be granted to Prime Overseer of Underkeep, initiated from the Tower of Mino-zark. Prime Overseer is granted authority to determine time of transport and destination.
Note: Council recommends jump of no less than 1000 years and no more than 5000 for the optimum effect.
Immediately following transport, all members of Confederacy will need to be ready for combat, but are required to wait for confirmation from Council until making move.
Note: If Council is unresponsive for more than one (1) day, proceed with Plan #3-L to maintain tactical surprise.

ADDITIONAL NOTES: Supreme Overseer Adamantium Resolve will be present at Underkeep when Arcanex terminals are activated, but will not command transport. In the unlikely case that the Council is unable to fulfill its duties, the Supreme Overseer is granted absolute control over the Minotauran Confederacy for the duration of the campaign.

<TECHNICAL DETAILS FOLLOW>

I almost didn’t believe what I had just read. It was too ridiculous to be true, but everything looked so official and legitimate, I had trouble believing it wasn’t for real. The Minotaurs had disappeared much as Alduin had, only to reappear at a later date. What date that was, this document didn’t specify, though I flipped it around searching for some indication of when the Prime Overseer had sent his race.

Suddenly the Arcanex made perfect sense. There was one in every major Minotauran city, all linked to the Master Arcanex in Underkeep. When the Prime Overseer of Underkeep had activated the Arcanex in the Tower of Mino-zark, all the other Arcanexi had followed, funneling their citys’ residents forward in time.

The Arcanexi weren’t temples, they were machines, and their purpose was to transport the Minotaurs forward in time without the use of an Equine Scroll. Unless . . . Looking up, I did indeed spot one of the gigantic scrolls contained within a crystal near the center of the array. Somehow the Minotaurs had managed to harness the Scroll’s powers and jump themselves through time.

“Amazing,” Mystic said after I’d shared my find with my friends, “When are they supposed to arrive?”

“That’s the thing,” I said, “It could be in a few minutes, it could be in a few centuries. It doesn’t really specify.”

“It sounds like they won’t be coming in peace,” Steadfast noted.

“Steadfast’s right,” Mephalda agreed, “The whole reason they jumped themselves forward in time was because they wanted to conquer a Northlands worth conquering.”

“We’ve got to warn somepony about this,” I said.

“But who?” Mystic asked.

“I don’t know,” I said, “Everypony who will listen, I guess. Everything we thought we knew about the Minotaurs is wrong. The attack could come next week or next era. We need to be prepared.”

“How do you prepare for something like this?” Steadfast asked.

I agreed. Our task seemed impossible.