As I stepped into the room, despite my fear and focus on the task at hand, I couldn’t help but look around. The throne room had clearly been built to display the power and wealth of Equestria. A large vaulted ceiling, easily two stories high, rose above me, with two rows of half a dozen marble pillars supporting it. The floor was marble that had been polished to a lustrous shine, though the middle third of the floor couldn’t be seen beneath a thick, red velvet carpet. Busts of numerous Pony heads lined the walls of the room, some resting on pedestals and others sitting in small alcoves in the wall. Along the walls also hung banners displaying the same minotaur head and crossed spears that I had seen in the entrance hall.
At the far end of the hall, a pair of large windows reached from nearly the ground to the top of the ceiling, flanking a grand staircase that rose up a half dozen steps towards a single throne. The throne itself was clearly larger than the design of the room had accounted for, for it only barely fit onto the platform upon which it stood. It was seemingly built of gold and padded with violet velvet cushions, with numerous gemstones embedded above the headrest and in the arms.
And upon the throne sat Adamant Will.
He was by far the largest Minotaur I had ever seen. It became instantly clear why the throne was too large for the platform on which it stood, for even this large chair only barely fit the mountain of muscle and fur that sat upon it. As I made my way along the velvet carpet that led to the throne, Adamant Will rose to his full height - easily eight and a half feet, probably more. He wore only a set of plain chaps and a thick leather cord around his waist, with a sword sheathed at his side. His chest was completely bare save for a number of scars that criss-crossed it, leaving his dark-grey fur exposed. The only other thing that could be seen on his person was a small amulet clasped around his neck.
The talisman.
I couldn’t help but stare at it as I approached. The cold greys and fiery reds, the spread wings and ruby-red eyes that I could have sworn were glowing… This had to be the amulet in question. The talisman that was protecting the Minotaurs. The item I had come to seize. It was right there, only half a room away.
But no. Not yet. Soon. But not now.
I saw Adamant Will’s eyes narrow as I stopped a half dozen paces away from the stairs. “What’s this now?” He demanded. Despite the tension in the room, I nearly grinned. His voice was almost identical to James Earl Jones, and for a brief moment I couldn’t help but imagine a very tall Darth Vader standing at the top of the stairs. Just as quickly, however, I shoved that image from my mind. I had a job to do.
“Your highness,” I replied, bowing deeply and extending my left hand out to my sight, palm-up. My other hand slid into my pocket for a brief moment - just long enough to grab the scroll I had stowed there and place my thumb upon the wax stamp. Almost instantly, I felt a mild flash of heat against my hand, and the scroll disintegrated into ashes within my pocket. An instantly later, I felt a second, even smaller flash of heat race across my entire body, followed by a slight pins-and-needles feeling as the spell took effect.
As I rose from my bow, I glanced back up towards Adamant Will. His posture had not changed, but something about his expression had. Rather than the disdain I had seen before, now he looked at me with far greater interest. I let out a small breath I hadn’t realized I had been holding. The scroll seemed to have had the desired effect.
“My name is Chris Powell,” I announced. “I come from a land far away, from the Kingdom of America, a land inhabited by my people - Humans.” Adamant Will raised an eyebrow as I continued. “I doubt you have heard of America, or of my people. Very few here have.”
“I am told you demanded to be brought before me,” Adamant Will growled. “State your business, or leave.”
Now for the tricky bit. I took a deep breath as I chose my words carefully. “Through an unforeseen accident, I have found myself lost in your kingdom. For weeks, I have wandered the woods and mountains, visited the towns, spoken with friend and foe alike. I have seen and heard a great many things, your highness. News of your conquest of Equestria. Rumors of a resistance by those who refuse to accept your victory. Tales of the strength and glory of Minos. Though our kingdoms have not met in living memory, the strength of the Minotaurs is the thing of legend amongst my people.”
“Getting to the point, I admit that I am… in a bit of a bind. I only have a single lead on a method to return home, and this method lies deep underground in a labyrinthine cavern system that runs under Everfree and much of the surrounding area. It would be nigh impossible for me alone to explore and find this passage. As King of these lands, I have come to you to seek your aid in mapping these caverns and rediscovering the passage to my home.
“Obviously, I don’t expect that you would invest resources into such a task without recompense, especially with the resistance. I admit, I have little of physical value on me to offer in return. I do, however, have a great deal of knowledge that seems to remain undiscovered here. Knowledge that I believe you may be interested in.”
Adamant Will’s eyebrow raised ever so slightly. “Go on.”
