Azure Flame

by Silver Page

Chains of the Past and Future

“Gah!” Azure Flame jolted awake, breathing heavily. He tried to move, but something held him down.

“What’s going on?!” Azure gasped, blinking the sleep from his eyes.

“We’re in a cage. Welcome back to the land of the awake, by the way,” Creepy said, sitting next to the Unicorn.

The term ‘sitting’ might have been too generous for what it actually was, however, as Creepy was lashed to the seat of a metal bench with thick, heavy looking chains. Blinking, Azure just stared blankly at his friend, then down at himself. He too was wrapped in layers of chains. His, however, burned with anti-magic runes that sealed his magic, and made his horn itch.

“Uh, what did I miss?”

“You snapped, unleashed a massive burst of raw magic, tore a giant hole in the mansion of that scum-sucking noble, knocked us out in the process, and then passed out and got us all captured by Black Phoenix,” Creepy explained, his tone rather dull.

“Is Slim okay?” Azure inquired.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Azure looked over, and blinked. Then, he had to stifle a chuckle. Shadow Horn, aka Slim, was small, for a Minotaur at least. However, he was too tall to be allowed to sit up in their small confinement, so was bound in chains and forced to lie sideways on the mental bench opposite of his quadrupedal friends.

“Yes, yes, it’s amusing. Get it out of your system,” Slim grumbled.

“Sorry, sorry!” Azure snorted, before taking a deep breath. “So, where are we?”

“In some sort of armored carriage, most likely a Sky Chariot, based on how fast we’re moving,” Slim said. “Also, we’re heading East. Don’t know where exactly we are right now, but I’ve been awake for an hour and thirty two minutes. An hour and twenty four for Creepy. And we’d been unconscious for two hours and six minutes.”

“I see… where do you think they’re taking us?”

“Who knows?” Creepy said, making a clanking sound as he tried to shrug. “Gyphonia, Toro, Saddle Arabia… Hay, they might even be taking us to Neighpon! I don’t know what they’re planning, but they might be taking us straight to their main base to hand us over to their leader.”

“Crap,” Azure grumbled. Silence fell, and after a while, the Unicorn got tired of it.

“Well, let’s talk.”

“About what?” Slim asked, desperate for something to do.

“Ourselves. I don’t really know you, and you don’t really know me. So, let’s talk about who we are.” Creepy and Slim exchanged glances, but had nothing else to offer as an idea.

“I’ll start,” Azure said. He cleared his throat, and wiggled in his chains to find a comfortable spot.

“My real name, as you know, is Blueblood DeMarco Regitas, Prince-in-Waiting of the Kingdom of Equestria.”

“What exactly is a Prince-in-Waiting?” Slim interrupted.

“Well, since my Aunts are the Diarches of Equestria, but take the title of Princess instead of Queen or whatever, there had to be some distinction between the rest of their family and the Royal Line. Thus, Prince and Princess-in-Waiting was established. We have less direct power or authority, but are given more freedom in our personal lives and opportunities for jobs. Cadence has the same title, being my cousin and all. But, in the event of a crisis where my Aunts cannot handle everything at once, the Princes and Princesses-in-Waiting have the authority to make executive level decisions in the name of the Diarchy.”

“So why is Cadence an Alicorn and you’re not?” Creepy asked.

“Uh, well, I’m not entirely sure. According to Aunt Celestia, Alicorns are a unique genetic evolution. It’s a one in a billion chance for a pony to be born as one, so she was just lucky. She’s not like my aunts though. Her longevity and powers are indeed immense, but nowhere near theirs. There’s a story behind it, but I’ve don’t know it.” Azure’s mood soured as he thought about all the secrets Celestia hid from him and Cadence, and he grimaced.

“Anyways, my mother was Princess Golden Light. She was Celestia’s great-great-something niece, and very kind, and very beautiful.” Azure Flame smiled happily as he recalled his family after so long. “She was also very smart, and was the Head Treasurer. I recall one time, she told me she once counted all the blades of grass in the Castle Gardens.”

“My father, Blue Wave, on the other hoof, was not a noble. He was also a Pegasus. That combination made him both un-liked and resented in the High Society crowds since he married my mother. He was an Admiral in the Equestrian Navy, and got to that position through hard work and skill, and after marrying my mother was promoted to Grand Admiral of the entire navy.”

“How did they meet?” Slim and Creepy were interested. Not often you got to hear this from a mostly first hoof account.

“Well, my mother was visiting Baltimare for an investigation on some nobles and a tax evasion scheme. While there, they met, and just… clicked. They got to know each other as father helped mother track down the nobles and their bit-skimping. Finally, what really convinced her of my father’s good nature was when he flew in a Wild Storm that had appeared saved a colt that had gotten swept away. The rest is history as they say.”

“So touching,” Slim said, sniffing.

“Is that a tear?” Creepy teased. The Minotaur huffed indignantly.

“A true male is not afraid to hide their emotions!”