“Imagine a device, very akin to the bows that are utilized now. However, this device has far greater range and far more destructive power. Different versions of this device can fire different sized projectiles, from smaller than an arrowhead to larger than my own head. The larger devices that fire larger projectiles can penetrate castle walls, while the smaller devices are able to be easily wielded by a single man - or Minotaur, in your case - and can fire the projectile at supersonic speeds. Depending on how large or advanced the device is, it may take a minute to reload a single shot, or it may fire hundreds of rounds in the span of a minute or less. Use of this device requires no knowledge of magic, and indeed very little knowledge of how the device works - simply point and pull a trigger. Versatile and customizable for any number of different situations and locations, this device has become the standard weapon of our armies in America.”
As I finished my description, I felt a change in the atmosphere of the room. In my peripherals, I could see that a number of the guards had tensed up, and a couple were openly staring at me. It was pretty obvious why. Guns, as I had described them, must have sounded like a weapon unlike any other, harnessing powers that must have seemed magical to them and yet requiring no magic at all. It was no wonder why they were interested. Such technology could easily put down the resistance and ensure Minotaur domination over all of Gaia.
Even Adamant Will seemed intrigued, though he refrained from staring openly. Instead, he began to slowly descend down the stairs from the throne room, each step echoing around the room with a muffled clop as his hooves landed upon the red velvet carpet. He stopped only a pace away from me, and I noted that my assessment of his height had been, if anything, an underestimation - my eyes came only up to the bottom of his chest. I had to look up to meet his gaze as he stared down at me. I had to remind myself that the effects of the spell were still upon me - to him, I must have looked far stronger than I actually was.
“And you would give us the knowledge of such a weapon?”
“This, and more. And upon my return, my people would certainly be willing and able to exchange more knowledge and goods. My only desire in return for this knowledge is for these caves to be mapped, and the passage to America found once more.”
One of Adamant Will’s massive hands reached up to scratch his chin for a brief moment. He let out a loud snort and closed his eyes. “Very well,” He finally replied. “We found an entrance, here in the castle, into what I assume are these caverns that you speak of. I was going to have them mapped out anyway. This just gives us another reason to do it.”
I let out a short breath that I hadn’t realized I was holding, but it was cut short as Adamant Will opened his eyes and looked back down at me. “As for you. You’ll be staying here in the castle while you teach us how to make this weapon. What sort of materials will you need?”
“A blacksmith, to start,” I began. “And plenty of metal to work with. Steel, if possible. We’ll also need a carpenter with a supply of wood and… an alchemist? Someone who is versed in mixing elements into new compounds. Oh, and a secure area to work in.”
Adamant Will nodded slowly. “We can supply all of that,” he replied. His lips curled upwards for the first time that I had seen - a smile not entirely friendly, nor entirely unpleasant. “The blacksmith will meet with you tomorrow. I’d suggest you rest for the rest of the day and tonight. Until then, I believe our business is done here. Longhorn!”
The guard directly to my right snapped to attention. “Sir?”
“Escort our guest to one of the guest chambers in the south wing. 5th floor should do. And ensure the door remains guarded at all times.” Adamant Wil’s eyes shifted towards me for a brief second before returning to the guard. “We wouldn’t want any of the resistance to get to him, would we?”
“Understood, sir.”
“Good. You’re dismissed.” With that, Adamant Will turned and walked back towards the stairs leading to his throne room. He gestured with his left hand, and the guard directly to me left moved towards a door leading towards a downward spiral staircase.
I felt a firm hand pat me on the back. “Alright you, let’s go,” Longhorn muttered, though even his muted words echoed around the large throne room. I cast one final glance over my shoulder as we walked down the velvet rug towards the throne room. My eyes met Adamant Will’s for a brief moment, and I had to suppress a shiver. There was a hunger in those eyes. An unnatural hunger for… something. I could hazard a guess at a number of things, but what exactly? I was unsure.
As Long horn led me out of the throne room and back through the castle, my mind kept coming back to a few points. That encounter with Adamant Will had been… easy. Too easy. It wasn’t hard to see how desperate he was to quash the resistance by Serenity and the princesses, and it was even easier to see how a weapon like a gun would aid in this, but even so, it should not have been that easy to get in. Did Adamant Will know? Did he know I’d been working with the Ponies? But if so, why wouldn’t he have ordered me killed on the spot? Was he so desperate that he was willing to humor me until one of the guns had been built? I had no way of knowing. Not now. I had to push that thought aside for now, but I made a mental note to watch out for any signs of betrayal.
Quite ironic, worrying about being stabbed in the back when the very reason I was here was to do the same to him.
I knew I was now on an even tighter schedule than before. I only had a couple of weeks, maybe even only a few days depending on how fast the Minotaurs worked, before we had at the very least a cannon of some kind. With the few bits and bobs of knowledge I had picked up from talking to Evan about his engineering classes, it wouldn’t be too big of a leap to move on to muskets and later rifles. Once they had even the most primitive of firearms, the resistance would be completely out-matched in weaponry. I’d have to make my move before then.
But that brought me back to the first point - what if Adamant Will already suspected? If so, surely he’d try to anticipate any move I made against him. My fists clenched up in frustration. There was so little I knew, so much that I needed to know. So much to do, so little time.
Longhorn, who had remained quiet throughout our entire trip through the castle, came to an abrupt stop. “Here you are,” he said gesturing with his right hand to a wooden door. “Your accommodations during your stay here in Everfree.” He took a step closer and turned the knob, pushing the door open. He stepped inside, and I followed closely after.
The room beyond was quite large - larger than my living room back home had been. Along the wall to my left was a set of open double doors that led to a walk-in closet - empty, obviously. Behind me were a number of shelves, as well as a long line of bookcases that extended all along the wall to my right and completely filled with books of various sizes. The only break in the wall of bookshelves was a small door leading to a room beyond - perhaps a bathroom of some kind. A king-sized four-poster bed sat dead center against the far wall, with two large windows flanking it opening up a view across the entire city.
“Rest up,” Longhorn suggested as he stepped backwards towards the door. “The King wants these devices as soon as possible. Tomorrow’s going to be a long day for you.” With that, the door was closed behind me, and I heard the distinctive sound of the door being locked behind him.
I wasted no time in relieving myself of myself of my bag - I let it fall to the carpeted floor with a thump, sighing and rolling my shoulders as the weight fell away. The straps had bitten into my shoulders, and I was happy to give them a break. My shoes were the next things to go, and I fell backwards onto the bed. The sheets were linen, I noted in the back of my mind, and the bed extremely comfortable. After my restless night the evening before and the journey to Everfree, I could have fallen asleep then and there.
But no. I forced myself to sit back up on the bed. I couldn’t fall asleep. Not yet. I had to formulate a plan.
But of course, to make a plan I needed information. And so, I knew the first couple of days here in Everfree had to be dedicated to discovering as much as possible about the castle - patrols, guard shifts, passcodes - as well as Adamant Will himself - daily routines, habits, security - before I could even try to think of a plan. I’d also need a contingency plan in case things went wrong. I had my pouch of scrolls, sure, but those would only allow me to accomplish so much. I sighed as I let my head hang. I didn’t even have my weapons anymore.
At that moment, I heard a click as the door unlocked, and an instant later the door swung inwards. Another Minotaur strolled in, carrying a small covered tray and something rolled up in a thin canvas sheet. “Food, and tools from the king,” he explained as he set the items down on one of the bedside tables. A moment later, he was gone, and the door closed and locked behind him,
I turned my attention first to the food. It was a simple meal - bread, cheese, and what seemed to be (surprisingly) salted pork, with a glass of water to go with it. I consumed it quickly relieved at the break from my nearly all-fish diet that I’d been living on for the past two weeks. I then turned my attention to the rolled canvas, unrolling each item one at a time.
The first item in the roll was a sheet of paper with a short message inscribed on it. “Our enemies are many, and they will stop at nothing to stop us. I return these to you that you may defend yourself. Use them wisely. - AW.” I grinned as I set the sheet aside. “Tools indeed, I murmured, unrolling the rest of the canvas.
Sure enough, there were three other items in the canvas roll - my knife and sheath, and the bow and quiver that Luna had given me. The quiver even still had arrows in it. I gripped the bow and drew the string back, feeling the familiar tension building throughout the weapon. It seemed undamaged, and so I relaxed the string and set the bow aside. The arrows, too, seemed fit for use, and my knife, though perhaps in need of polishing, was workable as well. I set the weapons aside on the bedside table on top of the tray and leaned back, falling backwards to lay on the bed once more.
It couldn’t have even been noon yet. I would have loved to check, but my phone had run out of battery days ago. I still had the backup charger, but until such time that I absolutely needed it, I wasn’t going to waste it on checking the time. I let out a yawn as I reviewed my course of action over the next few days. For the Ponies, I’d be doing as much recon and intelligence-gathering as I could, trying to find any security weaknesses that I could exploit and preparing for my move. For the Minotaurs, I’d be assisting them in the creation of a gun - more specifically, a cannon at first. Hopefully, I’d have a solid plan for taking out Adamant Will before the cannon was finished.
And yet, there was still that voice in my head. “You’re in.” it said. “It’s simple now. You scratch their back, they scratch yours. Help the Minotaurs, and get back home. You owe those Ponies nothing.”
“Shut up,” I muttered for what felt like the hundredth time, yawning as I spoke. And yet, the voice continued as my eyes slowly closed and I drifted off to sleep.