“Well, what about you, Slim? What can you tell us about yourself?” Azure asked.

“Well… I’m not anything cool or fancy like a mafia hitpony or a prince. I’m fairly normal,” Slim said, a musing look on his face.

“Let’s see... My parents are pretty normal, middle class Minotaurs. They live in Grandine, a city near the Gryphonia-Toro border. It’s got a lot of Griffons, either visitors of merchants, and we do a lot of stone work there. My mother is part of the Stone Mason’s Guild, while my father is from the Merchant’s Guild. I have a younger sister and brother. Neither have joined a Guild yet, as they are still in school.”

“You’re mentioning Guilds a lot. What are they?” Azure asked.

“Well, it’s hard to explain really. To Non-Minotaurs at least. We’re very organized as a species, and we don’t have a traditional Aristocracy, at least to others. You see, everything in Toro is regulated and controlled. If you want to buy or sell anything, you have to petition the Merchant’s Guild. If you want to found a new town or group, you have to talk to the Founder’s Guild for permission. In the past, you were born into a Guild, could only marry amongst Guild members, and leaving the Guild was a crime. It was a way to protect ourselves and our secrets. Things have changed however, mostly after the War of Undeath shook everything up.”

“Seems very restrictive,” Azure mused, but Slim shook his head.

“No more than a Pony’s Cutie Mark. You see, A Minotaur who is good at metal work and likes it can become a blacksmith, but only if they join the Smith’s Guild. Once part a Guild, they’re treated like family by the other members and are free to pursue their passion. Besides, a Minotaur can choose to be part of whatever Guild they fancy or have talent in.”

“Seems like it’s very nice, if not a little too controlled. How is it that Minotaurs are targeted by Black Phoenix, then?” Creepy inquired. At that, Slim sighed.

“While we don’t have a ‘traditional’ nobility, we do have Lineages. Some Minotaur families have been part of certain Guilds for so long they have far more control and benefits. We have what is termed an ‘Oligarchy.’ We’re ruled by the most skilled and successful Guilds, who decide what is bought, sold, made, and what laws and rules should exist. Many of the powerful Guilds protect their own interests at the expense of smaller, less successful Guilds. Plus, Nepotism is rampant in the older Guilds, as they want their Lineage to continue leading, even if it means more skilled or worthy Minotaurs are pushed to the side.” Slim’s face took on an annoyed look as he recalled something distasteful from his past.

“Sounds rough,” Azure said, sympathizing.

“It can be, yeah. Anyways, I joined the Entertainer’s Guild about five years ago. The Entertainer's Guild is one of the more free, and their purpose is to make beings happy. They organize festivals, plan the Holidays, train Bards and Actors, and do other things that are supposed to help others. Not in a material or physical way, but in an emotional method. I was an Apprentice to this motivational speaker named Iron Will, learning the ways of the Guild and how to perform. We traveled the world, spreading his teachings on self-respect and standing up for yourself. It was while we were in Equestria, actually, that I became enamored with what you ponies have called ‘Nightclubs.’ We don’t have anything like that back in Toro. So, after I finished my Apprenticeship last year, I traveled to Manehatten and later Germaneigh, where the Nightclub scenes were the largest. And then I may have made some bad choices and deals while, um, ‘sampling’ the local liquid refreshments.”

“And then I came in and saved your flank,” Azure smirked, which got a chuckle out of Slim.

“Heh, true dat, Azzy. So, Creepy, what’s your story?” Both looked to the Donkey, who was now silent and looking down at the floor.

“You okay, Creepy?” Azure asked, worried for his friend.

“Yeah, I’m fine.” A deep sigh escaped his mouth, and he looked up with a sad expression.

“My story is not a happy one. I had a hard childhood. It might be surprising to you, but I actually grew up in Prance.” That did surprise Azure and Slim, but explained some things.

“I had a mom, of course, and an older sister named Merry Way. My mother died when I was nine, and my sister took it on herself to care for me. She dropped out of school and got a job as a maid to pay for the expenses. Our father was a dead beat who up and disappeared a few years before mom passed, and I barely remember him. Plus, there’s my Aura of Revulsion that I was born with. It kept beings away, and even Merry found herself repulsed by me. But, she still loved and cared for me. I wanted to help, so I took a job as a Papercolt. We had a hard, but happy life.” A small smile flickered across his face as happier times were remembered, but it died as soon as it came.

“One day, however, my sister never came home. I waited, and waited, and eventually, the police came to our flat, and told me she’d been killed.” Azure winced, and Slim frowned in sympathetic sadness.

“Apparently, Merry had secretly become the lover of the noble she’d worked for, in order to bring in some extra bits. The noble in question was Arch-Duke Beauregard, Regent of Prance.” Azure and Slim’s eyes widened, and the Unicorn felt a cold sensation settle into his stomach.

“Figured it out, have ya, Azure? Yeah, my sister was that ‘mistress’ Lady Au Natural spoke of. She was caught up in his death, murdered just for being the lover of a noble.”

“I, I didn’t…” Azure stammered. He’d known of the death of the previous ruler of Prance before coming to Gaeum, and learned more since being in Prance, but this put things into uncomfortable perspective.

Creepy laughed darkly. “Yeah, I know. I was thirteen, and I’d just learned not only was my sister whoring herself out for my sake, but she’d died because of it. I think I went a little mad, afterwards. I found that the attack was carried out by Black Phoenix, and I did my own search for them. That’s how I learned about the White Dragon Nightclub. I confronted them, tried to take revenge for my sister… but I failed. I was beaten half to death and tossed in a ditch outside of Prance, and would have died if not for my mentor.”

“I was found by a Donkey who called himself Dead Mark. He healed me, and recognized my aura of fear as a valuable asset. Dead was a hitpony, and worked in Bitaly. He trained me as a killer, and thanks to him, got a job with the Bologna Family. But I never forgot what had happened, and I kept my hate for Black Phoenix alive.”

Creepy sighed, and looked over at his friends. “And that is the story of my life. Misery and woe, with a touch of dark humor.”

“If we weren’t chained up, I’d totally give you a hug so hard you’d become a cripple,” Slim said, sniffing loudly, his teary eyes mirrored by Azure.

Before anything else could be said, the small cage they were in started to shake, and strange sounds filtered through from beyond the walls. Sounds that were suspiciously like screams and roars…

“What’s happening?!” Azure cried!

“I don’t know! Brace yourselves!” Creepy ordered. They did as best they could, and were glad they’d done so, as soon a terrible sensation of falling took hold of them, and they felt themselves plummeting down. Azure clenched his eyes shut, and tensed for the impact…

Azure Flame opened his eyes after a while. For the past five minutes, he and the others had been tossed around like a toy boat in a hurricane, and after several moments of screaming, found they were no longer tumbling. He blinked, seeing that the walls were dented, and the door to their cell was busted off its hinges, likely from the jolting about. Further, some of the chains had popped loose. In fact, if it wasn’t for the chains being so tightly locked around them, the trio would have been bashed around the inside and likely have gotten severely hurt.

“Is everyone alright?” Azure groaned, feeling his head pounding.

“I feel like I just got thrown down a mountain, but yeah,” Creepy moaned.

“Same,” Slim winced, pulling at his loosened bindings. After a few moments, he ripped the chains off himself and his friends, and pried the door open for them to clamber out of.

Looking around, they saw how they’d survived the fall. Behind them was a large forest of towering, twisted trees, their bark black and gnarled and thick. They were bare, however, and not a single leaf or blade of grass could be seen anywhere nearby. What was even more intimidating were the large, sharp looking thorns the trees sprouted, almost every surface covered in them. Their cell had landed in the branches of the forest, then bounced out, skidding across the dead, cracked earth. There was no wind, yet a deep chill permeated the area, far too cold for early autumn.

“Ugh, my head… any idea where we are, Slim?” Azure asked, hoping his friends inner compass wouldn’t let them down. He glanced over at the Minotaur, but was taken aback by the look of sheer terror on his face.

“What’s wrong, Slim? Where are we?” Creepy asked, looking around.

“We have to leave. Now!” Slim shouted, grabbing the two under his arms and starting to run away from the forest as fast as his legs could carry them.

“Wow, hold on, buddy, what’s the rush?” The Donkey asked, confused.

“We are in the most dangerous and evil place in Gaeum, no, all of Erafore!” Strange, moaning sounds suddenly started to emerge from the black forest behind them, and Azure twisted in his friends grasp to look. His jaw dropped at what he saw.

Behind them, dozens of rotting, hideous creatures shambled out of the shadows of the trees. Pegasi and Griffons with peeling flesh and wings striped to bare bones. Unicorns with empty eye sockets and jagged shards of horn. Earth Ponies and Donkeys with missing limbs and shuffling gaits. Minotaurs, Diamond Dogs, and Cats with pitted, ruined bodies and grasping, filthy hands.

“We’re in the Fallen Kingdom of Tambelon, land of the Undead!”

Author's Note:

Well, here's an early Chapter for you! Thought it might make Friday the 13th more bearable.

Comments

[-Brutus]

Who's the nercomancer?!

[SageBrony07]

Nice chapter. I loved this chapter. It was good seeing character development. Good luck with the next chapter. Great job.

[Frankie2]

This isn't the first time I heard of 'The Kingdom of Tambelon' on this site. What is it?

[Silver Page]

5754146
The Kingdom of Tambelon was a G1 My Little Pony place, ruled by an evil Goat wizard called Grogar who kidnapped Unicorns who used teleportation magic. He also had an army of goblin-ish monsters who served him. His distinguishing feature was blood red eyes and a magic bell he wore around his neck.
Grogar is depicted in fanon as an evil sorcerer.